he notion on
which he grounded his illustration of it was an error. But it answered
his purpose. And there is a sense in which seed dies. It ceases to be a
seed in becoming a plant.

Bishop Watson says, 'a grain of wheat must become _rotten_ before it can
sprout;' but that is not the case. It ceases to be a mere grain to
become a plant; but it does not become rotten; it remains alive and
sound.

The Apostle is an able minister, a glorious interpreter of Christ and
His doctrine; and there is nothing seriously amiss in his illustrations;
but several of them are based on prevailing misconceptions.

Some say, 'If the Apostles were not infallible in everything, their
writings would be of no use to us. If they might err in one thing, they
might err in others, and we could have no certainty of the truth of
anything.' But that is not true. On one occasion, Paul says, 'I knew not
that it was God's high-priest.' And on another, he says, 'I baptized
none of you but Crispus and Gaius.' Afterwards he says 'I baptized also
the house of Stephanas:' and he finishes by saying, 'I know not whether
I baptized any other.' Will you say, 'If Paul could be ignorant or
mistaken about the high-priest, or the number of persons he had
baptized; he might be ignorant or mistaken on every subject?' The truth
is, a man who was so much taken up with great things, would be sure to
think but little of small things. His determination to know nothing but
Christ; would be sure to keep him from wasting his time or strength on
trifles. A man's ignorance on some points is often proportioned to his
knowledge on others. And Paul is all the more trustworthy on great
matters of Christian truth and duty, because of his indifference to
matters of little or no importance. And say what we will, the Apostles
were not infallible on every point, and they never professed to be so.
They professed to be inspired, and inspired they were, but they did not
profess to be wholly infallible, and it is certain they were not so.

And the admission of the truth on this point, will _not_ destroy our
confidence in them on others. We may believe that the Apostles were
fallible on matters of little moment, and have the fullest assurance
possible that they were right on matters of great importance.

The Apostles themselves were sufficiently assured of the truth of those
impressions which they had received about Christ through their eyes and
ears; yet neither the eyes nor the ears o