DISPENSATION OF TILE IIOLY stwttr. 67 and counsel, and the rest of the graces mentioned, who divides and distributes them according to his own will That variety of gifts and graces wherewith believers ar endowed and adorned are these FLE.M4c, or distributions of the Holy Spirit. Hence the principal respect that we have unto him immediately in our worship of him under the New Testament is, as he is the author of these various gifts and graces. So John saluting the churches of Asia, prayed for grace for them <, from God the « Father, and the seven spirits that are before his <e throne," Rev. i. 4. That is, the Holy Spirit of God, considered in his care of the church, and his yielding supplies unto it as the author of that perfection of gifts and graces which are, and are to be, bestowedupon it. So doth the number of seven denote. And therefore where- asour Lord JesusChrist, as the foundation of his church, was anointed with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit in their perfection, it is said that upon that one stone should be seven eyes, Zech. iii. 9. all thegifts of the seven spirits of God, or of that Holy Spirit whirls is the au- thor of them all. Sect. 2I.All, therefore, that is pleaded for the di- vision of the Holy Ghost from this place, is built on the supposition that we have before rejected; namely, that he is not a divine person, but an arbitrary emanation of divine power; and yet neither so can the division of the Holy Ghost pleaded for, be with any tolerable sense maintained. Creliius says, indeed, that all divine in- spirations may be considered as one whole, as many wa- ters-make up one sea. In this respect the Holy Ghost is one, that is, one universal made up of many species, this is totum logicum. And so he may be divided into his subordinate species. But what ground or colour is there for any such notions in the scripture? Where is it said that all the gifts of the Holy Ghost do constitute or make up. one Holy Ghost? or the Holy Ghost is one in general, because many effects are ascribed unto him? Or that the several gifts of the Spirit are so many dis- tinct kinds of it? The contrary unto all these is express- ly taught; namely, that the one Holy Spirit worketh all It these things as he pleaseth, an that they are all of thorn external acts of his will and power. And it is to as lit- tle purpose pleaded by the same author, that he is divid- ed as a natural whole into its parts, because there is mention of a measure and portion of' him. So God is said not to give him to Jesus Christ by measure, John ü. 34. And to every one of us is given grace according to the measureof the gift ofChrist; as though one mea- sure of him were granted unto one, and another mea- sure to another. But this measure is plainly of his gifts . and graces. These were bestowed on the Lord Christ in all their fulness, without any limitation either as to kinds or degrees. They were poured into him accord- ing unto the utmost extent and capacity of human na- ture, and that under an inconceivable advancement by its union unto the Son of God. Others receive his gifts and graces in a limited proportion both as to their kinds and degrees. 'l'o turn this into a division of the Spirit himself is the greatest madness. And, casting aside prejudices, there is no difficulty in the understanding of that saying of God to Moses, Numb. xi. 17. <' I will take of the Spirit that is on thee, and put it on the t, elders." For it is evidently of the gifts of the Spirit, enabling men for rule and government, that God speak- eth, and not of the Spirit himself. Without any diminu- tion of that Spirit in him, that is of the gifts that he had received, God gave unto them, as lighting their candleby his. And so also the double portion of the spirit of Elijah, which Elisha requested for himself, was only a large and peculiar measure of prtiphetical light, above what other prophets, which he left behind him, had received; 2 Kings ii. 9. He asked u='y's os duorum or duplex ro B,Trar ¡ss;ss, or a. 8l,ras. This expression is first used, Deut. xxi. 17. where the double portion of the first-born is intended. So that probably, it was such a portion among the other prophets, as the first-born had among the brethren of the same family, which he desired; and so it came to pass, whence also he had the rule and government of them. IS -
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