THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVED AND VINDICATED. ¢g them with whom we have to do. If any word in a tes- timony produced by us have been any where used me- taphorically, though it be never so evident that it is so used in that place, instantly it most have the same figu- rative application in the testimony excepted against, al- though they can give no reason why it should so signify. And if this course of excepting be allowed, there will be nothing left intelligible in the scripture, nor in any other author, nor in common conversation in the world. For there is scarce any word or name of thing but one where or other is or path been abused or used meta- phorically. in particular, nature in this place of the apostle is said to teach us objectively, as the heavens and earth teach us in what we learn from them. For it is said to teach us what we. may learn from the cus- toms and actings of them, who live, proceed, and act according to the principles, dictates, and inclinations of it. Every one sees that here is no intimation of an active teaching by instruction, or a real communication of knowledge; but it is said figuratively to do what we do with respect unto it. And not only in several.places, but in the same sentence, a word may be used properly with respect unto one thing, and abusively with respect unto another. As in that saying of the poet: Disse puer virtutem ex me, rerusnque laborer/1; Fortunam ex aliis. For virtue and industry are to be learned properly; but fortune, as they called it, or prosperous events, are not so. These things, therefore, are very different, and their difference is obvious unto all. But we insist not merely on this or that particular instance. Let any man, not absolutely prepossessed with prejudice, read over that discourse of our Saviour unto his disciples, wherein he purposely instructs them in the nature and work of the Spirit of God, on whom, as it were, he then devolved the care of them and the gospel accord- ing unto the promise, John xiv. xv. xvi. chap. and he will need no farther instruction or confirmation in this natter. He is there frequently called the Comforter, the name of a person, and that vested with an office, with respect unto the work that he would do; and ano- ther comforter in answer and conformity unto the Lord Christ, who was one comforter, and a person asall grant, chap. xiv. 16. if he be not so, the intention of this expression with these circumstances, must be to deceive L us, and not instruct us. Ile tells them, moreover, that be is one whom the world neither sees nor knows, but who abideth with, and dwvelleth in believers, verse 17. One whom the Father would send, and who would come accordingly; and that to teach them, to lead and guide them, and to bring things to their remembrance, verse 26. A Comforter that should come and testify or bear witness unto him, chap. xv. 26. One that .should be sent ofhim to reprove the world of sin, righteousness , andjudgment, chap. xvi. 7,'8. and abide with his disci- ples, to supply his own bodily absence. So is he said to speak, guide, teach, hear, to receive of Christ and to shew it unto others, ver. 18, ii. with sundry other things of the same nature and importance. And these things are not spoken of him occasionally or in transitu, but in a direct continued discourse, designed on pur- pose by our Lord Jesus Christ, to acquaint his disci- ples who he was, and what he would do for them. And if there were nothing spoken of him in the whole scripture but what is here declared by our Saviour, all unprejudiced men must and would acknowledge him to bea divine person. And it is a confidence swelling a- bove all bounds of modesty, to suppose that because one or other of these things are or may be metaphori- cally or metaleptically ascribed unto this or that thing which are not persons, when the figurativeness of such an ascription is plain and open; that therefore they are all of them in like manner so ascribed unto the Holy Ghost in that discourse of our Saviour unto his disci- ples, wherein he designed the instructionof them as a- bove declared. Of the same nature is that which we discoursed before concerning his searching of all things, from I Cor. ii. 11. which as it proves him to be an un- derstanding agent, so it undeniably denotes a personal action. Such also are the things mentioned: Rom. viii. 15, 16, 26. He helpeth our infirmities, be maketh intercession for us, he himself beareth witness with our spirits; the particular meaning of all which expressions shall be afterwards inquired into. Here the only re- fuge of our adversaries is to cry up a prosopopmia, (Schlicting. p. 627.) But how do they prove it? Only by saying that these things belong properly to aperson which the Spirit is not: now this is nothing but to set up their own false hypothesis against our arguments, and not being able to contend with the premises, to deny theconclusion, 17
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