236 BAXTER'S DYING THOUGHTS. day of thy extremity, in the day of danger, sickness, death, and judgment, when the world forsaketli thee, and no one's hearing else can help thee. 39. But ' I was not one that saw this vision : had I seen it myself, it would have satisfied me, and confuted all my doubts.' Answ. But it is the will of God that theministry and testimony of men shall be a means of our believing: it is faith, and not sight, that must be the ordinary way of our salvation ; elseChrist must have showed himself, and his miracles, resurrection, and ascension, to every one in the world that must believe in him : and then he must have been visible atonce in every kingdom, parish, and place on earth, and continued so to the end of the world; and must have died, risen, and ascended, many millions of times, and in every place. They that will put such laws on their lawgiver before they will believe in him, must be saved without him andagainst him if they can. This is more unreasonable than to tell God that you will not believe that there is a heaven or hell unless you see them. But God will have us live and be saved by believing, and not by sight. And he will use man for the instruction and salvation of man, and not send angels with every message. 40. aut why did Christ show this vision but to three ofhis dis- ciples ? Answ. He is not bound to tell us why : but we may know that a sight of heavenly glory is not to be ordinarily expect- ed on earth. Why did God show the back parts of his glory to none but Moses ; no, not to his brother Aaron? Why did he speak to him only in the bush and on the mount? Why did he translate none to heaven without dying but Enoch and Elias? Why did he save but Noah, and seven with him, in the ark ? These are not things ordinary, nor to be common to many. 41. But by this it appeareth, that even among his twelve apos- tles Christ made a difference, and preferred some before the -rest ; though he set no one over the rest in any governing authority, yet some of them were qualified above the rest, and esteemed and used by him accordingly. Peter is called the first, and, it seems, was qualified above the rest, by his more frequent speaking and famil- iarity with Christ, and his speeches and miracles after the resurrec- tion; though yet the faction that said, " I am of Cephas," or, " I am of Paul," was rebuked as carnal. So far was Christ from di- recting the churches to endall difference by obeying Peter as their supreme ruler. James and John are called the sons of thunder : they had some more eminent qualification than the rest; so that James was the first martyred apostle, and John the disciple whom Jesus specially loved. Ministers ofthe same office and order may much differ in gifts and grace, in labor and success, and in God's acceptance and reward, and in the church's just esteem and love.
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