o the
faith;" and this within a space of less than two years from the
commencement of the institution.

By reason of a persecution raised against the church at Jerusalem, the
converts were driven from that city, and dispersed throughout the
regions of Judea and Samaria. (Acts viii. l.) Wherever they came, they
brought their religion with them: for our historian informs us, (Acts
viii. 4.) that "they that were scattered abroad went everywhere
preaching the word." The effect of this preaching comes afterwards to be
noticed, where the historian is led, in the course of his narrative, to
observe that then (i. e. about three years posterior to this, [Benson,
b. i. p. 207.]) the churches had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee
and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. This was the work of
the second period, which comprises about four years.

Hitherto the preaching of the Gospel had been confined to Jews, to
Jewish proselytes, and to Samaritans. And I cannot forbear from setting
down in this place an observation of Mr. Bryant, which appears to me to
be perfectly well founded;--"The Jews still remain: but how seldom is it
that we can make a single proselyte! There is reason to think, that
there were more converted by the apostles in one day than have since
been won over in the last thousand years." (Bryant on the Truth of the
Christian Religion, p. 112.) It was not yet known to the apostles that
they were at liberty to propose the religion to mankind at large. That
"mystery," as Saint Paul calls it, (Eph. iii. 3--6.) and as it then was,
was revealed to Peter by an especial miracle. It appears to have been
(Benson, book ii. p. 236.) about seven years after Christ's ascension
that the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles of Cesarea. A year after
this a great multitude of Gentiles were converted at Antioch in Syria.
The expressions employed by the historian are these:--"A great number
believed, and turned to the Lord;" "much people was added unto the
Lord;" "the apostles Barnabas and Paul taught much people." (Acts xi.
21, 24, 26.) Upon Herod's death, which happened in the next
year, (Benson, book ii, p. 289.) it is observed, that "the word of God
grew and multiplied." (Acts xii. 24.) Three years from this time, upon
the preaching of Paul at Iconium, the metropolis of Lycaonia, "a great
multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed:" (Acts xiv. 1.) and