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This is totum logicum. And so he may be divided into his subordinate species! But what ground or colour is there for any such notions in the Scripture? Where is it said that all the gifts of the Holy Ghost do constitute or make up one Holy Ghost? or the Holy Ghost is one in general, because many effects are ascribed unto him? or that the several gifts of the Spirit are so many distinct kinds of it? The contrary unto all these is expressly taught,-namely, that the one Holy Spirit worketh all these things as he pleaseth; so that they are all of them external acts of his will and power. And it is to as little purpose pleaded by the same author, "That he is divided as a natural whole into its parts, because there is mention of a measure and portion of him: so God is said not to give him to Jesus Christ by measure,' John iii. 34; and to every one of us is given grace 'according to the measure of the gift of Christ,' Ep. iv. 7;"

-as though one measure of him were granted unto one, and another measure to another! But this "measure" is plainly of his gifts and graces. These were bestowed on the Lord Christ in all their fulness, without any limitation, either as to kinds or degrees; they were poured into him according unto the utmost extent and capacity of human nature, and that under an inconceivable advancement by its union unto the Son of God. Others receive his gifts and graces in a limited proportion, both as to their kinds and degrees. To turn this into a division of the Spirit himself is the greatest madness. And casting aside. prejudices, there is no difficulty in the understanding of that saying of God to Moses, Num. xi. 17, "I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and I will put it upon the elders;" for it is evidently of the gifts of the Spirit, enabling men for rule and government, that God speaketh, and not of the Spirit himself. Without any diminution of that Spirit in him, that is, of the gifts that he had received,—God gave unto them, as lighting their candle by his. And so, also, the "double portion of the spirit of Elijah," which Elisha requested for himself, was only a large and peculiar measure of prophetical light, above what other prophets which he left behind him had received, 2 Kings ii. 9. He asked, "os duorum" or duplex;” τὸ διπλοῦν μέρος, οι τὰ διπλά. This expression is first used, Deut. xxi. 17, where the double portion of the first-born is intended; so that probably it was such a portion among the other prophets as the first-born had among the brethren of the same family which he desired: and so it came to pass; whence, also, he had the rule and government of them.

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BOOK II.

CHAPTER I.

PECULIAR OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT PREPARATORY FOR THE NEW.

The work of the Spirit of God in the new creation; by some despised-Works under the Old Testament preparatory to the new creation-Distribution of the works of the Spirit-The gift of prophecy; the nature, use, and end of it-The beginning of prophecy-The Holy Spirit the only author of it-The name of a "prophet;" its signification, and his work-Prophecy by inspiration; whence so called-Prophets, how acted by the Holy Ghost-The adjuncts of prophecy, or distinct ways of its communication-Of articulate voicesDreams-Visions—Accidental adjuncts of prophecy-Symbolical actions— Local mutations-Whether unsanctified persons might have the gift of prophecy-The case of Balaam answered-Of writing the Scriptures-Three things required thereunto-Of miracles-Works of the Spirit of God in the improvement of the natural faculties of the minds of men in things political -In things moral-In things corporeal-In things intellectual and artificial -In preaching of the word.

HAVING passed through these general things, which are of a necessary previous consideration unto the especial works of the Holy Ghost, I now proceed unto that which is the principal subject of our present design; and this is, the dispensation and work of the Holy Spirit of God with respect unto the new creation, and the recovery of mankind or the church of God thereby. A matter this is of the highest importance unto them that sincerely believe, but most violently, and of late virulently, opposed by all the enemies of the grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. The weight and concernment of the doctrine hereof have in part been spoken unto before. I shall at present add no farther considerations to the same purpose, but leave all that fear the name of God to make a judgment of it by what is revealed concerning it in the Scriptures, and the uses whereunto it is in them directed. Many, we know, will not receive these things; but whilst we keep ourselves, in the handling of them, unto that word whereby one day both we and they must either stand or fall, we need not be moved at their ignorance or pride, nor at the fruits and effects of them, in reproaches, contempt, and scorn: for ἔχει Θεὸς ἔνδικον ὄμμα.

Now, the works of the Spirit, in reference unto the new creation, are of two sorts:-First, Such as were preparatory unto it, under the Old Testament; for I reckon that the state of the old creation, as unto our living unto God, ended with the entrance of sin and giving

the first promise. Whatever ensued thereon, in a way of grace, was

Secondly, Such as were actually
Those acts and workings of his

preparatory for and unto the new. wrought about it under the new. which are common to both states of the church,—as is his effectual dispensation of sanctifying grace towards the elect of God,-I shall handle in common under the second head. Under the first, I shall only reckon up those that were peculiar unto that state. To make way hereunto I shall premise two general positions:

1. There is nothing excellent amongst men, whether it be absolutely extraordinary, and every way above the production of natural principles, or whether it consist in an eminent and peculiar improvement of those principles and abilities, but it is ascribed unto the Holy Spirit of God, as the immediate operator and efficient cause of it. This we shall afterward confirm by instances. Of old he was all; now, some would have him nothing.

2. Whatever the Holy Spirit wrought in an eminent manner under the Old Testament, it had generally and for the most part, if not absolutely and always, a respect unto our Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel; and so was preparatory unto the completing of the great work of the new creation in and by him.

And these works of the Holy Spirit may be referred unto the two sorts mentioned, namely,-I. Such as were extraordinary, and exceeding the whole compass of the abilities of nature, however improved and advanced; and, II. Those which consist in the improving and exaltation of those abilities, to answer the occasions of life and use of the church. Those of the first sort may be reduced unto three heads: 1. Prophecy. 2. Inditing of the Scripture. 3. Miracles. Those of the other sort we shall find:-1. In things political, as skill for government and rule amongst men. 2. In things moral, as fortitude and courage. 3. In things natural, as increase of bodily strength. 4. In gifts intellectual,-(1.) For things sacred, as to preach the word of God; (2.) In things artificial, as in Bezaleel and Aholiab. The work of grace on the hearts of men being more fully revealed under the New Testament than before, and of the same kind and nature in every state of the church since the fall, I shall treat of it once for all in its most proper place.

I. 1. The first eminent gift and work of the Holy Ghost under the Old Testament, and which had the most direct and immediate respect unto Jesus Christ, was that of prophecy: for the chief and principal end hereof in the church was to foresignify him, his sufferings, and the glory that should ensue, or to appoint such things to be observed in divine worship as might be types and representations of him; for the chiefest privilege of the church of old was but to hear tidings of the things which we enjoy, Isa. xxxiii. 17. As Moses on the top of

Pisgah saw the land of Canaan, and in spirit, the beauties of holiness to be erected therein, which was his highest attainment; so the best of those saints was to contemplate the King of saints in the land that was yet very far from them, or Christ in the flesh. And this prospect, which by faith they obtained, was their chiefest joy and glory, John viii. 56; yet they all ended their days as Moses did, with respect unto the type of the gospel state, Deut. iii. 24, 25. So did they, Luke x. 23, 24; "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect," Heb. xi. 40. That this was the principal end of the gift of prophecy Peter declares, 1 Epist. i. 9-12: "Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you." Some of the ancients apprehended that some things were spoken obscurely by the prophets, and not to be understood without great search, especially such as concerned the rejection of the Jews, lest they should have been provoked to abolish the Scripture itself;1 but the sum and substance of the prophetical work under the Old Testament, with the light, design, and ministry of the prophets themselves, are declared in those words. The work was, to give testimony unto the truth of God in the first promise, concerning the coming of the blessed Seed. This was God's method:-First, he gave himself immediately that promise which was the foundation of the church, Gen. iii. 15; then by revelation unto the prophets he confirmed that promise; after all which the Lord Christ was sent to make them all good unto the church, Rom. xv. 8. Herewithal they received fresh revelations concerning his person and his sufferings, with the glory that was to ensue thereon, and the grace which was to come thereby unto the church. Whilst they were thus employed and acted by the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of Christ, they diligently endeavoured to come to an acquaintance with the things themselves, in their nature and efficacy, which were revealed unto them; yet so as considering that not

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1 Σημείωση δ' ὥς τινα μὲν εἴρηται δι' αἰνιγμάτων, τινὰ δὲ φανερώτερον. Τὰ μὲν οὖν δι' ἐπικρύψεως ἡγοῦμαι τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς ἕνεκα κεκαλλυμμένως ἀποδεδόσθαι, διὰ τὰ θεσπιζόμενα κατ' αὐτῶν σκυθρωπά. Δι ̓ ἅπερ εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ ἀφανίσαι αὐτοῦς τὴν γραφὴν, εἰ ἐκ τοῦ προφα vous Thy Loxárny aùτāv áπobodnv konμanv.-Euseb. Demonst. Evangel. lib. vi. Prooem. Omnes prophetæ illa tantummodo sciebant quæ illis fuissent a Domino revelata. Unde et rex Hieremiam dubio interrogat, Si in ea hora qua cum illo loquebatur apud eum sermo Domini haberetur. Sed et Eliseus dicit, Quomodo hæc Dominus abscondit a me; et Elias præter se esse alios qui Deum colerent ignoravit."-Hieron. Comment. in Epist. ad Roman. cap. ii.

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themselves, but some succeeding generations, should enjoy them in their actual exhibition. And whilst they were intent on these things, they searched also, as far as intimation was given thereof by the Spirit, after the time wherein all these things should be accomplished; both when it should be, and what manner of time it should be, or what would be the state and condition of the people of God in those days. This was the principal end of the gift of prophecy, and this the principal work and employment of the prophets: The first promise was given by God in the person of the Son, as I have proved elsewhere, Gen. iii. 15; but the whole explication, confirmation, and declaration of it, was carried on by the gift of prophecy.

The communication of this gift began betimes in the world, and continued, without any known interruption, in the possession of some one or more in the church at all times, during its preparatory or subservient estate. After the finishing of the canon of the Old Testament, it ceased in the Judaical church until it had a revival in John the Baptist; who was therefore greater than any prophet that went before, because he made the nearest approach unto and the clearest discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end of all prophecies. Thus God " spake by the mouth of his holy prophets," rav d' aivos, "which have been since the world began," Luke i. 70. Adam himself had many things revealed unto him, without which he could not have worshipped God aright in that state and condition whereinto he was come; for although his natural light was sufficient to direct him unto all religious services required by the law of creation, yet was it not so unto all duties of that state whereinto he was brought by the giving of the promise after the entrance of sin. So was he guided unto the observance of such ordinances of worship as were needful for him and accepted with God,-as were sacrifices. The prophecy of Enoch is not only remembered, but called over and recorded, Jude 14, 15. And it is a matter neither curious nor difficult to demonstrate, that all the patriarchs of old, before the flood, were guided by a prophetical spirit in the imposition of names on those children who were to succeed them in the sacred line. Concerning Abraham, God expressly saith himself that he was a prophet, Gen. xx. 7,-that is, one who used to receive divine revelations.

Now, this gift of prophecy was always the immediate effect of the operation of the Holy Spirit. So it is both affirmed in general and in all the particular instances of it. In the first way, we have the illustrious testimony of the apostle Peter: 2 Epist. i. 20, 21, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

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