Barnab.

Epift.

Mat. xix.

28.

Discharge of fome peculiar Affair in his Name that fent him: But was fixed by our Saviour to a particular Ufe, applying it to those select Perfons whom he made Choice of, to be fent up and down the World in his Name, to plant the Faith, to govern the Church at that prefent, and by their wife and prudent Settlement of Affairs to provide for the future Exigencies of it.

Q. Why did our Saviour pitch upon the Number of Twelve?

A. Various have been the Conjectures of the Ancients upon this Subject. What feems moft probable, is, that our Saviour might allude herein to the twelve Patriarchs as the Founders of their feveral Tribes; or to the twelve Chief Heads and Rulers of thofe Tribes, of which the Body of the Jewish Nation did confift. To this our Saviour gives fome Countenance himself, in saying, When the Son of Man fhall fit in the Throne of his Glory, his Apoftles fhould fit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael.

Q. What was their Vocation?

A&ts i. 22. A. To be Witneffes of Christ's Miracles, particularly his Refurrection; and to preach that Doctrine to the World which they learnt of their Mafter; and in this their Teftimony was valuable, that they fealed the Truth of it with their Blood.

Q. How were the Apostles enabled to discharge this high Office, being obfcure and illiterate Perfons, helplefs and unarmed, and having the enraged Powers of the World to contend with?

A. They immediately received the Doctrine they taught from the Mouth of Chrift himself. They were infallibly fecured from Errors in delivering the Principles of Christianity, and to this End had the John xvi. Spirit of Truth promised to them, who fhould guide them into all Truth. They had been Eye-Witneffes of all the material Paffages of our Saviour's Life,

13.

and

and reported nothing but what they had seen with their own Eyes, and of the Truth whereof they were as competent Judges as the acuteft Philofopher John i. in the World. Befides feveral miraculous Powers " and Gifts of the Holy Ghost were conferred upon them, as the readieft Means to procure their Religion a firm Belief and Entertainment in the Minds of Men.

Q. Was St. Matthias among the twelve Apostles that were chofen by our Saviour?

26.

A. No: He obtained this great Honour upon the Vacancy made in the College of the Apostles by the Death of Judas Iscariot, whofe covetous Acts i. 25. Temper having prevailed upon him to betray his Mafter for thirty Pieces of Silver, was fo touched with the Horror of that wicked Fact, that, after having caft back the Wages of Iniquity in open Court, he made away with himself, and was remarkably punished in the Manner of his Death; for, falling beadlong, be burft afunder in the Midft, and all Ats i. 18. bis Bowels gufbed out.

Q. Had this Judas the Gifts of an Apoftle?

A. Though he was a Man of vile and corrupt Designs, yet he was immediately called by Chrift, equally impowered and commiffioned with the reft to preach and work Miracles, was numbered with the Apoftles, and obtained part of their Miniftry. Q. What may we learn from hence?

A. That the Wickednefs of a Minifter does not evacuate his Commiffion, nor render his Office ufelefs or ineffectual: and that the Efficacy of an Ordinance does not depend upon the Quality of the Perfon, but the Divine Inftitution, and the Bleffing God hath entailed upon it.

Ver. 27.

Q. How was St. Matthias chofen to be an Apoftle? A. He was chofen by Lot; a Way frequently Ver. 26. ufed both by Jews and Gentiles for the determining doubtful and difficult Cafes, efpecially in the Elec

K 4

tion

Aas i. 24.

A&ts i. 21.

tion of Judges and Magiftrates. St. Peter having recommended the filling of the Vacancy to the Confideration of the Chriftians affembled at Jerufalem, they appointed two, Jofeph called Barfabas, who was furnamed Juftus, and Matthias; and when the Lots were given forth, it was determined in Favour of the latter, who was numbered with the eleven Apostles.

Q. What preceded this Manner of Choice?

A. The Congregation of Chriftians made a solemn Address to God, that he would condefcend to direct the Choice; and that he who knew the Hearts of all Men, would be pleafed to fhew which of these two he faw beft qualified for fo facred a Function.

Q. What may be learned from this Manner of Proceeding?

A. It may serve as a Direction to all those that are Candidates for Holy Orders, feriously to examine themselves whether they are moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them that Office and Ministration; for though they may impose upon Man, yet God feeth their Hearts, and all thofe various Motives by which they are influenced in fo great a Concern. This Precedent is also serviceable to the Governors of the Church, who, after all their Care to admit Perfons duly qualified, muft beg God Almighty's Guidance and Direction, that they may wifely make Choice of fit Labourers to work in his Vineyard; and all Chriftians ought to offer up the fame Prayers, fince the Welfare of the Church depends fo much upon the Piety and Capacity of thofe that are ordained.

Q. How was St. Matthias qualified for the Apoftlefhip?

A. He had been a continual Attendant upon our Saviour all the Time of his Miniftry, from his being baptized by John, till his Affumption into

Heaven,

22.

Heaven, which is intimated by St. Peter. He was Ver. 21, probably one of the Seventy Difciples; and had been a Witnefs of our Saviour's Refurrection, and of the most confiderable Paffages of his Life; fo that he was fit to proclaim abroad thofe Matters of Fact concerning his Mafter, of which he had an equal Evidence with the reft of the Apostles.

Q. Where did St. Matthias preach the Gospel? A. He continued at Jerufalem till the Powers of the Holy Ghoft were conferred upon the Apoftles, to enable them to discharge their difficult Employment; and then he thought to have spent the first Fruits of his Miniftry in Judea with great Succefs. He afterwards very probably travelled Eastward, his Refidence being principally, according to St. Jerome, near the Irruption of the River Ap- Hieron. farus, and the Haven Hyfus. He was by thefe bar- de Scrip. barous People treated with great Rudeness and Inhumanity, and after many Labours and Sufferings in converting great Numbers to Christianity, he obtained the Crown of Martyrdom.

Q. What was the Manner of his Death?

A. It is very uncertain: Some report that he was feized by the Jews; and as a Blasphemer was first ftoned and then beheaded. Others that he was crucified, and that as Judas was hanged upon a Tree, fo Matthias fuffered upon a Crofs.

Q. What Works have we of this Apostle?

Eccl.

lib.3.

A. None. The Gospel and Traditions published under his Name are rejected by learned Men as fpurious, though Clemens Alexandrinus relates a Saying Clem. of his of great Ufe in the Life of a Chriftian: Strom. That we ought to mortify and fubdue the Flesh, and maintain a continual Oppofition to it, by granting it nothing whereby its irregular and fenfual Defires may be gratified; but that we should on the contrary nourish and fortify our Souls with Faith and Divine Knowledge.

Q. What

Q. What may we learn from the Obfervation of this Feftival?

A. In all difficult Cafes to addrefs ourselves to Heaven for Direction. To ufe our beft Diligence, if we are Patrons of Churches, in providing Perfons duly qualified for the great Truft we commit to them; and not to fuffer any worldly Confideration to bias us in a Choice, of which we must one Day give a strict Account. To beware of Covetoufnefs, the Root of all Evil, which ruined the Traitor Judas, and will all those that embrace that facred Function with Regard more to the Revenues than the Duties of their Profeffion. To preserve our Minds free from Guilt, because it makes us restless and uneafy, and robs us of all that Repose and Quiet which the most profperous Condition can promife us. Conftantly to attend God's Ordinances, though he who is called to adminifter may be a bad Man. To work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling, and to be watchful and upon our Guard, because, if an Apostle fell, who had all the Advantages of our Saviour's Converfation, what Security can we promise ourselves?

Q. What is implied in the Duty of Watchfulness? A. A conftant care of our Lives and Actions, that we be always upon our Guard, that we refist the first Beginnings of Evil, and discover the first Approaches of our spiritual Enemy; that we may neither be surprised by his Snares and Allurements, nor unprepared to encounter him whenever he attacks us. In fhort, it confifts in wifely foreseeing the Dangers that threaten our Souls, and then in diligently avoiding them.

Q. How does Watchfulness foresee Dangers?

A. By difcovering the Plots and Contrivances of our spiritual Adverfary, by making us fenfible of thofe Temptations we are expofed to, by reafon of our Conftitution, or that Profeffion we are engaged