Bible Societies, when it shall be told at the meetings of the Bible Societies of Spain, Italy, Barbary, Turkey, Egypt, India, Judea, China, and Japan, that the British and Foreign Bible Society was instituted, and for many years carried forward in times of war and peculiar distress; but that many of the poor in Britain subjected themselves to privations, that they might contribute to communicate to the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ, contained in the Scriptures. It was not the large gifts of the rich thrown into the treasury of the temple, that obtained our Saviour's commendation, nor the gift of the ostentatious pharisee, probably doubled to attract his notice; but what he approved, and has caused to be recorded as a memorial of her, was the poor widow's farthing. PLEBEIUS. emanation proceeding from the Father of lights, the all-perfect and omniscient Creator. In a peculiar manner, knowledge is the glory and excellency of man. It is his privilege and pre-eminence above the beasts of the earth. Many of them, it is true, excel him either in the beauty and colour, in the strength and agility of their bodies, or in the acuteness of some of their senses; but man far excels them in knowledge. For God "teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven." There is, however, a knowledge that excelleth: I mean the knowledge of God, which is the highest and noblest attainment of rational creatures. That the soul be without this knowledge, is, not only simply not good, but a positive evil; it is really hurtful. God is the supreme object of knowledge, and such as infinitely transcends the reach and capacity of all created understandings; so that he can be perfectly known only to himself. Who, by searching, can find out God? or who, by the most diligent and accurate investigation, can find out the Almighty to perfection? Such a knowledge of him, however, as is necessary to salvation, is attainable by creatures, according to his own gracious promise, Jer. xxiv. 7. " I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord," (that I am Jehovah.) From this we learn, that the knowledge we speak of is no common or ordinary acquisition; it is a distinguishing mercy, vouchsafed only to a few; for all, however inexcusable, have not this knowledge of God. It is a special new covenant blessing, promised to the church and people of God in New Testament times. When it is here promised, that persons shall know God to be Jehovah, it is evident that he is not to be considered absolutely, but only in relation to some special revelation which he has given of himself. There is a knowledge of God, as God, by the light of nature, but this cannot be intended here; nor can it possibly be the subject of any gracious promise, seeing it is common to all men. It is not a knowledge of him only in his nature and attributes, but a knowledge of him as a God in covenant, as a God in Christ; in short, it is a knowledge of him as subsisting in a trinity of persons, engaged in the work of our redemption. Many even of the heathens knew much of God; and some of them have discoursed excellently concerning his nature and perfections. They knew that God is, and, in some measure, what he is; that he is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, &c. but they knew not who he is. Excellent to this purpose are these words of our Lord, This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." That God, who is one in three persons, is the only true God. This knowledge of God is so necessary, that, without it, all other knowledge of him is insufficient to salvation. It is of all the most valuable, the most satisfactory, and durable knowledge. Man's happiness now and hereafter lies in it. It is, as it were, heaven begun; and it will most assuredly accompany to heaven the individual who professes it, and there be made perfect. The sober illiterate Christian, who is thus taught of God, may pass through this world ignorant of many other things, without any detriment to his eternal welfare. Whether, in the world to come, as some have fondly imagined, persons will indulge in the pursuit of those studies to which, in this life, they were most devoted, one, for instance, in the science of astronomy, another in that of chemistry, men &c. we will not pretend to say. But when we consider the great uncertainty and doubtfulness that hangs about some of these sciences, the new discoveries that are, from time to time, made in most of them, and the ever varying and fluctuating opinions which have entertained about almost all of them, we will not, we hope, be thought sceptical, if we be ready to question, whether the rudiments they have learned in this world will be of any real advantage to them in the next, where all things will, no doubt, be conducted on a plan altogether new, and very different from those of human invention. This world, an apostle tells us, passeth away, and the lust thereof; and so do the thoughts of man, that day his breath departs, and he returns to his kindred earth; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. See 1 John ii. 17. and Ps. cxlvi. 4. But, as the life of grace, which is begun in the soul now, is, for substance, the very same with that which will be enjoyed in a state of glory; so, the knowledge of God in Christ, which is produced by the Holy Spirit in this life, will be substantially the same with that which will be enjoyed through all eternity. All the difference will lie only in the degrees of perfection. There is, no doubt, a very great difference between the knowledge which the spirits of just men made perfect now enjoy, and that which they experienced when they were in this world, and animated bodies of clay like us. Even the apostle Paul himself, who, in his lifetime, had been so highly favoured, as to be allowed to visit the celestial country, and had there seen and heard such things as it was not possible for human tongue to rehearse, even he declares, that he knew nothing as he ought to do; that he saw divine things but obscurely, and, as it were, only through a glass; and that he was but partially acquaint ed with them. He, however, comforts himself, and all true believers, with this cheering consideration, that the present state of matters would soon issue in a blessed state of perfection. "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. Now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known." 1 Cor. xiii. 10 12. We have hitherto spoken a little of the first and second persons of the holy trinity. It only remains that we now say a few things concern❤ ing the glorious third; who, as the poet expresses it, is " distinct, not separate, beaming from both, with both incorporate!" It is his work to produce in us that knowledge of God which is promised. It appears from Scripture that the Holy Spirit puts, as it were, the last hand, and gives the finishing touch to all the works of God, whether of creation or redemption. In a peculiar manner it is so in the economy of redemption. The effectual application of that redemption which the Father contrived, and the Son purchased, is therein the proper work of the Holy Spirit. And he is brought in here, along with the other two, as bearing witness to the truth of that grand scheme, of which he is appointed the finisher: "There are three that bear record in hea ven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." Hence we may see the necessity of the Holy Spirit's influence and agency, and the great danger of sinning against him. Without the Spirit we can neither live to God, know him, nor enjoy, him. And if we sin against him, we sin against the other two persons also; and God has not a fourth person to send unto us, or to mediate between us. The third person in the Godhead is usually styled the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, the Spirit of God, and of Christ, and sometimes simply the Spirit. In respect of his substance or nature, he is, indeed, a most pure Spirit. But it is not in this respect that he is called the Spirit; he is not so called in the same sense that God is said to be a Spirit, in John iv. 24. Neither is he called Holy formally, or in respect of himself, but efficiently, as it would seem, because he sanctifies or makes others holy. The word spirit comes from a verb which signifies to breathe or blow; and we are sure, that, in his operations, the Spirit of God is likened to the wind; but we do not know how far it might be safe to say, that he is called the spirit from the manner of his operations. Divines have usually considered him as so called, because he proceeds from the Father and the Son by way of spiration or breathing. To this there is some allusion in John xx. 22. where our Lord is said to have breathed upon the disciples when he imparted to them the Holy Ghost. We do, indeed, read of his procession, but we can no more tell in what manner it takes place, than we can explain the nature and manner of the Son's generation. We may here also, in conformity to the method observed before, show, 1. That the Holy Spirit is a Distinct person; and 2. That he is. a Divine person, or true God. 1. We are first to show, that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. And this will appear if we consider, (1.) That personal powers of rational understanding and will are ascribed to him. 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (2.) That he is joined with the other two divine persons as the object of worship, and the source of all true happiness, in the institution of baptism, Matt. xxviii. 19. in the apostolic benediction, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. and, in John's salutation to the seven churches of Asia, in the beginning of the book of Revelation. In the text also he is introduced along with the other two, as a witness to the Gospel record; all which plainly mark his distinction. (3.) That he appeared in a manner quite distinct at our Lord's baptism, by descending up on him in the shape of a dove; as also to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, in the form of cloven tongues of fire. And (4.) That personal offices and acts are ascribed to him. He is represented as a witness, an intercessor, a comforter, an advocate, and as a teacher and guide. He is represented as speaking, witnessing, teaching, sending forth ministers, judging, forbidding. He is the great applier of redemption. He convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He enlightens the understanding, and renews the will. He is the sanctifier of his people; hence we read of the sanctification of the Spirit. From these, and the like considerations, it is plain that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. He is distinguished, 1st, by the name of the Holy Spirit; 2dly, by his subsisting the third in order in the Godhead; 3dly, by his station and work in our redemption; and, 4thly, by his personal property of proceeding from the Father and the Son. That the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father is abundantly evident from John xv. 26; but it has long been the subject of much controversy whether he also proceeds from the Son. Whether he does it in the very same manner, we cannot indeed tell; for it is nowhere expressly so declared in Scripture. But we think it may be fairly concluded, and without derogating any thing from his character, affirmed, that he proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father. He is called the Spirit of the Son, Gal. iv. 6. and the Spirit of Christ, Rom. viii. 9. The Spirit is said to receive all things from Christ, John xvi. 14 and 15. and to be sent by him, John xv. 26. And the Father is said to send him in Christ's name, John iv. 26. From all which it may, we think, be fairly gathered, and safely concluded, that he proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father. 2. We were, secondly, to show that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person. Now this may be done by the very same arguments by which the divinity of the Son is proven; namely, by his names and titles, his attributes, works, and worship. (1.) He is expressly called God, Acts v. 3, 4. "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? (said Peter to Ananias,) thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." The incommunicable name Jehovah is ascribed to him, 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3. "The Spirit of Jehovah, (or, as it might be rendered, Jehovah the Spirit) spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me," &c. In the New Testament he is called Lord, a name equivalent to the former, in as far as it is possible for the language to express it without a circumlocution. 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18. " Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," (or, as it might be as well rendered, by the Lord the Spirit.) the Spirit.) He is in Scripture styled the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of grace, and the Spirit of glory; none of which names can apply to any creature, and far less to a mere quality. (2.) Attributes proper only to the Most High God are ascribed to him; such as eternity, Heb. ix. 14. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself with out spot unto God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" This passage is, by many, understood of Christ's divine nature, which was the altar upon which he offered himself a sacrifice to God. It is indeed true that Christ, God-man, being both priest, sacrifice, and altar, offered up, as a sacrifice, his human nature on the altar of the divine, which gave efficacy to the offering. But there can be no reason assigned why the word spirit here should be turned away from its usual acceptation, and not mean the Holy Spirit. It will be difficult, I believe, to find a passage in all the Bible to countenance this; a passage in which the divine nature in the person of the Son, as opposed to the human, is called a spirit. There can, therefore, be no more danger in saying, that the Eternal and ever-blessed Spirit, the third person in the Godhead, was aiding, supporting, and assisting to the man Christ Jesus in the offering of himself a sacrifice to God, than there can be in saying, that he assisted him in all his temptations, and working of miracles, which we, are sure, was the case; Matth. xii. 28. "If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." But leaving this, Omnipresence is ascribed to him, Psal. cxxxix. 7. " Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?" The Spirit of God dwells in all his saints, and therefore must be every where present. Omniscience is ascribed to him, 1 Cor. ii. 10. «The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Almighty power, and sovereign dominion be long unto him. He is "the power of the Highest," Luke i. 35. (3.) Works competent to God only are ascribed to him, such as the creation of all things, Gen. i. 2. "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Job. xxvi. 13. "By his Spirit he garnished the heavens." Chap. xxxiii. 4. "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." He prepared, or formed, the human nature of Christ, Luke i. 33. and anointed or qualified him for his work. He convinces men's consciences of their most secret sins, and enlightens their minds in the knowledge of Christ and spiritual things. He justifies Christ and all believers in him. 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in, or by the Spirit." 1 Cor. vi. 11. "Ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." He regenerates and sanctifies men's hearts. He comforts his people, and preserves them in a state of grace. He revives and quickens them, when they may be under fearful degrees of spiritual death, and will also raise up their dead bodies from the grave at the last day. Rom. viii. 11. "If the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (4.) Divine worship is ascribed to him. Prayer to him is exemplified in Song iv. 16. "Awake O north wind, come thou south," &c. These words are usually, and may indeed with safety be understood of the Holy Spirit |