Fourthly. But again, to explain the matter yet more: In the visible Church there is not only Sons but Servants, that is, not only those that are truly Elect, but such as have received a Gift for the perfecting the Church under *Christ, in his Service here in this World: Now, I say, the Servant for the time present hath his place in the Church as well as the Son, though not the place of a Son, but of a Servant, even a place of Service, as of Preaching, Prophesying, administering2 the Ordinances that are given to the Church, and the like; all which, a man that hath not Grace may do, and ⟨p. 246⟩that by the appointment of Christ; thus3 was Judas, Demas, Hymeneus, Phyletus, and others; who sometimes were the Servants of Christ in the Church, and did minister for him to them; yet themselves, notwithstanding, such as were all that time strangers and aliens to the life, and power and saving operations of the justifying and preserving Grace of the Gospel: as he saith also by the Prophet Isaiah, Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of aliens shall be 4your Plough men, and your Vine-dressers. For verily Christ will give to those that have not his saving-grace, yet great knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and will also make them for profit and advantage in his Church, to feed their flocks, to plough up the fallow ground of their hearts, and to dress their tender Vines: Yet, I say, they themselves shall not be everlastingly saved, for they want his saving-grace. As Christ saith, The servant abideth not in the house for 5ever, but the Son abideth for ever. As he saith again in another Prophet, If the Prince give a gift to any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons; it shall ⟨p. 247⟩be their possession by inheritance: but if he give a gift of inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of Liberty; 6after it shall return to the Prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons for them. Some indeed have grace aswell as gifts; now they that are such, the profit of their gifts shall be rewarded by virtue of their grace, but as for them that have only a gift, when the work of a gift is done, then they cease to be any longer of use in the Church, and therefore are forthwith shut out of the same, but the Son abideth for ever.
Fourthly. But again, to explain the matter yet more: In the visible Church there is not onely Sons but Servants, that is, not onely those that are truly Elect, but such as have received a Gift for the perfecting the Church under *Christ, in his Service here in this World: Now, I say, the Servant for the time present hath his place in the Church as well as the Son, though not the place of a Son, but of a Servant, even a place of Service, as of Preaching, Prophesying, administring2 the Ordinances that are given to the Church, and the like; all which, a man that hath not Grace may do, and ⟨p. 246⟩that by the appointment of Christ; thus3 was Judas, Demas, Hymeneus, Phyletus, and others; who sometimes were the Servants of Christ in the Church, and did minister for him to them; yet themselves, notwithstanding, such as were all that time strangers and aliens to the life, and power and saving operations of the justifying and preserving Grace of the Gospel: as he saith also by the Prophet Isaiah, Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of aliens shall be 4your Plough men, and your Vine-dressers. For verily Christ will give to those that have not his saving-grace, yet great knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and will also make them for profit and advantage in his Church, to feed their flocks, to plow up the fallow ground of their hearts, and to dress their tender Vines: Yet, I say, they themselves shall not be everlastingly saved, for they want his saving-grace. As Christ saith, The servant abideth not in the house for 5ever, but the Son abideth for ever. As he saith again in another Prophet, If the Prince give a gift to any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons; it shall ⟨p. 247⟩be their possession by inheritance: but if he give a gift of inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of Liberty; 6after it shall return to the Prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons for them. Some indeed have grace aswel as gifts; now they that are such, the profit of their gifts shall be rewarded by vertue of their grace, but as for them that have only a gift, when the work of a gift is done, then they cease to be any longer of use in the Church, and therefore are forthwith shut out of the same, but the Son abideth for ever.
- *Ezek. 46. 16, 17.
- 21 Cor. 12. 7
- 3Eph. 4. 9, 10, 11, 12 1 Cor. 13 1, 2, 3, 4. Mat. 25. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
- 4Isa. 61. 5.
- 5Joh. 8. 35.
- 6Ezek. 46. 16, 17.
