agency attending the persons of the apostles, there
were added to the society "about three thousand souls." (Acts ii. 41.)
But here, it is not, I think, to be taken, that these three thousand
were all converted by this single miracle; but rather that many who
before were believers in Christ became now professors of Christianity;
that is to say, when they found that a religion was to be established, a
society formed and set up in the name of Christ, governed by his laws,
avowing their belief in his mission, united amongst themselves, and
separated from the rest of the world by visible distinctions; in
pursuance of their former conviction, and by virtue of what they had
heard and seen, and known of Christ's history, they publicly became
members of it.

We read in the fourth chapter (verse 4) of the Acts, that soon after
this, "the number of the men," i. e. the society openly professing their
belief in Christ, "was about five thousand." So that here is an increase
of two thousand within a very short time. And it is probable that there
were many, both now and afterwards, who, although they believed in
Christ, did not think it necessary to join themselves to this society;
or who waited to see what was likely to become of it. Gamaliel, whose
advice to the Jewish council is recorded Acts v. 34, appears to have
been of this description; perhaps Nicodemus, and perhaps also Joseph of
Arimathea. This class of men, their character and their rank, are
likewise pointed out by Saint John, in the twelfth chapter of his
Gospel: "Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him,
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should
be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than
the praise of God." Persons such as these might admit the miracles of
Christ, without being immediately convinced that they were under
obligation to make a public profession of Christianity at the risk of
all that was dear to them in life, and even of life itself.*

_________

* "Beside those who professed, and those who rejected and opposed,
Christianity, there were in all probability multitudes between both,
neither perfect Christians nor yet unbelievers. They had a favourable
opinion of the Gospel, but worldly considerations made them unwilling to
own it. There were many circumstances which inclined them to think that
Christianity was a divine revelation, but there were many inconveniences
which atten