n. Places Dom. ther they went. 33 How often bi- been there Proofs of Proofs of the the time and Their most remarkable Transactions Transactions. after bis converfion. place. as it was laid against him), C 3 firf Moles Chrift; that the Tabernacle Circum 33 Circumcifion, the Taber nacle, and Temple, they could no ways affure themfelves of God's protection now, on the account of al or any of those things, under all their impieties. They, A&ts vii. not being able to bear this 59. bold defence, expreffed the moft bitter rage against him; which he oblerving, looked jup to heaven, from whence alone be expected relief; Jand, for his own encouragement and the encourage: ment of all fucceeding mar tyrs, had the heavens opened to him, fo that he faw the glory of God, and Jefus tanding on the right hand of God, ready to receive him whereupon they furiously caft him out of the city, and ftoned him: who, in imitation of Him that gave his life a ranfom for the world, in the midft of his gonies got upon his knees, and prayed to God with a loud voice, not to lay that in to their charge. The Acts vii. witneffes, who were to begin 58. he execution, ftripping themfelves for it, laid down their cloaths at a young man's feet, whofe name was Saul; and he was confent-Acts vii. fing unto Stephen's death. 38. But devout men, as a mark Acts viii. of their high esteem for him, 1. C 4 buried Proofs of the Their most remarkable Transactions Tranfa&tion 331 34 The people, on seeing the Acts xxvi. niraculous powers with 10. which the difciples were en-Aas viii. dued after they had cruci-2. fed Jefus, had generally Acts viii. ided with them hitherte.t. (Se chap. ii. 47. iv. 21. v. 13. 26.) For by the figns and wonders they did, it evidently appeared, that Jeus was rifen again. The people therefore hoped, that fince he was rifen, and had beftowed thefe wonderfull powers on his difciples, he might fill, fome way or other, afford them deliverance from the yoke of the Romans; but finding now, by Stephen's defence, that nothing was to be expected, notwithstanding thefe mira culous powers with which Jefus had endued his difciples, but the deftruction of Jerufalem, for their wickednefs, notwithstanding it was the city of the great king; they feem to have turned against the difciples, and confequently left them to the fury of the high prie and the council. Whereupon a great perfecution enfues, by which all the hundred and twenty were fcattered abroad, except the apostles; who continued at Jerufalem ;l Acts viii. 15. in order, as I fuppofe, to confult together, and take fuch measures for the propa gating the faith, as might fuit the feveral emergencies of the church; as we fee in fact they did, Acts viii. 14. and xi. 22. The rest of the hundred and twenty, or by Far the greater part of them, were fuffered to be fcattered abroad, in order to publifh the gospel in other parts. In this violent perfecu-Acts viii. tion, Saul, flufhed with the. xxii. 4. blood of Stephen, diftin-xxvi. 11. guishes himself by his rage and fury. 1 Tim. i. 13. They, that were scattered abroad, went every where Tit. iii. 3. preaching the word, to Ju-Acts viii. dea, Galilee, &c. The word having now Ac 4. A&s ix. 31. been preached at Jerufalem Acts viii. about a year, it is to be car 5-14. ried, among other places in Palestine, to Samaria. cordingly, Philip, the fecond (now become the first) of the deacons, imitating the zeal of the firft (alfo an evangelift, Acts xxi. 8. an. 58.), being one of thofe that was fcattered, goes down to the city of Samaria, and preaches Chrift unto the Samaritans, converts many to the faith, and baptizes them; and a mong |