rifthl}^, God is said to pour him out, and that frequently : Prov. / I 23, 'n^"i i33^ ny^ax npn^—.'^ Behold, I will pour out my ^Spirit unto ' you." V^l signifies " ebullire more scaturiginis," — " to bubble up as a fountain."^ Hence, the words are rendered by Theodotion,
' " Quid igitur Spiritus Saiicti operatiouc divinius, cum etiam benedictionum suarum pvffisulem Spiritum Deus ipse testetur, diccns, Fonam Spiriluw vieum super semen tuum, et benediciiones meas stiper jilios tuos. Nulla enim potest esse plena bencdictio nisi per infusioncm Spiritus Sancti." — Ambros. de Spir. Sane. lib. i. cap. 7.
2 " Significat autem effusionis verbum largani ct divitem muneris abundantiam ; ita- que cum unus quis alicubi aut duo Spirituni Sanctum accipiant non dicitur, ' Effundam
VOL. ITL 8
114 WAY AND MANNEE OF THE DIVINE [BOOK I.
'AvaCXicw v,aTii Uvsvf^d /j,ov, — " Scatiirire faciam/' — "I will cause my Spirit to spring out unto you as a fountain." And it is frequently applied unto speaking, wlien it signifies " eloqui aut proferre verba more scaturiginis." See Ps. Ixxviii. 2, cxlv. 7. And i^V?, also, which some take to be the root of ^V'*'?^, Prov. i. 23, hath the same sig- nification. And the word hath a double lively metaphor : for the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father is compared to the con- tinual rising of the waters of a living spring ; and his communication unto us to the overflowing of those waters, yet guided by the will and wisdom of God: Isa. xxxii. 15, " Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field," — I^yV '^"??^.''."''^ Dliisp n^l. n^y [§, indeed, sometimes "to pour out," but more pro- perly and more commonly " to uncover," " to make bare," " to re- veal;"— " Until the Spirit be revealed from on high." There shall be such a plentiful communication of the Spirit as that he and his work shall be made open, revealed, and plain ; or, the Spirit shall be bared, as God is said to make his arm bare when he will work mightily and effectually, chap. lii. 10. Chap. xliv. 8, " I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." PV^, the word here, is so to pour a thing out as that it cleaveth unto and abideth on that which it is poured out upon ; as the Spirit of God abides with them unto whom he is communicated. Ezek. xxxix. 29, " I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel," — ''^^?^, an- other word : this is properly to pour out, and that in a plentiful man- ner, [and is] the same word that is used in that great promise, Joel ii. 28, which is rendered, Acts ii. 17, by lx%£w, " effundam," — " I will pour out my Spirit;" and the same thing is again expressed by the same word, chap. x. 45, " On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."
' Let us, then, briefly consider the importance of this expression. And one or two things may be observed concerning it in general; as, — 1. Wherever it is used, it hath direct respect unto the times of the gospel. Either it is a part of the promises concerning it, or of the story of their accomplishment under it. But wherever it is mentioned, the time, state, and grace of the gospel are intended in it : for the Lord Christ was " in all things to have the pre-eminence," Col. i. 18 ; and, therefore, although God gave his Spirit in some measure be- fore, yet he poured him not out until he was first anointed with his fulness. 2. There is a tacit comparison in it with some other time and season, or some other act of God, wherein or whereby God gave his Sj^irit before, but not in the way and manner that he in- tended now to bestow him. A larger measure of the Spirit to be
de Spiritu meo,' seel tunc quando in universas gentes munus Spiritus Saiicti redunda- verit." — Didym. do Spir. Sane. lib. i.
CHAP, v.] DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIEIT. 115
now given tlian was before, or is signified by any other expressions of the same gift, is intended in this word.
Three things are therefore comprised in this expression: — 1. An eminent act of divine bounty. Pouring forth is the way whereby bounty from an all-suflficing fulness is expressed ; as " The clouds, filled with a moist vapour, pour down rain,'' Job xxxvi. 27, until " it water the ridges of the earth abundantly, settling the furrows there- of, and making it soft with showers," as Ps. Ixv. 10; which, with the things following in that place, verses 1 1-1 3, are spoken allegorically of this pouring out of the Spirit of God from above. Hence, God is said to do this richly: Tit. iii. 6, " The renewing of the Holy Ghost," oZ s^'sx^iv s(p' rifjbai '?rXov<iiug, " which he hath poured on us richly," — that is, on all believers who are converted unto God ; — for the apostle discourseth not of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were then given forth in a plentiful manner, but of that grace of the Holy Ghost whereby all that believe are regenerated, renewed, and converted unto God ; for so were men converted of old by a rich participation of the Holy Ghost, and so they must be still, whatever some pretend, or die in their sins. And by the same word is the bounty of God in other things expressed: "The living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy," 1 Tim. vi. 1 7. 2. This pouring out hath respect unto the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and not unto his person: for where he is given, he is given absolutely, and as to himself not more or less; but his gifts and graces may be more plentifully and abundantly given at one time than at another, to some persons than to others. Wherefore this expression is metony- mical, that being spoken of the cause which is proper to the effect ; the Spirit being said to be poured forth, because his graces are so. 3. Respect is had herein unto some esj^ecial works of the Spirit. Such are the putHfying or sanctifying, and the comforting or refresh- ing [of] them on whom he is poured. With respect unto the first of these effects, he is compared both unto fire and water; for both fire and water have purifying qualities in them, though towards different objects, and working in a different manner. So, by fire are metals purified and purged from their dross and mixtures ; and by water are all other unclean and defiled things cleansed and purified. Hence, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his work by his Spirit, is at once compared unto a "refiner's fire" and to "fullers' soap," Mai. iii. 2, 3, because of the purging, purifying qualities that are in fire and water. And the Holy Ghost is expressly called a " Spirit of burning," Isa. iv. 4 ; for by him are the vessels of the house of God that are of gold and silver refined and purged, as those that are but of wood and stone are con- sumed. And when it is said of our Lord Jesus that he should " bap- tize with the Holy Ghost and with fire," Luke iii. 16, it is but h dia,