First, It is declared to be a gift of Christ: Kai aOroc 'iduxs, — " And he himself gave," Eph. iv. 11. It is the great fundamental of all church order, power, and worship, that the gift and grant of Christ is the original of the ministry. If it had not been so given of Christ, it had not beeu lawful for any of the sons of men to institute such an
488 OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. [BOOK IX.
office, or appoint such officers. If any had attempted so to do, as there would have been a nullity in what they did, so their attempt would have been expressly against the headship of Christ, or his supreme authority over the church. Wherefore, that he would thus give ministers of the church was promised of old, Jer. iii. 15, as well as signally foretold in the psalm from whence these words are taken. And as his doing of it is an act of his mediatory power, as it is de- clared in this place, and Matt, xxviii. 18, so it was a fruit of his care, love, and bounty, 1 Cor. xii. 28. And it will hence follow, not only that offices in the church which are not of Christ's giving by insti- tution, and officers that are not of his gift, grant, by provision and furnishment, have indeed no place therein, but also that they are set up in opposition unto his authority and in contempt of his care and bounty ; for the doing so ariseth out of an apprehension both that men have a power in the church which is not derived from Christ, and that to impose servants upon him in his house without his con- sent, as also that they have more care of the church than he had, who made not such provision for them. And if an examination might be admitted by this rule, as it will one day come on whether men will or no, some great names now in the church would scarce be able to preserve their station. Popes, cardinals, metropolitans, dio- cesan prelates, archdeacons, commissaries, officials, and I know not what other monstrous products of an incestuous conjunction between secular pride and ecclesiastical degeneracy, would think themselves severely treated to be tried by this rule ; but so it must be at last, and that unavoidably. Yea, and that no man shall be so hardy as once to dare attempt the setting up of officers in the church without the authority of Christ, the eminency of this gift and grant of his is declared in sundry particular instances, wherein neither the wisdom, nor skill, nor power of any or all of the sons of men, can have the least interest, or in any thing alike unto them.
And this appears, — 1. From the grandeur of its introduction, or the great and solemn preparation that was made for the giving out of this gift. It was given by Christ " when he ascended up on high, and led captivity captive/' Eph. iv. 8. The words are taken from Ps. lxviii. 17, 18, *' The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thou- sands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive : thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." In the first place, the glori- ous appearance of God on Mount Sinai in giving of the law, his de- scending and ascending unto that purpose, is intended. But they are applied here unto Christ, because all the glorious works of God in and towards the church of old were either representatory or
CHAP. VI.] THE INSTITUTION OF THE MINISTRY. 489
gradually introductory of Christ and the gospel. Thus the glorious ascending of God from Mount Sinai, after the giving of the law, was a representation of his "ascending up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things," as Eph. iv. 10. And as God then " led captivity captive" in the destruction of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who had long held his people in captivity and under cruel bondage ; so dealt the Lord Christ now in the destruction and captivity of Satan and all his powers, Col. ii. 15. Only, whereas it is said in the psalm that " he received gifts for men," here it is said that " he gave gifts to men : " wherein no small mystery is couched ; for although Christ is God, and is so gloriously represented in the psalm, yet an intimation is given that he should act what is here mentioned in a condition wherein he was capable to receive from another, as he did in this matter, Acts ii. 33. And so the phrase in the original doth more than insinuate : cn^n rriJflp FTO. "Thou hast received gifts in Adam," — in the man, or human nature. And np? signifies as well to give as to receive, especially when any thing is received to be given. Christ received this gift in the human nature to give it unto others. Now, to what end is this glorious theatre, as it were, prepared, and all this preparation made, all men being called to the preparation of it ? It was to set out the greatness of the gift he would bestow, and the glory of the work which he would effect; and this was to furnish the church with ministers, and ministers with gifts for the discharge of their office and duty. And it will one day appear that there is more glory, more excellency, in giving one poor minister unto a con- gregation, by furnishing him with spiritual gifts for the discharge of his duty, than in the pompous instalment of a thousand popes, car- dinals, or metropolitans. The worst of men, in the observance of a few outward rites and ceremonies, can do the latter; Christ only can do the former, and that as he is ascended up on high to that purpose. 2. It appears to be such an eminent gift from its original acquisi- tion. There was a power acquired by Christ for this great donation, which the apostle declares, Eph. iv. 9, " Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Having mentioned the ascension of Christ as the immediate cause or fountain of the communication of this gift, verse 8, he found it necessary to trace it unto its first original. He doth not, therefore, make mention of the descending into the lower parts of the earth occasionally upon that of his ascending, as if he catched at an ad- vantage of a word, nor doth he speak of the humiliation of Christ absolutely in itself, which he had no occasion for; but he introduceth it to show what resj)ect this gift of the ministry and ministers, of the office, gifts, and persons, had thereunto. And Christ's descending into the lower parts of the earth may be taken two ways, according