before it was exposed to the public eye and to the curiosity and devotion of the universe."9

But from the day of Pentecost their view of Christianity was clear and comprehensive; the connexion between the Jewish and the Christian dispensations then appeared inseparable; the ancient prophecies were to them no longer obscured by the symbolical language in which they had been written; and the veil of mystery which had fallen over the design of Christ's coming was drawn up, laying it open to all,to all,- so far, at least, as related to the Jews, for a particular revelation was subsequently received by St. Peter, respecting the calling of the Gentiles.1

Now, such a change in their views, and sentiments, and feelings, must have been produced by some cause. Was it the result of their individual investigation, or of their united deliberations? By no It was the fulfilment of their

means.

9 Bishop Heber's Bamp. Lect. vii. 388.

1 Acts x. 19.

Lord's promise:

"I have yet many

things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the
Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you
into all truth. He shall teach you all
things. He shall receive of mine, and
shall show it unto you." The terms
"all truth" and "all things," must here,
of course, be exclusively restricted to "all
the truth," and "all those things," which,
as teachers of Christianity, they were
commissioned to make known. Thus,
as St. Paul reminds the Corinthians, "To
one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom," which, agreeably to the most
obvious meaning of the word, and as
distinguished from the following clause,
intimates an ability to select such means
as would be most proper to accomplish
the end to be attained at the time, and is
often exemplified in the history and writ
ings of the apostles in particular: “To
another the word of knowledge;"- may
not this intimate their freedom from error

2 John xvi. 12, 14; xiv. 26.

in judgment, and their exact acquaintance with all those subjects which, from time to time, they were called upon to explain? "To another faith ;" an undaunted courage in the face of all opposition; a conviction of the truth of what they taught which nothing could weaken; an unwavering dependence on divine interposition and support in the most trying situations. "To another prophecy;" which, taken in its most comprehensive sense, includes both the predicting of future events, and also the various offices of teaching, exhorting, and consoling others. "To another discerning (Stakpiσεç3) of spirits ;"-perceiving the principles by which persons were actuated,* the fitness of those who proposed themselves for any particular station in the church, and distinguishing true from false teachers. "To another divers kinds of tongues;" they were enabled instantaneously to speak readily and intelligibly a

3 "Facultas veros prophetas à falsis discernendi." Schleus. 4 Acts xiv. 9.

sub voce.

variety of languages which they had never learned.5

They, moreover, healed the sick, cured the lame, raised the dead, cast out devils, or inflicted some signal punishment on delinquents in token of the divine disapprobation. These powers were not, however, confined exclusively to the apostles. They were exercised by others, as appears from the Samaritans, from Cornelius and his company, from Agabus, from the disciples at Ephesus, and from the reproofs administered to the Corinthians. Still, while they were, in common with others, the subjects upon whom, as well as the instruments by whom, the extraordinary influence of the Spirit was exercised, the apostles seem to have possessed the exclusive privilege of commu

1 Cor. xii. For an elucidation of this difficult paragraph, see Lord Barrington's Essay on the Teaching and Witness of the Spirit ; Bishop Watson's Theolog. Tracts, vol. iv. 373; Macknight and Whitby in loc. and the notes

of Bishop Marsh on Michaelis, vol. i. part 2. p. 350.

6 Acts v. 16; xxviii. 8; iii. 6; ix. 34-40; vi. 7; xvi. 18; v. 5-10; xiii. 11.

7 Acts viii. 15; x. 46; xi. 28; xix. 6. 1 Cor. xii. 7; xiv. 18.

nicating that influence to others. Acts viii. 17. 2 Tim. i. 6. Acts xix. 6. &c.

Thus qualified, they "testified repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:" or in the words of their commission, "they preached the gospel;" which gospel consists in "repentance and remission of sins being preached in his name among all nations:" a message eminently adapted to the wants, as it was level to the capacities, of all. There was nothing to foster the idle speculations of the few, nothing to make the many gape with wonder. Truth had embodied herself, as it were, in the Redeemer, and the apostles only pointed to her celestial origin, her native beauty, her elegant simplicity; but the nations were in darkness, and she seemed to them as a spectre at the hour of midnight. Still they persevered. They had, indeed, no titles of honour to confer, no earthly rewards to offer, and they admitted no compromise of principle. They had, therefore, to

8 Acts xx. 21.

9 Mark xvi. 15.

1 Luke xxiv. 47.