Spirit to the Father: he having an equal fhare with God our Saviour in the Gospel difpenfation of grace and falvation unto men. We alfo have the fame coordination clearly fuppofed in 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6. There are, faith St. Paul, divifions of favours, but the fame Spirit: and there are divifions of miniftries, but the fame Lord; (i. e. the fame Christ:) and there are divifions of operations, but the fame God, or Father: (all the gracious gifts of the Gospel are beftowed; all the facred miniftries are managed; all the wonderful performances are brought to pafs, by the joint and equal conduct and cooperation of these three divine Perfons.) And that fovereign regard our Saviour hath declared due to the honour and authority of the Holy Ghoft, infomuch that blafphemy against him is a fin peculiarly irremiffible, argues his divinity; fince neither, according to the reason of the thing, could offending against the fame of a creature be capable of fuch aggravations; nor could God in a manner prefer the honour of a creature before his own. 5. That there is an effential union between the Holy Ghoft and the other divine Perfons, is both by evident confequence deducible from, and is immediately afferted in Scripture. For that there is but one God, is there continually taught and inculcated upon us; and how it calls the Holy Ghost, we have seen; therefore neceffarily the Holy Ghost doth partake of that one divine effence. Alfo, that the Holy Ghoft is God, is inferred from that 1 Cor. ii.11. comparison of St. Paul between the spirit of man in respect to man, and the Spirit of God in refpect to God; as the spirit of man is intrinfecal to man, fo the Spirit of God is to him and by reafon of the perfect fimplicity of the divine nature, that which fubfifts in God must necef1 John v. 7. farily be God. In fine, St. John exprefsly tells us, That there are three which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft: and these three are one: they are one, and yet, 6. There is a perfonal diftinction of the Holy Ghoft from the Father and the Son: for they are three; three Perfons for that not only diftinct names, but peculiar Rom. viii. him 27. operations are affigned to them; which fhould not be done without good reason, if there were no perfonal diftinction: that which also appears from his being said to proceed from the Father, and to be fent from him; from his John xv. being an advocate and interceding with the Father; his 26. xiv. 26. crying within us, Abba, Father, our having access in to the Father: as alfo, his being fent by the Son; glorifying him; receiving of his; his not fpeaking from John xv.26. himself: which expreffions plainly argue a personal diftinction. As do alfo our Saviour's birth by him, his performing miracles by him; in a word, God's executing all his purposes of grace and power by him. Eph. ii. 18. his Gal. iv. 6. xvi. 13, 14. John xiv. 26. xv. 26. 7. Laftly, That the Holy Spirit doth derive the common divine effence from the Father and the Son is thence fufficiently apparent, for that he is called the Spirit of the Matt. x. 20. Father, and alfo the Spirit of the Son: the Spirit of the Father, becaufe he doth ἐκπορεύεσθαι, in a manner incom- Τὸ Πνεῦμα prehenfible doth proceed and emanate from the Father; 1 Cor. ii. 12. is of him, is fent by him: for the fame reafon is he the Gal. iv. 6. Spirit of the Son; wherefore he is alfo exprefsly faid to Pet. i. 11. be fent by the Son. From these truths thus briefly declared doth follow that the Holy Ghoft is one of the divine Perfons, in order the third, partaking of the divine nature, and receiving it by communication from the Father and the Son: which is all we intended to fhew concerning his nature. I proceed to confider the peculiar characters, offices, and operations of the Holy Spirit. There be many particular functions and operations in a fpecial manner attributed and appropriated to the Holy Spirit; which, as they respect God, seem reducible to two general ones, the declaration of God's mind, and the execution of his will; as they respect man, (for in regard to other beings the Scripture doth not fo much confider what he performs, as not fo much concerning us to know,) the producing in us all qualities and difpofitions, the guiding and aiding us in all actions requifite or conducible to our eternal happiness and salvation, doth in a manner comprise them. 1. I fay, the declaration of God's mind: whence he is H h VOL. V. τὸ ἐκ Θεοῦ. Rom.viii. 9. Phil. i, 19. Eph. i. 17. 10. John xv.26. called the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of prophecy, the Spirit Rev. xix. of revelation; for that all fupernatural light and inftruction hath ever proceeded from him: he inftructed all the Luke i. 70. prophets that have been fince the world began to know, he enabled them to speak, the mind of God concerning things present and future: holy men (that have taught men their duty, and led them in the way to happiness) were 2 Pet. i. 21. but his inftruments, and Spake as they were moved by the 2 Tim. iii. Holy Ghost: by his inspiration the holy Scriptures (the moft full and certain witneffes of God's mind) were conJohn xvi. ceived: he guided the Apoftles into all truth; and by them inftructed all the world in the knowledge of God's gracious intentions toward mankind and the holy myfteries of the Gofpel. All the knowledge we can pretend to in these things doth proceed from his revelation, doth rely upon his authority. 16. 13. Vid. 1 Cor. 13. Gen. i. 1. 2. The execution of God's will. Whence he is called Luke i. 35. the power of God, (the substantial power and virtue of xi. 19. God,) and the hand of God; and whatever God hath dePf. xxxiii.6. figned, he is faid to perform by him. By him he framed Job xxvi. the world: he garnished the heavens, as Job fpeaketh, By him he governs the world; all extraordinary works of providence, (when God befide the common law and ufual course of nature interpofeth,) all miraculous performances, being attributed to his energy; but especially by him (that which next is to be confidered) he manages that work, by divine goodness fo earnestly designed, of man's falvation which he doth, : 3. By working in us good difpofitions and qualities; by guiding and aiding us in our actions. We are naturally void of thofe good difpofitions of understanding, of will, of affection, which are neceffary to make us anywise acceptable to God, fit to ferve and please him, capable of any favour from him, of any true happiness in ourselves ; our minds, I fay, are blind and ftupid, ignorant and prone to error, especially in things fupernatural and abstracted from ordinary fenfe; our wills ftubborn and froward, vain and unstable, inclining to evil, and averse from what is most truly good; our affections very irregular and un fettled to remove which bad difpofitions, (inconfiftent with God's friendship and favour, tending to mifery,) and to beget those contrary to them, the knowledge and belief of divine truth, a love of, and willing compliance with goodness; a well-compofed, orderly, and fteady frame of fpirit, God in mercy hath appointed the Holy Spirit ; who first opening our hearts, so as to let in and apprehend Acts xvi.14. the light of divine truth propounded to us; then by reprefentation of proper arguments perfuading us to embrace it, begets divine knowledge and faith in our minds, (which is the work of illumination and inftruction, the first part of this office;) then by continual impreffions bends our inclinations, and mollifies our hearts, and subdues our affections to a willing compliance with, a cheerful complacence in, that which is good and pleafing to God; fo begetting all pious and virtuous inclinations in us, reverence to God, charity to men, fobriety and purity, and the rest of those amiable and heavenly virtues, (which is the work of fanctification, another great part of his office:) both which together (illumination of our mind, fanctification of our will and affections) do conftitute that work, which is styled the regeneration, renovation, vivifi- Tit. iii. 5. cation, new creation, refurrection; putting off the old, putEph. iv. 23. ii. 5. ting on the new man; of a man; the faculties of our fouls Col. ii. 13, being so much changed, and we made, as it were, other Eph. ii. 10. men thereby; able and apt to do that to which before iv. 24. we were altogether indifpofed and unfit. Neither only doth he alter and constitute our difpofitions, but he directs and governs our actions; leading and moving us in the ways of obedience to God's will and law. As we live by Gal. v. 25. him, (have a new fpiritual life implanted in us,) fo we walk Rom. viii. by him, by his continual guidance and affiftance. He reclaims us from fin and error; supports and strengthens us in temptation; advises, excites, encourages us to works of virtue and piety: particularly he guides and quickens us in devotion, fhewing us what we should afk, raifing in us holy defires and comfortable hopes thereof, difpofing us to approach unto God with fit dif- Rom. viii. pofitions of love, and reverence, and humble confidence. 12. 2 Cor. v. 17. 14. 26, 27. 13. It is also a notable part of the Holy Spirit's office to comfort and sustain us, as in all our religious practice, fo Rom. av. particularly in our doubts, difficulties, diftreffes, and af1 Pet. i. 8. flictions; to beget joy, peace, and satisfaction in us, in all Heb. iii. 6. our doings and all our fufferings: whence he hath the title of Comforter. It is also a great part thereof to affure us of God's 2 Cor. v. 5. love and favour; that we are his children; and to conEph. i. 14. firm us in the hopes of our everlasting inheritance. We i. 22. 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. feeling ourselves to live by him, to love God and goodnefs, to defire and delight in pleafing God, are thereby raised to hope God loves and favours us; and that he, having by fo authentic a feal ratified his word and promife; having already beftowed fo fure a pledge, fo precious an earnest, fo plentiful first-fruits, will not fail to make good the remainder defigned and promised us, of everlasting joy and bliss. Laftly, The Holy Ghost doth intercede for us with God; is our advocate and affiftant in the prefenting our fupplications, and procuring our good: he cries in us; he pleads for us to God: whence he is peculiarly called Пagáxλntos; that is, one who is called in by his good word or countenance to aid him whose cause is to be examined, or whofe petition is to be confidered. To which things I may add, that the Holy Ghost is defigned to be, as it were, the foul, which informs, enlivens, and actuates the whole body of the Church; connecting and containing together the members thereof in fpiritual union, life, and motion; efpecially quickening Acts xx. 28. and moving the principal members (the governors and Eph. iv. 12. pastors) thereof; conftituting them in their function, qualifying them for the discharge thereof, guiding and affisting them therein. Such is the office, fuch the operations of the Holy Ghoft; the which we should more diftinctly and fully confider, if the time and nature of this exercise would give leave. The use of these doctrines (the influence the belief and confideration of this article fhould have upon our practice) is briefly, 1. To oblige us to render all due honour and |