which cannot be the work of the Holy Spirit, who glorifies Christ, and leads men into the truth.

We are strictly enjoined a not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits, whether they be of God; we must then have some rule to try them by, and that, in general, is the tendency and effect of their notions and works; and in particular, the written word, which is not the enemy, but the sword of the Spirit. No man speaking by the Spirit of God, calls Jesus accursed; and no man can say, that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost b: It is his work to glorify Christ by testifying of him, and taking of his things, and shewing them to men. The Holy Spirit is one, and uniform in his conduct; such as he is in the word, such he is in his works: He is not divided against, or contrary to himself. We are then to bring all doctrines, and all works ascribed to the Holy Spirit, to the rule of the written word; and if they agree not to this rule, they are none of his; they do not belong to him, whatever is pretended. And in walking by this rule, we shall keep clear of Quakerism, and all other enthusiasms, and new lights or revelations, falsely ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The canon of scripture we believe to be completed, and that nothing is to be added to the inspired writings; nor may we now allow of any inspired interpretation of them: Whoever pretends to either, is under the conduct of an evil spirit, and not of the Holy Spirit.

I shall therefore here declare, once for all, that I reject, with abhorrence, all impulses, motions, or suggestions, which advance any new doctrines not contained in the Bible, or any new duties not enjoined there, or any new works of the Spirit not ascribed to him in the word of God, or any new joys or comforts which are not warranted thereby. Nothing is to be taught, believed, or received, concerning the Holy Spirit and his work, but what is contained in, and may be proved from the holy scriptures. And if, whilst we keep close to this rule, any shall charge us with enthusiasm, or nonsense, let

a.1 John iv. 1.

b1 Cor. xii. 3..

them do it at their peril; for the charge lies not against us, but against the holy scriptures, and the author of them, to whom they must answer for it.

That there have been, and that there are enthusiasms, and vile opinions and practices, ascribed to the Holy Spirit, is not denied: But must we therefore deny or discard the real work of the Spirit? or ought it not the more diligently to be inquired into, that we may discern between things that differ, embrace and hold fast the truth, and reject every vile and false opinion or work imputed to the Holy Spirit, so much to his dishonour, and the detriment of true religion?

The written word, which gives us an account of the Holy Spirit and his works, has been confirmed and attested by diverse signs and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost a ; but the pretenders to visions and new revelations, the inward afflatus, and infallible teachings of the Spirit, must first confirm their doctrines by like miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, and produce like testimonials from heaven, as the holy scriptures have had, before their sayings be owned as the oracles of God, or their authority be admitted, as to any doctrines they teach, or works or duties which they advance under the name of the Holy Spirit. I thought this a matter of great importance, and therefore hope I shall be excused for enlarging so much upon it: But I will conclude these preliminary considerations with observing, in the last place, that,

6. There are many and glorious works mentioned in scripture; which, though they are applied eminently to the Holy Spirit, yet not separately, or exclusive of the Father and the Son, the works of the Trinity towards the creatures being undivided.

Hence we often find the same work attributed in one place to the Father, in another to the Son, and in a third to the Holy Spirit. Thus Christ is said to be raised from the dead by his Father, by himself, and by the Holy Spirit: So likewise God the Father is said to comfort his people, and Christ

a Heb. ii. 4.

is the Comforter; and yet the Spirit, by way of eminence, has the title of the Comforter, and of another Comforter. This consideration may much help us in understanding the scriptures, which apply various works to all the divine persons, but yet eminently assign them to one of them. Some works are eminently ascribed to the Father or Son, yet not exclusively of the Spirit, and other works are chiefly applied to the Spirit, yet not exclusive of the Son; and therefore, in discoursing of the divine works, we are no more to exclude the Spirit from those which are eminently attributed to the Father or the Son, than we are to exclude the Father and Son from those works which are eminently assigned to the Spirit. But here it must be carefully observed, that I am not now speaking of those works which are purely personal; for so the assumption of our nature strictly belonged to the Son, but neither to the Father nor Holy Spirit.

Having premised these necessary observations, I come now to consider more particularly the works of the Holy Spirit, as they are affirmed of, or applied to him in scripture.

I. One great work assigned to the Holy Spirit, is that of the old or first creation.

Creation, as the scriptures and the ancient writers

represent it, belongs to the Holy Spirit; The Spirit of the Lord moved on the face of the waters a.' Some would understand this of the air or wind, but that element was not yet separated from the confused chaos, or brought into its proper form: And the Spirit here spoke of, is not said to be created, but to act in the forming the parts of the confused mass into their several beings, and the giving them their beautiful forms, order, and dependencies. This was the work of the Holy Spirit; he gave a vital and prolific power to the several beings formed out of the first confused mass. By his Spirit God has garnished the heavens; his hand has formed the crooked serpent b: When he moved upon the waters, he said, 'Let there be light, and there was light;' and he divided the light Job xxvi. 13.

a Gen. i. 2.

from the darkness, and afterwards placed, the fourth day, the various luminaries in their delightful order and aspects: "He has garnished the heavens, and he has adorned them, and made them thus beautiful as we behold them; his power made the milky way, and other celestial signs, whose windings are so wonderful a." By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them b by the Breath or Spirit of his mouth,' the Holy Spirit, not the wind, that made not the host of heaven. Irenæus, citing this text, says, that He (God) made all things, visible and invisible, not by angels, nor by any powers separated from his own mind; for the God of all stands in need of nothing, but, by his own Word and Spirit, makes, governs, and gives being to all things e.' The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the creation of the world, says, Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor, has taught him d? The Holy Spirit manifested his own wisdom and might in the work of creation.

Man, the head and noblest part of the visible creation, was the workmanship of the Holy Spirit: This is thought to beincluded in these words, Let us make man. Remember thy Creators. Let Israel rejoice in his Makers. Where is God my Makers e?' These plural expressions the ancients insisted on, as proving that more persons than one were concerned in the work of creation: and Justin Martyr particularly proves that the plural terms signified more than one person, or rational agent, from these words, Behold the man is become like one of us, knowing good and evil; “Where,” says he f," there is one speaking to one other at least, dis

a Patrick in loc.

b Psal. xxxiii. 6.

c Irenæus, lib. 1. c. 22. § I.-See Mr. Alexander's Essay on Irenæus, p. 19-25. d Isa. xl. 13.

e Gen. i. 26.-Eccl. xii. 1.-Psal. cxlix. 2.-Job xxxv. 10. f Λόγες τὰς ἐιρημένες ὑπ ̓ ἀυς το Μωςέως πάλιν ιςορήσω, ἐξ ὧν ἀναμφιλ έκλως πρός τινα καὶ ἀριθμῷ ὅνα ἕτερον, λογικὸν ὑπάρχοντα, ὁμιληκέναι ἀυὸν επιγνῶναι ἔχομεν· ἐισὶ δε οι λόγοι ὦ τοι· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, Ιδὲ Ἀδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς

tinct in number, and rational or intelligent." The propriety of the expression, and justness of the thought, will appear, if we annex to the cited texts, some that expressly ascribe the creation to the Son and Spirit; all things are said to be made by the Logos or Word a; and Elihu says, The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life b.' The same Spirit that created one, may justly be supposed to have been equally concerned in creating all men ; and it is his work, as well as the Father's and the Son's.

A wonderful instance and evidence of the Spirit's creating power and operations we have in his forming the human nature of Christ in the womb of the Virgin, of which I have spoken formerly, and of which I shall have occasion to take farther notice hereafter, and therefore shall not enlarge upon it here. We cannot doubt the Spirit's being Creator, when we know the author of our Lord's incarnation.

The variety, beauty, and excellence of his wonderful works, proclaim the praise and glory of their great Creator: He must be wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, who is Maker of heaven and earth, and all things therein, visible and invisible, the earth, air, water, and fire; birds and beasts, trees and plants, and all the riches hid in the bowels of the earth, and the bottom of the seas; the heavens, and all their hosts, sun, moon, and stars, and those higher species of beings, men and angels. The Psalmist, recounting many parts and wonders of the creation, adds this just reflection; ‹ O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches, so is the wide and great sea e.” And elsewhere he observes, that the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the firmament shews forth his handyworks d.' The Holy Spirit, together with the Father and the

εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν, τὸ γινώσκειν καλὸν κ πονηρόν. Ουκ ἦν εἰπὼν, "Ως εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἀλλήλοις συνόντων, καὶ τὸ ἐλάχισον δύο μεμηνύσεν.—Justin Mart. Dial. cum Tryphone, p. 285.

a John i. 3.

b Job xxxiii. 4.

c. Psal. civ. 24, 25,

d Psal. xix. 1.