Seeing, therefore, this was the design of Christ, this was the nature and work of the gospel which was to be propagated, wherein carnal power and outward force could be of no use, yea, whose exercise was inconsistent with, dishonourable unto, and destructive of the whole design, and wherein the work to be accomplished on the minds and souls of men is incomparably greater than the conquering of worlds with force and arms, it is inquired what power the Lord Christ did employ herein, what means and instruments he used for the accom- plishment of his design, and the erecting of that kingdom or church-
480 OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, [BOOK IX.
state which, being promised of old, was called "the world to come/' or the "new world," " a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwell- eth righteousness;" and I say, it was those gifts of the Holy Ghost whereof we have treated, which were those "powers" of this "world to come." By them it was, or in their exercise, that the Lord Christ erected his empire over the souls and consciences of men, destroy- ing both the work and kingdom of the devil. It is true, it is the word of the gospel itself that is the rod of his strength, which is sent out of Zion to erect and dispense his rule; but that hidden power which made the word effectual in the dispensation of it consisted in those gifts of the Holy Ghost. Men may despise them or think light of them whilst they please; they are those powers which the Lord Christ in his wisdom thought meet alone to engage in the propaga- tion of the gospel, and the setting up of his kingdom in the world.
The recovery and return of the people from the captivity of Baby- lon was a type of the spiritual redemption of the church by Jesus Christ ; and how God effected that as a type hereof he declares, Zech. iv. 6, " Not by army, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lokd of hosts." So, much more, was this work to be effected. So, after his resurrection, the Lord Christ tells his apostles that they were to be his " witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth ; " that is, all the world over, Acts i. 8. But how shall they be able so to bear testimony unto them as that their witness shall be received and become effec- tual? Saith he, " Ye shall receive power for this end. I have given you authority to preach the word before, and now I will give you such an ability for it as none shall be able to withstand or resist ; and this is after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, — that is, in the communication of those gifts whereby ye may be enabled unto your work." In them consisted that "mouth and wisdom" which he promised he would give them, " which all their adversaries were not able to gainsay nor resist," Luke xxi. 15. Wherefore, that which I shall close this discourse withal shall be a brief endeavour to declare how those gifts were the spiritual powers of the gospel unto all the ends we have before mentioned, as designed by Jesus Christ; whence it will appear how little there was of the wisdom, skill, power, or authority of men in the whole work of propagating the gospel and planting the church of Christ, as we shall afterward manifest how, by the dispensation of the other more ordinary gifts of the Spirit, both the gospel and the church are continued and preserved in the world.
First, The persons whom the Lord Christ chose, called, and de- signed unto this work, were by those gifts enabled thereunto. As no mortal men had of themselves any sufficiency for such a work, so
CHAP. V.] ORIGIN, DURATION, ETC., OF EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS. 431
the persons particularly called unto it by Jesus Christ lay under all the disadvantages that any persons could possibly be liable unto in such an undertaking: for, — 1. They were all of them unlearned and ignorant; which the Jews took notice of, Acts iv. 13, and which the Gentiles despised them for. 2. They were poor, and of no reputation in the world ; which made them contemned by all sorts of persons. And, 3. They seem in many instances to have been pusillanimous and fearful; which they all manifested when they so shamefully fled and left their Master in his distresses, the chief of them also swear- ing that he knew him not. Now, it is easily understood what great disadvantages these were unto the undertaking of so great a work as they were called unto; yea, how impossible it was for them, under these qualifications, to do any thing in the pursuit of it. Wherefore, by the communication of these gifts unto them, all these impedi- ments arising from themselves were removed, and they were fur- nished with endowments of quite another nature, whereby they were eminently filled with that spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and under- standing, which surpassed all the wisdom that was of the world or in it, by what ways or means soever it were attained. (1.) They both had and declared a wisdom which none of the princes of this world were acquainted withal, 1 Cor. ii. 1-8, 13. Those who, during the abode of Christ in the flesh with them, could not understand a plain parable, and were ever and anon at no small loss about the sense and mean- ing of their Master, having very low and carnal apprehensions about his person, work, and office, were now filled with a knowledge of all heavenly mysteries, and with wisdom to declare, manage, and main- tain them against all opposers. Kings, princes, rulers of synagogues, were now all one to them. They had a mouth and wisdom given them which none of their adversaries could resist. Wherever they came, in all nations, to all sorts of people, of all languages, they were now enabled, in their own tongue and speech, to declare and preach the gospel unto them, being always filled with a treasure of wisdom and spiritual mysteries, whence they could draw forth as every occa- sion did require. (2.) Whereas they were poor, the difficulties wherewith such a condition is attended were also by this means ut- terly taken away : for although they had neither silver nor gold by their work or employment, but their outward wants and distresses were rather increased thereby, yet their minds and souls were by this communication of the Sj:>irit so raised above the world, and filled with such a contempt of all the desirable things in it, and of all the pride of men upon their account, as that their want of possessions and outward enjoyments made them only the more ready and expedite for their work; whence also such of them as had possessions, [having] sold them, gave their price to the poor, that they might be no hinderanco voe. iv. 31