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Holy Spirit
178. Spirit of God. It is
exceeding evident in natural philosophy that all the operations of the
creatures are the immediate influence of the divine being, and that the
method of influence is most simple, constant, and unvaried in the
meanest and simplest beings, and more evident, compounded, and various
and according to less simple rules in beings that are more perfect and
compounded — and that in proportion as they are more or less perfect. It
is most simple in inanimate beings, less so in plants, more compounded
still in the more perfect plants, more evident in animals than in them,
and most so in the most perfect animal and most compounded and least of
all bound to constant laws — in man. And it is certainly beautiful that
it should be so that in the various ranks of beings those that are
nearest to the first being should most evidently and variously partake
of his influence. And it would be no more than just, to make out the
proportion, if the soul of man be influenced by the operation of the
Spirit of God, as the Scripture represents.
225. Holy Spirit. The name
of the Son of God is MESSIAH and Christ, not only because there was an
extraordinary pouring out of the Holy Ghost upon the man Christ Jesus,
and giving the Spirit without measure unto him, as separating him to and
preparing him for his work. Nor are these names proper to Christ only as
man or as Mediator. But God the Son from all eternity was Christ or
anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure, strictly speaking, or
with the infinite love of the Father towards him. As the sons of God are
begotten of divine love or born of the Holy Spirit.
293. Spirit Creation. It
was made especially the Holy Spirit’s work to bring the world to its
beauty and perfection out of the chaos; for the beauty of the world is a
communication of God’s beauty. The Holy Spirit is the harmony and
excellency and beauty of the deity, as we have shown. Therefore it was
his work to communicate beauty and harmony to the world, and so we read
that it was he that moved upon the face of the waters.
330. Holy Ghost. It
appears that the Holy Spirit is the holiness or excellency and delight
of God, because our communion with God, and with Christ, consists in our
partaking of the Holy Ghost: 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 6:17; 1 John 3:24. The
oil that was upon Aaron’s head ran down to the skirts of his garments.
The Spirit, which Christ, our head, has without measure is communicated
to his church and people. The sweet perfumed oil signified Christ’s
excellency, and sweet delight. Phil. 2:1.
Communion we know is
nothing else but the common partaking with others of good. Communion
with God is nothing else but a partaking with him of his excellency, his
holiness, and happiness.
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