AND SPIRITt7AL GIFTS. first planting and establishment, with what belonged unto their office, and the necessity of their work. For the col- lation of them on the church, and their whole furniture With spiritual gifts, was the immediate work of the Holy Ghost, which we are in the declaration of and, withal, it was my design to manifest how vain is the-pretenceof some unto a kind of succession unto these officers, who have neither an extraordinary call, nor extraordinary gifts, nor extraordinary employment,but only are plea- sed to assume an extraordinary power unto themselves, over the churches and disciples of Christ; and that such as neither Evangelists, nor prophets, nor apostles,did e- ver claim or makeuseof: But this matter of Poweris fuel in itself unto the proud, ambitious minds of Diotrephists, 59 and, as now circumstanced with other advantages, is use- ful to the corrupt lusts of men: and therefore it is no wonder if it be pretended unto, and greedily reachedaf- ter, by such as really have neither call to the ministry, nor gifts for it, nor doemploy themselves in it. And therefore, as in these extraordinary officers, and their gifts, did consist the original glory and honour of the churches in an especial manner, and by them was their edification carried on and perfected ; so, by an empty pretence unto their power, without their order and spi- rit, the churcheshave been stained and deformed, and brought to destruction. But we must return unto the consideration of extraordinary spiritual- gifts, which is the especial work beforeus. CHAP. IV. EXTRAORDINARY SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 1 Cor. xii. vet. 8, 9, 10, 11. EXTRAORDINARY spiritual gifts were of two sorts : First, Such as absolutely exceed the whole pow- ers and faculties of our minds and souls. These there- fore did not consist in an abiding principle or faculty always resident in them that received them, so as that they could exercise them by virtue of any inherent pow- er and ability. They were sogranted unto some persons in the execution of their office, as that so often as was needful, they could produce their effects by virtue ofan immediate extraordinary influence ofdivine power, tran- siently affectingtheir minds. Such was the gift of mir- acles, healing, and the like. There were no extraor- dinary officers, but they had these gifts. But yet they could work or operate by virtue of them, only as the Holy Ghost gave them especial direction for the put- ting forth of his power in them. So it is said that Paul and Barnabas, preaching at Iconium, the Lord gave tes- timony unto the word ofhis grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands, Acts xiv. 3. The working of signs and miracles, is the immediate opera- tion of the Spirit of God ; nor can any power or faculty, efficiently productive of such effects, abide in the souls or minds of men : these miraculous operations were the witness ofthe Holy Ghost sent down fromheaven, which he gave to the truth of the gospel. See Heb. iii. 4. with our exposition thereon. Wherefore there was no more in thesegifts which absolutely exceed the whole faculties of our natures, but the designing of certain persons by the Holy Ghost, in and with whose ministry he would himself effect miraculous operations. Secondly, They were such as consisted in extraordi- nary endowments and improvements of the faculties of the souls or minds of men; such as wisdom, knowledge, utterance, and the like. Now, where these were bestow- ed on any in an extraordinary manner, as they wereon the apostles and evangelists, they differed only in degree from them that are ordinary, and still continued; but are of the same kind with'them; whereofwe shall treat afterward. Now, whereas all these gifts of both sorts, are expressly and distinctly enumerated and set down by our apostle in one place, I shall consider them as they are there proposed by him.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=