He found the old prejudice still violent and bitter; for the people still harped on His humble condition, His laborious employment, and His lowly circle of relatives while He dwelt among them. Finding their hearts closed against Him by unbelief, He soon departed; but not before He had even there laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

In other parts of Galilee He was received with reverence and enthusiasm. He was followed by such multitudes that He found it impossible to minister to all, either bodily relief or spiritual instruction. In their eagerness to hear and be healed, the people made inadequate provision for their physical sustenance, and many even fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Besides, amidst such a concourse and crush of people, only a few could be benefited by the personal preaching of the Lord. He therefore called His twelve apostles around Him, and gave them a special mission, designed, so to speak, to multiply Himself, and convey to all the population of the region the benefits of His personal ministry. Though their mission was limited to a small section of the Holy Land, and, at the outside, to a few weeks in duration, the general instructions under which they went forth were of much larger scope, extending, in all except unimportant details, to their whole subsequent ministry, and also setting forth the principles on which the church in every age and every country, must prosecute the work of evangelization. It is, therefore, especially important that these instructions should be carefully studied.

Where, then, were the apostles to go, and what were they to do? The field of their labors is carefully defined:-"Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Let it not for

a moment be supposed that Jesus was in the slightest degree influenced by Jewish prejudice against Gentiles and Samaritans. He Himself had preached the gospel to the people of Sychar, and He had warmly commended the faith of the centurion. He had besides given many distinct intimations of the calling of the Gentiles, and the extension of His kingdom throughout the world. The true reason why the mission of the apostles was restricted to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" was an economical one. The Galileans were already prepared to receive the messengers of Christ. Their interest was already awakened; and they were predisposed to lend a willing ear to any who were understood to be the confidential disciples and messengers of Jesus. On the other hand, Gentiles and Samaritans, with here and there an exception, were so blinded by ignorance and national prejudices, that they were not prepared at once to understand and accept even the simple truths which the Twelve were commissioned to preach. As the business of Christ required haste, He could not afford to throw away labor on a sterile and unpromising field. The principle underlying this restriction is of universal application. While the gospel is to be preached to all nations, it is to be first proclaimed to those who are most enlightened and susceptible. Our Lord after His resurrection, while He enlarged the commission of the apostles, prescribed the same order of evangelization; “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth:"-first, in Jerusalem; next, in Samaria; and then, to the remotest Gentile nations.

With what powers were the apostles clothed? "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely

give." Their message, though plain and simple, was important and interesting. They were to announce the speedy coming of that glorious kingdom of God, for which good men and prophets had longed for ages. Whether they were to preach that Jesus Himself was the Messiah, does not appear. It seems probable that they were not as yet permitted to be thus explicit; but that they were to preach in His name, and point the people to Him as the great Prophet and Apostle of God, appears on the very face of their commission. That their authority as His embassadors might be placed beyond question, they were empowered to work miracles. Like Him, they were to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, to cast out devils, and even to raise the dead. What miracles they actually performed is not recorded; but if they failed in any case-as they certainly did fail, not long afterwards, to heal the lunatic child,-it was because of their own unbelief, and not from any lack of endowment. It has been already intimated that their commission extended beyond this brief missionary tour, in the course of which they healed many sick and cast out many demons; and we know that after the day of Pentecost they raised the dead.

Having invested His messengers with such ample powers, Jesus sent them forth, destitute of all visible sustenance, and of all human help. "Take nothing for your journey; neither staves nor scrip, neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece." "No means of any sort did He permit for procuring the necessaries of life, or purchasing the helps of their journey; no store of provisions, nor even a scrip for containing what might be offered them by the pity or piety of the people; no raiment or vesture, with the change of which to comfort their weary and way-worn limbs, besides what was suffi cient for nature's modesty and her present necessity.