Fifthly. Let us consider the general end why the Spirit is thus promised unto the church. God hath promised unto Jesus Christ, that he shall have a kingdom and church in the world while the sun and moon endure. Ps. lxxii. 17, "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun;" — that is, to the end of the world. Isa, ix. 7, it is said, "Of the increase of his government," or church, " there shall be no end;" — he shall order it for ever. Matt. xvi. 18, "Upon this rock I will build my church," — that is, upon him- self,— " and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now, this promise doth Christ require that we should mix with faith; which we cannot do, unless there be some ground for the infallible accom- plishment of it. Whereon, then, doth depend the certain accomplish- ment of this great promise that God hath made unto Jesus Christ, concerning which we have as much reason to have our faith exercised at this day as ever? It must depend on some work of God or man. Suppose it depends on some work of man, — that is, upon the steadi- ness of the will of man in yielding obedience unto Jesus Christ, and so continuing his, church and kingdom in the world, leaving the ordering of the things of the church according to God's institution of it, — and maintain, withal, that God doth not by effectual grace deter- mine the will of man to obedience; and then God himself can only conjecture. Nor does this lay any ground for us to mix it with faith; but rather faith will depend on men's doing their duty in the world : which, indeed, can be no real ground of faith ; for what happens in one place, in tlje same circumstances of things, may fall out in an-
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other : and we know some places where the gospel hath been embraced, and afterward hath come to nothing. Therefore, certainly, the accom- plishment of this promise must depend upon the work of God. If you ask, " What work of God that is whereon the certainty of this promise doth depend?" I say, It is this work, and no other, of sending the Holy Spirit.
There are but two things to be considered therein, — its internal form, and its external form. Its internal form is union to Jesus Christ by saving grace ; its external form and constitution is accord- ing to the law of the gospel, and its power : and this cannot be con- tinued without the continued ministration of the Spirit of God in and with his church. To suppose the internal form, (that we may have union with Christ, or saving grace) without the effectual work of the Spirit, is at once to blot out all. Therefore, if God should cease to communicate the Spirit, as to an internal, saving work upon the hearts of the elect, the church would cease as to its internal form. No church would have a relation unto Jesus Christ as the mystical head, if God should cease to communicate the Spirit as to gifts. For the outward administration and form of the church, whatever order you bring into it, cannot be accounted a church of Christ, unless there be the pre- sence of Christ in it. And no man can make confession " that Jesus Christ is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3. You can make no profession, continue no dispensation of ordinances, or any tiling that is acceptable unto God, without the Holy Ghost. The sum of all you do this day is, your acknowledging Jesus Christ to be the Lord, — that you are in subjection unto his authority, that you are in the observation of his appointments, and that you recommend your consciences unto him who is " your Lord and your God." But you must have the Spirit of God and his presence, in order to this. The Holy Ghost is promised and given for the continuance and preserva- tion of a church here below, and therein for the accomplishment of this promise which God hath made to us, to continue with the church to the end of all things. And if he should cease as to either of his ope- rations,— either in working internal saving grace, or spiritual abilities for gospel administrations, — the church must cease, both in the inter- nal and external form and power of it.
Having laid this foundation, I come, in the next place, — Sixthly. To some particular proof of the proposition, — namely, that the Holy Ghost thus promised, thus sent, thus given, doth fur- nish the ministers of the gospel, according to his mind, with spiritual abilities in the discharge of their work ; and without it they are no way fitted for nor able to it, — no way accepted with Christ in what they do, nor can give any faithful account of what they undertake. It is that which the Lord Jesus Christ intends to declare unto us.
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Matt. xxv. 14-30. You have an account there given of the conti- nuance of the church, the kingdom of Christ, in the world to the end of it. The great Lord is gone away, and intends to return again at the end of the world ; in the meantime, he hath appointed servants to take care of the administration of the affairs of his house and kingdom: and for this end he gives them talents that they may trade with. He gives them variously, as he pleases; — to one, five; to an- other, two; and to another, but one: and he provides work for all then talents. Some men have grown so rich in the world that they care not to employ their stock ; but it must not be so with us. We shall have trade for all our talents. None have so little but they may trade. He that had but one might have traded, as well as he that had five ; and been as well accepted. It is agreed by all, that they are spiritual abilities that Christ gives his servants to trade with in the administration of gospel ordinances. And these three things are plainly held forth in the parable: — 1. That wherever Jesus Christ calls and appoints a minister in his house, for the building work of it, he gives him spiritual abilities to do that work by the Holy Ghost. He set none at work in his house, when he went away, but he gave them talents. 2. For men to take upon them to serve Christ as officers in the work of his house, who have received none of these spiritual abilities to work with, is a high presumption, and casts re- flection of dishonour on Jesus Christ ; as if he called to work and gave no strength; as though he called to trade, and gave no stock; or required spiritual duties, and gave no spiritual abilities. Christ will say to such at the last day, " How came ye in hither?" 3. This is plain in the parable, also, that those who have received talents, or spiritual gifts and abilities of the Holy Ghost, they are to trade with them. And I do not know a warning that I judge more necessary to be given those who are called this da}^, than to charge them not to trade too much with their natural gifts, and abilities, and learning. These are talents in their kind; but it is the Spirit must manage all that learning they have, or it will prejudice them and you also. / have known some good men have been so addicted to their study, that they have thought the last day of the week sufficient to prepare for their ministry, though they employ cdl the rest of the week in other studies. But your great business is, to trade 'with your spiritual abilities.