fact we receive upon the authority of divine revelation. No one, indeed, that reads the Bible with candor, can arrive at any other conclusion. If the doctrine of the tri-unity of the ever-blessed Godhead had never been reduced into the terms of a creed, every individual penitent would still frame the doctrine for himself, for his own faith, and to his own salvation. The systematic language of creeds was gradually forced upon the Church by the disingenuousness of heretics tacitly denying in different ages the Godhead of the Son and Spirit; they are outworks merely. The doctrine we teach goes beyond them, and reposes on the language of Scripture itself; and nothing but that language, conveying its obvious sense to every pious mind. We ask for nothing but the use of the express terms of holy Scripture.

It is not a little singular, that notwithstanding the objections of Arians and Socinians, bearing the Christian name, traces of the plurality of persons in the Godhead are found in all the most ancient mythologies of the heathen. The Hindoos, for example, believe in one God, Bramha; and yet they represent him in three persons; and they worship one or other of these persons in every part of India. Their most ancient representation of the Deity is formed of one body and three faces. Whence this? It should seem they had heard of the Elohim of the first chapter of Genesis, "Let us make man." Every where in the East, there appears a counterfeit of the true doctrine. The inhabitants have lost sight of the one true God, and apply their traditional notions to their idols. But as the characters of the Mosaical ceremonial law pervade the whole system of the Hindoo ritual and worship, so the Hindoos also believe that one of the persons in their trinity (and that too the second person) was incarnate. Hence their fables of the incarnations of Vishnoo. The doctrine of a vicarious

atonement for sin by shedding of blood is too prevalent all over the heathen world, for me to dwell upon it. And as to the influence of the Holy Spirit, it is asserted in the most ancient writings of the Hindoos, that "the Divine Spirit or light of holy knowledge influences the minds of men.' And the man who is the subject of such influence is called, "the man twice born." Many chapters are devoted to the duties, character, and virtues of “the man twice born." We may truly say, then, to the Hindoo inquirers, "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare we unto you."

And let it be observed, that there is nothing contradictory to reason in the scripture doctrine on this mystery, though there is much that is above it. The doctrine is practical, intelligible, important. Every part of the gospel which touches on this incomprehensible mystery, touches on it not as it is incomprehensible, but in certain practical and intelligible respects, and with regard to certain benefits of redemption-in order to commend to us the love of God the Father; the sacrifice and death of God the Son; the sanctification of God the Holy Ghost for our own salvation. The mystery is only treated of in connection with these direct practical purposes. We are called to believe, trust in, love, obey, pray to, adore, praise God the Son for his immense love in dying for us and rising again. We here touch on salvation; as we also do, when we are called on to rely on the inspiration and assistance of the Holy Spirit as the Spring of holiness; to pray for his influences, to follow his monitions, to dread grieving or resisting him, to trust him as the invisible Author of grace and purity in the Church, and to cherish his favor as the seal and witness of our hope.

7 Christian Researches, by C. Buchanan, D. D.

In this view, there requires only some measure of that true repentance unto salvation of which we spake in a former discourse, to dispose the mind to understand, welcome, and use to the practical purposes for which it was revealed, this blessed doctrine. Whilst, on the other hand, the rejection of it is the surest sign of general unbelief, and the necessary occasion of our losing all the benefits with which it stands inseparably connected.

The word

2. But we pass on to the name of the Comforter, the source indeed of consolation to man. imports far more than our English term conveys. It means an advocate, a guide, a conductor, one who undertakes a cause. This is the especial work of the Holy Ghost in the economy of redemption. He undertakes the cause of the humble believer, defends him, guides him with his light and counsel, strengthens him under sorrow, produces faith in his heart in the entire revelation of the Bible, but especially in the record which God giveth of his Son; testifies of Christ to his trembling mind, and enables him to derive consolation therefrom; and aids him in realizing the promises of grace. More particularly in times of persecution, sorrow, affliction, banishment, and peril of death, He pours in the balm of consolation, works patience and resignation to the Divine will, strengthens and fortifies the soul in faith and love, repels the incursions of temptation, and cheers with the anticipations of being for ever with the Lord.

3. With this office of the Spirit, the next stands connected: He is the Spirit of truth, as the great primary and internal teacher. "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

For such is the blindness, ignorance, and perverse ness of the fallen understanding, that the mere words of Scripture will not teach, without the interior aid of grace. "Then opened he their understandings,"

66

66

it is said of our Lord after discoursing with his disciples, "that they might understand the Scriptures." The natural man," says St. Paul, "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." And thus the Psalmist prays, Open Thou mine eyes, that I may see the wondrous things of thy law!" And the apostle testifies, that "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, had shined" into the Corinthians' "hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." So to the Ephesians, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." And indeed the great evangelical promise, the new covenant, rests on this illumination: "They shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." And so our Lord, uniting the prophecy and the fulfilment, says, "It is written in the Prophets, They shall be all taught of God: every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

This internal teaching extends to all the truths of the gospel necessary to salvation, and so far as they are necessary to salvation. The humble penitent early discovers his need of this assistance to understand the Scriptures. A perception of ignorance and weakness is amongst the first effects of grace. He then begins to study holy Scripture in the light of the Holy Spirit; and thus gradually attains to all essential knowledge.

He is also taught by this Divine visitant to pray : "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities," saith St. Paul," for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." No one has ever attempted to pray, without discovering

his need of the Spirit's aid. The moment we are in earnest, we feel our inability to pray as we ought. We then implore the help of God the Holy Ghost; "praying in the Spirit," praying in the Holy Ghost"-as the Scriptures speak.

66

As to the mode of this teaching, it is ever agreeable to our moral and responsible nature; and in a gradual and imperceptible manner, not discernible, generally speaking, except by its effects, from the operations of our own minds. It is also in the diligent and humble use of means, and in the due exercise of our natural faculties. It is, moreover, always according to the written word of God in its true and obvious sense. It conveys no new truths to the mind, but enables us to understand the old truths which were previously in the Bible, and expressed in the plainest language, but which from blindness we could not before discern. It is no less inaccurate," observes Bishop Heber, "to suppose that in the ordinary course of things we receive any new ideas from the grace of God, than that our knowledge is derived from the lamp which lights our study. Like that lamp, it enables us to trace in the Bible the things which belong unto our peace: like that lamp, it helps us to renew the decayed impressions of knowledge long since obtained."

66

This teaching is also uniformly productive of holy fruits: "The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance."

Thus all enthusiasm, dreams, visions, impulses are excluded; and the doctrine of Divine teaching appears, as it truly is, a most rational, sober, and scriptural truth-one of the great offices of the Holy Ghost.

I need not say that the inspired apostles were endued also with the gifts of the Spirit in an extraordinary and miraculous manner, for the first