Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.6

PROPOSITION VIiI. 145 Acts iv. 24, 25. 'r Lord, thou art God, who bast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : Who byi the mouth of thy servant David said, why did the heathens rage ?" &c. He who spake by the mouth of David, is here de- dared to be that God who is the Creator of all things ; but the Holy Ghost is he who spake by the mouth of David, as appears from his own witness in 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3. " The Spirit of the Lord spake by me," &c. Not only does David the prophet thus witness concerninghimself, but the apostlePeter does the same Acts i. 16. " The Holy Ghost, by the month of David, spake concerning Judas," &c. Therefore the Holy Ghost, is the Creator of all things. 2. The work of " changing the heart," and of new creation belongs to the great God; Prov. xxi. 1. " The heart even of kings is in the hand of the Lord ; it is he that turneth themwhi thersoever he will." And when the heart is turned from sin to God, it is said to be his workmanship; Eph. ii. 10. By him we are created unto good works." And Jude verse 1. " we are said to be sanctified by God the Father. God assumes this pre- rogative to himself; Lev. xx. 8. " I am the Lord which sanoti- fieth you." Yet this very work of new creation or sanctification is frequently in scripture ascribed to the holy Spirit Rom. xv. 16. " The Gentiles are sanctified by the Holy Ghost." And we are " chosen to salvation through the sanctification of the Spi- rit ;" 2 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 2. Upon this accountit is, that the saints:who are déséribed as " born of God ;" John is 13. and 1 John v. I, 3, are said to be born of the Spirit ; John 5, 6, 8. 8. The work of " raising the dead" is a divine work, which is also ascribed to the holySpirit That it is a work which seems to be appropriated to godhead, St. Paul intimates; Rom. iv. It He who quickens the dead, and calls the things which are not as though theywere :" is a description of God. And God is described in the same manner ; Rom. viii. 11. " He that raised up Christ from the dead." And that this was a glorious instance of his divine power ; see Eph. i. 19, 20. Now tins work, both of raising Christ and all the saints from the dead, is ascribed to the Holy Spirit; 1 Pet. iii. 18. " Christ being put to daeth in the flesh; but quickened by the Spirit." Roil. viii. 11. " He that raised up Christ fiorn the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelled' in you. I am come now to the last distinguishing character of god, head, and that is to be the object of religious worship. V " Divine worship is paid to the Holy Spirit." " Baptism is a sacred ceremony, whereby we are devoted and given up 1ó ßq4 the Fstber, and our Lord Jesus Christ; But the holy Spirit is not omitted in this Niece of worship ; Mat. VOL. vt. K

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