an earnest desire to cast in his lot with the disciples of Christ, solemnly determining that, from thenceforward, he would know nothing among men, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Such was the issue of these sacred conferences, which were carried on under the immediate eye and influence of that gracious God, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants. To Aquila and Priscilla they afforded peculiar satisfaction and joy, while Apollos reaped from them so incalculable an increase of wisdom and grace, as enabled him shortly afterwards to become an able minister of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, having happily discovered that the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life.

How long after this period the ministry of Apollos was continued at Ephesus, and with what success, cannot now be ascertained. But we are informed, that his word was afterwards attended with extraordinary effects at Corinth, where he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. Having found Him, who was to make an end of sin, and bring in an everlasting righteous

ness, he felt an increasing degree of solicitude to publish his name abroad, and to spread his fame to the ends of the earth. The Saviour of sinners, of whose surpassing worth he had lately entertained such defective views, was now become the theme of his public discourses, as well as the subject of his daily conversation. Perceiving that Jesus was the alpha and omega of Holy Writ; from those very Scriptures which he formerly misunderstood, he could now mightily convince the Jews that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the everlasting Son of the Father, the first and principal object of the prophecies, the types, and the promises; the expectation of the patriarchs; the salvation of the Gentiles; the desire of all nations; and the universal hope of all the ends of the earth.

But while Apollos unweariedly laboured to overcome the prejudices of his gainsaying brethren among the Jews, it is particularly observed, that he helped them much that had believed through grace, deepening their convictions, confirming their hopes, and building them up in their most holy faith. It seems, indeed, to have been the distin

guishing turn and talent of Apollos, to lead men forward in the way everlasting, and to train them up to higher degrees of maturity and excellence in the school of Christ. And for the support of this opinion we have the judgment of Paul himself, who thus intimates the different specific characters of his own ministry and that of Apollos-Paul may plant, and Apollos may water. This expression was employed on a peculiar occasion, and from it we may reasonably infer, that, while Paul was especially fitted to break up the fallow ground, to found new churches, and to sow the seed of eternal life from country to country; Apollos was not less admirably qualified to water that seed, and to nourish those plants of grace, which he found springing up in his Master's vineyard.

And here we cannot sufficiently admire the manifold wisdom and goodness of God, who overrules the various dispositions and endowments of his servants for the general prosperity of his church. In that sacred vineyard, much work is to be done, and various operations to be performed, requiring different talents, and divers measures of christian experience, as well as distinct de

scriptions of taste and feeling in the several operators. One planteth, and another watereth; one soweth, and another reapeth; one pruneth away the superfluous branches, while another carefully trains the lengthening shoot-every man duly regarding his proper work, that, in the end, he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. It is, however, attentively to be noted, that, in these spiritual labours, men are not left to choose their own particular employment : but the great husbandman himself commissions and furnishes his labourers for their appointed tasks; sending forth some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for edifying the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Apollos appears to have been called and qualified for the following important services—to establish the wavering, to comfort the mourners, to encourage the tempted, to invigorate the feeble, to re-animate the lukewarm, and to provide for every member of

his Lord's household their portion of meat in due season. And in these sacred employments he zealously laboured, till the shadows of the evening called him home to his rest; everywhere, and on all occasions, shewing himself a workman approved unto God, enduring affliction as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, preaching the word in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting, with all long-suffering and doctrine, doing the work of an evangelist, and making full proof of his ministry.

Such was the eloquent Apollos in his day and generation, a man whose name will go down with honour to all christian posterities for evermore. Of such men a few are still remaining whose praise is in all the churches; and they are set up here and there as divine lights, shining out to his glory, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. But since the harvest is great, while the labourers are few, it becomes us earnestly to entreat the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest; chosen men, properly qualified