womb. Many that were lame were doubtlefs made whole (for fo the evangelifts in general words testify ) by Christ himself; but as this man was laid daily at the gate of the temple, whither our Lord also daily resorted; he feems, in the divine difpofal of things, to have been purposely reserved for this occafion.

Nor was this any hardship to him who endured it; even if we set aside, for a moment, the general confideration, that the most miferable among men fuffer less than the best of men deferve. Two or three years more of painless infirmity were not worthy to be mentioned, when he was to be an instance, perhaps the firft inftance, of the wonderful power given to the apoftles; and to be recorded, to all ages, as a glorious inftrument of the increase and confirmation of the gospel. The ways of providence are oftentimes more efpecially gracious and merciful, where at firft they may appear least of all to be fo. Jefus," faith St. John, "loved Martha, "Therefore," it is added, even for this very reason, because

and her fifter, and Lazarus.

See Matt. xi. 5. with Luke vii. 21, 22. See alfo Matt.

xv. 31. xxi. 14, in which last instance the miracle was wrought in the temple.

he

he loved him, he healed not his fickness, but made him an example of a greater miracle, and greater bleffing, by raifing him from the dead".

This illuftrious miracle, of healing the lame man in the temple, was, on feveral accounts, of important ufe to the faith. In confequence hereof, and by the bleffing of GOD upon the preaching of the apostles, "the number of the men" was now augmented to " about five thousand '.

f "

It was likewife attended with another circumftance, of fingular advantage to that, and every fucceeding, age of the church. For Peter and John, who had publicly wrought this miraculous cure, being thereupon imprifoned, were brought before the high priest, and rulers of the Jews; that the doctrine of Chrift crucified and raised from the dead might be scrutinised, in its very infancy, by thofe, who wanted neither means, nor inclination, to detect the forgery, had there been any in the cafe; nor zeal, nor power, to punish the contrivers, could they have convicted them. They were difmiffed with threats; for their enemies, with whom the

4.

John xi. 5, 6.

f Acts iv.

E

shadow

shadow of a proof would have been ample confirmation, could find nothing against them. They recognised their perfons, and knew they had been with Jefus; and the man "above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed," was standing by, and they could not deny it.

The cause of truth having, thus at first, stood the test of a public trial, a second investigation was, for a while, lefs neceffary. When therefore the apoftles were, soon afterwards, apprehended, that providence of GOD, which doeth nothing in vain, and which, in the former inftance, had suffered the truth, as it were, to defend itself; now fent an holy angel, and opened the prifon doors, and brought forth the apoftles, to preach early in the temple, that the work of falvation might not be impeded ". The day, nevertheless, did not pafs over them, ere they were again arraigned before the council. But when they would have flain them, they were restrained. from their purpose, by the advice of Gamaliel; who juftly argued, that if the work were of men, it would come to nought; but if it were of GOD, it could not be overthrown.

• Acts iv. 13, 14. 21, 22. 16.

Ibid. iv. 17. &c.

As

As we proceed, we perceive another mark of the increafe of the church, in the appointment of feven deacons, to fuperintend the business of relieving the poor; but with authority alfo to preach, and to baptize.* - One of this number, St. Stephen, difputing against his adverfaries with irresistible power, and having, in the face of the Sanhedrim, proved, by a plain enumeration of facts, that they always opposed the truth; and that, as their fathers flew the prophets, who forefhewed the coming of the juft One, so they had now betrayed and murdered him; for these things, which they could not gainfay, he was put to death, and had the honour of being the first, who fealed, with his blood, the teftimony of Jefus *.

At this time, about the end of the year thirty three, there was a great perfecution, against the church in Jerusalem'; which however, like many fubfequent perfecutions, tended eventually, though not in the way fometimes reprefented, to the furtherance of the gospel". All, except the apostles, were

* Ibid. vii.

i Acts vi. 1 Ibid. viii. 1. &c. See Phil. i. 12. Dionyfius, bishop of Alexandria in the third century, remarks, in the cafe of his own banishment,

fcattered abroad; and many, by this means, heard and embraced the word of life, who would not otherwise, or not fo foon, have known it. Philip the deacon converted and baptized many of the Samaritans; whereupon the apostles fent Peter and John, to confer on them the gift of the Holy Ghost. Others travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch;" and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord "." On this occafion too, an Ethiopian eunuch, a man of authority, and a profelyte, as it feems, to the Jews' religion, being taught the gospel by Philip, carried the glad tidings into regions ftill more remote.

In the perfecution of Stephen, and the more general one that enfued, Saul had acted with furious zeal; but he "obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly, in unbelief." As he was going towards Damafcus, breathing threatnings and flaughter, at mid-day He,

that the word was, by this means, planted among fome, who had not before received it; and that, as if God had fent him for this very purpose, when he had fulfilled this office, He conducted him back. Vide Euf. H. E. L. VII. c. xi, et confer Chryfoft. in viii. Act. T. IV. p. 713. 1. 35.

n Acts xi. 19-21.

0 1 Tim. i. 13.

whom