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CHAP. II.

THE DIVINITY OF THE HOLY GHOST.

I.

John III. 6. Το γεγενημένον ΕΚ το Πνεύματος. That which is BORN of the

SPIRIT.

1 John V. 4. Το γεγενημένον ΕΚ τ8 Θε8 whatsoever is BORN OF GOD.

The same individual act of divine Grace, viz. that of our spiritual birth, is ascribed, without the change of a single letter, to God, and to the Spirit. Some capacity then there must be, wherein the Scripture ·makes no distinction between God and the Spirit:

and this is what the Scripture itself calls the divine nature; under which God and the Spirit are both equally comprehended.

II.

Acts XIII. 2. The HOLY GHOST said, separate ME Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I HAVE CALLED them.

Hebr. V. 4. No man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is CALLED of

GOD.

The shorter way is to ask this same Saul, who it was that appointed him to the work of the ministry? and his answer is no other than this Paul CALLED to be an Apostle, SEPARATED unto the Gospel

By the commandment of GOD OUR SAVIOUR.

III.

Matth. IX. 38. PRAY ye therefore the LORD OF THE HARVEST, THE HARVEST, that HE will send forth Labourers into his harvest.

a Rom. I. 1. and 1 Tim. I. 1.

Acts

L

Acts XIII. 4. So they being being SENT

FORTH BY THE HOLY GHOST.

In this act of sending forth Labourers upon the work of the Gospel, the Holy Ghost is proved to be the Lord of the Harvest, to whom Christ himself has directed us to PRAY. Wherefore, they are not to be heard, who advise us to alter the third petition in the Litany; a work, to which I am sure the Holy Ghost hath not called us, and such as will never be consented to by any Labourers of his sending.

IV.

Luke II. 16. And it was revealed unto him (UTO) BY the HOLY GHOST, that he should not see Death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

a I set down the preposition, because it slays the Arian with his own weapon. It shews the prime agency and authority in this affair to have been that of the Holy Ghost, acting in his own right, and not as the minister or instrument of an higher power; for then, according to them, it should have been dia. For my own part, I lay no stress upon it; because I perceive, upon a review of the Scripture, that these two prepositions are used indiscriminately.

Ibid. v. 28. And he BLESSED GOD, and said, LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to

THY WORD.

This word was the word of the Holy Ghost: who therefore is intitled to the context, and is God and Lord to be blessed or praised; not under any imaginary restrictions and limitations, according to a certain degree of Power delegated to him, an evasion you will meet with in some modern writers, but the Scripture, and common reason instructed by the Scripture, disclaim and abhor it, as an inlet to all sorts of Idolatry.

ས.

John XIV. 17. HE (the SPIRIT of Truth) dwelleth with you, and shall be in

you.

1 Cor. XIV. 25. GOD IS IN YOU of a truth.

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2 Tim. III. 16. All Scripture is given by INSPIRATION of GOD.

2 Pet. I. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were MOVED BY the HOLY

GHOST.

VII.

John VI. 45. It is written in the Prophets, and they shall be all TAUGHT of GOD.

1 Cor. II. 13. Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the

HOLY GHOST TEACHETH.

This latter verse would prove the Holy Ghost to be God by itself: for I cannot find that man, in the stile of the Scripture, is ever opposed in this manner to any being but God only. I will subjoin a few examples of it, John I. 13. Nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 Thess. IV. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man but God.

Rom. I. 29. Whose praise is not of men, but of God.

VIII.

Acts V. 3. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to LYE to the HOLY GHOST?

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