Imatges de pàgina
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v. 22. Nay, much more, thofe Members of the Body which feem to be more feeble, are necessary for the good of the Whole.

v. 23. And thofe Members of the Body, which we think to be lefs honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

v. 24. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the Body together in a most admirable manner, having given more abundant honor to part which lacked.

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v. 25. And this he did, to the end that there Should be no Schifm, divifion or quarrel, in the Body, the one Member grudging what the other enjoyed, and refusing to promote its Welfare; but that the Members fhould bave one and the fame Common care one for another;

v. 26. And that they fhould be all fo nearly affe Eted with each others concerns, that whether one Member fuffer, all the Members should suffer with it; or one Member rejoice, all the Members should rejoice with it.

v. 27. Now let me apply what has been faid concerning the Natural Body, to the Church which is our Savior's Myftical Body. Ye know that you your felves, I mean you Spiritual Perfons, who are endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost, are the Body of Chrift, and Members (cn péges) in particular or feverally; that is, you are parts of the Body of our Lord, and fome of. the Members of it. For befides thofe other Relations you have to the Church, by which you are united to it, your Participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit, which our Lord and other Spiritual Perfons partake of, does in a particular manner make you Members thereof.

v. 28. And God hath given you different Offices in the Church according as he has qualified you by different Gifts. For he hath fet fome of you in the higheft Rank in the Church, and fome of you in a lower. For of your Number has he made, first Apostles, fecondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that Miracles, then Gifts of Healing, Helps, Goverments, Diversities of Tongues.

v. 29. For ye know that ye are not all alike. For I appeal to your felves and your own Experience. Are all the Spiritual Perfons Apofties? are all of them Prophets? are all Teachers? are all Workers of Miracles?

v. 30. Have all the Gifts of Healing? do all Speak with Tongues? do all Interpret? No. Their Stations therefore are different; and they differ in Office in the myftical Body the Church, even as the Members of the natural Body differ in their refpective Offices. Now therefore 'tis natural for you to apply all this. Since the different Members of the natural Body were therefore made different in their Offices, that the Common good might be vigorously carried on by each of them in their respective Stations; and that they might have a Fellow-feeling of each others Welfare and Mifery, and confequently ftrive to the utmost of their power to make each other happy: even fo there are diverfities of Gifts amongst your felves, which place you in different Stations in the Church; but yet, fince they proceed from one and the fame Spirit, and confequently you are thereby (as well as by other Ties) made Members of the fame Body, 'tis plain that God defigned and appointed this variety in the myftica! Body for this end, viz. that the Common good might be vigorously car, ried on by each of you in your refpective Stati$ 4

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ons, and that you might have a Fellow-feeling of each others Welfare and Mifery, and confequently strive to the utmost of your power to make each other happy; fo that the Members of the Church fhould have the fame care one for another, and whether one Member fuffer, all the Members fhould fuffer with it, or one Member rejoice, all the Members fhould rejoice with it. Thus then have I fhewn,. that the variety of your Extraordinary Endowments were intended for the Common good.

v. 31. But yet I advife every one of you to covet earnestly the best and moft ufeful Gifts, by which he may do the greatest Service. And yet be not diffatisfied, whatever your Endowments be, nor repine or murmur againft God the giver thereof. For tho' thofe particular Gifts which he has conferred on you, fhould not be best in themselves, yet they are certainly beft for you, that is, for a perfon in that Station which God has affigned you, for the promoting of his Glory and the Churches good. Nay, I few unto you a more excellent way, than enjoying even those Gifts that are beft in themfelves. The way is this; be fure to exercife fervent Charity. This will give an infinite lufire and usefulness even to the lowest Attainments. Twill inspire you with an unwearied Diligence in improving a fingle Talent, and thereby you may do (by God's bleffing) as much good, as if you had Ten. But were you enriched with thofe Gifts which are really in themfelves, and are by you efteemed, the very beft; yet if you want Charity, you are in God's fight nothing worth. For though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of An, gels, &c. chap. 13. 1, &c.

I hope what has been faid in this and the foregoing Chapters, has convinced the Reader, that to be baptized with the Holy Ghoft does in Scripture-phrafe conftantly fignify to be endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghoft. I must now add, that the Phrafe has indeed been otherwise used in other Writings, particularly in our Office for public Baptifm; wherein the Congregation is exhorted to call upon God the Father, that the perfon to be baptized may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, The Priest alfo and the People do (amongst others) use this Petition in behalf of the Perfon to be baptized, wash him and fanctify him with the Holy Ghoft. Now what our Church means by thefe Phrafes, appears from the whole Tenor of the Office. She does not beg an Effufion of the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, but only his regenerating and fanctifying Grace. But whatever be the Senfe of the Phrafe in Human Writings, I think I have made it very clear, that in the Bible it never fignifies otherwife, than as I have explained it.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXI.

Of Baptifm with Fire, and Baptism with Afflictions.

Him with the Holy Ghost, I proceed to fhew,

Aving now finished the Explication of Bap

Secondly, what is meant by Baptifm with Fire. Now Baptifm with Fire is not a fort of Baptifm different from that with the Holy Ghost, but rather a Circumftance of it.

'Twas promifed, that our Savior should baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire. And we read, that when the Difciples were baptized with the Holy Ghoft, that is, moft plentifully endued with the Extraordinary Gifts thereof on the Day of Pentecoft, there appeared unto them cloven Tongues, like as of Fire, and it fate upon each of them, Acts 2.3. fo that they were then baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire, that is, they were then baptized with the fiery Holy Ghoft, or with the Holy Ghoft in the Appearance of Fire. For 'tis ufual with the Holy Writers to exprefs the adjective by a fecond Subftantive, joined with a Conjunction Copulative. Thus for inftance, Abel is faid to have brought of the firflings of his Flock, and of the Fat thereof, Gen.4.4. that is, he brought fome of the fat firstlings of his Flock. And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah Brimstone and Fire, Gen. 19. 24. that is, fiery (or burning) Brimstone. And accordingly Baptifm with the Holy Ghoft and with Fire, fignifies Baptifin with the fiery Holy Ghoft, or with the Holy Ghoft appearing like Fire.

Now

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