leave to infer, that Arian and Socinian doctrines are not the doe trines of the bible, which in matters of such moment and conse quence are and must be so easy, open and clear, that the igno❤ rant and the unlearned may read and understand; "for of suck is the kingdom of heaven.”

Now the plain christian, who reads his bible honestly, and follows the natural meaning of the words, will be led into the most dangerous mistakes, and to the practice of downright idolatry by the very bible itself, if these divine characters which I have mentioned are not really applicable to Christ. If Christ were nota partaker of true godhead, I can never imagine that the great God, who is so jealous of his own honour, and so kind and faithful to his people; and who knows how ready mankind is to take every occasion to run into idol-worship, would ever lay such stumbling-blocks or temptations in their way, and leave them in his word for the use of all ages. I cannot persuade myself that this God would have let those passages stand in the holy scriptures as our rule of faith and practice, which have such a natural tendency to diminish his own diguity, to give away his divine prerogatives to another, and to deceive the humble and the simple into such pernicious snares, and that in a point of so high and awful importance.

I proceed now to consider which of the peculiar divine cha racters are ascribed in scripture to the Holy Ghost, and in this part of my discourse I shall be much briefer; not only because the scripture has not occasion to give half so many proofs of the godhead of the Holy Spirit, but because if the true and proper godhead of Christ be fully proved, that of the Holy Spirit will be easily admitted.

"Divine characters ascribed to the Holy Spirit."

I. The peculiar name of God, which is ascribed to the Holy Spirit in scripture, is Jehovah. The Spirit of God is the same with Jehovah; Is. vi. 3. " One of the seraphims cried to another, saying, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, in the original, it is Jehovah, the whole earth is full of his glory." And the voice of this Jehovah said, verse 9, 10. " Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not," &c. Now that these words were spoken by the Holy Ghost, is evident from Acts xxviii. 25, 26. "Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaias the prophet, unto our fathers, saying, go unto this people, and say, licaring ye shall hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive," &c. Nor is it any sufficient objection that these words are applied to Christ; John xii. 41. "These things, said Isaias, when he saw his, that is, Christ's glory, and spake of him." For Christ and the Holy Ghost are one in godhead, as we shall shew hereafter.

Deut. xxxii. 12. " The Lord, or Jehovah alone did lead him," that is, Israel, in the wilderness. The prophet Isaiah speaking of this matter ascribes it to the holy Spirit; Is. lxiii. 14. "As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him, that is, Israel, to rest; so didst thou lead thy people to make thy name, glorious." Now either the Spirit is Jehovah, or Jehovah alone did not lead them.

Ps. xcv. 3." The Lord, or Jehovah, is a great God, and a great king above all gods." Verse 7, &c. To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, and proved me, and saw my works. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation;" which words are cited by St. Paul, as spoken by the Holy Ghost; Heb. iii. 7, 8, 9, &c. "Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, to-day, if ye will hear his voice, &c. When your fathers tempted me, and I was grieved with that generation." And this is further confirmed; Is. lxiii. 10." They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit." And Stephen reproving the Jews; Acts vii. 51. said, " Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: As your fathers did, so do ye." Nor is it any just objection, against this, that they were said to tempt Christ in the wilderness; 1 Cor. x. 9. For in point of godhead Christ and the Holy Spirit are one.

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II. The peculiar titles of God, which seem to be used miscuously for God the Father, or for the Holy Spirit, are these, viz. the God of Israel and the Lord of hosts. The holy Spirit is represented as one with the "God of Israel;" 2 Sam. xxxiii. 2, 3." The Spirit of the Lord, or of Jehovah, spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just:" Thus the Spirit of the Lord is the same with the God and the Rock of Israel. He is also called the "Lord of Hosts" in the text before cited; Is. vi. on which I shall not enlarge.

III. The peculiar attributes of God ascribed to the Holy Spirit are, omniprescence and omniscience.

1. "Omnipresence" is attributed to the holy Spirit; Ps. cxxxix. 7." Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? And whither shall I flee from thy presence ?" It is vain to flee from one who is every where. John xiv. 16, 17. "The Spirit of truth" is promised to abide with the saints for ever, to be in them, to dwell in them; "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you;" Rom. viii. 11. He dwells in believers according to his promise, and makes them his holy temple; 1 Cor. vi. 19. And is in all times, and in all places, whereBoever his saints and servants are, distributing his several gifts and graces. 1 Cor. xii. 11, “ All these worketh the self-same

Spirit, dividing to every severally as he will:" Which expression carries as it were a divine sovereignty in it.

2. "Omniscience" belongs also to the holy Spirit: 1 Cor. ii. 10. "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." It is "the Spirit of Christ that was in the prophets which testified a thousand years before-hand the sufferings of Christ." Pet. i. 11. And this is one peculiar property of godhead; Is. xli. 23. where God challenges all other pretenders to godhead to vie with him. "Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods." Many minute circumstances of the birth, life and death of Christ, as well as his resurrection and the propogation of the gospel, how exactly were they foretold by ancient prophets, and all through the inspiration of this Spirit of prophecy! 2 Pet. i. 21. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

3. Eternity" is another attribute of God: And since some properties of God are ascribed to the holy Spirit, eternity must in the same sense belong to him also. Perhaps it is he who is called the eternal Spirit; Heb. ix. 14. "The blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself," &c. Though some persons rather understand this of the eternal Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ himself.

But whether it be the one or the other that is there designed, yet I would not build an argument upon the mere doubtful criticism of a Greek word, and pretend it to be fully convincing, since that learned writer, Dr. Waterland himself when he is pleading for the eternity of Christ, from Micah v. 2. "his goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," confesses the argument," is but probable, since there is not ground sufficient for calling it certain and indisputable :" only this he adds by way of remark, "That whosoever should undertake to prove the eternity of God the Father from any express words, either of the Old or New Testament, would find his proof liable to the same difficulty, and uncertainty, from the ambiguity of the Hebrew, or Greek phrases used to denote eternity.

IV." Divine works are attributed to the blessed Spirit, as creation of the world, the change of the heart or regeneration, and the raising the dead."

1. "The work of creation," which has been proved before to be a divine work, is attributed to him; Job xxvi. 13. " By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens ;" Job xxxiii. 4. "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life." Ps. xxxiii. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the host of them by the breath, or Spirit, of his mouth;" for it is the same word "ruach," which is translated " Spirit" in the two foregoing texts, is rendered breth in this.

Acts iv. 24, 25. "Lord, thou art God, who hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David said, why did the heathens rage?" &c. He who spake by the mouth of David, is here declared to be that God who is the Creator of all things; but the Holy Ghost is he who spake by the mouth of David, as appears from his own witness in 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 8. " The Spirit of the Lord spake by me," &c. Not only does David the prophet thus witness concerning himself, but the apostle Peter does the same; Acts i. 16." The Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David, spake concerning Judas," &c. Therefore the Holy Ghost, is the Creator of all things.

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2. The work of " changing the heart," and of new creation belongs to the great God; Prov. xxi. 1. "The heart even of kings is in the hand of the Lord; it is he that turneth them whithersoever he will." And when the heart is turned from sin to God, it is said to be his workmanship; Eph. i. 10. By him we “are created unto good works." And Jude verse 1. " we are said to be sanctified by God the Father. God assumes this prerogative to himself; Lev. xx. 8. "I am the Lord which sanctifieth you." Yet this very work of new creation or sanctification is frequently in scripture ascribed to the holy Spirit; Rom. xv. 16. "The Gentiles are sanctified by the Holy Ghost." And we are" chosen to salvation through the sanctification of the 'Spirit ;" 2 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 2. Upon this account it is, that the saints who are described as "born of God; John i. 13. and 1 John v. 1, 3, are said to be born of the Spirit; John iii. 5, 6, 8.

3. The work of raising the dead" is a divine work, which is also ascribed to the holy Spirit. That it is a work which seems to be appropriated to godhead, St. Paul intimates; Rom. iv. 17, "He who quickens the dead, and calls the things which are not as though they were:" is a description of God. And God is described in the same manner; Rom. viii. 11. "He that raised up Christ from the dead." And that this was a glorious instance of his divine power; see Eph. i. 19, 20. Now this work, both of raising Christ and all the saints from the dead, is ascribed to the Holy Spirit; 1 Pet. iii. 18. Christ-being put to daeth in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Rom. viii. 11. "He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

I am come now to the last distinguishing character of godbead, and that is, to be the object of religious worship.

V." Divine worship is paid to the Holy Spirit."

"Baptism is a sacred ceremony, whereby we are devoted and given up to God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. But the holy Spirit is not omitted in this piece of worship; Mat VOL. VI.

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xxviii. 19. "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." So that we are dedicated to the Holy Ghost in this solemnity, even as we are to God the Father. Here we may make this just remark, viz. That it can hardly be supposed, that Christ should appoint this solemn entrance into christianity, by baptizing men in the name of the one God and two mere creatures; but since they are joined, we may much rather conclude, that Christ himself, together with the Holy Ghost, are partakers of true deity, as well as the Father; otherwise, as a late writer says, the office of baptism would be an invincible stumbling-block both to Jews and Gentiles.

The Jews could not bear the least appearance of idolatry after they had smarted so severely for it under the Babylonish captivity, and would never afterward suffer any to be joined with the true God in their worship. Thus St. Paul testifies concerning them, that "they abhorred idols;" Rom. ii. 22. And as for the Gentiles, it was the main design of christianity to root out idolatry from among them," to turn them from idols to the living God;" 1 Thess. i. 9. Now if the Son and Holy Ghost were inferior to the Father, and not the same God, the joining them with the Father in this initiating ordinance, would seem to have a very broad appearance of idolatry: And thus the Jews would have been effectually prejudiced against the gospel; and the Gentiles would have been rather confirmed in the worship of idols, or that which is not God.

Another thing wherein religious worship seems to be paid to the holy Spirit, is this, viz. that the apostle prays for the blessing to descend from the holy Spirit on the Corinthians, in the same way and manner in which the blessing of the Father and Son are prayed for; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." If this be a petition or prayer, it is a prayer to the sacred three. And the Holy Ghost is the object of this worship as well as the Father or Son. It seems evident also, that the holy Spirit was worshipped in some of those texts which were cited from the Old Testament, to prove the divine names, titles and attributes to belong to him; as Is. vi. Ps. xevi. &c. which I shall not repeat. And since it is he who enlightens, who comforts, who regenerates, and sanctifies men, who bestows on the saints so many gifts and graces, distributing them severally as he will, since he knows the hearts of men, and changes and renews their hearts unto holiness, the very reason of things leads us to adore him, and gives sufficient foundation to pray to him for what gifts or graces we want, and to praise and give him thanks for what we have received, as shall be shewn hereafter. I might take notice here, that several of these same divine characters are ascribed also to Jesus Christ, as the sanctification of