2'145 DOCTRINE OF THE- T$INITY: intelligent Agent, even as the true eternal God himself, with divine names, titles, attributes, &c. So the spirit of a man, though it be but one distinct principle in man, yet is sometimes represented as the man himself : And this is verycommon in the Hebrew idiom and sometimes in other languages. There are . several instances of this representation of the spirit of God in. scripture. Is God the Father the God of Israel? And is not the Holy Spirit so too ? 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3. The Spirit of Jeho- vah spoke by me; the God of Israel said. The Holy Ghost is that Jehovahwho was tempted by the Jews in the wilderness Compare Ps. xcv. 3, with Heb. iii. 7 -9. He is that God that dwells in the saints as in his temple; 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. and vi. 19. He is that God to whomAnanias told a lie; Acts v.2, 4. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. He is-that divine Person, who said, Separate to me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto Ihave called them ; Acts xiii. 2. He is that Divine Agent,. who sent Peter to Cornelius ; Acts x. 20. The Spirit said to him, behold two men seek thee, go with them for I have sent themfi. Here mite, That there are some places of scripture, where- in it is pretty difficult to determine, whether the Holy Spirit be represented as the sovereign divine Agent, that is, God him- self ; or, as a distinct power, or' principle in the godhead, by which God the Father acts. And, upon this account, some texts may be fairly interpreted both ways, without any incon= venience : Yet, in other places, this distinction is plainly ob- served, as may appear by several of these scriptures which I have cited. XI. Sometimes this Divine Principle, the Holy Spirit, is represented in a personal manner, but in a subordinatecharacter, and as a person more directly acting according to theeconomy of the gospel. Then he is set forth, not only as proceeding* from, the Father, and given to the Son, but he is describefl also as sent both by the Father and the Son, to perform various offices' and operations in the world, and especially iù the church. John xv. 26. When the Comforter is come, wham Iwill send unto yon from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedetis from the Father, he shall test fy of me. And though under f Here I take occasion to correct a mistake of my memory, in my last r' Dissertations on the Trinity, where I did not remember, that the pronoun I, was applied to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. I donot here enter into that question, whether the Holy Spirit, considered . in bis own divine essence, or subsistence, is derived from the Bather, or from the Son, or both? But I content myself here to declare, that, as to the economy of the gospel, and the manner of operation, the Spirit proceeds from the Father, and is sent both by. the Father and the Son. This is plain scripture, and beyond all dispute.
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