is born of the Spirit, is spirit." John 3. 6. The passage to be compared with this, is John 1. 12, 13: "But as many as received" Christ, "to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

As this birth is effected by the agency of the Holy Ghost, and is called being born of God, we cannot but see, that the Spirit is God. This supports his Personality and Deity, and illustrates his office. That the Spirit, mentioned in the 1st of John, is the Holy Ghost, may be evinced from Tit. 8. 3, 4, and 5. "For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." This passage settles the present point. It proves, beyond the power of ingenuous opposition, that the God and the Spirit, by whose operation the hearts of the saints have been renewed, is the Holy Ghost.

In the commission to baptize, and in the apostle's benediction, he is distinguished from the Father and the Son, with the same clearness of 1 John, 5. 7, notwithstanding the opposition which is made to its authenticity. It is by the sanctifying operations of this glorious Agent, that Christians grow in knowledge and grace. Their very bodies are called his temples, and it is by his gracious power every right feeling is formed in their hearts. This appears from these expressive words of an inspired writer, namely: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: Against such there is no law." In calling these things,

"the fruit of the Spirit," the idea communicated is this, that they are all effected by his operation. This is called sanctification, to distinguish it from that instantaneous effect which is called regeneration. This is likewise ascribed to God, which proves the Divinity of the Holy Ghost. See 1 Thess. 5. 23. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." We may see, therefore, that the sanctifier of men is "the God of peace ;" and that he is the Holy Ghost.

Having fully proved his Personality, Deity, and Offices, nothing remains but the

IMPROVEMENT.

1. If these points have been fairly supported, it will follow, that a Trinity of Persons in the Divine essence, is a doctrine of the Scriptures. If we admit a plurality in God, there can be no difficulty in believing, that it consists in a Trinity. In this precise number of divine Persons, there has been an universal agreement, in all ages, among all classes of people, but the strict Unitarians-those who believe that God is one in Person as well as essence. Among all others, this harmony will, undoubtedly, be continued down to the end of time. This uniformity of sentiment, is a manifestation that the doctrine of the Trinity has not been fabricated by human art; for if that had been the case, the believers in a plurality of Persons in the Deity, would have differed widely in their ideas of the supposed number, in such an extensive world, and through such a long duration of time. This union of sentiment in relation to the doctrine in view, evinces, that it is founded on a standard which is more certain in its nature than the volatile imagination of man. Such an universal consent has

never been witnessed among the Polytheists of the heathen world, in regard to the number of their Gods. This fully proves that their schemes are creatures of their own imagination, and that our belief is the result of an unerring rule. To say, therefore, that a Trinity in Unity is not a doctrine of the Scriptures, is as frivolous, as to say that the sun does not shine upon us, when it is in its highest altitude, and without an interposing cloud between it and the human eye. Every passage that relates to the Divinity of Christ, is a proof of the Trinity; and so is every one that teaches us the Personality and the Deity of the Holy Ghost. As to this article of our faith, we need not be ashamed; for we may be always prepared to give an answer to every one who may be disposed to ask us the reasons of our hope, on this ground.

2. If the Personality, Deity and Offices of the Holy Ghost have been fully supported, then it will follow, that this subject, with the sermon that preceded it, give a powerful testimony in favor of the authenticity of 1 John, 5. 7. The passages which have been our themes in these discourses, completely establish the Supreme Divinity of the Son and the Holy Ghost, and their equality with the Father. The contested passage, only contains in itself what is clearly expressed in Rev. 2. 8, and in Acts 13. 2, in connection with a truth on all hands granted, namely: the Personality and Deity of the Father; and the union of the Three in one essence, and their acting in the capacity of distinct Witnesses.

If the Supreme and Eternal Deity of the Son and the Holy Ghost have been sufficiently evinced, the union of the Three in one essence, cannot be consistently denied ; for the Unity of God is a doctrine fully established in the Scriptures. Every thing, therefore, which is contained in the compendious text in debate, is clearly revealed in the

sacred writings. This being the case, the Trinitarians have not been under the necessity, in any age, of forging If a man be confident that a cause in

such a passage. which he is concerned in a court of justice, can be supported by sufficient testimony, he will not have recourse to bribery, to obtain the addition of false witnesses; for that would injure his cause, instead of supporting it. We may, therefore, be well assured, that the text which has been so powerfully controverted, was never forged by any one; and that it is the real word of God. To fabricate this passage to support a doctrine, which beams forth from the Scriptures like the unclouded sun, would really be a needless undertaking. We have no right to suppose this, unless our opponents can prove that it was actually done; and if the. text under consideration were an interpolation, it would be in their power to do the thing. That cause which labors the most, has the greatest need of wicked efforts to give it plausibility. In relation to the doctrine of the Trinity, and the passages which support it, we need not fear. The glorious truths of the Trinitarian system will be supported and believed, down to the burning day, in defiance of opposition.

3. If the Personality, Deity and Offices of the Holy Ghost have been supported, then it will follow, that there is an ample foundation in the mysterious mode of the divine existence, to save sinners, in a perfect consisteney with the purest justice.

This is an unspeakable consolation, and therefore, the tenets which support it, merit a faithful vindication. If God were only one in Person as well as essence, he could not sustain and execute the offices in which his own glory and our salvation are included. His glory could not be displayed, unless there is one in the divine essence to maintain the rights of the Godhead-men could not be saved,

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unless there is one to atone for sin, and intercede for thera in heaven; and that there should be one to form them by his operation for holiness and happiness, is equally necessary. The mystery of a Triune God, is, therefore, a glorious truth, and it secures to us a consistent way of eternal life.

4. If the Personality, Deity and Offices of the Holy Ghost have been supported, then it will follow, that those who deny these doctrines, are barring against themselves the door of heaven. If God is only one in Person, there can be no possibility of our standing before him in Judgment, unless we shall be able to make it appear, that we have always been as holy as the angels of light, or he shall consent to approve of sin, and so cover his own glory with an eternal shade. If He is not a Trinity in Unity, we may, with propriety, abandon ourselves to eternal despair. On such ground, annihilation, or endless misery, must be our portion. To take any other stand, as the foundation of our hope, would be giving up a Redeemer and a Sanctifier, forever. If these doctrines are true, God can never save one who continues to deny them through life. To contend against them is, therefore, the sealing of our souls to an everlasting death! It would be doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, to take any other ground in the instruction of my hearers. In saying this, I am not conscious of possessing any malice towards those people, who differ with us in principle. In these great doctrines of the Bible, my mind has been fully settled for many years. As it has been proved that the Holy Ghost is God, may you all, my hearers, obtain an experimental acquaintance with this truth, through his renewing and sanctifying operations. AMEN.