484 OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. [BOOK IX.
accompanying its administration, by virtue of those spiritual gifts; and therefore our apostle shows that when men prophesied, or de- clared the mind of God from the word by the gift of prophecy, unbelievers did " fall down, and, worshipping God, reported that God was in them of a truth," 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25. They were sensible of a divine authority, which they could not stand before, or withstand. 2. From hence also proceeded that life and power for conviction which the word was accompanied with in their dispensation of it. It became shortly to be the arrows of Christ, which were sharp in the hearts of men. As men found an authority in the dispensation of the word, so they felt and experienced an efficacy in the truths dispensed. By it were their minds enlightened, their consciences awakened, their minds convinced, their lives judged, the secrets of their hearts made manifest, as 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25, until they cried out in multitudes, " Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Hereby did the Lord Christ in his kingdom and majesty ride prosperously, conquering and to conquer, with the word of truth, meekness, and righteousness, subduing the souls of men unto his obedience, — mak- ing them free, ready, willing, in the clay of his power. These were the forces and weapons that he used in the establishing of his kingdom, which were " mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down of imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. So doth the apostle describe the success of these administrations as an absolute conquest, wherein all opposition is broken, all strongholds and forti- fications are demolished, and the whole reduced unto due obedience; for by this means were all things effected. All the strongholds of sin in the minds of men, in their natural darkness, blindness, and obsti- nacy; all the high fortifications of prejudices, and vain, proud, lofty imaginations, raised in them by Satan, — were all cast down by and before gospel administrations, managed by virtue and authority of these spiritual gifts, which the Lord Christ ordained to be the powers of his kingdom.
Thirdly, Those of them which consisted in miraculous operations were suited to fill the world with an apprehension of a divine power accompanying the word and them by whom it was administered. And sundry things unto the furtherance of the gospel depended hereon; as, — 1. The world, which was stupid, asleep in sin and security, satisfied with their lusts and idolatries, regardless of any thing but present enjoyments, was awakened hereby to an attend- ance unto and inquiry into this new doctrine that was proposed unto them. They could not but take notice that there was something more than ordinary in that sermon which they were summoned unto
CHAP. V.] ORTGIN, DURATION, ETC., OF EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS. 485
by a miracle. And this was the first and principal use of these miraculous operations. They awakened the dull, stupid world unto a consideration of the doctrine of the gospel, which otherwise they would have securely neglected and despised. 2. They weakened and took off those mighty prejudices which their minds were pos- sessed with by tradition and secular enjoyments. What these pre- judices were I shall not here declare, I have done it elsewhere; it is enough to observe, that they were as great, as many, as effectual, as human nature in any case is capable of. But yet although they were sufficiently of proof against all other means of conviction, they could not but sink and weaken before the manifest evidence of pre- sent divine power, such as these miraculous operations were accom- panied withal ; for although all the things which they cleaved unto, and intended to do so inseparably, were, as they thought, to be pre- ferred above any thing that could be offered unto them, yet when the divine power appeared against them, they were not able to give them defence. Hence, upon these operations one of these two effects ensued: — (1.) Those that were shut up under their obstinacy and unbelief were filled with tormenting convictions, and knew not what to do to relieve themselves. The evidence of miracles they could not withstand, and yet would not admit of what they tendered and confirmed ; whence they were filled with disquietments and perplexi- ties. So the rulers of the Jews manifested themselves to have been upon the curing of the impotent person at the gate of the temple. " What shall we do/' say they, "to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them we cannot deny/' Acts iv. 16. (2.) The minds of others were exceedingly prepared for the reception of the truth, the advantages unto that purpose being too many to be here insisted on. 3. They were a great means of taking off the scandal of the cross. That this was that which the world was principally offended at in the gospel is sufficiently known. " Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.'" Nothing could possibly be or have been a matter of so high offence unto the Jews as to offer them a crucified Messiah, whom they ex- pected as a glorious king to subdue all their enemies; nor ever will they receive him, in the mind wherein they are, upon any other terms : and it seemed a part of the extremest folly unto the Grecians to propose such great and immortal things in the name of one that was himself crucified as a malefactor And a shame it was thought, on all hands, for any wise man to profess or own such a religion as came from the cross. But yet, after all this blustering of weakness and folly, when they saw this doctrine of the cross owned by God, and witnessed unto by manifest effects of divine power, they could not but beein to think that men need -not be much ashamed of that