Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

Chcifrlt efficer in the Church are for recuite. [.Cor.4 5. dCommentgrit vox the mouth,A8-.9 . 5,6 lamlefus, arife: for this was the Apollles preroga_ tiue, to fee Chrifis face, and be called by himfelfe innnediately, and not (asat this day)mediately by the Church. Thus Paul prooueth himfelfe an Apotlle, sror ran Apele ? haste lnet feene Chrift ? namcly,though. not while he was in the flefb,and in his bate efiate,as Peter,and the other Apoftler; yet by reuelation, andbeeing now glorified; which was of his faremore fpeciall grace: once in the way to Damafcow, A& 9. i 7. and another time in the Temple he law Chrift appearing to him,withing him tomak_e haft out ofthe Citre. Second!y,ashe receiued his calling,fo likewife his doótrine immediately fromChrift, as the other Apo(iles did. True it is, that beeing brought vpat Tarfus, he was fir(t inftru&ed in humane literature andknowledge,that he was able vpon occafion to cite the te- ftimonies offundrieHeathen Poets; and after that he was brought vp at the feet of Gamaliel, a Door learned in the law, inwhich heeprofited fo much, as he becamevnreprooueable, and liued according to the per- fect manner ofthe law of the Fathers; and he fpakp with tongues more then all the Apoflles. Noswithftandingall this, When beecommeth to learnt theGofpel, he had it not fromman, nor by man, but immediately by Chri(l from heauen.Thisknowledge was toohigh forhimto hammer out by hisowne fludy,God himfelfe (hewed it him by reuelation, Eph. 3.3. Thirdly, he was not now tied to any one certaine place, but was called ro carrie the nameof Chrifl'smogs. the Gentiles : and to confirme chis, we read moreof Pants travels, then of all the Apoflles betides Fu: together: his commiffion toDamafcus was not halle fo large and gene- ral!, as this hebath now receiued. a. He calleth himfelfe anApoftle of lefur Chrig. t. Becaufe he was called, furnifhed, and lent by Chrifl. s. Becaufe he was nowe to teach Chrift; not the letter ofthe law any longer, but the do&rine of theGo- fpel; neither righteoufnesby the Pharifaicall obferuation of the law,bui by the faith of the Sonne ofGod. Dotlr. TheApoflle by ioyning thele two together, a feruaut,and A- poffle, teachetls vs, that thecheifefl offices in the Church, are for the fer- niceof it. Was thereany office about the Apollles in the Church?and yet they preached the Lord Iefus, and themfelues fir/rantsfor bisfake. Nay, our Lord Ieins himfelfe,althougb he was the head, and husband of his Church, yet he came not into the world to beferied, but tominer and f rne. Z'fe. Miniflers mu(t neuer conceiùe of their calling, but alto of this (eruice, which is not accompli(hedbusby feruice : thus (hall theybe an- fwerable to Peters exhortation, i. Pet. 3.3. to feed the flockeof God depending vpon them, nor by con(traint,but willingly;not r isLords osier Gods

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