3 Father and the Son for these purposes, without the least note of difference as to deity or personality, is to entertain a notion destructive of all religion, and tending to Polytheism. 2. His appearance under a visible sign argues his personal existence. He took the form or shape of a dove, to make a visible representation of himself by ;* for a visible pledge was to be given of the descent of the Spirit on the Messiah, according to the promise; and thereby God directed his great forerunner to the knowledge of him. As at the beginning of the old creation, the Spirit of God moved on the waters, cherishing and communicating a vivifying quality to the whole, as a dove gently moves upon its eggs, communicating vital heat (Gen. i. 2) so at the new creation, he comes as a dove upon him who was the immediate author of it. It was not a real dove that appeared, but some æthereal substance, something of a fiery nature, I conceive, in the form of a dove; and this rendered the appearance more visible and glorious ;-and the Holy Ghost is often compared to fire, because he was of old typified thereby; for, on various occasions, when sacrifices were offered, fire came down from heaven and consumed them. In the next bodily shape which he assumed, it is expressly said that it was fiery:-"There appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire" (Acts ii. 3) which was the visible token of the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them;-and thus also Christ is said to "baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire," (Matt. iii. 11); that is, with the Holy Ghost, whose purifying grace may be compared to fire. Now, this appearance of the Holy Ghost, in which he was represented by that which is a substance, manifests that he himself is a substance; for if he be merely an influential effect of the power of God, we are not taught right apprehensions of him, but mere *Matt. iii. 16. Luke iii. 22. John i. 32. The words are ambiguous and may respect the manner of his descending,— -as a dove descends; or the manner of his appearance, he appeared like a dove descending. But this sense is determined, in the other Evangelists, to the bodily shape in which he descended. mistakes by this appearance. These, with the like testimonies in general, are given to the divine personality of the Holy Spirit. I shall next consider those PERSONAL PROPERTIES which are distinctly asIcribed to him. First, UNDERSTANDING, or WISDOM, which is an inseparable property of an intelligent subsistence, is ascribed to him:-"The Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God," 1 Cor. ii. 10. Now, to search is an act of the understanding; and the Spirit is said to search, because he knoweth: "No man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man, which is intimate to all its own thoughts; so the "things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." These things cannot be spoken of any but a person endued with understanding; and he who thus searches "the deep things of God," the mysteries of his will, counsel, and grace, is therefore a Divine Person, whose understanding is infinite. Observe also, that the Spirit is the author of wisdom and understanding in others and therefore he must have them in himself; and hence he is called "a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and knowledge.". Isa. xi. 3. 1 Tim. iv. 1. 1 Pet. i. 11. Secondly. A WILL is ascribed to him; and this is the most distinguishing character of a person. Whatever is endued with an intelligent will, is a person. Now this property is ascribed to the Holy Ghost. Cor. xii. 11. "All these things worketh that one and self-same Spirit, dividing to every man as he will." What can be spoken more fully to describe an intelligent person, acting voluntarily with freedom and choice, I know not; and I may add, that he who has the sovereign disposal of all spiritual gifts, having only his own will for his rule, is, and must be "over all God blessed for ever." Thirdly. Another property of a living person is POWER. A power whereby any one is able to act according to the direction of his understanding, and the determinations of his will, declares him to be a Per son. Thus Job speaks (chap. xxxii. 4.): "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." Creation is an act of divine power; the highest we can conceive of. As he is called a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, so he is also of "might or power" (Isa. xi. 3.); and if we suppose these to mean the effects of his operations rather than the properties of his nature, yet he who effects wisdom and power in others, must first have them in himself. To this purpose also is that demand (Micah. ii. 7.) "Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened ?" that is, in his power, that he cannot work in the prophets and in his church as in former days? And the same prophet affirms (chap. iii. 8) that he is "full of power, and of judgment, and of might, by the Spirit of the Lord;" or, as the apostle speaks, "strengthened with might, by his Spirit, in the inner man." Eph. iii. 16. To complete this argument, I shall add the consideration of those works which are ascribed to him; and which could not with any propriety be so ascribed, unless he be a person endued with divine power and understanding. And here I observe, that it is not from any single instance of his works that we shall confirm our argument; for some of them, singly considered, may perhaps sometimes be metaphorically ascribed to other causes; which do not therefore prove that they are persons also (which is the sum of our adversaries' objections). But as some of them, at least, never are, nor can be, assigned to any but a divine person,-so we take our argument from their joint consideration, or the uniform constant assignation of them all to him in the Scriptures, which renders it irrefragable. The nature of the works themselves shall be explained hereafter. First. He is said to TEACH us: "The Holy Ghost shall teach you what you ought to say."*"The Comforter-shall teach you all things." He is the "Unc-He is the great tion which teaches us all things:" Teacher of the Church, to whom the accomplishment * Luke xii. 12. + John xiv. 26. +1 John ii. 27. of that great promise is committed, "They shall be all taught of God."* Let any man, not absolutely prepossessed with prejudice, read that discourse of our Saviour to his disciples, in which he purposely instructs them in the nature and work of the Spirit of God, and he will need no further confirmation in this matter. He is there called the Comforter; the name of a person; of one vested with office; and another Comforter to distinguish him from Christ, who was a Comforter and a person, as all allow. He declares that the Father would send him ; that he would accordingly come; and that to teach, to lead, to guide them, and to bring things to their remembrance :-that he should testify, or bear witness; that he should reprove the world; that he should hear, speak, receive of Christ, and shew it to them. All these things are spoken, not occasionally, but in a direct continued discourse, purposely designed to inform the disciples WHO he was, and what he would do for them; and if nothing more were spoken of him in the whole Scripture, this alone would convince all unprejudiced men that he is a Divine Person. There are two other remarkable texts to the same purpose. The first (Acts xiii. 2, 4) "As they ministered unto the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me (in the Greek, separate unto me) Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Here observe the Holy Ghost's designation of himself, as the person to whom, and to whose work Barnabas and Saul were dedicated. Some person is certainly intended by the pronoun me; and the Holy Ghost is, no doubt, the person intended, the author of the command, and the object of the duty required. Now, to call men to the work of the ministry, is a free act of authority and choice, applicable only to a person; nor is either the Father or the Son more directly clothed with personal properties than the Holy Ghost is in this passage. The whole is confirmed, ver. 4, and "they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed." He *John vi. 45. called them to the work; he commanded them to be set apart by the church; and he sent them forth by an impression of his authority on their minds. The other text referred to (Acts xx. 28) is to the same effect. "Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers.' -What was reported in the former text, in an extraordinary case, as matter of fact, is here doctrinally applied to an ordinary case. The same act of wisdom and authority is assigned to him, for he makes the overseers of the church. If he did so then, he does so now; for these were persons not extraordinarily inspired, but the ordinary officers of the church; and it is the concern of ministers now to inquire, what there is in their whole undertaking that they can ascribe to the Holy Ghost. Persons furnished with no spiritual gifts or abilities, engaging in this work for secular advantages, will not easily satisfy themselves in this inquiry, when they shall be forced to make it at last. Another kind of testimony to the same purpose remains to be considered. The Holy Spirit is often spoken of as the object of such actions of men as can only be applied to a person. Thus he is said to be tempted: "You agree together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord." Acts v. 9. How can a quality, an accident, an emanation be tempted? None can be tempted but he who has understanding to consider the proposals made to him, and a will to determine on them. So Satan tempted our first parents;-so men are tempted by their own lusts; so are we said to "tempt God," when we provoke him by our unbelief, or make unwarrantable experiments of his power. Thus Ananias and Sapphira tempted the Holy Ghost, when they sinfully ventured on his omniscience, as if he could not discover their sin; or on his holiness, that he would patronize their deceit. Thus Ananias lied to the Holy Ghost (ver. 3.) which supposes a person capable of hearing and receiving a testimony; for a lie is a false testimony. In like manner he is said to be resisted, Acts vii. 59; which is the moral re-action or opposition of one person to another. We are also command |