This word was the word of the Holy Ghost; who therefore is entitled to the context, and is God and Lord to be blessed or praised; not under any imaginary restrictions and limitations, according to a certain degree of power delegated to him, an evasion you will meet with in some modern writers, but the scripture, and common reason, instructed by the scripture, disclaim and abhor it, as an inlet to all sorts of idolatry.

V.

John xiv. 17. HE (the SPIRIT of truth) dwelleth with you and shall be IN YOU.

1 Cor. xiv. 25. GOD is IN YOU of a truth.

VI.

2 Tim. iii. 16. All scripture is given by INSPIRATION of GOD. 2 Pet. i. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were MOVED BY THE HOLY GHOST.

VII.

John vi. 45. It is written in the prophets, and they TAUGHT of GOD.

shall be all

1 Cor. ii. 13. Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the HOLY GHOST TEACHETH.

This latter verse would prove the Holy Ghost to be God by itself: for I cannot find that man, in the style of the scripture, is ever opposed in this manner to any being but God only. I will subjoin a few examples of it.

John i. 13. Nor of the will of man, but of

God.

1 Thes. iv. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man but God.

Rom. i. 29. Whose praise is not of men, but of God.

VIII.

Acts v. 3. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to LYE to the HOLY GHOST.

Ibid. v. t. Thou hast not LYED unto men, but unto GOD.

Dr. Clarke affirms, that "the person of the Holy Ghost is no where in scripture expressly styled God." And then adds by way of authority-" see the text, No. 66."a And what text would you suppose this to be? why, it is no other than that of Acts v. 4. where he IS expressly styled God. The doctor refers us to it, because he has added a long perplexed comment to help us to understand it, I suppose; though a child may see the force of it without any comment at all. The substance of all he has said may be reduced to this-" Ananias lyed to God, because he lyed to the apostles, in whom God dwelt by his Spirit." Thus has he tried to evade it; even by producing one proof of the Holy Ghost's divinity, as an answer to another. For if the scripture assures us that God dwelleth in us, and our only argument for it, is, because the Spirit dwelleth in us; who can the Spirit be, but God himself? as it is proved in the following article. But before we proceed to it, I must beg the reader to observe how he has used and represented Athanasius's opinion upon this text. "Athanasius himself (says the doctor)b explains this text in the same manner: he that lyed (saith he) to the Holy Ghost, lyed to GOD, WHO dwelleth in men by his spirit. For wheres the Spirit of God is, there is GOD."

a Part II. §. xxxii. b No. 66. C. απ8 γαρ εςι το Πνεύμα το Θε8, εκει εςιν ο ΘΕΟΣ.

The difference, then, between this author and St Athanasius, is no more than this: the formertakes occasion to deny that the Holy Ghost is GOD the latter to prove it, and both from one and the same text; which, if you believe the doctor, they have explained in the same

manner.

IX.

1 John iii. 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward GOD.

Ibid v. 24. And hereby we know that HE abideth in us, by i HE SPIRIT which he hath given us.

The apostle's reasoning is this-"The Spirit abideth in us; and hereby we know that he (God) abideth in us.” But unless the Spirit be a person in the unity of God, the conclusion is manifestly false.

X.

1 Cor. iii. 16. The TEMPLE of GOD is holy, which temple are YE.

1 Cor. vi. 19. Know ye not, that YOUR BODIES are the TEMPLE of the HOLY GHOST.

K

XI.

Matt. iv. 1. Then was Jesus LED up (UT) BY THE SPIRIT, to be TEMPTED, &c.

Luke xi. 2-4. OUR FATHER which art in heaven-LEAD us not into TEMPTATION.

It is not my business in this place to shew particularly in what manner and for what end God leads us into temptation. That it is no way inconsistent with the divine attributes, is plain from the case now before us: for Jesus was led up into the wilderness to meet his adversary and be tempted by him. And it is also plain from that petition in the Lord's prayer, that our Father which is in heaven would not lead us into temptation: it being needless and absurd to pray that God would not do, what by the necessity of his nature, it is impossible for him to do. In this case, God is not the tempter: he only introduces us to the trial; and always provides, if we have the grace and prudence to embrace it, a way for our escap ing that we may be able to bear it.

But when Jesus was tempted, the leading him into temptation was the act of the Holy Spirit. Therefore as often as we repeat the the Lord's prayer, we address ourselves in