THE MINISTRY THE GIFT OF CHRIST. 435
church of their liberty; which any man now, who is far from an apostle, you know, will take upon him at any time. A third Scrip- ture where it is mentioned, is Acts xiv. 28, " And when they had ordained them elders in every church/' etc. I confess I am not free to manage the argument now from this place, although it is the most cogent ; because it depends merely and purely upon the signification of the original word. Only this I would recommend to you, that before interest had guided men in what they had to do, all the trans- lations that were extant in English did read this text, "And ordained them elders by election," as the word doth signify: so you will find it in your old translations. But since, it was left out to serve a turn. We may freely say, there is no one instance to be found in the whole New Testament concerning the practical part of communicating an office unto any person, but it is peculiarly also declared that it was done by the election of the multitude, or the body of the church.
This is the third way whereby Christ continues to give these gifts unto men.
Fourthly. The fourth way is, by his law, ordinance, and institution, that the person so qualified, and so called, should be solemnly " set apart by fasting and prayer." So you have it, Acts xiv. 23, " And when they had ordained them elders" (chose them elders) " in eveiy church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord." And upon the like occasion, when Paul and Barnabas were to be separated anew unto a special work, it is said, Acts xiii. 3, " When they had fasted and prayed, they sent them forth."
These, then, are the four ways to answer that great inquiry, How doth Christ continue to give ministers unto the church? He doth it by his law constituting the office, — the law in the gospel, which is an everlasting ordinance ; — he doth it by his Spirit, communicating gifts unto persons ; — he doth it by his church calling of them, and by a submission to them according to the will of God, and testifying that submission by then suffrage ; — he doth it by his ordinance of solemnly setting them apart with fasting and prayer. And these, my brethren, are things that we are come together about this day. This is our faith, this is our warrant ; wherein we do not pursue our own imagi- nations, nor the inventions of other men, nor follow cunningly-devised fables, but, from first to last, have our warrant from Christ. The good Lord pardon us wherein we come short of the preparation of the sanctuary, and accept us according to the desire of our hearts, to do the service of his house and tabernacle !
I will but speak a word or two of use to this part, and then we will proceed to that work which is your part this clay; whereunto, if God give strength, I shall add some farther instructions, and then desire the help of our brethren present to carry it on.
4o'y THE MINISTEY THE GIFT OF CliilLST.
First, tli en, if there be any office, let it be under never so glorious or so specious a title, if Christ hath not appointed that office by vir- tue of gospel ordinance and institution, there is a nullity in it, — it is no gift of Christ; let who will bear it and discharge it, with what formality soever they come unto it, — popes and cardinals, metropoli- tans and diocesans, — there is a nullity in the office, by reason there is no law, ordinance, or institution of Christ appointing of it. All the outward order and solemnity in the world, and all the holiness of persons, when engaging in such an office, cannot give it a right and title ; because it wants the law of Christ for its foundation.
And where the office itself is appointed by Christ, if there be no communication of gifts unto the person, there is not a nullity in the office, absolutely; but there is a nullity as to the person. It is essential to the office, that Christ choose the person by communicat- ing of gifts unto him. Where this is not, I will not say that there must always (for things are greatly varied with circumstances) be a nullity in all administrations; but there is a nullity in the person ministering before Christ.
Secondly. Let the church consider aright how they are to receive, and what apprehensions they have of, a minister that comes to them according to this law, order, and institution of Christ, which I have unfolded to you. He is a gift of Christ. It requires wisdom and prudence in a man to receive a gift (consider what he doth, — he takes an obligation upon himself); much more to receive a gift from a prince. But to receive a gift, and so great a gift, from Christ ! — cer- tainly there ought to be some particular preparation of our hearts for it. How great a mercy, how great a gift this is, I could easily demonstrate.
There are two things that I will but name: — 1. Valuation and thankfulness. 2. Improvement. As soon as we are a church of God, these things are expected of us. When we receive so great a gift from Christ, he expects that it be valued, that it be thankfully re- ceived, and that it be duly improved.