each- PalzS.ON difivefly. [395] doth the whole work of the miniftry relate to the Holy Chaff though that be not my prefent bufinefs to evince. He calls men to that work, and they are feparated unto him, A. xiii. a. he furnitheth them with gifts, and abilities for that employment, i Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9, to. So that the whole religion we profefs, without this adminiflration of the Spirit, is nothing: nor is there any fruit without it of the refurreaion off. Chrift from the dead. This being the ilote of things, that in our worfhip of, and obedience to God, in our own confolation, fandification, and mrnifterial employment, the Spirit being the principle, the life, foul, the all of the whole yet fo defperate hash been the malice of ratan, and wickednefs of men, that their great endeavour bath been, to titut him quite out of all gofpel-adminiftra- tions. His gifts and graces were not only decryed, but almoft excluded from the publick worfhip of the church, by the impofition ofan operous form of fervice, to be readby the minifter, which to do, is neither a peculiar lift of the Holy Ghoft to any, nor of the miniftry at all. Ít is marvel- lous to confider, what pleas and patiences were invented, and ufed by learned men from its antiquity, its compofure, or approbation by martyrs, the beauty of uniformity in the worfitip of God eftabIifhed, and preffed thereby, &c. for the defence and maintenance of it. But the main argu- ment they infifted on, and the chief field wherein they expatiated, and laid out all their eloquence, was the vain babbling repetitions and folly ofmen praying by the Spirit. When once this was fallen upon, all, at leaft as they fuppofed, was carryed away before them, and their adverfaries ren- dred fufficiently ridiculous. So great is the cunning of fatan, and fo un- fearchahle are the follies of the hearts of men. The foin of all thefe rea- %nings amount to no more but this : though the Lord Jefus Chrift hazk promifed the Holy Ghoft to be with his church to the end of the world, to fit and furnifh men wills gifts and abilities, for the carrying on of that worfhip which he requires and accepteth at our handt3 yet the work is hot done to the purpofe, the gifts he beftows, are not fuflìcient to that end, deiïher as to invccstion, nor docttine, and therefore we will not only J eip men by our direftions, hut exclude 'them from their exercifc. This I f h was the fuin of all as I could undeniably evidence, were that my edit bufinefs. What innumerable evils enfue on tins principle, in a for- hia felting apart of men to the miniftry, who laud never oncetoiled ofthe powers of the world to conte, nor received any gifts from the Holy (Mott to that purpofe; of crying up, and growing in, an outride pompous wor- fhip, wholly foreign to the power and fimplicity of the gofpel } of filencing, dcftroying, banifhing men, whole miniftry was accompany'd with the evi- dence, and demonftration of the Spirit, I Ball not need to declare. This is that I aim at, to point out the publick contempt of the HolyGheft, Isis gifts and graces, with their adminiftration in the Church of God; that `bath been foundeven where the Gofpel bath been profeffed. Again, it is a thing of moft fad confederation, once to call to mind the improvement of that 'principle of contempt of the Spirit in private men, and their ways, the nameof the Spirit was grown a term of reproach. To plead for, or pretend to pray by theSpirit, was enough to render a man the object of fcocn and reproach, from all forts of men, from the pulpit to ''tile flage. What? you are full of theSpirit, you will pray by the:fpirir, youhave the gift, come let us hear your nonfenfe and yet, perhaps, thefe men would think themfelves wronged, not to be accounted chriftians. Chhri
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=