220 C H lt T` S" T'S Alarm' DoElr. his ; firft, That he bath t he feven Spirits of God, that is,he bath the giving of the Holy Ghofr ,-and all his gifts and graces to whomtoever he pleafeth Secondly, that Hee bath the fe- ven Starres, that is, hee hack the dilpofing of the Minigers of the Church. And this, J cold you, is to be meant divers wayes. Chrift is chid to have the Minders of the Church five wayes. Firft, hee bath the fending of them, they have their Million from him. Secondly, hee bath the delegating ofthem , they have their Commiffion from him. Thirdly, hee hath the gifting of them , they have their abilities from him. Fourthly, he bath the prólpering of them, they have the fucceflè of their labours from him. Fifthly, hee hath the kee- ping of them , they are put into a place, continued, or remo- ved, they have their liberty from him, and when they are put downe or filenced, it is hee that does doe it. The two firft J have handled already; firft, that bee bath the fending of them ; Secondly, that he hath the delegating of them. J come now to the third, He hath the gifting of them ; look what good gifts and abilities they have, they have them all from him. As Paul (ayes, Hee hath made us able 'Wingers of the New Tcfiament,.net of the Letter but of the Spirit, z Cor.3.6. and this was onenfthe ends of his ñ f- cenfion,as the. Apoflle fàyep He afcended up on.high, dad led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, Ephcf: 4.8. that is , this was one end of his attending up to Heaven; that bee might fend downe gifts unto his Church. Now what gifts does bee mean ? True, bee fends gifts to all his true Mem- bers , but he meanes the gifting of bis Minifters , as it fnl- lowes : And bee gave fort Apofi-/es, and foaoe Prophets, and fame Evangelifts, and fore Paflors and Teachers, for the per felting of the Saints, for the worke of the Misiftery ; and fo forth, verf. t i,i a. - And the truth is, it is riot without caul , for of, all men, wee that are the Minifters of Jefus Chrift, have need of fin - gular and rare gifts and abilities. Firf+, to open the Scriptures : The Scriptures are a great deep,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=