DISSERTATION v. 339 of Israel said, he that rulelh over men must be just. That which is done by this Spirit is done by Godhimself; and that which is done to this Spirit is represented as done to God, himself: When in Acts xiii. 2. The Holy Ghost said, separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them, it is very naturally interpreted as the voice of God by his Spirit, for it was God that called them to the ministry, and to him they were separated. When Ananias, Acts v. 3. told a lie to the Holy Ghost, St. Peter says, verse 4. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God, that is, to God dwelling in the.apostles by his Spirit. So Is. xl. 13. Who hash directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor, bade tauuiht him I The Spirit of the Lord here, Seems to be put for God himself, as the spirit of a man in the same sort of sentence would be naturally construed the than him- self, or his soul. Ps. cxxxix. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? Ile plain meaning is, whither shall I go where the knowledge and power of God can- not reach me? The Spirit of God is not a distinct being from God himself, or another conscious mind. It is theSpirit. of God, and it is God himself, who inspired the prophets ; 2 Pet. i..21. 2 Tim. iii. 16. Heb. i. 1. It is the Spirit of God which dwells in his saints, as in a temple, for they are called the temple Of God ; 2 Cor. vi. 16. compared with 1 Cor. vi. 19. It is the Spirit of God that sanctifies his people, that gives light and comfort, and hope to them, all which are attributed to God himself, and that not as acting by an under-agent, or an inferior nature, but by some intimate and essential power of his own. And were it not for some personal characters which are sometimes attributed to the blessed Spirit, by a figurative, and eastern manner of speech, I am persuaded scarce any reader of the bible would ever have imagined, that the Spirit of God signified any thing else but 'a' power of the divine nature, the influence of that power, or God himself acting by that power. The proof of the deity of the holy Spirit is more parti- cularly insisted on in the " Christian Doctrine of the Trinity," propositions viii. ix. To confirm this head, viz. that the Spirit of God, in some places may signify God himself, let it be observed, that the soul of God in several scriptures signifieth God himself. Is. i. 14. Your new moons my soul hateth." Is. xlii. 1. " My elect, in whom my soul delighteth." Heb. x. 38. " If any man draw back, nay soul shall have no pleasure in him." And this is a Very common way of speaking among the Hebrews, for the soul x2
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