St. Paul most assuredly joined with them in, when they frequented their synagogues, at the accustomed times of divine service; and if forms of prayer were either not lawful, or not convenient, especially in the public service, no doubt but that both Christ and his apostles would have cautioned the church against them.

9thly, The gifts of the apostles and evangelists were extraordinary and miraculous, and plainly convincing. They did not barely pretend an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but (as Christ himself had done before) shewed their credentials, and God's seal, by speaking divers languages, and working miracles; and therefore, those who pretend to the extraordinary gifts of understanding the Scripture, and teaching others, without the ordinary means of study and learning, ought to confirm the truth of such pretensions, by healing diseases, raising the dead, and such like, as the apostles did, or they ought not to be believed; because, without such demonstration of their extraordinary mission, they presumptuously pretend to a greater character than Christ or his apostles did; seeing without such signs they would not require men's belief. It is also further to be considered, that, if every one who pretends to inspiration is to be hearkened to, we should be continually exposed to many delusions, since different persons have pleaded inspiration for doctrines contrary to one another; and therefore great care is to be taken, that the wanderings of men's own fancies he not mistaken for the inspiration of God's Spirit, either by themselves or others. All ought to allow this solid truth, viz. whatsoever inward motion is inconsistent with, or contrary to, any doctrine of the holy Scripture, it cannot proceed from the Spirit of God, because the Scripture was at first inspired by the same divine Spirit; and

he is still the same, and cannot contradict himself, (as we are particularly put in mindm.) So that all those who teach any doctrine contrary to the doctrine already revealed, and who deny any gospel ordinance, as the orders of ministers, the sacraments, &c. ought to consider what spirit they are of, since it is plain they have not the Spirit of God.

But some have applied to themselves the prophecy of Joel": I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. Such would be convinced of their mistake, if they would attend to the explanation St. Peter gives of that very prophecy, viz. that by it were foretold the miraculous gifts of tongues and languages, bestowed on the apostles, and some others of the first Christians, in order to convince the Jews and Gentiles, at the first publishing of the Gospel, and that that prophecy was then fulfilled°; This is that (or the completion of that) which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, (that is, in the times of the Messiah, or Christ,) I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, &c. upon persons of all nations, ranks, and sexes, as was in that age miraculously effected; and when the pretenders to the Spirit now-a-days can give the same evidence the apostles did of the fulfilling of this prophecy, we may allow them the same credit. In like manner, Christ promised his immediate and extraordinary assistance to his apostles, when they should be at any time delivered up to governors for his sake P ; It shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak, (of your own ability,) but the Spirit of your Father that

m Mal. iii. 6. Heb. xiii. 8. 16, 17. P Matt, x. 19, 20.

n

Chap. ii. 29.

。 Acts ii.

speaketh in you: but those who pretend or expect the like powers, now such extraordinary gifts are ceased, may as well pretend or expect to speak with tongues, cast out devils, and heal diseases, as the apostles did by virtue of the same assistance. Lastly, Some ignorant persons lay claim to the prophecy, which Christ repeats, They shall be all taught of God; which prophecy was by Isaiah applied to the setting up of Christ's kingdom, and is particularly explained to be meant of being taught of God, through Christ's revealing to us the will of his Father, which we are to come unto him for.

Thus also, They shall not teach every man his neighbour; all shall know me from the least to the greatest, appertains to the new covenant in Christ", under which God's laws should be more plainly revealed, as to the spiritual design of them, and that inward purity they should teach, more agreeable to the minds and hearts of men, and as if written therein; so a clear revelation of God's will is expressed, as being in the hearts of the Israelites *, or plainly taught by Moses; but yet the laws of God are more evidently taught by the apostles, as to their spiritual design, than was under the old covenant, which God made with the Israelites when he delivered them out of the land of Egypt, that is, than by the letter of the law of Moses. This promise, more immediately made to the house of Israel, and the house of Judah', may possibly be more completely made good at the general conversion of that people.

Lastly, The places of Scripture mentioned by some, for the justifying their pretence of more im

q Isa. liv. 13.

John vi. 45.

John vi. 44, 45, 46.

" As the y As Heb.

t Heb. viii. 11. from the prophet Jer. xxxi. 33, &c. context shews, ver. 8, 9, 10. * Deut. xxx, 14. viii. 9. z Verse 8.

mediate assistance of the Holy Spirit, in qualifying them for understanding and teaching the will of God, either intend the extraordinary and miraculous spiritual gifts vouchsafed to the apostles, and some others, at the first publishing of the Christian religion, being that unction from the Holy One, or anointing which they had received"; or else, an enlightening the understanding by the divine Spirit, the better to apprehend the truths already revealed by God in the holy Scriptures; but there is no promise of any different light or inspiration, inconsistent with, much less in opposition to, the same Scriptures.

Thus much for the Acts of the Apostles.

CHAP. XI.

The Epistles:

CONCERNING the Epistles, we may remark, 1st, That there were particular occasions of writing some of them, from the condition and state of the churches, and by reason of some disputes in those times, and of some particular cases in which the Christians desired to be resolved". And therefore, the best way to understand any part of these Epistles, is to observe what appears to be the occasion or chief design of them. The want of attending to this rule has caused many and great errors: for to pick out a verse or two, and criticise on a word or expression, and ground a doctrine thereon, without considering the main scope of the Epistle, and the occasion of writing it, is just as if a man should interpret ancient statutes or records by two or three words or expressions in

a 1 John ii. 20, 27.

See 1 Cor. i. 11. vii. 1. and viii. 1.

them, without regard to the true occasion upon which they were made, and without any manner of knowledge and insight into the history of the age in which they were written: it is manifest this would cause great mistakes.

Second remark. Notwithstanding the particular occasion of some of the Epistles, they are all of general use for the whole church in all places, and at all times, by the providential designment of the Holy Ghost; because in them many of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, and the mysteries of our holy religion, are enlarged on; such as the resurrection from the dead, the design and use of the blessed sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the meaning of many dark prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Testament, the atonement for our sins by the sacrifice of the blood of the Son of God, &c.

Seeing many of the Christian doctrines are not so fully and particularly explained in the Gospels, it is evident the apostles were instructed by the Holy Ghost to write these Epistles; which, together with the Gospels, were to make up the complete rule of the Christian faith.

Again, in these Epistles many particular Christian duties are more fully treated of; as love and charity, justice, mercifulness and pity, patience, contentedness, temperance, devotion, and the public worship of God, &c. and also a Christian behaviour in several conditions and relations; as of kings and their subjects, fathers and children, husbands and wives, masters and servants: in short, the Epistles more at large shew us the life and spirit of Christianity; viz. that it consists in nicely avoiding all sin and impurity, in living above the world, and exercising the duties of a heavenly conversation, having a stedfast faith in Christ's merits, and being supported under all difficulties and sorrows, with the joyful hope of eternal life. And we cannot but adore the goodness