THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVED AND VINDICATED.. SS is figurative, the abstract being put for the concrete, by à metalepsis; and charity is said to do that, which a man endued with that grace will do. So the scripture is said to see, to foresee, to speak; and to judge, which are personal actings; but who doth not see and grant that a metonymy, is, and mast be allowed in- such as. signations; that being ascribed unto the effect, the scrip- ture, which is proper to the cause, the Spirit of God speaking in it. So the heavens and the earth are said to hear, and the fields, with the trees of the forest, to sing and clap their hands, by a- prosopopeia. Now, concerning these things there is no danger of mistake. The light of reason, and their own nature therein, do give us a sufficient understanding of them. Mad -such figurative expressions as are used concerning them, are common in all good authors. Besides, the scripture it- self; in other places innumerable, doth so teach and de- clare what they are, as that its-plain and direct proper assertions- do sufficiently expound its own figurative enunciation: For these, and such like ascriptions, are only occasional, the direct description, of the things themselves is given us in other places. But now, with respect unto the Spirit of God, all things are otherwise. The constant uniform expressions concerning him, are such as declare him to be a person endowed with all personal properties, no description being any where given of bisa inconsistentwith. their proper application to him. . Sect. 10. If a-sober,. wise, and honest man, should come and tell you, that in such a countrywhere he bath been, there is one who is the governor of it that doth well, discharge his office; that he- heareth causes, discern- eth right, distributes justice, relieves the poor, comforts them that are in distress; supposing you give, him that credit which honesty, wisdom, and sobriety do-deserve, would you not believe that, he intended.-a righteous, wise, diligent, intelligent person, discharging: the office of a governor? What elsecould any man living imagine? But now, suppose that another unknown person, or so far as he is known, justly-suspected of deceit and forgery, should time unto you, and tell you, that all which the other informed you, and acquainted you - withal, was in- deed true; but that the words which he spake have quite another intention. For, it was not aman, or any person, that he intended, but it was the sun or the wind that he meant byall which he spake ofhim. For whereas the sun by his benign -influ ences, doth make a country- fruitful and temperate; suited to the relief and comfort of all that dwell therein, and disposeth the minds of the inhabitantsunto mutual kindness and benignity; he de- scribed these things figuratively unto you, under the no- tion-of a righteous governor and his actions, although henever gave you-the least intimationof-any-such inten- tion.. Must you-not now believe, that either the first person whom you know to be a wise, sober and honest man, was a notorious trifler, and designed your ruin if you were to order.any.of your occasions according to his reports; or that your latter informer whom you have just reason to suspect of falsehood and deceit in other things, bath endeavoured to abuse both him and you-; to render his veracity suspected, and to spoil all your designs grounded thereon One of these you must cer- tainly conclude upon. And it is no otherwise in this case. This scripture informs us that the Holy Ghost rules in and over the church of God, appointingover- seers of it under him; that he discerns and judgeth all things; that he comforteth them -that are faint, strength- ens them that are weak, is grieved with them ,and Pro- yoked by themwho sin, . and that in all these, and in other things of the like nature innumerable, he worketh, ordereth, and disposeth all according to the counsel of his own will. Hereupon it directed) us so to order our conversation - towards God, that we do not grieve him nor displease him, telling us thereon, what great things he will do for us, on which we lay thestress of our obedience and salvation. Can any man possibly that gives credit to thetestimony thus proposed in the scrip- ture, conceiveany- otherwise of this Spirit, but as of ars holy, wise, intelligent person-.. Now, whilst we are un- der the power of these apprehensions, there come unto us some men, Socinians or Quakers,_ whom we havejust cause, on manyother accounts, to suspect at least of de- ceit and falsehood; and. they confidently tell us, that what the scripture speaks concerning the Holy Spirit is indeed true; but that in and by all the expressions which it.useth' concerning him, it intendeth no such person as it seems to do, but an accident, a quality, an effect, or influence of the power of God, which figura- tively -doth all the things mentioned; namely, that halls a will figuratively, and understanding figuratively, dis-- cerneth and judgeth figuratively, is sinned against figur atively, and so of all that is said of him. Can any 16.
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