hort all, over whom we have influence, to seek the same benefit and realize the same comfort; that knowing in whom they have believed, they may "commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

32. As they went out, behold, they brought unto him a dumb man, possessed with a devil.

33. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

The Pharisees, seeing these miracles, and hearing the fame of them, felt themselves obliged to explain them in some way: and prejudice is never at a loss. It can always find some cloke for itself. So in this case, they allowed what they could not deny, he casteth out devils; but they persuaded the ignorant multitude, perhaps they were themselves persuaded, that he was in league with Satan; he casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. Blind and perverse as they were, they did not consider that it was a good work to cast out devils; and that good works do not proceed from Satan. But the mind which is overspread with prejudice never perceives its own contradictions.

35. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with

1 1 Pet. iv. 19.

compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

37. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

We have seen, perhaps, a wide field of corn, and a solitary reaper employed in it. Then the grain is shed, and the fowls of the air devour it before it can be gathered in. Such is, too often, the case in spiritual husbandry. Compared with the ignorance, the indifference, the wants of the people, the labourers are few, and yet the harvest is plenteous; of these ignorant and careless souls, many perhaps might be reaped and gathered into the heavenly garner, if they were diligently taught and affectionately warned.

How much then has God made to depend on hose whose business it is to labour! It was this which St. Paul felt, when he "taught publicly, and from house to house, and by the space of three years ceased not to warn every one, night and day with tears." (Acts xx. 20-31.)

Observe, however, that all Christians have a duty in this matter. Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he may send forth labourers into his harvest. If the Lord dispose the hearts of men to this service, great will be the zeal and number of those who publish the glad tidings of salvation. And so to dispose their hearts, he may be moved by "effectual earnest prayer." The frequent exhortations of the apostle, "Brethren, pray for us," pray that a door of utterance may be opened to

us," pray "that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified;" sufficiently prove his conviction how much of spiritual success, of the increase of religion, depends on PRAYER. Prayer opens the doors of heaven, and brings down its gifts upon mankind; but no gifts so surely as its best gifts; those gifts which we may ask without scruple and without exception. Other things we seek and pray for, "as may be most expedient for us:" but here we may "come boldly to the throne of grace :" we may seek, with no reserve, both for ourselves and others, "in this world knowledge of the truth, and in the world to come life everlasting."

LECTURE XXV.

COMMISSION OF APOSTLES.

MATT. X. 1-15.

1. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of dis

ease.

2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.

Mark iii. 13.

Luke vi. 13.

Luke x.

3-16.

3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus; and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddeus :2

4. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not :

6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

"It was necessary," in the will and providence of God, "that the word of God must first be spoken" to these lost sheep; that as many as would listen to the call of the great Shepherd, might return to the fold and be saved. God "remembered his mercy, and helped his servant Israel, as he promised to their forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever."

:

These lost sheep were living in Judea; were Jews by circumcision and by profession, and probably reckoned themselves exclusively the people of God, secure in his favour. But our Lord denominates them lost sheep speaks of them as out of the fold; as lost unless he recovered and delivered them. Let Christians, then, whose outward circumstances now, are what the circumstances of the Jews were then, "to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the promises :" (Rom. ix. 4:) let Christians beware; "examine themselves, whether they be in the

1 Bartholomew is supposed to be the same as he whom St. John mentions under the name of Nathaniel.—(John i. 43—46.) 2 Elsewhere called Jude or Judas.

3 See Acts xiii. 46.

faith;" whether they are living the life of faith; or whether if He, whom they acknowledge as their Lord, as the Jews acknowledged Jehovah—if he were again on earth, he would speak of them as lost, and find it needful to commission his apostles to restore them.

7. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Freely ye have received, as is said, (John xv. 16.) "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Therefore they were to bestow as gratuitously as they received it, that aid which many would be glad to purchase. It was in accordance with this injunction, that Peter replied to Simon, (Acts viii. 20,) "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."

9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your

purses,

10. Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his

meat.

11. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go ye go thence. 12. And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15. Verily, I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

K