SERM. on them, and therefore, they had not as yet VI. the Power of chufing by Inspiration,) they therefore, referred the fingular Decifion, or Determination to God. And that they might truly prevail with him to affift them, they first folemnly address themselves to Heaven, that the all-knowing God, who governed the World, and perfectly understood the Tempers and Difpofitions of all Men, would im'mediately guide and direct their Choice, and fhew, which of the two he would have taken to that Part of the Apoftolick Charge, from whence Judas was fo lately fallen. They prayed and faid, Thou, Lord, who knowest the Hearts of all Men, fhew whether of these two thou hast chofen, that he may také Part of the Miniftry, and Apostleship, from whence Judas by Tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own Place. And when they had thus prayed, they gave forth their Lots. A Way frequently used both by Jews and Gentiles, for the Determination of doubtful and difficult Cafes; and especially for chufing of Perfons to great and important Offices: A Way in which God. was always thought to be fo immediately called in, that the Perfon chofen after this Manner, was esteemed to be chofen by God's efpecial Defignation and Appointment. Infomuch

much, that Solomon has left it among his gen-SER M. ral Rules, That the Lot is caft into the Lap, VI. but the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord, Prov. xvi. 33.

I fhall now proceed to the Third Head of my Difcourfe, under which I am to give you what Account we can learn of the Saint of this Day, upon whom the Divine Election fell. They gave forth their Lots, and the Lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apoftles, i. e. the Lots being put into a Veffel to receive them, the Name of Matthias was first drawn out, and fo the A poftolate devolved upon him. But now what St Matthias was before, or whither he went afterwards, the Scriptures are filent; no Notice being taken of him in any other Place of the New Teftament, than in that appointed to be read instead of the Epifle for the Day. For he not being an Apostle of the first Election, immediately called and chofen by our Saviour, we are not to expect any particular Remarks of him in any of the Gofpels. We know nothing of his Pedigree, any further than that he was a Jew: And that we infer, because our Saviour being only fent to the loft Sheep of the House of Ifrael, he admitted

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SER M. none) but Ifraelites to be his Difciples. But VI. Matthias must have been pretty early among fince otherwife he could not have been fufficiently qualified for the Office he was chofe to For St Peter plainly intimates in his Speech to the Apoftles before the Choice, that none were capable of being elected into Judas's Place, but those who had attended the Ministry of Christ from the Baptism of John. It is very probable therefore, that our Apostle was one of our Saviour's feventy Difciples, and confequently, of an Order fit to fucceed to the Office of an Apostle, in any Vacancy that should happen amongst them, if their Number was for a Time unalterable, as it appears to have been. After Chrift's Death, it is plain from the Qualification that was exprefsly required in him, he must have been a Witness of his Refurrection, i. e. He must have been an Eye-Witness, that Jefus was alive again, and raised from the Dead.. And being thus in all Refpects qualified to be an Apostle, if there was occafion for him; he was taken into their Number, within a few Days after, and fome few Days before the remarkable Day of Pentecoft.

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After the Holy Ghoft was poured upon the Apoftles, to fit them for that great and diffi

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cult Employment upon which they were fent; SER M. St Matthias among the reft betook himself to VI. his peculiar Province and Charge. The first Fruits of his Miniftry, he spent in Judea, which we now call Palestine, or the Holy Land; where having reaped a confiderable Harveft, he at laft retired into diftant Countries. The particular Places where he preached the Gospel are differently reported; and the Manner of his Death is alfo variously told.. But all that pretend to give any Account of him, agree in this, that the last Place he came to, was very barbarous, and his Ufage accordingly. For meeting with a People of an intractable Temper, he was treated with Rude ness and Inhumanity; and after all his Labours and Sufferings, and a numerous Converfion of Men to Christianity, he obtained from them at last a Crown of Martyrdom.

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His Memory has been celebrated by the univerfal Church from antient Times; though not every where on the fame Day. The Eaftern or Greek Church commemorates him yearly on the ninth of Auguft; whilst we in the Weft, allot the twenty-fourth of February to his Remembrance. But which of these Days, or whether either of them, was the very Day on which he suffered, we have not Light L 4 enough

SERM. enough from Hiftory to affirm for certain. VI. The Accounts of thim being various, and no

thing but what we have of him in my Textiri being to be entirely depended on. Some have. published a Gofpel, and a Book of Traditions, as written by him: But by Men of Learning they are all rejected as fuppofititious; excepting one Saying, which Clemens of Alexandria: fays, was afcribed to him; a Saying, which, let it be whofe it will, will be of ufe to every! Chriftian that obferves it. viz." That: we "fhould continually fubdue, the Flesh, neveri indulge it in any immoderate Gratification, "but endeavour always to enlarge dur Souls "with Faith and Knowledge" cod

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I have not Time to expatiate upon this, nor to make fuch Obfervations upon the little we find of him, as might be very proper, and fuitable to the Occafion. But I can't conclude without hinting to you one Thought, which I hope you will carry home in your Minds, and improve it yourselves, by making it the Subject of your own Meditations. Upon the Fall of Judas you fee it was neceffary, that another Saint and Apofle fhould be chosen to fupply the Defect which would otherwise have happened to the Church of God. And Sce GRABE Spici'eg. Vol. ii p. 118.