Then he began slowly to ascend into the air. As he rose higher and higher, they all gazed upward upon him in silent amazement. At length, far away in the distance, a dim cloud appeared, perhaps a cloud of clustering angels, which received him out of their sight. As the apostles stood lost in wonder, still gazing into the skies, two angels, clothed in heaven’s “white apparel,” stood by them. One of them said,―― “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” The apostles returned to Jerusalem, there to await “the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” CHAPTER VI. THE CONVERSION AND MINISTRY OF SAUL OF TARSUS. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost.――Boldness of the Apostles.――Anger of the Rulers.――Martyrdom of Stephen.――Baptism of the Eunuch. ――Saul’s Journey to Damascus.――His Conversion.――The Disciples fear him.――His Escape from the City.――Saul in Jerusalem.――His Commission to the Gentiles.――The Conversion of Cornelius.――The Vision of Peter.――Persecution and Scattering of the Disciples. ――Imprisonment and Escape of Peter.――Saul and Barnabas in Antioch.――Punishment of Elymas.――Missionary Tour to Cyprus and Asia Minor.――Incidents and Results. THE apostles, after the ascension of Jesus, obedient to the command of their Lord, remained in Jerusalem, waiting for the fulfilment of the mysterious promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost. To make their number complete, they chose Matthias to take the place of Judas. He was a disciple who had been a witness of the resurrection of Jesus. Two were selected; and then the choice between them was decided by lot, the apostles praying to their Lord, saying,―― “Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.” Upon the day appointed for the feast of Pentecost, about fifty days after the crucifixion, all the disciples in Jerusalem were assembled for prayer. They numbered then but about a hundred and twenty. “Suddenly,” writes the sacred historian, “there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”