glorify our blessed Saviour. This glory was not to precede, but to follow Christ's sufferings, as to the displays of it in this world. And the Holy Spirit was the most fit and proper person to make it manifest, and dispel all the mists and dark clouds, wherewith the prince of darkness had been endeavouring to obscure it; for greater is he that is in the saints, than he that is in the world: The Spirit of glory is infinitely superior to all the powers of darkness, and therefore is able to glorify Christ in the world. And as he is able, so he is faithful to his engagements to do it; for this end he had a glorious coming at the day of Pentecost, and has pursued this end ever since; for he is truth itself a, and cannot deal falsely. This opens to us the reason why the devil and his agents are always degrading the Spirit, denying his Deity, Personality, and Works; because they are enemies to Christ's glory, which he came to promote. And this likewise informs us, why believers love to see the Spirit vindicated and exalted; because he is not only himself the glorious God, but also glorifies their dear Saviour, infinitely more than all saints and angels on earth, or in heaven can do.

2. How fit is the Holy Spirit to be a Comforter? He is omnipresent, almighty, infinitely gracious, knows all our weaknesses and wants, and is ever ready to help and supply us. With great comfort may it then be said to believers, God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save you b.' He hath loved them, and given them everlasting consolation, and good hope, through grace. His enemies, indeed, may justly be filled with terror and distress, when it appears that he, whom they have denied, degraded, and opposed, is God; for, if so, they can never fly from his presence, nor withstand his power, nor change his mind, nor bear the weight of his vengeance, nor outlive his eternity, nor conceal themselves from his allseeing eye: It is hard for them to be found fighters against this God; for none ever hardened themselves against him and Zeph. ii. 17.

a 1 John v. 6.

prospered. But happy are they who are the favourites and temples of the blessed Spirit, who is God their Maker, their Preserver, their Sanctifier, their Comforter, and the Giver of eternal life: To whom, with the Father and the Son, be glory and honour everlasting. Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S DIVINITY PROVED FROM HIS BEING THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP.

1 COR. iii. 16.-Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

In my last discourse here I endeavoured to prove the Deity of the Holy Spirit from his Works; I now proceed to prove him to be God from the Religious Worship due to him, according to the scriptures.

PROP. IV. The Holy Spirit is truly God; because divine worship is given him in scripture.

In proceeding upon this argument, it may be proper, by way of preliminary, to state the object of religious worship, and explain the nature of it; and after that, to prove that such worship is due, and has been given to the Holy Spirit. 1. I shall state the object of religious worship.

Those who deny the Godhead of the Holy Ghost, deny divine worship to be due to him. We have been told, by an Arian writer a, that the invocation of the Holy Ghost is not only not supported by scripture, but a direct breach of the first commandment. Another tells us b, that for putting up

a Whiston's Primitive Christianity revived, Vol. v. App. 2. p. 26. b Clark's Scripture Doctrine, Part ii. § 54.

prayers and supplications to the Person of the Holy Spirit, it must be acknowledged, there is no clear precept or example. And a third a observes, that there is not any one plain and express instance, in all the scripture, of a doxology directly and distinctly addressed to the Holy Spirit. And yet, but just before, he says, that it may be very proper, upon some occasions, to join the Holy Spirit in a doxology, and to offer glory and praise to him, together with the Father and the Son: And, in the very next page, in contradiction to this, he affirms, "That it is the scripture which alone could reveal the Father, Son, and Spirit to us; and it is this that must be the rule and ground of the particular worship we pay to each of the sacred Three." If this last assertion be true, as undoubtedly it is, how can it be proper, upon some occasions, to join the Holy Spirit in a doxology, and offer glory and praise to him, together with the Father and the Son, if it is true, "That there is not any one plain and express instance, in all the scripture, of a doxology directly and distinctly addressed to the Holy Spirit," as he affirms? But he having thus confuted himself, there is the less occasion for others to do it. I will therefore only add here, that I hope it will never be admitted as a principle among Protestant Dissenters, that we may yield that divine worship to any object, for which we have no grounds, and of which we have no instance in scripture, whilst the first commandment stands in force; Thou 'shalt have no other gods before me;' and a due regard is paid to the words of Christ, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve b.' Another writer, to make sure work, and to prevent any argument for the divinity of the Son and Spirit being drawn from the divine worship due to them, has had the confidence to assert, " That the first commandment is so far repealed, as it appropriates 'all worship to God c." We may observe here, how much 'the argument pinches them, when it makes them wind and

a Watts's Dissert. v. p. 151.

c An Appeal to a Turk or Indian, p. 125.

6

b Mat. iv. 10.

turn so much against themselves, against one another, and even against the scriptures; which tell us, that Christ did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; and that not one tittle of it shall pass away, till all be accomplished.

In consideration of the before-mentioned opinions, advaneed so confidently and openly at this day, it seems necessary to stand up in the defence of the truth, that, according to the scriptures, divine worship is due, as to the Son, so also to the Holy Spirit, and that therefore he is true and real God.

To what desperate shifts are the adversaries driven, that they must either deny and disannul the command of the Father, and explication of the Son, or else own the divinity of the Spirit? and to what a degree of hardness and impiety are such arrived, who will rather reject the word of God, than own the Deity of the Holy Ghost? But all do not run these lengths; some hope to bring themselves off, by distinguishing between supreme and inferior worship; the former, they say, belongs only to God, the latter may be given to creatures; this is not only destitute of scripture-proof, but directly con- trary to scripture.

When Satan tempted Christ to worship him, he did not -pretend to be God; for he confessed that the glory of the world, which, he said, was at his disposal, was given a him, consequently he owned one above him, who had a power and right to give it. Hence, I think it appears, that the worship which Satan demanded of Christ, could not be that called supreme, but that thought to be of the inferior sort; yet Christ , refused even that, with detestation, upon this immutable and evident reason, that religious worship is to be given to none but God; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve b.' Hence it follows, that every such -person, to whom the scriptures direct us to give religious worship, is God. This blows away the vain distinction of supreme and inferior worship, and shews us, that all religious

a See Luke iv. 5-9.

b Mat. iv. 10.

worship is founded in the nature and perfections of God, and confined to him; and that therefore religious worship given to creatures, is idolatry; of which more may be said hereafter. This last thought shews us, how needful it is to establish and defend the truth, and do what we can to keep men from the guilt of idolatry. If the Holy Ghost be not God, the glory of Christ, the safety and comfort of Christians, are left unprovided for. Ministers must have a hard task, if they have only a created Spirit to send, assist, and succeed them: It therefore is of very great moment to vindicate the Deity of the Holy Spirit; and, if it be the will of God, to convince, or put to silence, his enemies, who are so busy in writing and speaking against it. A late writer, in opposition to the orthodox faith, that there is but one object of religious worship, the divine nature, asks this silly question, "Whether St. John had this notion of the only meaning of worship, when he fell down to worship the angel; can it be thought that he should twice be guilty of an attempt to deify a creature a?" To which it may be replied, that worshipping b of angels is expressly prohibited in scripture, and forbid by the angel himself, saying,See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant : worship God e;' implying, that God only is to be worshipped. Did not the angel know of a supreme and inferior religious worship, if such were allowable? Was he more ignorant than John? And why did Peter refuse the worship which Cornelius gave him, giving this reason, That he himself also was a man d, if creatures may be worshipped, or the notion of inferior religious worship had any foundation in scripture, and Christian practice? So far is this from being the case, that both scripture and reason exclude and condemn it.

The divine perfections are the sole foundation of religious worship, and therefore every being destitute of those perfections is, and in the nature of the thing must be shut out from it. Hence the scripture e condemns those who did service

a Appeal, &c. p. 125. d Acts x. 26.

b Col. ii. 18.
e Gal. iv. 8.

c Rev. xix. 10.