selves utterly inadequate to be the source of our own enjoyment, we find that without allying ourselves to an object distinct from our own nature we are desolate and miserable. To retire within our own nature in quest of happiness is an idle and fruitless attempt. The mind feels itself fettered and imprisoned, until it is allowed to go forth and unite itself to some foreign object.

Again, to form the happiness of a mind must be the prerogative of something superior to itself; nor is there any greater superiority conceivable than that of being the source of enjoyment, the bestower of happiness on another. But while it is superior, it must be congenial in its nature. A spiritual being must possess spiritual happiness; the proper enjoyment of the mind must consist in something mental.

III.

OUTLINE OF THE ARGUMENT OF TWELVE LECTURES ON THE SOCINIAN CONTROVERSY.*

INTRODUCTORY LECTURE.

Jude 3.-It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.

LECTURE II.

ON THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST.

Matt. xxii. 41, 42.—While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?

FOUR classes of passages adduced in proof of this.

I. Those passages which speak of the origin of Jesus Christ, and which accompany this by a specification of "the flesh" in such a formula that the flesh is never employed in a similar manner in the history of men.

II. Those passages in which it is affirmed by Jesus Christ and by his disciples, that he did come down from heaven to the earth, and that by virtue of his name.

• Delivered at Leicester in 1823.

III. Those passages which, though they do not exactly assert that Jesus Christ existed before he came into our world, yet this is the necessary conclusion from them.

IV. One passage in which our Lord directly affirms this proposition in so many words, and no other proposition. (John viii. 58.)

LECTURE III.

ON THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

Matt. xxii. 41, 42.

This attempted to be proved from those passages in which the titles of God are ascribed to Jesus Christ, of which there are three kinds : I. Those in which he is styled the Son of God.

II. Those in which he is styled, not the Son of God, but God himself.

III. Those which are quoted by the apostles from the Old Testament, in which the word Jehovah is ascribed to Jesus Christ.

LECTURE IV.

The DIVINITY of Christ proved from those passages in which the creation of the visible universe is ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. I. This fact established by Scripture testimony, and

II. The attention directed to the necessary conclusion which is to be derived from it, That if Jesus Christ appear by Scripture testimony to be the Creator of all things, he is necessarily God; since the primary idea which man entertains of God identifies those perfections which created the world with the existence of Deity.

LECTURE V.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST PROVED FROM HIS BEING THE OBJECT OF DIVINE WORSHIP.

Worship may be considered as mental or local. It is to mental worship, as consisting of those sentiments of adoration of the Deity for his great mercies, a dependence upon the Author of them, a desire of his favour, and submission to his will, which mark every devout Christian, and expressed in the language of prayer or praise, to which this part of the discussion is chiefly confined.

LECTURE VI.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST PROVED FROM CERTAIN MISCELLANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH COULD NOT WITH CONVENIENCE BE RE-DUCED TO ANY ONE HEAD, SIMILAR TO THOSE ALREADY BROUGHT FORWARD.

I. If Jesus Christ be not a divine person, et me say, it is utterly inconceivable how he can discharge the office and assumption of Head of the Church, and Lord of the Christian dispensation.

II. The simple humanity of Christ is utterly inconsistent with those perfections which are ascribed to the Saviour, since there is not a single attribute of the divine nature which is not found ascribed in different forms to our Lord Jesus Christ.

III. The idea of the simple humanity of Christ is utterly incompatible with that ardour of sentiment of which he is represented in every part of Scripture as the object.

IV. The divinity of Christ is plain, from the fact of his being created and appointed the Judge of the universe.

LECTURE VII.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST PROVED TO BE NOT A NEW DOCTRINE, BUT THAT IT WAS KNOWN BEFORE THE NICENE COUNCIL HELD IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH CENTURY, BY REFERENCES ΤΟ THE FATHERS-BARNABAS, HERMAS, IGNATIUS, CLEMENS ROMANUS, POLYCARP, JUSTIN MARTYR, THEOPHILUS BISHOP OF ANTIOCH, IRENEUS, TERTULLIAN, CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS, ORIGEN, AND CYPRIAN.

[The above five Lectures upon the Divinity of Christ were preached from the same text:-Matt. xxii. 41, 42.]

LECTURE VIII.

ON THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Matt. xxviii. 19.-Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

The first proof of the personality of the Holy Spirit appears to result from the manner in which the Spirit, whatever is intended by that word, is mentioned in the Scriptures.

In order to understand this, it is necessary to reflect upon the meaning of the word "Spirit."

The first meaning of the term Spirit is wind, or breath. (John iii. 8.) The next use of the term Spirit, in the Scriptures and other writers, in analogy to this, is to denote the invisible and immaterial part of man, in distinction from that which is corporeal, fleshly, and tangible. (Matt. xxvi. 41.)

Again, it is applied to those supernatural agents who are supposed not to be clothed with gross flesh and blood, and not to be possessed of bodies, or any fleshly vehicle whatever. (Luke xxiv. 39; x. 17, 20.)

The fourth meaning of this term is very agreeable to the former. By way of distinction, the word Spirit is applied to the third person in the blessed Trinity; that is, THE SPIRIT, by way of eminence; and it appears to be so employed when it is preceded by the definite article, TO яVEDμа, THE SPIRIT.

The second argument on this subject is derived from the obvious consideration, that the particular acts which are ascribed to the Holy Spirit and its inspirations, are such as are totally inconsistent with any idea but that of his being a proper person.

Speaking is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. (2 Sam. xxiii. 2; 1 Tim. iv. 1; Acts xiii. 2.) Approbation is ascribed to the Spirit. (Acts xv. 28.) The passion of grief is often applied to the Spirit of God. (Eph. iv. 30; Isaiah lxiii. 10.)

Suffering or permitting is predicated of the Holy Spirit. (Acts xvi. 7.). Sin can be committed against nothing but a person; but Peter addresses Ananias in these words, Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?" &c. (Acts v. 3, 4; Matt. xii. 32.)

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The third argument for the personality of the Holy Spirit is derived from the personal pronouns applied to the Spirit of God, in such a manner as cannot be accounted for, except upon the obvious supposition of the intention of our Saviour to represent the Spirit of God under the character of a person. (John xiv. 16-26; xv. 26; xvi. 13.)

In the fourth place, the passage which has been taken as the foundation of this discourse appears to afford an irrefutable proof of the truth for which we are contending; because the Holy Spirit is here associated in such a manner with two real and divine persons as would render the connexion unaccountable, if a real person was not understood in the third, as well as in the two former instances.

LECTURE IX.

ON THE ATONEMENT.

1 Cor. xv. 3.-For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.

I. The first argument in proof of the atonement of Christ is, that the death of the Saviour is repeatedly stated to be a proper sacrifice.

LECTURE X.

ON THE ATONEMENT.

1 Cor. xv. 3.

II. The second argument for this doctrine is this: That the importance which the inspired writers attach to the blood of Christ is utterly inconsistent with the Socinian hypothesis, of his death being merely an example, and as that of a martyr sealing his testimony with his blood. III. The inspired writers mention the subject of the death of Christ in such a manner as implies its being a real and proper substitution. IV. The Scriptures in numerous passages declare that Jesus Christ is the proper cause and author of our salvation, and all the spiritual benefits which the gospel announces.

V. The exaltation of Jesus Christ at the head of the universe, which is expressly declared to be the reward of his sufferings and death, is utterly inconsistent with any supposition short of their being expiatory.

LECTURE XI.

ON THE PERSONALITY AND REAL EXISTENCE OF SATAN.

Matt. iv. 1.—Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.

The evidence for this proposition must be a matter of pure revelation; for when we consider the innumerable multitude of beings inferior to us,—a chain that descends from ourselves to the very verge of nonentity, by such mutations of littleness that they are for ever eluding our senses, they leave it uncertain that there are not as many besides in the middle stages as in open vision. The inference, rather than the contrary, is that they exist in an equal scale—that there are as many gradations of beings raised above us, as there are beneath us. An ascending series is as probable as the descending, though we may not be as familiar with one as with the other. Nor is it improbable that there are invisible or spiritual agents in an inferior order to man. When we consider the infinite variety of forms of which nature is susceptible, it is not improbable that there are in existence beings, either purely spiritual, or possessed of a vehicle so refined as to elude our senses, and therefore justly styled spirits.

But here let us consider the tenor of Scripture on this subject:-. I. The sacred record gives us an idea of a spiritual order of beings styled angels.

II. Let us examine the solutions given by the Socinians of the language of Scripture on this subject, and see whether these solutions will answer the various occasions on which it occurs, and whether the