Fourthly, The gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit, and the ministers of it the ministers of the Spirit: 2 Cor. iii. 6, " Who hath also made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit ;" not of the " ministration of death," but of that of the " Spirit," which is " glorious," verses 7, 8. There never
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was, nor ever shall be, any but these two ministrations in the church, — that of the letter and of death, and that of the Spirit and of life. If there be a ministration in any church, it must belong to one of these; and all ministers must be so either of the letter or of the Spirit. If there be a ministry pretended unto that is neither of the letter nor of the Spirit, it is antichristian. The ministry which was carnal, of the letter and death, was a true ministry, and in its place glorious, because it was appointed of God, and was efficacious as unto its proper end; that of the gospel is of the Spirit, and much more glorious; but if there be a ministration that hath the out- ward form of either, but indeed is neither of them, it is no ministra- tion at all. And where it is so, there is really no ministration but that of the Bible, — that is, God by his providence continuing the Bible among them, maketh use of it as he seeth good for the convic- tion and conversion of sinners ; wherein there is a secret manifesta- tion of the Spirit also.
We may, therefore, inquire in what sense the ministration of the gospel is called the " ministry of the Spirit." Now, this cannot be because the laws, institutions, and ordinances of its worship were re- vealed by the Spirit, for so were all the ordinances and institutions of the old testament, as hath been proved before, and yet the mini- stration of them was the ministration of the letter and of death, in a worldly sanctuary, by carnal ordinances. Wherefore it must be so called in one of these respects : either, — 1. Because it is the pecu- liar aid and assistance of the Spirit whereby any are enabled to administer the gospel and its institutions of worship according to the mind of God, unto the edification of the church. In this sense men are said to be made "able ministers of the new testament," — that is, ministers able to administer the gospel in due order. Thus in that expression, " ministers of the Spirit/'' the " Spirit" de- notes the efficient cause of the ministry, and he that quickeneth it, verse 6. Or, — 2. It may be said to be the "ministration of the Spirit," because in and by the ministry of the gospel the Spirit is in all ages administered and communicated unto the disciples of Christ, unto all the ends for which he is promised. So Gal. iii. 2, the Spirit is received by "the teaching of faith." Take it either way, and the whole of what we plead for is confirmed. That he alone enableth men unto the discharge of the work of the ministry, by the spiritual gifts which he communicateth unto them, is the first sense, and ex- pressly that which we contend for ; and if, in and by the ministration of the gospel in all ages, the Spirit is communicated and admini- stered unto men, then doth he abide with the church for ever, and for what ends we must farther inquire.
Fifthly, The great end for which the Spirit is thus promised, admi-
CHAP. VII.] SPIRITUAL GIFTS NECESSARY FOR THE MINISTRY. 503
nistered, and communicated under the gospel, is the continuance and preservation of the church in the world. God hath promised unto the Lord Christ that his kingdom in this world should endure "through- out all generations," with the course of the sun and moon, Ps. lxxii. 5, and that " of the increase of his government there should be no end," Isa. ix. 7; and the Lord Christ himself hath declared his pre- servation of his church, so as that "the gates of hell should not prevail against it," Matt. xvi. 18. It may therefore be inquired whereon the infallible accomplishment of these promises, and others innumerable unto the same end, doth depend, or what is that means whereby they shall be certainly executed. Now, this must be either some work of God or man. If it be of men, and it consist of their wills and obedience, then that which is said amounts hereunto, namely, that where men have once received the gospel, and professed sub- jection thereunto, they will infallibly abide therein in a succession from one generation unto another. But besides that it must be granted that what so depends on the wills of men can have no more certainty than the undetermined wills of men can give security of, which indeed is none at all, so there are confessed instances without number of such persons and places as have lost the gospel and the profession thereof; and what hath fallen out in one place may do so in another, and consequently in all places where the reasons and causes of things are the same. On this supposition, therefore, there is no security that the promises mentioned shall be infallibly accomplished. Wherefore the event must depend on some work of God and Christ Now, this is no other but the dispensation and communication of the Spirit. Hereon alone doth the continuance of the church and of the kingdom of Christ in the world depend. And whereas the church falls under a double consideration, — namely, of* its internal and ex- ternal form, of its internal spiritual union with Christ and its out- ward profession of obedience unto him, — the calling, gathering, pre- servation, and edification of it in both respects belong unto the Holy Spirit. The first he doth, as hath been proved at large, by his com- municating effectual saving grace unto the elect ; the latter, by the communication of gifts unto the guides, rulers, officers, and ministers of it, with. all its members, according unto its place and capacity. Suppose, then, his communication of internal saving grace to cease, and the church must absolutely cease as to its internal form ; for we are united unto the Lord Christ as our mystical head by the Spirit, the one and self-same Spirit dwelling in him and them that do be- lieve. Union unto Christ without saving grace, and saving grace with- out the Holy Spirit, are strangers unto the gospel and Christian religion ; so is it to have a church that is holy and catholic which is not united unto Christ as a mystical head. Wherefore the very