whose sins were forgiven. — Beside this, they were to he specially inspired to lay down rules and regulations for the guidance of the Church on disputed questions. Some things they were to ^' bind" or forbid ; — others they were to ^^ loose" or allow. The decision of the council at Jerusalem, that the Gentiles need not be cir- cumcised, was one example of the exercise of this power. (Acts xvi. 19.) But it was a commission specially con- fined to the apostles. In discharging it they had no successors. With them it began, and with them it ex- pired.
We will leave these controverted words here. Enough perhaps has been said upon them for our personal edifica- tion. Let us only remember that, in whatever sense men take them, they have nothing to do with the Church of Kome. Let us now turn our attention to points which more immediately concern our own souls.
In the first j^lace, let us admire the noble confession loliicli the apostle Peter makes in this ^mssage. He says, in reply to our Lord's question, " Whom say ye that I am ?''—" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.''
At first sight a careless reader may see nothing very remarkable in these words of the apostle. He may think it extraordinary that they should call forth such strono: commendation from our Lord. But such thou2.hts arise from ignorance and inconsideration. Men forget that it is a widely different thing to believe in Christ's divine mission, when we dwell in the midst of professing Christians, and to believe in it when we dwell in the midst of hardened and unbelieving Jews. The glory of Peter's confession lies in this, that he made it when few