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

Of Ordinary Gifts of the Spirit. CHAP. VI.

The Grant, Institution, Use, Benefit, End and Continuance of the Ministry.

§ 1. THE consideration of those Ordinary Gifts of the Spirit which are annexed unto the Ordinary Powers and Duties of the Church, doth in the next place lye before us. And they are called Ordinary, not as if they were absolutely common unto all, or were not much to be esteemed, or as if that were any way a diminishing Term: But we call them so upon a double account, (1) In distinction from those Gifts which being absolutely Extraordinary did exceed the whole Power and Faculties of the Souls of Men, as Healings, Tongues and Miracles. For otherwise they are of the same Nature with most of those Gifts which were bestowed on the Apostles and Evangelists, differing only in degree. Every true Gospel Ministry hath now Gifts of the same kind with the Apostles in a degree and measure sufficient to their Work, excepting those mentioned. (2) Because of their continuance in the ordinary state of the Church, which also they shall do unto the Consummation of all things. Now my design is to treat peculiarly of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. But because there is a Gift of Christ which is the Foundation and Subject of them, something ⟨p. 220⟩must be spoken briefly unto that in the first place. And this Gift of Christ is that of the Ministry of the Church, the Nature of which Office I shall not consider at large, but only speak unto it as it is a Gift of Christ. And this I shall do by some little illustration given unto that passage of the Apostle, where this Gift and the Communication of it is declared, Ephes. 4. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive, and gave Gifts unto Men, (Now that he ascended, what is it but that be also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things,) and he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the Edifying of the Body of Christ; till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.