at the time when the translation of the Bible was made. To give up the ghost is the parting of the spirit from the body, and the Holy Ghost is only another name for Holy Spirit. The Greek or Hebrew word is exactly the same in both cases. Now the question in controversy is, What does this term Holy Spirit mean according to Scripture usage? Is it a person in the Godhead separate from the Father, or is it intended to express as its general meaning the influences which proceed from the Father? This question must be decided by a careful examination of the Scripture.

There are three principal uses of the term Holy Spirit when applied to God in the Scripture which we must examine. 1. Sometimes it means God himself; 2. Sometimes the power, or some other attribute, of God; and 3. Sometimes (which is the most common use) the various influences which proceed from God.)

First: It is sometimes used as another expression for God himself, just as the spirit of man is sometimes used for the man himself. Of this we have an instance in 1 Cor. ii. 11, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." As we should not think of saying that the spirit of man is here any thing but the man himself, so the Spirit of God is God himself. So it is said, Ps. cxxxix. 7, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there "; where the phrase "thy Spirit" evidently means the same as thy presence, or thyself. Again, Isa. xl. 13, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?" where the Spirit of the Lord evidently means the Lord himself. This is in accordance with the words of our text, "God is a Spirit."

The only intelligent idea that we can form of God the Father is of a spiritual being, or of an infinite mind, partly made manifest to us through his wonderful works. Just as our idea of a man is chiefly that of a spirit or soul, which for the present is joined to the body as the means of its development. In both cases the idea is indistinct and imperfect. We cannot perfectly apprehend the nature of spiritual existence, and in our efforts to do so we may easily become puzzled. But so far as we have any distinct conception of the being of God the Father, we think of him as an infinite, omnipresent Spirit. How much, then, is our difficulty increased, and how hopeless does the confusion of our minds become, when we try to think of a Spirit of God, having a personal existence separate from God the Father! For if the Father is himself a Spirit, it is to speak of the Spirit of a Spirit, and in fact conveys no idea to the mind. But if in such cases we take the Spirit of God as another expression for God himself, there is no difficulty.

The second use of the term "Spirit of God" is to express God's power, or some other attribute. When the Saviour said, Matt. xii. 28, "If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils," he meant by the power of God; as we find in the corresponding passage by another Evangelist, Luke xi. 20, "If I by the finger of God cast out devils"; in both cases meaning exactly the same. So in Luke i. 35, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee," the exercise of the Divine power is intended.

Such modes of expression are quite common in the Bi ́ble. They are intended simply to express the exertion of God's power. Whatever God himself does, he is said to do by his spirit, or by his word, or by his hand, or by the breath of his mouth; all of which means substantially the

same thing. See, for example, Job xxvi. 12, "He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent." Or in Ps. xxxiii. 6, "By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath or Spirit of his mouth; he spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast." All such language is perfectly intelligible if we receive it as different modes of expressing the exercise of God's power and wisdom; but if in such language we try to find evidence that the Spirit of God is a person separate from God the Father, it all becomes obscure. We might as well attribute personality to the Finger or the Hand of God. Here also, as before, the natural use of language leads us to the more intelligible doctrine.

It is a use which

There is one other principal use of the term Holy Spirit, to which I have referred. It is that which means the Holy Influence of the Deity on the minds of his servants, with the accompanying gifts and powers. This is by far the most common use of the term in the Bible, — perhaps in nine cases out of ten where it occurs. confirms our view of the doctrine in dispute, and I think is inconsistent with any other. While I read a few of the passages, I would ask your close attention, that you may decide for yourselves upon this point, to which doctrine the language is most favorable. The Scripture says, that the Holy Spirit was 66 put within " Moses; that the spirit of the Lord was "put upon" the prophets, and other inspired persons; that the spirit of the Lord "fell upon "Ezekiel; that to the Apostles the Holy Spirit was "partially given," but that to Christ it was 66 given without measure"; that they "received" the Holy Spirit; they were "baptized" with the Holy Spirit and with fire; they were "supplied"

with the spirit of Christ, and were made "partakers" of it. The Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God, was "poured out" or "shed forth" both on Jews and Gentiles. Believers were "sealed" with the Holy Spirit of promise. Jesus "breathed on them," and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." In Luke xi. 13 it is said, "How much more shall the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him"; and in the parallel passage, Matt. vii. 11, the words are, "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him"; so that the Holy Spirit in this case is the same with the "good things," or the spiritual blessings, promised. We are taught to "walk in " the spirit, and that the "fruit of the spirit" is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, and the like.

There are two instances in which the descent of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by a visible demonstration. Both of them are referred to as a proof of the personality of the Spirit of God, separate from the Father. They are undoubtedly the strongest instances to that effect which can be alleged. The first of them is at the baptism of Jesus, and the second at the day of Pentecost. In the former, it is said that "the Spirit of God descended like a dove, lighting upon Jesus, and a voice came from heaven saying, • This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" It was an outward token of God's approbation; the visible appointment of Christ as the Messiah. It was to this that the Apostle referred when he said, speaking of this very incident, "That God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." Acts x. 38. Observe that expression, which is used as descriptive of Christ's baptism: "That God anointed him with the Holy Spirit." Is it not perfectly inapplicable to the idea of separate personality?

The other instance is at the day of Pentecost, of which

we find similar language used. The event is described by Peter as the pouring out of God's Spirit, and he declares that "Jesus, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, had shed forth that which was seen and heard." And he exhorts his hearers to "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of which had been made to them." You will observe how strongly all this language confirms the view which we take of the doctrine, and how difficult to be reconciled with any other.

These, therefore, are the three meanings which belong to the "Holy Spirit," according to Scripture usage: 1. It is sometimes only another expression for God himself, as the spirit of man is another expression, in some instances, for the man himself. 2. Sometimes it expresses the power of God, or some other attribute; as when we read, “By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens." 3. Sometimes, which is the most common use, it means the spiritual blessings, or influences, or good things, which the Heavenly Father bestows upon those who ask him. We have no hesitation in asserting most positively, that there is no passage in the Bible in which the words may not be explained under one of these meanings. There is no passage in the Bible where the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a Self-existent, Almighty, or Omnipresent Person, distinct from the God and Father of Jesus Christ. But, on the contrary, the language is generally such that it cannot be spoken of a person at all but must mean the influences which proceed from God the Father.

Upon what ground, then, are we required to renounce our belief in the Unity of God, or, at least, to modify it by the admission of a third person in the Godhead? The arguments are so few, that it will not take long to answer them