A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

So the Christian church at first began at Jerusalem, and from thence was propagated to all nations: so that this church of Jerusalem was the church that was as it were the mother of all other churches in the world; agreeable to the prophecy. Is. ii.3.4. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem: and he shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people." So that the whole church of God is still God's Jerusalem: they are his spiritual Jerusalem, and are as it were only added to the church, which was begun in the literal Jerusalem

After this, we read of many thousands of Jews that believed in Jerusalem, Acts xxi.20. And so we read of multitudes of Jews who were converted in other cities of Judea; and not only so, but ⟨p. 194⟩even in other parts of the world. For where-ever the apostles went, if there were any Jews there, their manner was, first to go into the synagogues of the Jews, and preach the gospel to them, and many in one place and another believed; as in Damascus & Antioch, and many other places that we read of in the Acts of the Apostles.

In this pouring out of the spirit, which began at the Pentecost following Christ's ascension, began that first great dispensation which is called Christ's coming in his kingdom. Christ's coming thus in a spiritual manner for the glorious setting up of his kingdom in the world, is represented by Christ himself as his coming down from heaven, whither he had ascended, John xiv.18. There Christ having been speaking of his ascension, says "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you▪" speaking of his coming by the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit of truth. And, verse 28. "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you." Thus the apostles began to see the kingdom of heaven come with power, as he promised they should,