Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

1. THEY are both sorts of them the Purchase of Christ for his Church, the especial Fruit of his Mediation. We speak not of such Gifts or Endowments of Men's Minds as consist merely in the Improvement of their Natural Faculties. Such are Wisdom, Learning, Skill in Arts and Sciences, which those may abound and excel in who are utter Strangers to the Church of Christ; and frequently they do so, to their own Exaltation and Contempt of others. Nor do I intend Abilities for Actions Moral, Civil or Political; as Fortitude, Skill in Government or Rule, and the like. For although these are Gifts of the Power of the Spirit ⟨p. 115⟩of God, yet they do belong unto those Operations which he exerciseth in upholding or Ruling of the World, or the Old Creation as such, whereof I have treated before. But I intend those alone which are conversant about the Gospel, the things and Duties of it, the Administration of its Ordinances, the Propagation of its Doctrine and Profession of it's ways. And herein also I put a difference between them, and all those Gifts of the Spirit about Sacred things, which any of the People of God enjoyed under the Old Testament. For we speak only of those which are Powers of the World to come. Those others were salted to the Economy of the Old Covenant, and confined with the Light which God was pleased then to communicate unto his Church. Unto the Gospel State they were not suited, nor would be useful in it, Hence the Prophets, who had the most eminent Gifts, did yet all of them come short of John the Baptist; because they had not by Virtue of their Gifts that Acquaintance with the Person of Christ, and Insight into his Work of Mediation, that he had; and yet also he came short of him that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven, because his Gifts were not purely Evangelical. Wherefore these Gifts whereof we treat, are such as belong unto the Kingdom of God erected in an especial manner by Jesus Christ after his Ascension into Heaven: For he was exalted that he might fill all things, [Greek or Hebrew], that is, the whole Church with these Effects of his Power and Grace. The Power therefore of communicating these Gifts, was granted unto the Lord Christ as Mediator by the Father, for the Foundation and Edification of his Church, as it is expressed, Acts 2. 33. And by them was ⟨p. 116⟩his Kingdom both set up and propagated, and is preserved in the World.