also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

2. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

3. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

4. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

5. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

6. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

7. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

8. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

9. And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" (Luke 10: I-9).

17. "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy

name.

18. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

22. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

23. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye

see:

24. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Luke 10: 17-24).

XXVIII

SOME OF THE NOTABLE THINGS BY WHICH JESUS QUALIFIED HIS TWELVE APOSTLES TO BEGIN AND EXTEND HIS KINGDOM ON THE EARTH

There is space here to make only the merest mention of all that Jesus afforded His twelve chosen disciples and apostles by His marvelous instruction, example, and works, to qualify them for the great work they were to do. He kept Himself in close touch with these twelve apostles who had been with Him from the beginning of His ministry. They were His chosen ministers to begin and extend His kingdom on the earth.

While He sent them out by twos and otherwise, He never allowed Himself to be absent from all of them for any considerable time. All of them or part of them were ever with Him. They were with Him on the sea of Galilee in the calm and in the storm. They traveled and rested with Him in his journeys. They ate, drank and slept with Him. They were with Him in the mountain and in the valley; in the palace and in the humble home; in the multitude and in the quiet circle; in the city, town, and in the rural district; in the temple at Jerusalem and in the synagogues everywhere. They were with Him day by day, when He exercised His marvelous, miraculous power and when He needed their tender sympathy. Three of them were present with Him on the mountain when He was transfigured before them. The same three were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane when, in

His sufferings, He sweat as it were, great drops of blood. All of them were with Him at the last passover feast at Jerusalem. Eleven of them were present when Jesus instituted the Lord's supper. Eleven of them went out that night with Him over the brook Kedron to the Garden of Gethsemane. All of them were present when He was betrayed and arrested by the Roman soldiers. All or part of them witnessed His trial, crucifixion and burial. Eleven of them at various times were present with Him after His resurrection from the dead; and eleven were with Him on the Mount of Olives when He ascended up to heaven.

Because of their most intimate and familiar personal relationship with Jesus, all of His apostles could have said with John,

1. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;)

3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:1-3).

Moreover, because of their constant presence with Jesus, and because of their very familiar personal relationship with Him, these apostles were most privileged witnesses of all that He, the professed Son of God, had done for all classes and under all circumstances, that they might know Him, and believe on Him and testify that He was the Son of God.

For example, they were accustomed to His dealings with the scribes, Pharisees and doctors who came to Him with their puzzling questions and answers to entrap and entangle Him, and how effectually they were repulsed by His superhuman knowledge; to His dealings with the suffering and distressed who came to Him for help, and how marvelously they were relieved by His divine power; to His dealings with all who came to Him to know the way of life, and how graciously with the authority of His Father, God, He taught them; and to His dealings with little children, who were brought to Him by their mothers for His benediction, and how He took them in His arms and blessed them, and said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God."

30. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

31. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20: 30, 31).