172 Book IV. !Lmlung unto 3Jefu.s._ __chap. 1. Sett. 3. was mured up, no Dove to be feen, no voyceto be heard, ~ut!lretght upon it (as if the had but watted the Iall: word of hiS prayer) all of_t_hem tallow : and in another placl Juhn'u. tS. wt find the ltke return upon the hke prayer; l'atbcr,_ glcrijie thy Name: then came the>"e a VOICe from _He"vm. Jaywg, I have_ both glorified tt, and I will glorijie it again: one reafon more, tf we confider that Chn!l was no~ to. enter upon the great work of our Redem,mon, and the preachtng of the Gofpel, tt wtll be lds flrange to conceive that he prayed for the vtlible fealtn&of htm to that work and office, by the coming of the Holy Ghofl. To thiS purpofe IS that of the Evangeltll: · forhimhathGod the F eh John 6 • '7· Jealed; it is a ph~afe borr_owed from th~m, who give tt1elr Commiffions under (,.;~ and leal; and dm IS certam, that upon Ius prayer God fenr rhe holy Spirit, who Jealed h1m, orallow~d~ and co~firm~d . htt? to the ofi,lce of our Redemption; ·and therefore very probable lt IS, that Ius prayer mtght tend to that purpofe. but herein take heed of excludfngwhat was mentioned in the former opinion; for my parr I fuppofe Chrifls pray– er was both for htmfelf and all Believers; that the holy Gholl: might now be joined to the water ; and that all others as Owuld ever after believe in his Name (as afterwards he enlargeth his Prayer) might have the holy Ghofi defcend upon the,n, [ohn 17. 20. 5. )'Vhy was it that the holy Ghort defcended on Jefus? I anfwer, for thefe reafons. -t. That {ohn the Bapti(l might befatis~ed; forthis Token was given 'iohn, when hefiril John '·lo~ began to preach, th~t upon whom he jhou/d (ec the Spirit defcmding, and Y'maininn- on him, rhefame uh: which baptiz..eth with the holy Gboft, It was afure fign to the Baprift~ where– by to know the Chrift, whofe Harbinger and Prodromus he was. 2. 1hat Chrilt himIf•-6t. t, >. felf might be anointed or inll:a!led to his FunCtion. The Spirit of ehe Lord,., upon me, becaufe the Lord bath anointed me to preach goodtidings unto the meek_, &c. As .Aaron and his Sons were aAoimed with material Oyl, when they entred into their Offices, fo Chrill: was by the Spirit (as it were) anointed, that fo he might receive his Confecrati– on and Inll:iturion for the Office that be was to enter on, viz. rhe Preaching and Minill:ry of the Gofpel. 6. Upon what account was it that the holy Ghoft lhould reveal himfelf at this time? and why in theform of a Dove, rather than fome other form? To the firll: I anfwer, the holy Ghofi now revealed himfelf, becaufe the fpirirual King– dom and Scepter of Chrilt, in and bv which he was to ruleall nations for ever, was now Dr. r,.;gbrf. h at hand. It was agreeable (faith my Author) that the fpiritualnefs of this Kingdom ~~rm. of' e lhou!d be fealed and confirmed by the holy Spirits !hewing himfelf even in the begin- ""8· ning of ir. The ·carnal Rites of Mofes were now to vaniOt, and his Corporal and Ce– remonial Obfervances were now to be changed into a Spiritual Wor01ip; and neither at John 4.H,>4 Jcrufoltm, or at Mount Geraz.im, 11or elfewhere mull: there be any more adoration with fleO,Jy and earthly Ceremonies; but he that will worOtip God, mufi worjhip him in Spi– rit and TrHth; and therefore it is.no wondet , if now tbe holy Gholl: cloth reveal him– felf. I fay now. when his Spiritual Dominion by fanCtification is to begin. Secondly, Bec~ufe the holy' Gho!l was now in efpecial manner to be re!lored again: Some obferve rhat he was vifibly departed from !frael after the death of the !all: Prophets ; and there– fore now at his refioring, he comes in a vilib!e and apparent form; an!i he ltghts on him, ro whom it belongsto givethe Spirit, and his giftsto whom he pleafeth. As !ohn had preached that Chrill: Owuld baptize with the holy Gho!l, fo now the holy Ghoft comes and abides on Jefus Chrill:, in the fight of !ohn; as if the Father lhould have faid, NOtV I (eal thut power and priviledge to Chrift my Son, which John bath (pok$11; 11011> theholy Ghojf u tepon himfelf, and hereafrer he jha/l bapw:.e others wtth the fame holy Ghoft. Thirdly, Becaufe at the beginning of the Gofpeltt was mofi futable, that a full clear and fenfib!e demonfiration of the whole Tnntty Otould be mlde. The Lea~ned obferve, thatthe holy Ghofi in Scripture hatb a fpecial regard to exprefs this My!lery of the Trinity upon Hngular occalions; fo . the very fir(! thmg that ts taught m Gen. '·'•'•l· all the Bible, is this fame My!lery; In the beginning God <rearrd; there IS the Father : and God faid. there is the Word, orthe Son; and the Spirit of God moved; there ts the holy Ghoft. 'And theveryfirfi wordofthe Bible that fpeaks of man, it holdsounhe Trinity as creating him and God Jaid, let Uf m«k! man m our own Im~ge ; he fauh,let "'] Gen. x.>r.. to lh~w the Trinity of p~rfons. and he faith in our Image] not in our Images, to lll<W the unity of Elfence. Ana wh~n Mofes begins to rehe~rle. the Law to I(rael, the firft thing he teacheth them js theTrinityin Unity, and Untty mTrtmty. HeaY, 0 Ifrael, ' I U · h three Dcur. ~. 4 th 1 Lord our God, the Lord ;. one. The !all: word one denotes t 1e mty; t ewords
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