10. In the works of prophecy and revelation, the infinite knowledge, wisdom, grace, authority, and power of the Holy Spirit appear.

With what God-like majesty does he speak by the prophets; Thus says the Lord; Hear you the word of the Lord Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoke: Thus says the Lord of hosts. He speaks not as a delegate, but with sovereign authority; how often does he foretel the end from the beginning, sometimes very plainly, and at other times more darkly, as he saw best? The Jews a therefore fulfilled the sayings of the prophets, because they did not understand them when they read them. How ready would they have been to have destroyed the prophecies of Christ, as well as his person, had they clearly understood them, and their own rejection foretold therein? But, in infinite wisdom, the Holy Ghost cast them into such a form as preserved them safe, and made them appear plain when accomplished. How full of grace and power are many parts of the inspired writings, as is known to the experience of such as do believe? What glorious discoveries have we of God, his nature and perfections, his will and works? What a wonderful account have we of Christ in his person, mediation, and glory? And how clear a representation have we of ourselves, in our best and worst state, in the inspired writings? What an excellent system of religion has the Holy Spirit given us in the writings of the Old and New Testament? How sublime are the doctrines? How holy and good are the precepts? How proper and strong the motives to obedience? How great and comfortable are the promises? How pungent and awful the threatenings? And in all, what signatures and marks have we of the wisdom and knowledge, majesty and holiness, righteousness and grace of the blessed Spirit, in his great works of prophecy and revelation, of which some account has been now given?

a Acts xiii. 27.

APPLICATION.

1. How injurious are they to the Holy Spirit, and to the souls of men, who reject or imprison divine revelation? The first is the act of the Deists, the second of the Papists; the one will neither hear Moses and the prophets, nor Christ and the apostles, nor the Holy Spirit speaking in them and by them: The other keep the inspired writings from the use of the common people, lest, as they pretend, they should lead them into error: But is this paying a due regard to God the Holy Spirit, who preserved the writers of them from error, and can preserve the readers of them from it too. We have good assurance that they are from the Holy Spirit, and that they are profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousHow then will they answer it to the Holy Spirit, who deny or undervalue his great and glorious work of inspiration, and turn away from him that speaks from heaven by the gospel?

ness.

2. Let us take heed of seducing spirits. The Holy Spirit is not divided against himself: His inspiration of the scriptures we have good evidence of; but whatever men pretend, that is not the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which contradicts the holy scriptures; which lays aside those duties and ordinances commanded therein: The Holy Spirit is one, and uniform in his doctrine; whatever is contrary to the inspired writings, is therefore, from another spirit, and an evil spirit; whether it be called the light within, new inspiration, or natural religion, or whatever other name it goes by: to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in them.

of revelation,

Let us humbly address ourselves to him, who inspired the scriptures, to explain and apply them to us.. We have the highest reason to acquiesce in all the occasions though we cannot comprehend them, in regard from whom they come, who is truth itself. He who framed them best knows the meaning of them, and how and when,

to the Spirit

and in what way to apply them. Let us see wherein we have quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit, be grieved and humbled for it, beg pardon and new light and life from him, who has promised that his word shall not return to him void, but shall accomplish that which he pleases, and shall prosper in the things whereto he sent it. Let us beg of him, in the use of the scriptures, and under his own gracious influences of gospel light and power, to make us wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus, and then we shall know more of the glory of his ministration.

OF THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

SERMON IV.

PREACHED JULY 13th, 1731.

2 COR. iii. 8.-How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?

TH

HESE words contain a general account of the dispensation of the Spirit, or of that economy in which his operations are peculiarly distinguished, and are eminently glorious: Several of the Works of the Spirit were formerly considered. The last time, that great work of the Spirit, relating to Prophecy and Revelation was insisted on.

V. I now proceed to consider the Agency or Efficience of the Holy Spirit in working Miracles.

For the clearer understanding of this, it will be necessary to state the true notion or nature of a miracle; to enquire what power is required to the working of miracles; to shew that miraculous works are, in scripture, ascribed to the Holy Ghost, and were performed by him; and to evince that this tends much to the confirmation, and to the glory of the Chris

tian œconomy, and of the method of salvation, both with respect to Christ, and with respect to the Spirit himself.

1. I shall endeavour to state the true notion or nature of a miracle.

Miracles are extraordinary works of God, above, beyond, or contrary to the course of nature, or the power of second causes, done to confirm the truth. Some miraculous works are præter naturam, besides nature, or out of its common course; as the standing still of the sun, in Joshua's days, or the going back of the shadow on Ahaz's dial, in Hezekiah's time. Some are above the power of nature; as the multiplication of five loaves and two fishes a, into a sufficient quantity to feed five thousand men, besides women and children. Some miracles are contrary to the course and power of nature; as the safety of the three persons in the fiery furnace b; the heat of which was so great as to consume those who cast them in, yet they themselves remained unhurt. Another instance is Daniel's preservation, when cast to the lions: The fury of the fire could not consume the three young nobles ; nor the devouring appetite of the lions cause them to destroy Daniel, when God, in a miraculous way, checked and put a stop to the common course of nature.

Dr. Clark's c definition of a miracle I take to be a very mean and insufficient one, though much laboured by him; it is this, "A miracle is a work effected in a manner unusual, or different from the common and regular method of providence, by the interposition, either of God himself, or of some intelligent agent, superior to man; for the proof or evidence of some particular doctrine, or in attestation to the authority of some particular person." According to this definition, any thing out of the common way, or what is unusual, must presently be a miracle, though not wrought by God himself, but by any spirit superior to man, or by any good or evil angel. But the scripture d has branded those extraordinary works efa Mat. xiv. b Dan. iii.

e Sermons at Mr. Boyle's Lecture, Part 2. p. 310, 311. ed. 4.

d 2 Thess. ii. 9, 10.

fected by the power of Satan, with the name of lying wonders. The devil, who is the prince of the power of the air, may be able to do many things wonderful and astonishing to us, but nothing really miraculous: for then certainly miracles could be no certain proof of any doctrine, or of the truth of any person's mission, pretending to come from God. There is something discriminating in miracles; for Christ said, No man can do these works except God is with him a;' they are above the power of men, above the power of devils.

6

It would argue a defect of power or wisdom in God, to leave the powers of nature at the will and mercy of created beings, so that they should be able to stop them, invert them, or turn them to their own ends, as they pleased; for this would be for God to admit of rivals and controllers of his will and empire; and if any creatures had this power in themselves, to be exercised as they would, then miracles could be no sufficient evidence that a person or doctrine came from God. A late writer b says, "You could not know that I came from, and was sent by such a prince, by my bringing his seal along with me, if other people had the same seal, and would lend it to others to use as they saw fit.". It therefore belongs to God only to work miracles, as will appear more fully hereafter.

There are diverse words made use of, to signify the same thing; what we call miracles, when they are said to be wrought by God, or the Spirit of God, they are called signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost e: The same thing is intended by the various names; they are called signs, as signifying God's presence with them that wrought them, and his approbation and confirmation of the doctrine which they taught; they are called wonders, works above the apprehended power of nature, fit to raise wonder and admiration in the minds of men; they are called miracles, mighty

a John iii. 2. b Bp. Fleetwood in his Essay on miracles, p. 11, 12. c Heb. ii. 4. Συνεπιμαρτυρον το Θε8 σημείοις τε κ τέρασι, και ποικίλαις δυνάμεσι, κ πνεύματα ἁγία μερις μοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἁυς θέλησιν.