' " Hoc non est inaequalitas substantiae, sed ordo naturae ; non quod alter esset prior altero, sed quod alter esset ex altero." — Aug. lib. iii. contra Maxentium, cap. 14.
* Xlaffa Wioytia, h 9-iohv It/ t'/)v kt'ktiv "imKov^oc, »ai Kara, to.; 'mXvrf'oi'ovs ivvoias ovi/,i.a- ^ofiivfl ix. ^arpos a<po-f^aTai, xai §;a <rov v'lov ^rp'oitffi, xa) sv ru •rvivfiaTi toi etyiu •nXitovrat.
Grcgor. Nyssen. ad Ablabium 'Ev 'Si tv toutuv {^a,yy'iXav) kt'io-h, hveniriv fioi rhv
TpixdTupKTiKriM airiav tuv yivof^ivav Toti ^ccri^a, Tjjv ^nfi'iovpyixyif rot vtov, Tnv riXiiUTixviv TO wivi/,a. — Basil, de Spir. Sane. cap. xvi.
' Ka/ yaa S/a fjiiy t?,; ■praXaiZ; us •xpox.a.TO.pKTixov ruv oXum o TruTTip TTftuTu; xnpvrriTui. Kai "hiurioi); Vi. o vio; us 'Bnf/.iov^^yixov curmv Ifitpavi^irai. Ku] rp'irus us Ti>^iitk>Tixov to ^yiv/A,» TO ayiiv. Ta TtXiiurixd yap ru TiXii fipcovv/zu; a.va(paitirai, Tn -Trpoxo-xvi xa} av^tiirii tu* Trpayudrco)/ xai tuv ^:ovu\i c'la cr~iipavi>s d'ja.ppnffiais iTi rols aSXriTtKols lopuffi xaTOt. to TiXof Iva fj.oZ,o iji.lv OS. i^'ia xai Tov aii^fwrov TrXanas o &ios "TTpuroM ura TiXii in(pvff'/i(nt us to -prpo- eu-xot alrou Trviviio, ^a>is — Jobius apud I'hotium. lib. cxxii. cap. 18.
CHAP. IV.] IN THE FIRST OR OLD CREATION-. 95
each person, with respect mito their natural and necessary subsist- ence, as also with regard unto their internal characteristical proper- ties, whereby we are distinctly taught to know them and adore them. And the due consideration of this order of things will direct us in the right understanding of the proposals that are made unto our faith concerning God in his works and word.
These things being premised, we proceed to consider what are the peculiar operations of the Holy Spirit, as revealed unto us in the Scripture. Now, all the works of God may be referred unto two heads: — 1. Those of nature; 2. Those of grace; — or the works of the old and new creation. And we must inquire what are the especial operations of the Holy Spirit in and about these works, Vvdiich shall be distinctly explained.
The work of the old creation had two parts: — 1. That which concerned the inanimate part of it in general, with the influence it had into the production of animated or living but brute creatures. 2. The rational or intelligent part of it, with the law of its obedience unto God, [and] the especial uses and ends for which it was made. In both these sorts we shall inquire after and consider the especial works of the Holy Spirit.
The general parts of the creation are the heavens and the earth: Gen. i. 1, " In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." And what belongs unto them is called their "host:" chap, ii. 1, " The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." The host of heaven is the sun, moon, and stars, and the angels themselves. So are they called, 1 Kings xxii. 19, "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne" Q^^^'l ^?V"''91 , " and all the host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left;" — that is, all the holy angels, as Dan. vii. 10; 2 Chron. xviii. 18. And the host of God: Gen. xxxii. 1, 2, "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said. This is God's host." i^.^n'^, the word he useth, signifieth a host encamped. l.rpaTia owpdviog, Luke ii. 18, " The heavenly host," or army. The sun, moon, and stars, are also called the host of heaven: Deut. iv. 19, " Lest thou lift up thine e3'^es unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven." So Isa. xxxiv. 4; Jer. xxxiii. 22. This was that host of heaven which the Jews idolatrously worshipped : chap. viii. 2, " They shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped." The expressions are multiplied, to show that they used all ways of ascribing that divine honour unto them Avhich was due to God alone, whom only they ought to have loved, to have served, to have -walked after, to have sought and
96 PECULIAR WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK L
worshipped. So Jer. xix. 13. This they called D^O^n na^O^ the "queen of heaven," chap. xliv. 17, because of its beauty and adorn- ings. The " host of the earth" is men and beasts, with all other creatures that either grow out of it or live upon it, and are nourished by it. And these things are called the host of heaven and earth upon a double account: — 1. Because of their order and beautiful disposition. A host properly is a number of men put into a certain order, for some certain end or purpose; and all their strength and power, all their terror and beauty, consisteth in and ariseth from that order. Without this they are but a confused multitude. But a host or army with banners is beautiful and terrible, Cant. vi. 10. Before things were cast into this order, the universe was, as it were, full of confusion ; it had no beauty nor glory, for the "earth was without form and void," Gen. i. 2. Hence the Vulgar Latin in this place renders the word by " ornatus eorum," all their beauty and adorning; for the creation and beautiful disposal of these hosts gave them beauty and ornament: and thence do the Greeks call the world MGi/^oi, — that is, an adorned thing. 2. Because all creatures in heaven and earth are God's armies, to accomplish his irresistible will and pleasure. Hence he often styles himself " The LoRD of hosts," — of both these hosts, that above, of the heavens, the holy angels and the celestial bodies, and that of all creatures beneath in the earth; for all these he useth and applieth at his pleasure, to do his will and execute his judgments. Thus, one of those angels slew a whole host of men in one night, Isa. xxxvii. 36, And it is said that the " stars in their courses fought against Sisera," Judges v. 20. God overruled the influences of heaven against him, though it may be angels also are here intended. And among the meanest creatures of the earth, he calls locusts and caterj)illars, when he sends them to destroy a country for sin, his host or "army," Joel ii. 11. This by the way.