2. By these is his church edified. And to that end doth he continue to bestow them on men, and will do so to the end of the world, 1 Cor. xii. 4-14; Eph. iv. 8-12; Rom. xii. 6-8; 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11; Col. ii. 19. And for any to hinder their growth and exer- cise is, what in them lies, to pull down the church of Christ, and to set themselves against that testimony which he gives in the world that he is yet alive, and that he takes care of his disciples, being present with them according unto his promise.
- 8. And by these means and ways isGod glorified in him and by him;
_ which is the great end of his lordship over all the gifts of the Spirit.
_ That we may a little by the way look into our especial concern- ment in these things, the order of them, and their subserviency one to another, may be briefly considered: for as natural gifts are the foundation of, and lie in an especial subordination unto spiritual, so are spiritual gifts enlivened, made effectual and durable, by grace. The principal end of Christ’s bestowing gifts is the erection of a ministry in his church, for the ends before mentioned. And where all these, in their order and mutual subserviency unto one another, are received by any, there, and there alone, is a competent furniture VOL, XX. 5
66 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHaAr. 1.
for the work of the ministry received. And where any of them, as to their whole kind, are wanting, there is a defect in the person, if not a nullity as to the office. Natural gifts and endowments of mind are so necessary a foundation for any that looks towards the work of the ministry, that without some competent measure of them it is madness and folly to entertain thoughts of any progress. Unless unto these, spiritual gifts are in Christ’s time superadded, the other will never be of any use for the edification of the church, as having in their own nature and series no especial tendency unto that end. Nor will these superadded spiritual gifts enable any man to discharge his duty unto all well-pleasing before God, unless they also are quickened and seasoned by grace. And where there is an inter- cision of this series and order in any, the defect will quickly appear. Thus some we see of excellent natural endowments, in their first setting forth in the world, and in their endeavours on that single stock, promising great usefulness and excellency in their way, who, when they should come to engage in the service of the gospel, evi- dence themselves to be altogether unfurnished for the employment they undertake, yea, and to have lost. what before they seemed to have received. Having gone to the utmost length and bounds that gifts merely natural could carry them out unto, and not receiving superadded spiritual gifts, which the Spirit of Christ bestoweth as he pleaseth, 1 Cor. xii, 11, they faint in the way, wither, and become utterly useless, And this, for the most part, falleth out when men either have abused their natural gifts to the service of their lusts, and in an opposition to the simplicity of the gospel; or when they set upon spiritual things and pretend to the service of Christ merely in their own strength, without dependence on him, as the heir and lord of all, for abilities and furniture for his work; or when they have some fixed corrupt end and design to accomplish and bring about by a pretence of the ministry, without regard to the glory of Christ, or compassion to the souls of men,—which the Lord Christ will not prostitute the gifts of his Spirit to make them serviceable unto. And sundry other causes of this failure may be assigned.
It is no otherwise as to the next degree in this order, in reference unto spiritual gifts and saving grace. When these gifts, in the good pleasure of the Lord of them, are superadded unto the natural en- dowments before mentioned, they carry on them who have received them cheerfully, comfortably, and ‘usefully, in their way and pro- gress. The former are increased, heightened, strengthened, and perfected by the latter, towards that special end whereunto them- selves are designed,—namely, the glory of Christ in the work of the gospel. But if these also are not in due season quickened by saving grace, if the heart be not moistened and made fruitful thereby, even. they also will wither and decay. Sin and the world in process
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VER, 1, 2.| EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 67
of time will devour them; whereof we have daily experience in this world. And this is the order wherein the great Lord of all these gifts hath laid them, in a subserviency one kind unto another, and all of them unto his own glory.
And this that hath been spoken will abundantly discover the rea- son and ground of the apostolical exhortation, “Covet earnestly the best gifts,” 1 Cor. xii. 31: as, first, the gift of wisdom and know- ledge in the word and will of God, 1 Cor. xii. 8, ii. 7; 1 Tim. iii. 15; 1 Cor. i. 5;—secondly, the gift of ability to manage and improve this wisdom and knowledge to the edification of others, Heb. iii. 13, x. 25; Rom. xv. 14; 1 Thess. v. 11;—thirdly, of prayer. And many more might be added of the like usefulness and importance.