was the fountain from which, in all cases, the living water flowed"1, and the reservoir from whence the holy oil descended through the golden pipes of divine ordinances upon all God's waiting and obedient peo- ple", so in every thing which the Holy Spirit either then did, or at the present moment does, impart to men, in a way either of gifts or graces, his object has ever been the same, viz. to bear testimony to Christ, and to fix our regards on Christ, as our only and all- sufficient Saviour.
See this exemplified at the time of Peter's mission to Cornelius. Peter commending to Cornelius the Lord Jesus as the only Saviour, whether of Jews or Gentiles, says, " To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Then we are told, that instantly, " zvhile Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word," precisely as he had done on the Apostles at the day of Pentecost0. Thus, in all that is now revealed to the souls of men respecting Christ, or that is im- parted to them as the purchase of his blood, it is communicated to them by the Spirit ; so that all, without exception, must say, " We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of Godp."
In this mode of speaking of the Holy Spirit, we may possibly be thought to have made him inferior to the Father and the Son. But the inferiority is not personal, but official; not as the Sacred Three sub- sist in themselves, but as they sustain and execute their respective offices in the economy of redemption. As bearing, what may be called a subordinate part in the mysterious work of man's salvation, a disparity may be ascribed to him ; and he may be called " the Spirit of the Father," and " the Spirit of Christ :" but, in himself, he is equal both with the Father and
m John vii. 37—39. n Zech. iv. G, 11, 12.
" Actsx. 43, 44. and xi. 15. p 1 Cor. ii. 10, 12.