Right Thoughts, Part 2 · Section 39 – Section 41
Sect. XXXIX.
Right thoughts of God, the Holy Ghoſt.ANd as our Thoughts of the Father and the Son are onelyonly Right, when Regulated by Scripture, ſo alſo of the Bleſſed SPIRIT; For as the Sun is not to be ſeen (as we have ſaid) but in its own light, (which yet is but a finite Created Emanation from God the Father of Lights) much leſs can we conceive aright of the Holy Ghoſt, Muſt be Scriptural. 2 Pet. 1.21. 1 Cor. 2.14. Thoughts of the Holy Ghoſt ſtrange to the carnal mind.but by Conceipts congruous and harmonious to that Word which holy Men of God ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt; For if the Natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit, He cannot ſurely conceive aright of the Spirit himſelf, without both a ſpiritual light to diſcover, and eye to diſcern him; Otherwiſe He muſt needs be both out of his ſight and out of mind; For Scripture ſaith, that ſuch a mans very Mind is carnal, and ſpeaks of the Spirit of this World as directly oppoſite to the Spirit which is of God. 1 Cor. 2.12. We are great ſtrangers to our own Spirits. John 14.7.Alas what ſtrangers are We to our own Spirits? (How little is our knowledg, and how few are our Thoughts of them?) How ſtrange then muſt the Knowledge and Thoughts of the Holy Spirit of God be unto Us? This is that Spirit whom the World cannot receive becauſe it ſeeth him not, Thoughts of God the Father.neither knoweth him. The Thoughts of God the Father do more eaſily occur to the natural mind, for Heathen Poets, and even the light of Nature teach us,Arat. foreign. Acts 17.28. that We are All his Off-ſpring, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks out of the Po…t, and ſo to ſeek the Lord, if happily we may feel after him, and find him, (though the light that Adams Fall hath left in us is little leſs then Darkneſs, ſo our ſearching after God our Father,Verſe 27. is called a Feeling, as blind men uſe, a Gropeing, as they that have much darkneſs, and but little light,) And as God the Father is not very far from every one of us (as 'tis there ſaid) ſo the Thoughts of God the Son are the more obvious to us, And of God. The Son more obvious then of God the Holy Ghoſt.becauſe by his Incarnation he is come ſo near us, and there is a true Humane Nature in his Bleſſed Perſon for humane Thoughts to employ themſelves upon;1 Cor. 12.3. And yet it is ſaid, that no man can ſay that Jeſus is the Lord, (that is, make any right acknowledgment of the Son) but by the Holy Ghoſt; How then can any man have any Right Knowledge or Thoughts of the Spirit, Right thoughts of the Holy Ghoſt. Acts 9.31. Are Reverend. Iohn 16 7. The Holy Ghoſt GOD.but by the Spirit, who ſpeaks by the Scriptures? And here as before, we are taught to Rejoyce with trembling, walking in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghoſt. For who can but Rejoyce in the Thoughts of Him whom the Scriptures call the COMFORTER? and can but tremble before the SPIRIT? who as He is One with the Father and the Son, (for there are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, 1 John 5.7.and the Holy Ghoſt, and theſe three are One) ſo is He to be conſidered and Thought upon with one and the ſame joyful Reverence, and awful Rejoycing. A SPIRIT in his E…ſ…nce.As to his Eſſence, the Scriptures declare Him to be a Spirit, in declaring Him to be God (for God is a Spirit) and declare him to be God,John 4 24. 2 Tim. 3.17. 2 P…. 1.2…. in declaring themſelves to be the Word of God; for whileſt one Text ſaith, that (All Scripture (or the whole Scripture foreign is given by Inſpiration of God, (or God Inſpired) and another, that holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt, Iſaiah 62.2.the Natural Concluſion from the premiſſes is this, Therefore the Holy Ghoſt is God. And if we ought to tremble at the Word, how much more before him that inſpired and gave it forth? Agreeable hereunto it is,Iſaiah 6.1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9. that when the Prophet Iſaias in that tremendous Text deſcribes the Lord ſitting upon a Throne high and lifted up, and Seraphims crying one to another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hoſts; which made the holy Man cry out, Wo is me, I am un lone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, &c. and mine eyes have ſeen the King, The Lord of Hoſts; The Apoſtle Paul expreſly ſaith, that this holy Lord God was God the Holy Ghoſt; I heard the voice of the Lord, ſaith the Prophet, and he ſaid go and tell this people, here ye indeed, but underſtand not, &c. now ſaith the Apoſtle,Acts 28.25, 26, 27. well ſpake the Holy Ghoſt by Eſaias the Prophet, unto our Fathers ſaying, Go unto this people, and ſay, hearing ye ſhall hear and not underſtand, &c. So one while 'tis ſaid the Holy Ghoſt ſpake by the mouth of David;Acts 1.16. Chap. 4.24, 25 Another while 'tis ſaid, Lord thou art God which haſt made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of thy Servant David haſt ſaid, &c. and ſo Ananias his lying to the Holy Gho t is called a lying unto God; Therefore the Holy Ghoſt is God. Again Scripture (and Reaſon ſaith) that He that built all things is God. Acts 5 3, 4. Hebr. 3.4. Job 33.9.Now the Spirit of God hath made me, ſaith Elihu, and if he made man the Maſter-piece, Man the Microcoſme, well may it be ſaid,Job 26.13. that by him were the Heavens garniſhed, and by the ſending forth of Him All things elſe were Created; which Text by the after clauſe of renewing the Face of the Earth refers to works of Providence.Pſal. 104.30. Therefore the Holy Ghoſt is God. And as he made All things,1 Cor. 2.10. Iſaiah 40.13. he knows All things; The Spirit ſearcheth All things, yea the deep things of Go…, for who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his Counſellour hath taught him? And as He is Omniſcient, he is Omnipreſent;Pſal. 139.7. Whither ſhall I go from thy Spirit? ſaith David, or whither ſhall I flee from thy preſence? In a word, He that prepared Chriſt a Body at his coming into the World is God,Heb 10.5. for ſaith Chriſt, a Body haſt THOU prepared me, then ſaid I, Lo I come to do thy will, O GOD. But ſaith the Angel to the bleſſed Virgin,Verſe 7. Lu…e 1.35. The HOLY GHOST ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the highe…t ſhall overſhadow thee; Therefore alſo (the Inference is moſt full to our purpoſe) That Holy thing that ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the SON OF GOD. Therefore the Holy Ghoſt is God.
Sect. XL.The Holy Ghoſt called the SPIRIT as to his ſubſiſtence. Joh. 4.23, 24. Hebr. 1.3. Heb. 9.14.
ANd as the Holy Ghoſt is a SPIRIT in reſpect of his Eſſence, being One glorious God with the Father and the Son; (for as God the Father is ſaid to be a Spirit, the Father ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him as may do it in Spirit, (and then it follows, God is a Spirit) and God the Son (who is expreſly ſaid to be the expreſs Image of his Fathers Perſon,) through the Eternal Spirit, (that is to ſay) his God-head) offered up himſelf,) So the Holy Ghoſt is The Spirit in reſpect of his wonderful Subſiſtence in the bleſſed Trinity by way of ineffable Spiration between the Father and the Son,Mat. 3.16, 17. betwixt whom He carryeth and re-carryeth the mutual and Eternal expreſſions of Divine delight and complacency which the Father and the Son have naturally, neceſſarily, and unchangeably each in other;Gal. 4.6. Job 33.4. Rom. 8.9. who therefore ſaid both to proceed from the Father, and yet to be the Spirit of his Son, and called in the Old Teſtament, the Breath of the Almighty, and in the New, the Spirit of Chriſt; His Myſterious Subſiſtence being moſt nearly ſhadowed out to our weak apprehenſions by our breathing, Rom. 3 8. Mat. 3.11. Iſaiah 44.3.which is the Going and Coming, Efflux and Reflux of our Breath, (and ſo he is compared to the three fluid and moving Elements of Air, Fire, and Water, but never to the dul fixed Element of Earth) for as the perſonal property of the Father, is to Beget; of the Son to be Begotten; ſo of the Holy Ghoſt,John 15.27. to Proceed. And now how awful ſhould the Thoughts of Him be unto us, who is a SPIRIT in his ESSENCE, THE SPIRIT in his SUBSISTENCE; in both, Uncreated, Infinite, and Eternal; who dictated and Indited the Word, built the World, garniſheth Heaven, furniſheth and reneweth the Face of the Earth, made Man, Knows all things, fills all Places, Col. 2.16.and is every where preſent at all times; whoſe peculiar and ſtupendious Work it was to Sanctifie the Womb, the Fruit whereof was to be the Saviour of the World, Mat. 28.16.and prepare him a Body in whom the fulneſs of the God-head was to dwell bodily; 2 Cor. 15.14.in whoſe Name, together with the Fathers and the Sons we are Baptized, and whoſe Communion, together with the Grace of Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Hebr. 7.4.and the Love of God, we do Implore; Of whom therefore I may ſay (as the Apoſtle of Melchiſedec, Now Conſider how great this man was) Conſider how great this Spirit is.
Sect. XLI.
The high Reverence we ow to the Holy Spirit.ANd yet Wo is Us! What ſlight, and low, and mean Thoughts are the Carnal Minds of Men apt to have of the holy Spirit of God, which the Scripture foreſeeing in Deep wiſdom (as in Parental Relation, the Mothers fear to be moſt eaſily and uſually neglected and forgotten by Children; It ſets a ſpecial Guard upon it,Levit. 19.3. ſaying, Ye ſhall fear every Man his Mother and his Father, though her Order be Luſt, becauſe the Fear of the Mother is ordinarily too much the leaſt) ſo in the cauſe of the Third Perſon, whoſe Order of Subſiſting is after the Father and the Son, though in Honour he be Co-equal, and in Eſſence Co-Eternal, Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt.I ſay, It (ſets a moſt dreadful Guard upon that Awe and holy Fear that We owe to the Holy Spirit, when it ſaith, All manner of Sin and Blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven unto men, Mat. 12.31, 32but THE BLASPHEMY againſt the HOLY GHOST ſhall NOT be forgiven unto Men, And whoſoever ſhall ſpeak a word againſt the ſon of man it ſhall be forgiven him, But whoſoever ſpeaketh againſt the Holy Ghoſt it ſhall not be forgiven him, neither in his world, neither in the world to come; which laſt words are no Indication that there is any Forgiveneſs of any Sin in another world that is not pardoned in this, But a vehement aſſertion that there is no forgiveneſs for this Sin in any world, Luk. 1….10. Mark 3.29.Therefore where S. Luke ſaith plainly, It ſhall not be Forgiven, S. Mark explains this Phraſe of S. Matthews, ſaying, It hath never Forgiveneſs; And ſo in the mouths of three Evangeliſts you have this dreadful Word eſtabliſhed, and this Guard ſet (like that terrible Cherubim and Flaming Sword) to preſerve that High Reverence that Mortals owe to the Holy Ghoſt. All other Blaſphemies (ſaith Chriſt) wherewith ſoever they ſhall Blaſpheme ſhall be Forgiven, Mark 3.28.and indeed have been ſo; I was a Blaſphemer, ſaith S. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.13.But I obtained mercy; But whoſoever ſhall (wittingly, wilfully, and malitiouſly (Reproach the Holy Ghoſt (as the Phariſees here did,Mark 3.30. they ſaid (of Jeſus) He hath an unclean Spirit, whoſe works did teſtify of him, That he caſt out Devils by the SPIRIT of GOD,Luke 11.47. Mat. 8.12. and that the Kingdom of God was come unto them (as himſelf ſpeaks) Ten Thouſand Woes ſhall be the Portion of ſuch an One.