16. Live in perfect Amity and Concord. And when it is in your Power to do good,

16. Be of the fame mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but condefcend to Men of low eftate.

think no Perfon too mean to do it to, nor any honeft Method beneath you to do it by.

TH

COMMENT.

HE laft Day's Epiftle declared to us the Closenefs of that Union, which Chriftians ought to look upon themselves knit together by, when called fo often one Body in Chrift, and every one Members one of another. In the explaining whereof having fpent part of my Difcourfe, I clofed with fome of thofe Ob-. ligations, which that Confideration brings us under, and which are contained in the beginning of the Chapter. The Scripture, now in hand, confifts of a great many. Which, for Method's fake, we may conveniently enough reduce to the following Heads. 1. * Contentednefs in our Station. 2. † Diligence in our proper Bufinefs. 3. Mutual Love || and Respect. 4. A tender Concern for the profperous and adverfe Fortunes of our FellowChriftians. 5. † Unity in Matters of Religion: And 6. || Conftancy and Meek

Ver. 6, 7, 8. +6, 7, 8, 11. || 9, 10, 16. 13, 16.

† 15, 16.

12, 14.

nefs under Perfecutions and Wrongs. Each of thefe I fhall confider, as briefly as I can: remembring, that my Method, propounded before, does not undertake to treat of any Duties we meet with in this Chapter, according to their own due Extent, but purely, and fo far forth, as they are Confequences of that Union, and mutual Relation, intended by this Figure of a Body.

1. I begin with Contentedness in our respective Stations. The Arguments for which are comprised in the 6th, 7th, and 8th Verses, and profecuted more at large in the xiith Chapter of the First Epistle to the

Corin

Corinthians. By comparing these two Places, it seems very probable, that the Gifts, more directly aimed at by the Apoftle, are thofe extraordinary Affiftances of the Holy Ghoft, vouchfafed to Chriftians in the Infancy of the Church, as at that time neceffary Evidences of the Truth, and fitted for the more fuccessful Propagation of the Gofpel. Yet are not thofe Arguments, either in the Apoftle's Defign, or in the Nature of the thing, fo confined to thofe Extraordinary Gifts, as not, with great force and clearness of Reason, to extend to all Ages and Conditions of Chriftianity, when left to the Ordinary Methods of Grace, by which it now fubfifts.

For, First, we are put in mind, (as was obferved before under the Head of Humility) that all these Endowments, by which any one Man excels any other Man, are Gifts. Inftances of Favour, which none of Them who enjoy, could lay any manner of Claim to, or, by any Industry of their own, acquire to themfelves. Confequently, the Meanest in common Efteem are the Effect of Bounty. And they all agree in this, that they come from the fame Hand, and are so many Streams of Grace, iffuing from one common Source of undeserved and overflowing Mercy. The thing Men receive is in Subftance the fame; for tho' there be diverfities of gifts, yet the fame Spirit is given in all: And though there be diverfities of Operations, yet is it the fame God which worketh all in all. A God, who is tied to no Proportions; who need not give at all except he pleafe, and therefore works freely, both in the Act, and in the Measure, of his Distributions. For all thefe worketh that one and the felf-fame fpirit, dividing to every man feverally as he will. Now the plain Inference from hence is, that, where every Man hath more than his due, there none can have a right to murmur or com

1 Cor. xii. 4.

Ver. 6.

Ver. 11.

plain: And, where all have the Honour of receiving from God, none can in reafon think himself disgraced, upon the account of any Inequality in the Degree of what he fo receives. It is enough, that every one partakes in that One beft Gift, and is confidered by that One beft Giver.

2. But, Secondly, Such Inequality is not only not unjuft, but it is likewife prudent, and proceeds upon equitable Confiderations. For every man 1 Cor. vii. 7. (fays this Apoftle elfewhere) bath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 'Tis true, the Occafion of these Laft Words differs from the Subject we are now upon; but they certainly contain this general Truth; that That is a Man's proper Gift, which he is qualified to ufe, and to improve. Let each Man therefore but remember that He hath his Gift of God, whofe Wif dom adjusts all things with the greatest Exactness; God, whofe Providence difpofes every Man's Fortune and Poft in the World, as well as difpenfes their feveral Abilities; God, who efpecially confults the Beauty and Convenience of the Whole, and is not directed by fuch narrow and partial Views, as Ignorance or Intereft are apt to fway Us by; and he will find it reasonable to believe, that every Man is placed in fuch a Sphere, as, all things confidered, it is best for that Man at that time to be in. And that He, who made him and posted him there, did fo, because he best knew what he was cut out for; that, if the Fault be not his own, he may be ferviceable in This Station; and if he be not ufeful in This, 'tis highly probable, he would prove lefs fo, in any Other. All this St. Paul, without any overftraining the Allufion, feems to infinuate, not only in the 6th, 7th, and 8th Verses now in hand, but alfo in his Difcourfe to the Corinthians; when comparing the different Orders and Offices in this Myftical, to the different Members

2

Members and their refpective Functions, in the Natural Body. The Formation of thefe Laft is adapted to the Ufes Nature defigned them for; the Qualifications of the Former are likewife, in proportion, fuited to the Condition God hath fet them in. And this is certainly a very powerful Motive to Contentedness, · that, whatever Place we hold in the Body of Christ, He, who fet us there, knew very well why he did fo; that, however we may think our felves capable of filling a higher, better than those already in it; yet, if the Experiment were made, 'tis probable it would be made to lofs. So much the more probable, as we are more disposed to think loftily of our felves, and meanly of those above us; as we are forward in ufurping, or bitter in detracting from, and envying, the Honours of Their Post; and diffatisfied with, and given to difdain, and to be afhamed of, the Meanness of our own.

3. Farther yet. This Inequality of Gifts and Stations is not only Juft, because free; not only Prudent, because accommodated to the Parties concerned; but it is also abfolutely Neceffary. The Beauty of the Body cannot be difplayed, the Exigencies of the Body cannot be fupplied, nay the very Being of the Body cannot be preferved, without it. All these require Variety. The Beauty, as confifting in Symmetry of Parts; The Exigencies, as ferved by feveral Offices, to be performed by Inftruments differently difpofed; The Being, as including, in the very Idea of a Body, Order and Distinction, and, without these, no longer a Compofition, fitted for Life and Motion and Senfe, but a rude Mass of useless undigefted Matter, a Lump of Inactivity and Confufion. So fays the Apostle of the Body Natural, The Body is not one Member, but many. If the Foot fhall fay, because I am not the Hand, I am not of the Body, is it therefore not of the Body? And 19, 20.

1 Cor. xii. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,

if

Ver. 27, 28, 29.

on.

if the Ear fhall fay, because I am not the Eye, I am not of the Body, is it therefore not of the Body? If the whole Body were an Eye, where were the Hearing? If the whole were Hearing, where were the Smelling? But now bath God fet the Members, every one in the Body, as it hath pleafed him. And if they were all one Member, where were the Body? But now are they many Members, yet but one Body. The Application of all which Similitude himself hath made in the latter end of that Chapter : Now ye are the Body of Christ, and Members in particular. And God bath fet fome in the Church, first Apoftles, fecondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that Miracles, then Gifts of Healing, Helps, Governments, Diverfities of Tongues. Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Teachers? and fo To the fame purpose, in his Epiftle to the Ephefians, He gave fome Apostles, and fome Eph. iv. 11, 12. Prophets, and fome Evangelifts, and fome Paftors and Teachers; For the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Chrift. The Sum whereof is this. The Neceffities of Mankind thus united are of feveral kinds; Thefe cannot be served, without a proportionable number of Organs, formed and placed differently; The difference of that Form and Place depends upon the Ufes affigned to each; All the Parts, thus formed and placed, make up one regular Fabrick; Every One of thefe is ufeful and neceffary, in its proper Pofition, the leaft and lowest can no more be fpared than the nobleft and higheft; The exalting of One, above its due fituation. and proportion, would produce a defect and deformity, no less than the debafing or diminishing of another; Every One is therefore of equal value, when confidered as a Member, and All compound the fame Body. Confequently, this difference of Gifts and Stations ought to breed no Difcontent, but quite the contrary; Because, without this difference of Parts, there could not be

the