Master's life-time, they had no understanding. The process of spiritual illumination was not instantaneous, nor all at once complete. It was not requisite that the Apostles should be certified of a doctrine, before the time arrived, at which the economy of revelation required its promulgation.

A more remarkable difficulty occurs, in the disagreement between some of the Apostles themselves, respecting the lawfulness of eating with the Gentiles. When Peter was come to Antioch, says St. Paul to the Galatians,* I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. This passage is greatly relied on by the Socinians, as furnishing an insuperable objection to the notion of apostolical inspiration. But the difficulty vanishes, if we consider the true and proper objects of spiritual illumination, which are, the doctrinal and moral features of revelation, and not unessential points of outward discipline and economy: a distinction, which corresponds with the importance attached to either branch of

* Gal. ii. 11.

religion by Him who was the author of it; and which should be carefully kept in mind by all who are called upon to preach it; that they may not lay a greater stress upon the circumstances, than upon the essence of Christianity. In St. Peter's secession from the tables of his Gentile converts, inconsistent as it might be with that plainness and simplicity of right intention, which never sacrifices to convenience even the appear ́ance of truth, no vital doctrine of the Gospel was compromised. It was a question of expediency, which human prudence was competent to decide, and for the solution of which there was no need of immediate inspiration. One Apostle, it is true, judged wrongly; but another was able to set him right. In point of principle and intention there was no difference between them.

As the Scriptures do not require, so neither do they authorise us to believe, that the Apostles were so inspired, as to be wholly free from error, in things not material to the effectual execution of their mission. But that they received, by the immediate communications of the Spirit of truth, a more perfect knowledge of the plan and doctrines of the Gospel, which they so little comprehended during their Master's life; that

they were enabled to develop the mysteries of redemption with all the certainty of divine authority; that they were guarded from error in all points which could affect the purity and perfectness of the faith delivered to the saints, or the integrity and stability of the Church; this kind and degree of inspiration we claim for the first preachers of the Gospel, and the proofs of it lie on the surface of the Sacred Volume, which records their labours in the cause of Christ.

The prominent station, occupied in that record by the two great Apostles Peter and Paul, has naturally led me to consider their relation to each other, and to illustrate the history of the Apostles by these general remarks. I will now return to the history itself, and notice, but necessarily with greater brevity than such interesting subjects demand, some of its most remarkable features.

We find Peter saying to the bedridden man who was sick of the palsy, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.* The form of words deserves especial notice. Jesus Christ wrought miraculous cures of his own authority: the Apostles wrought them in his name, expressly disclaiming all power

*Acts. ix. 34.

and holiness of their own. What is the inference? That if the Apostles were inspired and divinely commissioned teachers, Jesus Christ was something more.*

But there is another conclusion to be drawn from these words; namely, that the Apostles had no views of personal ambition; that they were intent upon magnifying, not their own interest or reputation, but the name of Jesus, and the honour of the Gospel, for the good of mankind.

Let all, who are ministers of that Gospel, learn a lesson of humility and disinterestedness from the conduct of these holy men. If it has pleased. the Lord to bless their ministry with success; if they have been enabled to say with effect to one slave of sin, or of the world, "Arise, be made whole;" let them ascribe the praise where it is due; and while they feel a natural joy in the thought of having been instruments of glorifying the Gospel, and converting a sinner to the Lord, let them add, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.†

I have already remarked, that Cornelius and his family were the first-fruits of that great harvest of the Gentiles, which the Lord had

* See the Second Lecture on St. John's Gospel.

+ 1 Cor. xv. 10.

determined to gather into the garners of his Church. But Cornelius, before his conversion, worshipped the true God, and served him with sincere intention of heart. He was one of the persons called Proselytes, who had forsaken the errors and abominations of idolatry, and worshipped Jehovah, as he was set forth in the Scriptures of the Old Testament; but not according to the ritual of the Mosaic law; being neither circumcised, nor pledged to other outward observances than those, which are specified in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts; to abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. These persons are called, in the Acts of the Apostles, religious proselytes; or, as the words. properly mean, worshipping proselytes: so in the fifteenth and seventeenth chapters, where devout women, devout Greeks, are spoken of, the literal rendering is, worshipping; that is, worshipping the true God.

It was natural, and, if we may without presumption use the word, it was proper, that in the fulfilment of God's gracious purposes towards the Gentile world, the Gospel should first be offered to those, who stood midway, as it were, between the dominions of the prince of this