think there are fufficient Grounds) being made, the difficulty vanishes. 'Tis true, the removal of it was not neceflary for my present purpose; but yet I was willing to do it, that the Apostle's Difcourfe may be the more throughly understood. I proceed now to the Paraphrafe.

After the Apoftle had been Treating of diverfe other Matters, and laft of all of the bleffed Eucharift, he enters folemnly upon a new Subject, faying,

v. 1. Now concerning Spiritual Perfons (and not Gifts, for the reafons mentioned, ch. 5. p. 56.) I would not have you ignorant of thofe particulars which I intend in the next place to acquaint you with in relation to them.

v. 2. Thofe Particulars are two. The first, which I fhall difpatch in a few words, refpects the giver of the Extraordinary Endowments of the Spiritual Perfons. You have been born in hand, that the Holy Ghoft is confined to the Jewish Nation; and that thofe Gifts, which it is vifible and notorious that diverse Gentiles among you do enjoy, do not proceed from the Holy Ghost. Now 'tis true, and ye very well know, that ye were Gentiles, nay, and Idolatrous Gentiles too, for ye were carried away unto thefe dumb Idols, even as ye were led. And confequently, if the Holy Ghoft were confined to the Jewish Nation, you cannot pretend to the Gifts of it.

v. 3. Wherefore that I may remove all fcruple out of your Minds, and fatisfy you from whence. thofe Extraordinary Gifts do really proceed, which many among you do enjoy, I give you this infallible Rule, confifting of two parts, whereby you may alwaies certainly know, who are really endued with Extraordinary Gifts by the Holy Ghoft, and

who are not. I give you therefore to understand, First, that no Man Speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jefus accurfed, that is, no perfon pretending to the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit (for of fuch only am I speaking) is really a Spiritual Man, or endued with his Extraordinary Gifts by the Spirit of God, if he blafpheme our Savior. And therefore those wicked Jews who oppose the Gofpel, did not (notwithstanding their pretences that the Holy Ghoft is confined to their Nation; I fay, if they blafpheme our Savior, 'tis certain that they did not) receive their Doctrine from God, nor were they enabled by him to work Miracles in Confirmation of it. Secondly, I give you to underftand, that no Man pretending to the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit can say and profefs, that Jefus is the Lord, but he that fpeaks, by the Holy Ghost; that is, none of thofe who. pretend to Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, can be a Chriftian, but you may affure your felves, that he speaks by the Holy Ghoft, (that his Do&trine came from Heaven, and that 'tis (not a Diabolical, but) a truly divine Power, which enables him to work Miracles in Confirmation of it. So that thofe converted Jews, who pretend that your Gifts do not proceed from the Holy Ghoft, do by blafpheming our Savior prove, that their own Gifts (notwithstanding their fond Conceit of the Spirits being appropriated to their Nation) did not proceed from him, but from the Devil; and you may reft fatisfied, that your Gifts did proceed from the Spirit, because tho' ye are Gentiles, yet ye believe the Gofpel, and acknowledge our Savior to be your Lord, and your felves to be his Difciples. And thus have I briefly finished, what I defigned to speak concerning the firft par-ticular.

V. 4. I

v. 4. I fhall now proceed to the Second. It feems, thofe perfons who are really endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, do not make that use of 'em which they ought. Now, tis true, there are diversities of thefe Extraordinary. Gifts, but they proceeded every one of them from the fame Spirit.

v. 5. And there are differences of Administrations, but the fame Lord.

v. 6. And there are diverfities of Operations, but it is the fame God, which worketh all in all.

v. 7. But tho' there are fuch variety of Endowments, yet they were all intended for the Common good of the Church. For the Manifeftation of the Spirit was given to every Spiritual Man to profit his Brethren withal, and for the general Advantage of the Whole Body. This I fhall make appear in the following manner.

v. 8. For Firft, 'tis plain, that to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom; to another the Word of Knowledge by the fame Spirit;

v.9. To another Faith by the fame Spirit; to another the Gifts of Healing by the fame Spirit;

v. 1o. To another the Working of Miracles; to another Prophecy; to another Difcerning of Spirits; to another diverfe Kinds of Tongues; to another the Interpretation of Tongues.

V. II. But Secondly, all thefe Gifts, of which there is fo great a variety, worketh that one and Jelf-fame Spirit, dividing thefe his Extraordinary Favors to every Spiritual Man feverally as he

will.

v. 12. Thirdly, by the Participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of the felf-fame Spirit, we who are endued therewith, are made one Body. For as the Body natural is one, and hath appertaining and united

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united to it many Members, and all the Members of that one natural Body, being at the fame time, if confidered apart, diftinct and many, are notwithftanding by means of their Conjunction but one Body: fo alfo is Chrift the Head of one Body the Church, which is compofed of many perfons united together.

v. 13. For we who are endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Holy Ghost, are by the Participation thereof (befides diverfe other common Ties to each other) made one. For with one Spirit are we Spiritual Perfons all baptized, that is, we are all endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit; and with it are we all baptized into one Body, that is, we are by the Participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit made Members of one Body, viz. the Church of God, of which our bleffed Savior is the Head. I fay, the Participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit, makes us who are endued therewith, Members of one and the fame Body, and of one another, whether we be originally Jews or Gentiles, or whether with refpect to our outward condition in the World we be bond or free; and we who are endued with thofe Gifts, have been all of us made to drink into, and in a most plentiful Measure partakers of, one Spirit.

v. 14. Now fince, 1. there is fo great a variety of Extraordinary Gifts beftowed, fome upon one Spiritual Man, and fome upon another; 2. all thofe Gifts do proceed from one and the fame Fountain; and, 3. all thofe Perfons who are endued with any of 'em, are by partaking of the Extraordinary Favors of the fame Spirit, united together, and made one Body; from hence, I fay, 'tis plain, that all thefe Ex

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traordinary Gifts were intended for the Common good of that Church, of which by the Participation of them, we who enjoy them, are made Members. For do but confider with your felves the Body natural. Ye know that the Body natural is not made up of one Member, but of many joined together; even as I have already faid, that our Savior's Body the Church is made up of many perfons united to each other by various Ties, and particularly the Spiritual Men by partaking of the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit.

v. 15. Now if the Foot in the Body natural shall fay, Because I am not the Hand, I am not a Member of the Body; is it therefore not of the Body?

v. 16. And if the Ear fall fay, Because I am not the Eye, I am not a Member of the Body; is it therefore not of the Body? Surely no. For the Body, as I have faid, is not made up of one Member, but of many joined together.

v. 17. And if the whole Body were an Eye, where were the Hearing? if the whole were Hearing, where were the Smelling?

v. 18. But now, that there may be a variety of Members for the feveral neceffary Functions, therefore bath God fet the Members every one of them in the Body in a molt convenient order, even as it hath pleafed him.

v. 19. And indeed, God did very wifely therein. For if they were all one Member, where were the Body? It would certainly be deftroyed. For the notion of a Body fuppofes more Members than one, v. 20. But now are they many Members; and yet being united together they make but one Body.

v. 21. And each Members happiness depends upon the reft. For the Eye cannot say unto the Hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the Head to the Feet, I have no need of you.

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