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Christ is without the grace of Christ, which | dom," or a supernatural revelation made to is conveyed, with his blood, by the sacra- them of that wisdom of God in a mystery, ments and other ordinances, to quicken and the whole scheme of his dispensations in animate the whole body of the church, as Christ. They had "the word of knowthe vital heat is diffused, with the natural ledge," or the gift of understanding the blood, through the arteries, to support and Scriptures, which contain and describe this invigorate all the parts of the body of a man. wisdom. They had "faith," to remove all The spirit and blood of Christ are as neces- mountains that stood in their way by mirasary for the life of the church and her mem- cles, and to give them an holy confidence bers, as the vital heat and natural blood are and courage, invincible by all the powers for the life of the body and its members. of earth and hell. They had the gift of When, therefore, all flesh, Gentile as well "healing" all the diseases of soul and body as Jew, became incorporated into the by a single word; the power of working church, which is the body of Christ, the all "miracles," controlling the agency of Lord poured out of his Spirit upon all flesh, created nature, raising the dead, and inflictand there was no age, sex, condition, or ing punishments on the disobedient, as nation, that did not partake of the fountain Moses did on Egypt, by the rod of their of life freely, which flowed from the heart apostolic power. They had the gift of of Christ pierced on the cross, and which," prophecy," to explain things past, and when circulated in the church, as the blood foretell things future, to preach and pray at is in the body, wherever it came brought life, and health, and salvation with it to all flesh. In no place was its "way manifested upon earth," by the preaching of the word, and the institution of the ordinances, which were as so many vessels to convey it, but there was manifested, at the same time," its saving health unto all nations," all being one body in Christ Jesus, and every one members one of another."

But though grace be given to the whole body, and every member has his share, we must not forget, that every member is to have no more than his share. For as "all members have not the same office," but "there are diversities of administrations," so likewise must there be "diversities of gifts." For the Spirit was given in different measure to different persons, and at different times as to the apostles, for establishing the church, in one measure; to the ordinary ministers, for governing it, in another; and to every individual, for his sanctification, in a third. "Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

The first measure, which may be styled the apostolical, differs from all the rest in the nature of the gifts, as well as their end, and the manner of their being given.

As to their nature, it is written, that "God bore the apostles witness with signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost,"* who was constantly with them, displaying to the world his almighty power by numberless external demonstrations of his presence, as well as manifesting his infinite wisdom by his internal operations and gifts. They had "the word of wis

Heb. ii. 4.

all times by the Spirit, till all things were put in order, and the church-services framed and established. They could "discern spirits," and see through all the devices and disguises of Satan at a glance. Add to all this the gift of "tongues, and their interpretation," by which the same persons were enabled to speak and understand all the languages under heaven, without a moment's labor.

The end for which these extraordinary gifts were bestowed, was the public benefit of the church, then rising out of the nations, and opposed, on one side, by the envy and malignity of the blind Jew, on the other, by the false wisdom and earthly power of the idolatrous Gentile. In these circumstances, "the word of knowledge" was necessary to confute the Jew from the Scriptures; "the word of wisdom, and the demonstration of the Spirit," to bring to nothing the wisdom and overthrow the power of the Gentile; and all the gifts of God to cast out and destroy the works of the devil. As the church was to be gathered out of an unbelieving world, there was need of miracles, which, as the apostle says, "are a sign to them that believe not." And this may perhaps intimate to us the time when they ceased, namely, when the spirit of heathenism and opposition was overcome and extinguished by them. These gifts therefore were given "for the work of the ministry, and edification of the body of Christ; " not for the private or inward sanctification of those that had them, who were not the better men for them, but were to be sanctified in their degree by the ordinary means, as other men were. To prevent men from being puffed up with what is bestowed on them for the benefit of others, it should be recollected, that Saul was among the prophets,

and Judas among the apostles. Wherefore | sanctification of believers, as there is between Christ tells us, that "many will say to him that mighty Spirit, which, at God's command, in the day of Judgment, Lord, Lord, have we moved at the beginning upon the face of the not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name deep to form the earth, and the common air cast out devils, and in thy name done many acting continually for its support and preserwondrous works? And then will I profess vation. unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity." And so again, when the apostles, having received and made trial of their gifts, returned to him full of joy, "saying, Lord, the very devils are subject to us through thy name;" his answer was, "In this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." And the reason is plain; for so far were these miraculous powers from necessarily transforming their minds, and renewing their souls, that they could not, like one single act of genuine repentance and saving faith, give them a title to the kingdom of God. St. Paul, the great converter of the Gentile world, was obliged to use the proper means of mortification and self-denial to "keep under his body, and bring it into subjection, lest after he had preached to others," in all the demonstration of the power of the omnipotent Spirit, he, this great St. Paul himself, should become a castaway.

She second measure of grace is the ecclesiastical measure, or that which is given to the ordinary ministry, for the standing government and continual edification of the church. This likewise is the gift of Christ, he being the fountain-head of all principality and power; and it is conferred by the Spirit, who only commissions men to be the representatives of Christ, and to act in his name. Thus it is written in the Acts of the Apostles; "The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul." * This ecclesiastical measure is as distinct from the common measure of sanctification, as the apostolical, which will be seen by considering (as in the former case) its nature, the end for which, and manner in which, it is given.

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tions can have no validity. Whatever he may be in other respects, in this particular he is a grievous offender, and will be found guilty before God of sacrilegiously intruding into an office to which he can have no pretensions. A crime, for which the leprosy once rose up in the forehead of a monarch,† and Korah and all his company (holy

As to its nature, it is a commission, or an office, concerning which it is a rule established beyond all controversy, that " man taketh it unto himself." Internal gifts and graces may qualify a person for an office, but they cannot put him into one. No The manner in which these apostolical gifts man, however righteous and holy through were conferred, shows them to have been ex-faith and the sanctifying grace of the holy traordinary, and for extraordinary purposes. Spirit, can have authority to act in the name For whereas the Spirit in its ordinary work of Christ, till Christ gives him that authorof sanctification acts upon the souls of men, ity. Before that is done, let his life and as his representative, the air, or material character be what they will, his ministraspirit, does upon their bodies, by a silent, equable, and imperceptible mode of operation, giving to all things life and motion; his coming at the day of Pentecost was sudden, impetuous, and irresistible; not in the still small voice of the common breathing of the air, but in "the sound of a mighty rushing wind;" and that not blowing, as in the common course of nature, horizontally, but descending directly from above; not spreading itself abroad, and diffusing its agency universally, up to his destruction; for he transgressed against the t "When Uzziah was strong, his heart was lifted but "filling that house," and that house only, Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord, "where the apostles were sitting." From to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And thence, indeed, it went forth, by a display of Azariah the priest went in after him, and with its miraculous gifts, to the ends of the world. him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and But as it had a work to perform, which never said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, was performed but once, so its operations to burn incense unto the Lord, but unto the priests, were such as no spirit in after times can pre- the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn intend to, without proving itself, by the attempt, passed, neither shall it be for thine honor from the cense; go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast tresto be a spirit of error and delusion; since Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a centhere is as much difference between the ex-ser in his hand to burn incense, and while he was traordinary effusion of the Spirit, at the day of Pentecost for the purpose of founding the church, and the ordinary gift of grace for the

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Acts, xiii. 2.

his forehead, before the priests, in the house of the wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked upon him, and behold he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted

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as they said they all were) went down alive into the pit. And that none in the Christian church might imitate the presumption of Uzziah, or, "go in the gain-saying of Korah," even Christ "took not this honor upon himself, nor glorified himself to be made an high priest," for a glory it was to him, "till he was called of God," by the visible descent of the Holy Ghost upon him in the presence of the people, and by the voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. From that time Jesus began to preach." Who then is that follower of Jesus, that shall offer to begin before?

system, like that which prevailed in the natural, when "the earth was without form and void, and darkness lay upon the face of the deep."

The manner of the conveyance of this ecclesiastical measure of grace has likewise been always distinctive of it. Under the law the priesthood was conveyed by unc¬ tion. And to show how far removed it was from every thing common or ordinary, it is written concerning the holy anointing oil upon the occasion, "Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it; it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people."* When Christ, after his resurrection, appointed his apostles to the work of the ministry, "he breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." The next words show for what purpose the Spirit was then given by his breathing on them; "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." The apostles afterwards ordained "by the laying on of hands," as their successors have done, and do to this day, saying, after the example and by the authority of their great Lord and Master; "Receive thou the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins thou dost remit, they are remitted; and whose soever sins thou dost retain, they are retained."

The end for which this ecclesiastical measure of the gift of Christ was bestowed on the church, confirms the distinction between that and the common measure of sanctifying grace. The end of the apostolical gifts was the establishment of the church; the end of the ecclesiastical is the preservation of it, by the exercise of discipline, the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments. Persons are separated from a common condition to holy offices, that by their ministration souls may be separated from the pollutions of sin to holiness of life. So that holiness of office is as distinct from holiness of life, as the cause from the effect; one is given to the ministry, that the other may be produced in the people. And though all that are in holy offices ought to lead holy lives, and it should be a part of our daily prayers to God that he would enable them to do so, The third measure of the gift of Christ yet a failure in duty is not a forfeiture of is that given for the personal sanctification authority. The vices of a minister make of individuals. Now in order to form a not void the acts of his ministry; dominion, clear idea of sanctification, it must be conin this case, as in all others, not being sidered, that man, as a fallen creature, founded on grace, but on a positive com- stands in need of two things, a deliverance mission given by him who is empowered to from the guilt of sins past, and an emancigive it, and continuing in force till he takes pation from the power of sin present and it away. It is with an officer of the church future. The former of these is styled justias with an officer of the state; a misde-fication, the latter sanctification. The one meanor does not vacate his office, or entitle is performed without a man, by the blood another to step into it. The king, or an of Christ effectually offered and pleaded for agent appointed by him, must take it from him in the presence of God, upon his reone, and give it to another. If this neces-pentance and faith; the other is wrought sary distinction between holiness of office within him, by the Spirit sent into his soul, and holiness of person be not kept up, the end for which a ministry was appointed will not be attained; all will be teachers, and no hearers; all governors, and no subjects; the church, as a society, will be dissolved, and a confusion introduced into the spiritual

also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper until the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a eper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord." Chron xxvi. 16. et seq.

in consequence, as well as evidence, of its
justification. Christ first made the atone-
ment for sin by shedding his blood, then
ascended to plead it, and then sent the
Spirit. The atonement he made once; but
he liveth continually to make intercession
for us, by pleading it on our behalf; and as
continually to send the Spirit to renew the
soul of every sinner, who, by repentance
Excd. xxx. 32
John, xx. 22,
Church of England Ordination Office.

vanity, he is the Spirit of compunction; when broken with worldly sorrow, he is the Holy Ghost the Comforter. It is he who, after having regenerated us in our baptism, confirms us by the imposition of hands renews us to repentance, when we fall away; teaches us, all our life long, what we know not; puts us in mind of what we forget; stirs us up when we are dull; helps us in our prayers; relieves us in our infirmities; consoles us in our heaviness; gives songs of joy in the darkest night of sorrow; seals us to the day of our redemption; and raises us up again in the last day; when that which was sown in grace shall be reaped in glory, and the work of sanctification in spirit, soul, and body, shall be completed What Christian, that considers this unspeakable gift of God, but must say of him with the Psalmist, "He hath put a new song in my mouth, even a thanksgiving unto our God?""* Seeing every one of us may now so properly take up those other words of the same sweet Psalmist; "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." †

and faith, through the ministration of the When we are troubled with erroneous opinchurch, lays hold on the benefits of that ions, he is the Spirit of truth; when asprevailing intercession, and is "accepted saulted with temptations, he is the Spirit in the beloved." Justification, whensoever of holiness; when dissipated with worldly granted, must be perfect, because forgiveness cannot be partial; sanctification may be imperfect, and always is so till death, because till then "in many things we offend all," and still stand in need of fresh justification and forgiveness: else why pray we for it to our last breath, in the words which Christ himself has taught us, "Forgive us our trespasses?" And why said the holy and experienced Augustine, that "the best posture in which death can find the most perfect Christian, is upon his knees, confessing his sins, and entreating forgiveness ?" The first portion of sanctifying grace is given at baptism, which, is the seal of justification, and the beginning of sanctification; inasmuch as the sinner being then sacramentally buried with Christ into his death, arises with him in the power of his resurrection, justified from the guilt of sin through repentance and faith in his blood, and renewed unto holiness by the operation of his Spirit. This total renewal, at first conferred by the baptismal laver, is styled regeneration, and answers, in things natural, to the birth of an infant. But then, as an infant, though born complete in all its parts, yet comes to its full stature and strength by What therefore remains, but that we slow and imperceptible degrees; by being show forth the thankfulness of our hearts supplied with proper kinds of food for its by the holiness of our lives, and live as nourishment when in health, and proper becometh those whom Christ, having remedicines for its recovery when otherwise: deemed by his most precious blood, hath so is it with the regenerate spirit of a Chris-sanctified with his most holy Spirit. Seeing tian, while it is (as St. Peter calls it) a babe Christ our Saviour has bestowed such a gift in Christ, it must be fed with the milk of upon his church, let us never provoke him the word; when it is more grown in grace, to take it from us. As it is a gift, let us with the strong meat of its salutary doc- always be forward to acknowledge as much; trines; when it is infirm, it must be strength-not attributing to nature what is due to ened by the comforts of its promises; and grace, or robbing the Holy Ghost to adorn when sick, or wounded by sin, it must be reason. As, though a gift, it is given to recovered and restored by godly counsel and every man to profit withal, let us have that wholesome discipline, by penance and abso-day continually in our thoughts, when an lution, by the medicines of the word and account of our profiting will be required; sacraments as duly and properly adminis- and let us never forget, that the same fire tered in the church, by the lawfully and burns for the unprofitable and unbeliever regularly appointed delegates and represen- for him who neglects this gracious gift, and tatives of the Physician of souls. This for him who rejects it. Since by the gradual and complex work of our sanctification, is carried on, through our whole lives, by the Spirit of God given, in due degree and proportion, to every individual for that purpose. And it is marvellous to behold, as the excellent Bishop Andrews observes, how, from the laver of regeneration, to the administration of the Viaticum, this good Spirit helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us, having a grace for every season.

ascension of Christ the heavens have been opened, and the Holy Dove has been sent down upon the earth, let us not give sleep to our eyes, nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we have prepared. in our hearts an habitation for him. Let pride depart, that it drive not away the Spirit of humility; let anger be put from us, that we quench not the

* Psal. xl. 3.

† Psal. xxiii. ult.

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Spirit of meekness, and let not that which is unchaste be named, or thought of, that we grieve not the Spirit of purity. So shall we be meet entertainers of this heavenly guest, and "to every one of us will be given the gift of Christ."

of an apostle. Good men nave had occasion to lament the calamities that have been brought upon the church, from age to age, through a neglect of this important consideration; a consideration, on which is suspended the felicity of every society in heaBut as there are different measures of ven and earth. When the soul of the this gift, let every one take care that he learned, the pious, the incomparable author think not more highly of himself, or arrogate of the Ecclesiastical Polity was about to more to himself, than he ought; but let take her flight to the regions of everlasting him know himself, his station, and his abil-harmony and love, a friend asked him, what ities, and think and act soberly, according might then be the subject of his contemplaas God has dealt the measure to him. The tions? He replied, that," he was meditaGod who sent the Spirit is a God of order, ting the number and nature of angels, and and from the beginning "has appointed their blessed obedience and order, without divers orders in the church," and set differ- which peace could not be in heaven-and, ent officers in different posts. Let every O that it might be so on earth!" With our man therefore, in his own order, do the work endeavors let us add our prayers to his, that allotted him. Let not the layman take our eyes might behold Jerusalem "a city upon him the office of a deacon; nor the at unity in itself;" a city, on this account, deacon intrude into the function of the equally conspicuous for beauty and strength; priest; nor the priest usurp the authority to its friends appearing "fair as the moon ;" of the bishop; much less fancy himself to its spiritual adversaries "terrible as an invested with the cecumenical commission army with banners."

DISCOURSE XIX.

THE PREVAILING INTERCESSOR.

NUMBERS, XVI. 47, 48.

And Aaron took, as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed.

It may be questioned, whether any history in the world ever afforded a finer subject for a picture, than this before us. Aaron, in his sacerdotal vestments, the smoke of the incense ascending from the holy censer in his hand, might be drawn, standing up amidst crowds of Israelites, smitten with the pestilence. The wrath of God might be represented, rolling forth in fiery waves from the tabernacle, and almost reaching the high priest; but recoiling, as checked in its progress by his powerful intercession. On one side of the intercessor might be portrayed the most ghastly horrors in the countenances of the dead; on the other side might be discovered the reviving gleams of hope and joy

in the faces of the living, on perceiving that the plague was stayed.

But, in order to enter thoroughly into all the parts of this supposed picture, it will be necessary to take a view of the whole history to which it relates; that we may learn the crime of the sufferers which brought on their punishment, and the nature of that intercession which put a stop to it.

Moses and Aaron were appointed by God the governors and conductors of his people. But though they ruled with the utmost wisdom and integrity, it happened, that they could not please every body. Korah, a discontented, factious Levite, charged Aaron with priestcraft: "All the congregation, he

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