"Chrift found most of them very unlearned when he first "called them; yet he would not fuffer them to continue fo, "but would rather work a miracle to make them under

'ftand the tongues, than that they should be unlearned still. "Yea, the truth is, that there never was any man eminent"ly ferviceable as a teacher in the Church, fince the apo"ftles, except he were a learned man. The ancients (fa"thers as they were called) who defended the truth against "the heathen philofophers, and the heretics of those times,

-were learned men: And had fome of them had more learning in the original languages, it had been better for "them and the Church of God; for thereby many a mifin"terpretation of the Scripture would have been prevented: "And as for the great inftruments of reformation from "antichriftianifm, fuch as Calvin, Luther, they were all "of them very learned men. Wherefore, believe not those "who would perfuade you, that schools of learning, colleges, "&c. are antichriftian, or late Popish inventions. Doth 'not the Scripture, before ever Popery was thought of, "inform us of schools of learning? Do we not read of the

School of one Tyrannus, where Paul was once a difputant, "Acts xix. 9.? And doth not the Old Teftament speak of "mafters and Scholars, Mal. ii. 12. Yea of colleges, "2 Kings xxii. 14.?-Ecclefiaftical ftory informs us, that

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great care was taken by the apostles, and their fucceffors, in "the primitive times, for the fetting up of fchools of learn"ing, in all places where churches were planted, that fo the "truth might be propagated to fucceeding generations. "And it is very worthy the taking notice of, that the inte"reft of religion and good learning have risen and fallen together. The fourth and fifth centuries are called the "learned ages; and then did religion flourish more than af"terwards: But when Popish darknefs overfpread the world, "almoft all good learning was loft with religion. But

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"when the light of the gospel did again break forth, about "the fame time did the Lord, in his good providence, re"vive the knowledge of tongues and arts. Hence the ene"mies of true religion have been enemies of learning. "Some have obferved, that Jeroboam, that fo he might "carry on his defign of corrupting religion, did put down "the fchools of learning, that were erected in the land of "Ifrael, which Elijah and Elisha did reftore again. Julian "the apoftate, that so he might root out the Christian religion, destroyed all public schools of learning among Christ"ians. Some of the Popes have been great enemies to "acadamies and good literature: And so are the Turks, be"cause the light thereof would be a means to discover, and "fcatter the falfity of their dark religion. It concerns impoftors to keep their fhops dark, that fo they may the "more eafily put off their deceitful wares."

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5. In the laft place, See to it, that you walk worthy your character. As you are new creatures, it becomes you to walk in newness of life. O ftain not your character by any of the pollutions, that are in the world through luft! Be blameless, be harmless, as the fons of God, and fhine as lights in the world. Preferve on your minds a deep fenfe of the importance and neceffity of an obedient life, in conformity to the precepts of the gofpel; and fee to it, that you lead fuch a life: Yet, let not your dependance be on your own works of righteousness, but on the mercy of God, through the merits of Jefus the Saviour. Very pertinent here are the words of pious Bishop Hopkins: "This," fays he, "is the right gospel-frame of obedience, to work as if you were to be saved by your own merits, and with"al, to rest on the merits of Chrift, as if you had never wrought any thing. It is a difficult thing to give each of "these their due in our practice. When we work, we are

*See his works, p. 599.

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"too apt to neglect Christ, and when we rely on Chrift,

we are too apt to neglect working. But that Chriftian "hath got the right skill and art of obedience, that can "mingle these two together, that can, with one hand, work "the works of God, and yet, at the fame time, with the "other hand, lay faft hold on the merits of Christ." Let this Antinomian principle, on the one hand, be for ever rooted out of the minds of men, that what Chrift has done makes our doing a thing needlefs; and let that Popish principle, on the other hand, whoever are the maintainers of it, be as much laid afide, that by any thing we can do, we can merit any the leaft favour from God. Conftantly adhere to the middle between these extremes. Take care to do the will of God; and yet, have no dependence on your own doing, but entirely confide in the perfect obedience of Jefus, your Saviour.

I have now done. You fee I have spoken freely. And God, who knoweth all things, knows that I have spoken in the fimplicity of my heart: Not with a defign to oppose, but promote, true and undefiled religion. I can uprightly say, my heart's defire and prayer for you is, that you may be faved. And what I have now faid, I have endeavoured, according to the measure of grace given me, to calculate, in the best manner I could, to this end. The things you have heard, are, I verily believe, the truths of God; and they are both feafonable and important truths. Do not receive them upon my faying fo, nor yet reject them merely on account of the inftrument, by which they are handed to you. Remember, both you and I must hereafter ftand before the bar of God: I, for what I fpeak; and you, for the entertainment you give to what you hear: And if it fhall then appear, that ungrounded prejudices, evil furmifings, a captious, cenforious difpofition, have hindered you from receiving the

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truth

truth in the love of it, you will not be able to give up your account with joy.

And may it please the good and gracious God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding that ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work, and increafing in the knowledge of God; ftrengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and long-fuffering, with joyfulness. AMEN.

II. The Gifts of the Spirit to Minifters confidered in their Diverfity; with the wife Ends of their various Diftribution, and the good Purposes it is adapted to serve:

Now, there are diversities of gifts, but the fame Spirit.

THE

HESE words were spoken of those extraordinary miraculous gifts, which various perfons were endowed with, for the good of the Church, in its firft and infant ftate: But it is not my defign to confider the text in this view, but as it may, by way of accommodation, be applied to those more common gifts, wherewith the minifters of religion have all

along

along been, and are at prefent, furnished, for the use of edi fication.

The method I propofe is this,

I. To take a view of these gifts in their diversity.

II. To confider them as all proceeding from one and the fame Spirit, though they are thus diverse.

III. To make fome inquiry into the reasons of this various diftribution of thefe gifts.

The whole will then be followed with a plain and faithful application.

I. I am, in the first place, to take a view of the gifts of minifters in their diverfity. Says the apoftle, there are diver fities of gifts. And fo great is this diverfity, that there are, perhaps, no two minifters, but if you compare their gifts, you will find a manifeft difference between them. Some have one gift, others another; fome have more gifts, others fewer; fome have greater gifts, others fmaller: And among those who excel in gifts, fome excel in this gift, others in that, none in all; but he that excels most in one gift, is yet excelled by another, in fome gift of another kind, as great and valuable.

Some have the gift of applying to men's understandings. They have, in their own minds, a distinct perception of the truths of God and religion; and their talent lies, in a readiness to set these truths in a strong and clear light before others. A vein of found reasoning runs through their difcourfes. Their fermons are well digefted, and well connected, and, in their general contexture, well adapted to inform the judgment, to open and enlarge the mind; and, in