4 An Expojition of the Epiftle -f"V\.ff~ · _:__o_f_t_h_e_H_e-ar-e-rs- d-:-o-fh-=-e-w-.-A-=-ifs 9· 21 ,22. Bt1t all th~t hea_r_d_h_i_m_,_w_e_r_e_a_m_a_z_e-d, Serm. I. and [aid, Is 11ot thu he that def/ro;•edthem which ea/ledon thu 11ame itz ]eru{t· ~ tem and came hither jo>·thattntent, that he mzght bnng them botmd zmtothe Chi;f Priefls ~ But Stml increafed I he more in flrmgth, rmdcotifozmdtd the .7ews, which dwelt at 'Damrifcus, provn:g that thu" v~ry.Chnfl.. Whofe Of– fice in the Church was the firlt, 1 Cor. 12. 28. God bath Jet m the Church [ firfl] Apoflles; and there:ore the highell: under the G_ofpel next Chrilt, even as the High-Prie!lhood was the Hlghelt ot the rank of Pne!ts under the Law. Hence both thefe are coupled together, and in way of honour given unto Chri!t himfelf (God's fir!! and great Apofile lent out by him, Job. 20, 21. ) The H<gh Prieft and Apoflle of 011~ p>-ofejfion, ]eftU, &c. Heb. 3· 1. Obferv; No fins l!efore ( a11d I may add to it, 11or yet after Conver[io11) can hi~Jdtr God's };-u Grace from zifiug men i11 the highefl EmploJ•ments in the Church, ~"t magnifie it the mort. 'David, after his Adultery, was a Pen-man ofScrip– ture, Pjalrn 51. J'olomo11 after his fall, of Ecclejiaffes; Peter after his Conver– lion, denied Chrill: with Oaths and Curfes, is a chief Apofile, and converts three thou!and fifty daies after, with the fame Mouth he had denied Chrifi; and P aul after he had been a Illafphemer, was made an Apoll:le. Of ]ejUJ C!mjl. J This addition !hews the Author of this Office, whofe defignment it was, Jejtu Chriff, I . Chrifl as the Author and Founder of his Apofilefhip. fo he was of all the other 1\pof\les, Job. 20. 21. As the Father fmds me, I Jmd you. 1\po!tle fignifies o11e font: Chrill: was God the Father's Apo[\le, He6.3. 1. and appcrinted by Him, verf. 2. and£ph.4.11, It isat– tributed to Chrill:, that he afcending, Gave fome to be Apojlles, &c. It is the Prerogative of a King (yea every Ma!lcr of~Family) to appoint what Offices and Officers lhall be of Jus Hou_D1old. And 2. It Imports >ifo the Dignity of this Office above Humnn Offices; the fiyle of It runs, An LlpoJ'Iteof Cbrijf. As the Offices that belong to the King's Perfon in Court have a peculiar deno– mination, exprellinga relation to his Perfon, which other Offices in the King– dom havenot: As, the King's Chamberlain, the King's Steward, &c. And as others in the Kingdom, are all Subjects of the King as their Prince, but Cour– tiers in Offices are peculiar!y _Servants of the King as a Mafier ; fo they write themfel~es Servants to. the Kmg: and Paul, Jejm Ch;z~ my Lord, Phi!.~As they m Court, the Kmg my Maller: fo though all Chnil:Ians are Subjects and Members of Ch~ifi ; yet, Apofilc;.s and Minill:ers are i'! a more peculiar refpe& Servantsof Chnll:, as James and Jude fiyle themfelvesm thelirlt Verfe of their Epillles. . . , But although he ll:yles lumfelf Chnll sApoll:le, yet he leaves not out his Corn– million alfofrom, and the Influence of God alfo into it, BytheWzlf of God, that is both of the God-head, and of all three Perfons, For to Apolllefhipi and all Offices in the Church, they all concur, as well as to our Salvation. ToApo{llejhip, foGt~I.I.I. Paul ms Apojlleof.7efUJ Chrz~, an.dGodtht Fathtr; there you fee are two Perfons-.- .-, And then the Spirit, the third Perfon, faid, Sept~rate me P~ula11dBamabtu, Acts 1 ~- 2. Andfo they concur to all other Officers moremfenour, I Coro~~; 4>5', 6. There are diverjities ofGifts, 6ttt the jmne S'pzrtt. (The G1fts wluch Officers are endued with, are afcribed to the Holy Gho!l:, ) There are differences of Adminillrations and the fame Lord, viz. Chri!t, who, as a Lord, appoints the feveral Offices \;here– in Gifts are exercifed: and there are diverfities of operations, but it is the fame God, (viz. the Father) who. worketh all in alL .The bleffing upon Gifts, and the fuccef• of all Admtmll:ratJons or Offices Mmtfierial are trom the Father, Thus By the WiO of God; all three Perfons are at the Ordination of every true Mm1!\er, and lay on the1r Hands of Bklling each of them, and fet the.ir hands to every Minillers Commillion. , More .Particutarly,' -??Y tbe Wilt of God.) This fir(/ imports that fpecial Decree of God, in fepa– ratmg htm to this Office, whichGat. 1.' I). andRom. 1. 1. he with an Empha– f!S exprelfeth, fet apart to it; .:~,~~'~'is to fele&cho1c~ things : Therefore choice fe11•
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