works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him." (John x. 37, 38.)

The Divine authority of the teachings and writings of the apostles and prophets, is attested by similar evidence. The prophets testify of Jesus, and Jesus bears witness unto them. When our Lord, after His resurrection, journeyed with the two disciples from Jerusalem to Emmaus; "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself." (Luke xxiv. 27.) The eleven apostles were gathered together the same evening at Jerusalem, and as the two disciples spake unto the others, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them; "And he said unto them, These are the words I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (Luke ii. 44.) The apostles also bear witness unto the prophets. "God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days addressed us by His Son." (Heb. i. 1, 2.) "We have also a more sure word

:

of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter i. 19-21.) The apostles wrought miracles in attestation of the Divine authority of what they taught and wrote.

"Fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles." (Acts ii. 43.) "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." (Acts v. 12, 15, 16.) God has manifested a peculiar jealousy of His honour and glory in His own house. He has not left room for conjecture,

as to what men are to receive and believe concern

ing Himself. The apostolic writers of the epistles are five in number. The epistles contain the doctrines taught by the apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, after the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. Two of these writers, Peter and John, had special marks put upon them during the earthly pilgrimage of our Lord. Peter and his brother Andrew were the first called by our Lord to the office of the apostleship. James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, were the next. Peter, James, and John alone, were witnesses of the transfiguration of our Lord on the mount, when, "behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him." (Matt. xvii. 5.) Peter, James, and John alone, were the witnesses of His agony in the garden of Gethsemane. "Then cometh Jesus with them (the eleven) unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and

:

pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here and watch with me." (Matt. xxvi. 36-38.) John was emphatically and peculiarly the beloved disciple, and leaned upon the breast of Jesus during the time of the last supper. Peter and John followed Jesus "And Simon Peter fol

when he was apprehended. lowed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without." (John xviii. 15, 16.) Just as John was peculiarly the object of Christ's love, so was Peter, in a very peculiar manner, the object of Satan's awful hostility. "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke xxii. 31, 32.) John stood by the cross of Christ during His crucifixion, and saw the blood and water flow from the wound in the Saviour's side after His death. "Jesus

saw

the disciple standing by whom he loved." (John xix. 26.) "When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." (John xix. 33-35.) To Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, who very early in the morning, the first day of the week, came unto the Saviour's sepulchre at the

rising of the sun, the following message was declared by the angel: -"Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified he is risen, he is not here behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." (Mark xvi. 6, 7.) It is recorded of Peter and John only that they visited our Lord's sepulchre, on the morning of His resurrection. "Then she (Mary Magdalene) runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying: yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed." (John xx. 2—8.) They alone of all the apostles were witnesses of these minute particulars attending our Lord's resurrection: they saw them all, and they could not but believe their senses and what makes their testimony invaluable is, that while they believed what they saw with their eyes, they did not then believe that Jesus was risen from the dead. "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." (John xx. 9.) To Simon our Lord gave the command, "Feed my lambs."

"Feed my sheep." "Feed my sheep." (John xxi. 15-17.) The latter end of Simon alone did Jesus foretell. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldst: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God." Thus were Peter, James, and John, more especially Peter and John, not only prepared, but positively singled out and pointed at by our Lord Himself, not as the princes or the lords of God's heritage, but as those upon whose testimony the church in all ages might implicitly rely; as those whose teachings and writings should be regarded as of equal authority in the house of God, with the word of Jesus Himself. Herein is manifested that wondrous care Jehovah has taken in founding His church, to prevent the shadow of a ground of plea on the part of any of His intelligent creatures; whether they be those who have despised and rejected a testimony so complete and overwhelming, or those who have incurred the awful guilt of making the word of God of none effect by human tradition.

A perusal of the history of the Acts of the Apostles will show the prominent part assigned to Peter, James, and John, in the christian church at its foundation in the world; and thus is explained the end to be served by Christ's selection of them from among the other apostles to be the witnesses of His transfiguration on the mount, His agonies in the garden, and the minute circumstances which accompanied His resurrection from the dead. The writings of Peter and John, which include their teachings, as recorded in the Acts of the