66 they, no doubt of it, might testify as they had occafion. But the apostles "muft needs testify it," they being appointed and commiffioned by Chrift for this purpose, as may appear by most of the places before quoted, particularly Acts i. 8. when all the Apostles are 66 "commanded by Chrift to become his "witneffes, after they should be endued with 66 power from on high." This St. Peter expreffly afferts of the elevens: "That they "were chofen before of God to be his wit"neffes" (that is by Chrift, perhaps on direction from God, after praying all night, to choose out of his difciples, "them to be his apostles );" and adds, " that he command"ed them to preach and testify, that it is he " &c." Therefore, as Peter and John told the council, after being forbid to preach in the name of Jefus, "they could not but speak "the things that they had seen and heard i:” and accordingly, when they were questioned how they dared to preach in his name after so strict an injunction to the contrary, their anfwer is, "We are his witneffes ;" (as much as to fay, What, not teftify his refurrection? why this is our bufinefs, and the very office to which we are appointed] " and "fo is the Holy Ghoft alfo, which God has 8 Acts x. 41, 42. h Luke vi. 12, 13. given for this purpose to them that be"lieve." The person that was to fill up Judas's place is expreffly faid', to be "ordained for this purpose, that he should be a witness toge"ther with the reft of the apostles." And 66 he is chosen by God, as the rest of the apostles are faid to be m For on their prayer to him (Σύ, Κύριε, καρδιογνώςα πάνων) to thew which of the two he had chofen, and giving forth their lots; the lot, in answer to their prayer, fell on Mathias 66 66 St. Paul likewife is chofen by God (as I have observed already) and sent by Christ, as St. Luke tells us he informed the Jews. "And I faw him (Chrift) faying unto me, "Make hafte, and get thee quickly out of Jerufalem, for they will not receive thy teftimony concerning me. But depart, for I "will fend thee far hence to the Gentiles." And St. Luke alfo acquaints us, that St. Paul afterwards told King Agrippa", that Chrift faid unto him, "Rife, and ftand on thy feet; "for I have appeared unto thee to this end, to "make thee a minifter, and a witness of those 66 things which thou haft seen, and of those 66 things in the which I will appear unto "thee; delivering thee from the people, and ! Acts i. 22. m Ibid. x. 41. "the "the Gentiles, unto whom I now fend thee." And the spirit afterwards ordered the Church of Antioch, to separate Barnabas and Saul, "to the work to which he had called them." Perhaps it was alfo by the spirit given to Christ without measure, that he (after prayer all night to God) was directed by God to choose the twelve. And fo, perhaps, it is faid that "he chose the apostles by the Holy Ghoft " which I think, with fome verfions, is the true conftruation of the verfe, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας ἐντειλά μενος τοῖς ἀποςόλοις, διὰ πνευματος ἁγία ὃς ἐξελέξ ato, aveλnoon. But, however that was, we are fure that fome way or other the apostles were fent by God and Chrift, from exprefs affertions of fcripture; and Paul as well as the rest. And therefore what he faid of himself belonged to them all, and in relation to their testimony as well as their doctrine; "neceffity is laid on me, and woe is me, if I preach "not the gospel "." 66 And as to Barnabas, it is highly probable, that he was ordered by Chrift to go and teftify. When Christ appeared to Paul in the temple, and bid him to go the Gentiles, then perhaps he ordered him to take Barnabas with him; a Jew born among the Gentiles, as he himself was, (the one being born in Cyprus, the other at Tarfus) who had first vouched ⚫ Acts i. 2. I Cor. ix. 16. him to the apostless; very likely as being acquainted with him before. Metaphraftes fays, he was his fellow-pupil under Gamaliel '; and then brought him from Tarfus to Antioch, and there laboured with him for a whole year"; and was now his companion in carrying alms from Antioch to Jerufalem ". But, whatever were the reafons why providence ordered it that he should be called to be an apostle, yet I fuppofe Saul was ordered by Christ, at the time when he appeared to him in the temple, to take Barnabas with him, because "the Holy Ghoft fays, fepa"rate me Barnabas and Saul for the work, "whereunto I have (already) called them,' not that I now barely call them to, by the prophets. Now where can we fuppofe God had called Barnabas to this work, previous to the prophecy of the prophets in the church of Antioch, unless it was in this appearance to St. Paul in the temple? So likewise Paul and Barnabas fay to the Jews'; "Lo we "turn to the Gentiles, for fo hath the Lord "commanded us." Where but in this vifion? The text, that Paul quotes out of Isaiah, cannot be that command. It is not precife as to the time when the Gentiles fhould be preached preached to; much less is there any thing fo much as hinted, that Saul and Barnabas fhould do it; and is only quoted by them to the Jews, to fhew them, that Paul and Barnabas might have received fuch a command, agreeably to a clear prophecy in their own prophets concerning it. Now Barnabas must have been fent fome time or other: for that he was an apostle is plain, since he is expreffly ftiled fo. He is ordered to be feparated to the fame work with St. Paul; he goes along with him to the fame work; he afterwards thinks fit to part with him, and to go on a separate peregrination among the Gentiles; and to take a minister along with him"; as Paul and the other apoftles did. Paul ranks him with himself as an apostle; and he was acknowledged as an apostle by Peter, James, and John, as St. Paul tells the Galatians; he is often called an apostle by Clemens Alexandrinus; and fays, " fic etiam au"dit apud plerofque patres." Jerome fays, " he "was ordained apoftle of the Gentiles toge ther with Paulf." And fince he was an apostle, he muft have been fent of God and Chrift. For it is "God that hath fet fome “in the church first apoftles, &c." And of z Acts xiv. 14. b Ibid. xv. 39. d Gal. ii. 9. a Ibid. xiii. 1. • Cor. ix. 47. • Strom. lib. ii. f Catal. Vir. Illuftr. in Barnab. I Cor. xii. 28. |