DISSERTATION 9, 331 DISSERTATION V. Of the Holy Spirit. SE CTTON I.--The general Ideas of the Word and Spirit. THE great and blessed God, considered in his own nature, Is far superior to all our thoughts, and exalted high above our most raised apprehensions. It it utterly impossible for a creature to search out the Almighty Creator to perfection. When we shall be admitted to heaven, and behold him in the light of glory, . we shall then see him as he is in himself; but even then, and for ever, our knowledge of him will be imperfect, for we are crea- turesand not God, and our understandings will never be infinite.. In this world we must be content toknow him as he has revealed himself in the light of grace, and discovered himself in his word end becausewe are not capable of taking in heavenly ideasin their own sublimest nature, God has been pleased to teach us the heavenly things that relate tohimself, in earthly language ; and by way of analogy to creatures, be has let us know something what God is. Among all the creatures that come within the reach of our common and obvious cognizance, human nature is the most per- fect, and therefore it has pleased the great and glorious God, by resemblances drawn from ourselves, to accommodate the descrip- tions of himself to our capacities. When he speaks of his own nature in the language of men, he often uses the names of humait parts, and members, and faculties, to represent his own proper- ties and actions thereby, that he may bring them within the no- tice ofthe lowest capacity, and the meanest understanding among the children of men. Therefore he speaks of hisface; to signify the discovery of himself ; his eyes, to describe his knowledge ; his heart, to describehis thoughts ; his hand andarm, to signify his power and activity ; and his mouth, to denote his resolutions, or revelations. But since in the composition of human nature there are two distinct parts, a soul and a body, and the soul is much the nobler and more exalted principle, it has alsopleased God to rise above corporeal images, and to describe himself; his attributes, properties, power, and operations, by way of analogy to a human soul. We know by our own consciousness, or by an inward in- s, ection into ourselves, that our soul, or spirit, is a being which has understanding, and will, thoughts, inclinations, knowledge, desires, 'and various powers tomove the body : Therefore our Saviour has told us, God is a spirit, and the brightest and suoli. meat representations of God in scripture, are such as bear an analogy and resemblance to the soul of man, or a spiritual, think- ing nature.
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