THE HOLY SPPRIT P1tOV Sect. 20.Secondly; A will is ascribed unto him. This is the most eminently distinguishing character and property of a person. Whatever is endued with an in- telligent will, is a person. And it cannot by any fiction, with any tolerable congruity, be ascribed unto any thing else, unless the reason of the metaphor be plain and ob- vious. So when our Saviour says of the wind, that it bloweth iav .9,aa, as it willeth or listeth, John iii. 8. the abuse of the word is evident. All intended is, that the wind, asunto us, is ieransvSwcs, and not at all at our dis- posal; acts not by our guidance or direction. And no man is so foolish as not to apprehend the meaning of it or once to inquire whether our Saviour doth properly ascribe a will to the wind or not. So James, chap. iii. ver. 4. The words rendered by us, turned about with a very -small helm, uihitheisoever the governor listeth, are in the original, Yrze d, á ig¡ss eu iv9v,00eos Ata,ew, in which the at of willing is ascribed to the ipss, the impetus or inclination of the governor; which yet bath not a will. But the igµa in that place, is not the ortoe, s,o,,os of the philosophers; the motesprimo-primps, or the first agita- tion or inclination of the mind; but it is the will itself, under an earnest inclination, such as is usual with them who govern ships by the helms in storms. Hereunto the act of willing is properly ascribed, and he in whom it is, proved to be a person. Thus a will acting with understanding and choice, as the principle andcause of his outward actions, is ascribed unto the Holy Ghost, t Cor. xii. 11. All these things worketh that one and self- same Spirit, dividingunto. every man as he will. He had before asserted, that he was the author and donor of all the spiritual gifts which he had been discoursing about, ver 4, 5, 6. These gifts he declares to be various, as he mar-l:çsts in nine instances,. and all variously disposed of by hit.. ver. 8 9, 10. If now it be inquired what is the rule c, this his distribution of them, he tells .us that it is his own will, his choice and pleasure. What can be spoken more fully and plainly to describe an intelli- gent person, acting voluntarily with freedom, and by choice, I know not. + Sect. 2t. We may consider what is excepted here- unto. They say '(Sehlieting. p. 610.) that the Holy Ghost is here introduced as a person by a prosopopeia; that the distributi,n of the gifts mentioned, is ascribed unto him by a meaphor; and by the same or another metaphor, he is said to have a will, or to act as be will. ED AND VINDICATED. 4I But is it not evident, that if this course of interpreting, or rather of perverting scripture, may be allowed, no- thing of any certainty will be left unto us therein. It . is but saying this or that is a metaphor; and if one will not serve the turn, to bring in two or three, one on the neckof another, and the work is done; the sense intend- ed is quite changed and lost. Allow this liberty or bold licentiousness, and you may overthrow the being of God himself, and the mediation of Christ, as to any testimony given unto them in the scripture. But the words are plain, he divided to every one as he will. And for the confirmation of his deity, though that be out of question on the supposition of his personality, I shall only add from this place, that he who bath the so- vereign disposal of all spiritual gifts, havingonly his own will, which is infinitely wise and holy, for his rule, he is over all God blessed for ever. Sect. 22.Thirdly; Another property of a living person is power. A power whereby anyone is able to act according to the guidanceof his understanding, and the determinations of his will, declares him to be a per- son. It is not the mere ascription of power absolutely, or ability unto any thing, that I intend. For they may signify no more but the efficacy wherewith such things are attended in their proper places, as instruments of the effects whereunto they are applied. In this sense, power is ascribed to the word of God, when it is said, to be able to save our souls, James. i. 21. And Acts xx. 32. .o The word of God's grace is said to be able sc to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified' if that place intend the word written or preached, whereunto I have made en- quiry elsewhere. For these things are clearly interpre- ed in other places. The word is said to be able, yea, to be the power of God unto salvation,. Rom. i. 16. be- cause God is pleased to use it, and make it effectual by his grace unto that end. But where power, divine power, is absolutely ascribed unto any one, and that declared to be put forth and exercised by the under- standing, and according to the will of him to whom it is so ascribed, it cloth undeniably prove him to be a divine person. For when we say the Holy Ghost is so, . we intend no more, but that he is one, who, by his own divine understanding, puts birth his own divine. power. So i r -n this case Job.xxxiii. 4. The Spirit of God bath mode me, and the breath of the Almighty halls
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