I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. But St. Paul finding by their Anfwer, that, as it was faid of Apollos before, they knew only the Baptifm of John, meekly instructs them that as John was to Chrift, fo was his Baptism to Chrift's Baptifm, à Preparation only and a Forerunner of that which was to come, as St. John himself confefs'd and openly declar'd and own'd, Luke 3. 16. I indeed baptize you with Water, but One mightier than I cometh, He fball baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with Fire. And when they heard this, they were Baptiz'd in the Name of the Lord Jefus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghoft came on them, and they Spake with Tongues and prophefied, v. 5 and 6 of this Chapter. This is the full Account of this Adventure of St. Paul at Ephefus, by which we plainly may perceive, how important an Article of Christian Faith it is to Believe, and how abfolutely necessary to Christian Life to Receive, the Holy Ghost. And God forbid, that any that have been Baptiz'd into Chrift's Baptism, fhould be fo ignorant as these Disciples in my Text, who knew no other Baptism than that of John. Tho' it is to be fear'd, that many that have receiv'd even Chriftian Baptifm, if they were examin'd concerning their Faith as to this Point, it can scarce be thought O 2 they

they should answer, We have not fo much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost, yet could give but a very indifferent account of their Belief of this important Article of their Faith. I fhall make it therefore the business of this prefent difcourfe, to explain as briefly and as clearly as I can, this great. Article of our Creed, that every one that repeats it may know what he means when he fays, I Believe in the Holy Ghoft. This being the most proper Argument to entertain your Meditations with this Day, which is for this very purpose celebrated by the Church of Chrift, and moft folemnly Dedicated to the Honour of the Bleffed Spirit, in commemoration of that Vifible and Glorious appearance of his, as at this time Defcending and Refting on the Apostles in cloven Tongues of Fire in the fight of the People of all Nations, enduing them with a moft miraculous power of fpeaking in all languages under Heaven the wonderful works of God, Acts 2. 11. And certainly this it felf was a wonderful Work of God, that the fame means of divers Tongues which was the deftroying of Babel, fhould be made ufe of to work the Building of Sion, that the fame means that scatter'd Mankind from the Tower of Confusion, should reduce them again to the Fold of Unity, that so the Curfe might be taken away and a Blessing

come

come in its place, the Tongues which were then confus'd for the Prefumption of Man, being now united to the Glory of God there being, as the Pfalmift speaks, neither Speech nor Language, but his Praife is beard among them, as St. Paul applies those words of the 19thPfalm to the Apoftle's,Their found went into all the Earth, and their words unto the end of the World,Rom. 10. 18. This Day. it was that our Saviour made good his Word to his Disciples of fending fo gloriously and confpicuously the Comforter which he had promis'd. So gloriously I fay, and in fo confpicuous and wonderful a Manner. For 'tho' on the Day that he rose from the Dead he breath'd upon 'em and faid, Receive je the Holy Ghoft; yet thisMiraculous and open Manifeftation, This Powerful and Plentiful Effufion of the Holy Spirit, without which it was impoffible that a Church fhould be gather'd out of all Nations under Heaven, was not till this Day (the Day of Pentecoft. ar Whitsunday) which we now celebrate. They receiv'd the Holy Ghost then, but they were fill'd with it now, it was then but a ftill Breath, it is now a rushing mighty Wind. And this Day therefore was the Comple tion of Chrift's Promise and the Confummation of the whole Gofpel, and as Tertullian elegantly expreffes it, Chriftus Legis; Spiritus Sanctus Evangelii complementum: The 03

coming

coming of Chrift was the fulfilling of the Law, but the coming of the Holy Ghost was the fulfilling of the Gospel.

I fhall therefore now give you as perfpicuous and as brief account as I can of this Holy Spirit, out of the Holy Scripture which was by himself Infpir'd. And firft of his Effence and Nature, and fecondly of his Office and Operations. And

ft, As to his Effence. The Holy Ghost is an Eternal Uncreated Spirit, the third Person in the Ever Bleffed Trinity, of the fame Effence with the Father and the Son, equally God, but Perfonally distinguish'd from both and alike proceeding from both. That he is truly God is evident,

ft, From the Divine Titles and Names only proper to God,frequently given to him in the Holy Scripture,of which there are too manyInftances to be at this time poffibly all repeated. One only I fhall produce to You for its clearness and perfpicuity unanswerable; It is that memorable faying of St. Peter to Ananias, whofe Story ye well remember in the fifth Chapter of the Acts, Why hath Satan fill'd thy Heart to lye to the Holy Ghost? and presently adds, why hast thou conceiv'd this thing in thy Heart, thou haft not lyed unto Men, but unto God.

2dly, From

2dly, From all the Divine Attributes and incommunicable Perfections afcrib'd in Scripture to the Holy Spirit,it infallibly follows that he is God. But in fundry places of Scripture we find that all these Attributes, all the incommunicable Perfections of God equally belong to him as to the Father. Such as are Eternity, Immenfity, Omniscience and Omnipotence. Eternity, in that of the Apostle to the Hebr. 9. 14. where he is exprefly ftyl'd the Eternal Spirit. Immenfity and Omniprefence in that of the Pfalmift; Pfal. 139. 7. Whither fball I go from thy Spirit, or whither (ball I flee from thy Prefence? This Question includes a ftrong Negation, and is as much or more than if he had faid, It is impoffible to fly from thy Spirit, because it is every where prefent; as it follows, If I afcend up into Heaven thou art there, if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there. If 1 take the Wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea &c.Omniscience, in that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11. The Spirit fearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Particularly the fore-knowledge of things to come, which is proper to God alone

peculiarly afcrib'd to the Holy Ghoft, for which reafon all the Prophets are faid to be particularly infpir'd by him, and it is one diftinguishing character of his Perfon in the Nicene Creed, who spake by the Prophets.