been some persons to prefide, and direct who fhould exercise them, and in what manner and order they should do it?

Let any one but confider the state of the clergy at the Reformation, though they were men that had been educated in fchools and univerfities, and had had leisure and opportunity for reading, converfation, and reflection; and but think with themselves, what their public performances in christian congregations would have been, if they had not had liturgies, and homilies, and pfalms in tune and metre; and they will eafily fee in what diforder and confufion public worship must have been among the first christians, whose apostles were fishermen, had it not been for thefe gifts of the Spirit.

What irregularities muft there be fuppofed not only in the performance itself, and in the ordering of public worship, but in conducting all matters that relate to an affembly of men and women, where there was no fort of coercive power, but among thofe where the apostles were prefent, or could be fent to, and that in fuch multitudes as were fuddenly converted; if fome perfons had not been inspired with prudence, among a body raw and unexperienced in all arts of government, and unacquainted with the paffions of mankind, to propofe proper methods on every occafion? And if the body itself had not been endued

with prudence, to judge them to be expedient, and with humility to comply?

What would become of the poor of fome of those great affembles, notwithstanding the community of goods, unless the Holy Ghost had filled fome of the first disciples with wifdom, to distribute out of that community, fuch allotments as might be fufficient for the neceffities of the faints, might be equal among them, and free from any complaint of partiality or neglect? for this required a degree of knowledge and prudence vaftly fuperiour, not only to men unacquainted with the great bufinefs of the world, but to those the most practifed in it.

What could have become of the several churches, unless the apoftles had had perfons inspired with great prudence in that age, to fend to make enquiries of the conduct of those churches, where they could not stay themfelves, to make reports to them; and to settle fully what they themselves had not time to Finish and complete, on receiving such fresh directions from the apoftles, from time to time, as the cafe of thofe churches refpectively required?

And what would have become of the churches on particular and extraordinary occafions, without fome of these particular and extraordinary gifts? What, for instance, would have become of all the chriftians in Judæa

on

on the dearth, if Agabus had not foretold it that so the chriftians at Antioch might contribute the more liberally to their support, and thereby at the fame time lay a foundation for a better union between the Jewish and Gentile chriftians? Or what would have become of the community of goods, if Peter had not difcerned and punished the hypocrify of Ananias and Sapphira, and thereby prevented the people from joining themselves to the first christians, only in order to partake of that community?

Finally, As the first chriftians stumbled extremely at feveral things which afforded dark and gloomy profpects: particularly the grievous perfecutions they underwent; the corruptions they faw creeping into the church by fome of its own members, by God's ancient people the Jews rejecting the gofpel, and being caft off by God for it; from all which, they might apprehend its speedy and total destruction; and the mistakes they made about fome of the apoftolical predictions; what doubts and defpondency might hereupon have arifen in their minds; and how might these have been improved by the feducers, to make them apoftatize; if it had not been revealed to the apoftles, and by them to the church, that the kingdom of Christ was to continue in fpite of all oppofition; that he was to reign till all his foes were made his

footstool;

footstool; or till he fhould deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and God should be ALL in ALL? That indeed the Jews fhould be destroyed and difperfed; that grievous offences, herefies, and corruptions should take place; that there fhould yet be a worse state of the church, when the civil power should no longer let or hinder it; and when fuch power should get into the church, as would bring idolatry and vice into, and make them a diftinguishing part of it: and yet that the church fhould recover from this corrupt ftate in a great degree; and that at laft the Jews fhould be restored to God's favour, and the fulness of the Gentiles should be brought in, and all Ifrael should be faved?

Add to all this, that as each of these gifts was neceffary to lay the firft foundations of christianity; or to build up chriftians in their most holy faith; to establish them fully therein; to fupport and comfort them under a great many melancholy appearances; to manage their devotions and affairs; to relieve their neceffities; and to be attentive to the concerns not only of one or two affemblies, but of all the churches; and especially on some extraordinary occafions: fo each of these was a great confirmation of the truth of the christian religion.

It will by no means become the limited capacities of mortal men, to fay, that Chrift,

" in whom are hid all the treasures of wif “dom and knowledge," could not have taken other methods to inftruct his disciples, and propagate his truth in the world. Nor can it be imagined, that he could not have found means in particular to have communicated all neceffary degrees of knowledge to his difciples, whilft he had been upon earth. And what were all his reasons for not taking that method, or for taking any other, or this in particular, can perhaps be only understood fully by beings of fuperiour capacities to ours. Perhaps the reasons of this conduct may have too great a compass for our short and narrow views; or perhaps, at another time, all this scene, or at least a much greater part of it, as well as other beautiful and amazing discoveries, may open themselves to us, by God's bleffing, on our more diligent and impartial enquiries; or, at least, when we arrive at the land of light and vision, and shall "fee as we "are seen." But the fcriptures, when they are carefully confidered, feem to lead us into these reasons of our Saviour's not teaching his disciples the nature of his kingdom, whilst he was upon earth, but by the Spirit, after he was gone to heaven:

1. That during the three years he converfed with them on earth, they were not able to bear his full inftructions, without being fhocked, and made very uneafy by them, on

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