3. The enumeration here given us is very far and remote from being complete, there being only some few fruits of the Spirit and privileges which we receive by our receiving of him recounted, and that in a very confused manner, one thing being added after another without any order or coherence at all. Yea, of the benefits we re- ceive by the Spirit, of the graces he works in us, of the helps he affords us, of that joy and consolation he imparts unto us, of the daily assistances we receive from him, of the might of his power put forth in us, of the efficacy of his operations, the constancy of his pre- sence, the privileges by him imparted, there is not by any in this life a full account to be given. To insist on particulars is not my present task ; I have also in part done it elsewhere.^
4. I desire Mr B. seriously to consider whether even the things which he thinks good to mention may possibly be ascribed to a mere creature, or that all believers are by such an one " baptized into one body," or that we " are all made to drink into one Spirit," etc. But of these things before. Unto this he adds: " Q. What are the spe- cial benefits accruing to the apostles by the Holy Ghost? what saith Christ to them hereof? — A. John xv. 26, xvi. 13."
Besides the graces of the Spirit, which the apostles, as believers, received in a plentiful manner, they had also his presence by his extraordinary gifts, to fit them for that whole extraordinary work whereunto of him they were called: for as by his authority they were separated to the work, and were to perform it unto him. Acts xiii. 2, so whatever work they were to perform, either as apostles or as pen- men of the scripture of the New Testament, they had suitable gifts bestowed on them by him, 1 Cor. xii., — inspiration from him suitable to their work ; the Scripture being of inspiration from God, because the holy men that wrote it were inspired or moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. i. 21, 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.* And as this Holy Ghost, who is God, working all in all, divideth of his gifts as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 6, 11, and giveth all gifts whatever to the church that it doth enjoy, so did he in an especial manner with the apostles.
Now, our Saviour, Christ, being to leave the world, giving gracious
' Socin. Epist. iii. ad Matth. Ead.
' Perseverance of Saints, chap. viii. [vol. xL]
• 'T-ro trvtuf/.tiT^f aylou ifipifiitiai.
OF THE DEITY OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND HIS WORK. 341
promises to his disciples, he considered them under a twofold capa- city or condition: — 1. Of believers, of such as followed him and be- lieved in him; wherein their estate was common with that of all them who were to believe on him to the end of the world, John xvii. 20. 2. Of apostles, and of such as he intended to employ in that great work of planting his church in the world, and propagating his gospel to the ends of it. Under both these considerations doth he promise the Spirit to his disciples, John xiv. 26, xv. 26, xvi. 7, 13, praying his Father for the accomplishment of those promises, chap, xvii.; — that as believers they might be kept in the course of their obedience to the end (in which regard he made those promises no less to us than to them) ; and that as apostles they might be fur- nished for their work, preserved, and made prosperous therein. Of this latter sort some passages in the verses here mentioned seem to be, and may have a peculiar regai-d thereunto, and yet in their substance they are of the first kind, and are made good to all be- lievers. Neither is there any more said concerning the teaching and guidance of the Spirit into the truth in John xv. 26, xvi. 13, than is said in 1 John ii. 20, 27, where it is expressly assigned to all believers. Of that unction and teaching of the Spirit, of his pre- serving us in all truth needful for our communion with God, of his bringing to mind what Christ had spoken, for our consolation and establishment, with efficacy and power (things, I fear, despised by Mr B.), this is not a season to treat.
That which follows concerns the order and way of procedure in- sisted on by the Son and Holy Ghost in carrying on the work of our salvation and propagation of the gospel, whose sovereign foun- tain is in the bosom of the Father. His query is, " Q. Should the Holy Gho.st lead them into all truth, as speaking of himself, and imparting of his own fulness? what saith Christ concerning him? — • A. John xvi. 13, 14."
1. The Scripture proposeth the Holy Ghost, in the communication of his gifts and graces, under a double consideration : — (1.) Absolutely, as he is God himself; and so he speaketh of himself, and the churches are commanded to attend to what he so saith, Rev. ii. 29. And he imparts of his own fulness, "the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will," 1 Cor. xii. 11. And in this sense, what the pro- phets say in the Old Testament, " The word of the Lord," and " Thus saith the Lord," in the New they are said to speak by the Spirit, Matt. xxii. 43; Acts i. 16; 2 Pet. i. 21. (2.) Relatively, and that both in respect of subsistence and operation, as to the great work of saving sinners by Jesus Christ. And as in the first of these senses he is not of himself, being the Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeding from them both, so neither doth he speak of himself, but according to what he receiveth of the Father and