Chap.r.Secc.rr. Looking~ntofe(ru. Book.IV. Paft.V. 863 tip on high, the Spirit came down ; and in Chrill:s {fiead ell:abliiRed order in the Churcb,which order or efiabli!hment is here f~t down, hy gi[tJ, ca/lin~s, and workp. I:fere is firlt,. 4 c~ift; Secondlr, a calling; Thtrdly, a work_. Gifts are afcrtbed to the Spirit callings to Chrifi, and work§J to God, even to the Father of~our Lord Jefus Chrift; where the Spirit ends, Chrifts begi·ns, and where Chrift ends, God begins:, ifno gift , we muft ftay there, and never meddle with the calling ; and ifno c11lling, wemuft fray there,and never meddle with the work§; firft, the Spirit comes, and beftowes the gift , and then Chrift comes,and beftowes the calling, and thtn God the Father comes, and fees . us to the work ; the gift is for the calling, and the gift and calling are both for the work: And if this be the order eftabliihed by the "Spirit in his-Church, Oh what fhall we fay of them that either have no gifu, yet ftep into the calling, as tf there were no need of the Holy Ghoft; or that have no calling, and yet will fall upon the work_. utterly againl.l: the minde and rule of Jefus. Chri·ft? Oh what the poore Church ofCbrift fuffers at this tim~! in thefe refpe&s ! certainly thefe men have no commiffion· from the holy Spirit ; he was never fent to them that breake this order, firft gifts , and then calling ,and then the: work., · But why doth the Spirit endow men with gifts? furel y faith the Apoftle,to this end, to profit withal/. Gifts are given for the 1 Cor. z t ,7. good ofochers, gifts are for edifying: we fiwuld not contemne them, gifts are a bleffing of God, and theref~re we are to endeavourafcer them. Let thy profiting appettr to all, and covet earneft!y the beft giftJ: tfnd yet (fayes Paul) I foew unto you aT tim 4·' ), more excellent way: and that was true grace,ofwhich he difcour- I Cor.t.t.3 L· . feth in the aext Chapter;and this brings in another reafon.of the Spirits miffion. . 5. That the holy Ghoft mightaccording to his office endow men with graces. In doing this, he firft gives the inward principle and habit ofgrace, and then the fruit, or aCl:ings of grace. r. He gives a power, an habit, a fpiritual abilitv, a feed, a fpring. a principle ofgrace ; whatfoever we call it, I cannot conceive it t o be a aew faculty, added to thofe which are in men by nature; Aman when he is regenerate, hath no more faculties in his foul , thanhehadbeforehe'wasregenerate, onely inthe work ofre- . gc:pera.tion ,
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