and perhaps preferred too; but now, poor Man, he has quite loft himself..

Such would have been the Defcants of our modern Politicks upon this Occafion; but af ter all, if the Word of Truth itself may be heard, that, we fhall find, knows no Wildom in an Apostle, but what makes him bold and fearless in the Caufe of the Church, and of Religion, and ready to difcharge a Rebuke upon any of the highest Rank of Right WorShipful or Right Honourable Sinners, where a fcandalous Guilt fhall call for, or make it neceffary; the contrary Practice being incomparably the groffeft of Follies, and fuch as will be fure to lay a Man low enough in the next World, whatsoever Preferment it may raise him to in this.

And thus we have seen here the full Com pass of our Saviour's Promife to his Minifters and Difciples, even the two moft valuable Perfections of Man's Nature, and the very Top of the wifeft of the Heathens Wish, Sapere & Fari, a Mouth and Wifdom, a Sagacity of Mind, and a Command of Speech. And he bestows them alfo in their proper Luftre, and greatest Advantage, that is to fay, united, and like two Stars in Conjunction; many indeed being able to bring Mouth enough to the Miniftry, tho' as for Wifdom, that may even fhift for itself; but ftill those two stand best by

mutual

mutual Support and Communication, Elocu tion without Wisdom being empty and irrational, and Wisdom without Elocution barren and unprofitable. Præftat eloqui, modò cum Prudentiâ, quàm finè Eloquio acutiffimè cogitare, faid the great Mafter of Eloquence. A Faculty to speak properly, and to act wifely, was a Legacy fit to be left by the Saviour of the World to thofe, by whom he intended to inftruct the World. And fo much for the first general Thing propofed from the Words, to wit, the Thing promifed; I proceed now to

the

2. The Perfon promifing, who was Chrift himself, I will give you a Mouth and Wisdom. I lay a peculiar Strefs and Remark upon this, becaufe Chrift feems by this very thing to give his Disciples an Affurance of his Refurrection. He knew that it would not be long before they should fee him crucified, killed, and laid in the Grave, and fo under all the Umbrages of Weakness and Mortality that human Nature could undergo; but when again in the midst of all this they should remember, that there was ftill a Promife in ftore, not yet fulfilled, and withal not capable of being fulfilled by a Perfon dead and extinct, they must needs from thence have concluded that he could not abide in that Condition, but muft irresistibly triumph over the

Grave, afcend and enter into a State of Sovereignty and Glory. Every Tongue which fate upon the Apostles at the Day of Pentecoft, fpoke aloud the Refurrection and Afcenfion of him who had promised, and then gave the fame. For furely they could not expect to receive Gifts from above, while the Giver of them was under Ground. And fo I proceed to the

3. And laft Thing propofed from the Text, which was, to fhew by what Means Chrift conferred those Gifts upon his Disciples and Apostles; and that we find was by the Effufion of the Holy Ghost, the Author and Giver of every good and perfect Gift, minifterial Gifts more efpecially. Thofe were Endowments too great to spring either from the Strength of Nature, or the Force of Industry. The conferring of which we have eminently fet forth in Matt. 10. 19, 20. Take no thought (fays our Saviour) what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that fame Hour what ye shall speak. They were furely the firft, and perhaps will be the laft, who ever did, or are like to speak fo much Sense and Reafon extempore. But the Cause is affigned in the next Verse, For it is not ye that Speak, but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in you. And this glorious Day (we know) informs us that it fpoke at length with a Witness, with fiery Tongues, and a fla

ming Eloquence, and fuch an one as bore down all Contradiction before it. This was the Infpiration which filled and raised them fo much above themselves, for their Work was too big for a meer mortal Strength; and therefore as God himself was to fend, fo he was alfo to furnish out his own Ambaffadors at the Coft of Heaven (as I may with Reverence express it.) The Apostles we find were not (and that by our Saviour's particular Order) to ftir out of Jerufalem till the Holy Ghoft was come upon them, and then they went forth armed at all Points, to encounter either Few or Gentile, and they did it both with Courage and Wisdom, and confequently with Triumph and Succefs.

And accordingly we are to carry it in perpetual remembrance, that while the Work of Preaching the Gospel continues in the World (as he, who is Truth itself, has affured us it ever will) the Spirit will never be wanting to the faithful Preachers of it in a fuitable Affiftance of them, tho' not in the fame measure (we own) in which the Apoftles were affifted by it, whofe Work being peculiar and extraordinary, their Affiftance was to be fo too. Infallibility was in the Apostles a real Privilege, but now a days an infolent, or rather impudent Pretence. And yet nothing is more confidently and conftantly laid Claim to, both G g

VOL. V.

by

by the Papift and the Enthufiaft, than the Spirit; but none certainly ever yet ventur'd to fpeak Lies and Nonfenfe by the Spirit but themselves. To fome of which Perfons indeed the World may allow a fort of Wisdom, but far from the Wisdom which is from above; and a Mouth too they are well known to have, but a Mouth never fo open to Speak as to deChrift defend his Church from fuch infpired Impoftors, and vouchfafe his mighty Prefence to all the true (tho' too much defpifed) Ministers of it, according to the Measure of that glorious Promife, and the laft uttered by him here on Earth at his victorious Afcenfion into Heaven. Go teach all Nations, and lo I am with you always, even unto the End of the World.

vour.

1

To whom therefore, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, three Perfons, and one God, be rendred and afcribed (as is most due) all Praife, Might, Majefty, and Dominion, both now and for evermore.

Amen.

A SER