it. For this purpose, let the following principles be observed:

1. The nature and being of God is the foundation_of all true religion and religious worship in the world. The great end for which we were made, is to worship and glorify God; and that which renders this worship our indispensable duty is, the nature and being of God himself. There are indeed some acts of religious worship which chiefly respect what God is to us, or has done for us; but the principal reason of all divine worship, and that which makes it such is, what God is in himself. Because he is;-because he is an infinitely glorious, good, wise, holy, powerful, righteous, allsufficient Being; the first cause, last end, and sovereign Lord of all ;-therefore, he is to be worshipped : therefore are we to adore and love him to praise, to trust, and to fear him. This is to glorify him as God; for as "all things are of him, and through him, and to him, to him must be glory for ever."

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2. The revelation that God has made of himself, is the rule of all religious worship and obedience. His Being absolutely considered, is the formal reason of our worship; but this worship is to be directed by the revelation he makes of that Being to us: and the principal end of divine revelation is, to direct us in paying the homage we owe to the Divine Nature.

3. God has revealed himself to us, as Three in one ;as Three distinct Persons subsisting in the same undivided essence and therefore, as such, he is to be worshipped. This principle might be here confirmed, but that I have done it elsewhere; for the whole ensuing discourse supposes and depends upon it; and indeed I fear that the failing of some men's profession begins with their relinquishment of this foundation. This has been the fatal miscarriage of the people called Quakers; and I wish it were so with them only; for there are many others who reject the doctrine of the Trinity as false, or despise it as unintelligible, or neglect it as useless. I know this ulcer lies hid in the minds of many, and expect it will break out and cover the whole body, of which they are members, with its de

filements; but these things are left to the care of Jesus Christ. For the present I shall only say, that on this supposition, that God has revealed himself as Three in One, he is to be so considered in all our worship; and therefore in our initiation into the profession and practice of the worship of God, we are in our baptism engaged to it In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This is the foundation of our "doing all the things which Christ commands us:" to this service of God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are solemnly dedicated.

4. These Divine Persons are so distinct in their ресиliar Subsistence, that distinct operations are ascribed to each of them. Some of these actings are internal and mutual. So the Father "knoweth the Son, and loveth him ;" and the Son "seeth," "knoweth," and "loveth the Father." John iii. 15. v. 20. vi. 46. So the Father is said to "give," "send," and "command" the Son, as he condescended to become Man and Mediator; and the Father and Son are said to "send the Spirit," as he condescends to become the Sanctifier of the Church. There are also distinct actings of each of the divine Persons towards the creatures. This is so evident from the whole Scripture, that particular instances are needless: besides, this will sufficiently appear when we consider the distinct actings of the Spirit.

5. Hence it follows unavoidably, That the Spirit is in himself, a distinct, living, powerful, intelligent, divine Person; for none other can be the author of those divine operations which are ascribed to him. It is therefore necessary that we enquire who, and what that one and the self-same Spirit" is, on whose will all these things depend: for if men prevail in their opposition to his Person, it will be useless to concern ourselves about his work; for if the foundation of any fabric be removed, the superstructure will fall of

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course.

The doctrinal opposition made against the Spirit of God, may be reduced to two heads. Some grant his Personality, but deny his Deity. They say he is a created finite Spirit, the chief of all created spirits, and

head of all the angels; and that he is called the Holy Ghost, on account of the work in which he is employed. This was the opinion of the Macedonian heretics; since followed by the Mahometans, and by some of late among ourselves: but such is the folly of this notion, that it is now generally abandoned; for such things are affirmed of the Holy Spirit in the Scripture, that to admit his Personality and deny his Deity, is the utmost madness. The Socinians, therefore, the great modern enemies of the Trinity, utterly reject this pretence: but the notion they advance in its room is no less pernicious: for, granting the things assigned to him to be the effects of divine power, they deny his Personality; and assert, that what is called the Spirit of God, is nothing but a quality in the divine nature, or the power that God exerts for particular purposes. I do not design here professedly to contend with them about the whole of this matter, for every thing important in the dispute will occur in our progress: I shall at present confirm the Divine Personality of the Spirit with a single argument; which I will boldly affirm, is such as the gates of Hell shall never prevail against. One thing, however, must be premised, namely, that the word Spirit is sometimes used to denote the Spirit of God himself, and sometimes his gifts and graces bestowed upon men. This being allowed, I think, it is impossible to prove the Father or the Son to be a Person, any other way than we may prove the Holy Ghost to be a person: for "he to whom all personal properties, attributes, and operations are ascribed, and to whom nothing is ascribed but what properly belongs to a person, he is a person; and so we are taught to believe him to be. Thus we know the Father to be a Person, and the Son also; for our knowledge of things is more by their properties than by their essential forms. Now I shall confirm the assumption of this argument, not so much by any particular testimony, nor by the ascription of any single personal property to him, as by the constant uniform tenour of Scripture, in ascribing all these properties to him; and there is no personal pro

perty belonging to the divine nature that is not in one place or other ascribed to him.

If a wise and honest man should tell you, that in a certain country where he has been, there is an excellent governor, who wisely discharges the duties of his office; who hears causes, distributes justice, and comforts the distressed,-would you not believe that he intended by this description, a righteous, wise, intelligent person?-What else could any man living imagine? But now suppose, that a stranger, or person of suspicious character, should come and say that the former information was indeed true, but that no man or person was intended, but that the sun or the wind, which, by their benign influences, rendered the country fruitful and temperate, and disposed the inhabitants to mutual kindness; and, therefore, that the whole description of a governor, was merely figurative,-must you not conclude, either that the first person was a notorious trifler, or that your latter informer, whose veracity you had reason to suspect, had endeavoured to abuse both him and you? It is exactly thus in the case before us. The Scripture tells us that the Holy Ghost governs the Church; appoints overseers of it,— discerns and judges all things,-comforts the faint,strengthens the weak,-is grieved and provoked by sin; and that in these, and many other affairs, he orders and disposes all things according to his own will. Can any man credit this testimony, and conceive otherwise of the Spirit than as a holy, wise, intelligent person? Now, while we are under the power of these apprehensions, there come to us some men whom we have just cause to suspect, and they tell us that what the Scripture says of the Holy Spirit is indeed true, but that no such person is intended by these expressions,but only a quality or influence of divine power, which doth all these things figuratively;-that he has a will figuratively, and understanding figuratively,―is sinned against figuratively, and so of all that is said of him. Now, what can any man, not bereft of natural reason as well as spiritual light, conclude, but either that the Scripture designed to draw him into fatal errors, or

that those who impose such a sense upon it are corrupt seducers, who would rob him of his faith and comforts?-Such will they at last appear to be. I now proceed to confirm the argument proposed.

1. All that is necessary to this purpose is comprised in the form of Christian baptism. Our Lord commands his apostles to "disciple all nations; baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Now, all will allow that the Father and the Son are distinct Persons ;-but what confusion must it introduce to add to them, and to join equally with them, as to all the concerns of faith and obedience, the Holy Spirit, if he be not a divine Person!-and, if he be a person, but not divine, then this is to assign the same honour to a creature as to God, which is detestable idolatry!—and if he be not a person, but a virtue or quality in God, what sense can any man make of the words?

Besides, whatever is ascribed to the other Persons, is equally ascribed to him ;-whatever is intended by the name of the Father and the Son, he is equally concerned in it. It is not the name Father, and the name Son, but the name of God (that is, of them both) that is intended ;-and, by the name of God, either his being or his authority is signified. If it be used in the first way, then the being of the Spirit must be the same with that of the Father; if in the latter, he has the same authority with him; and he who has the name and authority of God, is God,-is a Divine Person.

Again: We are said to be baptised into his name (EIS TO ONOMA ;) and no sense can be affixed to these words that does not include his personality; for they signify our religious owning the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in our worship, faith, and obedience. As we own the one, so we own the other; and if we own the Father as a distinct Person, so we do the Holy Ghost; for we are alike baptised into their name; equally submitting to their authority; equally taking the profession of their name upon us. Now, to conceive that any one who is not God, should be joined with the