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Fire, the Shaking of the Earth and Trembling of the Heavens, the Leapings of the Mountains, the Attendance of twenty thousand Chariots, even thousands of Angels; the Divine Prefence abiding with them; the Ifrael of God being thereby loaded with Benefits, being purified like the Wings of a Dove, and becoming as white as Snow in Salmon, are Circumstances too grand and beneficial to be the Description of Human Victories and Triumphs; they naturally carry our Thoughts up to those vast Transactions, whereunto Revelation in the Words before us distinctly refer them; they with strong and clear Prophecy declare that entire Conquest, which the Blessed Jesus gain'd over the Enemies of our Salvation, that Triumph, whereby He exalted himself far above all things, whereby He took Poffeffion of his heavenly Throne, established his Dominion for ever in Glory, and poured down the Gifts and Graces of his holy Spirit upon his Church militant here on Earth.

THE Apostle is here exhorting his Ephesian Converts to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace; i. e. to do all in them lay to preferve that Peace and Order which Christ hath established in his Houshold the Church: And this He enforces from the Nature of Christ's Church, as it is a Society; for it is one Body actuated by one Spirit; all its Members have one common Hope of their Calling, are all subject to one Lord, do all profess one Faith, are all initiated into this Society by one Baptifm, have all one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in them all. But tho' the Church be one and the fame in the general, yet the particular Members of it are severally enrich'd with different Gifts and Graces; unto every one of us, faith the Apostle, is given Grace, according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ. Wherefore, He faith, i. e. accordingly the Spirit of God in Prophecy declared, when He afcended up on High, He led Captivity Captive, and gave Gifts unto Men. Which Words plainly allude to the Practice of earthly Princes and Generals, who, upon their Return Home after any signal Victory, enter their Cities

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in Triumph, leading the Enemies captive, and scattering Money among their own Subjects who attend them in great Crowds on such Occasions, rejoicing with them in their Glory, partaking with them in their Spoils. In like Manner, but in a Degree infinitely more exalted, did the Blessed Jefus enter the Heavenly FeruSalem, after He had approv'd himself the Lord strong and mighty in Spiritual Conflicts; the Gates of the Holy Places not made with Hands lift up their Heads, and the everlasting Doors of the highest Heavens were lifted up to give Admission to the King of Glory : He had fubdued every ghostly Adversary, and now He return'd to his Father loaded with Victories, crown'd with Honours, leading Sin and Satan captive by his triumphant Ascension into Heaven, and scattering among his Subjects here on Earth all those Spiritual Blessings which by his mighty Conquests he had obtained for us.

It is proper barely to observe, that in the lxviiith Pfalm, from whence these Words are taken, it is said He receiv'd Gifts for Men; here, that He gave Gifts

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unto Men: Which Words do not contradica one another, since his receiving Gifts for Men plainly implies that He received with an Intent to give; and that what He purchased by his Victories, and receiv'd as the Reward of his Labours, He graciously distributes among us, and applies to our Service and Happiness. Thus stand the Words with respect to the Context, and the general Meaning of them, and will furnish out proper Matter for our present Discourse under the two following Heads, by confidering,

I. What those Gifts more particularly are which it is faid our Blessed Saviour gave unto Men ; and,

II. WHAT our Duty is with respect both to the Reception and Application of them.

Now as this Victory and Triumph are entirely of a Spiritual Sort, so likewise the Gifts which were dispensed on that Occasion, and are, as was before mentioned, in general, the blessed Influences of God's Holy Spirit: And those Influences Influences are more particularly divided into his extraordinary and ordinary Operations: The former of these were vouchsafed only to the first Ages of the Christian Church; the latter are what the Christian World always enjoys. The Apostles were separated out for an extraordinary Task, and could perform it no otherwise than by extraordinary Means. Our Blessed Lord did indeed give them Authority to plant the Gospel in all the World at his Departure, but commanded them to stay at Jerufalem, 'till they were endued with Power from on High: That Power was wonderfully imparted to them, as upon this Day, and they were immediately made equal to their mighty Task: They spake with Tongues as the Spirit gave them Utterance; i. e. without the tedious Instructions of Conversation or Grammar-Rules: They were in an Instant possessed of the Habit of speaking several Languages; so that with Ease they could communicate to all the Inhabitants of the Earth the exalted Truths of the Gospel, and preach Salvation to all the Ends of the World:

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