Thus, says St. _John_, in his first epistle, chapter v. verse 7. “There are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.” And our LORD, when he gave his Apostles commission to go and teach all nations, commanded them to baptize in the name of the Holy Ghost, as well as of the Father and the Son. And St. _Peter_, _Acts_ v. 3. said to _Ananias_, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” And verse 4. he says, “Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto GOD.” From all which passages, it is plain, that the Holy Ghost, is truly and properly GOD, as well as the Father and the Son. This is an unspeakable mystery, but a mystery of GOD’s revealing, and, therefore, to be assented to with our whole hearts: seeing GOD is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should deceive. I proceed,
_Secondly_, To prove that the Holy Ghost is the common privilege of all believers.
But, here I would not be understood of so receiving the Holy Ghost, as to enable us to work miracles, or shew outward signs and wonders. I allow our adversaries, that to pretend to be inspired, in this sense, is being wise above what is written. Perhaps it cannot be proved, that GOD ever interposed in this extraordinary manner, but when some new revelation was to be established, as at the first settling of the _Mosaic_ and gospel dispensation: and as for my own part, I cannot but suspect the spirit of those who insist upon a repetition of such miracles at this time. For the world being now become nominally christian, (though, GOD knows, little of the power is left among us) there need not outward miracles, but only an inward co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the word, to prove that JESUS is the Messiah which was to come into the world.
Besides, if it was possible for thee, O man, to have faith, so as to be able to remove mountains, or cast out devils; nay, couldst thou speak with the tongue of men and angels, yea, and bid the sun stand still in the midst of heaven; what would all these gifts of the Spirit avail thee, without being made partaker of his sanctifying graces? _Saul_ had the spirit of government for a while, so as to become another man, and yet probably was a cast-away. And many, who cast out devils in CHRIST’s name, at the last will be disowned by him. If, therefore, thou hadst only the gifts, and was destitute of the graces of the Holy Ghost, they would only serve to lead thee with so much the more solemnity to hell.
Here then we join issue with our adversaries, and will readily grant, that we are not in this sense to be inspired, as were our LORD’s first Apostles. But unless men have eyes which see not, and ears that hear not, how can they read the latter part of the text, and not confess that the Holy Spirit, in another sense, is the common privilege of all believers, even to the end of the world? “This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.” Observe, he does not say, they that believe on him for one or two ages, but they that believe on him in general, or, at all times, and in all places. So that, unless we can prove, that St. _John_ was under a delusion when he wrote these words, we must believe that even we also, shall receive the Holy Ghost, if we believe on the LORD JESUS with our whole hearts.
Again, our LORD, just before his bitter passion, when he was about to offer up his soul an offering for the sins of the elect world; when his heart was most enlarged, and he would undoubtedly demand the most excellent gift for his disciples, prays, “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;” that is, that all his true followers might be united to him by his holy Spirit, by as real, vital, and mystical an union, as there was between JESUS CHRIST and the Father. I say all his _true followers_; for it is evident, from our LORD’s own words, that he had us, and all believers, in view, when he put up this prayer; “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” so that, unless we treat our LORD as the high priests did, and count him a blasphemer, we must confess, that all who believe in JESUS CHRIST, through the word, or ministration of his servants, are to be joined to JESUS CHRIST, by being made partakers of the Holy Spirit.