the name of the Father only, but in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. As the Son and the Holy Ghost, therefore, are placed in the same rank with the Father himself, they must consequently be deemed of the same nature and dignity, and as much divine as the Father is: for God and creatures can never be made the joint object of religion; not a single instance in all Scripture can be produced, where any creature is joined with God in an act of worship; much less in so solemn a rite as baptism, wherein we dedicate and devote ourselves to the worship of the persons in whose name we are baptized.

I would have my dear Benjamin to notice particularly, that if the Holy Spirit were a property only, could a property be thus joined with the Father and the Son? They are not properties, they are persons certainly. If the Son and the Spirit were creatures, could they be joined with the Father in this solemn act of baptism? Baptism is the consecration of him who is baptized to the service, of whom? of God and two creatures? No, surely; but of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And whether St. John has said it or not, if there be any meaning in words, these three are one, they are the one object of our faith and our love, of our prayers and our praises. And while this form continues to be used in the church, the doctrine of the Trinity cannot perish from it.

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In Paul's valedictory blessing to the Corinthians we have a solemn prayer addressed to the blessed Trinity: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." 2 Cor. 13: 14. This is not a more direct prayer to God for his love, and to Christ for his grace, than it is to the holy and sanctifying Spirit for a communion of his divine gifts.

Thus, my dear Benjamin, I have endeavored to prove

that all the divine criteria are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, as well as to the Father and the Son. I will now,

Secondly, mention some passages of Scripture which also prove the divinity of the Holy Ghost.

§ 6. In the first and second epistles to the Corinthians the apostle says that believers are the temple of God. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy." 1 Cor. 3: 16, 17. Now he who dwells in the saints, as in his temple, is the living God. "Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them." 2 Cor. 6: 16. The Holy Ghost dwells in the saints as in his temple. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. 6: 19. Therefore the Holy Ghost is the living God. None but God dwells in his saints as in his temple, but the Holy Spirit of God dwells in his saints as his temple, therefore he is God.

"If we are the temple of God," says Theophylact, "because the Spirit of God dwells in us, then the Spirit is God."

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We know no other reason," says Bishop Pearson, "why we are the temple of God, when the Spirit of God dwells in us, but only because the Spirit of God is God." Again, "I understand no other way by which we can be said to be the temple of God, but by the inhabitation of God, as it is written, ye are the temple," &c. On the Creed, p. 320.

'How impudently," says Ambrose, "do you deny the deity of the Holy Ghost, when you read that the Spirit is a temple; for it is written, ye are the temple; but the Spirit has a temple when he dwells in you." De Spir. sanct. L. 3. c. 12. p. 263.

"In this place," says Calvin, "we have a clear testimony, asserting the divinity of the Holy Ghost; for if he were a

creature or a gift only, he would not have made them the temple of God, by dwelling in them." In Loco.

Ananias was struck dead for lying. Acts, 5 7. Lying to the Holy Ghost is lying to God, because the Holy Ghost is God. The offence was a tempting, or an endeavor to deceive the Holy Ghost, a trial of skill whether he knew and would punish the fraud. The great Dr. Owen observes, "The Holy Ghost is expressly called God; and having the name of God properly and directly given to him, with respect to spiritual things, or things peculiar to God, he must have the nature of God. Ananias is said to lie to the Holy Ghost; this is repeated and interpreted, 'Thou hast not lied to men, but unto God;' the declaration of the person intended by the Holy Ghost is added for the aggravation of the sin; for he is God, the same person, the same object of the sin of Ananias, is expressed in both places; and therefore the Holy Ghost is God."

§ 7. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin; "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." Matt. 12:31. Therefore the Holy Ghost must be God, for sin against a creature cannot have such heinous aggravation.

§ 8. Further, the inspiration of the Scriptures is ascribed to God. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim. 3: 16. "God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," Heb. 1: 1; but this is the work of the Holy Spirit, "For the prophecy came not in old times by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1: 21; therefore the Holy Spirit is God.

To what has been said, it may not be improper, my dear Benjamin, to add,

Thirdly, a few testimonies from our ancient Rabbins, who considered the Ruach Hackodesh, i. e. the Holy Spirit, as truly God.

9. Because Jehovah has said by the prophet, that his “hand laid the foundation of the earth, and his right hand spread the heavens." Isa. 48: 13. Our Rabbins say that these two hands refer to the second Sephirah, called Chochma, i. e. wisdom, and to the third, called Binah, i. e. understanding, and that these two Sephireth made the world. Bechai. Gen. fo. 3. c. 2. They acknowledge that the Spirit which moved on the face of the abyss was not a created mind, but the divine Spirit, the same that David speaks of. Psa. 33: 6. Leo. Heb. Dial. De Amore. M. B. Israel. Gen. 2. 2. § 7, and many others.

They consider the Binah a distinct person, and call him the Mouth of God; because he inspired the prophets to make known the will of God, agreeable to Isaiah, 48: 16, "The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me;" and that the angels were created by him. R. Menachem, fo. 34. c. 2. 56, 1. 122. c. 2. 127, 4. 143, 3.

The author of Zohar, and also the author of Sepher Habbachir, say that the third Sephira, Binah, proceeds from the first by the second. See also R. Men. fo. 1. c. 3.

The name Jehovah is ascribed both to the second and the third Sephirah. Zohar in. R. Men. fo. 3. c. 3. fo. 10. c. 4.

They consider the two cherubims over the ark each distinct from the other, and both distinct from the ark, and yet all three united as a similitude of the three distinct persons united in the one Jehovah. Re. Menach. fo. 74.

c. 3.

And now, my dear Benjamin, having proved the divinity of the Holy Spirit from the divine criteria ascribed to him, from several passages of Scripture, and from the testimony

of our ancient Rabbins, I will close this subject with the following observation :

§ 10. We see that the Holy Ghost is called Jehovah in the Old Testament, and often God and Lord in the New Testament. The Most High God, whom the Israelites provoked in the wilderness, is, by Isaiah and Paul, declared to be the Holy Ghost. The Lord Jehovah, who alone led the people, was the Holy Ghost, as Isaiah explains it. The King, Jehovah of hosts, who sent the Prophet Isaiah to the people, was the Holy Ghost. It was Jehovah who promised to write his laws in the people's hearts: but, according to the apostle, it was the Holy Ghost who said, I will write my laws in their hearts. The Holy Ghost is also that person who is the highest, and manifested an almighty, creating power in forming Christ's human nature. The Holy Ghost is that God, of whom believers are born; that God to whom Ananias lied; that God, whose temple believers are; that God, who works faith in the heart; that God, by whose inspiration the Scriptures were given; he is that God in whose power the believer's faith stands; that God who sets officers in the church; that God who works in Christians to will and to do; that God who works all in all, in the diversity of gifts bestowed on men; he is the God of patience and consolation; that God who deals to every man the measure of faith; that God who writes his laws in the heart; he is that God of whom is all our sufficiency, and who made the apostles able ministers of the New Testament; that God who comforted the apostles, and enabled them to comfort others. The Holy Ghost is that Lord who gives liberty, and changes men into the image of Christ; he is that Lord who directs our hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ; he is that Lord who makes us to increase and abound in love one toward another. Now, my dear Benjamin, if this is the Scripture doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit, which