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

(§ 4) WITH respect unto the Doctrine of the Gospel, there is required unto the Ministry of the Church, skill to divide the word aright, which is […] a peculiar Gift of the Holy Ghost, 2 Tim. […] study to approve thy self unto God, a […] •hat needeth not to be ashamed, rightly […] Word of Truth. Both the former ⟨p. 261⟩Clauses depend on the latter. If a Minister […] be accepted with God in his Work, if he would […] found at the last day a Workman that needs […] to be ashamed, that is, such a Builder of the House of God, as whose Work is meet, proper and useful, he must take care to divide the word of Truth, which is committed unto his Dispensation, aright, or in a due manner. Ministers are Stewards in the House of God, and Dispensers of the Ministries thereof. And therefore it is required of them that they give unto all the Servants that are in the House, or do belong unto it, a meet Portion according unto their Wants, Occasions and Services suitable unto the Will and Wisdom of their Lord and Master, Luke 12. 42, 43. Who is that faithful and wise Steward, whom his Master shall make Ruler over his Household, to give them their Portion of Meat in due Season. For this giving of Provision, and a Portion of Meat unto the Household of Christ, consists principally in the Right dividing and distribution of the Word of Truth. It is the taking out from those great stores of it in the Scripture, and as it were cutting off a Portion suitable unto the various Conditions of those in the Family. Herein consists the principal Skill of a Scribe furnished for the Kingdom of Heaven, with the Wisdom before described. And without this, a ••• mon course of Dispensing or Preaching the […] without differencing of Persons and […] ever it may be Gilded over with a […] Words and Oratory, is shameful […] House of God. Now unto this skill, […] are required. (1) A sound Judgment in […] concerning the state and condition of th•se […] any one is so dispensing the Word […] ⟨p. 262⟩of a Shepherd to know the state of his Flock; and unless he do so, he will never feed them profitably. He must know whether they are Babes, or Young Men, or Old; whether they need Milk or strong Meat; whether they are skilful or unskilful in the Word of Righteousness; whether they have their Senses exercised to discern Good and Evil, or not; or whether their Hearers are mixed with all these sorts.