Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

86:t Book.IV;Part.V. Looking unto fefrl!. Cbap.I .Sea-. u v. Ii. affumctbc foo\ or body of a beleever, as the fecond perfon affumed the foul and body of Chqft. Away, away with thefe cavils and blafphemyes , wherewith too many un. ftable fouls are now infected ! I have done with this reafon. 4. That the holy Ghofl: might according to his office endow men with gifts, no fooner he befl:ows his perfon, but immediately he fi lls us with his traine. - Now the giftsof the Spirit are of thefe two forts, fome are common to good and bad, others are proper to the Elect only. Thofe gifts which are common, are againe two-fold, for fome of themare given but to certaine men, and at certaine times, ·as the gift of miracles,of tongues,ofpropheGes,and thefe were neceffary for the Apo!He$,and the primitive Church,when the Gofpel was fir ll: to be difperfed ; others are given to all the members of the Church, and at all times, as the gifts ofinterpretation, fciences arts , prudence, learning, knowledge, eloquence, and fuch like; the former gifts we have not, but thefe tatter are now given to every member ofthe Church according to the meafure of Chri!l:s gift, as the calling and vocation of every member neederh. As for thofe gifts and faving graces which are proper to the godly, 1 ilia !I fpeak of them anon. Now here is ano.tber reafon of the Spirits miffion, that ht might t.ivegifts unto men ; if you aske, what are thofe gifts ? the Apofl:le tells you in one place, he g•we , fome Apoftles, andfome Prophets, and(ome Evangelifts, andfome Paflors ana Teachers. 1hree ofthefc gifts are now gone, and theilr date is out, but in the fame place · we finde P111jfors and Teachfrs, and them we have ftill; oh how may this teach us to think of fuch (even of Paftors and T eachers) as of the fpecia! gi fts and favours of Jefus Chrifl: ; if our f~ecia l friend iliould but fend us from a far Countrey one of his chief fervants, would we not welcome him? Chri fl: now is in heaven and hefends us Minifiers, as the Stewards of his houre ; fure if w~ Rom.xo.15• have any love to Chrifl:, the very feet of them )I)OHld /;e precioUJ, and beautiful, whobring m glad t]dings ofpeace. /Again, th e A1 Cor.n.4 . poflle tdlsus in another place, tha t there are diverjities ofgifts but the (ameSpirit ; an4 Jiver{ities of ca!lings,but the [dme L~rJ or Chrift; and dive1:(itiesof workJ, but the fame God and Fathe; which work,tth all in all. ~hrifl:~ ~~rand being done, anq he gone ~. 6. llp

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