ANt) SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 51 communicated unto persons so called, enabling them to r way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samari- e, tans enter ye not; but go rather unto the lost sheep- " of the house of Israel," Matth. x.5. This rather was absolutely exclusive of the others during his personal ministry, andafterwards included only the pre-eminence of the Israelites, that they were to have the gospel offered unto them in the first place. It was necessary the word of God should be first spoken unto theta, Acts xiii. 46. 6. And this, it maybe, occasioned that difference which was afterwards among them, whether their mini- stry extended unto the Gentiles or not as we may see, Acts, chap. x. and xi. But, whereas our Saviour, in that commission, by virtue whereof they were to act af- ter his resurrection, had extended their office and power expressly to all nations, Matth. xxviii. 19 or to every creature in all the world, Matth. xvi. 15. Aman would wonder whence that uncertainty shouldarise. I am per- suaded that God suffered it so to be, that the calling of the Gentiles might be more signalized, or made more e- minent thereby. For, whereas this was the great mys- tery which in other ages was not made known, but hid in God, namely, that the Gentilesshould befellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ, that is, of the promise made untoAbraham by the gospel, "Eph. iii. 5, 6-, 7, 8, 9, 10. it being now to be laid open and displayed, he would, by their hesita- tion about it, have it searched into, examined, tried, and proved, that the faith of the church might never be shaken about it in after ages. And, in like manner; when God, at any time, suffreth differences and doubts about the truth or his worship, to arise in the church, he Both it for holy ends, although for the present, we may not be able to discover them. Brut this ministry of the apostles, with its powers and duties, this apostleship; which extended only unto the church of the Jews, ceàs- ed at the death of Christ, or at the end of his ownper- . sonal ministry in this world. Nor can any, 1 suppose, pretend unto a succession to them therein. Who, or what peculiar instruments he will use and employ for the final recovery of that miserable lost people, whether he will do it by-an ordinary or an extraordinary minis- try, by gifts miraculous, or by the naked efficacy of the gospel, is known only in his own holy wisdom and counsel; the conjectures of men about these things are vain and fruitless.. Fer, although the promises under act what they are so called unto, wherein the essenceof any office doth consist. (3.) Extraordinary gifts for the exercise and discharge of that power. (4.) Extraordi- nary employment as to its extent and measure, requiring extraordinary labour, travail, zeal, and self- denial. All these do and must concur in that office, and unto those offices which we call extraordinary. 4. Thus was it with the apostles, prophets, and e- vangelists at the first, which were all extraordinary teaching officers in the church, and all that ever were so, 1 Cor. xii. 28. Eph. iv. 1i. Besides these, there were, at the first plantingof thechurch, persons endued with extraordinary gills, as of miracles, healing, and tongues, which did not of themselves constitute them officers, but do belong to the second head of gifts, which concerns duties only. Howbeit, thesegiftswere always most eminently bestowed on them who were called unto the extraordinary offices mentioned, 1 Cor. xiv. 18. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all. They had the same gift some of them, but the apostle had it in a more eminent degree. See Matth. x. 8. And we may treat briefly in our passage of these several sorts of extraordinary officers: 5. First, For the apostles; they had a double call, mission, and commission, or a twofold apostleship. Their first call was unto a subserviency unto the personal mini- stry of Jesus Christ; for he was a minister of the circum- cisionfor the truth ofGod, to confirm thepromises made unto' thefathers, Rom. xv. 8. In the discharge of this his personal ministry, it was necessary that he should have peculiar servants and officers under him, to pre- pare his way and work, and to attend him therein. So he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send theta forth to preach, Mark iii. 14. Thiswas the substanceof their firstcall and work, name- ly, to attend the presence of Christ, and to go forth to preach as he gave them order. Hence, because he was in his own person, as to his prophetical office, the mi- nister onlyof the circumcision, being therein, according to all the promises, sent only to the lost sheepofthe house ofIsrael, he confined those who were to be thus assis- tant unto him in that his especial work and ministry, and whilst they wereso, unto the same persons and peo- ple, expressly prohibiting them toextend their line or measure any further: " Go not," saith he, " into the
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