APPENDIX III.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE discussion of this subject forms no part of the inquiry which has been prosecuted in the preceding pages. But the obvious, though not necessary connexion, and the desire of some to whose judgment I pay much deference, induce me to add this Sketch of the Positive Evidence for the Deity and Personality of the HOLY SPIRIT.

We frequently read in the Old Testament, and still more frequently and definitely in the New, of an Agent superior to human or any created rank of powers or intelligences, and to which the qualities peculiar to a personal existence appear to be attributed.

This Agent is denominated the Spirit, the One Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of glory and of God, the Spirit of life, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, the Spirit of promise, and the (Paracletus) Instructor, Comforter, or Advocate.

It is agreed on all sides that the word spirit, originally signifying air in motion and breath, was applied in some more remote significations, and particularly to mind and its affections, to intelligent creatures superior to man, and to any species of powerful influence, the cause of which was imperfectly or not at all known; but more especially to the immediate energy of the Deity; and, in a still more restricted sense, to the DEITY himself. It is further admitted that, in many places, the phrase spirit of God and its synonyms are used to denote any especial influence or energy of God, whether exercised in a miraculous manner or according to the ordinary laws of nature. But an accurate examination will, I conceive, satisfactorily show that there are many passages which cannot, on principles of just interpretation, be understood except as denoting a real, intelligent,

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personal, Divine Agent, distinct from the Father and the Son; and that, when the terms referred to bear the signification of a divine influence or energy, it is by a metonymy designed to express specifically the agency of that Sacred Person. This metonymy is the more natural, at the same time that the discrimination of the cases is rendered more difficult, from the generic character of the term. Of the passages in the Old Testament in which any of these terms occur, the greater number reasonably admit of the interpretation of divine influence. E. g. Ex. xxxi. 3. Num. xi. 17, 25. 1 Sam. x. 10. Job xxiii. 13. Isa. xxxii. 15. But there are other passages, in which I conceive that the attribution of personal intelligence and action is decisively more congruous with the connexion. "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters;" Gen. Some explain this as denoting only the action of a mighty wind, as the greatness of objects is, in the Hebrew style, sometimes denoted by subjoining a name of the Deity: but the nature of the subject, the brevity of the style, and the simplicity of the narrative, appear to require the more usual interpretation. "Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not for ever strive with man, since he transgresses, "being flesh [apostate and corrupt]; but his days [of respite from "judgment] shall be a hundred and twenty years;" Gen. vi. 3. "The Spirit of Jehovah speaketh by me, and his word upon my tongue: the God of Israel hath said; to me speaketh the Rock of "Israel;" 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. "Thou gavest thy Spirit of gracious66 ness to instruct them :-thou testifiedst against them by thy Spirit, "through thy prophets;" Nehem. ix. 20, 30. "The words which "Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit, through the former prophets." Zech. vii. 12. "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me! "Spirit of graciousness sustain me!" Ps. li. 11, 12.

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Let the "May thy

Spirit of goodness lead me into the land of uprightness!" cxliii. 10. "The Lord Jehovah hath sent me and his Spirit;" Isa. xlviii. 16. "When the enemy shall come as a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah "will lift up the standard against him ;" lix. 19. "The Spirit of "the Lord Jehovah is upon me;" lxi. 1. They rebelled, and in"sulted his Holy Spirit :-Where is he that put in the midst of him [the Israelitish nation] his Holy Spirit ?-As one of the cattle goeth "down into a valley, [to repose in a safe and rich pasture,] the Spirit of Jehovah led him to rest; so didst thou lead thy people, "to make to thyself a glorious name!" lxiii. 10, 11, 14. "The Spirit came upon me and made me stand upon my feet, and spoke "to me and said: In my speaking to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah :"

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Ezek. iii. 24, 27. "And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought

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me;

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me unto the front gate of the house of Jehovah :--and spoke unto therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of 66 man:- -and the Spirit of Jehovah fell upon me, and spoke unto me, Speak, thus speaketh Jehovah ;" xi. 1, 4, 5.* "O thou "who art called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord cut "short? Are these his doings?" Mic. ii. 7. "in the midst of you;" Haggai ii. 5.

"My Spirit standeth

The principal passages of the New Testament may be put in the following arrangement.

I. The PROPERTIES of a personal existence are attributed to the Holy Spirit.

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INFINITE INTELLECT, that which is peculiar to the Divine Nature. "God hath revealed [them] to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit "searcheth all things, even the deep things of God. For who of men knoweth the things of man, except the spirit of man which is " in him? So also of the things of God no one knoweth, except the "Spirit of God;" 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. The scriptural style employs the verb to search, not only in its proper sense of acquiring knowledge by a successive process, but to signify the intuitive, profound, and accurate knowledge which belongs to the Deity only. See Ps. cxxxix. 23. Jer. xvii. 10. If it be objected that the apostle here represents the Spirit as nothing more than a quality of the Divine Nature, as consciousness is of the human mind: we reply that the illustration, like every other comparison from finite things to divine, must be imperfect, and to be understood as only expressing the perfection of the Holy Spirit's knowledge; for, besides the force of other scripture testimonies, the first clause of this very passage clearly declares a personal distinction: for it could not be said, that a man makes any thing known to others by his consciousness. PRESCIENCE. John xvi. 13, cited in a following paragraph. Sovereign WILL and DETERMINATION. "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit: and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord: and there are diversities of (¿vɛpyýμara) operations, but the same God (ò èvepywv) who worketh them all in all [persons] All these" (among which are evepynμara dvráμewr, ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων, operations of miracles,) "that one and the same Spirit (¿vɛpyɛł)

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operateth, distributing severally to each, according as he willeth." 1 Cor. xii. 4, 6, 11.

Love. "I beseech you by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the "love of the Spirit." Rom. xv. 30.

POWER. 1 Cor. xii. 11, cited above.

"That ye may

abound in

"hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit ;" Rom. xv. 13.

"hath wrought through me,

"Christ

by the power of signs and won

"ders, by the power of the Holy Spirit;" v. 19.

EFFICIENCY in the production of spiritual blessings. 2 Cor. xiii.

13. Rev. i. 4. See pp. 144 and 259, of this Vol. The acts enumerated under the following head confirm this attribution.

Being the OBJECT of religious ACKNOWLEDGMENT in parity with the Father and the Son. See pp. 13, 17, 21, of this Volume.

Being the OBJECT of direct OFFENCE by sin. "All [other] sin " and blasphemy may be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against "the Spirit will not be forgiven to men: and whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it may be forgiven him; but who"soever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven "him, neither in this world nor in that to come :" Matt. xii. 31, 32. Here, this terrible sin is presented before us, in a comparison with every other kind of sin; and that, with an especial respect to the object against whom the different kinds of sin may be committed. But the object is personal in one of the ideas thus compared, namely, the Messiah; and in another, it is the Almighty Father, all offences against whom are included in the terms, "all sin and blasphemy :" it follows, therefore, that, in the remaining relation, the object must be personal also. If the term, Holy Spirit signified only a property or perfection of the Deity, the sin referred to would be included in the "all sin" mentioned in the other member of the comparison : consequently there would be no opposition between the cases, and this most solemn warning of our Lord would evaporate into an empty paradox. "Why hath Satan filled thy heart, to utter false"hood to the Holy Spirit? Thou hast uttered falsehood, not to men but to God.---Why was it agreed between you to tempt the "Spirit of the Lord ?" Acts v. 3, 4, 9. Compare the phrase with LXX. in Isa. lvii. 11. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God:" Eph.

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v. 30.

II. The ACTIONS of personality are attributed to the Holy Spirit. COMMANDING. "The Holy Spirit said, Separate unto me Barna"bas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them :" Acts xiii. 2.

FORBIDDING. "Being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the "word in Asia, they went through Mysia, and endeavoured to pro"ceed into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus permitted them not :" Acts xvi. 6, 7. The addition Toυ 'Inσou is made upon satisfactory authority; and approved by Griesbach, Heinrichs, Knapp, Tittmann, Scholz, and many others.

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REVEALING the Divine will. "It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit:" Luke ii. 26. "Whatsoever may be given you in "that hour, that speak; for it is not ye that speak but the Holy Spirit:" Mark xiii. 11. "This Scripture must be fulfilled, which "the Holy Spirit before spake by the mouth of David:" Acts i. 16. "The Spirit said to Philip, Go and join thyself to that chariot :" viii. 29. "The Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking "thee; go with them, for I have sent them :" x. 19, 20. "Thus saith the Holy Spirit :" xxi. 11.

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"The

"Well spoke the Holy Spirit, by Isaiah the prophet, to our fathers:" xxviii. 25. things which God hath prepared for those who love him-God hath revealed to us through his Spirit; for the Spirit searching all things, even the depths of God:" 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. "The Spirit

66 expressly saith:" 1 Tim. iv. 1. "Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit "saith, To-day, if ye will hear his voice," &c. Heb. iii. 7. "The "Holy Spirit manifesting this:" ix. 8. "The Spirit of Christ, "which was in them manifested:" 1 Pet. i. 11. "Prophecy in "ancient time was not brought by the will of man, but holy men of "God spake, being moved by the Holy Spirit:" 2 Eph. i. 21. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the "churches :" Rev. ii. 3.

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PERFORMING MIRACLES.

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"They began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance:" Acts ii. 4. "The Spirit took away Philip :" viii. 39. Signs and wonders were "wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit :" Rom. xv. 19. But if the sacred term itself merely denoted the influence or energy of God, we should here find the absurd combination, the power of a power.

TEACHING. "The Holy Spirit shall teach you in that hour, "what ye should say:" Luke xii. 12. "I will pray the Father, "and he will give you another Instructor, to abide with you for 66 ever; the Spirit of truth. The Instructor [see p. 1,] the

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Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will "teach you all things, and remind you of all things' which I have "said to you. When the Instructor shall come, whom I will "send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceedeth "from the Father, he will testify concerning me. When he, "the Spirit of truth, shall come, he will guide you into all the truth; "for he will not speak from himself, but will speak what he may be "instructed," [dkovσn, see Vol. II. p. 68, q. d. he will have no private or separate object, different from his commission to promote the objects of my spiritual dominion,]" and he will declare to you the

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