And this may fully appear by these many instances following. 1. Christ after his resurrection, and before his ascension, "was seen of above five hundred brethren at once," 1 Cor. xv. 6. 2. "After that of James, then of all the apostles," ver. 7. 3. At the election of Matthias, and before Christ's ascension, there were disciples together, the "company of their names together was as it were one hundred and twenty," Acts i. 15. 4. At Peter's sermon, "they that gladly received his word, were baptized. And that day were added about three thousand souls," Acts ii. 1, 4. 5. And "The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved," ver. 27. 6. Afterwards at another of Peter's sermons, "Many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand," Acts iv. 4. 7. After that, "Believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women," Acts v. 14. 8. Furthermore, the disciples multiplying, and the work of the ministry thereupon much increasing, the apostles were necessitated to appoint seven deacons for serving of tables, that they might wholly "give themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer," Acts vi. 1 to 7; whence some have thought, that there were seven congregations in Jerusalem, a deacon for every one. Certainly there were rather more than fewer, (saith the author of the Assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland,[109]) though we cannot determine how many. However this, the Holy Ghost clearly testifieth that "The word of God increased, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly." 9. "And a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith," Acts vi. 7; and probably the example of the priests drew on multitudes to the Gospel. All these forementioned were in a short time converted, and became members of this one church of Jerusalem, and that before the dispersion occasioned by the persecution of the Church, Acts viii. 1. Now should we put all these together, viz. both the number of believers expressed in particular, which is 8,620, and the multitudes so often expressed in the general, (which, for aught we know, might be many more than the former,) what a vast multitude of believers was there in Jerusalem! and how impossible was it for them to meet all together in one congregation, to partake of all the ordinances of Jesus Christ! 10. In like manner, after the dispersion forementioned, the word so prospered, and the disciples brought into the faith by it, so multiplied, that it was still far more impossible for all the believers in the church of Jerusalem to meet in one congregation to partake of all the ordinances of Christ, than before. For it is said, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea" (and the church of Jerusalem in Judea was doubtless one of those churches) "and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." 11. Again, "the word of the Lord increased