frail, and could not retain such a variety of incidents and circumstances, discourses and transactions, as must have happened, while they accompanied with Jesus. Nothing but the divine omniscience could remove this difficulty; and this resource they had in the Comforter-the Holy Ghost-whom the Father had promised to send in Christ's name: 'He,' said Christ, shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.'*

Another thing necessary to the effectual execution of their commission was, ability to produce proper credentials of their divine mission; to give proof to the world that they really had received such an appointment as they claimed; and that the doctrines they taught, and the facts they affirmed, in consequence of it, were true and real. Miraculous powers, and they only, were sufficient proof in such a case; and till the apostles possessed them, they were not qualified to execute their commission with full effect. On these accounts, they were directed by Christ to tarry at Jerusalem, and not enter on their office, till he should send the promise of the Father on them,' and they should be endued with power from on high;' that is, from heaven. This promise of the Father, this power from on high, came upon them on the day of pentecost, ten days after they had received their appointment, when the Holy Ghost, as a rushing mighty wind, filled the house where they were sitting, and, in the form of cloven

* John xiv. 26.

Though the Greek verb be in the present tense, and be rightly rendered, • Behold, I send,' yet I conceive it has only a future meaning. That the future is sometimes expressed by the present, appears from the promise of Christ to his apostles: Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' Matt. xxviii. 20. To comfort his apostles under that sadness which oppressed them at the thoughts of his departure, Christ addresses them in these words: I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.' John xvi. 7. That the gift of the Holy Ghost was the consequence of Christ's ascension, we learn also from St. Paul, who applies to him the prophecy of David, Ps. lxviii 18. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' Eph. iv. 8. And St. John, in his gospel, assigns this reason why the Holy Ghost was not yet given, namely, because Jesus was not yet glorified.' Chap. vi. 39. From all which, I conclude, that though the words, 'Behold, I send the promise of my Father on you,' be expressed in the present time, they have only a future meaning, and relate to the effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of pentecost. VOL. I. I

tongues of fire, sat upon each of them. Then were they filled with the Holy Ghost, and duly qualified for their office, by the perfect remembrance of every thing Christ had said and done, by the ability to speak all languages, and the power of doing all miracles; and then and not till then, they began their public ministry, by St. Peter's preaching the first apostolical sermon to the multitude who ran together on that extraordinary occasion.t

From what has been said, it will follow, that miraculous powers were no part of the apostolical commission. They were necessary for the first apostles to prove the divine original of their commission; and when that was done, their necessity ceased, and they were gradually withdrawn for why should they be continued, when the end for which they were given was answered, and no longer subsisted? Besides, miraculous powers were not peculiar to the first apostles, though they were to the first ages of the christian church. And it appears from St. Mark, that Christ suficiently guarded his apostles against the imagination that they should exclusively possess them: He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; and these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.'t Let it be remarked, that here the promise of miraculous powers was future, and common to all the first christians: but the gift of the Holy Ghost, when the apostles received their commission, was present, and peculiar to them. The apostolical commission, therefore, and miraculous powers, are different gifts of the Spirit, and, as was be fore observed, given for different purposes; the first being the gift of office, the second the gift of power to prove, and of qualification to execute, the office effectually.

From the apostolical writings we know, that Christ's

Acts ii. 1, 2, 3, &c.

† Verse 14, &c,

+ Mark xvi, 16, 17, 18.

*

promise to those who should believe was strictly fulfilled; and that, if miraculous powers were not common to all christians, they were yet possessed by many in the various congregations. To this it may be added, that from comparing circumstances together, an inquirer would be apt to conclude, that not only the apostles, but all the disciples at Jerusalem, visibly received the Holy Ghost, on the day of pentecost. We are told that the whole number of disciples, men and women, was about an hundred and twenty ; that on the day of pentecost, they were all, with one accord, in one place; that the cloven fiery tongues sat on each of them, and that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.. And St. Peter, in his sermon on the occasion, tells the multitude, that in that event a remarkable prophecy of Joel was fulfilled: It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophecy.'t Now, unless the influence of the Holy Ghost, at this time, was on the women, as well as men, I see not how the prophecy of Joel was then fulfilled: But surely it did not. make them. all apostles.

*

The establishing of this point, that the gift of the Holy Ghost, when Christ breathed on his apostles, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost,' was a gift of office or appointment only, and not of miraculous powers also, will freely justify the church in retaining those words of Christ, in the ordination of priests. They hold a very considerable part of the apostolical office, at least as far as the priesthood and subordination of government in the church are concerned. The words are official, and used in the sense in which Christ used them-as denoting appointment to the office of ministering in his church as stewards of the mysteries of God, 'S by presiding in the public worship, instructing the people and interceding for

* 1 Cor. xii. 8-11 1 Cor. iv. 1.

† Acts i. 15.

Acts ii. 17, 18. Joel ii. 28, 29

them, offering the christian sacrifice, and assisting the bishop in the government of the church. That other words would better serve the purpose may be reasonably doubted; as the presumption is, that Christ knew better what words were proper for the occasion, than they do who find fault with him.

The only remaining part of this inquiry is to give an account of the meaning of that action of Christ, when he gave their commission to his apostles, namely, His breathing on them.

That the influences of the Spirit of God are, in scripture, commonly represented by breathing, by inspiration, -a word of the same meaning...by air in motion, or wind, must have been observed by every careful reader. When God enlivened the inanimate body of Adam with a living soul, and, in the opinion of some eminent divines, both of ancient and modern times, with his own most Holy Spirit, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. When he reduced the chaos of this world into order, the wind or spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.† On the day of pentecost, the Holy Ghost descended as a rushing mighty wind. It is only by analogy with things natural, that we can form any notion of spiritual things. To give Nicodemus some idea of the operation of the Holy Ghost, in our second birth, Christ illustrates his influence by the blowing of the wind. There is a spirit in man, said Elihu, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding; 'S informing us what it is in man that giveth him understanding---the Spirit of of God; and how we obtain it---by the inspiration of the Almighty. We learn the same from St. Paul, who says, All scripture is given by inspiration, or the breathing, of God.

Christ's breathing on his apostles, was, therefore, a significant action, and expressive of the presence of the Holy Ghost, whom he then conferred on them, to anoint them to the apostolic office, which he at that time committed to them.

* Gen. ii. 7. 2 Tim. iii. 16.

† Gen. i. 2.

* John iii. 8.

§ Job xxxii. 8.

DISCOURSE II.

PART II.

III. THE HE third thing, into which it was proposed to inquire was, the meaning of those words of the text, Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.'

Whether these words be considered as part of the commission, at this time given by Christ to his apostles, or only declarative of the powers contained in it, the consequence will be the same. They certainly have reference to what he said previously to his breathing on them: As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' We have seen in what manner the Father sent him, namely, by anointing him with the Holy Ghost. The end too for which he was sent, has been shewn to have been, to call men to repentance, to make atonement for sin, and to declare the remission of it. It was to give the greater efficacy to the doctrine of repentance, and to render it the more certainly effectual to the obtaining of that forgiveness of sins, which is to be had through his atonement, that he instituted his church, consisting of all those who should believe in him, separated it from the world,* and put it under a certain œconomy and discipline. When his work was done, he was to return to his Father, and take possession of his mediatorial kingdom, and govern all things relating to this world till the end of it,† when he was to return again in power and great glory; no longer as Mediator, but as Judge, to pronounce and execute the right

John xvii. 14.

t1 Cor. xv. 27. Eph. i. 20, 21, 22.