440 OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. [BOOK IX.
namely, 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 "minister only of the circumcision," being therein, according to all the promises, sent only to the " lost sheep of the house of Israel," he confined those who were to be thus assist- ant unto him in that his especial work and ministry, and whilst they were so, unto the same persons and people, expressly prohibiting them to extend their line or measure any farther. " Go not," saith he, " into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samari- tans enter ye not : but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Matt. x. 5. This " rather " was absolutely exclusive of the others during his personal ministry, and afterward 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 that the word of God should first have been spoken to you," Acts. xiii. 46.
And this, it may be, occasioned that difference which was after- ward among them, whether their ministry extended unto the Gen- tiles or no; as we may see, Acts x. and xi. But whereas our Saviour, in that commission by virtue whereof they were to act after his resurrection, had extended their office and power expressly to " all nations," Matt, xxviii. 19, or to " every creature in all the world," Mark xvi. 15, a man would wonder whence that uncertainty should arise. I am persuaded that God suffered it so to be that the calling of the Gentiles might be more signalized, or made more eminent thereby; for whereas this was the great " mystery which in other ages was not made known," but " hid in God," namely, " that the Gen- tiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ" (that is, of the promise made unto Abraham) " by the gospel," Eph. hi. 3, 5-11, it being now to be laid open and displayed, he would by their hesitation 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 suffereth differences and doubts about the truth or his worship to arise in the church, he doth it for holy ends, although for the present we may not be able to discover them. But this ministry of the apostles, with its powers and duties, this apostleship, which extended only unto the church of the Jews, ceased at the death of Christ, or at the end of his own personal ministry in this world; nor can any, I 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 ministry, by gifts miracu- lous, 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
CHAP. III.] OF EXTRAORDINARY OFFICES. 441
are vain and fruitless; for although the promises under the Old Tes- tament for the calling of the Gentiles were far more clear and nu- merous than those which remain concerning the recalling of the Jews, yet because the manner, way, and all other circumstances, were ob- scured, the whole is called a mystery hid in God from all the former ages of the church. Much more, therefore, may the way and manner of the recalling of the Jews be esteemed a hidden mystery ; as indeed it is, notwithstanding the dreams and conjectures of too many.
But these same apostles, the same individual persons, Judas only excepted, had another call, unto that office of apostleship which had respect unto the whole work and interest of Christ in the world. They were now to be made princes in all lands, rulers, leaders in spiritual things of all the inhabitants of the earth, Ps. xlv. 16. And to make this call the more conspicuous and evident, as also because it includes in it the institution and nature of the office itself where- unto they were called, our blessed Saviour proceedeth in it by sundry degrees; for, — 1. He gave unto them & promise of power for their office, or office-power, Matt. xvi. 19. So he promised unto them, in the person of Peter, the "keys of the kingdom of heaven," or a power of spiritual binding and loosing of sinners, of remitting or retaining sin, by the doctrine of the gospel, Matt, xviii. 18; John xx. 23. 2. He actually collated a right unto that power upon them, expressed by an outward pledge: John xx. 21-23, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you : as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." And this communication of the Holy Ghost was such as gave them a peculiar right and title unto their office, but not a right and power unto its exercise. 3. He sealed, as it were, their com- mission which they had for the discharge of their office, containing the whole warranty they had to enter upon the world, and subdue it unto the obedience of the gospel: Matt, xxviii. 18-20, " Go teach, baptize, command." But yet, 4. All these things did not absolutely give them a present power for the exercise of that office whereunto they were called, or at least a limitation was put for a season upon it; for under all this provision and furniture, they are commanded to stay at Jerusalem, and not address themselves unto the discharge of their office, until that were fulfilled which gave it its completeness and perfection, Acts i. 4, 8. Wherefore it is said, that after his ascension into heaven, he "gave some to be apostles," Eph. iv. 8, 11. He gave not any completely to be apostles until then. He had be- fore appointed the office, designed the persons, given them their com- mission, with the visible pledge of the power they should afterward