author. For the Spirit of God and the breath of God are the same; but several effects being mentioned, causeth a repetition of the same cause under several names. This Spirit of God first made man, or formed his body of the dust, and then gave him that breath of life, whereby he became a living soul. So then, the creation of man is assigned unto the Holy Spirit; for man was the perfection of the inferior creation, and, in order unto the glory of God, by Him were all other things created. Here, therefore, are his operations distinctly declared to whom the perfecting and completing of all divine works is peculiarly committed.'1

16. That form of Baptism, which Christ appointed, proves also the proper divinity of the Holy Ghost, and the general doctrine of the Trinity. He says to his disciples, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt. xxviii. 19.) The Apostles and preachers of the Gospel were ordered to baptize those who embraced the Gospel into the name, not names, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This is a most irrefragable proof of the doctrine of the Trinity; that is, of the Deity of the Son, and of the distinct Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit; for it would be absurd to suppose that a mere man or creature, or a mere quality of God should be joined with the Father, in the one name, into which all Christians are baptized. To be baptized into the name of any one, implies in the person so baptized a professed dependence upon him, and devoted subjection to him. To be baptized therefore into the name of the Father,

1 Owen, book I. chap. iv. sect. 12.

and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, implies a professed dependence on these three Divine Persons jointly and equally, and a devoting of ourselves to them as worshippers and servants. This is proper and obvious, upon the supposition of the mysterious unity of three coequal Persons, in the unity of the Godhead; but not to be accounted for upon any other principles. Christianity is the religion of a sinner, who relies for salvation from wrath, and sin, and all evil, on the mercy of the Father, through the person, righteousness, atonement, and mediation of the incarnate Son,-by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit; and who, in consequence, gives up himself to be the worshipper and servant of the triune Jehovah, in all his ordinances and commandments; according to the ancient and excellent doxology, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.'1 And upon what other supposition than that of the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity, and consequently of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, can we account for the prayer of St. Paul, when he prays, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen?" 2 Cor. xiii. 14. We must not suppose that the Apostle would place a creature on an equality with the Creator; nor can we imagine that the Church can have communion with a mere quality. And as, therefore, the Father is God, and the Son is God, so also is the Holy Ghost God.

17. Again, that person whose inhabitation maketh a temple, is God; for if the notion of a temple be nothing else but to be the house of God, if to be the 1 Scott in Loco.

house of any creature is not to be a temple, as it is not, then no inhabitation of any created person can make a temple, as we are informed by the Apostle. "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you? Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you"?....the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are ; (1 Cor. vi. 19; iii. 16, 17.) Therefore the Holy Ghost is God.'1

18. But, further, God is the person against whom, sin, properly so called, is committed; for “sin is the transgression of the law;" that is, of God's law. But the Holy Ghost is such a Person, as against whom an unpardonable sin may be committed; he therefore is God. Hence says our Lord, "wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men....whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (Matt. xii. 31, 32.) Now, how can it be supposed that an unpardonable sin can be com mitted against a creature? God is properly the object, the person against whom sin is committed; and therefore the Holy Ghost, against whom an unpardonable sin may be committed, is God. And to this conclusion we are also led by the express words of St. Peter; "but Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost....thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God: (Acts v. 3, 4.) and therefore the Holy Ghost is God.

19. But we now proceed to our third series of

1 Pearson, p. 319.

proofs of his Deity, drawn from the Attributes which are ascribed to him.

20. Now, holiness is one of the essential attributes of the Deity; for "there is none holy as the Lord.... who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; (1 Sam. ii. 2. Rev. xv. 4.) Holiness, according to God's revelation, by which alone we know any thing of the matter, means a perfect separation from all sin and evil. Holiness in its effect is this; and consequently holiness in its cause, must certainly be so. It is, therefore, an essential attribute of the most High. Nothing created can claim this as an attribute to itself; for be it ever so holy, it is not so ex se, from itself, but from its cause. That is not, cannot be essential holiness, which is derived. Holiness in essence must be in God Himself, who exists from Himself, and communicates the rays of his perfections to his creatures. All the holiness of all the creatures, therefore, is from God. He always laid claim to this attribute among his people; and, that they might remember it the more constantly, He commanded it to be worn upon the forehead of his High Priest; (Exod. xxviii. 36.) For this end He is represented as sitting upon "the throne of his holiness," (Psa. xlvii. 8.) intimating that there is no authority or power to effect holiness, but in Him. And so essential is this attribute in God, that He is revealed to have sworn by his holiness, i.e. to have sworn by himself, because he can swear by no greater; and consequently, by no other. His holiness and his nature are one and the same. God Is His attributes, and His Attributes are himself.... The spring, then, of all holiness, or holiness in essence, is God: and to him alone therefore, can we address

and spirit of it?

the words of that pathetic hymn composed by Athenogenes the martyr, used in the primitive Church, and retained in the communion service of the Church of England, "Thou only art holy, Thou only art the Lord." The universal chorus in heaven echoes the sound, and fills the realms of bliss with the adoring theme, "Thou only art holy, Lord God Almighty; Thou King of Saints." (Revelations xv. 3. 4.) If then true holiness be God, and God be holiness itself; what can the Spirit of Holiness be? Can that be less than holiness which is the very essence Can He, therefore, be less than God, who claims, who possesses, and who is distinguished by his most essential attributes? But the Spirit of God is called the Holy Spirit, because He is God himself. He claims the epithet Holy, both from his nature and his office. If he were not holy in his nature, or rather holiness itself, He could not perform that office in the covenant of grace, which begins, is carried on, and is completed in the exercise, and communion of holiness, to the redeemed. He could not impart what is not his own. No stream of holiness could proceed from Him, were he not its fountain.'1 It is unnecessary to enumerate passages, in which the Spirit of God is called the Holy Spirit: they are so exceedingly numerous as to be familiar to all who have any knowledge of the Scriptures; for, wherever the expression Holy Ghost,' is used, it is the same as the Holy Spirit.' And He is called holy, in the highest and most peculiar sense which is applicable to the Deity: and hence St. Paul says, that Christ was declared to be the Son of God

1 Horæ Sol. p. 100.