221 Go, preach my Gospel (saith the Lord,) Bid the whole Earth my grace receive; He shall be sav'd that trusts my word, He shall be lost that won't believe. THE TWELVE DISCIPLES CHOSEN. E'er long to spread his precepts bland, IN the tenth chapter of St. Matthew we read the names and qualities of the twelve disciples whom our Saviour chose to attend him in his ministry, that seeing his miracles and hearing the doctrines he preached, they might be qualified to serve the church of God, when Christ should be taken out of the world. The names of these chosen servants and followers of the Saviour of the world, were Simon Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. (Luke, chap. vi.) To these he gave power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and disease. He also commanded them to turn their attention to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, that is, to the Jews. How great must have been the Saviour's power, to make such poor illiterate men fit for the high office of ministers of the everlasting gospel! For those he had now chosen were men of humble birth, and of mean occupation, some of them being fishermen; but God is pleased to work by feeble instruments, that he may pour contempt upon the pride and fancied greatness of human attainments, and bring all the glory to himself, to whom alone it is due. How great also was Christ's compassion, to send his disciples so especially to the Jews, the once highly favoured people of God, but who had sadly revolted from him; and though furnished with the prophecies, which foretold the Saviour's coming, and now favoured with innumerable instances of his being amongst them, yet they despised and opposed him. In addition to the power with which he invested these twelve disciples, he taught them what to preach, and how to prosecute their work; at the same time pointing out how awful would be the punishment of those who disregarded the message of salvation which they should preach. He tells them they must expect persecution, for as he, their Master, was hated, so they must calculate upon it; for it is as much as the servant can expect to be as his master; but at the same time he encourages them with the assurance of God's kind attention to their sufferings; for he who suffers not a sparrow to fall to the ground without his knowledge, will take care of his persecuted disciples, either by delivering them out of their enemies' hands, or by taking them home to heaven beyond the reach of cruel foes. With what gratitude ought we to acknowledge the goodness of God; that though at first he sent his gospel to the Jews, yet he has since caused it to be preached to us, who were part of the excluded Gentiles. May he give us grace highly to prize the inestimable blessing, and not slight it, or awful indeed will be his judgments upon us at last; for to those on whom the light of the blessed gospel has been so abundantly bestowed, there will be no excuse for neglecting its precepts. |