read in Matt. xix. 28: "Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." There seems to be here an allusion to the Jewish courts, in which the chief judge or president sat in the centre, and the rest on each side of him, in the form of a semicircle. The primary and direct reference is also obviously to the apostles and to Israel, or the Jews, as appears from the use of the number twelve. Lightfoot thinks that this throne is to be understood of the judgments Christ was to bring on the Jewish people, and that the sitting of the apostles on thrones with him is to be understood, not of their persons, but of their doctrine, as if he had said, "When I shall bring judgment upon this most unjust nation, then your doctrine, which you have preached in my name, shall judge and condemn them." This is sufficiently natural; yet there seems no necessity for limiting the meaning to this. The words may imply the authority of the apostolic doctrine over the whole Church, figuratively represented by the twelve tribes. In fact, the Gospels and Epistles of the apostles and evangelists are the laws of Christ's kingdom. But this part of the passage is also, probably, intended to carry forward the thoughts to the other world. The kingdom of Christ is begun on earth, but perfected in heaven; it is only in heaven, therefore, that the happiness of his people is complete. The doctrine of the apostles will be the rule of decision in the great day-" In the day," as Paul expresses it, "when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."* It seems probable that some extraordinary honour awaits the apostles in that day; yet we are informed that this particular kind of honour will not be confined to them; for Paul asks the Corinthian believers, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world; and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? know ye not that we shall judge angels?" This is commonly thought to signify, that after Christ's people are themselves acquitted, they will be as it were, assessors, sitting along with him, witnessing, consenting to, and applauding, the whole of his procedure, and in particular, his sentence of condemnation against the fallen angels and impenitent men. "After these things," says John in the 19th chapter of the Revelation, " I heard

* Rom. ii. 16.

a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication; and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand."

In exhortation, founded on the last seven verses, we would say,

1. Beware of a proudly aspiring and envious spirit. You may and ought to "seek to excel," and to " press forward to the mark;" but you should not seek your own advancement at the expense of others-you should not seek to rise on the ruins of others, or by trampling on others. Isaiah thus describes the effect of the prevalence of evangelical principles: "The envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.""Let us not," then, "be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

2. Remember wherein true greatness consists, and follow after it. There are those who, solely on account of the station they occupy in society, are usually, and in so far, justly, honoured with marks of respect; but there is an honour which wealth cannot purchase, and power cannot command, namely, that which belongs to worthiness of character. Christian greatness consists in high attainments in piety and usefulness. No man who is in a state of sin can be truly great. Surely, the man who is an enemy to God is a base man. Enter, then, on the path of greatness by being reconciled to God through the death of his Son, and by putting on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. After that, go on in the path of true greatness, by abounding in the work of the Lord. As you are attentive to the duties of religion and benevolence, so do you rise in the general scale of greatness. Nor need the highest in earthly station fear that they will be degraded by such attention; for, this is the way to stand well in the opinion of the wise, and to be approved by Him who saith, "Them that honour me, I will honour; but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

3. Whatever your attainments may be, be humble, if you would be great. However such a man may excel in any department, if he become vain, or proud, he necessarily falls in our estimation. Pride mars all. Vanity is essentially

little. Humility is the inseparable attendant on true greatness. After you have done all, therefore, reckon yourselves unprofitable servants. This is the only way of rising to true dignity. “He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Once more: Let the disciples of Christ continue with him, notwithstanding every trial. It is unlikely that persecution unto death should arise in your day; but, if you live godly in Christ Jesus, you will meet with opposition and various difficulties. Come what may, be steady to him, and he will not overlook you. This may be considered as his language to every one who remains faithful in times and places of peculiar temptation: "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith." Though others desert the Saviour, do not you desert him. If you think you can secure your peace by forsaking him, you will find yourselves mistaken, for, none but he can now give you rest, because none but he hath the words of eternal life. Continue, then, with him while you live, and when you die he will take you to reign with himself. Remember his own words: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."" To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

LECTURE CXIX.

LUKE XXII. 31-38.

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34. Ánd he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 35. And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing. 36. Then said he unto

them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough."

In the careful perusal of the Word of God, which is all written for our admonition, we find encouragement and caution beautifully and instructively blended; so that, when we have found something calculated to keep us from despondency, and to refresh and delight us, we hardly ever proceed much farther without finding something to humble and warn us. All this is designed and contrived, with divine wisdom and grace, to teach us to rejoice with trembling-to form us and keep us to that frame of mind which alone is both happy and safe-that frame in which we shall go on cheerfully, and therefore vigorously, in the way to heaven, and yet not be high-minded, but fear, and thus escape the dangers to which we are exposed. In the last lecture, we found our Lord passing from a reproof of his disciples, for aspiring to dominion over each other, to a high commendation of them, as having adhered to him in all his trials, and to a declaration that he had appointed them a kingdom, and was to take them to sit on thrones with himself. Anon, we find him, in the passage now before us, uttering these admonitory and even startling words: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may

sift you as wheat." It ill became them to be contending for superiority over each other, when Satan was seeking to ruin them all. The repetition of the name, "Simon, Simon," indicated Christ's wish to draw the particular attention of Peter and the other disciples to what he was about to say, and was expressive of great kindness united with a solemn admonition; as in the words, " Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful;" and, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" "Satan hath desired to have you.' The word* here rendered "desired," and by supplement, "desired to have" signifies that Satan not only wished, but intimated his wish, that is, asked, or requested to have the apostles in his power, to tempt them. It is also at least implied, if not positively expressed, that this request was granted to a certain extent. Now, of whom could Satan desire, or ask, and obtain permission to tempt the disciples, except of God? This subject cannot be fully explained; but that the leading idea is founded in truth appears from other parts of Scripture, as well as from this. In this view part of the history of Job is very remarkable. "There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord; and Satan came also among them.""Then Satan said, Doth Job fear God for nought?”—“Put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord;" and, in some way, by Satan's agency, Job was afflicted with the loss of his wealth, servants, and children. Satan returned and accused him again: "And the Lord said, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils." Very remarkable, too, is this passage in Zechariah: "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee." "And the angel of the Lord stood by." Some

'EnTnoat: 'EğαITE, posco, deposco, sive ad quæstionem, sive ad certamen, sive ad supplicium. Stockius and Schleusner.-See Matt. xx. 20; Mark xv. 8; Acts ix. 2, xiii. 28; 1 John v. 15; and Dr Campbell, in locum.