CO N TENTS. CHAPTER 1. ON THE MEANING OF THE TERM SPIRIT AS EMPLOYED BY THE SACRED WRITERS. Preliminary remarks-It occurs in the sense of Breath -Wind - Intelligent beings-Applied pre-eminently to the third Person in the Trinity-Thence trans.. ferred to his influence-Then again to the effects produced by that influence-Inferences-Writers of the New Testament have distinguished the influence from the person of the Spirit-Bishop MiddletonThe same idea of him conveyed by another usage of the New Testament writers-Opinion of the ancient Jews-Grotius–Bishop Heber-Effect on the early heresiarchs and sects-Design of the Scriptures to instruct—Stress of the argument–Their current language- The Holy Spirit acts agreeably to a commission received - Yet exercises supreme authority - The efficient cause of the several gifts bestowed on man-Extraordinary endowments of body or mind-Miraculous powers—The author of revela- tion-Of spiritual blessings-He is the object upon whom the actions of others terminate—These require intelligence and affections Personality what–Paley -The language of Scripture clearly conveys this idea, or no reason why recourse should be had to the figure of speech called the Prosopopæia—Personi- fication irrelevant-Bishop Heber—T'he Spirit can- not be identified with the Father--Is distinct from -Inference—The Spirit a divine person-Our obli- gations to him inconsistent with any other view- comparison of Scripture-Possesses perfections and The Scriptures profess to be inspired-Old Testament New Testament—The promises of our Lord-Reason- able to o pect it—Testimonies of the writers-1 Cor. vii. 10, 12-St. Paul does not deny his inspiration- Bishop Marsh-Highly probable the Scriptures themselves should throw some light on the nature of inspiration-Defined-Moved the writers to com- pose–The means by which they distinguish his influence unknown-Guided them in the selection of proper materials-Brought to their remembrance past occurrences-Revealed to them truths other- wise incapable of being known-Inspiration a kind Explained by St. Paul -- Applicable to miracles in every age-Their design--Prophecy and miracles parts of the same scheme-The agent in both the same -Our Lord himself was the subject of this influ- ence-Mistaken views of the Jews in reference to him—Office of the Spirit to glorify him-Qualified the apostles—Their partial views accounted for- Bishop Heber- Materially changed from the day of Pentecost-Not attributable to natural causes- Their various powers-Barrington-Macknight- Bishop Marsh-Their testimony-Difficulties--Suc- cess-Paley-Gibbon—The author of those powers -Addison-Change produced by their labours- Erroneously accounted for by Gibbon-Influence of Difference between the extraordinary and ordinary- Latter essential to genuine religion-This sentiment 1. The light in which the Scriptures should be viewed. Preliminary remarks-Plenary inspiration of the Scrip- tures-Importance of, borne out by our Lord and his apostles_Objection to answered—The advan- tage of—Two-fold meaning of the word reason-In neither sense a test of truth-Bacon-Office of reason -Difficulties-Aspect of the present times upon- That not to be denied in reference to religion which is required in philosophy-Atheneum — Oriental translation fund—Jews–Enough of the Scriptures 2. The affecting view which the subject gives of the Divine disposition towards man. Knowledge of the Deity derived from contemplation of nature of a mixed character-Obtained by induc- 3. Its aspect on the interests of genuine religion. Doctrine often perverted—Yet we are not to forbear- |