grace, they fulfil the good pleasure of his will, and the name of the Lord Jesus is glorified by them. The former haughtiness of their minds is brought low, and Christ their Lord is alone exalted. Created for his praise, they increase in holiness, love, and good works. The chief end of their actions is his glory; and their highest desire, whether in life or in death, is, that Christ may be glorified in them. They have all the same sentiments concerning

unbelief, and consequently of death and damnation to them that perish. A thought every way unworthy of the goodness, mercy, and grace of God, manifested in the good tidings of salvation by Christ Jesus.

the

There is another text, which for want of due attention, has been misrepresented in the same manner, 2 Cor. iv. 3." If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not," &c. Not to speak of the abuse this passage has met with from the corrupt use which has been made of it, the way it is rendered, is neither agreeable to the apostle's scope, nor is it good sense. Whereas there is no passage of scripture plainer, if the scope is attended to. In the former chapter, the apostle shews the excellency of the gospel dispensation above the Mosaic, and begins this with a declaration of the honesty, zeal, and freedom of the apostles, in preaching the truths of the gospel." But (says he) if our gospel be hid, it is hid among things which are abolished; by which (things) the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, should shine unto them." By the things which are abolished, it is plain, he means the Jewish ceremonies,— carnal commandments, the shadows and figures, together with the Levitical priesthood and laws concerning it, that were abolished and done away in Christ, which things being mixed with the truths of his gospel, made it dark, obscure, and of no effect, to such as had this veil remaining upon their hearts, as the apostle tells us immediately before. In this light, the passage is clear, and free of these gross imputations upon the gospel of Christ, which have been founded upon this, and some other texts. Though the brevity of a note will not suffer me to set this matter in so full a view, as to convince such as are strongly prejudiced in favor of the common interpretation of such texts; yet, by this short hint, the candid enquiring reader, will, at least, see the necessity of searching the scripture for himself, and the danger of taking religion upon trust without examination, which too many are disposed to do.

Christ and his kingdom: this is a work by which Christ is glorified, which neither the power nor policy of this world could ever bring about, by all the schemes established churches have been founded on. It could never be said of any of them, that all the members "were of one heart and mind,-that they with one mind and one mouth glorified GOD." This unity is the peculiar privilege of the churches of Christ, framed by the Spirit, upon the principles of truth in the word.

The Spirit glorifies Christ, by making known to his people the exceeding greatness of his merit, righteousness, mercy, love, grace, and condescen sion; through a sense of which, they magnify him who hath brought in an everlasting righteousness, by which they are justified and do glory. They say with Paul," I was a blasphemer, persecutor, injurious; but I obtained mercy, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant towards me." They receive a fulness of grace that reigns through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ: and knowing all to be sovereign and free, it sweetens their eternal praise to him who loved them, and redeemed them unto God by his blood.

Christ is glorified by the Spirit, enabling his servants to suffer for his name. It is the strongest mark of loyalty in a subject to give his life, and all he has, for his prince. By this method, through the Spirit's aid, the subjects of Christ have carried his praise to the ends of the earth. But to conclude this,

The HOLY GHOST glorifies Christ, in perfecting all the members of his body, making them meet to be partakers with the saints in light,-all ready to attend their Lord at his coming, when he shall

be glorified in all his saints, whom the Spirit had taken from the depths of moral corruption and alienation from GOD,-destroyed the devil's image in them,-conformed them to the image of the SON of God,-washed them in his blood, and now they are before the throne without spot, praising him, world without end.

Were it not that I will be thought too prolix on this subject already, many other things might be observed concerning the work of the Spirit: for the scriptures afford evidence sufficient to extend an account of this kind to many more particulars than are yet mentioned; particularly that great end of his mission, which our Lord mentions, "To reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment," which, with the short comment he gives of these three parts of the Spirit's work, afford undeniable evidence to the economical character of the Holy Ghost.

We might also have noticed the convincing work of the Spirit upon the redeemed, his uniting them to Christ,-his work in their justification, adoption, regeneration, and sanctification,-in their consolation, perseverance, and growth in grace:in his witnessing the truth of their adoption, sealing, leading, and guiding them,-in his giving them power to mortify evil habits, lusts, and passions, resist the devil, the world, and the flesh, and overcome temptations of every kind,-his strengthening their moral powers to understand and mind the truth, from which, as a living principle, they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righte ousness, his assisting them in prayer, and other spiritual exercises of religion. These, together with what the apostle mentions as fruits of the Spirit, "The fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper

ance;" but to treat of all these particularly, would be more like writing a treatise on the works of the Spirit, than defending a particular argument. I shall therefore conclude this account by observing,

From what has been briefly hinted concerning the appellations, mission, and works of the Spirit, it is abundantly plain that the character of the Holy Ghost, which we have in revelation, is wholly economical; and that he is called Holy Spirit, and Spirit of God, from the nature of his work, which is all the internal and spiritual part of the great economy which God hath purposed to carry on in all ages, till the whole is consummated in the complete felicity of the chosen objects of his love, in the full enjoyment of himself. And I think it will be impossible for the friends of a natural, necessary, and eternal procession of the Holy Ghost, to find any thing said of him in the bible, that in the least favor their notion; or that is not applicable to the scripture account of the economy of GOD.

It may be further observed, that the Spirit is the sovereign agent, LORD, and administrator of the whole gospel ecomony. The doctrines of the gospel were immediately revealed by him, preached by the gifts he bestowed, and accompanied in many by external miraculous works done by his power, and made effectual as a renewing, active principle by his divine energy. The apostle, when comparing the gospel dispensation with the law, calls the whole of it the ministration of the Spirit.How* shall not the ministration of the Spirit, (compared with the letter under the ceremonial dispensation) be rather glorious?" Which includes

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* 2 Cor. iii. 2.

the whole of that spiritual work the Holy Ghost came to accomplish in the economy of man's salvation. The Holy Ghost speaks of himself in the character of governor in the church, when he said, "Separate* me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." He carried on the work of Christ, and perfects that salvation which he was promised to be to the ends of the earth."Thet Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." He had promised to be with his people to the end of the world, but soon after left them; yet Christ's promise is fully accomplished by the Spirit, who comes in his name, and "takes of the things of Christ, and shews them unto them,"

• Acts xiii. 2.

↑ John xiv. 2.