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Thirdly, To the Persons that are to be judg'd: and those, both our Text and Creed tell us, are the Quick and the Dead. Where by the Quick, we are to understand those that shall be found alive at Chrift's coming to judgment ; for the Apostle speaks of some that will be alive and remain to the coming of the Lord; I Theff. 4. 15, 17. And of these, he speaks elfewhere; Behold, I show you a Mystery, we Shall not all sleep, but we shall all be chang'd, in a moment, in the Twinkling of an Eye, at the last Trump: meaning, that fome will be found alive at Chrift's coming to judge the World, who shall not undergo a proper Death by any actual Separation of Soul and Body; but yet at the founding of the last Trump they shall undergo a Change, after which they Shall be caught up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air: and they that shall be thus chang'd and tranflated, are the Persons here meant by the Quick.

By the Dead, we are to understand all that depart this Life before that time, and are laid up in the Repofitories of the Grave: these too when the Trumpet shail found, Jhall hear his Voice, and come forth; they that have done well, to the Resurrection of Life; and they that have done evil, to the Resurrection of Damnation: John 5. 28, 29.

In a word; All Men, good and bad, living and dead, must appear before the Judgment-Seat of Chrift: but every one in their own order. The dead in Christ shall rise first and having receiv'd the blessed Sentence, they shall fit upon the Throne, and judge the twelve Tribes of Ifrael: meaning, they shall be Affeffors with Christ in judging the wicked, and be Approvers of his just and righteous Sentence.

And when this last Act of his Regal Power in judging the World is over, then shall be deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father: that is, he shall furrender up his Delegated Mediatorial Kingdom, when the Design of it is completed, and shall reign for ever with his Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thus having seen the several Acts of this general and grand Affizes, let us lastly fee what we may learn from them. And,

1. From the Certainty of a Day of Judgment, let us learn frequently to think of and prepare for it. This should keep us close to our Duty, and constant to our Watch, that this Day may not furprize or find us unprovided; fince such weighty Things depend upon it, no less than our Eternal

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Woe or Weal: What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness, looking for, and hastning to the coming of our Lord?

2. Chrift's being the Judge, may afford matter of the greatest Joy, Hope, and Confolation to all good Men; for their Saviour being their Judge, they may reft affur'd of finding Mercy and all favourable Allowances at that Day: and this affords no less Dread and Terror to all wicked Men, who must be judg'd by him whom they have despis'd and crucify'd, and therefore can expect nothing but strict Justice, and the Revelation of Wrath.

3. The confideration of a future Judgment may rectify our Mistakes about the Afflictions of good, and the Profperity of bad Men; and may keep us from ailing at the one, and envying at the other for that Day will fet all these Matters right, when good Men, by Afflictions, will be found fitted for a Crown; and bad Men, by Profperity, only fatten'd for the Slaughter.

4. If we must all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ, then let us judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come. To judge or censure our Brother, is to forestal the Day of Judgment; and Who art thou that judgest another? to his own Master be stands or falls.

DISCOURSE XXII.

Acts ii. 4.

And they were all filld with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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AVING finish'd the Explication of those Articles of the Creed, that refer to the two first Perfons in the Bleffed Trinity; I proceed to those which

relate to the Third: of which the

First is contain'd in these Words, I believe in the Holy Ghost.

For the better Explication whereof, I must shew,

First, Whom we are to understand here by the Holy Ghost. And,

Secondly, What we are here taught to believe of him. For the

First, By the Holy Ghost here, we are to understand the third Person in the ever-blessed Trinity, call'd here by the Name of Ghost, which in the Saxon Tongue signifies the same with Spirit; and Holy Ghost, because, beside his effential Holiness which he has in common with the Father and the Son, his Office is to work Holiness in the Hearts of God's People. For as Creation is particularly afcrib'd to the Father, and Redemption to the Son; so is Sanctification made the peculiar Work of the Holy Ghost. Hence we are faid to be sav'd or fanctify'd, by the washing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 5. and elsewhere, that our Souls are purify'd thro' the Spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22. Now this Holy Ghost is here plainly suppos'd to be both a Person, and likewise a Person distinct from the Father and the Son; from both which, he is also said to proceed.

That he is a Person, is to be believ'd against the Heresy of Sabellius of old, and Socinus of latter days; who affirm'd the Holy Ghost to be only an Accident, that is, a Power, Virtue, or Quality refiding in God and deriv'd from him. Against these, I say, we are to believe him to be not barely a Power, Operation, or Quality, but really a Spiritual and Intellectual Substance: for befide that we are baptiz'd in his Name, and profess our Faith in him; he is oppos'd to all evil and lying Spirits, which are acknowledg'd to be Intellectual Substances. And the Holy Scriptures frequently ascribe those personal Difpofitions and Operations to him, that evidently suppose him to be a Person, and cannot be attributed to any thing less: for he is said to be griev'd, to intercede for us, to search all things, even the deep things of God, and the like; which are such personal Actions and Affections, as no mere Quality is capable of. Again,

That the Holy Ghost is a Person distinct from the Father and the Son, is to be believ'd against another fort of Hereticks, who confounded the three Persons of the Trinity, destroying their substantial Properties, and thereby making them all but one Person under three different Names or Appellations.

Now this distinction of the Holy Ghost from the other two Persons is plainly held forth in fundry Places of the New Testament, where he is often styl'd the Spirit of God, he is said to intercede for us with the Father, to be our Advocate and Comforter, to come from the Father, and to be Sent by him; with many other Expreffions, that manifestly imply him to be a Person distinct from the Father: forotherwife, he must be faid to be an Advocate to himself, to intercede with, to come from, and to be fent by himself; which cannot with any congruity of Sense be apply'd to him. Moreover,

As this Holy Spirit is a Person diftinct from the Father and the Son, so is he faid in Scripture to proceed from both : That he proceeded from the Father, our Saviour exprefly declares, John 15. 26. The Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father (faith he) be shall testify of me : upon which account he is often styl'd the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of the Father; being sent by and proceeding from him.

Again, That he proceeded from the Son likewise, tho it be not so exprefly affirm'd, is yet virtually contain'd and imply'd in fundry Expreffions of Holy Scripture; for he is often call'd the Spirit of the Son, the Spirit of Christ, and the Stirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if his being call'd the Spirit of the Father fignify'd his proceeding from him, his being call'd the Spirit of the Son must for the same reason signify his proceeding from him also. Befide,

He is faid to be fent by the Son as well as the Father; for he often told his Disciples, that he would send the Comforter to them, which was the Holy Ghost, to fupply the Defects of his Absence: and tho he be sometimes faid to send him from the Father, and in the Father's Name, yet he is at other times faid to fend him himself, and likewife that the Father sends him in his Name; which Expressions suppose him to proceed equally from both and this is the antient Catholick Faith in this matter. Thus, having shew'd who is here meant by the Holy Ghost, I proceed to shew,

Secondly, What we are taught to believe of him: and this may be reduc'd to two Heads; (1.) The Divinity of his Perfon. And, (2.) The Diversity of his Offices and Operations for the Salvation of Mankind.

1. For the Divinity of his Person: We are to believe the

Holy Ghoft to be truly and properly God, coequal and co effential with the Father and the Son, against the Heresy of the Arians and Macedonians; which hath been lately reviv'd by the Socinians, and others in our Age. Now, that he is truly God, the Scriptures do plainly testify. For befide that he is rank'd with the Father and the Son in that Form of Baptifm given by our blessed Saviour, Mat. 28. 19. and likewife in that usual Benediction of the Apostles, mention'd 2 Cor. 13. 14. befide that, I fay, the most proper Names of God, and all the Titles peculiar to the Divine Persons are attributed to him. Lying to the Holy Ghost is call'd Lying unto God, Acts 5. 3, 4. The Temple of the Holy Ghost is call'd the Temple of God, 1 Cor. 3. 16. all the incommunicable Properties and Attributes of God are ascrib'd to him; as Omnipresence, Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? &c. Omniscience, for he fearcheth the Heart, and knoweth the deep Things of God: Eternity, being before, in, and thro' all times.

Again, All those Divine Acts that are proper and peculiar to God only, are ascrib'd to him, as Creation, Regeneration, and the like.

Lastly, All those Acts of Faith and Worship which are due only to God, are offer'd up and requir'd to be paid to him; for we are to adore and glorify the Holy Spirit, to put our Trust and Reliance in him: which would be gross Ufurpation and Idolatry, if he were not truly God, equal to the Father and the Son. In a word, the Divine Titles and Honours given to him, plainly prove and declare him to be a Divine Person; which we are therefore (as the Catholick Faith directs) firmly to believe of him.

2. The next thing we are to believe of the Holy Ghost, is, the several Offices and Operations he performs in the Oeconomy of Man's Salvation. Now, of these Acts or Operations of the Holy Ghost, relating to Man's Salvation, there are two forts:

The one, extraordinary and supernatural; of which kind were those miraculous Gifts given in the Infancy of the Church, which lasted but for a time.

The other, more ordinary and natural, futable to the more adult and grown State of the Church; and these are to continue to the end of the World.

Of the first fort, were those extraordinary Gifts and Inspirations that fell on the Apostles on the Day of Pentecoft,

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