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Wherein is proved the Deity of the Holy Ghost.
AS the Scriptures have given a clear Testimony to the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; so also they will afford us sufficient Evidence of the Deity of the Holy Spirit, which I intend to demon∣strate in this Chapter. And,
First, I shall prove that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, and not a Quality in God.
First, Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the Holy Ghost as a Person, John 14.16, 17. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, be∣cause it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: But ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Chap. 16.8. And when he is come, he will reprove the World of Sin. Ver. 13. Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all Truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. In these Scriptures the words [He, Him, and Himself] are used to the Holy Spirit, and these all do note him to be a Person, and not a Quality.
Secondly, He is called the Comforter, John 16.7. which is a personal Name.
Thirdly, He is put in the same rank with other Divine Persons, as a Person, Matth. 28.19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. 1 John. 5.7. For there are Three that bear Record in Heaven, The Fa∣ther, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. Now from these Texts of Scripture, I shall make these three Ob∣servations.
First, That we may as well say, that the Father, and the Son are Qualities, as the Holy Spirit. And,
Secondly, The baptizing in the Name of the Spirit, denotes him to be a Person, as well as the Name of the Father and the Son, by their Names are so denoted.
Thirdly, He cannot be a Quality; for if the Word and the Holy Ghost be Qua∣lities, and the Father only a Person; or else the Father and Word Persons, and only the Holy Ghost a Quality, yet the three can neither be one Person, nor one Quality.
Fourthly, The Holy Ghost is a Person, and is so far from being a Quality in God, that he hath in himself the Quality of Knowing and Understanding: 1 Cor. 2.11. Even so the things of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God; and also of wil∣ling, John 16.7, 8. 1 Cor. 12.11. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every Man severally as he
will. And therefore the Holy Spirit having personal Qualities, is denoted to be a Person; and there is not the least reason to believe but that the Holy Ghost is a Person, who is so generally treated of as a Person.
Secondly, The Holy Spirit is God from the Testimony of four several Scriptures.
First, is Matth. 28.19. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Ghost were not God, why should we be bap∣tized into his Name, and ascribe unto him a share in the Work of Man's Salva∣tion? But that as the Father was pleased to elect and ordain the Son to lay our Ini∣quities upon him, and accept us in him; and as the Son was willing (as it were) to disrobe himself of the Glory he had before the World was, to bear the Wrath of God, that was due to us for our Sins, that we might be delivered from it; and to reconcile him to us by the precious Blood of his Cross: So the Holy Spirit changes our Hearts, and reconciles them to God, by infusing into us a new Nature
with Holy Dispositions and Power against Sin, which the good Angels could never do: for though they have great Power to communicate to our Spirits, and influ∣ence our Souls with good things; yet the evil Angels having the same Power of Nature, and being first in Possession, may keep our Souls in Bondage, till one that is stronger, casts them out, Luke 11.22. 1 John 4.4. And therefore the Holy Spi∣rit, having so great a hand in this glori∣ous Work, may rightly receive a share with other Divine Persons of our Ac∣knowledgment of it, which demonstrates that the Holy Ghost is God; for other∣wise we should ascribe that Work unto the Creature which is above the Power of its Nature, and is only possible for God himself.
Second Scripture is 1 Cor. 3.16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? To have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, is to have our Bodies the Temple of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.19. And the Tem∣ple of the Holy Ghost is the same as the Temple of God; and to say that the Temple of God is the Temple of a Crea∣ture, or to give it the Name of a Crea∣ture,
is a Dishonour to it, as not sanctifi∣ed unto God: And therefore the same Spirit or Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us, is God that dwelleth in us.
Third Scripture is 1 John 5.7. For there are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. This Scripture is so clear an Evidence for the Truth I am pleading for, that there have been some who would blot it out, denying its Au∣thority to be equal with other Scriptures, which I shall answer unto in its proper place.
But whereas it is said, [and these three are one] it must be understood that they are one in Essence; for in ver. 8. where the Essences differ, the manner of speaking also differs, [as agree in one] viz. in Testi∣mony; but in the Text it is [are one] viz. in Essence, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are not only one in A∣greement of their Testimony, as the Blood, the Water, and the Spirit are, but are one in Essence. And this Distincti∣on was made in the two Verses, that we might not miss of the Truth of God in them.
Fourth Scripture is, 2 Cor. 3.17. Now
the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. Ver. 18. We are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, or (as it is in the Margent) Of the Lord the Spirit. Now if the Holy Spirit were not of the same Divine Essence, it could not be said, the Lord is that Spirit.
Thirdly; I shall shew that the Holy Spirit is God by the Works of Creation that are ascribed to him.
1st. Job 33.4. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the Breath of the Almighty hath given me Life.
2dly. Job 26.13. By his Spirit he hath gar∣nished the Heavens, his Hand hath formed the crooked Serpent.
3dly. Psalm 104.30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are Created, &c.
4thly. Gen. 1.1. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters. The Spirit did co-create with other Divine Persons, or Subsistences in the Deity: And therefore it is said, That in the begin∣ning Gods (or the Almighties) created the Heavens and the Earth: Which Words, being inclusive of more than one Person, and the Spirit of God being said to move
upon the Face of the Waters; I think we may safely say, that the Holy Spirit did co-work with other Divine Persons in the work of Creation, and was one of those Persons of whom it's said, Let us make Man in our Image, after our Likeness, &c. So that from these Scriptures it is clear, that the Holy Spirit did create, and therefore we cannot deny his Deity.
Fourthly; The Deity of the Holy Spi∣rit is demonstrated by what is ascribed to him in the Conception of our Lord Jesus, and by the Works that he accomplished, through the Power received from him.
First, Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost. Luke 1.34. Then said Mary unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a Man? Vers. 35. And the Angel answered, and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee: Therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And Matth. 1.18. Mary was found with Child of the Holy Ghost.
From both these Scriptures it appears that our Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, the Power of the Highest,
which is God. Not that any should ima∣gine from hence, that every particular attribute in God are so many Persons in the Godhead, but essential Properties of the One most high God, and, as such, cannot be separated from him: And therefore to ascribe the Conception of Christ to the immediate Power of God, is to attribute it unto God, for all his Attri∣butes are so many descriptive Appellati∣ons of him. And therefore seeing that the Power of the Highest is the Highest himself, and that the Holy Ghost is this Power which came upon Mary, and over∣shadowed her, then the Holy Ghost must be God. And he cannot be other∣wise understood: for no created Spirit could produce a Child in the Womb of the Virgin Mary.
Secondly, It appears that the Holy Ghost is God, by the Works that our Lord Jesus accomplished by him.
First, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel, Luk. 4.18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, &c. — With the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows — for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him, Heb. 1.9. John 3.34.
Secondly; Jesus Christ cast out Devils by the Spirit of God, Mat. 12.28. But if I cast 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you.
Thirdly; Our Lord Jesus offered up himself unto God through the Spirit. Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit of∣fered himself without spot to God, purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the li∣ving God.
Now if our Lord Jesus Christ have the same Nature in the Unity of Essence with God the Father, why should he then at∣tribute that Power, by which he cast out Devils, and performed his Ministerial Of∣fice in preaching the Gospel, and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for us, unto the Spirit, if he were but a Creature? For thus to exalt the Creature, would much eclipse his own Power and Glorious Dei∣ty. And therefore I cannot think, that all those glorious Things should be attri∣buted to the Holy Spirit, unless he were a Divine Person subsisting in the Nature of God.
And forasmuch as God hath said, that He will not give his Glory to another, there cannot be any Colour of reason to deny
the Deity of the Holy Ghost, unless we deny the Deity of Jesus Christ. And seeing that his Deity is so plainly proved, that none can deny it, if they open their Eyes to the Light of the Holy Scriptures; and that the Deity of the Holy Ghost doth so naturally flow from it, that none can reject the one without the other; there is ground from hence, as well as from the preceding Evidence of the Holy Spirit's Deity, to believe that he is a Di∣vine Person in the same Nature and Es∣sence, together equal with God the Fa∣ther, and the Son.
Fifthly; The Deity of the Holy Ghost is proved by the Divine Worship that is given to him.
As the Scriptures do demonstrate the Holy Spirit to be a Divine Person sub∣sisting in the Nature of God; so to wor∣ship God adequately aright, we must in∣clude the Holy Spirit: for whether we worship God indefinitely, yet as the one Nature and Spiritual Substance of God, is the Nature and Substance of each Person, we therein do worship each Person; or whether we worship a Person by peculiar Attributions, proper to that Person; yet
as the one Nature and Substance of the Deity, is the Nature and Substance of that Person, we therein do worship the Deity: So that we can neither exclude any one Person in the worshipping of the Deity, or the Deity in the worshipping of any one Divine Person, if we know what we worship. John 4.22. ch. 8.19. ch. 14.7, 8, 9. But,
1st. To prove that the Holy Ghost is to be worshipped with Divine Worship, I shall cite Matth. 28.19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. What is our being Baptized in the Name of the Holy Ghost, but our Acknowledgment of our Faith in him, and our yielding of due Obedience and Worship to him, as well as to the Fa∣ther and the Son?
2dly. The Holy Ghost is worshipped with Divine Worship. Isa. 6.1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10. compared with Acts 28.25, 26, 27. The Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne, high and lifted up, and his Train filled the Temple. Ver. 2. About it stood the Seraphims. Ver. 3. And one cryed unto ano∣ther, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole Earth is full of his Glory. And the Lord bad the Prophet,
ver. 9. Go and tell this People, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye in∣deed, but perceive not. Now the same Lord that spake to the Prophet, and was worshipped by the Seraphims, is said to be the Holy Ghost in Acts 28. and from thence it appears, that the Holy Ghost is to be worshipped with Divine Worship, and therefore he is God.