them." Here we discover that the person who appeared unto Isaiah, and who is by him called the Lord of Hosts, is by St. Paul, in his quotation, expressly called the Holy Ghost. The Lord of Hosts is one of the highest titles of the Deity; but if the Holy Ghost be the Lord of Hosts, then it will follow that the Holy Ghost must be God. Thus it is clear that the Holy Ghost, in the Scriptures, is styled God, and the Lord of Hosts; but these titles can properly be applied to none but the Supreme God; therefore, the Holy Ghost must be the Supreme God. 2. The ATTRIBUTES ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, demonstrate his real Divinity.

(1.) Eternity. This attribute is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In Heb. ix. 14, we read, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Here the Holy Spirit is called eternal; but that attribute can belong to none but God; consequently, he is God.

(2.) Omniscience is in the Scriptures ascribed to the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. ii. 10. "For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." From this passage it is clear that the Holy Ghost is omniscient; consequently, he must be very and eternal God.

(3.) Omnipotence is in the Scriptures ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In Rom. xv. 19, we read, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." That the power of the Spirit here spoken of was infinite, is evident from the miraculous energy which he is here said to have exercised. But as this mighty power belongs to God alone, therefore, the Holy Spirit must be God.

(4.) Omnipresence is in the Scriptures ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Ps. cxxxix. 7. "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" 1 Cor. iii. 16. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Rom. viii. 9. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." These passages show that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent; otherwise it would not be impossible to "flee from his presence," nor could he dwell, at the same time, in the hearts of all his people in all places. But this attribute belongs to none but God; therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.

3. The WORKS attributed to the Holy Spirit in the Bible attest his proper Divinity.

(1.) Creation is a work proper to God alone; but, that this is ascribed to the Holy Spirit, appears from the following passages:- Job xxxiii. 4. "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." Job xxvi. 13. "By his Spirit he hath garnished

the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent." Here we see the work of creation ascribed to the Holy Spirit; but that is a work proper to God alone; therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.

(2.) Preservation is a work ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In Ps. li. 12, we read, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit."

Here the work of preservation is ascribed to the Holy Spirit; but this is a work of God alone; therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.

(3.) Inspiration of the prophets is a work proper to God alone; but this, in the Scriptures, is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In 2 Pet. i. 21, we read, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Here we see that it was the Holy Ghost who inspired the prophets; but, in Heb. i. 1, we read, " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." Hence it was God who inspired the prophets; therefore, the Holy Spirit must be God.

We have now clearly seen, from the Scriptures, that the exalted works of creation, preservation, and the inspiration of the prophets, are all attributed to the Holy Spirit; but these are works again and again attributed to God, and which none but the infinite God can perform; therefore, the Holy Spirit must be very and eternal God.

4. HONORS. We come next to consider the exalted honors ascribed to the Holy Spirit. If these are such as can properly belong to God alone, it will necessarily follow that the Holy Spirit is God.

(1.) Supreme Majesty is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. In Matt. xii. 31, we read, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Here we see that the Holy Ghost may be sinned against, and even so blasphemed that the sin cannot be forgiven. A character so revered and majestic can be no other than the Supreme God.

(2.) The Holy Spirit is honored by an association with the Father and the Son, in baptism, as seen in Matt. xxviii. 19; and also in the Divine benediction, as seen in 2 Cor. xiii. 14. These Divine and exalted associations cannot be understood in any sense, consistent with the pure worship of God, without admitting the Supreme Deity of the Holy Spirit. God represents himself as "a jealous God, who will not give his honor to another." But if the name of a mere creature, attribute, or influence, be connected with God the Father, in the most solemn forms of religious worship, how can we contemplate the subject, without seeing therein the most direct encouragement to idolatry?

Surely, the supreme majesty and exalted associations, which we have just seen ascribed to the Holy Spirit, attest his proper Divinity.

Thus have we shown that the exalted Titles, Attributes, Works, and Honors, ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, demonstrate his real and Supreme Godhead. Whereas, if we deny the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, we are reduced to the glaring absurdity of saying, that the highest titles, the supreme attributes, the most exalted works, and the most sacred honors of the Deity himself, are, in the Scriptures, most explicitly and repeatedly ascribed to a mere abstract attribute, emanation, energy, or influence, possessing no personal or conscious existence whatever; and that, too, in the volume expressly designed to destroy every species of idolatry. Surely it must be plain, that to deify an influence, or anything else besides the Great and Eternal Being, is as really idolatry, as to bow down before stocks and stones, or "birds and beasts, and creeping things." But according to the Bible, "God is a Spirit," and that Holy Spirit is God.

LECTURE V.

THE HOLY TRINITY.

THE Word TRINITY is from the Latin trinitas, which is a compound word, from tres, three, and unus, one; therefore, the signification of the word is three one, or, as it is used in theology, three in one.

Some have objected to the use of the term trinity, merely from the fact that it is not found in our version of the Scriptures; but this objection is perfectly frivolous, if it can be shown that the Bible contains the idea which the word properly expresses. It would not require much ingenuity, to embody the most heterodox sentiments, by a collocation of Scripture phrases; and, on the contrary, truths the most clearly revealed may be correctly expressed without adopting the precise language of Scripture. The paramount object of the student of divinity is, to gain a correct knowledge of the sentiments of revelation.

On the important subject of the Trinity, we will first present an illustration of the Orthodox view; secondly, show that it is scriptural; and, thirdly, answer some objections.

I. According to the general sentiment of Orthodox Christians, the mode of the Divine existence, as well as the essence of the Divine nature, is one of the sublime mysteries of God, which is too profound for human wisdom to fathom. Upon this subject it becomes us meekly to receive the information with which revelation has favored us, neither doubting the truth of what has been revealed, nor permitting our spec ulations to travel beyond the bounds of the inspired record.

By the Trinity, according to our understanding of the Scriptures, we are not to suppose that there are three Gods, and that these three Gods are one God; nor are we to understand that the three persons in the Godhead are one person; either position would not only be unscriptural, but would imply in itself a manifest contradiction.

Nor are we to suppose that, in the Divine nature, there are three distinct intelligent beings, and that these three are so mysteriously and intimately united as to constitute but one being. This, also, would be both unscriptural and self-contradictory. And we may remark, that Socinians, Arians, and others who have written in opposition to the Trinity, have, very generally, represented the doctrine of Trinitarians,

according to one or the other of the views already presented. That some advocates of the Trinity have expressed themselves in so ambiguous or unguarded a manner as, in some degree, to furnish a pretext for this presentation of the orthodox sentiment, must be admitted; but that neither of the views yet presented contains a fair statement of the doctrine, as held by the intelligent Trinitarians generally, may easily be seen, by a reference to the creeds of the different orthodox denominations, as well as to the writings of their principal divines. The correct view of the subject, according to the representation of the most eminent orthodox divines, and the view which appears conformable to Scripture, is, that the Godhead exists under three distinct personalities, at the same time, constituting but one God Although God the Father is an intelligent being, God the Son an intelligent being, and God the Holy Spirit an intelligent being, yet that they are not three distinct intelligent beings; but that the three persons in the Godhead are one and the same being, so far as their nature is concerned, yet subsisting in three different persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It may not be unacceptable here to exhibit the opinion of several eminent orthodox divines on this subject, as presented by Dr. Doddridge, in the following words: "Dr. Waterland, Dr. A. Taylor, with the rest of the Athanasians, assert three proper distinct persons, entirely equal to, and independent upon, each other, yet making up one and the same being; and that though there may appear many things inexplicable in the scheme, it is to be charged to the weakness of our understanding, and not to the absurdity of the doctrine itself.

"Bishop Pearson, with whom Bishop Bull also agrees, is of opinion, that though God the Father is the fountain of the Deity, the whole Divine nature is communicated from the Father to the Son, and from both to the Spirit, yet so as that the Father and the Son are not separate nor separable from the Divinity, but do still exist in it, and are most intimately united to it. This was also Dr. Owen's scheme."

Thus it may be seen, that while it is not pretended that we can comprehend the manner of the existence of three persons in one God, any more than we can fathom the mysterious depths of the Divine essence, yet, such is the plain statement of the facts in the case, as learned from inspiration, that they involve in themselves no contradiction or absurdity. If we speak of the essential essence of the Divine Being, we say there is but one undivided essence; but one being; but one God: but if we speak of personal distinction, such as is properly expressed by the pronoun I, thou, or he, we say there are three persons in one and the same God; or one and the same God in three persons. But if we are called upon to explain how three persons can exist in one God, we reply, that