g them, were divinely qualified to teach,
and consequently to record, without error, the facts and doctrines of
his gospel. There are but two grades of relationship to Christ with
which we can connect such a high endowment: that of _apostles_, and that
of their _companions_ and fellow-laborers. Let us consider each of these
in order.

3. Early in our Lord's ministry he chose _twelve apostles_, "that they
should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to
have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils." Mark 3:14, 15.
In this brief notice we have all the distinguishing marks of an apostle.
He was chosen that he might be with Christ from the beginning, and thus
be to the people an eye-witness of his whole public life. When an
apostle was to be chosen in the place of Judas, Peter laid particular
stress on this qualification: "Wherefore of these men which have
companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among
us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was
taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his
resurrection." Acts 1:21, 22. In the case of Paul alone was this
condition of apostleship wanting; and this want was made up to him by
the special revelation of Jesus Christ. Gal. 1:11, 12. An apostle,
again, was one who received his commission to preach immediately from
the Saviour, a qualification which Paul strenuously asserted in his own
behalf: "Paul an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus
Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead." Gal. 1:1. An
apostle, once more, was one who received directly from Christ the power
of working miracles. This was the _seal_ of his apostleship before the
world. In the three particulars that have been named the apostles held
to Christ the nearest possible relation, and were by this relation
distinguished from all other men. Have we evidence that they were
divinely qualified, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to preach
and record the facts and doctrines of the gospel without error?

That they must have been thus qualified, we have, in the _first_ place,
a strong presumption from _the necessity of the case_. Though our Lord
finished the work which the Father gave him to do on earth, he did not
finish the revelation of his gospel. On the contrary, he said to his
disciples just before his crucifixion, "I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear t