368 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD lived at his pleafure, and went wherever his fancy direaed him ; but when he fhould reach the term ofold age, he fhould flretch forth his hands, and another fhould gird and bind him, and lead him whither he had no defire to go; intimating, as the evangelift tells us, by what death he fhould glorify God, and Peal the truth with his blood. St. Peter was not averfe to drinking the bitter cup, and making his confeffion as public as his denial, that he might thereby terrify the fincerityof his forrow and con- trition for his great offence. And feeing John following, he aaled his great Matter what fhould be his fate, and whether he, who had been the obje& of his Mailer's love in his life-time, fhould not have as honourable a death as he that haddenied him? To which JEsus replied, it Both not concern thee to know how I !hall difpofe of events with regard to hits : he (hall fee the deflru&ion of the Jewifh nation, and then go down in peace to the chambers of the duff. Our bleffed Saviour foori after appeared to his difciples at Jerufalem, to take his Taft farewell of them, who had conitantly attended him during his public miniftry amongft the fons of men. He now led them out as far as Bethany, a fmall village on Mount Olivet, where he briefly told them, that they were the perfons he had chofen to be the witneffes both ofhis death and refurreaion ; a teftimony which they fhould publifh in every part of the world : in order to which, he would after his afcen- don into heaven, pour out his Spirit upon them in an extraordinary manner, that they might be the better enabled to ftruggle with that violent rage and fury with which the doarine of the gofpel would be oppofed by men and devils ; adding, that in the mean time they fhould return toJerufalem, and there wait till thofe miraculous powers were given from on high. This difcourfe being finifhed, he laid hands upon them, and gave them his folemn benediaion ; during which he was taken from them, 3 and received up into the regions of the heavenly Canaan. Our glorious Redeemer having left this vale of mifery, and afcended into the blifs- ful habitations of immortality, the apoltles began to at in conformity to the power and commiffion they had received from him. The firft object that engaged their attention after their return to Jerufalem, was to fill up the vacancy in their college, lately made by the unhappy fall and apof- tácy ofJudas. In order to this they called together the church, and entered into an upper room, when Peter, as prefident of the affembly, propofed to them the choice - of a new apoftle. He put them in mind that Judas, one of the difciples of their great and beloved Matter, being betrayed by his covetous and infatiable temper, had lately fallen from the honour of his place and miniftry ; that this was no more than what the prophet had long duce foretold fhould come to pats; and that the care of the church which had been committed to him, fhould devolve upon another : that therefore it was highly neceffary that fome perfon who had been familiarly converfant with the bleffed JEsus, from firít to lait, and confequently, a competent wïtnefs both of his do&rine andmiracles, his death, re- furre&ion, and afcenfion, fhould be fubfti- tuted in his room, and appointed to that high office. In order to which, two can- didateswere propofed, Jofeph, called Bar- fabas, and Matthias, both qualified for the great and important office of the apoftle- fhip ; and having prayed that the Divine Providence would immediately guide and direa their choice, they cart lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was accord- ingly admitted into the number of the twelve .apoftles of our Lord. This vacancy being filled up in the apo- ftolic college, they fpent their time inprayer and meditation, till the feaft of Pentecoft; when the promife of their great Matter in fending the Holy Ghoft was fulfilled. The Chriftian affembly were met as ufual, to perform the public fervicesof their worfhip, when
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