gument is of great force even in the opinion of our opponents. When our Lord says,* *The Spirit of Truth shall "glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are "mine; therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine, "and shall shew it unto you;" he evidently establishes the doctrine of the Trinity. The personality, and consequently the deity, of the Spirit, has been proved from many testimonies; if all things, belonging to the Father, belong to Christ also, his deity must be allowed; and thus the three persons in the sacred Trinity are here pointed out to our observation. The apostolic benediction,t" The grace of our Lord "Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the commu ❝nion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all, Amen ;" has a plain reference to the one name, into which Christians are baptized; and it may remind us of the form of blessing appointed in the law" Speak unto Aaron and "unto his sons, saying, on this wise shall ye bless the "children of Israel, saying to them, The LORD bless "thee, and keep thee; the LORD make his face shine up. ແ on thee, and be gracious to thee; the LORD lift up his ❝ countenance upon thee, and give thee peace; and they "shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will "bless them." The threefold repetition of the name JEHOVAH, with the concluding sentence," they shall put my "name upon the children of Israel," is very remarkable; and the whole accords to the adorations of the heavenly worshippers," Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts."S The benediction used by Paul was in reality a solemn act of worship, equally with the blessing pronounced by the priests. It was a prayer, in behalf of the Corinthians, for all the blessings of salvation; and these he sought from the Lord Jesus, and from the Holy Spirit, as well as from God the Father. The address of the apostle John to the seven churches in Asia, in which he wishes, # John, xvi. 13-18. † 2 Cor. xiii. 14. or prays for, grace and peace to them, from the eternal Father, from the seven spirits before the throne, and from the Lord Jesus,* is precisely of the same nature, and contains a conclusive argument in proof of our doctrine. According to the emblematic style of the revelation of John, the Holy Spirit, with reference to his manifold gifts and graces, and to the seven churches in Asia, is spoken of, as the seven spirits before the throne; but we cannot doubt of the meaning; nor can we imagine, that any created spirits would have been thus joined with the eternal God in such an evident act of solemn adoration. I shall close the present essay by again observing, that the subject before us is of the greatest importance. Either trinitarians or anti-trinitarians are idolaters; for they cannot both worship that God, who reveals himself to us in scripture; but one of them must substitute an imaginary being in his place. It is not therefore a subject to be decided by sallies of wit, ostentation of learning, or attempting to render one another odious and ridiculous. A sober, humble, teachable mind, disposed to believe the testimony of God, is above all things requi site in such inquiries. This should be sought from God by fervent prayer; and then the scriptures must be dai ly and diligently examined with an obedient and reverend mind. The writer of these remarks was once an antitrinitarian; and on the point of leaving the church of England, from objections to her doctrine and worship in this respect. But the study of the scriptures has totally changed his judgment; and as he then neglected, or disliked the other doctrines, which he now values more than life, and was a stranger to vital experimental religion; so he cannot but perceive that they, who deny this doctrine, gradually give up other peculiarities of Christianity, till the name alone, or very little more, be left of it. He must therefore deem it (like the key stone of an arch) essential to the support of evangelical piety; and would conclude these observations on the Trinity, with the apostle's words, "This is the true God, and eternal * Rev. i. 4-6. "life; little children, keep yourselves from idols. A"men." But while we deem the rejection of this doctrine a virtual renunciation of Christian baptism, a dissent from the apostolical benediction, and a substitution of another object of worship in the place of the God of the bible; and while we lament the rapid progress of this destructive heresy, which often proves a forerunner to prepare the way for a more avowed apostacy; we must also observe, that it is almost equally to be lamented, that so few, who profess the doctrine, seem to understand its real nature and tendency, or to experience its sanctifying efficacy upon their hearts. Alas, what will it avail any man to have maintained, or even triumphantly contended for, this fundamental truth, if he continue the devotee of ambition, avarice, or any other vile affection? Of what use is it to shew the distinct offices of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the work of our salvation; unless we, as lost sinners, depend on the everlasting love and free mercy of the Father; on the merits and mediation of the incarnate Son; and on the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. No outward administration of baptism can profit those, who are not made, by "the true "baptism," the spiritual worshippers and servants of "the "Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." Nor can the pronunciation of the apostle's benediction save any man, who does not partake of the blessings, pronounced in the inward experience of his own soul. Finally, whilst we disregard the charge of bigotry, in refusing all religious intercourse with anti-trinitarians, lest we should give a sanction to their heresy; let us protest against all attempts to injure them in their temporal interests. Every kindness is due to them, as men, when they need it; many of them, as good members of society, are entitled to civil respect and commendation; and by this conduct we shall best silence the censures, brought against our principles, as intolerant; and prove, that they enlarge the heart with the most diffusive philanthrophy. ESSAY XIV. On the gifts and influences of the Holy Spirit. THE subject, selected for the present essay, has occasioned a variety of dangerous or destructive mistakes. While some have advanced claims in this respect, which seem at least to place them upon an equality with prophets, apostles, and inspired writers; others, (perceiving the absurdity or arrogance of such pretensions; deeming themselves wise, strong, or good, by their native powers and exertions; and having no experience to direct them in discriminating between what is scriptural and what anti-scriptural.) have argued, that we neither want, nor are warranted to expect, any divine or supernatural influences; that they were exclusively vouchsafed to the apostles and primitive Christians; and that all, now spoken of the operations or assistance of the Spirit, is mere enthusiasm and delusion. These opposite extremes have also admitted of intermediate errors and variations. Some contend, that there is no discoverable distinction between divine influences and the actings of our own minds; and do not clearly admit of an exception, even as to the diverse effects produced by these distinct causes; others suppose, that they are immediately distinguishable by an inward and a kind of instinctive consciousness,' (like that, which assured the prophets that they were divinely inspired ;) and thus, whilst they seem to honour the Spirit, and will attempt nothing till, as they say, they are moved by him, they covertly advance a claim to infallibility and perfection in those favoured seasons, or impute all their mistakes and follies to this sacred Agent. Nor is it uncommon for men to plead that they are influenced by the Holy Spirit, in order to establish other rules of faith and practice, than the written word of God; to bring that, or some parts of it, into a measure of discredit; or even to substitute something, wrought in them or by them, in the place of the righteousness and atoning blood of the Saviour, whom the Spirit is sent to glorify among men. In short, much enthusiasm and spiritual pride, and many fatal or disgraceful delusions have, on the one hand, arisen from misapprehensions of this subject; and on the other multitudes have taken occasion from these incidental evils, to treat the whole with profane contempt and derision. But a careful attention to the scriptures, and to the ends, for which the Holy Spirit was promised, may enable us properly to discriminate in this matter; and to shew in what sense, and for what purposes, we ought to expect, and depend on, the influences of the Spirit; and which of his gifts and operations were peculiar to the primitive times, or to extraordinary occasions. I shall therefore, at present, offer some thoughts on the miraculous gifts and powers, imparted by the Holy Ghost; on those ordinary endowments, which uninspired men may reasonably expect to receive from him; on his common influences upon the minds of many unconverted persons; and on the special nature of that sanctifying work, by which "the vessels of mercy are afore prepared unto glory.** If we accurately mark the language of the scriptures, we shall find that the Holy Spirit is spoken of, as the Author and Giver of all those miraculous and supernatural powers, with which any of the human race were ever endued. Not only did "holy men of God speak, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost;"t not only did apostles, evangelists, and primitive believers receive the Holy Ghost, enabling them to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, speak in languages before unknown, or interpret the discourses of others; but even Christ himself was " anointed by the Holy Ghost," to work his eneficent miracles. He cast out devils "by the Spirit Rom ix. 23. † 2 Pet. i. 21. |