body, taking in the Romans, among whom | questionless there were many strangers to any real work of grace upon their heart: He is fpeaking of the vifible church, or of Chrift's vifible body, and fo the members thereof must be vifible; and vifible members are fuch as are profeffing Chrift: I fay, he is fpeaking of the church as vifible, for he is fpeaking of that church which is organical, having officers in it, and this muft certainly be a visible church. V. Tho' there be great difference among the members of this body, fome being rulers, fome ruled, 1 Cor. xii. 17. 19. fome real believers, fome only profeffors; lome young, and fome old in grace, 1 John ii. 12. 13. 14. 1 Tim. iii. 6. fome weak and fome strong, Heb. v. 11. 12. 13. and vi. 1. Rom. iv. 20. and xiv. 1. 2. 21. yet all of them make up one political vifible body, and are one as to this; having all one God, Eph. iv. 6. one head Chrift, Eph. i. 21. 22. Col. i. 18. one author of grace and gifts, 1 Cor. xii. 4. one covenant tendered, and one way of entering into this body; one baptifm, a feal of this one covenant, Eph. iv. 5. So we being many are one body. VI. As Chrift is a head in a special, faving and fpiritual manner, unto all fuch as are real believers and members of his myftical body, communicating unto fuch, fpiritual and faving influences, that they may grow up in him; fo this vifible political body hath a head, and is united in one body, under none but Chrift, who hath all power given him, Mat. xxviii. 18. and the government laid upon his fhoulder, Ifa. xxii. 22. and ix. 6. and by virtue thereof is the only lawgiver of his church, James iv. 12. lfa. xxxiii. 22. and fendeth forth his under officers to rule under him, Mat. xxviii. 19. and xvi. 19. whofe injunctions thefe officers must obey and follow, and no others, were they even apoftles, 1 Cor. xi. 23. Acts xv. 13. to 19. So we being many are one body in Chrift; that is, one body under this one head Chrift: In refpect of this one head, they are all one body; hence it is his ftile to be called the head of the church, Eph. i. 22. 23. and v. 23. Col. i, 18. and ii. 18. 19. VII. Howbeit carnal, corrupt livers do look upon the office of the ministry, and officers of God's houfe, as altogether ufelefs, and fo wish the land were quit of them; yet they are of abfolute neceffity unto the ftanding of a vifible politic church, being effential conftituent members thereof, so that when they are gone, the church thus confidered, must be diffolved and return to afhes; therefore they are compared to the members of the body, which the body cannot want, otherways it fhould become a dead trunk: For as we have many members in one body;----fo every one are members one of another. See Eph. iv. 11. 12. 13. VIII. Tho' there be feveral particular duties, which private. Christians are called to, both in reference to one another, and all of them in reference to their officers and overfeers, Heb. xiii. 7. 17. 1 Theff. v. 12. 13. yet none of these ought to affume unto themselves any of thefe offices which belong unto the officers of the houfe of God, but ought to keep them in their own. ftations; all members have not the fame of fice, action or operation. IX. Tho' every member of the politic body of Chrift, or of the visible church, have not the fame office and employment; yet it is the duty of every one fo to carry themselves in their places and ftations, as they may most edify the whole body; and in their carriage they ought to have some refpe&t unto the edification of the whole body; for it is faid, and every one members one of another. X. God, in the depth of his wisdom, has fo contrived the frame of the government and conftitution of his houfe, as the meaneft officer may not, nor fhould not, be flighted and undervalued, and the meanest member may not be without fome employment, but, being faithful in the stations God has placed them in, may be useful and profitable to the whole; therefore, 3& fays says he, Every one is members one of ano ther. XI. The right confideration of this, that the Lord has placed and ordained several offices and officers in his church, and has fo framed matters as that every one may employ their talent ufefully, for the glory of God, and the good of others, fhould move every one, however they be endued, to act within their own fphere, and to difcharge their duty in humility, modefty, and fobriety; for this is the force of the apoftle's argument to prefs a fober walking; for as we have many members, &c. VERSES 6. 7. 8. Having then gifts, differ- for he fays, Having then gifts, defering according to the grace that is given to as; and this he doth firft in two generals, viz. 1, Prophecy; by which is not meant that extraordinary gift of foretelling things to come, which is commonly called prophery; nor is this word fo to be taken as including thefe extraordinary oflicers who were called prophets, of whom we read, 1 Cor. xii. 28. for he is fpeaking only of the ordinary ftanding officers of Chrift's houfe; but by prophecy he meaneth fuch officers or grace, as are employed about the interpreting of fcripture, and the clearing and explaining of the mind of God, for the faving illumination and conviction of people, and for the gaining them in to Chrift: And then, 2dly, Ministry, which must be understood as diftinct from prophecy; and fo as including thefe officers in the church, which are taken up with more inferior and fubfervient employments; and to these two generals he annexeth their specific actions, or the diftinct employments of thefe officers, in other two general terms, and withal addeth his exhortation to the right manner of Or the further illuftration of the for- going about these employments; and fo, 1. he fays, Let us prophely according to the mer argument, the apofile in these verfes, doth enumerate the feveral mini-proportion of faith: that is, Let us give out fterial ordinary officers, which are the main and members of this organical body, organs the visible political church of Chrift, with their feveral functions, and acts of their peculiar and particular offices; and withal points forth the manner and way of their difcharging their duties in their callings, that, by this means, every officer in God's houfe, might know how to lay forth the gifts and abilities wherewith God hath endued them, to the edification of the whole church, and of every member of that church, and fo might learn to walk foberly an felf-deniedly; and for this caufe he brancheth out the feveral officers in Chrift's house, that is, the grace that is given to them, according to which the gifts or qualifications furnishing them for the difcharge of the duties of their office, doth differ: ourselves to the uttermoft of our knowledge in the mysteries of God; according to the measure of knowledge of thefe divine myfteries, fo let us lay out ourselves. And, 2. Let us wait on our ministring; Let us be addicted and given to it, as exifting in it as it were. Then after he has fpoken to thefe ordinary church officers in general, he defcends unto the particular offices, and reckoneth up the four ordinary ftanding church-officers, viz. ductors, paftors, elders, and deacons, giving them, (1) their feveral names, as, he that teachet, be that exhorteth, he that giveth and fhew eth mercy, (by both these he meaneth one and the fame officer, and addeth the laft the more to clear the firft, and fhew that by him that giveth he meaneth the deacon, who is to have a care of the weak, fick, and IV. Tho' gifts be neceffary for the difcharging of duties belonging to fuch and fuch offices, yet every one who is endued with thefe gifts, may not, upon that fcore, intrude himself into fuch or fuch an office, and take upon him to do the duties belong and poor, on whom mercy is to be ex- but requireth, for the right difcharge of tended) and he that ruleth. (2.) Giving the duties belonging thereto, gifts and them their peculiar and diftinct operations, qualifications; having then gifts, says he, and withal preffing them to the most edi-differing according to the grace that is given fying way of difcharging their duties: As, to us, &c. 1. Teachers fhould be about teaching; this is his employment, and he fhould wait on it, or be fedulous and painful in it. 2. He that exhorteth must wait on exhortation; that is his exercife, and in this exercise must he attend conftantly. 3. He that giveth and theweth mercy, muft doing to fuch an office, but must act in his it with fimplicity and cheerfulness; fimpli- own fphere; for befides gifts, there muft city, that is, without felf-refpects and by- be grace given: Having gifts, according ends, from a defire to do good and fhew to the grace that is given to us. mercy, and for this caufe to give not fparingly, but liberally; and cheerfulness, that is, without grudging and inward freting, heartily and willingly; and then, he that ruleth, must be about this work with dili • gence. OBSERVATIONS. I. It hath feemed good in our Lord's eyes, who is the mafter of his own houfe, to appoint not one kind of office, but, for the further decorating and beautifying of his houfe, hath appointed several diftinct offices; for here, the apoftle reckoneth up four diftinct offices, for he is fpeaking of members having office, ver. 4. and fo of diftinct perfons about diftinct employments. II. In the more orderly procedure in the administrations of affairs in his houfe, the Lord hath appointed to every office its proper function and operation, that nothing might be done in confufion in the house of God, who is the God of order; for the deacon must be employed in giving and diftributing to the poor, &c. the elder muft be employed only in ruling, and about matters of jurifdiction; the paftor and the doctor, befide what they do conjunctly with elders and deacons, as fuperior officers, muft attend teaching and exhortation, which the reft may not meddle with. III. The meaneft office of the houfe of God cannot be difcharged by every one, V. As the gifts wherewith the Lord endueth any, are freely and undeservedly given; fo the Lord's puting any into an office, tho' the meaneft in his church, is an act of honour and refpect, and that also freely bestowed; therefore it is called a grace, and a grace given: According to the grace that is given to us. VI. So defirous is the Lord to have the faving knowledge of his name abounding, that poor ignorant perfons might know the way to him, and to everlasting life, that he has appointed peculiar officers for the unfolding and explaining of his mind fet down in his word unto them; this is it which is meant by prophecy. VII. God, who is the wife difpenfer of his own gifts, hath thought fit not to beftow on each of thefe whom he employeth in the clearing and exponing of his mind, the fame degree of knowledge and abilities, but to fome more, and to others lefs; to fome a greater gift of found expounding of the word, for the information of the judgments of people; to others, a greater gift of application and working upon the affections; therefore we hear of a proportion of faith, each have their own meafure. VIII. Tho' every one hath not the fame gifts, nor the fame measure of them, which others have; yet every one who is employcd in the work of the minitry, ought to 322 lay lay forth himfelf unto the utmost of his power and ability; they fhould prophecy according to the proportion of faith. IX. Tho' fuch as God employeth in the work of prophecy, may alfo take upon them the work of the miniftry, and difcharge the duties thereof (the fuperior order always including the inferior) and fo may have a care of the poor, and fee to the diftribution of the goods belonging to the poor, and alfo have a fpecial hand in the acts of difcipline and jurifdi&ion, as is undeniable and clearly proven by feveral paffages of fcripture, as Acts xv. Matth. xvi. 19. and xviii. 18. Acts xx. 28. 1 Cor. v. 1 T eff. v. 12. Heb. xiii. 7. 17.; yet the Lord, who is merciful and wife, will not have his fervants overburdened and diverted from what is their main talk and work, but hath therefore appointed other officers to be helpful and fubfervient to them, and fo to take a lift of their burden; and therefore there are officers of the ministry appointed. See Acts vi. 3. 4. 5. 1 Tim. V. 17. X. Tho' fuch as are appointed to miniftring, that is, the ruler and the giver, are not wholly taken up with the duties belonging to that office, but may difcharge the fame, and yet wait upon their calling and employment in a world; yet they ought to make fuch confcience of the difcharge of that church office wherein they are fet, as to negleft no part thereof, but feriously to mind the fame, as if they had nothing elfe to do; fuch are to be in their miniftry, or to wait on their miniftry. XI. As the Lord doth fometimes fo diftribute his gifts, as one excelleth in clearing a text, proponing, found doctrine, acutely convincing of error, and another hath the dexterity in directing of people in point of practice, and wining in upon their affections, and the church ftandeth in need of both of thefe; fo the Lord hath thought fit to appoint several officers for both, as doctors or teachers to inform the judgment, and paftors and exhorters to gain ground upon the affections; tho' in our church as yet, by reafon of poverty, and of God's goodnefs in enduing his fervants with a competent meafure of gifts for both thefe offices, every particular congregation cannot win to both, but the ordinary office of the doctor or teacher is confined to the fchools; for there is mention made of him that teacheth, and of him that exhorteth. See Eph. iv. 11. XII. Tho' many look upon this teach ing and exhorting as a light bufiuefs; yet it is fuch a work as will take up a man wholly; and fuch as would faithfully dif charge their duty herein, fhould make it their whole tafk and employment, yea, and their very element, to be about the exercife of teaching and exhorting: Such as are teachers, fhould be waiting on, or in their work of teaching; and fuch as are exhorters, fhould be waiting on their work of exhortation.. XIII. There is fuch an officer in the house of God, by divine appointment, as a deacon, to have care of the poor, fic., and old, and to diftribute the churches bounty, for fo is their charity called, 1 Cor. xvi. 3. and this fpeaketh out much of God's wonderful wifdom and kindne's; for here there is an officer who is called a giver, or a fhewer of mercy: See Acts vi. 3. 4. 5where their firft inftitution is, and 1 Tim. iii. 8. &c. where their qualifications are fet down. See alfo, Philip i. t. XIV. Altho' at the first inftitution of thefe deacons it was requifite they fhould be men full of the Holy Ghoft, Acts vi. 39. (that being to be a rule for all time coming, and there being abundance of fuch to be had,) and tho' it be true, that the first deacons were fet apart with impofition of hands, which was nothing but a fign of the apoftles praying over them, and no ways like the ordination of preaching elders, mentioned Acts xiii. 3. 4. and xiv. 23.; and tho' it be true, that he muft hold the mystery of the faith, 1 Tim. iii. 9. which is not for preaching of found dec trine, but for ftedfaftnefs in a blameless | deacon, mentioned, there is another standconverfation; yet this deacon muft not take ing officer in Chrift's houfe, diftinét from upon him to preach, and fo do the office of thefe, whofe office is to rule, and this is a paftor or doctor; for he is a diftinct offi- he who is called the ruling elder, 1 Tim. cer from teacher and paftor, and is diftinctly | v. 17. for there is here an officer who is named, he that giveth, and be that fhew-faid to rule, and the word in the originaleth mercy. Stephen's fermon, Acts vii. points forth properly government, either was but an apology of a private Chriftian; in a family, i Tim. iii. 4. 5. 12. or in the and Philip, it is true, preached, but he church, Theff. v. 12. 1 Tim. v. 17. and was an evangelift, Acts xxi. 8. by this ruler none elfe can be meant but our ruling elder; for thereby the magiftrate cannot be meant, for as fuch he is no church officer, of which only the apoftle is fpeaking, and at that time there was no Chriftian magiftrate; nor can the prelate or bishop be hereby understood, for this officer is one of these who is under the general title of ministry, and fo is one of thefe officers who are appointed as fubfervient unto the paftor and the doctor, of which the bishop is none: There is an officer who is called, he that ruleth. XV. Neither may this deacon take upon him any part of the office of the elder, he must not rule, tho' it be required of him that he rule his own houfe well, 1 Tim. ii. 12. for that is but to fhew, that he must be one fit to take care of the houfes of the poor; for he is diftin&t alfo from the ruler here mentioned, fo that he who giveth, and be who ruleth, are two different officers in God's houfe. XVI. All the employment which this deacon is called to, is to have a care of the poor, weak and fick, and to distribute the churches charity according to their neceffities; and thus muft he ferve tables, Acts vi. 2. as to help the widows who were neglected in the daily miniftration, and not adminifter the facrament of the Lord's fupper, tho' he may there carry the cup and the elements, or do fuch like; for this is peculiar to the pastor, and he is different from them, as we fhewed, Doct. Obferv. XIV. for here he is called one that hereth mercy, to fhew, that his work and employment is about the poor, needy, weak ones, who are the objects of mercy. XVII. This deacon muft not think it enough to diftribute the churches charity unto the indigent, but he muft fee that he do it with Chriftian fimplicity of heart, without feud or favour, or deceitfulness, as eyeing their good; and he must do it with cheerfulness, not grudging or repining at the employment, but rather rejoicing that he is fo employed: He that giveth, let him do it with fimplicity; and he that hereth mercy, with cheerfulness. XVIII. Befide the paftor, doctor, and XIX. Tho' the paftor and doctor have a power of jurifdiction and government in the house of God, which is alfo the work and employment of this ruling elder; yet this ruling elder is a diftinct officer from them, because he is not to meddle with the duties belonging to their office, but only is to be helpful and fubfervient to them in the point of exercise of govern-ment; the specific act of his office is to govern, and to do no more: his characterif tical diftinguithing mark is this, that he is one that ruleth, and therefore is called governments, 1 Cor. xii. 28. 29. a XX. This ruling elder is bound to take lift of this governing part, and not to flight the fame, but to be careful, painful, fedulous and conftantly exercised therein; they should rule with diligence. XXI. Chrift has manifefted much of his tenderness towards his church, in that he would not burden her with a multitude of officers, and much of his love, in that he would fo appoint thefe few as might ferve for all their neceflities; and therefore we have mention made only here of four di |