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unto God; these are to continue through all ages; and are so much more excellent and more desirable than the former, as the end is better and more excellent than the means." (Vol. i. p. 496. Ed. 1742.)-See also Archbishop Tillotson on "The Miracles wrought in Confirmation of Christianity." (Three Sermons on Heb. ii. 4. Vol. iii. Ed. 1752).

Page 6. Nor was it authority only, but ministerial efficiency also.

The "power" (dvvapus) of the Spirit, conferred by Christ on the church, may be properly represented as twofold-soia, and evɛpyɛia, “authority" and " efficiency." The former of these, as miraculously exercised by Christ himself, is connected with "power" by the Evangelist: "For with authority and power (¿v 'EZOYZIA kai duvaμɛi) commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Luke iv. 36). For the latter, we have the expression of the Apostle before us, in application to himself: "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, by the effectual working of his power" (Karα τηV ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑΝ της δυναμεως αυτου). Ephes. iii. 7.

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I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." (1 Cor. iii. 6).

Mr. Locke's able and authoritative paraphrase on this and the preceding verses, confirms, on the testimony of one of the first of human intellects, the simple and humbling declarations of inspired truth. "Who, for example, is Paul, or who Apollos?...... They are only servants, employed to bring unto you a religion, derived entirely from Divine revelation, wherein human abilities, or wisdom, had nothing to do. The preachers of it are only instruments, by

whom this doctrine is conveyed to you, which, whether you look on it in its original, it is not a thing of human invention or discovery; or whether you look upon the gifts of the teachers who instruct you in it, all is entirely from God alone, and affords you not the least ground to attribute any thing to your teachers. For example : I planted it amongst you, and Apollos watered it; but nothing can from thence be ascribed to either of us :..... For neither the planter, nor the waterer, have any power to make it take root, and grow in your hearts: they are as nothing in that respect; the growth and success is owing to God alone." In other words, its discovery, its delivery, its success in the heart, are alike of God.

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I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you FOR EVER." (John xiv. 16).

A decisive definition of the spiritual gifts which are here promised, is shortly drawn up by Bishop Warburton in his "Doctrine of Grace," when describing the office and operation of the Holy Spirit. "His office in general is to establish our faith, and to perfect our obedience; both of which he doth, by enlightening the understanding and by rectifying the will. All this is necessarily collected from the words of Jesus, which contain this important promise: 'I will pray the Father,' says he, 'and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;.......He shall teach you all things.' By teaching us all things, under the joint characters of the Spirit of Truth and of the Comforter, we are necessarily to understand all things which concern faith and obedience." Again: "Hence we conclude that He (the Spirit) abides with the church for ever, as well personally, in his office of Comforter, in

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supporting the will; as virtually, in his office of Enlightener, in directing the understanding." In a subsequent part of the same chapter he gives a comment on 1 Cor. xiii. 8-13, which, if to be supported, gives a strong confirmation of the Apostle's opinion with respect to the partial duration of miraculous powers in the church. The "abiding" graces of faith, hope, charity," are, with Bishop Warburton, considered as placed by the Apostle in strong contrast with the comparatively short and trunsitory gifts of “ prophecies," of " tongues," of preternatural conveyances of "knowledge:" and these he understands as meant to pass away, not in a future state of existence, where even faith and hope will have no place; but in the present state and abiding of the church upon earth, as not requiring a continuance of miracles to authenticate or extend it. (See "Doctrine of Grace," book i. ch. 1 ; ii. ch. 2, vol. viii. Ed. 1811).

Mr. Locke, who follows the more common interpretation, is led by it to a questionable position on the last verse of the chapter :-" But then, even in that state [in the other world], faith and hope and charity will remain; but the greatest of the three is charity."

May I add here the devout comment of Archbishop Secker on the promise of the Comforter, John xiv. 15—17: "Our blessed Lord might very possibly design to comprehend in this promise all the benefits which the Holy Ghost was to confer on his followers. But his expressions plainly shew, that he had chiefly in view, not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, but the directing and comforting influences of his grace. For these alone are given to all, who love Christ and keep his commandments : these alone were to abide with Christians for ever: these alone the world could not receive, because they would not suffer themselves to see or know them: and though in appearance a less illustrious, they are in reality a

more important gift than those of tongues and miracles: for though the latter were powerful means of making religion believed, the former only can bring it to be practised. And therefore it is highly necessary to teach and inculcate the doctrine of inward grace; that men may earnestly pray for it, faithfully use it, and heartily rejoice in it." (Sermon 109, vol. iii. Works, Ed. 1804).

Let us sum up all with the parallel words of our Apostle himself, as illustrative of his own more full and extended meaning in the text. "For our Gospel came not unto you in wORD only, but also in POWER, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thess. i. 5—7).

Page 12. "In demonstration of the Spirit and power." In demonstration (ev arrodeisei). The word signifies, the conduct of an argument by regular steps of deduction to its conclusion. (Cicero. Acad. ii. 8, Dav. 1725). The Spirit is here represented as the instrument (so Grotius) conducting the argument of the Apostle to its conclusion in the hearts of his hearers. The inaptitude of miracles alone to produce that effect, cannot better be described than by the reasoning of a Romanist himself; one indeed who, even ‘in religious servitude,' might be said to have kept alive a spirit of the most exalted freedom.' "A miracle, says one, would confirm my belief. He says this, when he does not see it. The reasonings upon it which seen at a distance appear to be conclusive, when he actually arrives at the point appear no longer such; but he begins then to see further. Nothing can arrest the activity of the mind.

There is no rule, then, he says, without an exception; nor any truth so general as not to have some weak or vulnerable point. This forms a sufficient excuse for applying the exception to the present case: and for saying, This is not always true; it may not be so here," &c. &c. (Pensées de Pascal, Seconde Partie, Art. 17).- In the same place, attributing faith to three sources-reason, custom, inspiration-he attributes to the last "the true and saving effect-ne evacuetur crux Christi." Yet, says the same Pascal, pursuing and adopting the error of his own church, "miracles have served for the foundation, and will serve for the continuance, of the church to the end of time." Let the able South, whose weight is always equal to his wit, and whose eloquence never outruns his argument, be heard in reply to this necessity, in his admirable Sermon, "Why Christ's Doctrine was rejected by the Jews." Adverting to Luke xvi. 31, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead," he proceeds: "That is, where a strong, inveterate love of sin has made any doctrine or proposition wholly unsuitable to the heart, no argument or demonstration, no, nor miracle, whatsoever, shall be able to bring the heart cordially to close with and receive it. Whereas, on the contrary, if the heart be piously disposed, the natural goodness of any doctrine is enough to vouch for the truth of it for the suitableness of it will endear it to the will; and by endearing it to the will, will naturally slide it into the assent also. For in morals, as well as in metaphysics, there is nothing really good, but has a truth commensurate to its goodness. The truths of Christ crucified are the Christian's philosophy, and a good life is the Christian's logic; that great instrumental, introductive art, that must guide the mind into the former. And where a long course of piety, and close communion with God, has purged the heart and

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