necessities and those of my family. Thou hast been pleased to give it me in the use of that lawful vocation, which thou hast assigned to me in the world; and I pray thee to put thy blessing in it, that the little may go a great way in good purposes, or that the much may answer thy will in the holiest uses; so that, for all of it, I may have reason to bless thy providence and love, in bestowing upon me the means of doing good, and in enabling me to employ the means for thy glory. O help me to be thankful for this mercy, in time and in eternity!"Can a man be so presumptuous, as to expect peace with God in the world, who cannot thus pray to him? Can he dare to hope, that God will be his partner in fraud and deceit, or in telling lies in the shop, or in perjury at the custom-house? Can he believe, in his sober senses, that, while he lives in the indulgence of any impurities, either in thought, word, or deed, the Holy Spirit will vouchsafe him the comforts of holiness?-It is impossible.

To enjoy peace from God, a man must walk with him, and with him be agreed: And the closer he walks with him, the more peace will be found to flow. The soul, which hath the true taste of the Water of life, will always be thirsting after it, that, in its strength, he may come nigher and nigher unto God, and enjoy the sweetest communion with him. O what are all other things to such a heaven-born, such a heaven-desiring, soul! What trash does all the world appear to him, at such moments of life and fervor, which men vex themselves about for a short space of time, and then, at death, caft all away! What poor trifles, in this consideration, are the honours and opinions of dying worms! What empty joys their highest pleasures! He longs for God: He thirsts for him as the Water of Life; and he uses the things of time, as a traveller does a carriage upon the road, only for an appointed means of bringing him nearer to the fountain, whence this water flows. God hath given him a mind too great to be taken up with little things, and a temper too justly ambitious to be put off with less than eternal things. It becomes him, therefore, as a Christian, to be exalted above other men; not in pride or conceited airs, for these are baseness and folly; but in that dignity of sentiment and expectation, which renders him most like to the God he serves, and most useful to the world about him. In this high, yet heavenly, frame, he enjoys the sublimest and most extensive views: And the higher he ascends to the object of, his soul above, the less and less do all worldly matters beneath him appear. And when he loses sight of them (as e'er long he shall) he comes at once into the full vision and fruition of God. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, anaph, instantly or perfectly. There is not a moment lost between their death and their everlasting bliss: They come, at once,

to that pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, i. e. of the most transparent holiness, which proceeds out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb. This is that Holy Spirit which comes from the Father and the Son, and which purifies and replenishes the church and temple of God throughout eternity.-0 then, what are men doing, who seek not this eternal good! What are believers considering, when they consider not their latter end! Is this the voice of Christ! The Spirit and the bride say, Come, And let him that beareth, say, Come. And let him, that is atbirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,-Here is a triple call to endless joy: Who that hears it, would not wish to obey! Who, that feels its worth, would not answer; Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

SPIRIT OF TRUTH,

WH

HAT is Truth? was the inquiry of a heathen, whe neither loved it nor cared for it: And truth, in the sense of the Scriptures, is no more the concern of the great bulk of mankind, than it was of Pontius Pilate.

Truth, strictly speaking, is that which exists firmly and unalterably. It cannot change; for then it would lose its nature: Error only is mutable and various; and, though it pass through numberless forms and semblances, can never be come the truth, which is perfect unity and simplicity. Hence, truth is not only the foundation and reality of all existence, but is also infinite existence; for it must be commensurate with all being, as without it being is only ideal, or rather no truth of being at all. But there is and can be only one infi nite existence, comprehending all things and comprehended of none; for, could it be comprehended of any, it must necessarily be bounded, and therefore not infinite. Here then truth appears to be an infinite, unchangeable, and eternal attribute, which can be applied to no being, but that which is infinite, unchangeable, and eternal. It can belong, therefore, to none but Gop, who is his own attributes, and consequently that distinguished one, truth itself in the abstract. And he is called the God of truth because truth in him, as the foun tain, flows from him into all the creatures. They have no reality or existence but in him; and he only can impart that permanency to them, which forms the continuance of their being. According to his name Jebovab, HE is; and he a

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lone exists of himself: All entities are in him and from him, and with this difference likewise, that time is applicable to them, but not to Him. All being, but the DIVINE, began to be: whereas JEHOVAH eternally is, and only is, in an unutterable supremacy of nature.

It must be the same with all the spiritual and invisible species of being, as it is with the visible and material. There can be no truth in mental act or energy, but as it proceeds from this root of truth, which communicates what is communicable of itself to all existences, according to their order and capacity. The gospel, which treats of both truth in essence and truth communicated, is the truth of God, because it both proceeded from him as its cause, and returns to him and to his glory as its end. It takes in man's salvation as means or uses to that end: but this salvation, necessary as it may be to the happiness of a fallen creature, can be no more the original motive of God's action than his other operations in the world. He will ever appear to be bis own motive, having none higher or lower than himself, which certainly is suitable to his perfection; and whatever he hath wrought in and for his creatures, began with himself, and therefore not occasioned by them. The proof of this were it necessary, might be easily given at large from his own revelation.

Here reason seems to shew, with what strict propriety God hath assumed this name of TRUTH. But it was only the revelation of God himself which could convince, how suitably and justly this bright attribute operates for the eternal welfare and salvation of sinners.

In the holy word, this title of truth is frequently applied to God; and when any matter concerning the welfare of men is mentioned, where all the comfort depends on its being true, there is constantly a reference made to God himself, as the source from whom, being the truth essential, it entirely flows.

An argument or two from Scripture will serve to convince an unprejudiced mind, both that this title of the truth is proper only to God; and that, as to God or each person in the Godhead, it is also properly applicable and applied to the HOLY GHOST.

In Deut. xxxii. near the beginning, Moses publishes the name of Jehovah, and, among other titles, ascribes to him the remarkable one, AL the TRUTH, which is rendered in our translation, God of truth, but more justly by Montanus, DEUS VERITAS, "God the truth."-But the apostle John says (1 John v. 6.) It is the SPIRIT that beareth witness, because the SPIRIT IS nana) THE TRUTH.-The Spirit, therefore, is JEHOVAH, ALEHIM, and AL, which are among the titles given to THE TRUTH in Deuteronomy abovementioned,

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In Psalm xxxi. God is styled JEHOVAH AL THE TRUTH, or of truth, according to our translation.-But the Holy Ghost is named THE TRUTH, and SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Consequently he is JEHOVAH AL.

The prophet Jeremiah (c. x. 1o.) says, JEHOVAH ALEHIM IS THE TRUTH be is the living ALEHIM, (or Alehim of lives, i. e. of natural and spiritual life, and everlasting King-But the SPIRIT IS THE TRUTH, according to the text in 1 John v. 6. And, therefore, is JEHOVAH ALEHIM, the ALEHIM of lives (as all live by him) and the everlasting King.

It appears from hence, that truth essential, and especially spiritual truth, which is our more immediate subject, is applicable only to Deity. Whatever is true, is true alone in God, and must have some respect to his excellency and glory. And the privation of spiritual truth, or (what is just the same) a separation from God, is darkness and error, the effees of which are sin, confusion, and misery. Truth in the concrete is from God; as truth in the abstract is an attribute of God, or rather God bimself.

For this reason the Psalmist prays to JEHOVAH, Lead me in THỵ truth. Pɛ. xxv. 5. But Christ himself says, that the SPIRIT OF TRUTH shall guide into ALL truth. John xvi. 13. Of consequence, the Spirit is Jehovah himself, or he could not, at that time and in all times to come, guide into the truth of febovab, and much less into all the truth necessary to sal.

vasion.

Nehemiah confesses to the Lord, Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct the people of Israel, or rather to make them to understand. Neh. ix. 20. But it is very particularly delivered to those very Israelites themselves, in Deut. iv. 36. that JEHOVAH ALEHIM, and NONE ELSE beside bim, out of heaven made them to bear his voice, that he might instruct them. The SPIRIT, therefore, is JEHOVAH ALEHIM, whose office it is to guide his people, in all ages, into all the truth.

And it was God, and his revealed truth, which these Israelites were constantly opposing. Te do always resist (said Stephen) the HOLY GHOST; as your fathers did, so do ye. Acs vii. 51. But if Deut. ix. 7. be compared with Psalm cvi. 25. it will appear, that this resistance of the Israelites was made to JEHOVAH himself. It follows, then, that the HOLY GHOST IS JEHOVAH, and, as such, true and very God.

It is written in Isaiah concerning the church; ALL thy children shall be taught of God. Isa. liv. 13. Which promise is referred to by our Lord in John vi. 45. But it is said also by our Lord to his disciples, The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things. John xiv. 26. And the apostle assures the Corinthians, that he spake of divine things, not in the words which

*MAN's wisdom teacbeth, but which the HOLY GHOST teacheth. 1 Cor. ii. 13. The Holy Ghost, therefore, is God.

Not to multiply arguments from Scripture under this head, let one more suffice, which the Arians and Socinians may do well to consider.

The SPIRIT (says the apostle) searcheth ALL THINGS, yea, the DEEP THINGS of God. 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, I Cor. ii. 11.-But the psalmist, speaking of Jehovah, says, that bis understanding is infinite. The SPIRIT, therefore, in order to search all things and the deep things of God, must necessarily be infinite too. If he be not infinite, he cannot search the deep infinitude mentioned; but, if he be infinite, he must be co-essential with the Godhead, and consequently GOD.-What further confirms this argument, is the prophecy of Isaiab concerning the everlasting God, Jebovab, of whom it is said, There is no searching of bis understanding. Isa. xl. 28. He evidently means, not by the creatures, not by any fi nite being. But if the Holy Ghost doth search this infinite understanding, or the depths of God himself; it is a demonstration of his infinitude and deity, and that nothing can possibly be hid from him. The psalmist, upon this ground, justly inquires, Whither shall I go from thy SPIRIT? or whither shall I go from thy FACE! If I ascend up into heaven, THOU art there. Psa. cxxxix. 7. What words can more strongly mark the omniscience and omnipresence of the Holy Spirit? What could more directly assert him to be Jebovab? I can go no where from thy Spirit; for Thou art every where." It was a great expression for a heathen, that He is most perfect, who understands all things, at all times, and all together." Max. Tyrius. The Spirit of God so understands; or He could not be qualified for the great office of leading the whole company of the faithful into all truth. No created be ing can be omnipresent, nor omniscient, nor infinite. Not the brightest angel of heaven can be in the hearts of all God's. people at once, helping their infirmities every moment, and conducting them all together in the way of truth. They are scattered far and wide. They all want help in every instant; and God hath promised, that in every instant he will water them. Water is the Spirit's emblem, and he is poured out, according to his office, upon all his people, through all ages, in all places, and upon all together. Who but God is equal to a task of such magnitude, power, and salvation? Who, but God,

* It has been well observed by an able writer, that the antithesis, in this place, of man to the Holy Ghost, according to the usual style of the Scripture, is sufficient alone to prove the Spirit to be God. JONES's Cath. Doct. p. 36.