title="[Pg 18]"/> he that believed and was baptized should be saved, but he that believed not should be damned. He promised them his continual protection—that he would be ever present with them, even to the end of the world.

On his last appearance to the apostles he particularly commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem till they had received the promise of God, and were invested with power from above. That after the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them they should have sufficient power and knowledge, and have the honor of being his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and in the farthest parts of the earth.

He then led them out of the city to that part of Mount Olivet which was near Bethany, where, lifting up his hands which showed the marks of his sufferings, he gave them his last benediction.

And while they were all in the posture of adoration, he was parted from them by degrees, taken up in a cloud, and carried triumphantly into the ineffable glories of heaven.

STEPHEN

Was chosen one of the first deacons of the Christian Church at Jerusalem. He was of high report for wisdom, and the endowments of the Holy Spirit. He confuted the most learned Jews in their arguments, and applied such wholesome truths to the test of their consciences, that being sorely galled, and unable to answer, their rage was unbounded.

Stephen, however, regarded them not, but fixing his ardent gaze upward, was ravished with the vision of glory revealed to him, and declared that he saw the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.

This farther enraged his enemies, who resolved to deal with him as a blasphemer; and, therefore they raised a great noise and clamor, stopped their ears to hear no cries for mercy, and rushing upon him, they hurried him out of the city in order to stone him, according to an ancient law against blasphemers.

The witnesses, according to custom, stripped themselves, and then began the tragedy, which was soon seconded by the multitude. During all this, the pious martyr was on his knees praying to God, and earnestly interceding for his murderers, "that he would not charge this guilt upon them"—till at length he fell asleep in the arms of death, being the first martyr who suffered in the Christian Church, A. D. 34.

SAUL OF TARSUS, OR PAUL.

This great agent in the first persecution of the Church of God was well educated in the learning of the times, and one of the most strict of the sect of the Pharisees. He was born in the Roman city Tarsus, and enjoyed the privilege of a free citizen of Rome, which gave him high influence among the Jews, and increased his power to injure the followers of Jesus. He pursued the Christians with the fury of a bigot and the rage of a madman. He paid no regard to age or sex; tearing the husband from the wife, and the mother from her children, and breathing vengeance and blood wherever he came.

But at last it pleased God, A. D. 35, to put a stop to his violence and wickedness. And wonderful was the change of his heart. Having dispersed the Christians from Jerusalem, he was on a journey to renew his persecutions in Damascus, when a sudden light from heaven smote him to the ground, and he heard a voice, "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" The haughty