by the fame SPIRIT: And the 10th Verfe fpecifies feveral other Gifts, and the 11th Verfe tays,* All thefe worketh that one and the felf fame SPIRIT, dividing to every one feverally as he will: So that we fee the SPIRIT is the Giver of thefe Gifts, the Worker of them in the Hearts of his People, and he does not give them by Direction or Influence of any other, but he gives them abfolutely according to his own Pleafure; he divides them as he will: This is fo plain that there needs nothing elte to prove that the SPIRIT of GoD is the Giver of all fpiritual Gifts; for 'tis laid in the 11th Verfe all these worketh the felf fame SP 1RIT. Heb. ii. 4. There we fee that Gifts are given by the Holy GHOST, for there we read, that GOD bore Witness by divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy G HOST. This I think is fufficient to prove that the Holy GHOST is the Giver of all fpiritual Gifts, and then the Confequence must be that he is GOD; for I have prov'd before, that 'tis GoD who is the Giver of all good Gifts.

Another Argument may be this, He that can foretel Things to come in future Ages is GoD: But the Holy GHOST has foretold Things to come in future Ages; therefore E is GOD.

Now here I am to prove the Firft, That he that can foretel Things to come in future Ages is GOD. Now this is prov'd thus, Go D challenges it as his Prerogative, and makes it a Mark or Demonftration of Divinity to foretel Things to come in future Ages, Ifa. xli. 21, 22, 23, The 21ft Verfe, Produce your Caufe faith the LORD, bring forth your strong Reafons faith the King of Jacob; here's a Challenge GoD gives to all falfe Gods, to prove themfelves Gods if they can, and what Argument does GOD infift on for the Proof? the 22d and 23d Verfe tells, Let them shew us what shall happen, &c. or, declare us Things to come; and the 23d Verfe fays, Shere the Things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye

are Gods: As if he had faid, if you can tell what will come to pafs in future Ages, then it will be a good Poof that ye are Gods. I cannot fee but that this is the plain Sente and Meaning of the Place, to fhew that it is a diftinguifhing Mark of Divinity to foretel Things to come in future Ages,

Further, he that can foretel Things to come in future Ages, must be Omnifcient, Infinite in Undérftanding, and this none can be but Go D. Who can pretend to know what fhall come to pafs in future Ages, even to the End of Time, but an omniicient Mind, one that can comprehend and fee Things paft, prefent, and to come, at once none can befides GOD: And Gon takes it as his Peculiar, because he challenges all others that pretend to be Gods to do it. Indeed fome may guess what will come to pafs in a very little Time, by the natural Connection, Circumftances, and Confequences of Things; but these are only rational Guefes, and fometimes it falls out otherwife; the most rational gueffes are crófs'd and difappointed, fo that there's little or no certainty. The Devil can give fhrewd gueffes, and has fometimes hit right, when he has spoke and foretold in the Heathen Oracles, but here was no certainty, they oft fpoke in uncertain Terms, the People were oft difappointed: And befides, I never found that thefe Predictions were of Things to come in future Ages, but of what would be the Event of fuch Things as were to be prefently tranfacted, and over in a fhort Time, which is not to the purpose, for the Argument lies on a certain Prediction, of Things to come in future Ages of the World, as well as in a fhort Space of Time, and here they are all at a Lofs.

But now I hope I fhall prove That the Holy GHOST certainly foretold Things to come in future Ages, as well as in a fhort Space of Time: 1 Tim iv. 1. Now the SPIRIT Speaketh exprefly that in the tatter Times fome shall depart from the Faith; here

is

is a Prediction by the SPIRIT of Go D, that there fhould be a fad Declention in the latter Times, and this Time foretold feems to be the Time of Popery, as in the 3d Verfe, Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from Meats, which GOD bath created to be received with Thanksgiving, which the Pope does to this Day: And I think it was feveral Hundred Years after the Apostle wrote that, before Popery arofe to fuch Doctrines; however, it was in the latter Times at a great Distance. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. Of which Salvation the Prophets have fearched diligently, &c. Verfe 11. Searching what, or what Manner of time the SPIRIT of CHRIST, which was in them did fignify, when it teftified before hand the Suf-, ferings of CHRIST, here 'tis as plain as can be that the SPIRIT of CHRIST, or the Holy GHOST foretold the Sufferings of CHRIST. by the Prophets of old; and the Sufferings of CHRIST were hundreds of Years after thefe Predictions, and yet it was the SPIRIT that foretold them; and this SPIRIT of CHRIST is the Holy SPIRIT of GOD, the Holy GHOST; for in Rom. viii. 9. the SPIRIT of GoD is called the SPIRIT of CHRIST, in the fame Verfe.

And I have proved before that it was the Holy GHOST that pake in the Prophets, who foretold Things Hundreds of Years before hand, Holy Men of old pake as they were moved by the Holy GHOST: And I have proved it particularly of Ifaiak and David, who both fpoke of the Sufferings of CHRIST hundreds of Years before they come to pafs, and these Things were discovered to them by the Holy GHOST.

And further, we read John xvi. 13. Howbeit, when the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide them into all Truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatfoever be fall bear, that shall be fpeak, and he will fhew you Things to come: Here he fhews' Things to come.

F 2

Object.'

Object. But it may be objected in this Verfe, that he fpeaks not of himfelf, but what he hears that he fpeaks, and this looks as if he received his Intelligence from another, from the FATHER.

Anf. It looks fo, but if we confider the Point it cannot be fo; the Meaning I take to be this, that he does not fpeak meerly of himfelf, without the Concurrence of the FATHER and SON, for what one does they all do, they all concur in, because they are all one and the fame Being; and the Holy GHOST fpeaks not of himself meerly, because he is one with the FATHER and SoN, and has their Concurrence, and it was a Confirmation of the Faith of the Difciples in this, that he would lead them into all Truth; for fays our LORD, he fpeaks not meerly of himfelt, but the FATHER and I concur in the Matter, and therefore you need not fear being mifled: And the fame Thing is fpoken of CHRIST, John xii. 49. I have not Spoken of my felf, &c. Now that this must be the Senfe is plain to me, for if it be not meant of their fpeaking as one Being, but as feperate Beings, there must then be Three GoDs, (for we are baptized into all alike) which is contrary to the whole Current of Scripture: And we read Luke ii. 26. that it was revealed to Simeon by the Holy GHOST, that he fhould not fee Death before he had feen the Lord CHRIST; and this was discovered to him by the Holy GHOST, and who could certainly tell Simeon that he fhould live 'till that Time but GoD, who has the Lives of all Men in his Hands.

Now having proved that he that can certainly foretel Things to come in future Ages is Gon, and that the Holy GHOST has certainly foretold Things to come in future Ages, the Confequence® must be that HE is Go D..

Another

Another Argument may be this, he that bleffeth and fucceeds the Labours of the Minifters of the Gofpel to the Conversion of Souls, that fanctifies and regenerates them is GoD: But the Holy GHOST bleffes and fucceeds the Labours of Gofpel Minifters to the Converfion of Souls, and is the Author of Converfion, Sanctification, and the New-Birth; therefore HE is Go D.

Now to prove the Firft, That he that fucceeds the Labours of Gospel Ministers, &c. is GOD: 2 Cor. v. 16, 17. Al Things are become new, and all Things are of GOD: John i. 13. Which were born not of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Wil of Man, but of GOD: Phil. ii. 13. It is GOD that worketh in you to will and to do: 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7. Who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but Minifters by whom ye believed; as if he had faid, who are they, or what could they do without GOD? they are but Gon's Minifters, and can do nothing effectually of themfelves; Verte 6. there he confefieth plainly, that he had planted, and Apollos watred, but neither Paul nor Apollos with all their Fervency and Eloquence could do any thing of then elves effectually, but only inftrumentally, as Gon's Inftruments, for Gon gave the Increase: Says Paul, I have planted and Apollos watred, but GOD gave the Increafe; and the 7th Verfe confirms all and explains it more fully, So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither be that watercth, but GOD that giveth the Increase: I know not what can be plainer than this; for here 'tis negatively and armatively, neither he that plants or Waters, let him be who he will is any thing; but affirmatively, 'tis Gon that does all efectually. This Text very plainly proves, that the Eleffing or Succels of their Miniftry for the Converfion and Edification of Souls is from Go D.