^^Ss^'o^^fi^ 0^ OCT 4 1920 Ridley, Glocester, 1702 1774. ' ": sermons on the divinity and operations of 1 EIGHT SERMONS O N T H E t Divinity and Operations OF THE HOLY GHOST, Preached at the Cathedral of St Paul in LONDON: In'lhe Years 1740, '"vjA^' At the Lecture founded by the worthy Lady MOVER deceafed. /]//// L N D O N: Printed for John Clarke under the Roy at Ex- change Cornhilk and Richard Manby^^^^^^^^^j^ the Prims* B Jrms on Ltu^"-'* ' '■^■' " ^/'C.-C^U • (-^ J^r /^C-^^f i^T^^l^ <"-<-v^ D'if \^ . . THE PREFACE. j'jry^HE N I "was appointed to preach i^^'f^ fhefe Sermons^ myjirjl Study was to make them as iifeful as I could: The Good Fight of Faith / knew had beenfo well maintained againft Efiemies by thofe able Sol- diers of Chrijly who have gone before me in this LeBiire, that an Offer of farther Afffi- ance from my feeble Hand would have been as needlefs as vain ; / therefore rather chofe to apply niyfelf to the Houfhold of Faith as a Steward of the Gofpel, and adminijler as far as I was able to Thetr NeceJJities. T'o fuch as want or wijh for Information in thefe Points the little Afjifance here offered may be accept- able j for their Sakes thefe Difcourfes were •compofed', to them and T'heir Service 1 dedicate them : And may God^ whofe Grace is not tied to the Proportion of Means ^ make this imperfedi Effay an Infrument of their Happinefs ! The xi The PREFACE. ^he 'Very EJJentiah of Chrijiianify are con* cerned in the Siubjedis here introduced -^ which the Enemy of Mankind is fo convinced of that he has always thought them worth his Indujiry to oppofe and perplex ; Jbme om or other of them having been made the Occafon ofDifpute in every Age of Chrijlianity. H is true^ they never wanted zealous and firenuous Defenders : But thefe Difputes havefo multiplied T!reatifeSy disjoined and broke the Harmony of the Points^ and entangled them in Controverfy^ that few have LeifurCy Lear?iing or Inclinatio7i enough to receive that Information, which the Church is abundantly furnijhed to give them, To col- lect the fcattered Parts together again, and draw them under one fhort View, has been my Endeavour , and will, I hope, prove an En- couragement and Benefit to the Common Chri^ ftian Reader : The Number of Volumes which were His Inconvenience, have been My Af- fifta?ice ', I wijh that what has been My La- bour, may be His Advantage. If others of more Learning and Leifure employ a vacant Hour here, 1 have provided that they may have an Opportunity of feeing what The PREFACE. vU idiaf was the conjiant and uniform Senfe of the Church all along ; upon what Authorities I have advanced any things or given my Ex^ plications of Scripture, I aim at nothing New, cautious of the Affectation of Novelty in His Service y who is the same Yefterday, to Day, and for ever. The Jerious Chrijlian will^ I hcpCy favourably accept this Offerings 7ior be the lefs pleafedy when he finds ^ that Iprefent htm only with the Fruits of other Mens La^ batrs : I'he Levites were to have nothing of their own Growth \ but when they offered a Tart of what they had gathered from others^ it was reckoned unto them as though it had bsen the Corn of their ou'«,Threfhing Floor, and as the Fulnefs of their own Wine-prefs. T'hat the Inquifitive Reader may the better weigh the Authorities produced^ I have thrown into an Index, at the Endy the Times in which th fever al Ferfons meiitioned lived or wrote y alphabetically ranged in Five Tables. From which it will appear y that the Jewifh and Pagan Objedlions of Novelty againft the Doc- trine of the Trinity, are anfwered by thofe who lived before the Nativity of Chriji ; that the viu The PREFACE. the heretical Ones agatnjl the Catholic Ex- plications of that Do6lrine^ are oppofed by the primitive Chrijiiam before the Nicene or Conftantinopolitan Councils j ^hofe againfl Free-will, and the Neceffity or Amplitude of Grace, by the Fathers before Pelagius or St. Auguftin J Popifh Errors in deifying i^je Means of Grace (that the Difpenfers ofthfe Means may be thought more than Gods) have been condemned by the mojl approved Writers b^ore the Reformation 5 and modern Seftaries ^W Enthufiafts, the Spawn of weak Heaisy andjiubborn Hearts y (who arrogate to them- felves exclufive Privileges of Grace) by the whole Chrijlian Church throughout all Ages. THE THE CONTENTS. SERMON I. ^HE Divinity and Perfonality of the Ho- -^ LY Ghost ajfertedfrom the New Tefta- ment. Text. Acts xix. i, 2, 3. Occafion of the Words ^ Page i Points deducible from them^ 3 Why made Choice of 4 General DivifioUy ibid. Invocation^ 5 First General Head: What the Holy Ghost is^ ibid. GhofI: c?r Spirit properly Air orJViijd, 6 Analogically applied to God, good and bad Spirits, and the human Soul, ibid. T!he Danger of confounding the proper and ANALOGICAL Scnfe^ J In /^^ Analogy how to dijlinguijhthis Spi- rit from evil Angels, or the hunian Soul, 9 How to dijii?2guijh it fro?n good Angels, or created Sub/iance^ 1 1 1. From the incommunicable Attri- butes which fow from, and declare the divine Effence, given to this Spirit y 12 2 . From Works peculiar to God, and which are Teflimonies of his Attributes^ ajcribed to the Holy Ghost, 14 a 3. From The C O N T E N T S. 3. From the divine Honours diredied to be paid to him ^ Page 16 Hence his T>iy miTY was inferred by the A-- poftles, 21 And by Chriftian Councils and Syjiodsy 26 And by one half of our Adverfaries themfelves. All which are againji the Arian and Ma- cedonian Expofitions^ ibid* H/j Personality proved againfl the Soci- NIANS, 27 Crellius his Aj^gmnent anfwered with regard to his being called the Spirit and the Power of God, 29 ^he Socinian Retreat to Figure cut off, 31 His DISTINCT Personality proved againfl the Sabellians, 33 From the Baptifm of Chrift, 34 From the Baptifm ofChriJiians, ibid. Ff^om aS/'. Paul'i Form of Benedidiion, ibid. 'Dijpute about the Proceffion of the Holy Ghost from the Son, 37 Eaflern and Wejlern Churches agreed in the fame Uruth, though they differed in Ex^ predion, ^ , 3^ Sum of the Scripture DoBrine on this Pointy ObjeBions anfwered, ifl Ob), The fuppofed abfurdity, 40 "The Senfes inada:quate Judges of fpiritual truths, ibid. "Their Ufe in Matters of Revelation, 44 2d Obj. ne Meaning of Revelation doubtful ^ What The C O N T E N T S. %l tVhaf Helps proper to a/certain it^ Page 46 3^ Obj. The DoBrine unknown before the Chriflian Revelation^ ibid. The Conjideration of this ObjeBion deferred to the fitxt Le5ture, 47 The Doxology of Dionyfius 5/' Alexandria, 48 • SERMON ir. The Jewifli and Pagan Opinions traced^ The fame Text. 3^ ObjeBion conftdered, viz. The Dodtri?te of any Holy Ghost unknown before the Chri-* jlian . Revelation y 5 1 Gregory ^Nazianzum his Opinion ivith ;t- gard to this OhjeBion^ 52 I. The Pagans 720 Strangers to it^ ibid. The Philofophic Creed in Porphyry 'i Time, 53 Compared *with the Chriflian , 54 The Refemblance not owing to the Chrifliam borrowing Pagan Notions , 56 The Catholic Dodfrine held in the Church be- fore Porphyry. Proved from Chriflian Writers, 57- And Pagans, ibid. The Fathers NEEDED not to borrow this Doc- trine from the PhiMophtYS, 58 They WOULD not. 60 The Heretics indeed blended Philofophy with ChrilHanity, 62 But the C2X\ioX\Q^induJlriouJly avoided it, ibid. The Chriftians derived their DoBrines from the New Testament, 63 The Pagans derived Theirs from Plato, ibid, a 2 Plato 3m The CONTENTS. VLkTofrom Tradition^ Page 64 F articular ly from Parmenides, 67 And viE from Pythagoras, 68 Appeared in Italy under Tarquin, 69 Brought into Phrygia /;; the Times of Mofes, 70 The Pelafgi earned it into Samothrace, who defended from Peleg, 71 In Phoenicia in the Ti?jies of Peleg, 72 II. The Jews had certai?i Means of knowing ity from the Writings (t/^ Mofes, 74 Our Expofition of him vindicated hy the Jew- ifli Critics^ 79 By the hzterpretations of the Prophets^ 80 And of the Jewifli Writers after Malachi, but before the Mi7iiflry of Chrift, 8 1 And even of prejudiced ^^Vi^ after Chrijiianity had long prevailed, 86 Inference fro?n this ge?ieral Reception, 89 Obj, How came the Ephefian Difciples to be Strangers to the Holy Ghost ? 90 Anfw, I . This was a DoBrine indufrioujly concealed frojn the illiterate Jews, ibid. Anfw, 2 . If John baptized them^ they had heard of the Holy Ghost ; and miift mean only, that they had never heard that he had been yet given to any, 91 Anjw. 1. Or a defedlive Imitation of John'f Baptifm by fome of his Difciples, might leave thofe they baptized as ignorant in this Poi?2t, as they found them, 92 Concluf Hearing of the Holy Ghost not fiifficient 3 we mujl receive him alfo, 93 S E R. The C O N T E N T S. xiii SERMON III. *The Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost. Text. Acts xix. —2. Second general head. What meant by receiving /i?^ Holy Ghost, and how to know whether we have received him or not ? Page 95 Not underjiood of his EJfence for that is every where 96 But of fome Manifejlation of him by his Gifts and Graces^ 97 Two Enquiries propofed 'y First, What thoje Gifts and Graces are. Secondly, How to diftinguijh them from Counterfeits, 98 Grace generally divided into I. Saving Grace, given for our own prof ty 99 Which comprehends^ 1. Illumination, Dijpelling our Prejudices y 100 Producing a divine Faith ^ 103 What is not a divine Faith ^ 104 What is, 105 2. SandtiiScation, which is defer ibed^ 108 Called at it's Commencement ^ Regenera- tion, no 7he Degrees and Progrefs of it, Reno- vation, III 7'he Working of Grace hidden, the Work manifefty 115 a 3 IL Mi- Xiv The C O N T E N T S. IL MiNisTRiNG Grace, giveitfor thePro^ Jit of others^ Page 115 Containing y? divine Appointmentj 116 And fufficient Abilities, ibid. An extraordinary Commijion generally required extraordinary Abilities y ibid. An ordinary Commiffion no more than ordinary Abilities y 117 God fometimes miraculoujly vindicates that CommiJJion^ lohich he does not always mira^ cu loti/ly fupport, 1 18 Chrijl's extraordinary Abilities^ 1 1 9 Tet waited for an extraordinary Appointment ^ ibid. Qave ConimiJJion to the Apoftles^ ibid, Enabled them to difcharge it by extraordinary Abilities y 120 "The fame Conimiffion derived to their. Sue- . cejjors, 123 With a Promife ^fufficient Abilities, 125 Which are^ J. A Knowlege of the Truths we. are to teach, 126 2. A Diligence in difpenjing the Means of . , Grace to others^ i^j J. Power to obtain Vidiory to the Chriftian Caufe in general^ 128 S E R. The C O N T E N T S. XV SERMON IV. T'hs Gifts of the Holy Ghost dijlinguijhed from Counterfeits. The fame Text. The Second Enquiry under this General Head, How to dijlingiiijh the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost from Coim- terfeits, ^ Page 130 I. As Gifts, wejhould dijlinguijh Miniftring Gi2iCQ fro?n Self-Appointment, ibid. Illumination, fro?n human Aflfcnt, J 3 i Sanftification, from Natural Reafon, 132 IL -^i Gifts ^/'//^^ Holy Ghost, wejhould diftinguijh them^ 133 1. From the Gfts oj the Father or the Son, !34 2. From the Operations ^/& unclean Spirit, ivhofe Characters are^ ibid. Liar, 135 Calumniator, 138 Murderer, 140 3. From the Workings of our own Spirits, fuch as^ a vain Pride, 141 Envy, 142 Avarice or Ambition, 143 III. As Gifts of the Spirit, we fiould di- flinguijld them from the Motions ^fFlefh and Blood, whether owing to 145 Conftitution, ibid. Diftemper, or to ibid. Natural Incentives, ibid. a 4 N.B. All XVI The C O N T E N T S. N.B. All the next Sheets or eight Leaves^ is paged wrongs frofn i^^to the Second 1 6 1. MiJIakes oftner here, than in the former Cafes^ Page 155 Some Circumjiances iifually attending true Fro- phets, common to falfe ones^ i ^y The ConduEi of our Saviour and his Apojiles^ whence we gather, I. That the external Shew of Prophecy may be counterfeited by evil Angels, and imitated by Art or Nature, 158 The Caufes of natural Enthufiafni opened^ 161 Some Inflames in T/j^ Meffalians, 165 Some praying Mifcreants, 168 Myftic Chriftians, 169 Familifts, 170 Platonifts, ibid. II. How to diftinguifi extraordinary Mif- fions. 1 . They reft onformerF rophecks, zd 161 2. Are fupported by Miracles, ibid. 3. Which together, are the Demonftra- tion of the Spirit, and of Power, 2d 162 How to know whether we have Saving Grace or not. zd 163 S E R. The C O N T E N T S. xvii SERMON V. Why neceffhry to receive the Holy Ghost. Text. Titus iii. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Third general Head; what is the End ^WBenefit of receiving the Holy Ghost ? Page 167 Salvation, i. Exempting from Fumjhment^ called Juftification ; ibid. 2. Cojiferring a great Reimrdy Eternal Life, 168 ^he Need of the Firji appears becaufe All are Sinners. A FaB proved From the Tejiimony of the Apoftles i?t the New Teftament, 169 From that of the Prophets in the Old ; ibid. From that of Pagan Writers ; ibid. Inferred from the 0\i]zdi of Salvation^ 170 Different Accoujits of the Caufe of 'This in the Chrijiian Churchy jy^ I. Ongen fuppofed it an Abufe of Liberty //z a prseexifting State, 174 Derived his Notions from Plato, ibid. And Fhto from Pythagoras, 175 ^. M2,nGS fuppofed it a fatal Neceffity owing to an evil Principle, ibid. A Perfic Opinion^ iy6 Derived from Zoroafter, Contemporary^ and probably acquainted with Pytha- goras, ibid. 5CV111 The C O N T E N T S. ^hefe different Accounts were probably the fame in their Originaly Page 177 ^he ill Tendency of the Manichsan 'DoBrine Jiirred up Pelagius to magnify the Powers of Nature and Free-will, 178 But Jiibverting the Dodlrine of Grace, was oppofedby St, Auguftin, 179 Whofe tJicautious Followers introduced Mani- chaeifm in part again y ibid. TJje Ufes oj this FieWy 181 The true State of the Cafe accordi?ig to St. Auguftin. 183 The Scripture Account ^ 184 Man created free, by the fupernatural Com- munication of Knowledge ^ ibid. Defigned to be Happy, by the fupernatural Gift of Immortality y 185 tie fell by renouncijig this divijie Affflance^ 186 Which withdrawn proved his Punifhment by dejlroxing his Freedom of Willy 187 AndfubjeBing him to Death y 188 How far We are affedied by that Firft Tranf greffiony 190 Gen. iii. 22. explained, 192 Adam'i Sin makes all his Poferity Sinners : 1 . By being imputed to them in Punifh- menty 196 2. By forfeiting the divine Afjijia^icey 200 3. By erifaving them to carnal Aff^eElionSy 201 . ^ndfubjeBs them to a fpiritual, temporal, and eternal Deaths 202 The The C O N T E N T S. idx Tie Holy Ghost renews the divine Image in the Soul, Page 203 Rejlores the Will to ifs Freedom, ibid. Unites them to Chrijl, who takes off the Im- put at ion of original and aBual Sins, 204 Raifes them to a fpiritual Life, and changes their temporal Death into a Paffage only to eternal Life, ibid. ^his the Dodtrine of the Church d?/ England, 205 S E R M O N VL Grace attainable by A^ll. Text. Titus iii. 4, 5, 6, 7. Thefe Graces however neceflary are free Gifts and not dnt KtV7^xds, Page 209 Tet Gifts denied to none, 210 Refrained by fome to particular Perfons, 212 Much at Stake in this ^efion, 213 Gois Right, as abfolute Proprietor, not dif puted, 2 14 But his exprefs Declaratio?is en this Point muf be our Guide, 215 ^he Scripture teaches us that his Will is that All Men fhould be faved, 216 The Fathers dijiinguijh betwixt his Will of Mercy, and his Will of ]mK\cq, 217 Aquinas and his Difciples difinguifj betwixt /&/j revealed Will, and his hidden Will, 2 19 Calvin approves this DiflinStion, ibid. Bucer XX The C O N T E N T S, Bucer feems to dij countenance if^ Page 219 I'he \^th Article of our Church rejeiis it^ 220 ' It takes away the Credit due to Revelation^ ibid. Opens a Door to Impojiure^ > 221 111 Effedis of it injianced in the Heretics of oldy and modern SeBaries^ 222 The chief Stre?tgth of this Opinion derived from St. Auguftin, 224 But I. The rigid Cdlwimds go Ifeyond St. Au^ guftin, 225 2. St. Auguftin, if he taught as they fuppofe^ differed from the Fathers who wrote before him^ and all the Eajiern Churches through all Ages, ibid. 3. He exprefs d himfelf in different Extremes, betwixt which his true Opinion lay, 226 4. He thought it no Heterodoxy to interpret the Text in Timothy of Grace univerfally Offered, 228 The true Meaning of Calling, Eieftion, and Prasdeftination, 229 ObjeElions anfwered, where is confideredy 1. The Cafe of thofe on whom the Gofpel does not ftnne, 235 2. The Cafe of thofe who lived before the Birth of Chrifl ; 239 1. Before the Law, 241 2. Under the Law, 246 3. Without the Law, 249 S E R. The C O N T E N T S. xxi SERMON VII. The M^AHs of Grace. Text. Titus iii. 5, 6, 7. Th€ Adva?itages ofthofe States more particu- larly fet downy Page 255 Their DifadvantageSy 261 Fourth and Last general Head, the Means by which the Holy Ghost is difpenfedy 269 The Giver makes life of what Means hepleafes^ ibid. Erroneous Opinions concerning the Means of GracCy 270 The great injiituted Mean is the Gofpel in general y 272 The fpiritual Man to be conftdered in three StateSy 273 First, Conception; to which the v/rktcn Word conduces y ibid. jis it better anjwers the Ends of the Law and Philofophy to give ConviBion of SinSy and CompunBionfor themy 2y^ But it's more pecidiar Ufe is to give a clear and dijlinB Hope of Salvation^ 278 To the producing a divine Faith ^ 279 A Love of God y 280 A Principle of Obedience^ 281 A Love of our Brethren^ ibid . I And xxii The C O N T E N T S. And drawing our AffeBiom from Earth to Heaven^ Page 281 ^hefe the Rudiments of the new ^zxi produced by the Word, 282 But the Word is only the Channel by which the Holy G-ao^x conveys thefe Graces into the Hearty ibid. Tet it is the Injirument appoiftted by Gody 287 The Word therefore is not to be defpifed^ 290 How difpe?ifedy 289 A7i underjiajiding of the Letter to befirft ob^ tained by hu?nan Learnings 291 Then to dijlinguijh betwixt the fpiritual Ob- jedly and material Type^ ibid. This fuficieiit by God'sGrace^ to guard againji dangerous ErrorSy 292 Though not from Mijlake in lefs necejfary Points. ibid. SERMON VIIL The Means of Grace. Text. Titus iii. 5, 6, 7. The Second Statey is the New Birth, which is ejfeBedby Baptism, Page 295 The general effedl of Baptifm is Salvation, 298 The particular Graces thereby conferred are^ I. Regeneration 5 299 Which contains fever al Benefits^ I. Remiffion of Sins,^ ibid. X 2. Free- The C O N T E N T S. xxiii 2. Freedom fromBondage, Page 300 3. Adoption, ^oi 4. Inheritance, or a Ttitle io eterrfd Life, 302 2. Renovation ; 303 Introducing a new Form, 304 Though capable of farther Improvement^ 305 Thefe Graces difpenfed on Conditions, 306 And prefuppofe Repentance, which we tefli- fy at Baptifm, confecrating ourfelves to God, and renouncing all other Service, 3 07 And Faith, which we ratify at the fame Time, 308 This Stipulation neceffary, as in Adults, fo alfo in the Sponfors for Infants, 309 The THIRD State /i Manhood, when by Means 5/^ Confirmation 312 JVe receive the Spirit of Ghoftly Strength, 313 The Spirit of Wifdom, ibid. The Earneft of all other Graces which our own or the Churches Exigences require, ib. To Continue this fpiritual Life the Sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper was appointed, 316 1. As Food, ibid. 2. As Medicine, 318 %^ As a Preparative to Immortality, err o - 321 The Spirit, and Exercife o/' Prayer, are farther Means and Signs of the Chrijiian Life, 322 Orders xxii The C O N T E N T S. Orders do not convey fandlifying Grace, but the Gift of Office and Ability ^2igt 326 Providence adminifters Occafions for the Exercije of Grace ^ ibid. If^ confidered as Means, at leaf they arefuch as are referred in Gods own Hands ^ 327 Conclufion, ibid. S E R- •5i'<2TCri srjcA. ?^^ tc«%: ;\^aB.-i fTO'5% T^Wt ^c*^ 1[^^A Saci^V Tf^c^ Jm^ /^-^ SERMON I. The Divinity and Perfonality of the Holy Ghost aflerted from the New Teftament. Preached Nov. 6, 1740. Acts xix. i> 2, 3. And it came to pafsy that ivhile Apollos wai at Corinth y Paul havifig pajfed through the upper Coaftsy came to Ephefus : andjindi?2g certain DtfcipleSy He /aid unto them^ Have ye received the Holy Ghost Jince ye believed? And they /aid unto him. We have not Jo much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he /aid unto them^ Unto what then were ye baptized? And they /aid, JJjitoJohi's Baptifm. s T. Tauly fet apart to the Miniftry by Serm. i. the Spirit of God, and by him direfted B and lloe Divinity and Perfonality and aflifted in the Difcharge of it, applies himfelf with all Diligence to the Work; • Aas xiv as Occafions required ^ preaching the Gofpel, b^!l •;• ^ ftrengthening the Difciples, *" ordaining El- 23- ders, ° conj&rming the Churches, and ^ pub- 23. * lifhing the Apoftolical Decrees. When he ~ ^^* met with Difciples, to whofe Proficiency he *— xvi,4. was a Stranger, the Text informs us what Method this fkilful Apoftle took to let him- felf readily into a Knowledge of it, in order to addrefs himfelf the moft properly to their Neceffities. The Cardinal Queftion with him was, Have ye received the Holy Gbojl fince ye believed'? But how aftonifhed was he to hear the Anfwer of thefe fuppofed Chriftians at Ephefus^ We have not fo much as beard, whether there be any Holy Ghoji ! Suppofing them Chriftians, lately converted, as St. Paul apprehended, fuch Ignorance was not to be accounted for : Inftruftion in this Point being of the very Eflence and firft Rudiments of their Religion ; Unto what t hen ^ fays he^ were ye baptized ? They inform him, that they had never received Chriji'^ Baptifm, only that oijohn. This fufficient- ly folved the Difficulty, and pointed out to the Apoftle what was neceflary for thefe £- phejan Difciples, which he accordingly fup- plics ofthe^lohY Ghost ajferted. 3 plies by ^ Baptifm, and Impofition of Hands. Serm. l This Paffage of Scripture will naturally f^;7"*^ lead us to obferve, ' That a Knowledge of 5, 6. * the Holy Ghoft is effential to Chriftianity/ n.^ at^tj^e as of one to whom we are confecrated ^"^• at our Baptifm, and as an Article of that Faith required of every Man befoi-e he be admitted to that Sacrament. When the Ephefians tell St. Paul^ We have not Jo much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghoft ^ he immediately aflcs, unto what then were ye baptized ? We learn farther, ' That it ' is not fufficient for a Chriftian barely to * have a fpeculative Knowledge or Faith in < the Holy Ghoft, but alfo that he receive , him :' Have ye received the Holy Ghoft fmce ye believed? Which will open to an En- quiry ' into the Expediency and Neceffity * of receiving him/ which is of fo great Im- portance that St. Paul makes it his leading Queftion in order to judge of the true State and Proficiency of thefe Epheftan Difciples. And this will fitly afford an Occafion of con- lidering ' the Means by which the Holy Ghoft * is ufually difpenfed to us/ of which we have here fome Information, 'T'hey were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jeftis. And when Paul laid bis Hands upon them, the Holy B 2 Ghoft 4 "The Divinity and Perfonality Serm. I. Gkoji came on them. Points which our di- vinely inftrudled Apoftle thought of the ut- moft importance to Chriftianity, and there- fore never unfeafonable from a Chriftian Teacher : Points immediately flowing from that myfterious Truth, which this Ledure was intended to inculcate, and therefore not joreign to the Occafion of my appearing here at this Time : And as the Learning of my PredecefTors has omitted nothing which re- lates to the other Branch of this Dodrine, viz, the Second Pcrfon of the ever bleflTed Trinity, it becomes the moft proper Bufinefs of their Succeflbr to apply himfelf to this Icfs cultivated Province : And I wifh I could not add, that the Careleffnefs of many y^/- pofed Chrijlians finking them almoft into the State of the EphefianY^iici^hs, of not know- ing whether there be any Holy Ghcji^ and the unwholefom Remedies which miftaken Zeal has applied to reform this Evil, have made an Attempt of this Kind NOW par- ticularly necefjary. I {hall therefore endea- vour to inform the ignorant^ and fatisfy the perplexed Chriftian in the four following Points ; I. That there is an HoJy^ Ghcjl-, wherein I fhall of thel^OhY Ghost ajferted. 5 fliall endeavour to ftate the Scripture Dodlrine Serm. r. of his Effence and Perfonality. "^ — "^ II. In what Manner he is received ; and how we may know whether we have received him or not. III. To what Ends the receiving of him is neceffary. And IV. The Means by which we may re- ceive him. In treating of which, may the Blejfed Spi^ rit^ who is the Subjed: of them, fo cleanfe the Thoughts of our Hearts by his gentle Infpiration, that all carnal Affedions being fubdued, they may be open to receive his Light and Truth, in the fober Ufe of thofe Means which he has appointed, ^ Prayer, ^ James i. and the ^ Word of God ! h john v. 39- Firft I fhall fhew that there is an Holy Ghoft^ and endeavour to ftate the Scripture Dodrine of his Effence and Perfonality. Spirit^ or in old Britifti, Gho/i, is a Name of Kind, taken in Scripture rather negative- ly, in Oppofition to what it is not, than de- fining v/hat it is ; as, ' ^ Spirit hath not Flejh '^uk. B 3- ancr-"^- 6 "The Divinity and Perfonality Serm. I. and Bones as ye fee me have : and it is like- wife diflinguifhed from the animal Soul and Fkfh, as by St. Jude, fenfual [or animal] ^ 'Ft'xtxo;, having not the^ Spirit. Wherefore it would SlIC V. he a great Miftake to afcribe to the Holy '9 Ghoji fuch EfFeds and Operations, as owe themfelves only to the Flefh or animal Life. To thefe it is really oppofed ; but it is called a Spiy^it only by a Metaphor or Analogy, as the neareft Approach which the Groffnefs of our Ideas, the Types of fenlible Objeds, can make to the true Nature of it. Its fub- t}l(ty, and Activity, mighty in its EfFeds, but indifcernable in its Operation, are the Points of Comparifon ; and therefore applied to God, and to Angels whether good or evil, and to the human or rational Soul. But when applied to thefe, it would be abfurd to underftand the Word in its flrid and pro- per Signification fo as to infer the fame Qua- lilies, Properties, and Effeds in them, as»in the Air or Wind itfelf (i). If God for his powerful (i) Sciunt qui in Hebrasis literis verfati funt, quam late pateat Spiritus nomen. Origine iua ventum ilgnificat : ob cujus fubtilitatem, quae vifum fugit, ad alia transfertur : pri- mum ad fubftantias, nam Deus, Angeli boni malique de- inde ipfe hominis animus eo vocabulo nuncupatur. Grot, Annot. in Luc. ix. v. 55. Arijloteles de mundo fcribit, ventum nihil aliud efie nifi multum aerem copiose & confertim fluentcm, qui fimul & f 7rVcV[ACli XVllJ. 10. of the }iohY Ghost ajferted. 7 powerful and boundlefs Energy be called a Serm. I Spirit, and be defcribed 2^^^ flying upon the^VL: Wings of the Windy yet would it be ftrange Divinity to infer from thence an Inconftancy and Changeablenefs in Him (2), with whom is no VariablenefSy neither Shadow of T^urning"^, "" Jam. i. If he maketh his Angels Spirits ", fent forth "Heb.i.7 to mini [ler for thofe whofl^all be Heirs of Sal- vation °, the Revelation, which tells us fo, °Heb. i. 14* would be of little Ufe, (hould we argue from thence, that their Voice was delufive and un- meaning as the Echo, repeating nothing but what ourfelves firft gave out; that they were in this refped p become Wind alfo, and the p jer. v. Word was not in them. So again the human wi/EWfca dicatur. Scapula in wvew, Try.vfAot. & SchindUr, in HIH dicitur autem ventus i"eu Spiritus de variis rebus quae non vi- dentur, & moventur. Proprie de Aere, vento elemental!, aura, turbine, & procella : Et VoJJiusAt Orig. Idol. lib. 2. c. 83. avE/xo? ab (zri[Ai, hoc eft, fpiro. Imo & dr^^ Tic nomina- tus putatur quia per eum fpiramus, & vivimus. Malim ta- men, fic dici, quia ell fpirabilis naturae : ut idem proprie fit, ac ventus. (2) The Heathens, who called the Wind God or Jupiter, as Ennius, Iftic eft is Jupiter, quern dice, qucm Grsci vocant Aerem, qui ventus eft could with fome Propriety ufe a Solcecifm in Theologj', and fay Quod latus mundi nebulae, malufque Jupiter urget. Uor. B 4 Soul 8 "The Divinity, and Perfonality ^^^!^i}^ Soul, itfelf undifcern'd, yet difcovered by its EfFeds, when ^^^hear the Sound thereof in "^Job the Voice of Reafon, is called '^ the Spirit XXXli. ?• . . . . . ' Joh. iii. that is in Man^ as it '' blows where it lifleth^ becaufc we cannot command it to animate what Mafs we pleafe, and know not whence it coimth or whither it goeth ; but to ft retch the Comparifon farther than the Points of Similitude intended, would lead us to that falfe Conclufion of the Ungodly, that we fliall be hereafter as though we had never »wifd. ii. been, becaufe ' the Breath in our Nojlrih is ^' 2* as Smoke, and our Spirit foall vanijh as the Joft Air, As it hath plea fed God to convey the Knowledge of heavenly Things to us only by the Mediation of fen fible Objeds, we muft remember, that thefe fen fible Objeds are but Types and Charaders of what they fignify, and not the Things themfelves ; wherefore as the Refcmblance is not univerfal, the Ap- plication fliould be hmited ; and not carried farther than Scripture warrants, nor ever be interpreted literally, only by Analogy: O- therwife the wildeft Fancies and grofieft Conceits may be advanced as true Divinity, if we will admit for fuch, all the Conclu- I ' fions. of t/jeHoLY Ghost ajferted. fions, which a lively Imagination may ex tra. 102. (6) Adeft enim ei [Patri] femper Verbum & Sapientia, Filius & Spiritus, per quos, & in quibus omnia libere Sc fponte fecit. Irena. lib. 4. c. 37. & lib. 5. c. 12. Aliudautem eft quod faftum eft, ab eo qui fecit. Afflatus igitur temporalis, Spiritus autem fempiternu?. And after him Wppolytus intro- duces the Saints fpeaking to the Son, 2u J di) Zv av eI o a-vvdvaex^ '^V "^^^^i^t *^ cvvcc't'^i^ Tw Trviv^ocli. Bibl. Patritm Tom. 12. p. 605. (7) Irenaus in the Place above cited, hh. 4. c. 37. Nee cnim indigebat horum [Angelorum] Deus ad faciendum qua ipfe apud fe praefinierat £eri, quafi ipfe fuas non haberet manus. Then follows, Adeft enim ei femper Verbum & Sapientia, Filius & Spiritus &-c. On which an Obfervatioa of Didjmui though a Poft-Nicene may not be impertinent : — Oftenditux 1 4 7^^ Divinity and Perfonality Serm. I- ejl. If any expedl Abatement to be made for thefe poetical Expreflions, as owing them- felves to the oriental Grandeur, I muft ob- ferve, fo far from that, that on the other Side Allowances muft be made for the Po- verty of Language, which faints beneath the Weight of that Truth, it was intended to carry : which will appear by appealing 2. To the Works peculiar to God, and which are Teftimonies of his Attributes. <> Rom. i. Thus St. Paul tells us, ° Hi^ eternal Power and Godhead are clearly feen from the Crea- tion of the World ; and God challenges it folely to himfelf without the Aid or Miniftry pif. xliv. of others; ^I a7n the Lord that maketh all ^^' Things that fir etcheth forth the Heavens alone, .uviX(; 'KtTrWvSicn, y^ iv tw x-xIcc^^cckivi sivoci f^dd 9r£7r?v>5g«X£ tw olKovyuivYiv . . , , to ^\ 'r:a,v\a)(S c,'y, kJ Qtco crv^- 'jrccfov, rr,q ttoIok; w^oa'/itcei vofti^Etv {pvcr£co<; ; nrr,q iroivlcc we/jt- j^ov£r»j(j, ^ ToK f^i£^i}CoT<; l/X7r£^t£tA*3/Xjw) vweg v^uao(A,ev » ment of the Holy Ghost ajferteci. 17 ment of his Divinity by a peculiar Ho- ^^^'^- ^♦ NOUR, which Honour ^ he will not give or ^ -^' ^i^i- allow to another. Such are religious In- vocation and Addrefs ; confecrating our- felves to his Service by Baptism; Bene- diction in his Name; and dedicating Temples to him. Yet this Honour we are allowed to pay to the Holy Gbo/l{i2)y but to no created Power whatever. Thus our Saviour directs us, ^ Pray the Lord of^ Matt, ix; the Harveft that he would fend forth Labourers into the Harvefi. But the Holy Ghoft is the Lord of the Harveft ; it was he that ^ fe- ' Ads xiif. ^ 2. parated Paid and Barnabas \ whole Office in general it is to appoint ^ Overfeers over s xx. 28. the Flock to feed the Church of God\ and who is exprefly mentioned as the Lord of (13} — Filius & Spiritus Sanflus, Verbum & Sapleniia, quibus ferviunt, & fubjedi funt omnes Angeli. Iren. lib. 4. c. 17. & Jujl. Martyr earlier. Exsrpov ts \jTocn:i^oC\ y^ toi? vsct^ cl'StS vlov iK^QvloL 'SJviv'^di T£ TO 'ST^Q!pr)7txov o-iQo(^s9u, x^ 'Sj^oa-KvvH^Asvt T^oyco -^ oc>.v)Qeia, riyuuvri<;. Apol. I. Ed. Thir. Accordingly we find an old Form of Praife in common Ufe in the Church in BaJtP^ Time, and then fo old as to have loll the Name of its Author, and be called u^^^Tav eus ilk qui inhabitat, inquinatam fedem ofFenfus derelin- quat. 'Tert. de cultu Fcem. z. (18) i y»g »0^os ^-srsAiuVsIai /3A«cr^)9/^wv «al<» ra (^O^xm- C 3 Q^uiira 21. "The Divinity and Perfonality fhould be fafe in fuch an Inference appears from this, that the divinely inftrudled A- poftles themfelves have often made it before us. Becaufe the Holy Ghofi dv^ells in us, therefore our Bodies are the Temples of f 2 Pet. I. God. ^i. Peter informs \x'^ \h2X^ Prophecy came not of old Time by the Will of Man, but Holy Men of God JpaJze as they were moved by the Holy Ghoji. But St. Paul tells us that this Holy Ghoft was God. For all Scripture y fays he, is given by Jnfpiration of ^ God 5 and " it was God who at fundry "Heb. i. times, and in divers majtners fpake in time faft unto the Fathers by the Prophets, Which jufliiies the Conclufion generally drawn from the Paffage in the Acis (19), where the Cafe ^P'J:'V7S 7rv£v[^ccrcg ra dy'ia. 'tt-jivu^x oe o ©go?. Dionyf. Alex, in Epifi. contra Paulu?n Same/at . Bib. Pair. (19) On which Paffage thus Bajil^ §ru o'' av to a'vvcc(pk >^ tcoiui^F.lcv xa.rc<. '^cccccv iviiyticx-v cc^o Trar^og Kj vm ra uy,a icrvivi.4,cx.roq 6tcx\^^£irjq. de Spiritu Sandto c. 16. But feme have thought it miUerial to obferve, that the fame Verb is differently conflru(aed in the two Sentences, in the 3d Verfe With an Accufative, ■^evaaaS'xi a-e ro 'dvivf^oc to clytcv ; and an the 4th wih a Dative, yx l-^/tva-u uv^^co^ajoi^y aXKci tZ Qbo?, fancying * neqiie fortuitam effe hanc cafuum mutationem, * ne quis Deum vocari arbitraretur, qui :nodo SpiritusSandlus * didius fuerat.* Wherefore Eyafmus would tranflate the 3d Verfe fimulare Spirifum SanSlum to /pretend to the Spirit \vhen they had it not ; but Pifcaior, Cteilius^ and fome others^ fall^r? ' 2 Tim. iii- 16. l« of t^e Hot Y Ghost ajferted. 23 Cafe of Ananias and Sapphira is related ^, ^^^!lf; Why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie unto "" Aa.v. the falkre Spiritum SanSiuWy as if the meaning was, that Ananias and Sapphira had agreed to tempt, v. 9. (or try whether they could deceive) the Holy Ghoji, or Divine Wifdom, which was in the Apoftles. But that mull be bad Criticifm, which teaches us fo greatly to millake, or mifreprefent plain mat- ter of Fadl, which according to St. Luke was thus ; when Peter and John had returned to their own Company, A^. iv. 19 — 23. And had prayed, they were all oi'mctweq filled with the Holy Ghoji^v. 31. In confequence of which, they were all of one Heart and one Soul, and had all things in common, v. 32. and were moved to fell their Pofieffions, and bring the Prices of the Things that were fold, and lay them at the Apoftles Feet, v. 34, 35. not by virtue of any Command of the Apoftles, but purely by the motions of the Spirit J with which they were filled. Among thefe were Ananias and Sapphira, who were moved, with the reft, to fell their Poflefiions, and fo far complied with the Motion ; but afterwards received Satan into their Hearts, and through Avarice kept back part of the Price. Which when Ananias. came to lay at the Apoftles Feet, Peter rebukes him for his Treachery, to this Purpofe ; this Fraud is not to Us, for we have no Claim upon your Poffeffions, had you brought lefs, or even nothing, no Injury had been done to us the Apoftles, ijohilji it remained, nvas it not thine onjsn ? and after it ijcas fold, ijoas it not in thine ovon Po^erf But being direded by the Holy Ghoft to fell, and confecrate it all to his Service, and thy vowing fo to do, this keeping back part of it, is owing to thy receiving his Enemy Satan into thine Heart* and is a faljtfying of thy Engagements to the Holy Ghojl: by which means thou haft not deceived or defrauded us, for we had no Title to any ftiare of it ; but thou haft deceived or defrauded God, that God to whom you vowed to confecrate it, which was the Holy Ghoji. This is the Faft related, and the Greek Idiom in the third Verfe, with an Accufative af- C 4 ter 2 4 T'he Divinity and Perfonality ^J[j the Holy Ghofl? — thou haji not lied unto MeUy but unto God. Nay the very incommuni- cable Name Jehovah is frequently afcribed to him by the Evangelical Writers. We are informed in the Pentateuch that the Lord (nin^j fpake unto Mofes, faying, Let them 7nake me a San&uary that I may dwell amo7ig them accordi?2g to all that I Jhew ^Exod. fij^g ^^j^;2 Cq (hall ye make it^. St. Faul XXV. I, 8, , . 9. referring to this, fays, that Mojes was ad- nionillied of God, when he was about to make the Tabernacle according to the Pat- tern Ihewed him; which Pattern he in- forms us was typical, a Figure for the time prefent, the Holy Ghojl fignifying thereby fuch ter ^tv^Q^x\, is proper and clajjical to fignify being falfe to Engagements. Thus,-o^;^Ea itiroi nJ^s'-'f^a/XEyoi— II. H. & Jofephus xct:. A7it. lib. 3. c. 10. Accordingly St. Auftin de Verb. Apoft. f. 25. charges Ananias here with Sacrilege, quod Deum iu Tollkitatione fefeUerit. So that the difference of Conlbuc- tion is no Pvclief to the Sacinian Caufe ; againft which it may be further obferved, that the common Syriac reads without any fuch Difference, as if the Original had been •i/ivcrcccr^cii et<; to 'srvay^'xa to ayiov, in the 3d Verfe, and efc f-^evc-a iU a-'j^p^zjHi;, aA^' ek rlv ©lov in the 4th, with which my ancient Verfion, which more pundually follows the Greek Idiom, agrees in both Places, without any notice of a various Reading in either of the authentic Greek Co- pies with which it was collated. t md cfthelrioL^ Ghost ajferted. 25 and Juch Jruths ^. And to mention no more, ^^^f;^ in the 6th of Ifaiah, the Prophet reprefents ^Heb.viii. the Lord (Jehovah J Jit ting upon the Throne^ withHeb. high and lifted upy and his I'rain filled the See alfo Temple, Above flood the Seraphi?n^ and oiie , J 'Zm^, cried unto the other and /aid, Holy^ Holy^ with Heb. Holyy Lord God ofHoflSy the whole Earth is full of his Glory, And Ifaiah heard the Voice of the Lord, faying, who?n Jhall 1 fend^ and who will go for us? then f aid I, here am ly fend me. And he faid, go ajjd tell this People, hear ye indeed, but underfand not: and fee ye indeed, but perceive not % &c.— ^ v. i, 2, There is no Queftion made, but that this is ^' * ^* the true God : Yet here we have an Intima- tion of a Plurality in his Eflence, in the 8 th Verfe, Whom Jlmll I fend, afjd who will go for US? and a farther Intimation in the 3d Verfe, that this Plurality is a Trinity, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord GodofHofls! And agreeably to thefe Intimations thofe infpired Commentators, ^t.John and St. Luke, include the Second and Third Perfons of the Trinity in this Idea of the Lord God ofHofls ; the firft afcribing the Glory then feen to the Son^', and the latter, in his Hiftory of the .joij^xif. ^ Apoftles, 41* T^he Divinity and Perfonality Apoftles, afcribing the Words to the Jiol^ Ghofl \ If then that Spirit, to which divine in- communicable Attributes, Works, Honour and Names are afcribed, is God; and if Divine Revelation be the proper Evidence from v^hence only we can receive Informa- tion in this Point, how can we conclude otherwife than that the Holy Ghoji is God ? Will it be faid the Evidence has been tam- pered with, and corrupted by the Catholicks? Yet here the various Copies, Verfions and Editions agree, abundantly fufficient to fup- port the Premifes. Will they fay the Con- clulion is illogical? Yet the fiy-fl Chrifliam ' who are likely to be the beft Interpreters of Scripture, were fully in the Belief of it ; fu- ture Synods and Coimcils found no Caufe to cenfure their Faith in this Article, but efta- bliflied it by their Suffrages and Decrees ; Nay the one half of our Adverfaries the Sabellians and Soci?2ia?is have allowed it: Only Arius and Macedonius^ with fuch as fight from their Tents, have had Courage enough to encounter thofe Arguments, and attack the Dhinity of th^ Holy Gho/l. The others of t&eHoLY Ghost ajferted. others infer it fo neceflarily, as to per- fuade themfelves, that he is no other than the very Perfon of the Father, confidered under a different mode of adling ; or that he is a Quality or Energy of the Divine Nature. But this is an Error as little coun- tenanced in Scripture, as that which would degrade him into the Rank of Creatures, for from thence we learn that the Holy Gho/i has a perfonal Subfiftence, and is there- fore more than a Quality or Energy of the Divine Nature ; and that this perfonal Sub- fiftence is diftindl from the Perfon of the Father, and alfo of the Son. Thus, to know and to will are perfonal Properties ^ but thefe are affirmed of the Holy Ghofl. TChe things of God biowetb no c , qq^^ h Perfon but the Spirit of God, ^^slg si [JLi^ 1\'qq^^ Tivsvixa"". And, All thefe worketh thai one and ^\X^' . the Jelf fame Spirit, dividing to every Man feve- 28. rally as he wiH^. And agreeably hereto he s john XVI I 2 is reprefented as decreeing % as appointing to h , coJ' the Mijiiftry^ ^sfpeaking^, as giving \ ^^^f]ohnxv. as witneji?2g': he is alfo faid to come^, ^^kth dwell^, to be refilled'^, and the hke, which xvi. 13. ^ Rom. with many more, naturally lead to the Ca- viii.9, n: tholick yij^ ^i^ The Divinity andPerfonality tholick Belief, that the Spirit thus charac- terized muft be a Perfon. And indeed S^- bellim is confiftent enough -, for, as from the former Arguments he acknowleges the Holy Ghojl to be God, fo from thefe he acknow- ledges him to be a Perfon, no other than the Perfon of God the Father. But the Opinion of the Sociniam finds no Countenance here ; a chief Mafler in that School firft lays down as a Principle, that the Holy Ghojl is a mere Quality (20), neither a Perfon nor a Sub- ftance, (20) Crellius propofes his Quellion p. 73. An Spirltus Sandas fubftantia quaedam fit, an vero mera tantum SluaUtas a Deo profeda ? and decides p. 80. Refpondemus Spiritum Sanftum quidem per fe, & (ut in Scholia loquuntar) abllrade fumptum, ^alitat&m re'vera ejfe, tiofi Buhjiantiam, Which he fays, /■. 3. is compared to a Breath or Wind, quod flatus ventufque fit res tenuiflima ac fubtillflima, eamque ob caufam penetrabilis admodum & ad fefe in intima qu^que infinuan- dum apta, ac fimul etiam occulta, oculifque non fubjedla. Similiter etiam Eficacia ilia dinjina (fell. Splritus Sandlus) occuha quadam ratione imis hominum fenfibus fefe inlinuat, & intima qusque penetrat. This is the Comparifon in a ge- neral View ; but in the Words immediately preceding he had drawn it out in its particular Lines of Refemblance : Similitudinis autem Ratio in eo potllTimum videtur confiftere, quod quemadmodum halitu feu afflatu five vento facile quif- piam affici, & qualitate aliqua inde [a Vento] manante im- bui potell, eoque fimul aliqua ratione commovetur et agita- tur, ITA etiam virtute Divina homines afficiuntur (where wirtus Di'vina correfponds to Halitu^ feu Ventus) & qualitati-i bus quibufdam a Dto prohcifcentibus imbuuntur i to make his of theHoLY Ghost ajferted. 29 ftance, for thefe two Reafons; i. Becaufe Serm.i. he is called the Spirit of God, and the Spi- rit of Chrift, therefore it is not a Perfon it- felf, but only the Quality of a Perfon s and 2dly, becaufe it is elfe where called the Power of God which is a mere Quality, and we ought not without great and fufficient Caufe to leave the Propriety of Words, and explain them in an improper Senfe. But it has been already feen, that in divine Subjedts we can- not conclude ftridlly from the primary or proper Signification of the Terms. 2dly, lobferve, that the Jews (and to them, and by them, was the Revelation made) had other Ideas of thofe Terms than Crellius would recommend to us ; they believed the Spirit which is the Soul of a Man was the his Comparifon hold a Deo (hould be aequivalent to ifide, i. e. a 'virtute ilia dlvind ; but that we fee according to him, is only mera ^alitas. Wherefore to be confident with himfelf, and fpeak without Difguife, he fhouid have faid, ITA etiam Virtute feu Qualitate Divina homines afficiun- tur, & qualitatibus quibufdam ab ea Qualitate preiicifcenti- bus imbuuntur, & aliqua ratione commoventur, & agitantur. But this had been too grofs ; he therefore Aides a Subflance upon us to fupport thofe Qualities, and makes that Subftance to be God. Thus mired in his own Sophiftry, he fpeaks like a true Catholic unawares, in fpite of an e-vil Heart of Unbelief, fraa. de Spiritu San^o. X Perfon 3 o The Divinity and Perfonality Serm. I. Perfon of the Man (21) ; and that a Pro- felyte at his Baptifm received another Spirit, or Soul, whereby he became another Man. Baptifm therefore was called among them Regeneration and a New Birth, and the New Teftament is full of Allufions to thefe No- tions, which fliews they were common at « John that Time, as, being "^ born again^ "" putting •Col' iii ^ff^^^ ^^^ Many P becoming new Creatures^ and 9- the like : So again Power among the Jews^ V. 17 ' in Theology, lignified more than a Quality; it certainly meant a Perfon ; when Angels^ 9 Rom. Principalities^ and Powers "^ are ranked toge- vi". 38. ^QXy Perfons are meant at leaft, if not Spirits that were Perfons, and Simon Magus was believed by fome to be the great Power of (21) Animadvertatur, voluifTe Eos {Judaos) Animas in Coelo, antequam in humana corpora infundantur creari ; at- qiie novam in Profelytum quemlibet, quum primum faftus effet, animam adeoque novam formam coelitus illabi folere. Certe ita plane novus homo dicendus erat. . . . utpote velut infans in utero matris novae denud conceptus atque renatus. Selden de Jure Nat. lib. z.c. 4. /. 161. And Plato in A|to%. v,(^i7(; /xev ya,^ iu^\v -^^v^-^. By this Rule of Crelltusy the Perfonality of the Son of God will vanifh away, for according to Her mas, Filius Dei Spiritus Sandlus eft : and with Tatian he is A070; iTra^dvioq 'TrvBift-n ytyovuq uTTo t5 'rrdl^oq. Nay God himfelf will be fubtilized into a mere Quality, for God is a Spirit, Job. iv. 24. God: of theHohY Ghost ajferted. 3 1 God : and among their Writers The Power ^Serm. i. lignifies the Perfon of God himfelf, agree- '"""^'^"'^ ably to which our Saviour is defcribed as fitting at the right Hand of P o w e r ^ ' Matth. Wherefore by his own Rule Crellius (hould have obferved the Propriety of Idiom among thofe who ufed it, and thence inferred the Perfonality of the Holy Ghofi from his being the Spirit of Gody and the Power of the Higheft, And when to this fo many per- fonal Properties are affigned to him in Scrip- ture, his old Rule will never help him to guard againfl the Catholic Conclufion. O- thers therefore have Recourfe to Rhethoric, and refolve fome of thofe Expreffions into a Profopopceia, by applying to the Attribute that Perfonality which properly belongs to Him whofe the Attribute is ; as, The Holy Choft faidy Jeparate me Saul and Barnabas^ means, that God by his Wifdom faid fo. And where this Figure will not ferve their Purpofe, they fuppofe a MetoJiyrny^ afcribing perfonal Properties to the Spirit of God, which belong to the Man who is affifted by the Spirit, as, The Spirit fear cheth all Things^ means, The true believing Chriftian, in whom 3 2 ^he Divinity and Perfonality Serm.L^ whom God's Spirit is, fearcheth all Things. But neither of thefe Figures will interpret the perfonal Properties afcribed to the Holy Ghoft, There are no lefs than fix afcribed to him in one fingle Verfe, Johit xvi. 13. When He (the other Comforter under- ftood) the Spirit of Truth is come, he (hall 'guide you into all Truth; for he fhall not fpeak of Himfelf, but whatfoever He (hall hear that fhall he fpeak, and he fhall Jhew you Things to come. No Figure will en- able us to interpret this Text quite through, either of the Perfon of the Father of whom the Holy Gboff is fuppofed to be an Attribute; or of the Perfons of the Apoflles to whom it was promifed to be communicated. If of the latter, this mufl be the Englifh of it -, The Apoflles by the Affiflance of divine Wifdom fhall come, and guide themfelves into all Truth, and fhew themfelves Things to come. Neither can we interpret it of the Perfon of the Father, and fay, that when he fhall guide them into all Truth, yet he /hall not fpeak of himfelf but whatfo- ever he fhall hear^ that floall he fpeak. From whom fhould he hear it ^ Our Saviour pro- ceedsj oftheWoLY Ghost ajferted. 33 ceeds. He (hall receive of mine and {hew It Srrm. I. unto you. That is, The Father fliall receive Knowledge of the Man Chrijt Jejus (as the Socmiam teach) and (hew it to the Apoftles. But if our Saviour fays. He foall receive of MINE, htczuk ainhi?2gs which the Father hath are mine, then to interpret it of the Perfon of the Father makes this Nonfenfe of it ', He (hall not fpeak of himfelf, but whatfoever he hears or receives of himfelf, that fhall he fhew. Such artful Expofitors of Scripture are the Socinian Writers ! Their Faith difdains Myjleries : Nothing lefs than Abfurdities will fatisfy them. So that the Holy Ghoft is undoubtedly a Perfon 3 for he has perfonal Attributes or Properties afligned him, which no Figure can account for, in referring theni either to the Perfon of God the Father, whofe the Spirit Is; or to the Perfon of the believing Chriflian, to whom the Spirit is communicated. Nor is he only reprefented in Scripture as a Perfon, but alfo as a Perfon plainly diflindl from the Father ; / will /end unto you from the Father the Spirit of Ttruth^ which proceed- eth from the Father \ And in other Places • [ohnxvi, D " he'^- T'he Divinity and Perfonality he ftands perfonally diftinguiftied both from the Father and the Son. As in the Form of Baptifm; In the Name of the Father and of ' Mnh. the Son a?2d of the Holy Ghoft \ The Words point to a Diftinftion of Perfons (22), and the DocSrine of Baptifm confirms fuch an Interpretation. For at the firfl Baptifm, I mean that of Chrift himfelf, they were all Three prefent, and had diftind: perfonal Of- fices ; // came to pafs that Jefus bemg bap- tized^ , ... the Holy Ghoft defcended in a bodily Shape like a Dove upon him^ and a Voice came from Heaven, faying^ T^hou art "Mark ^y beloved Son^ In thee I am well pie afed"^. Lukeiii. -^^'^ ^^^ ^^^ future Baptifm of Chrift ians, the 22' Mercy of God the Father faves us, by the renewing of the Holy Ghoft fhed on us through Cbrift. So again the Form of Be- nedidion, T^he Grace of our LordJefiisChrift^ (22) The Ancients ufed to bid the Arians^ Go to the Ri'ver Jordan^ and jou Jhall fee the Trinity. AlUx p. 297. After the mention of this Text, the old Creed of Lucian remarks, aAjjOjvw? vis oy]<^t t^ TrviviAccl^, oiyla clXrt^uq cvj^ 'jrviv^oCl^ aym. ruv ovo^jO^uv «% UTrhuCj jI^e d^yuv Xn^ivuv, oiyo^a, cr>j- I and oftheYiohY Ghost ajferted. 35 and the Love of God, and the Fellowjhip of the Serm. I. Holy Ghoft^^ denotes three Perfons with their ^ 2 Cor. ceconomical Charadlers (23). I might proceed to multiply Texts, but I think thefe are fufficient, to prove again ft Soci- 72ti5y that the Holy Ghojt is a Perfon, and not a mere Quality or Attribute only. Alfo, againfl SabelUus, that the Perfon of the Holy Ghojl is diftindl from the Perfon of the Father and the Son: As we had before proved againft Ariui and MacedoniuSy that the Holy Ghoft was God. Truths, which not only the Catholic Church of Chrift has always maintained,^ as drawn from, and proved by clear Teftimony of divine Revelation ; but which alfo our Adverfaries have divided dimong them, and therein approved our Expofition. Does the Church teach that the Holy Ghoft is God ? So acknov/ledge Sabellius and Socimis^ not prejudiced in favour of the Catholic Opini- (23) H^^Tq 12. But a Myftery it ftill continues, which the Labours of the Poji-Nicene Fathers could never fulHciently unfold, and which will be an Exercife for our Faith till we have new Faculties given us to apprehend it. "A^^-nloq jcJ a«aja- Gvrt r>3; rm viroToicrtuv ^toipo^oiq to tt,<; ^v'crsuq <7vyi)(\<; ^ioc- CTTucrr^gf ovTs rr.q Kccla Tr» ovo'tav Kotv6rvp,oq ro Ihd^ov Tuv yvu^ia-f^ccruiv uvoc^Bovcry}^. . . . riva, £9rivoy/!Xcv, ucnrt^ Iv uiviy- fjiivrtv a-vvcc(piixv. Bafil Epiji . /^'^ . p, 67. but falfely marked ^j, Tom. 3. their of the Holy Ghost ajferted. 41 their Notice, of what neither Eye hasjeen, ^erm. r. nor Ear heard"-. The Terms in which the ^1 Cor. Truths are exprefled, we acknowledge are improper y and if ftriftly taken, and purfaed through all their Confequences, will certainly lead us into Error (26), if not into Abfur- dity. (26) Hence Taul of Samofata, who was a Zahell'ian, ob- jefted againft the Catholic Ufe of the Word oftoa.-io?, be- caufe the proper Idea of it fuggefts an adlual Divifion of the fame EiTence into two or more Parts ; and to difclaim that Error, the Fathers, of the Antiochian Synod rejeded even the Word itfelf. But thofe o^ Nice refumed it again, not only as a primitive Expreffion, but as the juilefl they could find to fignify the numerical Difference of Perfons in the fame Effence, denying at the fame Time that a«Slual Separation which, in fenfible Objetls, the Word implied : oVi ^) jcccla ra ruv cuyioiruv 'Trci^vj hiyoi ro o^^ondiovy «T£ ev Jcciicx. otaci^sciv, are xald rUa, oc'TrolofAvv Ix. Ta ttoJ^o? vTrorrivaci. /:av;ts yiz^ ^vvota-Qoct v(pifaa9ui. Sgjot? ^g x^ drrropp'r^roiq ^lOf^otcri 'TT^oariX.zi roi T04- avrx voi7v. Conji. in Eufeb. Epiji. ad def. apud Socrat. Ecclef. Hift. lib, I. r. 8. So again the Greeks and Latins accufed each other with Herefies, becaufe the former held there were three, the latter only one Hypoftafis in the Deity, while both meant the fame Truth. The Greeks charging Sabellianif?n on thofe who faid there was but one v'TroTo.a-K^^ becaufe with them it properly lignified Perfon, in the Concrete i while the Latins charged Arianifm on thofe who held three v'Ttordanc,, be- caufe they had always tranflated it in the Abftraft, Subftanc& or EJfence ; but explaining themfelves to one another, they were reconciled in the Council of Alexandria, So Jerome pbjefts as Error in Origen that he held that the Son cannot fee the Father, nor the Holy Ghoji the Son : in Epift. 61 ad ^ammach c, 3. Whereas Origen was only arguing againft the ail. 12, 42 l^he Divinity and Perfonality Serm. r. (Jity. But it is not our Faith in the Trinity only, but our Faith in God that is fubjcdl to the fame Inconveniences. We are in- formed, that the Eyes oj the Lord are over the Righteous^ and his Ears are open to their Prayers, but the Face of the Lord is againjl ^ I Pet. them that do Evil ^, Yet how is this con- fiftent with our Faith, that God has neither Body, Parts, or Paflions ? Or if we believe that God is infinite, our Idea is Exiftence in every Point of Space, which implies Multi- plicity, or Extenfion 3 but God is one, as well as without Parts ; and to make a Mul- titude of one, is not lefs a Myftery than the Trinity, and Extenfion without Parts is an Abfurdity in Philofophy. Such inadaequate Judges are our Senfes of fpiritual and divine Truths! So unworthily do our Imaginations delineate them ! That we cannot form full, clear, and confifl:ent Ideas of them, is not owing to any real Abfurdity in the Doftrines, but the Difproportion of our Faculties to re- the Anthropomorphites, that God had no vifible Body, and diftinguifhes, aliud quidem efl ^videre^ aliud no/cere. And to mention no more, Novatian has been charged with denying the Divinity o^i\it Holy Ghojl, becaufe he aflerts Omnis Spirt- ius efi Creatura. All thefe are true or falfe as the Words are taken in their/ri^/fr or improper Senfe. f ceive of the Holy Ghost ajferted. 43 ceive them : and their being above human Serm. i. Comprehenfion, is an Argument that they did not fpring from human Invention. But of what Ufc then is Reafon in Religion, if it be inadequate to divine Subjeds ? Mud we not check it*s Enquiries, and believe im- plicitly ? By no Means : Religion is fu- preme Reafon ; and though we are too (hort lighted to difcover all the Agreements and Harmony which conftitute it, yet cer- tainly we ought not to fhut our Eyes on that Account ; we are religious Creatures only becaufe we are reafon able ones. And Revelation is fo far from curbing and con- fining the Exercife of Reafon, that on the contrary it enlarges it, opens a wider Field to expatiate in, gives new Principles to build upon, a greater Variety of Premiffes to con- clude from. The Error of Bigots and Free- Thinkers too, is in not giving fufficieut Free- dom and Scope to Thought, The Firft wrap up their Talent in a Napkin, unreafonably dreading the Aufterity of their Mafter : The Others venture but half theirPrinciple, and ufe but a Moiety of the Treafure put into their Hands 5 their Reafon travels no farther than their l^he Divinity and Perfonality their Eyes or Ears, nor liftens (though God himfelf fpeaks) to any Thing but the Re- port of their Senfes. Whereas Truths re- vealed by God, muft be as folid a Founda- tion to conclude from, as our own Experi- ence. The Senfes are indeed placed as Cen- tinels to guard againft Error : And there- fore left we (hould rejedl God's Word, or give an eafy Ear to human Impofture, he has been pleafed to give fenfible Evidence that it came from him, and feal his Revela- tions with Variety of Miracles. But when our Senfes have fatisfied us, that the Reve- lation does come from God, their Judg- ment afterwards v/ouldbe very impertinent concerning the Properties, i^ffedions, and Relations of divine Objedls. But Reafoa proceeds never the lefs fafe, and unbarrafTed, and judges from proper Evidence; not mea- furing heavenly Things by fenfible, but lay- ing the feveral parts of the Revelation to- gether, and comparing jpintual Takings with « I Ccr. H. jpiritual^. What Signjheweji tbou^? was a Moh. ii. ^^^^ ^^^ j*^^ Qu,eftion of the Jews to our '^- Saviour, that they might be convinced that He came from God : Accordingly * he of the\iohY Ghost afferted. 45 he appeals to his future Refurredion, and serm. r. when he was rifen from the Dead, the ^'""^ Word which J ejus had /aid was believed^, gjoh, iiV But when Nicodemus who had acknow- ledged him to be a Teacher fent from God, impertinently alked him of his Doftrine, How can thefe Things be^? Inftead of Ex- ^ John iii. plication, he refts himfelf upon the Autho- ^' rity and Sufficiency of the Evidence. Veri- ly, verily, I fay unto thee, we fpeak that we do know, and teftify that we have feen'\ Nor ^ v. u. need we apprehend that at this Rate the gioffeft Contradictions may be admitted, and that Tranfubftantiation itfelf will ftand on as fafe a Footing as the Dodrine of the Trinity : For this plain obfervation may be made ; that when both the Terms of a Pro- pofition are ufed only in an analogical, and not a proper Senfe, or our Ideas arc inadas- quate both to the Subjed and the Pr abdicate, we fhall more C2iG[y fancy a Contradiction than prove it ; but the Cafe is otherwife where the Terms are Objedts of our Senfes, as in Tranfubftantiation ; There, though we cannot be proper Judges of the divine Virtue and Efficacy communicated to the I Elements 46 ^he Divinity aftdPerfonality Serm. I. Elements by the Power of God, yet our Senfcs are as good Judges after Confecration, as before, whether the Elements continue in their Subftance Bread and Wine or not. Others may fay, that after the Revelation is admitted for Divine, it is not always eafy' to afcertain the Senfe, and Meaning of that Revelation : How may we be fatisfied about that? Here Recourfe muft be had to the original Languages in which the Revelation was delivered, to Grammar and Criticifm, Hiftory and i\ntiquity, to the bell MSS, Verfions, and Editions, to the Quotations and Interpretations of the primitive Chri- ftians, to the Faith of the Catholic Church, their Difputes vVith Heretics, and the De- crees of General Councils. All thefe con- fpire in fupport of the Dodrine which has been now delivered. Laftly it may be afked, If this Doftrine is of fo great Importance as the Catholics fuppofe it to be, how comes it to pafs, that it was fo lately difcovered ? that the Gentiles (hould be fufiFered to fit in fuch grofs Dark- nefs for 4000 Years ; and the Jews them- felves, thofe Favourites of Heaven, the Na- f tion of theVLohv Ghost averted. 47 tion of Pfiefts, who were entrufted with Serm. r. the divine Oracles for the Inftrudion of the World, (hould be totally ignorant of it ? As the point fuppofed in the Objedion feems to receive fome Countenance from the Text, where we find that the Difciples, whether 'Jews or Greehy (for both were St. Paul's Auditors at Ephefus) had yet never fo much as heard whether there was any HolyGhofl-y I intend (God willing) in my next Lecfture to occur at large to this Objecflion. In the mean Time we need not fear to conclude with the Words of Dionyjius of Alexandria^ a celebrated Father in the third Century, and whom {from his warm, and perhaps too uncircumfpedl Oppolition to Sa^ bellianifm) the Ariam challenge as their own, who concludes his Defence of himfelf with this Form of Doxology, derived to him from his Anceftors in the Faith, which (hews us at once his own Senfe, and that of Catholic Antiquity (27). {27) T«ToK, (pfio\t waiTur dfCo^^^^uq x^ y'lO-Er?, >c^ ^i? ttx^c^ xotlx'3'oiV70(Aiv, Tw ^l G>iu i^ 7r«l§4 t^ vlu ru xvpiu ^[auv IviT^ The Divinity and Perfonalify &c. 7i God^ both the Father and the Son cuf Lord J ejus Chrift, with the Holy Ghoft, be afcribed Glory and Domifiion for ever and ever. Amen, Tu-v a,U-i/u;'j. 'A[axv. BafJ de Spiri:u San(2o. />. 358. SERMON m-fe^ ftK^ ihtnA tes^ ^"m.i tens^C fS^' ^^ A^mii.hrM:^ ^ca! >nss^ ■^vx^''^.- ProcluS, Cudw. 579. If opinions traced. 55 If the Holy Ghoji be a Perfon or dlftind ^^'^ Subfiftence, and not a Quality only, the Pfyche was fo likewife, one of the original Hypoftafes to which the Deity was propa- gated : If the Holy Ghoft be a Perfon diftindl from the Father and the Son, fo was the Pfyche of PlotinuSy and of all of his Sed: ; there were three Perfons in their Deity (6) diftind: from one another. If yet he was but one and the fame God with the Father and the Son, the Phflofophical Deity was but one, which extended to three Hy- poflafes. If, laflly, the Holy Ghoft pro- ceeded from the Father and the Son from all Eternity, among the Grecians their Di- vine LogoSy or fecond Hypoftafis, was gene- rated of the firft Caufe as an Effluence (7) before all Time, and fo alfo their Pfyche was (8) the Logos of their fecond or Mind, and Energy of it, as the Mind was the Word or Energy of the firft Good. (6) "Oti £TE§a dhXr.'^ccVi io^x^'^'i '^o'h>-'^x'^ Plotimis. Cudw. 577- (7) "A;s^ffoyo? ycl^ di\ x^ {.dvoq aJwHO? o va^. Porphjry relating Flato's Dodrine, Cudw. 574. (8) 'H -if^tx^ >.oyo(; nSj y^ hs^yBid Ti?, cjVtth^ uvtU ifCcUa* Tkin. Cudw. S73. E4 So 56 The Jewifli and Pagan Serm. II: So near is the Refemblance, that we can hardl}' efcape a common Sufpicion that the one borrowed their Opinions from the o- thers ; and that perhaps the Chriftians re- ceived this Stranger God from the Heathens, whofe Books they were compelled to ftudy, the better to fupport the Controverfy, which about that time was carried on pretty warmly between them : The Nicene and Conftanti-- nopolitan Explications of the Chriftian Do- (Slrine being publilhed after thefe Philofo- phers had delivered their Opinions ^ and that what (9) then grew to be the Faith of the Catholic Church, was, as is mentioned in the Objedion, new and unfcrtptural^ being borrowed from the Heathens. But the Fathers who lived about thofe Times, a little before or after the lateft of thofe Councils, fuch as Bafil^ the two Gre- gories, Didy??tus, and Cyril of Alexandria ^ in their Difcourfes upon the Holy Spirit^ drav/ their Dodrines entirely from the Scrip- (9) The Charge of Platonifm brought againft the Fathers of the Chriftian Church has been too indullrioufly fpread to be unknown to any; but the folid and able Vindication of them by Father Bahus the Jefuit, in Iris Defen/e des SS. Peres (iccufe% de Plafovifme, a Paris ^ ^7 II, is not fo well known as it defcrves to be. tures, opinions traced. 57 tures, and did not then fafliion, but fuc- ^^^J^* ceeded to the Faith, by Tradition of thofe who prefided in the Church from the Apo- ftolical Age to their own Times. To which they appeal, producing their Teftimonies, and tracing it up to the New Teftament ; where they challenge (to) a Cloud of Wit- nefles: Many of which have been pro* duced in the laft Difcourfe, and I hope to Satisfaction. But perhaps the Teftimony of an Enemy may gain Credit, where that of Friends is lefs regarded; there is full Evi- dence then that this Dodrine was held by the Chriftians long before thofe Philofophers appeared, and within little more than half a Century after the New Teftament was finiflied. I mean the (11) celebrated Scoff of Luciariy or a Writer as old, if not older than himfelf, where he inftruds the Cate- (10) 'O Twv (Acc^v^iuv icr(^o<;f l^ uv on y^ Xiav i'y]oa.a'a{Artv x^ p^^>) To; 'mptaoivovli xcclco ttjv x^i- xlav '^ifiVBiv, nVsg, roTq drnro rriq fSTrtyviq d^vcra^ivoi<; E^A>3cr^^'^ s x.cc\^ l'7riyvtj P(^er^a? itx,sv Tiu^yioq. So that the Heretics before ths Council of Nice, and the Arians after it, were alike re- proached by the orthodox Fathers for borrowing their Eircj-s from Plato, A plain Proof that they v,ere not Platonijii themfVlves. The Jewifli and Pagan archs of the Heretics, Some indeed there were among the Chriftians, who were for adorning the Church with the Trophies of the Schools; and, as the Men of Lyftra confounded Barnabas with 'Jupiter^ and Faul with Mercuryy they were alfo for bringing Athem into yerufalem, and blend- ing Pagan Philofophy with Chriftian The- ology. Here ValentinuSy Marcion and Ar- mon fpun their perplext and intricate Webs, which gave the primitive Fathers fuch Trouble to unravel. But the moft orthodox Chriftians were not at all beholden to Phi- lofophy, but kept themfelves upon their Guard, left they fliould be fpoilcd by it, as St. Faul had cautioned them. And if fome few (i6) lefs cautious had defaced their (i6) Many are accufed by Le Clerk, but with how great Injuilice may be feen in Baltui his 4th Book ; Origen how- ever muft be given up, as too ftrongly attached to Plato's Writings : But for this he is blamed by the other Fathers* fuch as Epiphanius, Methodius, Marcellus Ancyranus and Je- rom ; nay the Church rofe againfl him, accufed him for having corrupted the Truth by mingling with it Pagan Phi- lofophy, and condemned him in a particular Synod in ^gypt, which was afterwards confirmed in the 2d Conjian- tinopolitan Council. The Rigor of this Procedure againfl fo ferviceable a Writer is a farther Proof, that the Church in general was not then corrupted with Platonifm, but had the utmoft Dread and Abhorrence of it. 2 Religion opinions traced. 63^ Religion by Pagan Mixtures, (17) the^"^^^'^^' Heathens, it muft be granted on the other Hand, improved their Theology by infufmg fomething of Chriflianity v/ith it: The Current as it diverted through Jiidea^ catched the Perfumes, and refledled the Flowers of the Coafts by which it palled. But the Stream flowed down to them from a foreign Source : For the Chriftians re- ceived this 710 unfcriptural God by a long Tradition which leads up to the New Tefta- ment ; and the Pagans received their 7to flrange nor novel Deity from a ftill longer Tradition (18), which leads up to the Writings of Plato ; for fo early as his Days we (17) Divlnoenim Chriftianorum lumlne ufi funt Platonici ad divinum Platonem interpretandum. Hmc eil -^nod mag- nus Bafilius & Auguftinus probant Platonicos Joannis Evange- liftae myfteria fibi ufurpaviiTe. Ego certe reperi prsecipua Numenii, Platonis, Plotini, Jambliciai, Proculi myfteria ab Joanne, Paulo/ Hierotheo, Dyonyfio Areopagita accepta fuifie. Qulcquid enim de mente divina, Angelifque & ce- teris ad Theologiam fpedantibus, magnificum dixere, mani- fefte ab ill is ufurpaverunt. Marfil. Ficinus. (18) For however the latter Platonills may have reform.ed their Mafter by the Scriptures, yet they pretend to be only the Interpreters of Plato ; and even accufe Cbriji and his Apojlles for Healing their Dodlrines from him. Aufiin in- forms us, that Ambrofe wrote much againfl the Calun^ni^ antes platonis Leftores, qui dicere aufi funt, omnes Domini noftri 'Jhe Jewifli and Pagan we fliall find fome like Opinions among the Heathens. The Fathers frequently men- tion it, and the latter Philofophers were proud enough to acknowledge that they drank of the Fountains of Plato. For Plotimis aflures us, that their Dodtrines of a Trinity were not new and of Yefterday, as the Writings of Plato himfelf bear Tefti- mony. In his Epiftle to Dionyjius, there is this often obferved, but very obfcure Ex- plication of God, or to this Purpofe : * (19) That he is the Lord of all things, * for whofe fake and pleafure were all * Things created; the Caufe of all Good * Things, to which fucceed a Second and * Third varioufly employed/ We need not be furprifed at this dark Divinity ; very probably Plato himfelf was far from under- Handing it thoroughly : He received and reverenced it as a Tradition originally BoUri Jefu Chrifli fententlas, quas mirari &praEdicare cogan- tur, de Platonis libris eum didiciffe, quoniam longe ante humanum adventum Domini Platonem fuifle negari non poteft. lib. ii. de doB. Ch. f. 28. (19) Tii^i To» -'crccvluy ^aa-vKix imoivr lr», t^ Ix-sUa svbxcc «n7av]a x^ Ixuvo alrioy wsrclvluv tZv KocXuv. ^svre^ov ^I'sxi^i rcc oiv- TB^oc xj T^iTov *t — va? ^r* Opinions traced. 67 he is faid to be co-exiftent with the other ^^^^^•_^^- Two ; he is characterized as the Lord and Giver of Life (27)- And whether this was Plato s real Opi* nion or not, it is certain that he delivers it as the Senfe of Antiquity ; and whence he derived it his Followers will inform us. It was not the penetrating Genius of Plato^ or the Demon oi Socrates that drew forth this Truth, intending thereby no more than to celebrate the Goodnefs, Wifdom and Power of God ; which Plato^ fearing the Tate of the latter, difguifed in the Dramatic Theology of the Times, and converted thofe Attributes into Perfons or Hypoftafes. So the Socinians would reprefent the Cafe : But that it was no Invention or Difcovery of Plato' Sy but an ancient Cabala^ will ap- pear by tracing from whence he derived it. (28) Plotinus tells us, that Parmenides in- 7£y4*r>3? Ta 'Wacvluiv oclriy — — "Zoipia /A-/y >c) vh; uvbv ■^vx^i'i i^'* civ 'Cfoli yEvatcrOyjv- Philebus. Ps, ida.. p. 30. (27) "^v^YiV d*>j ^iQ^Kwe-ocv x^ IvoiKovcruv h a-Troiai, roTq -crayln XiWf^svoK;' de Legih. Ps. 2a. p. 896. (28) K«* ilvaci Ttf? ^374?^ T8? ^e |X'/5 Katva?, (a.v> oi iZv, uXXn tKBivuv ysyovivxi') (^oc^.v^iQiq -Ertrwc^aft^voK Ta? o6^cc(; ray'ra? TzraXata? ilvon, roTq uvri rSH>5?. Pktinus. Cudiv. 5^6, F 2 fifled 68 T'ee Jewifli and Pagan Serm.ii. fifted on the fame Dodtrines before Plato \ and Parmejiides was an Admirer of Pytha- goras, whofe School, aa we are informed, celebrated three Gods, who are thus defcrib- ed(29): The Firft One, who is above All Eflence ; the Second, who truly is, and Intelligible, and who, as they fay, is the Ideas ', and the Third Pfychical or Animal, partaking of the Firft One, and of the Ideas. As to Pythagoras, he travelled far for his Im- provement, and transferred into his Philofo- phy (as (30) Hermippus the Pagan Writer (29) aros yoi^ aoCla Tiv^ccyo^tiBq To yt^zv Yi^urov \v vTn^ to of, x^ ':zcl^ (S^aKujv oQ^cx-q (A.i[Ay^svo(; ;<^ /xsTa^E^wv sU 'iacvlov. Hermipp. m Jofeph. lib. vi. 2. contra Ap'ion. And Ortgen. adv. Celf. lib. i. relates another Teftimcny frcni the fame Writer ^iy£]a^ "E§- f/LiTnToti h rZ 'ST^bfTb) 'TO'E^t vo^jLo^iluv Iro^TiZivui, Tlv^uyo^ccv T'r. lavla (ptXoc-o^lav a'jro lad'atwv at? "EXAvjja? dyuynv. Which is agreeable to the Teilimony of Diog. Laertius in njit. Pythag. viQc, ^£ wv >c^ (p»Ae!!AC40'/5r, aTCQ^Tii^r^aB tt,<; Tral^ioo? j^ 'u^do'a.q l/xy>;0ojTa? ta 'EAAy,yi>is6? >cj' ^a^^cc^tnoc-, r-Xi]u<;. Strabo informs US, TLv^ocyo^av Iro^Sa-t .... E«^^7r£^v t:-?!' '^^^J^n), ;c^ a7r£X9£n» Ik A''yj7piov K^ Bor^v'hmcc (piT^oiyLcc^laq X^^tv. //^. xiv. ^. 439* In his Travels he would in courfe fall among the yeivs. Which is alfo affirmed by one of his Difciples fSee in Selden de jfure Nat. p. 18.) Malchus item, qui ipfe eft Porphyriuf, eum, ait, non folum Arabas k ^-^gyptios, fed etiam Hebra^os & opinions traced. 69 of his Life witneffes) many of the "Jewifh ^^^''- ^^' Opinions : And (3 i) P/afo difcovering by him where the Golden Seeds of Truth were to be found, enriched the Weflern World with the Spoils of the Eaft. (32) Some Traces of the fame Opinion appeared in Baly about this time by means of 'Tarqui?i the lirft, who placed three Deities under the fame common Roof to be worfhipped in the Tem- ple ; thefe were Jove, correfponding to the Jehovah of Sacred Revelation ; the fecond was the Off-fpring of the firft, but imme- diately born of the Father, and is the Divine Wifdom of the Romans^ the fame as Farro tells us with the Ideas, or fecond Hypoftafis Sc Chaldaeos difcendi caufa adiifTe. Atque Ik r^<; -c^E^t rauTcs (31) Et expreffim perflri£lum elTe Pktonem a Numenio legimus, u<; Ix, tSv Mcuaoiixc^-j ^ihXiuv rcc -CTEp QbS k^ Kocr[Aii d^oa-vXrio-avlez. Ibid, p- 23. Thus Pagan unprejudiced Writers not only witnefs, that Pythagoras and Plato travelled into y^gypt for Inftrudlion, but that they were beholden to the yenvs for fome of their Wifdom, And a modern Author al' ready referred to, who is unwilling to believe the laft, yet feems obliged to admit it, /». 496. Cojviex. of Nat. Sec. where fpeaking of the Notion of the Trinity, he fays, * U Plato * had any fuch Sentiment, it muft be confeffed that he mufl * have that fome how or other from Revelation.' (32) ^ttFoJf. de Idolol. lib. ii. c. 57. ^ lib. vni. c. 12. and two Teftimonies of Varro there cited from Macrobiut and St. Aujiin. F3 of 70 l!he Jcwifli andV2i^x\. Se^m^l^ of Vlato : The Third is the Divine Love or Goodnefs, the fruitful Author of Life. This was either firft introduced rnXo^Rome by liar- quin about the times we were mentioning, or elfe he explained in this manner an obfcure Tradition which he found among them, con- veyed thither by the T^yrrhejiiaiis (33) ; and which, either way, is allowed to be derived to them from Samotbracia^ where the fame Divinities were worfhipped. For from 5^- imthrace they were brought into Phrygia by means of Dardanus^ about the Days of Mo- fes, or within eight hundred Years of Noah's Flood. At Samotbrace they were calledC^<^/W, which proves their Original from the Eaft, that being an Hebrew Word, fignifying the Great ones\ and their Priefts were called Kor/jgy a Name which leads to the fame Source, and from hence it is no Difficulty to find a Clue that will condudt our Enquiries home. Herodotus tells us that the (34) Pe-: (33) hx\d Pythagoras is cdXl^d. 2. Tyrrhenian hy ^rijioxenus in Laertius. Fit. Pyth. (34) T'/9v yci^ 'Zxfji.o^^TiiKw o'lKiov tuqon^ov Uihota-yoi outojj- to. o^y-oc 'SJu^a.T^cifj'.cxviicn. Herod. Euterpe, p. 69. Steph, IMt. lajgi opinions traced. It hjgi inhabkated Samothrace, and introduced ^^^^;^ the Myfteries of the Cabiri there. The Pe- lajgi were not Auiochthonei in that Spot, but wandred thither, evidently betraying a fo- reign Extraftion by the Uncouthnefs of their Speech and Language ; what that was, He-' rodotus, who obferves (35) the Strangenefs of it, does not take upon him to fay ; but from the Words before taken Notice of, and from the very Name of their Founder, we may reafonably believe that they were He- brews^ defcended from Eber by his imme- dlate Son Feleg, and who, according to E- piphamus{'i6), diverted towards Europe, and to the Parts of Scythia, from whence the 7/jraciam arofe. And this is confirmed in that the Lacedcemoriians, who were a Slip of the Pelajgi, entered into Alliance with the Jews a little after the Death of Alexander the Great, (37) becaufe they found by their (35)"Hc7av o» mAacryoi /3a^/3a§ov yT^ucrtracvtivlsi. And a few Lines above viv -nca ^l yT^Zcra-ocv 'Ucruv ol ^£^ao■yoi, cvK £%« u,T^Bte.Bu^ iIttbTv. Clio p. 13* (36) aK£y if^ Vayoiv olVtvi? . . . tw t^?2xv9'.«? ^i^n >t) to^^j ivUnva,, l| I'm^ ol Q^ufte? yiyovc^crr Epiph. de Scythts. (37) Bao■^^£i;? ^Tra^liaTlwv 'Ovia Ib^bT (^sydhu) X'^'i'^"' ^^V^^ »^ 0T4 sio-iv 6X yiva? 'A^^aaf^. I Mz<:«^. xii. 20. 21. F 4 Records,, 7 Z 7Ze Jewifli and Pagan Serm^ii. Records, that they were of the fame Ori- ginal, and defcended from the fame Fami- ly, which lead to Abraham, Thus have we traced up this Opinion within a little more than an hundred Years of the Flood, and into the very Family of the Jews, to Pekg the Son of Eber, To thefe from the Beginning of Time was an eafy Tradition, Noah might have informed them of what Methufaleh had told him from Adam, But this perhaps, eafy as it is, is too much to fuppofe : our evidence has car- ried us no higher than Peleg^ and there, at prefent, we mufl: reft the Antiquity of this Opinion ; and fo high we are able to carry it from Pagan Teftimonies, for about that Time we meet with thefe Deities, the Ca^ biri, in another Family in Pbcenicia accord- ing to Sancbojiiatho (38). So great an anti- quity, (38) See Cumhsrland^ Sanchen. c. 2i- t- 2^* '^^ Bilhop indeed places them in the fame Family, that of Shem, Neither would I difiemble, that the Cahiri are there repre- iented as Men, under iynonymous Names or Titles, Cabiri, or Diofcori^ or Coryhantes^ or Samothracesy and as the facred Scribes or Secretaries of Thoyth or Hermes who was the In- ventor of the £rrt Letters. From whence we learn however |hat they were Priefls, for fo their Names declare, and ail Antiquity opinions traced. 73 quity, and fo devout a Reception among ^^^^^- ^^* the wifeft Heathens would incline us to fufpedl Antiquity admits, i. Diofcorij the Sons or Servants of God, agreeable to the Oriental Style, Gen. vi. 2. 2. Coryhantes, Credo enim hoc nomen Corybantum, ut & rem ipfam nempe facerdotium hoc Cabiricum ab Oriente derivatum t^z, nempe a verbo ^Hp quod in omnibus Unguis orientalibus, mihi notis, fignificat appropinquare, & faspe quidem ad Deum pr^fertim in Sacrificiis. Cumb Orig. Gent. p. 381. Hinc Paufanlas Heliac. 6. prope finem, Ky^u/Sav]©- W\,K\Y,a\.^6roclcc tuv ov^suv dvoc^xiyovle?, ^vcrlccq t^hiv. Whence Caucafus was call- ed 0£wv oT^o5. 4. Cabiriy this was likely a Name of like Import, and meant originally not Di'vos Poles^ but Satrapas or Magnates : a Title not unufual to be given to the higher Rank of Priefts, as we find among the ilfo;z/^«^j, who were ftiled M£7*rot, under a Patriarch or Trifmegijl \ and fo noyth or Hermes was called, whofe Secretaries thefe Cabiri were. Ignorance and Superftition might at length give to the Deities themfelves the Title of their Prieils : and I fee no Neceffity of 74 ^^ Jewifli and Pagan Serm. II. fufpefl that the 'Tradition derived from a true divine Original. I (hall now purfue the Stream of this O- pinion, as it took its eafy Courfe through Palejliney and examine it in its feveral Pe- riods from the Creation of the World, as it was received in that Line who were ap- pointed to keep the Oracles of God. Their great Hiftorian Mojes, divinely di- redled to recover the Minds of that People from Idolatry, and acquaint them with the true objecft of Worfliip, informs them that cf fuppofing that thefe Pritfts were at firft idolatrous Wor- fhippers ; they had lived with Kcahy and were but in the third or fourth Defcent from him. But they were probably the Occajton of thofe ftrange Superftitions which afterwards crept into the Cabiric Rites ; for Hermes found out the Hieioglyphic Characters, into which the Cabiri tranflated their religious Worfhip : from thence might eafily proceed thofe monflrous Orgia which Herodotus relates, even though we w ere to fuppofe them at firft innocent, and perhaps fym- bplical cf the '7ra'h],[yi)i',c-\x which v»'e find at the Bottom of all the Myfleries, ^^tx-^ as well as Pagan. And I ob- ferve that Ephhanius refers the Beginning of Idolatry to the Days of Serug, as Tradition had delivered to him, which was the eighth Defcent from l^oah, which he fays was not by carved Images of Wood or Stone, but by coloured Re- prejentations, ^Lvov a bioc ^^u[/,y.rti!v >i) tixovo/v >? rS dv^^uTTS Siuvoia l(p' eci'Sivi riv^tcKi rr.v x.ocK'.olv. lib. \. Hare/. But in thefe dark Points on which the Scriptures throw no Light, I pretend not to prefcribe Opinions to others, or even to profefs any myfelf. the opinions traced. 75 the World was made in the Beginning by Serm. ir. God : and notwithftanding their Prejudices in favour of Polytheifm from their long So- journ in Mgypty he exprefles this God by a Word of a Plural Termination, fuggefting more than one Perfon in the Idea : and as he proceeds in the Hiftory of the Creation, this God fpeaks agreeably to fuch an Idea. Let us make Man in our Image y and after OUR LikeneJL And before any Air or Ex- halation was yet in Being, The Spirit of God MOVED (39) (as with defign and for that purpofe) towards the Produdlion of the World : and afterwards ftrove with Man to reftrain them from their Iniquities. Here we find Plurality in the divine Nature in the Termination and Pronouns, and yet Unity of Adlion by the Angular Verb. We fee likewife the Spirit of God in a perfonal Adt moving towards Creation; and influ- encing, though not irrefiftably, the Hearts of Men : So that creating the World, and (39) Vox in^nnO proprie incubitum Columbse fuper ovo fignificat, ut expHcat Rabbi Solomo, under which Shape the Holy Ghoji iignified his Prefence at the Baptifm oiChrtft, See Grot. Re/. Chrift. p. 40. driving y 6 The Jewifli ^//^ Pagan Serm. II. ftfiving with Man, are certainly Arguments of his Divinity and Perfonality : and being called by God my Sprite and the Spirit of God^ argues him to be in Perfon different from him whofe Spirit he is^^ and as the Deity is exprefled plurally, this Spirit is doubtlefs implied in the Idea : and as the Creating is expreffed by a Verb Angular, it would lead us to fuppofe that Creation was the joint 'Work of all the Perfons in the Deity. Thefe are, I think, the reafonable Dedudions from the Language of the Hifto- rian. But perhaps we miftake the Language ; let us ftand corre ^ ' xxxn. 17. but to fpeak of three Perfons by the lingular ]«•»•• xxiii. 36. Pronouns is contrary to Cuftom, Grammar, ^ i Sam, 2 and-^^""-'^- 7 8 The Je wifli and P^gan ^^^^' and Senfe. As to Senfe, and Grammar (di- ftinguifhed from Cuftom) it is, in my plaiii Apprehenfion, as contrary to them to fpeak of one as if that one was many, as it would be to fpeak of many as if thofe Many were but One. And if Cuftom, without any great ' Reafon, has reconciled to us the Ufe of one Form, why may not the other pafs without fo fevere a Cenfure, where an extraordinary and unparallelled Inftance demands it? Be- lides, is it fo very certain, as the Socinians fay, that no Inftance can be given in any Lan- guage of three Perfons who ever fpoke of themfelves, or were fpoken to, by the fin- gular Pronouns ? I think more Languages than one will afford us fomething very like it. It is a moft trite Idiom in Greek to fpeak of many things with a Verb Angular, which isjuft the fame Soloecifm; and though I do not at prefent recoiled: an Inftance in Hebrew where three Perfons are fpoken to with a Pronoun lingular, yet I believe feve- ral may be pointed out, where more than three Perfons are fpoken of'm that Manner, ril content myfelfwith producing two; it is faid in the xixth of Ifaiah, v. 3. And the opinions traced. 79 the Spirit of Mgypt or the ^Egyptians, for it is Srrm. if- Plural, DnVD Jhallfail i?i the midft of him, and 1 will dejlroy his Counjel-, and that CDHVD is Plural is evident from the Verb which follows, and they fiall jeek to the Idols, And in the Xwth Chapter it is faid exprefsly of God, T'hy Makers are thy Hiijhands (both Plural) HIS Na?ne is the Lord of Ho ft s. But what fay the Mailers of the Language, the learned Jews themfelves? Why they tell you (41), that Mofes himfelf vsrily believed that Grammar would give this Senfe which I contend for, and therefore when about to write down thofe Words, Let us make Man, he expoftulated with God, why wilt thou give Men Occafion to err about thy moft fimple Unity ? To which, they deliver, he received this extraordinary Anfwer 5 write as I bid thee, and if any Man love to err, let him err. And (42) the Talmudifts own, that the lxxii Interpreters did purpofely change the Notion of Plurality, implied in {41) Menajfeh Ben Ifraeh and J oftph Albo relate it ; fee 'Patrick in Gen. i. 26. p. 27. (42) In Mcgilla c. i . fol, 11. See Allix Judgment of the Jen/j. Church; />. 1 1 4. the 8o Z&^ Jewifh a/^dPagin Serm. II. the Hebrew Elohim into a Greek Singular, left Pf. Philadelpus fliould conclude that the yewsy as well as himfelf, had a Belief of Folytheifm. Thus much for Grammar and Criticifm, which are certainly on our Side, whatever the received Interpretation of the Paflages may be ; which I now proceed to examine from the Writers after Mofei. The Pfalmift explains the fecond Verfe in Genefis in this Senfe, O Lord^ how manifold are thy Works, in Wifdom haft thou made them all: thou fende ft forth thy Spirit, they are created. Agreeable to which he fpeaks in the xxxiii Pfalm^ By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made^ and all the Hoji of them by the Spirit of his Mouth, And as the divine Work of Creation, fo alfo the divine Attributes of Omniprefence and Omnifcience are given to him by the fame Royal Prophet in the cxxxix Pfahn : and he died in the Faith of the Perfonality and Divinity of the Holy 5 2 Sam. Ghoft, for his laft Words were, ^ T^he Spirit xxiii. 2 z» of the Lordfpake by me^ and this Spirit he tells us in the next Verfe, was the God of IfraeL I might produce a great Variety of Texts relating hereto, but the Queftion will ftiU Opinions traced. 8i ftlll be, what was the Meaning of them? Serm. ii For our Adverfaries deny, that the Jews had any Knowledge of that Senfe which we put upon them. I therefore ftep down a little lower, and prove the Senfe from the received Opinions among the Jews after Prophecy was fealed up among them, but before the Birth of our Saviour, This is a Period of 400 Years and a little more; near the Middle of which the Book of Judith is fuppofed to have been written ; the Author of which makes his Heroine cry out, — ^ Lord^ —-let all Creatures ferve thee ; h j^j^ for thou fpakefl^ and they were made^ thou ^3' H- didft fend forth thy Spirit ^ audit created them. And 100 Years before we have a very full account of this Spirit (according to their Ca- bala) in the Wifdo?n of Solomon ; fometimes called ' the Spirit of the Lord which fUeth the ic. i. 7." World 5 but more generally ftiled Wifdom, which he defcribes not as a Quality, but as a Perfon ; ^ Give me Wifdom which fitteth ^ c. ix. 4, by thy T^hrone. Whofe divine Origin is thus fet forth ; Vor Wifdom — ^ is the Breath of the ic. vii. Tower of God^ and a pure Influeiice flowing ^^* ^ ' from the Glory of the Almighty. — the Bright- G nefs XVI, l^e Jewifh and Pagan ncfi of the everlafling Light, the unfpotted Mirror of the- Power of Ckdy and the Image of his Goodnefs. I know indeed this has been often iinderftood of the LogoSy and by Gro- tius (in favour of his new Friends) even of human Wifdom. The latter Opinion I think needs no Confutation. As to the former, the diftindtive Charafters there given of Wifdom (though agreeing to the Son, as he is the fame in Nature, and like him per-, fonally derived from the Father, yet) do cer- tainly rather point out the Holy Ghoft, "^ c, vn. He is called "" Hol)\ Undefiledy into which no defied Thing can f ally — fuitile, lively , clear , quicky which cannot be lettedy going through all TJnderflandingy pure and mofi fubtile Spirits. n c. vif , — " 0?2e ojilyy manifold ; agreeable to St. FauV% ^^' Diverfties of Gifts, but the fa^ne Spirit, — "c. vii. "The immediate Author of Renovation and "^* Prophecy; Re?naij2ing in her f elf fie maketh all Tubings 7iew'y and in all jiges entering into holy Souls fie maketh them Friends of God and Prophets, At the Clofe of this Period, juft at the Time of our Lord's Incarnation, the Tradi- tion was far from being worn out : For thus I teaches opinions traced. teaches Phib , 'There are (43) two Que- * ftions about the Divinity : whether there * be any ? and what its EfTence is ? The * firfl is eafy to difcover, the latter impofli- * ble ; for (44) God has difcovered his Na- * ture to no one. (45) He is one only ; yet ^ this is not to be underftood of Number/ Which he leads to the Explication of, by reprefenting the Father attended with his two Powers which are called God and Lord t Which are not Attributes but Perfons ^46), for to thefe, he fays, God fpake when he faid, Let us make Man : and that with refpedl to thefe two Powers, he is called God of Gods : which two Powers, he fays, (43) Ay'o ^' h TCtTg TTE^i QeS l^'/pMo-ec-i . . . . h [a,\v, il If* To QiTov .... iTs^ov ^E, To ri Ir^t KCilcc r^v ova-'iuv. to (jlsv oCv fr^ore^ov cv ttoAv? 9rci»(^ IobTv, to de oivri^oy ov ^ocT^-ttcv (^ivo^i Edit, (44) Ovavj) yu,^ Qn^vj avTti r'r,v (pv(7n>f uTOC ai^^lov avr-cv fravli Tw yivn iroc^io-tciVociTiv. AM'/^y. p, Sj, Turn, Edit. (45) M&vo; ^£ i^ aa,^ ocCrov, eU uv ©«;^, ^^h ^l c[aoio» ©ecj .... "Trag yol^ d^i^i^ot; vsurt^oi; xotr/^y, uq t^ ^^ovoq. ^l ©soq, 7r§£crj3yT£^o? xoo-fttf, x^ ^'/l(^^8^yQq. Alkg, 3. p, 841. (46) EiTTE ya>%, cpvia-iv, [0 Muvarjq'j Gsoq, 7rci'>:(7u[A'^v olv^^u}^ Ui^ (pvyx^. p. 312, 313. Turneh, Edit, G a . ar^ Hoe Jewifli and Pagan are (47) Uncreated, (48) Eternal, (49) In- finite ; and hence he accounts how God is Three, and yet he is but One. So explicit is the Teftimony of Fhilo^ that he is repre- fented by fome as . having been beholden to Plato for his Notions, rather than to the ^^it'//7^ Traditions : But, (50) fuppofing him to have taken any thing from Flato, he only reftored to his aw^n Country what he and Fythagoras had before plundered from it. However, there was no Neceffity of borrow- ing thefe Dodrines from the Heathens, fince (47) No/^ti^ti? . . . Taj a.yiri-h'T^ii'^ ovvd(A,si(; Iziivccg 7rB^iVor,a-xi ov^cca^cci. On a]pi7r\. ro = io», p. 2O5. Turn. Edit. (4^) Yiv^irx; 0E&? ala'vtrx;. ccl roUv* "Kz^^c'tcxv '7r^ocr^7)C7tiq Vocq Tre^t 7o ov i^(puUii7i ^vvaf^ng. Ile^t (pvlovpy. Turn, Edit. P' 153-^ (49) 'ATTc^iygai^oi yoi^ x^ ul dvvd[Anq ccvth. ybtyiir ^r,ict ^i TOb o'hcc. Yli^i ojv tE^. A/3sA x^ K«iv. Tur. Ed, p. 94. (50) But this, I think, is not to be fuppofed ; for though the Name of P/ato was in high Eileem, yet his Philofophy was fo out of Fafhion in Philo\ Time, that Seneca a Contem- porary informs us, Academici iff Veteres iff Minores Nullum Antifiitem reliqucrunt. Nat. ^aft. I. j. c. 32. And the Cafe feems much the fame at Alexandria as at Rome', for though Philo calls him 'k^yve^uralov WKxrccvcc. p, 594. Turn. and elfewhere, p. 653. he is iA.iyx<; UKoirmi yet where he quotes his Authority to prove the Incorruptibility of the World, he does it with a They Jay ^ it is Plato' ^ Opinion, and -^r^o//^ fo reprefents it. (pdaiv, p. 645. and Ag»rol«^'!? rccvTot iA>oi.^vou iTi^i riAars^vi?. p, 646. f his opinions traced. ^^ his own Treafury of infpired Authors would ^^.^^^LIL have fuppliedhim. Efpeciaily the Interpre- tations and Traditions frequent among his own People, which, though now loft to us, were in great Abundance in his Days. A- mong which, we may prefume, were many Things explained, which related to the Dddlrine of the Holy Ghoji^ as well as other Points. Nor is this merely Guefs-work, for we find that it was delivered in fome Book, even of facred Authority among them, that the Holy Ghoji or Shecinah has an Influence on the Souls of Men, becaufe (^i) he will dwell with the meek and hum- ble, but fly from the proud and angry. The Subftance of which St. James quotes as Scrip- ture, P God refijieth the proud ^ but giveth ''c. Iv. 6. Grace unto the humble. Whether this be taken from the dvocX'/jil/Lg of Mofes^ or fome other Scripture, is not material here to en- quire j it proves that their Writings, which are now loft, contained Things relating to this Dodlrine. And indeed fo ftrongly was a^Sstyni a^uyn ay nym mrDtz;n (51) See J, Gregory of Chrift Church his Tra(Ss. p. i39» G3 k 86 216^ Jewifti and Pagan ^!^^i it inculcated there, that the Prejudices and even Averfion which the Jews had to the Chriftians afterwards, (efpecially for this ve- ry Doftrine of the Trinity, which they mif- underflood as profeffedlyinfifting upon Three feveralGodSj) could not efface thelmpreffions and Belief which the religiousWritings of their Anceilors had engraved upon them. They fpeak of Elohim (52) as Plural, principally with regard to his (53) two Powers or Vir- tues Cochma and Bina, which they make the efficient Caufe of all Things with God ; they teach that the Cochma is the fecond Number which proceeds from the Firft, as from his Spring, and brings from it the In- flux of all Bleffings (54) ; and that the Third Sephira or the Bina proceeds from the Firft by the Second {s$)- And thefe are called (56) the two Hands by which God made (52) Bachaje in Farafcha Berefchit. fcl. z. col. 3. Allix 160. (53) Baclinje in Pentateuch, fol. 4. col, 2 and 4, Rab. Jofeph de Karnitol in Saare Tfedec. foL 7. col. 2. Allix 161.' (54) Rab. Menachcm in Pentat. fol. i. col. i. Allix 162. (c;5) Ibid, col 3. Allix 166. 168. (ro) Bachaje in Gen. fol. 3. col. 2. Allix. 162. Agree- ably hereto Irenseus r.ec eiiim indigebat horum [An- gelorum] vm. 13. Opinions ti^aced. 87 made the World. As if this was what ,^11^ Ifaiah meant when he introduces the Al- mighty faying, ^ Mine Hand hath laid the "^ c. xl Foundation of the Earthy and my right Hand hath fpand the Heavens, Thefe with the filD }*K En Soph are called the Three hea- venly Fathers {^j) ; and the celebrated Au- thor of Zohar invites his Difciples, Come and fee the My fiery of the Word (58) Elo- him, there are three Degrees, and every Degree is diftindl by himfelf, and notwith- /landing they are all one, and tied in one, and one is not feparated from the other. They are (59) elfewhere defcribed as three Lights in God ; the ancient or firft Light, the pure Light, and the purified (or perhaps rather the purifying) Light. Which Three, fay they, make but one God; and that there gelorum] Deus, quafi ipfe fuas non haberet manus. k6.t2i enim ei femper Verbum & Sapientia. Filius & Spiritus. lib. 4. c. 37. (57) Zohar in Gen. fol. 54, col. 2. de litera ^y. Allix. '77- (58) Zohar in Lev. col. 116. (59) Saadiah Hagaon of the loth Century, a bitter Ene- my to the Chriftians, and wrote againft their Trinity. See alfo R. Shem Tov. in his Emunoth part 4. cap. 8. pag. 32, col. 2. Allix. 170. 180. G 4 is I'he Jewifh and Pagan is neither Plurality nor Polytheifm in this. That the Bina or Intelligence, (which cor- refponds to the Holy Ghoji) gave Men the Knowledge of what God was pleafed to reveal to them (60); whom they alfo call- ed the SanBifier^ the Father of Faith, and the Spirit of Holinefs, Thefe three Sephiroth they hold are eternal and effential in God ; which we are not therefore to deny onlj be- caiife we cannot eafily conceive it ; For the divine Nature is incomprehenfible, far ex- ceeding the Limits of our narrow Under- ftanding: Revelation may inform our Faith, but does not alter our Capacities, and ena- ble us to judge of Things revealed which fxxviii.7. are fupernaturaL ^his\ as they apply the Paffage in 'Job (61), is the Path which no Fowl knoweth^ and which the Vulture s Rye hath 72otJeen. A Myftery which the moft foaring Imagination cannot reach, nor the moft penetrating Judgment perfectly dif- cern, (60) Allix. p. 173. to whom I am beholden for all this In- formatioD, in his Judgment of the ancient Jevvifh Church againlt the Unitarians. (61) R, Sabtay in Ritang, on Jetzia, p. 78, 79, 80. Allix. 175, 176. If opinions traced. 89 If fuch were the Opinions of the wife ^^^'^' ^^' Men and Phllofophers in almoft every Age or Clime, furely they cannot be chargeable with that glaring Nonfenfe which our Ad- verfaries are perpetually objeding. Did Rea- fon, did exalted Reafon lead thofe careful Enquirers into this Abfurdity ? If fo, how incompetent a Guide muft it be to our Op- ponents, who rely wholly upon it, to enable them to diftinguifli betwixt Truth and Er- ror ! If they fay fuch myfterious Notions were never fuggefled by human Reafon, from what Source then muft they derive ? If from divine Revelation, their Objections ought to be more decent. But without tracing the Tradition to its Origin, the greater the My- ftery was, the better Security we have, that the Authority muft be good upon which Thofe inquifitive Men received it. So that our Stranger God has been received among almoft all the Nations of the World, from the rifing up of the Sun unto the going down thereof y as long as that Sun has run his Courfe : and at the very opening of our Bibles, by the firft Breath of Infpiration, this vnjcripiural God ftands revealed. But go 7%e Jcwifli and Pagan Serm. II. But then how are we to account for the Ignorance of thofe Converts at EphefuSy who had never fo much as heard whether there was any Holy Ghoji ? Suppofing them yewSy as is mofl probable, how could they be fuch titfer Strangers to this nationl Doc- trine ? If any think it neceflary to under- hand the Words flricflly according to the Letter (as St. Paul himfelf feems to have done at firft, before they explained them- felves farther) fuch Ignorance might be ac- counted for (confidering them merely as yews) as they were probably a few of the meaneft, and mofl: illiterate, from the Gene- rality of which, this arcane Theology was induftrioufly concealed, lefl: they (hould abufe it to Polytheifm ; as may be ken in one of their Contemporaries, Philoy who after having defcanted on God and his two Powers appearing to the feeing Soul fometimes as Oney and fometimes as T'bree, warns his Readers, that this was a Myfliery (62) not to be communicated to every one, but only {62) Tiy^ciTflcci yx^ . . . on fttii^v(^^cn ^tT ro re^ov «*£§* •ra dyswriTu, x^ twv ov)isi{tiu!v avT^ /^yr>3V >\syov, Ue^. uv »£^. A^ih. p. 94. to opinions traced. 91 to them who were capable to underftand, ?^^1 ^ and keep it to themfelves. But from their next Anfwer it may feem that this was not their Meaning ; for they admit that they had received Johns Baptifm, who taught his Followers not only to believe in him^ who Jhould come after ^ that is in Chrijl Je/us, but alfo, that He who (hould come, would ^i^^- tife them with the Holy Ghofl and with Fire\ ^ Matth, Whence it would follow, that a Baptifm with Water to Repentance for the Remif- fion of Sins, was what they had received (63) and all they had received ; but the Baptifm of the Holy Ghoji who fliould act, not as Water to wafh away Defilements, but as Fire (64), to confume their natural Drofs, to enlighten their Underftandings, to mollify and bend their ftubborn and perverted Wills, and to enable them to difpenfe Light and (63) ^'Ajxo.Is tt^octijAQe Ti? [21? TO liouvvs Ba,7rlis-[jL0i] l^oyi.0- s^ccTrlii^fio Iv Tw Jo^^oivri 7ro]a|xw, x^ tvQvq i^cl[Ji>^acv£ rvjv ol^zaiv ruv cl[Acc^n(Adruv. Bajil. (64) Ne quifquam contendat, etiam in Baptifmo Joannis dimifia efle peccata ; fed aliquam ampliorem fandifica- tionem eis, quos Paulus denuo juffit baptizari, per Baptif- mum Chrifti effe collatam ; non ago pugimciter. Auguji, lib. 5 , de Baptifmo. Heat 9 2 T'he Jewlfli and Pagan Serm. II. Heat to thofe about them. This was a Baptifm of which they had only the Pro- mife^ and were fo far from having Thent" felves received this Holy Ghoji, that they had not fo much as heard whether it had been yet given to any. Nay it might be, not- withftanding this Baptifm, that they had not heard at all of the Holy Gkoji -, for John had been now dead fome Years, and thefe Ephefans were new Converts 3 they might have been baptized by fome of Johns Dif- ciples, who but partially or unfkilfully re- lated his Doftrine : and St. PauTz Anfwer will very well agree with this Interpreta- tion (65) ', for when thefe Ephcfians give him as a Reafon, why they had never fo much as heard whether there was any Holy Ghoji, that they had received only Johns Baptifm ; he replies, they could not have received fo much as Johns Baptifm, only (65) nil, qui negaverunt, fe fcire Splritum Sandlum, quamvis bapuzatos fe dicerent in Joannis Baptifmo baptizati funt poftea ; quia Joannes in remifiionem peccatorum in advenientis Jefu, non in fuo baptizavit nomine. Et ideo Spiritum nefciebant, quia nee Baptifmum in Chrifli nomine, ficut Joannes baptizare folebat, acceperat, Ambrof. lib, i . it $piritu Sanifo c, 3. T fome opinions traced. 93 fome defedive Imitation of it; for indeed ^^^^^;^;i^ John taught otherwife. ' When they heard ' ^^ ^'^^' thisy they were baptized in the Name of the Lordjejm. Thefe laft Words, it muft be allowed, fome Moderns refer to the Auditors oi Johny and not to thofe of Paul\ but, I think, the Criticifm (66) on which they build is too infirm to fupport their Com- ment 3 efpecially, as it is in (67) Contra- didion to the univerfal Senfe of all Chriftian Antiquity. However let the Words refer to either, this is certain, that befides receiv- ing the Baptifm of Water, receiving the Holy Ghoji v/as alfo neceflary, which St. Paul adminiftred by Impofition of Hands, (66) They fay, that ^Av and ^\ refpe£l one another, and that lacivvviq f/Jlv and dziia-ccvlet; ^l belong to the fame Narra- tion, and are therefore both the Words of Paul; but though this be a common Idiom, yet it does by no Means hold uni- verfally. See John xi. 6. A6ls iii. 2e. and in theBeginning of Demofihenes tts^; ti^xv : where /xev is not anfwered with l\ befides, had Ti been correfponding, it Ihould have been, Iwapvjj? \Li^ l/Sa-Trlt^e Tw 7\a,u Xiyuv . . . oi ^l dKova-xv^,i<;. {6y) Sententia ilia, quae (/.h & ol ad Pauli Sermonem refert ; atque inde ftatuit, feme! duntaxat fuifle baptizatos; admodumcft novella : quippe nata me nato. Primum enim audorem habet nobililTimum, & rar^ dodrinse virum Phi- lippum Marnixium S. Andelgondis Dominum : . . . ab eo fe accepiile agnofcit Reverend us & Clariffimus Thecdorus Beza. Ilium fecuti magno numero viri multi praeclari. f^oj/ius de BaptifrtiQ, Difp. 8. p. 123. And 94 ^^^ Jewifli and Pagati, 8ce. Serm. II. "^^ And when Paul had laid his Hands upori t^Aftsxix. them^ the Holy Ghoji came on them. What we are to underftand by receiving the Holy Ghoji y I fliall proceed to explain (God will- ing) the next Opportunity. In the mean Time, Let the Holy Ghojl^ in whom the Scriptures of the New Tefta- ment have taught us to believe, and who inftrudled the Fathers in fpeaking to them by the Prophets, and whom all Nations by a heavenly derived Tradition acknow^ledged as the Lord and Giver of Life, be with the Father and the Son together, worfhipped and glorified I SERMON 95 ^M^Mm^mwmmmmm SERMON III. The Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost. Pteached Jan. i, 1740. Acts xix. — 2. — Have ye received the Holy Ghost Jince ye believed? HAving ftated the Scripture Account Ser. hi. of the EfTence, Divinity, anddiftinft Perfonality of the Holy Ghoji, and obviated fome Objedtions againft it, particularly re- moving the Charge of Novelty ; I proceed, as I propofed. In the SECOND Place, to enquire w^hat is meant by receiving the Holy Ghojl^ that we may The Gifts and Graces may be able to anfwer the t^ueftion in the Text, and know whether we have received him or not. If the Holy Ghoji be God, as has been already proved, beheld the Heaven and Hea- ven of Heavefis cannot contain hbn^ how 7nuch ^ I Khigs lejs this Houfe % this Temple of the human viii. 27. . . , . , Body ? By receiving him then we do not limit and circumfcribe his Prefence ; the Apoftles had him beftowed upon them in order to teach all Nations in their feveral Difperfions, and v/hen they feparated from one another, they were not feparated from Him, by whofe continued Affiftance they had Power to be Witnejfes both in Jerujalem and in all Judeay and in Samaria^ and unto ^Adsi. s. the uttermojl Part of the Earth ^ This boundlefs Sphere of his Adivity, and Com- munion with Chriftians in every Place, is an Argument of his (i) Divinity againft thofe who would degrade him into the rank of Creatures : And this Confideration of his (1) Ipfe Spiritus Sanftus fi unus de Creaturis eflet, faltem ciicumfcriptam haberet fubftantiara ; ficut Univerfa quae fada funt : . . . Spiritus autem Sandus cum in pluribus fit, non habet fubfiantiam circumrcriptam. Didym, de Spiritu Immenfity of the Holy Ghost. 97 Immenfity would lead us to change the Que- Ser. hi. flion, and inftead of afking, whether we have received, rather enquire how it is poffi- ble to exclude him ? For there is no going from the Prefence of this Spirit ", As the ^ Pfalm CXXXlX T Power of God is infinite, yet by us difcern- ed only in fome particular Inftances, fo the Holy Ghojly though he pervades all Things, yet yields fome eipecial Notices of himfelf, which are particular Evidences of his Pre- fence. Thus as vvQfee God in the Works of Creation, fo we feel the Holy Ghojl in our Souls ; not that either of them are Themfelves the Objeds of our Senfes, but we difcern them in their Works ; the Hea- ijens declare the Glory of God^y and Diverfi- ^ pfaim ties of (2) Gifts are a Manifeftation of the ^^^' ** Spirit^. This Manifeftation or Exhibition \i Cor. of him in any particular Place, is a Proof of his Prefence there, where, before fuch Exhibition, we had no particular Proof; for which Reafon he is fometimes reprefented as if he then began to exift, as (3) T^he Holy Ghoft (2) 'AXTvrj 7j dvvafK? r) P;^o^'/;7tf^£;>;, «^ «?vAo to 'K'vzZ^oi. T3 XQ^'ftynv. Chryf. Horn.. 72. Tom. VI. (3) KaAjTrott iruv^a. r, t3 Tr^sJftalo? Xafiij, «x overicc ra 98 T^he Gifts and Graces ^^^;J^ Ghoji was not yet^ ; but more generally as ^john vii. nfjoving to the Place where he manlfeils 39. ° «iPet. i. himfelf; as when he is faid to htfent^^ to ^fit.iii. ht Jhed^^ ov poured forth' {^/\)'y agreeably to ^\^asu. which, we are faid to be filled with^^ and ~x A ^^ receive \{\m\ when by fuch Diverfities of k Afts ii. Gifts we perceive his prefence in our Souls. 4 — vi. 3. * ^ *■ ^Aasviii. Wherefore in order to know whether we " ' * have received the Holy Gboji or not, we muft Fir/iy Difcover thofe Diverfities of Gifts which are the Manifefiatiom of the Spirit. And Secondlyy Endeavour to diftinguifli them from miftaken or counterfeit Proofs, Firjly We muft difcover thofe Diverfities of Gifts which are the ManifefiatioJi of the Spirit. In order to which we are to obferve that « I Cor. this Manifeftation is faid to be given ^ j it '^"' ^* is therefore what v/e have no Claim to from wiy'/iAalo?, aAX' r^ ivi^yEiu ra 'K'/tvixoclo^. Chryf. Hem. Ill, 1o?n. V. * (4) ©eoTJj? ax £^;)^£rr«», «AV -4 QU^iii, Chryf. Horn. 7?. fm, VI. Nature, of the Holy Gkost. 99 Nature, no Demand from Merit, but pro- ^^^'j^ ceeds from the mere Bounty of the Giver, W^hq TO crviJL(pB^cv'^ for the Benefit of Man- ^ i Ccr. kind, and is therefore called " Grace or Fa- nRom.xi, vour ; and is given us (5) either for our own ^ q^^""^' Profit and Advantage, immediately for the ^'"^w* Salvation of ourfelves ; or for the Profit of others, as Means to bring them to Salvation. The Firft may be called Saving, the Second Minijiring Grace. I. Saving Grace is various, fuited to ouf various Wants and Corruptions. Our Un- derftandings are dark, our Wills perverfe, our AfFedlions fenfual ; we want Afliftance in every Faculty : And the Holy Ghoji vouch- fafes to dwell in our Hearts, that he may influence the 'whole Soul, The Manner of the Influence is imperceptible to cur Senfes, for God cannot be the Objeft of them, fo that we neither hear, nor Jee, nov feel the Motion of it; but the EfFeds are notorious, (5) Duplex eft Operatic Spiritus Sandi, operatar enim ia nobis aliud propter NOS, aliud propter Proximos. Betn. In the Schools the firft is called the Grace of Adoptior, or Gratia Gratum faciens ; the fecond the Grace of yEdiiication, ©r Gratia Gratis data, & XH^^ hccKGVict<;. H z and I oo iToe Gifts and Graces '^!iji and manifeft the Progrefs of the Spirit. "fz'^as' ^^*^^^> '^^^ Seed cajiinto the Ground^ Jprings and grows up we know not how ; but when we fee, in one Cafe, firfi the Blade ^ then the Em\ then the full Corn in the Ear^ thefe are fuf- ficient Proofs of its Vegetation, though we difcern not the Manner and Motion of it : p Gal. V. So in the other, the Fruits p are a hke Ma- nifeftation of the Spirit; and though it be more pofTible to feel ourfelves grow in Sta- ture, than in the Favour and Grace of God, yet may we have very fatisfadlory Evidence of our Encreafe in both. The firft Gifts I (hall take Notice of, are the Degrees of illuminatiiig Grace, Some- times it is difpenfed in an extraordinary Manner, and this great Light from Heaven, like that at the Converfion of St. Faul^ fiines s Aas 'ix. fuddenly ^ round about the Soul ; but ufually it is more gradual, and it's firft Operations are lefs difcernable : It has ordinarily its dufky Twilight, its Dawny and Morjiing ' 2Pe:. i. Star' in our Hearts. It begins with difpel- ing our Prejudices, foftning and abating the Rigor of them, both of thofe conceived a- gainft the Truth, and thofe in Favour of Error; of the Holy Ghost. ioi Error ; it meets us in the Midft of them, as Ser. iit. it did Said^ yet breathing out Threatnings and Slaughter, with a gentle Expoftulation, Why perfecuiejl thou me? So ,Saint (6) Au- gujlin in relating his Converfion tells us as the firft Thing obfervable in it, that he did not think the Chriftian Religion fo abfurd, nor the Principles of the Manichees fo cer- tain as he before believed ; from this he pro- ceeded to be doubtful which to embrace; (6) Which he does in the 5 th and 6th Books of his Con- feffions ; Longe ell a peccatoribus falus, quails ego tunc ade- ram, &c tamen propinquabam fenfim & nefcivi. — Ad eum [Ambrofium] auteni ducebar abs te, nefciens, ut per eum ad te fciens ducerer. . . . Verbis ejus fufpendebar intentus, Rerum autem incuriofus Sc contemptor allabam. . . . Sed Veniebant in animum nieum, llmul cum verbis quaj dilige- bam, res etiam quas negligebam. . . . Et dum cor aperirem ad excipiendum quam difcrte diceret, pariter intrabat & quod 'vere dicer et, Gradatim quidem. Nam primo etiam ipfa defendi poffe mihi jam coeperant videri, & Fidem Catholi- cam, pro qua nihil poffe dici adverfus Manichieos putave- ram, jam non impudenter afferi exiftimabam. . . . Ita Ca- tholica non mihi vidla videbatur, ut nondum etiam vidrix appararet [Matri] cum indicaffem, non mequidem jam effe Manichseum, fed neque Catholicum Chriftianum ; .... exilivit lastitia .... Diligebat autem [AmbrofmmJ iicut Angelum Dei, quod per ilium cognoverat me interim ad illam ancipitem iiuftuationem jam effe perdudum, per quem tranfiturum me ab ajgritudine ad Sanitatem inter- currente acriori periculo, quafi per acceffionem, quam Cre- ^cam medici vocant, certa prsfumebat. H 3 and xoi 'The Gifts and Graces Ser. III. and at length happily arrived at that fair un- ^""^'^r'^ fullied Indifference of ceafing to be a Mam- cbeCy though yet no Chrijiian. This Grace is kindly offered to all without their firft feeking it, and i*f not ftubbornly refifted, will recommend us to larger Vouchfaf- ments. But if we chufe Darknefs rather than Lights and wilfully extinguifh thefe firft Glimpfes, we then refift, and fometimes quite quench the Spirit -, fo that (though al- ways prejenfj he never more manifefts him- * kdis vii. felf to us. Thus ihzjews ^ refifted the Holy Ghcfi when they purfued their Prejudices, which he offered to remove by the preach- ^ Aas ing of St. Stephen \ and "" Felix experienced ^5! ' this Grace within himfelf, when he trembled at St. Paid's Sermon; but inftead of enter- taining this new unbidden Gueft, he dif- courteoufly put him off to a more conveni- ent Seafon ; and though fuch Seafons were often offered, iot he often communed with Pauly yet he wilfully mifapplied them, and would not fuffer the firft Sparks to kindle farther, butfmothered them with Ayarice, commun- ing with the Apoftie, not for Improvement in Grace, but in hopes that Money Jl:ould be given of the Holy Ghost, 103 geven him of PauL Not fo when the Lord Ser- m. opened the Heart of Lydia^ \ fhe (hut it not ^,Aas again ft him, but attended to the Hhings which were fpoken of PauL After that the Mind is emptied of it's Pre- pofleffions, (j) it then becomes capable of being filled with the Spirit of Knowledge, by the ImprefRon or Communication of Truth with which worldly Wifdom could not have furnifhed it. I mean not here the firil Difcovery of new Truths to the Mind by immediate Revelation^ for this , though eminently the Work of the Spiric of Truth, belongs not to this Clafs but to the next, that of Graces given to profit others with. But I mean that Afi^ent, with which the Mind embraces divine Truths by whatever Means prefentcd to it, which is called Faith, And this is mentioned in Scripture as a Fruit fA.u}v i^iXoiaotvlocq. "Sa^qv \o[\^h<; iya, f/,// tt^qtb^ov ^h^ov'iXq Toe, CTu\ri^iCC (pdef^otKoc, 'tt^Iv if^BToK; XTroKivwaon rriv voa-CTTOiov vT^Yiv, ijy Ik 'BToi't^aj ^taiTJj; tavio^q oi oc)co?^aroi tfaTr/fijvlo. dTO^a, x^ ^ ^r^ ^B^iiloci tS (^v^ii T*?!* BTTi^^o-nv. ^Bi" Toi v'jv i>C)(^v^riVO(,i rex, vr^Qvira.^X'^vlxi \'vx ^vvri^n ^co^ri^rivxi ra fwayofAsycc. Bafiu Jdom. in Pf. Ixi. H 4 or 104 T'he Gifts and Graces ^^or Effect of the Spirit '^j and therefore; "" Gal. V. where-ever it is found, is a Proof of the I Cor. xii. Believers having the Spirit, for none can fay ?'i Cor. Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoji \ ^"' ^* who is fometimes chara(fl:erized by this Ti- = 2 Cor. tie z fjj^ spirit of Faith. But all Faith is not a Manifeflation of the Spirit, bec^ufe all Faith is not his Work. There is a Faith in Chrift, which teaches us to believe that once there lived fuch a good Man on Earth, whom God commif- fioned to preach an excellent Scheme of Mo- rality, which it would be of great Advantage to Mankind to follow ; for in fo doing, they would recommend themfelves to the Favour and Acceptance of God. But fuch a Faith is not given by the Holy Ghofl ; for he in whom God dwelleth, confeffeth that Jefus is the *i John Son of God, and the Saviour oftheWorW: JV.13, 14, j^^^ ^j^.^ Faith confeffeth not fo much, and Hereby we are taught to know the Spirit of ^ I Jolin "Truth, and the Spirit of Error ^ ■^" * Another Faith in Chrift there is, which leads us to acknowledge hi;n for our Sat viouR, and that his Merits, and not our own good Works fhall acquit us. But Mrith fuch of the Hoi^Y Ghost, 105 fuch an Acknowledgment our Love of, and ^^^- ^^^• Engagements to the World are quite con- fiftent ; wherefore this Faith is no Proof of the Spirit, for the Faith which is ofGod^ over- Cometh the World''. * i John A third Faith there is in Chrift through ^' ^* ^' which we believe that his Merits render our Obedience to God acceptable. This indeed may be a true Faith, and yet np Work of the Spirit in our Hearts, but entirely an EfFedt of human Means, our natural Fa- culties afSfted with Languages, Antiqui- ty, MSS. Criticifm and the like, without any divine Aid, except the bare Letter of the Revelation : and as this Faith may rife out of human Abilities, fo may it be attended with Pride in our fuppofed Accom- plifliments. Envy of others fuperior Skill, and bitter Strife againft thofe who miftake or oppofe fuch Truths; and is therefore no Manifeftation of that Spirit which refifteth the Proudy and difpenfes its Graces only to the Humble^: "This Wijdom defcendeth not from * james above '. But the true faving Faith, at the ^^\2.mt% fame Time that it informs the Underftand- *^^' *5- ing, it influences the Will and AfFed:ions ; it io6 'The Gift ^ and Graces Ser. III. jt enlightens the Eyes of the Heart (8), fays the Apoftle ; it is there, in the Heart, that the Chriftian Man believeth, and if thou jh alt believe with thine Heart, thou f Rom. j}:)alt be faved ^ ; while Infidelity proceeds X. Q from an Averfenefs of our Aijfedions, from sHeb.iii. ^^ ^'^^^ Heart of Unbeliefs. We muft ^** not only affent to, but be fenfible of the Corruption of human Nature ; not only be- lieve, but dread the Punifhment of Sin; not only acknowledge that the Merits of Chrift can fave us, but ardently wifli and endeavour the Application of them. By this we appre- hend fpiritual Truths, which the natural Man cannot receive ; we expedl and covet fpiritual Joys, of which the Heart of mere Man has no Relifh. kProv. iv. This Illumination is progreffive, ^ Jhining more and more, and is not inftantaneoufly darted into the Soul \ it is proportioned to our Neceffities, and not our Curiofity, and in this Life at bed is very imperfedt in us, (8) UsfpuTncTi^i-'eg rec ofpSaA^tty? TJj'? Atcvoia?. Eph. i. iS, So read our printed Copies ; but my MS reads as if it had been t"? xa^^ixq, nor did either df the j^kxandrian Copies with which it was collated read otherwife ; and almoll Ml the MSB and eld Commentators have xa4»a?. who iS. of the Holy Ghost. i 07 who fee not the Things themfelves, but f^^^j^ their Symbols and Hieroglyphics, which kind of Perception is neceffarily attended with fome Ambiguity, and Poffibility of Error: Wherefore Pretences to Infallibility are ra(h and groundlefs 5 forSt, PWhim- felf affures us, that we ncrwjee as by Reflexion in a GlafSy darkly '\ or by Symbols, [h cti- ' i Cor. viyixcPii), 2iV\di know only in part. And as it has it's feveral Degrees, fo alfo has it feveral Names from it's feveral Eflfeds ; as it in- lightens our Underftanding it is called 7//^- viination 5 as it enables us to give Credit to precious Promifes yet only hoped for, and affent to Truths not feen but revealed, it is the Gift of Faith \ as it inclines us to wi(h and labour after the Means of our Salvation, it is called the Divine Tra5iion^ or Draw^ ing of the Father. Thefe generally precede thofe other Graces which I am now going to mention, yet do not vanifli when they appear, but mingle with, and gain Strength and Improvement from them. For when we are fo far illumi- nated as to difcern our Mifery in good Earneft, and ardently catch at, as well as fincerely acknow- ^he Gifts and Graces acknowledge the Means of our Recovery i^ Chrifl applies his Merits, and our paft Sins are pardoned. The next Work of the Spirit in our Hearts is to give us a Teftimony of this Reconciliation, and being taken into the Favour and Family of God -, giving us Con- fidence to rely' on God as our Father, where- fc Rom. fore he is called the Spirit of Adoption ^, giv- 15!' ^^' ing us Power and Boldnefs to cry, Ahba^ Father^ and tejiifying to our own Spirits that we are the Children of God, And this Tefti- mony with our Spirits is the Sanclification of them^ the fubjedting our Wills and Af- feftions to his Influences, afting upon us by the Mediation of our own Thoughts, yet difcoverable to be from him, by their Oppo- fition to our natural Corruption. 'Tis by the fandifying Grace of this Spirit dwelling in us, that we are enabled to mortify the I Rom. Deeds of the Body ^; they that do fo, are yiii. 13, ie;j by him ', and as many as are fo led, have thereby a Teftimony that they are the Sons of God. Our Wills and Affedions had con- tra dted by their Corruption an Enmity againft God, and a Love of the World and Vanity : The Holy Ghojl unbends this Perverfenefs, and 14 of the Holy Ghost. 109 and dlrecSs them towards Heaven. The Ser. nr^ Defilements of Impurity, the Sordidnefs of Iniquity he purges off, enabling us to poffefs our VeJJeh in Sandltjication^ and not in the Lujis ofConciipiJcence^ ; and taught of God to ^ i Thefl: love one another''^ we learn to be quiet ^ to work Tj' I'heir.* with our own Hands for our Support, to walk ^^' ^' honeJlly\ and lack nothing that belongs to an- other Man. He not only deadens our Love of the VVorld ^ but quickens and points our Longings towards God ; he is the great Ob- jedl of our Hearts ; we fear him rather than Man 3 we love him above all things, there is nothing upon Earth that we defire in Com- parifon of him. Our Souls pant after him as our greateft Good, and our Hunger and Third is to pleafe him and obtain his Fa- vour, This is our Sandification, and the Work of the Spirit of Holinefs in our Hearts: and fuch Difpofitions are a Teftimony that That Spirit dwelleth in us, and that we are the Sons of God. This wonderful Change in ail our Facul- ties, as it were annihilating our former felves, and making other Creatures of us than we were before, is alfo, at it's Commencement, called iio T^he Gifts and Graces Ser. in. called Regeneration. Not that this Change is at once, or at all perfeBed in this World, fo as that none of the Dregs of our old Nature and original Corruption remain ; our Chri- • Heb. vi. ftian Courfe is only a ° Going on to Per- fedion, and not the Arrival at it; it is the I* 1 Theff. abounding "^more and more, ^nd not a full At- iv. I . tainment. The Guilt of original Corruption may be blotted out, and the Punifliment re- mitted, but the Stain continues, and fullies our beft Performances. The Blood of Chrift once {hed, did not waQi it out, but the Graces of the Holy Spirit repeated and con- tinued, gradually diminifli it. So that Re- generation, if it be applied to the whole and entire Change of a Man, is a progreflive State (9), the Perfedion of which is in an- other World, the Commencement and De- grees in this. The Commencement of it, when, inftead of Children of Wrath, we are received into God's Favour, and have the Spirit given us as a Principle of new Life gradually to un- fold itfelf hereafter, as we (hall nourifli and f (9) Incipit quidem nunc regeneratio quoad animam : Sed tunc [Scil. in Refurreftione] quoad Corpus perficietur. Pet, Martyr in 4 Reg. iv. comply of the Holy Ghost. hi comply with it, is ufually called more par- ^^'_ ^^'j ticularly our 'Regeneration^ as it is our being born of the Spirit, and is the firft Beginning of a new and fpiritual Life. The Degrees, of It, our Growth in Grace, and Progrefs towards a perfedt Change of Nature, as it is the daily Alteration aad Improvement of our Minds, is generally diftinguiflied by the Name of Renovation^ inducing by Degrees a new Form into the Mind, and renewing the inward Man Day by Day \ Sometimes indeed ^ 2 CoTo. Renovation is ufed for the New Birth, as Heb, vi. 6. It is impojjible to renew them again to Repentance^ or there is no fecond Baptifm for them, becaufe the firft Degree of our Renovation begins at, and with our Rege- neration : and therefore Baptifm is (10) e- qually afligned as the Caufe of each ; the wajhing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghojl \ But both in the Scriptures (ex- r Tit. iii, cept one Text, Matth. xix, 28. may bear a ^' Doubt) and in the Writings of the Fathers,as far as I have been able to obferve, Regene- ration means our being born again into God's (10) Accordingly Gr£g. "Njfen. calls it ui^KoimciM >f^ «:»- Family^ T})e Gifts and Graces Family, and receiving in the Graces of the Holy Ghojl, a Principle of new Life, which IS at Baptifm ( 1 1 ) ; and Renovation is the gradual new Formation of the Mind wrought (i i) Wherefore Jujlin Martyr Apol. i. Edit Thirlb. /. 89, defcribing the Baptifm of Converts fays, "Eweila ayovlai v-^ •K[JI>UV BV^OC V^O)^ £r*j ^ r^OTT'iV dvCX,yB))V7i(T£Uq OV xj V>fA.BTq UVTOt ocvoc- ysw^^YilAiv, dvaysvvuvlcci. And Chryfoftom gives this Reafon, *'Q,!7'7ti^ yoi^ ob-H'ra,^ivo(; (^ficc rov Qdvcclov aufisnj yina^oct ^oXiT h- Tuq iv Tw BxTrllo-f^ocli clvacy£vvu(A>ivoq, u