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Therefore, with respect to other persons, let us be charitable, and "judge nothing (needlessly) "before the time, until the Lord come; who will "bring to light the hidden things of darkness,

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and make manifest the counsels of all hearts."y And, with respect to ourselves, let us be easy under human censures, if we have given no occa sion for them; for in that case, "it is a small thing "to be judged of man's judgment:" but let us carefully prepare for the divine sentence, by perfecting holiness in the fear of God;"2 and after all our care, let us be thoroughly humble: for though "we know nothing by ourselves, yet are we not hereby justified," if it be through partiality or forgetfulness, as possibly it may; "but he that judgeth us is the Lord."

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5. As to the manner of the judgment, it will be with the greatest solemnity and awfulness, and with the greatest justice and equity. "The Lord "himself shall descend from heaven, with his "mighty angels, in flaming fire; and the trum

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pet shall sound," and all that are in the graves "shall hear his voice, and come forth.7 Then "shall he sit upon the throne of his glory," and "the Books shall be opened, and they shall be judged out of those things which are written in "the Books, according to their works. As many "as have sinned without (a revealed) law, shall "perish without (a revealed) law: and as many as have sinned in the law, (whether Jewish or "Christian) shall be judged by the law. Unto "whomsoever much is given, of him shall much "be required: and to whom much is committed, "of him will the more be asked.2 He that hath "sowed sparingly, shall reap also sparingly and

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(2) 2 Cor. vii. 1.

(5) 2 Thess. i. 7,8.
(8) Matt. xxv. 31.
(2) Luke xii 48.

"he which hath sowed bountifully, shall reap also "bountifully.3 Whatsoever a man hath sowed, "that shall he also reap."

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"What manner of persons ought we to be (then) "in all holy conversation and godliness: looking "for, and hastening unto the coming of the day of "God; wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall "be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with. "fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, "wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, "beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, "without spot, and blameless: grow in grace and "in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus "Christ to him be glory, both now and for ever,' Amen.

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LECTURE XIII.

CREED.

Article VIII. I believe in the Holy Ghost.

THE former Articles having expressed the belief of Christians, concerning the two first persons of the sacred Trinity, the Father and the Son; our Creed proceeds in this to the third object of our baptismal faith, the Holy Ghost. And, to explain it properly, there will be need to speak, first, of his nature; secondly, of his peculiar office in the work of our redemption; thirdly, of the duties owing to him; fourthly, of the sins which we are liable to commit against him.

(3) 2 Cor. ix. 6.

(4) Gal. vi. 7. (5) 2 Pet. iii. 11-14, 18.

I. Of the nature of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit. For Ghost, in the ancient usage of our language, denoted the same thing which Spirit doth now; a substance different from body or matter. Indeed, we still use it, in expressing the departure of the spirit from the body, which we call giving up the ghost; and in speaking of supposed apparitions of the spirits of persons after their decease. Hence, also, the Catechism mentions "ghostly dangers;" and the Communion Service, "ghostly counsels;" meaning such dangers, and such counsels, as relate to our spiritual part.

In like manner, the Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit: concerning whose nature we can know, as I told you before concerning that of the Son, only what results from the discoveries made to us in Scripture. And these, though they enlighten us but in part, are both credible and sufficient. For it is no objection against believing what God hath revealed in relation to any subject, that many questions may be asked about what he hath not revealed, to which we can give no answer. And he will never expect us, in this or any matter, to apprehend more, than he hath afforded us the means of apprehending. Now, the chief things revealed in the present case, are the following:

The Holy Ghost is not merely an attribute, or power, of the Father, but hath a real subsistence, distinct both from the Father and the Son. For the New Testament expressly and repeatedly uses the word he, concerning him: which is never used in that manner of a mere attribute or power. It ascribes to him will and understanding:2 it speaks of him as being sent by the Father, coming and acting on various occasions, relative both to the Son and to others; nay, as showing himself "in a bodily shape like a dove."3

(1) John xiv. 26. xv. 26. xvi. 13. (2) Rom. viii. 27. Heb. ii. 4. Comp. 1. Cor. xii. 11. (3) Luke iii. 22.

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Further; the Holy Ghost is, truly and strictly speaking, God. For the language of Scripture concerning him is such, as cannot belong to any created being. He is there called, "the eternal Spirit," the Lord;"" said to quicken, or give life to be every where present with all good Christians: to "search all things, yea, the deep "things of God, even as the things of man are "known by his own spirit, which is in him." Christ being conceived by him, became "the Son "of God." Christians, by his dwelling in them, become "the temples of the Holy Ghost:" or, as another place expresses it, "the temples of "God." Ananias, by lying to him, "lied not "unto men, but unto God."3 He is said to distribute spiritual and miraculous gifts," dividing "to every man severally as he will."4 "And as "the disciples ministered to the Lord and fasted, "the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and "Saul for the work whereunto I have called "them." He is represented by our Saviour, as able fully to supply the want of his personal presence with the Apostles. And lastly, he is joined with the Father and the Son, on equal terms, both in the form of Baptism, where his name and theirs are used alike ;7 and in the solid form of blessing, where the fellowship of the Holy Ghost is placed on a level with "the love of God, and the grace of "our Lord Jesus Christ."8

These, and many other Scripture expressions, are, surely, such as cannot be used of any creature; but prove the Spirit, as others already mentioned to you, prove the Son, to partake of the same authority and perfection, and, therefore, the same

(4) Heb. ix. 14. (7) John xiv. 16, 17. (1) 1 Cor. vi. 19. (4) 1 Cor. xii. 11.

(5) 2 Cor. iii. 17. (6) I Pet. iii. 18.
(8) 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. (9) Luke i. 35.
(2) 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. (3) Acts v. 3, 4.
(5) Acts xiii. 2. (6) John xvi. 7,
(8) 2 Cor. xiii. 14.

(7) Matt. xxviii. 19.

nature with the Father. Yet we know, that though in Holy Writ, men and angels are, sometimes, on account of their extensive power, sometimes as representatives of the Deity, called gods, yet, in literal propriety of speech, there is but one God, and not, either, three supreme Beings, or a superior and an inferior object of adoration. "Hear, O 66 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord."9 "Is "there a god besides me? yea, there is no god: "I know not any." "Before me was no god

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"formed: neither shall there be after me."* "am the Lord,--and my glory will I not give to "another."3 "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy "God, and him only shalt thou serve." Since, then, there is not a plurality of gods; and yet the Son and the Spirit are each of them God, no less than the Father; it plainly follows that they are, in a manner by us inconceivable, so united to him, that "these three are one;"5 but still, in a manner equally inconceivable, so distinguished from him that no one of them is the other.

Now, certainly, in general it is no contradiction that things should be in one respect the same, and in another different. But the particular and explicit notion of this union and this distinction, the word of God hath not given us. Whether we are capable of apprehending it, we know not: and, therefore, it is no wonder in the least, that we are incapable of forming one to ourselves. For, indeed, we are incapable of forming clear notions concerning thousands of other things, which are unspeakably less beyond our reach. All that we can do, therefore, is, to use those expressions in relation toit, which either Scripture furnishes, or experience hath found useful to guard against false apprehensions; for, with very imperfect ones we must be content. Thus, in speaking of the difference of the Son and

(9) Deut. vi. 4. (3) Isa. xlii. 8.

(1) Isa. xliv. 8.
(4) Matt iv. 10.

(2) Isa. xliii. 10. (5) 1 John v. 7.

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