vial of the wrath of God alight on themselves in their turn; and this rod of correction shall at last be cast into the fire. All the signs of the times declare the unitarian crescent to have come long ago to its full, and to be now in its wane, even in its last quarter.

3. In the 14th of John Jesus says, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth. Whom the

pos

"If a man

world cannot receive; because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him. But ye know him ; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Here is an invisible agent, the Holy Spirit. The world knows him not. But he is known. by the disciples of Christ, for he dwells in them, teaches them all necessary truth, and is their constant comforter by testifying to them of Christ. He must therefore be sessed of all requisite perfections. But what follows? Jesus adds, love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and we will make our abode with him." The Father and Son then must have a distinct personal subsistence. They each have the attribute of omnipresence, so as to be everywhere at the same moment wherever any of the faithful may be placed. This no one doubts to belong to the Father; but the Son claims the same perfection. "Lo I am with you always unto the end of the world," was his last promise; and previously he had said "Where two or three are gathered together

in my name, there am I in the midst of them."* Now Jesus had no sooner promised his own presence to his people, together with that of his Father, than he promises to them the Spirit's presence also; repeating over again, with some additional circumstances, what he had just before said to them of this blessed agent. "But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." The disciples were to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. But the Spirit was to be present with them all in every place. He was to know whatever Christ had spoken to them; and was to recall all these things to their memories. Who can believe this, and disbelieve the distinct agency and proper deity of the Spirit?

4. In the 15th of John a similar distinction of person is preserved, as well as of office and agency. Now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”

Here is the harmony of holy writ; and in it we discover that unity of counsel which pervades all the works of the Father, Son, and Spirit, whether in nature, providence, grace or glory. "The testimony of Jesus is the

* Matthew xviii. 20, and xxviii. 20.

66

Spirit of prophecy." The two testaments agree in this one thing. Moses wrote of me says Christ; whilst the gospel is a continued report of him. Peter connects both, and shows the Spirit to have been the author of each portion of the sacred book, and to have testified in either of the same thing, namely the salvation of Christ. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, who was in them, did signify, when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven."*

5. In the 16th of John Jesus still dwells on the same topic. "These things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But now I go my way to him that sent me. Nevertheless, it is exnedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin; of sin, because they believe not in me. Of righteousness, because I go to the Father," &c.

you.

"Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is * 1 Peter, i. 10-12..

For

come, he will guide you into all truth. he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.

And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and show it unto you."

From these testimonies from the gospel by John, it cannot be denied, that if the doctrine of our text from John's epistle, is not embraced, it cannot be rejected upon the plea of its not being a revealed doctrine; but its rejection must be grounded upon the notion, that it is wiser and safer to follow the Koran than the Bible,—or in other words, to follow the deductions of Science falsely so called, rather than to be guided by the dictates of Revelation and right Reason.

6. I will here omit many an interesting passage, and proceed at once to the 13th chap. of the 2d of Corinthians, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God," or as some copies have it, " of God the Father; and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all."

This form of benediction is similar to that in the 6th of Numbers. "On this wise ye

shall bless the children of Israel. Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee; Jehovah make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

Now one point will be admitted by all,

that the scriptures speak of one and the same God. So that the Alehim of the Hebrews, must be the Alehim of Gentile christians. But the Alehim of the new testament are revealed in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit. In this name the disciples were to teach and baptize; and in this name Paul here blesses the children of God. Then Aaron's Jehovah, repeated three times over, must have arisen from a similar cause, that is, a triple personal distinction in Jehovah the Alehim of Israel, whom Joshua therefore declared were the Kedoshim "the holy

ones."

or

The force of the form in Numbers is, as if it had been said, the Lord, may he bless thee, &c. It is the heart's desire, breathed in this form of prayer to God, that his blessing may rest on the people. So this of Paul; it is as though he had said, the Lord Jesus may he grant you his grace; the Father, may he grant you his love; and the Holy Ghost, may he grant you his fellowship. Had God been but one personal agent, acting through the medium of the man Christ, surely that one person only would have been invoked. But since three several mercies are implored, and each is requested at the hand of a distinct agent, it is as plain that these three persons are one God, as that God alone is God, and is as such, the sole object of worship, and the sole fountain of all blessings.