[Christian pamphlets. Vol. 8]

148 THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY.
a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto
me by the effectual working of his power, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which is committed to my trust.
And I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for
that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
T'he agency of the Holy Ghost was evidently concurrent with
that of Jesus Christ in the appointment of the apostolic ministry.
Christ commanded his chosen apostles not to depart from Jerusalem until they should receive the promise of the Father, the baptism or anointing of the Holy Ghost. But said he to them,'" Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the
earth."
EI-ow eminently were the apostles anointed with the Holy
Ghost for the work of the ministry, when there appeared unto
them cloven tongues, as of fire, sitting upon each of them, and
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost!
We have another striking example of the concurrent agency of
Christ and the H-ioly Ghost in the appointment of Paul and Barnabas to the ministry. Having received their commission fromn
CJhrist,'" As the prophets and teachers in the Church at Antioch
ministered and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas
and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when
they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they
sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost
preached the word of God."
Whatever might be peculiar in the commission of the Apostles
it is evident that the principle of the divinity of its source is represented as an essential quality of the gospel ministry. Consequently the several grades of the ministry are equally of divine
appointment.' Christ gave somle apostles, and some prophets
and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ."
It is the special prerogative of Jesus Christ, the Supreme Head