let him

Pilate, when he was determined to go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we all are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know." "And now, brethren," he continued, "I believe that through ignorance, ye did it, as did also your rulers. ... Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."

66

I believe I have used this word

converted," or convert, once before. To be converted means, to

be changed.

A Christian convert is one, who, being convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, has changed the belief which he held, and the conduct he practised before, for that which the Christian religion teaches.

A great number of persons, it seems, were converted by this miracle. Indeed, it strikes us altogether with surprise, when we read, that in the very city where Jesus had been crucified, so short a time after his death, above five thousand persons were found, openly professing to be his servants, separating themselves, at the risk of their lives and properties, from unbelievers,— casting off all their favourite sins,

and, many of them, offering their fortunes, to be divided for the common good.

CHAPTER V.

Some Remarks on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

WHEN I read to you my last chapter, I found that it seemed to you that the early Christians were better off than we are, because they had miraculous gifts from the Holy Ghost; and you seemed to think that we cannot expect to be so holy and good as they were, because we are not so highly favoured.

I promised to explain this matter

to you more fully; and I will do so before I continue my history.

There were two kinds of gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit of God on the early Christians: the first were outward gifts, like those miraculous powers I have mentioned; such as speaking in unknown tongues, prophesying, healing the sick, &c., which were given to the Apostles, and through them to others; but through them only; so that when the last Apostle died, they ceased altogether.

The second kind of the Holy Spirit's gifts were inward; such as holy desires, good thoughts, and a right judgment; and these are the gifts which could alone forward them or us on our way to eternal life,