And supposing this may be one sense of the words, yet if this be the sole meaning of the Apostle’s expression, would it not have better become such a scholar as _Paul_ was, to have said, “He came to them in the demonstration of the scriptures, rather than of the Spirit?” Can any parallel passage be produced, where the word _Spirit_ is thus put for the scriptures? And therefore, by the demonstration of the Spirit, may we not understand, that the Spirit of GOD himself, whilst the Apostle was preaching, wrought a demonstrative conviction in the souls of his hearers, not only that what he spake was of GOD, but also that he was assisted in speaking by the Spirit of GOD? Does not this agree with what he says, 2d epistle _Corinthians_ iii. 2, 3. “Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of CHRIST ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living GOD, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.” And though it should be allowed that the word _Dunamis_ (as his Lordship observes, page 30th) “in its ordinary sense in the New Testament, must signify the power exerted in miraculous operations:” yet how is it foreign to the Apostle’s purpose to interpret it also of a divine power or energy, which ordinarily attended the word preached by him; I mean such a power as accompanied the word when the LORD opened the heart of _Lydia_, and when so many were pricked to the heart, and made to cry out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?” Does not the word _Dunamis_ seem to carry this sense with it, _2 Corinthians_ iv. 7.? “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power (_Dunameos_) may be of GOD, and not of men.” And is not _Apollos_ said to be (_Dunatos engraphais_) mighty, or powerful, in the scriptures, though we do not hear that he performed any miracles at all? And though his Lordship is pleased to say, page ibid. “For by this power of GOD here spoken of, that it is a power to work miracles appears expresly,” from the immediately following verse, in which is assigned the reason for using this method of proving christianity to be true, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of GOD:” yet will it not equally hold good, that their faith stood not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of GOD? If by the power we understand a divine power attending the word preached in convincing the conscience, and changing the hearts of men, exclusive or besides a power of working miracles.
His Lordship in the same page proceeds thus. “By the _power of_ GOD therefore must necessarily be understood the miraculous operations performed by JESUS CHRIST and his Apostles, as a divine testimony of their authority.” He goes on in the 7th, 10th, and following verses, to explain this “demonstration of the Spirit and of power;” and tells us, “That this wisdom of GOD is a mystery, or wisdom formerly hidden from the world, which was couched in the types and prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament, under the title of the _Law of Moses_, the _Psalms_, and all the prophets that were actually fulfilled in JESUS CHRIST. For, says he, ‘the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of GOD. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, (viz. of oratory and philosophy) but the spirit which is of GOD, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of GOD.’ That is, that we might learn of the Spirit the true meaning of those writings which he dictated himself, and which none but the Spirit of GOD could know, since the gospel is the contrivance of GOD alone for man’s salvation; and the benefits of it are freely and of his mere grace conferred upon us.”
But in all these passages, where is there a shadow of a proof, that by the word _power_, the Apostle meant only that he worked miracles among them? Is there any such thing so much as hinted at in those verses? Or what greater reason is there to infer from hence, that the demonstration of the Spirit means no more than proving CHRIST to be the Messiah, from the books of the Old Testament?