before the council, charges them with having always refifted the holy ghoft (A&s vii. 51.); i. e. it had been their general practice to oppose and difobey the divine revelations, and the infpired meffengers fent with them as they refifted Chrift and his apoftles, fo had their fathers behaved towards the prophets in former times.

It is faid in St. John's gospel, that the holy ghoft was not yet given, becaufe that Jefus was not yet glorified (John vii. 39.). The plain meaning is, that the miraculous powers and gifts, defigned to be bestowed upon the apoftles and others who believed in Jefus, were not yet conferred upon them, it being moft reafonable and fitting to defer this remarkable divine teftimony, till after Chrift's afcenfion, as it would be fo evident a proof of his exaltation at God's right hand, and reception to all power and authority. "We are witneffes of "these things," (Acts v. 32.), fays St. Peter, "fo "alfo is the holy ghoft, whom God hath given

to them that obey him;" i. e. the great and wonderful works. God enabled the apoftles to perform, in the name of Jefus, were a full confirmation of the truth and validity of their teftimony: giving the holy ghoft here means, beyond all difpute, the communication of extraordinary, fupernatural abilities and this is exprefsly and plainly reprefented, as the immediate act of God, whom God hath given to them that obey him. Thus the attempt of Ananias, to impofe upon the inspired

fpired apostle, by a false account, is called "lying not to men only, but to God," (Acts v. 4.) Indeed, if we obferve the fcripture phrafes relating to this point, and attend to the fact itself; we fhall find, that by the fpirit, the Spirit of God, of the holy ghost, we are, in the New Teftament, for the most part, to understand, thofe fpiritual gifts and miraculous powers, which were fo abundantly communicated in the firft age of chriftianity, and were of fo much importance to the confirmation and fuccessful spread of the gospel.

This is the capital meaning of it: but this excludes the notion of perfonality. These things were extraordinary endowments, the effects of a divine influence on the minds of men, and they are expressly afcribed to God. The conferring thefe wonderful powers and abilities is called, giving the holy ghoft. The perfons favoured with them, are faid to have received the holy ghoft. They did not receive a spiritual being, or part of a fpiritual being (how abfurd to suppose that)! They received extraordinary knowledge or power, by divine communication. God enabled them to prophefy and work miracles. That this is the meaning of the term holy ghoft, in the paffage read to you at the beginning cannot furely be queftioned. The perfons here spoken of, had, it seems, been in Judea, when John the Baptift began his miniftry, had attended him, and were his difciples: but, having been abfent from the land of Ifrael during

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our faviour's miniftry, they were not acquainted with the preaching of the apostles, or any tranfactions fubfequent to the refurrection and afcenfion of Chrift: and particularly they had not heard, of that plentiful effufion of extraordinary gifts and powers on the day of pentecost, or any other wonderful communication of the holy ghoft.

As miraculous gifts were, in that age, very common, St. Paul meeting with thefe perfons at Ephefus, very naturally inquires whether they had received the holy ghoft, i. e. whether they had been favoured with a share in those wonderful effects of a divine influence, which were then fo liberally conferred. To this they reply, we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy ghoft, i. e. they had not been informed that any fuch powers of prophefying, speaking with tongues, &c. had as yet been granted to any of the difciples of Chrift: this was a fact they had not heard of. Then Paul laid his hands on them, and the holy ghoft came upon them, and they speak with tongues and prophefied. How manifeftly does the holy ghoft, in all the places where it is mentioned in this paragraph, mean, not a perfon, but the extraordinary communication of fome gifts or powers.

The gift of the fpirit, in its extraordinary and miraculous effects, is foretold in the ancient prophets, as the privilege of the time of the Meffiah, and particularly by Joel." And it shall come to

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"pafs in those days, I will pour out my fpirit 66 upon all flesh, and your fons and your daughters "shall prophesy," (Joel ii. 28.). Our blessed faviour folemnly and frequently promised, that he would fend down the holy fpirit to fupply his place, and be an advocate for him in the world. "He that believeth in me out of his belly fhall "flow rivers of living waters, which he spake of "the fpirit, which they that believed in him "fhould receive," (John vii. 38.) Again "the "comforter the holy ghoft, whom the Father "will send in my name, he shall teach you all "things," (John xiv. 26.). And just before his afcenfion he commanded them that they fhould not depart from Jerufalem, but wait for the promife of the Father, which they had heard of him. "For ye shall be baptized with the holy ghoft not "many days hence: ye fhall receive power, after "that the holy ghoft is come upon you, and ye "shall be witneffes unto me both in Jerufalem, and "in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermoft 66 parts of the earth," (Acts i. 4. &c ). How exactly did the event, on the memorable day of pentecoft, answer to these declarations? And how clearly are they explained by it? "Then the fame day, at even"ing, being the firft day of the week, came Jefus "and ftood in the midft, and faith unto them, peace "be unto you, as my Father hath fent me, fo fend I you and when he had faid this he breathed on "them, and faith unto them, receive ye the holy

"ghoft," (John xx. 19. &c.) i. . he encouraged them to rely upon him for the accomplishment of the promise he had made, that they fhould receive from above, fufficient qualifications for the discharge of their great important office; which actually took place, in a very remarkable manner, a fhort time after for, when the day of pentecoft was fully come, they were all, with one accord, in one place, and they were all filled with the holy ghoft, and began to fpeak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance, (A&ts ii. 1, 4.). And does not St. Peter declare, that this very thing was the fulfillment of Joel's prophesy, and of our faviour's prediction and affurance to them before his afcenfion? (Acts ii. 16. &c.) " This is that, (says he) which was fpoken by the prophet Joel, and Jefus Chrift being by the right hand of God exalted, and hav"ing received of the Father the promise of the holy "ghoft hath poured out this which ye now fee and "hear" and, he alfo exhorts his hearers, thus,

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repent and be baptized in the name of Jefus "Chrift and ye fhall receive the gift of the holy "ghoft," i. e. ye fhall be favoured with fome fpiritual gifts and miraculous powers, (Acts xiv. 8. &c.). "Now the apoftles which were at Jeru"falem heard that Samaria had received the word "of God; they fent unto them Peter and John, "who, when they were come down, prayed for "them, that they might receive the holy ghoft, "for as yet he was fallen upon none of them :

"then