ings could comprehend God, (speaking with reverence) God would not be infinite; and that it is a most absolute impossibility to know any thing more of the mode of his existence, than what he is pleased to reveal and declare concerning it. It is the wisdom of man and his best reason, therefore, to believe implicitly the declarations of God: And to doubt him, is that irrational atheism, which detains the mind in every maze of error and obscurity.

From the above considerations, we may perceive with what propriety the Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Christ (1 Pet. 1. 11.) and the Spirit of the Son (Gal. iv. 6.) as well as the Spirit proceeding from the Father (John xv. 26.) or the Spirit of God; because the intercommunion and co-existence of the divine persons is such, that whatever is predicable of one of them, as to their nature, is predicable equally of the others. And from hence also we may understand, when it is said concerning the faithful; God is in them (1 Cor. xiv. 25.) or Christ is in them (Rom. viii. 10.) or the Spirit dwelleth in them (Rom. viii. 11. et al.) that such phrases mean, that they are partakers of the DIVINE NATURE (2 Pet. 1. 4.) in general, by having communion with, or by being partakers of, either of the divine persons in particular. (See Heb. iii. 14. vi. 4.) Upon the like account, when either of the divine persons is mentioned in Scripture, as the immediate author of grace or fellowship; it is to be understood that, through. the office-character and operation of the person named, the believer is to consider himself, in that instance, as brought into communion with the Godhead. This observation seems fully confirmed by our Lord himself in his last prayer to the Father: Lin them-this is the nexus, or bond of union between Christ and his people-and THOU in me-this is the union of Christ with the Godhead-and, just before, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee-this is the reciprocal fellowship of the divine persons-that THEY also may be ONE IN US-and that implies the union or fellowship of believers with the di vine persons, as the final object of their salvation. Hence we see the apostle's meaning, where he says, that be that is "joined to the Lord is ONE Spirit: 1 Cor. vi. 17. that believers are members of Christ's body, of his flesh, and of bis bones: Eph. v. 30. that both HE that sanctifieth, and THEY who are sanctified, are all OF ONE; for which cause Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren: Heb. ii. 11. And that through bim [CHRIST] they have an access by one SPIRIT unto the FATHER. Eph. ii. 18) These passages of Scripture, and several others of the like import, necessarily infer both a unity and personality in the Godhead, and also the communion of the saints with the unity, by means of the personality. Thus they have fellowship with the FATHER (1 John i. 3) fellow

ship with the Son (1 Cor. i. 9. 1 John i. 3.) and the fellowship of the Spirit (Phil. ii. 1.): And will any man venture to say,, that the faithful have these fellowships, or any one of them, all resulting from one cause, all conducive to one end, with any being less than God? will he be bold enough to declare, that the respective communions, thus distinctly marked from the several operations, and clearly leading (as in Eph. ii. 18.) from the office of one to the other, do not necessarily state a personality and in consequence a Trinity, in the divine nature? And will he dare to affirm, while the Scripture as expressly reveals the unity as the personality, that this personality doth not subsist in the unity, and only because he cannot comprehend it?-Men have dared to affirm such tenets, though directly opposite to God's own declaration; and the worms, who are not able to comprehend the essence of the least thing about them, have been hardy enough to dispute against the triune essence of their MAKER, in the very face of his own communication and testimony. This method is only consistent in those, who put the Bible upon a level with Quintus Curtius or any other romance, "And who reason onward, till they doubt of God." But the reason or wisdom of this world never knew God; and God bath made foolish the wisdom of this world, and perhaps in no one instance more than when it attempts to define Hi, who hath made it foolish.

Leaving these to the divine mercy; of this we may be assured as a truth, that those, who have obtained the fellowship of the divine persons, cannot deny or doubt of their proper divinity, nor of their unity of nature. Such are divinely persuaded, that their communion with the Spirit is a communion with God and that the Holy Ghost is that personal Paraclete, or teacher who leadeth and guideth into all the truth, and of course into this as a most important branch of it. They know wнOм that have believed in this case, as well as in all the others. Experience follows and concurs with doctrine in the great leading principles of salvation; and God neither leaves bimself without witness nor yet his people, concerning a matter of such consequence to his own glory. It may be said to them, as it was to the virgin Mary; Blessed are they that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things, which have been told them from the LORD.

The HOLY SPIRIT, then, is not only the OIL OF GLADNESS, but the sacred anointer too. God cannnot be passive, but is always the first great agent, active and acting: And, therefore, whatever perfection is revealed concerning Him, or apprehended of Him, it is always causative and efficient, not dormant or inert, as in the creatures till acted upIn this view, He is the hope and the strength of his people, helping their infirmities, correding their errors, com

on.

forting their hearts, and carrying on the whole work of grace in them for glory. To him they are to look up in all circumstances and situations, and to depend upon his blessing, in all times of adversity or of wealth, of sickness or of health," in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment." With respect to the things of time, they know (to use the words of an ingenious author)* that "if all the earthly] happiness that is dispersed through the whole race of mankind in this world were drawn together, and put into the possession of any single man, it would not make a very happy being ;" and, therefore, they are led by this Holy Spirit to seek for happiness out of the modes of the world which can afford none, and to find a divine reality of it in him.

From his outward emblem of oil, they are led to understand some intimations of the manner of his grace in their hearts; and their souls are confirmed by experience, in whatever their eyes can learn by vision concerning it. To such, the mention of a few instances, may not, however well-known be altogether unimportant..

Oil hath ever had a most distinguished place in the materia medica, and, among the antients in particular, was always held in the highest estimation as a great antidote against poison, both outwardly and inwardly applied. It was for this reason, they frequently anointed themselves to induce health and strength And possibly the anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, mentioned by the apostle, which has been so miserably distorted to the superstition of exrreme unction, among the papists, signified only that the friends of the sick Christian should use it medically, as a lawful means under the divine blessing, for his recovery. James v. 14.-So, in a spiritual view, the believer sees, and is happily made to experience, that the OIL OF GLADNESS is the only great antidote for the poison of sin, and that this alone can effectually resist the malady of a corrupt nature, or heal its putrid and destructive wounds. Luke x. 33, &c. See also Is. i. 6. When, therefore they see themselves sorely beset, they pray for this unction of strength and wisdom that they may victoriously repel and rightly understand: And when they feel the contagious sores of iniquity upon their souls, they implore this gracious anointing both to mollify the pain, and to heal up the plague. Nor do they pray and implore in vain. The Holy Spirit is given to them that ask. He descends as the oil from Christ to heal, and becomes the oil of gladness in healing, all the maladies and miseries of sin. He will finally make a perfect cure, and bring them to the regions of everlasting health and joy.

* ADDISON. Spect. No, 163.

† Com. SALMUTH, in Guid. Pancir. P. i. tit. 52.

There they shall have the beauty of holiness for the asbes of corruption, this OIL OF JOY for the mourning of sin, the garment of praise for the spirit of beaviness: There they shall be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that be might be glorified. As this oil afforded them a cheerful countenance even here below, according to their measure of possession; O how will it gladden their spirits and beautify their souls, when the possibility of corruption is done away

from them for ever!

Without oil in the natural body, the springs of life could neither act nor move; and the whole animal system, through the acid nature of some juices, and the obstructions arising from the viscidity of others, would soon be exsiccated and become a lump of adust and lifeless matter.—The paralle! holds good in the spiritual system; for, without the oil of gladness, there is no power in the fallen soul of man to think or act for God and his own happiness; but, on the contrary, sin rages in all his faculties, renders them more and more corrupt, and, at length makes his whole system, like a dry and decayed branch, fit only for everlasting fire.

Oil, in the vegetable world, maintains the same economy as in the animal. By its penetrating quality, it carries the other necessary juices into and thro' the finest vessels, and sheathes those vessels at the same time from the nitrous and rough particles, which mix and ascend with the sap. It also seems to separate,strain,or prevent from entering into the system,all such gross and terrene atoms, as would, if admitted, choke up the capillary vessels (which are almost inconceivably minute) and consequently induce disease and death. The emblem expresses the case, as it obtains in the spiritual life. But for this HOLY OIL, the word of God, and the life of God, could find no passage to the heart of man, nor receive any lodg ment there. Neither law nor gospel could enter within his soul. And, again, did this spiritual oil only carry on the law to a man's spirit, and leave it there by itself to operate with its fiery nature upon him; in that view, there would soon be an end of all his hope and happiness. He would feel vengeance within him, corroding with the force of the worm that never shall die and of the fire that never can be quenched. But this Holy Spirit, applying the law to the mind, and (preserving our figure) sheathing it with his heavenly grace, renders the law in spiritual experience like nitre in natural operation. nitre discusses and divides the atoms with which it is intermixed; so the law, in the power of the Spirit, is the preparation for the gospel; and the conviction of sin, with which it pierces the soul, disposes it to receive with meekness the ingrafted word of salvation. And when the soul is brought to the knowledge and experience of the truth as it is in Jesus;

As

this oil of gladness preserves it from being choaked up with earthly things; so that neither the cares of the world nor the deceitfulness of riches can operate, as they naturally would, to render it unfruitful. Thus this boly Lord defended the inhabitants of [the spiritual] Jerusalem; so that be that is feeble among them is as David [or the beloved; i. e. CHRIST] and the house of David [all the people of Christ] shall be as God [by being made partakers of the divine nature] and the angel Jehovah before them, or Christ in them, and with them, through faith, the hope of glory. Zech. xii. 8.

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Were it not for the oil in plants, the action of light or heat upon their substance would soon exhaust the aqueous and other juices, and consequently would destroy it. On the other hand, the natural oil, by its tenacity, which [as Dr. Quincy assures us] is a kind of glue or cement to the other principles," preserves the frame from the penetrating effects of the frost, and especially where the oil has been matured and duly concocted; for those late and tender shoots, in which the aqueous parts of the sap predominate, not having had time for the requisite digestion, are often destroyed by the winter; when the lower parts of the same branches, and the rest of the plant or tree, have received no injury.—So the oil of grace, communicated by the divine Spirit, preserves his people in all kinds of trial: And the more they possess of his saving power, the better able are they to resist and overcome those things, which entirely overwhelm the rest of the world.

One property of oil is to soften and supple what it is applied to in nature for that purpose. The effect also in grace of the oil of gladness is an inwrought tenderness of spirit and conscience, which enables the Christian to receive with meekness and humility the holy will of God, & to dread the very thought of acting contrary to it. This oil of salvation carries home the new covenant, in its promised power, to the Christian; by taking away his stony heart, and giving him a heart of flesh in its stead. Every body knows that oil is the universal pabulum or supply of light, and that without the oleaginous par ticles neither vegetable substances, as wood, nor mineral matter, as coal, would emit a flame, though placed in the strongest fire.Thus, without the oil of gladness, there can be no reception of Christ, the true Light, no meetness for him within the soul. The SPIRIT of life introduces the. LIGHT of life; their personal union is inseparable; and so is their action. No man can call Jesus LORD [savingly call him his Lord] but by the Holy Ghost: And no man having

Tt

Pharm. P. i. f. 1.