PROPOSITION XX. 191 are before the throne ; and from Jesus Christ." Where it is generally supposed, that the blessed Spirit of God is described by seven Spirits, because of his variety of gifts and graces. We are required also not to quench the.Spirit ; 1 Thess. v. 19. not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God ; Eph. iv. 30. that, is, notto resist his convictions and pious motions, as the Jews did in elder and in later days, for which they are severely reproved. Acts vii. 51, but to obeyand comply with all his holy influences, and have a most sacred regard to them. And since there are none of us but have in some instances, more or less,- resisted and quenched the good motions of the blessed Spirit, I think we may justly be allowed, to mourn before him, and confess to him how much we have injured his love, and take shame to. ourselves before him, for all these indignities and provocations. As we are said also in scripture to be led by the Spirit, to be taughtby the Spirit, to be strengthened and comfdrted by the Spirit, to be assisted in prayer, and in every good work by the same Spirit, soit is our duty to wait and depend on him for in- struction, consolation and assistance in all the affairs of the chris- tian, life. Question II. " Is it proper for us to address ourselves in a way of prayer or praise, directly to the blessed Spirit, since we can neither find it plainly commanded or practised in the word of God . ?" . Answer. I confess we cannot find in scripture any such positive and express precepts or examples of petition and praise, no directly addressed to the person of the Holy Spirit, as there are to the Father and to the Son. One reason may be this, because in the economy of the gospel he is not seated on a throne of Majesty, nor sustains a, royal character ; but he is rather represented as acting in subor- dination to the Father and the Son, and sent by the Father and the Son, as a prime minister in their kingdom. And therefore since our worship of the blesses! Trinity is generally regulated by the economy of the gospel, our direct addresses are generally made to the Father or to the Son, who are seated on a throne, and sustain a royal character in this economy. I would add also, that though the Son himself is repre- sented as Lord and King in this economy, yet he is often de- scribed as acting in subordination to the Father. And it is for this reason, it may be, that there are but few addresses made directly and distinctly to the Son of God himself in the scripture, in comparison of those which are made in general to God, or distinctly to the Father. Another reason why the Holy Spirit has not such direct and
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