We have evidence of the same fact in the history of Christianity. The beautiful example of the Saviour, and the wonderful miracles which he performed--all for the good of man--failed to attract the high boasted reason of the Greek, or the Roman, or to soften the obduracy of the blind and hard Pharisaic hearted Jew: it was still the _few_ who had sympathy with the character He exhibited, and the truths which He spoke, and who found Him to be to their souls "the power of God unto salvation." And even when these few were gathered together, and under the extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, many were added to them, and "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul," they were still comparatively but a _few_. The further history of the Christian Church may appear to some to exhibit a different view, but to us it seems not less clearly to illustrate the same melancholy truth. It is certain, that during the life-time of the Apostles, many by their powerful preaching, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, were brought to repentance and a living faith in Christ, and we know that not a few sealed their testimony with their blood, yet the simplicity and the purity of Christianity were soon more or less spoiled by the still contracted spirit and notions of many of the Jews, or the false philosophy, not entirely abandoned, of the pagan converts. We doubt not, however, that notwithstanding these deteriorating admixtures, there may be said to have been many--aye, a glorious multitude--who held the truth in its primitive power, and in a large measure of primitive simplicity. Still, when these are compared with the whole population of the countries where the Truth was preached, the real converts must be spoken of as a _few_, and thus was it evident that there was still an inherent opposition in man to the restraining and purifying doctrines of the gospel of Christ.