could never be, nor with propriety be said, was he not a Person, and a divine Person too.

II. The Holy Spirit is not only a Person, but a distinct Person from the Father and the Son. 1. His procession from the Father and the Son: of his procession from the Father ex. press mention is made in John xv. 26. 11. The mission of the Holy Spirit, by the Father and the Son, clearly evinces his distinct personality from them; of his being sent by the Fa ther, see John xiv. 16, 26. and of his being sent by the Son, see John xv. 26. and xvi. 7. 111. The holy Spirit is called another Comforter, John xiv. 16. the Father of Christ is one, 2 Cor. i. 3, 4. Jesus Christ is also a Comforter; the Consolation of Israel, Luke ii. 25. the Holy Ghost is another Com forter. IV. The holy Spirit is represented as doing some things distinct from the Father and the Son; particularly, as directing into the love of God, that is, the Father; and into a patient waiting for Christ; and so is distinguished from them both, 2 Thess. iii. 5. and also as taking of the things of Christ, John xvi. 14, 15. So regeneration, renovation, sanctification and conversion, are distinct things, and very peculiar to the Spirit. v. There are some distinct appearances of the Spirit, which shew his distinct personality; as at the baptism of Christ, Matt. iii. 16, 17. and on the day of Pentecost. VI. The holy Spirit is represented as a distinct person in the ordinance of baptism, Matt. xxviii. 19.

III. The Holy Ghost is not only a person, and a distinct person from the Father and Son, but a divine person, or truly and properly God: the Deity of the Spirit is to be proved by the same mediums and arguments which are to be fetched from the same sources as the Deity of the Son. I. From the names which are given unto him; as particularly the name Jehovah, Luke i. 68, 70. it was Jehovah, the Rock and God of Israel, that spake to David; and it is clear that it was the Holy Ghost that spake by him; for so Peter says, This scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, 2 Sam, xxiii. 2. 3. it

was Jehovah, the Lord God, whom the Israelites tempted, in the wilderness; and this the Holy Ghost speaks of as done to himself Psal. xcv. 6, 7. Heb. iii. 7-9. see Isai. lxiii. 10. it was Jehovah that said to Isaiah, Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed &c. and according to the apostle Paul, the same was the Holy Ghost, Isai. vi. 8, 9. Aets xxviii. 25, 26. Moreover the Holy Spirit is very plainly called God in scripture, Acts v. 3. 4. The saints of God are called the temple of God and the reason proving it is, because the Spirit of God dwells in them, 1 Cor. iii. 16. and vi. 19. 20. Moreover the Apostle gives to the Holy Ghost, the divine names of Spirit, Lord and God, when he is speaking of the diversities of his gifts, administrations and operations; for of him only is he speaking, by whom all these are, 1 Cor. xii. 4-6. II. The Deity of the Spirit may be proved from the perfections of God, which are manifestly in him, as eternity, Heb. ix. 14. Gen. i. 2. Omnipresence, or immensity, Whither shall Igo from thy Spirit? end whither shall I flee from thy presence? Psal. cxxxix. 7. Om. niscience 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. Omnipotence is predicated of him, he is called the power of the Highest, and the finger of God. III. The works which are ascribed unto him are a clear and full proof of his divinity: creation, Job xxvi. 13. Psal. xxxiii, 6. providence, Isai. xl. 13, 14. and the enditing of the scrip. ture, 2 Tim. iii. 16. It was the holy Spirit that formed the human nature of Christ, Matt. i. 20. the work of grace in the heart is his work, Tit. iii. 5. yea, the resurrection of Christ himself from the dead, is attributed to the Spirit of holiness; and it is by him the Spirit which dwells in the saints, that God will quicken their mortal bodies, Rom. i. 4. and viii. 11. 4. The worship which is due to the Spirit of God, and is given unto him, proves him to be God, Eph. ii. 22. 1 Cor. iii. 16. and vi. 19. 20. Baptism is administered in his name, Matt. xxviii. 19. Swearing, which is another act of worship, is made by the Spirit, and he is called upon as a witness to facts, Rom. ix. 1. And prayer, is directed to him, as in 2 Thess. iii. 5. My Treatise on the Trinity, was written near forty years ago,

and when I was a young man; and had I now departed from some words and phrases then used by me, it need not at such a distance of time, be wondered at; but so far from it that upon a late revisal of it, I see no reason to retract any thing I have written, either as to sense or expression.

BOOK II.

OF THE ACTS AND WORKS OF GOD.

OF THE INTERNAL ACTS AND WORKS OF GOD; AND OF HIS DECREES IN GENERAL.

THE acts and works of God may be distinguished into internal and external. The external acts and works of God, are such as are done in time, visible to us, or known by us; as creation, providence, redemption, &c. His internal acts and works, which will be first considered, and are what were done in eternity, are commonly distinguished into personal and essential. Personal acts are such as are peculiar to each person. Essential acts are such as are common to them all, among these internal acts of the mind of God, are his purposes and decrees; and these are purposed in himself Eph. i. 9. sometimes they are called, the thoughts of his heart, Psal. xxxiii. 11. Sometimes the counsels of God, Isai. xxv. 1. and sometimes decrees, Dan. iv. 17. Zeph. ii. 2. sometimes they are expressed by preordination and predestination; so Christ is said to be foreordained before the foundation of the world, 1 Pet. i. 20, and men are said to be predestinated Eph. i, i. 5, 11. Now concerning these may be observed,

I. The proof to be given of them, that there are decrees and purposes in God. The Sovereignty of God over all, and his independency, clearly shew, that whatever is done in tim is according to his decrees in eternity; if any thing comes to pass without the will of God, Lam. iii. 37. how is he a sovereign, if any thing is by chance and fortune,or the mere effect of second causes, independent of the will of God, then he must be dependent on them; The immutability of God requires

eternal decrees in him concerning every thing that is in time; for if any thing is done in time, that did not fall under his notice and will in eternity, this must be new to him, and produce a change in him; or if an after-will in time arises in him, respecting any thing he would have done, which he willed not before, this argues a change in him. The knowledge of God, clearly proves and establishes the decrees of God; Known unto God, are all his works from the beginning, or from eternity, Acts xv. 18. Once more the wisdom of God makes it pecessary that there should be eternal purposes and decrees in him can we imagine that the all-wise God, who builds all things, should go about them without preconcerted measures, and settled determinations concerning them who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Isai. xxviii. 29.

II. The extent of the decrees and purposes of God, deserve notice and consideration: and they reach to all things that come to pass in the world, from the beginning to the end of it. The, world and all things in it, Rev. iv. 11. The heavens, Psal. cxlviii. 6. The earth, 2 Pet. iii. v-10. Job xxxviiii. 10, 11. The rain. Amos iv. 7, 8. The peopling of the world; Deut. xxxii. 8. the people of Israel, Gen xv. 14. Exod. xv. 17. The church of God, in its different states, under the legal dispensation, Gal. iv. 1, 2, and under the gospel dispensation. The persecutions and sufferings of the church of Christ under the ten Roman emperors, signified by ten days, Rev ii. 10. and under Rome papal, for a time, and times, and half a time; even forty two months, or one thousand two hundred

and sixty days or years. In short every thing respecting

all the individuals of the world, that have been, are or shall be particularly, all that relate to the people of God, as well their spiritual and eternal, as temporal concerns, is settled and determined,

III. The properties of the purposes and decrees of God, may next be considered. As they are internal acts, they are 1. immanent ones; they are in God, and remain and abide in him-2. They are eternal; as God himself is eternal, so are they; for as some divines express it, God's decrees are him