First. It is a gift, Aiirb$ Uuxe, verse 11, " He himself gave." The foundation of the ministry is in the gift of Christ. Let me answer that question which he put once to the Pharisees, " The baptism of John, is it from heaven? or is it of men?" In like manner, I say, The ministry, is it from heaven? or is it of men? The answer is in the text, " He gave ;" — it is the gift of Christ. It is also the great pro- mise that he would do so, Jer. iii. 15, "I will give you pastors ac- cording to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." When shall that be? " When," saith he, " I shall take you one of a city, and two of a family, and bring you to Zion," as it is said in verse 14; or, "When I shall call you by the gospel, then I will give you pastors according to my own heart." And that this is a promise of the gospel, and so intended in that place of Jeremiah, 1 This sermon was preached at the ordination of a minister, January 23, 1673.
432 THE MINISTRY THE GIFT OF CHRIST.
you may see, chap, xxiii. 4, where the promise is repeated, " I will set up shepherds over them, which shall feed them/' Verse 5, " When I raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper." It is the great promise, that, under the gospel, Christ would give ministers to his church.
It may be said, " We know how Christ gave apostles when he was on earth ; he called them, chose them, sent them : but how doth Christ now continue to give ministers to his church?" That we may not claim an interest in a gift, and a privilege that we have no right unto, I say, by four ways or means doth Christ continue to give mini- sters, in all ages, unto his church. The church is to consider them as that which is the bottom and foundation of the duties they perform and of the work undertaken this day.
First. He doth it " by the standing law, ordinance, and institution of the gospel," whereby he hath appointed this office of the ministry in the church, as the great Mediator of it. All the saints in the world, all the disciples of Christ, neither could nor ought (whatever necessity they could have thought they had seen of it, — whatever congruity from the light of nature) to have appointed teachers nor officers among them, neither could it ever have been blessed unto their advantage, if Christ had not, by a standing ordinance and law, appointed such an office. And if that law comes to an end, — if its obligation ceases, — the work of the ministry, and the whole office of it, must cease also; but if this ordinance be " as the ordinances of heaven," of the sun, moon, and stars, that change not, it shall never be altered in this world. It is plain, then, the neglect of the work and office of the ministry is so far a rebellion against the authority of Christ. " All power," saith he, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19, " is given unto me in heaven and in earth; therefore go preach the gospel: and, lo, I am with you alway, unto the end of the world." He is exalted, and he gives some to be pastors and some to be teachers, until all the elect of God are brought unto the unity of the faith, and unto a per- fect man, — unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Secondly. The second thing he doth is, "the giving spiritual gifts" unto men, whereby they may be enabled unto the discharge of the office of the ministry, as to the edification of the church in all the ends of it. Gifts make no man a minister; but all the ivorlal can- not make a minister of Christ without gifts. If the Lord Jesus Christ should cease to give out spiritual gifts unto men for the work of the ministry, he need do no more to take away the ministry itself; it must cease also: and it is the very way the ministry ceases in apostatising churches,- — Christ no more giving out unto them of the gifts of his Spirit; and all their outward forms and order, which they can continue, are of no si unification in his sight.
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Thirdly. Christ doth it by giving power unto his church to call persons to that office, by him appointed and prepared by the gifts to bestows. And you may observe three things concerning this power: —
1. That this power in the church is not despotical, lordly, and absolute. It is not from any authority of their own; but it consists in an absolute compliance with the command of Christ : it is but the doing what Christ hath commanded; and that gives virtue, efficacy, and power unto it. " Look not upon us as though, by our power and our virtue," may the church say, " we have made this man a minister this day. It is in the name and authority of Jesus Christ alone, by which we act ; in obedience unto that, he is so constituted and appointed."