send labourers into his harvest. ́ And, when he had called unto him, his twelve disciples, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all sorts of sickness and every kind of disease.

The names of these twelve disciples are particularly specified and when you consider, who they were, what was their station in life and what the great object which our Lord had in view, viz.—the removal of their prejudices concerning the nature of the Messiah's kingdom; you will immediately discern the extreme wisdom of his choice. As has been excellently well observed, by Dr. Maltby; he could not have struck at the very root of the generally received opinions, concerning the Messiah, more directly, than by the choice of associates, mean in their circumstances, humble and even vilified in their occupation; and destitute both of talents, and knowledge.. Such associates were little suited to promote the views of a Prince and Conqueror; and the selection of them was plainly a renunciation of that pomp and distinction, which were generally conceived to be essential to the character of the restorer of Israel.* With the same view, he instructed them to provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in their purses-no scrip for their journey-not two coats-neither two pair of shoes; nor two staves; for that the workman was worthy of his maintenance. Such were the Ambassadors which our Lord thought it proper to employ and such their equipment.

With respect to the nature of their commission; you

* See Maltby's Illustrations, p p. 85. 6.

will observe that it is expressed, precisely, in the same terms as those which had been adopted, by John the Baptist and by our Lord himself, upon his entrance on his ministry; hereby plainly evincing, as has already been observed, that it was the basis of his whole system. As ye go-preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Humble, however, as their preparations were, you will deem it by no means improbable, with their sentiments concerning the nature of this kingdom, that they were, not a little elated with being appointed the narbingers of such agreeable intelligence to their countrymen; imagining, perhaps, that though they were now thus poorly equipped, they should, at some future period, appear with greater splendour and dignity. But, to check the risings of ambition so natural to men, whose thoughts were wholly engrossed by the appearance of their master, as a temporal Prince-he immediately proceeds to inform them of the extreme difficulty of their employment and of the great hardships which they would have to encounter, in the faithful and upright discharge of their duty. Behold I send you forth, as Isheep in the midst of wolves. But, beware of men; for they shall deliver you up to the councils and they shall Scourge you in their synagogues and ye shall be brought before governors and kings, for my sake, for a testimony to them and the Gentiles. The brother shall deliver up his brother to death, and the father the child and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death. And, to shew, in the strongest manner possible, the extreme violence of the opposition which they must expect to meet with, in the faithful

discharge of the duties of their office, he adds, that they should be hated by all men for his name's sake.

You will easily imagine the extreme surprise and astonishment which such a prediction of the mighty sufferings which his disciples would have to encounter, in the execution of the duties of their office, must, necessarily have produced, upon their minds; for though, they could not, perhaps, even upon their own principles, have expected to be, entirely, exempted from all sufferings, in the full attainment of the great object of their ambition; yet, it plainly, was not possible for them to have entertained any idea of such mighty opposition, at least, from their own countrymen, as to be delivered up to the great councils of their nation-to be scourged even in their synagogues and to be hated by all men—for proclaiming tidings, which they could not but have supposed, would have been equally grateful to their countrymen, as to themselves!

You cannot, my dear sir, fail to observe that our Lord was fully sensible of the powerful impression which this prediction must, necessarily, have had upon their minds; for, you perceive, that he immediately proceeds, with that benevolence and humanity which constantly marked his conduct, to offer to their attention such encouragements, as were peculiarly fitted to support their minds, under the difficulties of their situation. Thus he saysWhen they deliver you up-take no thought-be not anxiously concerned, how, or what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak-but the spirit of my Father which speaketh in you. He that endureth to the end; the same

shall be saved. In the mean time, he informs them that they might take all proper precautions to preserve themselves from the violence of their adversaries. When they persecute you in this city-flee ye to another. And above all-he points out a fixed period, beyond which, their expectations of the coming of the Messiah, would not be delayed. Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come.

This last passage, is probably, one of those, upon which Mr. Gibbon has founded his opinion that Christ foretold his second coming, in the generation in which he lived-but, you will, I am sure, agree with me, that it is not easy to imagine, his disciples, in such circumstances, as have been described, could have entertained any other idea of the coming, here mentioned, than of the coming of the Messiah-or of the kingdom, which had been announced to be at hand; for, to that coming, it is demonstrable, their whole attention had been, originally directed. With a belief that Jesus was the Messiah, they had joined him and had lent a willing and anxious attention to his instructions, upon that head; in the hope that he would give them such information as they wanted. And the very circumstance of their having been invested with a commission to announce the near approach of the Messiah's kingdom, at the time when this discourse was addressed to them, naturally and necessarily led them to understand, the coming of the Son of Man, of the coming of the Messiah.

Besides; you will, easily perceive that if the disciples had understood our Lord, as speaking of his second

coming to judge all mankind; they must, immediately, and without hesitation, have forsaken him, as an Impostor; as not answering their expectations; for they, then, most incontestibly, entertained ideas which were totally incompatible with such an event: Nor is it easy to imagine how any one, claiming the character of the Messiah; in a series of arguments manifestly intended for their encouragement, under peculiar difficulties, should have introduced one which had an immediate and direct tendency to extirpate every hope that he was the Messiah, whom they so earnestly expected. In fine, the whole of the preceding context, you must be satisfied, compels us to understand this passage, respecting the coming of the Son of Man; not of HIS SECOND COMING, as the Judge of the World—but of his first coming, as the Messiah. And, that the subsequent context is a continuation of the same subject, must appear to you and to every one, who gives it, due attention, equally evident.

Thus; to the arguments which he had before made use of, to support his Disciples, under the gloomy prospect which he had, so pointedly set before them, he adds another which was admirably adopted to, reconcile them to the difficulties of their situation, however hard they might appear to them. The Disciple is not above his Master, nor the Servant above his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more is 'it to be expected that they will call those of his household, by the same opprobrious name.* He therefore excites

* In the preceding chapter, the Jews had said---v. 34. He casteth out Devils through Beelzebub, the Prince of the Devils,.

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