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

(§ 7.) BUT these same Apostles, the same individual Persons, Judas only excepted, had another Call unto that Office of Apostleship which had respect unto the whole Work and Interest of Christ in the World. They were now to be made Princes in all Lands, Rulers, Leaders in Spiritual things, of all the Inhabitants of the Earth, Psal. 4. 5. 16. And to make this Call the more conspicuous and evident, as also because it includes in it the Institution and Nature of the Office it self whereunto they were called, our Blessed Saviour proceedeth in it by sundry degrees. For, (1.) He gave unto them a Promise of Power for their Office, or Office-Power, Mat. 16. 19. So he promised unto them in the Person of Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, or a power of Spiritual binding and loosing of Sinners, of remitting or retaining Sin by the Doctrine of the Gospel, Mat. 18. 18. John 20. 23. (2.) He actually collated a Right unto that Power upon ⟨p. 142⟩them, expressed by an outward Pledge, John 20 21, 22, 23. Jesus saith unto them, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose soever Sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retained. And this Communication of the Holy Ghost was such as gave them a peculiar Right and Title unto their Office, but not a Right and Power unto its Exercise. (3.) He Sealed as it were their Commission which they had for the Discharge of their Office, containing the whole warranty they had to enter upon the World, and to subdue it unto the Obedience of the Gospel, Mat. 28. 18, 19, 20. Go Teach, Baptize, Command. But yet, (4.) All these things did not absolutely give them a present Power for the Exercise of that Office whereunto they were called, or at least a limitation was put for a Season upon it. For under all this Provision and Furniture they are commanded to stay at Jerusalem, and not address themselves unto the discharge of their Office, until that were fulfilled which gave it its completeness and perfection,