Wherefore, the subject of the ensuing discourses being entirely things of this nature, in their several degrees of access unto God or oui'selves, I shall give no
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account of any particular endeavours in my inquii-ies into tliem, but leave the judg- ment thereof unto the evidence of the effects produced thereby : only, whereas I know not any who ever went before me in this design of representing the whole economy of the Holy Spirit, with all his adjuncts, operations, and effects, whereof this is the first part (the attempt of Crellius in this kind being only to corrupt the truth in some few instances), as the difliculty of my work was increased thereby, so it may plead my excuse if any thing be found not to answer so regular a projection or just a method as the nature of the subject requireth and as was aimed at.
In the first part of the whole work, which concerneth the name, divine nature, personality, and mission of the Holy Spirit, I do but declare and defend the faith of the catholic church against the Socinians; with what advantage, with what contribution of light or evidence, strength or order, unto what hath been pleaded before by others, is left unto the learned readers to judge and determine. And in what concerns the adjuncts and properties of His mission and operation, some may, and I hope do, judge themselves not unbeholden unto me for administering an occasion unto them of deeper and better thoughts about them.
The second part of our endeavour concerneth the v/ork of the Holy Spirit in the old creation, both in its production, preservation, and rule. And whereas I had not therein the advantage of any one ancient or modern author to beat out the paths of truth before me, I have confined myself to express testimonies of Scrip- ture, with such expositions of them as sufficiently evidence their own truth ; though also they want not such a suffrage from others as may give them the reputation of some authority.
The like may be said of what succeeds in the next place, concerning His work under the New Testament, preparatory for the new creation, in the communication of all sorts of gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, all kind of skill and ability in things spiritual, natural, moral, artificial, and political, with the instances whereby these operations of His are confirmed. All these things, many whereof are handled by others separately and apart, are here proposed in their order with respect unto their proper end and design.
For what concerns His work on the head of the new creation, or the human nature in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have been careful to keep se- vei-ely under the bounds of sobriety, and not to indulge unto any curious or un- warrantable speculations. I have, therefore, therein not only diligently attended unto the doctrine of the Scripture, our only infallible rule and guide, but also expressly considered what was taught and believed in the ancient church in this matter, from which I know that I have not departed.
More 1 shall not add as to the first difficulty wherewith an endeavour of this kind is attended, arising from the nature of the subject treated of The other, concerning the contempt that is cast by many on all these things, must yet be farther spoken unto.
In all the dispensations of God towards his people under the Old Testament, there was nothing of good communicated unto them, nothing of worth or excel- lency wrought in them or by them, but it is expressly assigned unto the Holy Spirit as the author and cause of it. But yet, of all the promises given unto them concerning a better and more glorious state of the church to be afterward introduced, next unto that of the coming of the Son of God in the flesh, those are the most eminent which concern an enlargement and more full communication of the Spirit, beyond what they were or could in their imperfect state be made par- takers of. Accordingly, we find in the New Testament, that whatever concerns the conversion of the elect, the edification of the church, the sanctification and consolation of believers, the performance of those duties of obedience which we
8 TO THE READEES.