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ther of Lights, where hadft thou thy Gifts ? Who made thee a Paftor? I think, if Scripture must be believed, then no Man hath any thing, or can receive any thing, except it be given him from Heaven, John 3: 27. And are not thefe Gifts, for the Work of the Ministry, Extraordinary and Supernatural? If he that minifters, is no more fitted, gifted and furnished, than he that is miniftred unto by him, what haft thou, or any Man, that he hath not received? Who made thee to difer? What must thy Flock feed on, if no more grow up in thee, their pretended Paftor, nor fpring up in thee, than in them?

And it is evident, that these Gifts being given freely from above, they are not attainable by any Art, Strength, Power, Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, or Skill of Man: For in vain, as to thefe things, is the help of Man. Therefore the Natural Man knows not the things of God, nor understands them; nor indeed can he, by all his Natural Attainments, or Humane Arts.

Let all Flesh therefore be filent before the Lord, and the Lord alone be exalted, in this his Glorious Gofpel-Day: And take the Apoftle's Counsel to the Romans, chap. 12. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Every Man not to think more highly of bimfelf, than be ought to think; but think foberly, as God bath dealt to every Man the measure of Faith. For as we have many Members in one Body, and all Members have not the fame Office; fo we being many, are one Body in Chrift, and every one Members one of another: Having

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Having then Gifts, differing according to the Grace that is given to us; whether Prophecy, let us prophefie according to the proportion of Faith; or Miniftry, let us wait on our miniftring; or be that teacheth, on Teaching; or be that exhorteth, on Exhortation:Let Love be without Diffimulation; abbor that which is Evil, cleave to that which is Good, Rom. 12.6,7,8,9. So here the Church, or Body of Chrift, edifies it felf in Love, is brought into Chrift its Head, and he minifters to every Member, and makes every Member ferviceable in its Place, and comfortable in the Body. So that, though there are diversities of Gifts, yet 'tis the fame Spirit that gives to one, and to another. And though there are diverfities of Operations, yet it is the fame God which worketh all in all: See 1 Cor. 12, So here's but one Lord, one Mafter, one Head and Law-giver, one Fountain, in whom all our Fresh-springs are.

Hence all Boafting is excluded; and one Member cannot fay to another, I have no need of thee; the Eye to the Hand, nor the Head to the Feet; yet every one is ferviceable in his place, and in Love doth his office and fervice, according to the ability given him of the Lord, as good Stewards of the manifold Gifts of God. Now these good and perfect Gifts coming from above, are doubtlefs Supernatural Gifts: And yet all are not gifted for Miracles, all have not the Gift of Healing, nor do all speak with Tongues, nor do all Interpret; but he may

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fpeak with a Tongue, that cannot interpret. But that Extraordinary Miffion thou talk' of, tell me what thou mean'ft by it: Doth any Man take that Honour to himself, to be a Paftor, Teacher, &c. but he that is call'd of God? See Heb. 5. 4. Is any Man Call'd rightly, that is not Call'd of God? For it is not by way of a Carnal Commandment, but in the Power of an Endlefs Life, Heb. 7. 16. Life and Immortality being come. But it feems, except Men work Miracles, they must not be reckoned to be Sent of God; this I take to be thy Extraordinary Mission and to be Sent and Ordained of Man, is Ordinary indeed, and hath no force upon a Man, further than fuits with his Intereft; and that Rome well knew, when the made her Motives and Baits fo ftrong as they are, for Self-eafe, Honour, Exaltation and Intereft,

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But, Friend William, doft not thou pretend to Miracles, although thou denieft an Extraordinary Miffion? For is it not a Miraculous Work, with a few drops of Water, and a few formal Prayers, for a Man to make an Infant a Child of God, a Member of Chrift, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it not a Miracle for a Man to have fo much Power committed to him, as to be able to abfolve Sick People from all their Sins? Is it not Miraculous, that a Man fhould be able to deny the Devil, and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World,

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the finful Lufts of the Flefl, with all the De fires of the fame; fo as not to follow, or be led by them?

Surely thefe are great Things, and great States, for one Man to bring another into; and thefe are brave People, that attain fuch States and Conditions; perfect Men, yea, Perfect and Compleat in the whole Will of God: Perfect and Compleat, wanting nothing. These may fing, as David did, The Lord is my Shepherd, I fhall not want, Pfal. 23. 1.

Thefe Works, in my Thoughts, are more Miraculous, than Healing of Bodily Diftempers; and doft not thou pretend to these?

But however, it's clear from plain Scripture, that no Man ought to run, if God fend him not; and thofe that do fo run, never profit the People at all.

And it's alfo clear, that thofe that are fent of God, are by him Gifted, Fitted, and Furnished for the Work he fends them to do: And thofe that are Faithful, good Stewards of what they are entrusted with, they need not fear what Man can do unto them; nor take care what to Eat, Drink, or be Cloath'd with.

Having a little hinted about this of the Million and Qualifications of true Minifters of Chrift; I proceed to tell thee, That 'tis great Boldness in thee to affirm, that Chrift's words to his Apoftles, Mat. 10.8. Freely ye bave received, freely give, did only belong to that Journey: For if fo, then what did the reft he

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fpoke to them at that time belong to? It's true, how far they were to go, is plainly there fet down But they were not that Journey delivered up to Councils, nor fcourged in Synagogues, that we read of, nor brought before Governours or Kings, for a Teftimony against them and the Gentiles: Surely this relates to further Times, than that particular Journey. But as it is proved before, that the Ministers of Chrift are Called, Gifted, Sent, Fitted, and Furnished for the Work of the Miniftry of the Gofpel; fo the Reafon ftands good, which Chrift laid down then, Freely ye have received.

There is no Man hath any thing of Spiritual Abilities at this Day, but what's freely given him from above: For the Natural Man is Natural ftill, and knows not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually difcern'd. So that it's faid, The Spirit fearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God; and the Spiritual Man difcerns all things: But no Man can be truly a Spiritual Man, without the Gift of the Holy Spirit be given him in fome meafure from above: And if he freely receives, then let him freely give of his Spirituals, in the Love of God; as we find the Apostles did: Who came not with the enticing Words of Man's Wisdom, or that Man's Wifdom teacheth, but with Words the Holy Ghost teacheth.

So when the Church came together into one place, one had a Pfalm, a Doctrine, &c. read I Cor. 14. And take notice, that the

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