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"for a habitation to thyself; gladden, by thy presence, "the souls that are longing for thee. Prepare a suit"able abode for thyself; adorn thy chamber, and sur"round the place of thy rest with a sweet variety of "virtues. Strew thy pavements with fair colours; let thy residence be beautified with sparkling carbuncles, and splendid jewels; and let the perfumes of all thy graces diffuse their savour within. Let the juice of "balsam richly imbue thy apartment with its fragrance. "Avert from it whatever is corrupt, whatever tends to "waste or to defile; render this our joy stable and per"manent; and let thy new creation be confirmed for "ever in unfading beauty."

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II. It will be proper here to make some preliminary remarks, and then to prove distinctly several points. The preliminary remarks relate to three questions. First, In how many acceptations, with regard to Divine matters, the word Spirit occurs? Secondly, Why the third person is peculiarly called the SPIRIT? Thirdly, Why the epithet HOLY is particularly attributed to him?

III. The term Spirit, when used with respect to God, is taken either essentially, or personally, or metonymically. It is taken essentially, when it is ascribed to God, in reference to the essence common to all the persons; personally, when it is attributed to some one person, whether the second, or the third ;-metonymically, when it denotes certain effects or gifts, as in John vii. 39. where "the spirit" signifies those gifts, the effusion of which had been predicted by Joel and other

e As John iv. 24.

f Mark ii. 8. 1 Cor. xv. 45. Rom. i. 4. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 1 Pet. iii. 18, 19.

8 Mat. xxviii. 19. 1 John v. 7.

Prophets. Thus also the Jews are accustomed to say, that there was no Holy Spirit under the second temple. In the same sense I would understand that expression of the disciples of John; "We have not so much as "heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."h

IV. When the third Person is peculiarly denominated the SPIRIT, he is not so called in reference to that which is common to him with the Father and the Son, to wit, a most simple essence, intelligent, and exempt from all corporeal imperfection; but, 1st, On account of the mode of his procession. The term Spirit* properly signifies a gale of wind; and the procession of the Holy Ghost, which to us is ineffable and incomprehensible, is compared to a breathing. He is styled "the breath of God's mouth," and "the breath of the Almighty." To this corresponds the symbol which Christ employed, when "he breathed on the disciples, " and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."1 2dly, On account of his operations. Operations are ascribed to him, similar to those which are proper to wind, and air; as to move, to quicken, to refresh ;m and to cause us also to become spirit.n 53

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v. The epithet HOLY is not particularly given to the third Person, to the exclusion of the other Persons; for it is expressly attributed to the Father, and to the Son. Nor doth he receive this designation even by

Acts xix. 2.

j Ps. xxxiii. 6.

πι, πνεῦμα, spiritus.

i Gen. viii. 1. John iii. 8.

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way of eminence in any degree, as if the Spirit were more holy than the other persons; for it is equally ascribed to all of them ; and the Divine holiness, being infinite, admits not of degrees of comparison. But the reason is, that, according to the economy of the Divine operations, the Sanctification of believers is usually attributed to the Spirit. Even this must not, however, be understood as if we are not sanctified both by the Father and the Son. Sanctification is in general, the work of God; and in particular, of the Father, and of the Son." But such is the order of the operations of God, that although they are effected by the common counsel of the same will, and by the same energy of the same power, yet some of them are appropriated to each person respectively. And those operations which result from the merit of the Son, as our Regeneration and Sanctification, are particularly attributed to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the Son, and the third Person in the Godhead.

VI. These observations being premised, there are three positions regarding the Holy Ghost, which must be distinctly proved. First, That he is a PERSON. Secondly,-A DIVINE PERSON. Thirdly,-A Divine person, DISTINCT FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON.

VII. That the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, is proved, 1st, From the personal properties ascribed to him, namely, understanding and will. Paul attributes Understanding to the Holy Spirit in the following words: "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things

4 Is. vi. 3.

1 Cor. vi. 11. 2 Thes. ii. 13. Exod. xxxi. 13. Ezek. xx. 12. xxxvii. 28.

t John xvii. 17. Comp. verse 11.

u 1 Cor. i. 30.

But

" of God;" "The things of God knoweth no man, but "the Spirit of God." The interpretation of the heretics, who transfer these expressions to a man endowed with the Spirit of God, is utterly unsound. For, as in other passages, the Spirit of God is distinguished from men endowed with him," so likewise here; "God hath revealed them UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT."x The Spirit of God, besides, is represented as having an access to the secrets of God, similar to that which the spirit of a man has to the thoughts of a man. where is the exactness of the analogy, if we say, that what holds of a man with respect to the things of God, holds in the same manner of the spirit of a man with regard to the things of a man? Add to this, that, as we shall immediately prove in the proper place, so intimate and profound a knowledge of the deep things of God is too exalted a privilege to fall to the share of any mortal. In the same epistle to the Corinthians, notice is taken also of the Will of the Spirit: "All "these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally, as he will." Let it be noted, that in the chapter containing these words, the Spirit is distinguished as a Giver from his gifts," in the same way, doubtless, as the Lord is distinguished from his administrations,a and God who worketh all in all, from his operations. For we have here a clear intimation of a Trinity of persons, to wit, the Father, who is usually denominated God absolutely; the Son, who is called Lord; and the Holy Spirit.

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VIII. 2dly, From his personal appearances. Jesus

1 Cor. ii. 10, 11.

* 1 Cor. ii. 10.

* Verse 4.

b Verse 6.

w I Pet. i. 11. 2 Pet. i. 21.

y Ch. xii. 11.

a Verse 5.

1 Cor. viii. 6.

Now,

"saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and "lighting upon him.”d "The Holy Ghost descended "in a bodily shape, like a dove, upon him." who can suppose that what comes from heaven, and appears in a bodily shape, is not a person? We often read in holy writ, that spiritual persons, namely, Angels, descended in this manner, and were seen in a mortal form. But nowhere do we find that any spiritual quality descended, or assumed a visible appearance. It has been objected, that things which are not persons are sometimes figuratively said to come down from heaven, and that such things may be adumbrated by some external appearance; as was done at that happy Pentecost, when the gift of speaking in various languages, and with powerful utterance, with which the Apostles were endowed, was shadowed forth by the appearance of cloven and fiery tongues. But this by no means weakens the force of our reasoning. For truly we do not deny that the gifts of God, which are not always persons, descend from heaven: we only urge, that nothing which is not a person, ever came from above clothed with a bodily shape. The divided tongues which sat on the Apostles like fire, did not directly and immediately denote the gift of tongues, but the person of the Holy Spirit, the Author of that gift, "who gave them utterance," as it is explained in the fourth verse.

IX. 3dly, From personal operations attributed to him; of which we have numerous instances in Scripture. There is no weight in the exception of adversaries, that it is by the mere fiction of a person that

d Mat. iii. 16.

e Luke iii. 22.

f James i. 17.

& Acts ii. 3.

h Acts viii. 39. xiii. 2. Rom. viii. 26. and elsewhere passim.