thou practise the Commandments; to
fee the Light, and yet to walk in Dark-
nefs, is the highest Madness imagina-
ble, S. Joh. iii. 19. What? See Hell,
and yet leap into it? See Heaven, and
yet care not for it? See Chrift, and
yet contemn Him? See GOD, and
yet not obey Him? 'Tis the Depth of
Folly, the Height of Impiety; worse
than Balaam's going against the An-
gel, whom He did not fee. Christ died
and rofe again for us; let that en-
courage us to rise again, and live to
Him in the Exercife of all Graces, and
in the Performance of all Duties, how
difficult foever, as confidering it will
not be in vain, 1 Cor. xv. 17. 1. S. Pet.
i. 3. 1 Cor. xv. 58.

3. Engage us to imitate Chrift's Refurretion from the Grave, by our Rifing from Sin to Newness of Life, Rom. vi. 4. and ii. 5. and by raising our Hearts from Earth, where Chrift is not, to Heaven where He is. He is not here, he is rifen; He is not upon Earth, He is gone to Heaven. Let us therefore behave ourselves like thofe who are rifen with Him, by feeking thofe Things which are above. Coloff. iii. 1, 2.

S. LUK. xxiv. 49.

And behold, I fend the Promife of my Father upon you.

WHAT is the Promise of the Father?

xv. 26,

The Holy Ghost, A&t. ii. 33. Ezek. xxxvi. 27. concerning Whom, confider,

I. His Perfon.

1. He is a Perfon, not an Energy or Quality. Τῶν ἢ καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς σοφῶν δι μ' ενέργειαν τότο τὸ πνεῦμα Tiλabov, Greg. Naz. Orat. 37. Ephef. iv. 30. Rom. viii. 26, 27. S. Joh. xvi. 7, 8, 9.

2. No created Perfon, S. Matt. xii. 32. S. Luk. i. 35. Quomodo igitur inter creaturas audet quifpiam Spiritum S. computare? Ambrof. de Spiritu S. lib. 1. cap. 3. Hence Macedonius was condemn'd in the Synod at Conftantinople, for faying, veμa lioμa

and therefore in the first Canon, among other Herefies, they condemn lageævæv, йy×v @veUμαζομάχων" and add to the Nicene Creed thofe Words, καὶ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιὸν, τὸ ἐκ τὸ παρὸς ἐκπορευόμθμοι, &c.

3. One of the Three Perfons in the Sacred Trinity, S. Matt. xxviii, 19. 1 S. Joh. v. 7. Act. xix. 2, 3. this was confirm'd by the Council at Ale xandria, ἐνθὰ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα θεολογήσαντες τῇ ὁμουσίᾳ τριάδι συνανελαμβάνειο, Socrat.

4. Truly GOD, of the fame Substance with the other Perfons, 1 S. Joh. v. 7. Alt. v. 3, 4. Hence the ancient Synod at Rome determines the Three Perfons to be μιᾶς ἐσίας, μιᾶς θεότη, μιᾶς astris, &c. Theodoret. lib. 2. cap. 22.

"

5. A Perfon proceeding from the Father and the Son: The first general Council thus worded it, is To Treμa Toyo The fecond Council at Confantinople added, τὸ ἐκ τὸ πατρὶς ἐκπορευόμενον. At Toledo, anno 653. was added, Ex Patre, Filioque; but at Aquifgranum, now Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany, anno 809. this Addition of the Elioque, was referred to Pope Leo III. who expung'd it out of the Creed. Pope Nicolaus reinferted it, for which Photius condemn'd him; and in a Council at Conftantinople, it was order'd to be taken out. Hence Cerularius, Theophylact, and all the Grecians, inveigh'd against it, for which the Popes of Rome condemn'd them for Hereticks, which caus'd the Schifm betwixt the East and Weftern Churches.

But that the Holy Ghoft is a Perfon proceeding from the Father and the Son,

appears,

1. From Scripture, S. Joh. xv. 26. xvi. 7. and XX. 22. Gal. iv. 6.

2. From Reafon. The Spirit proceeds not. from the Father as He is a Father, but as GOD; but the Son is the fame GOD with the Father.

Si quicquid habet, de Patre habet Filius, utique de Patre habet ut ab illo procederet Spiritus, S. Aug.

3. Testimony of the Latins; Precedens d Patre & Filio, Ambrof. Communiter ab utroque procedit, Auguft. De Patre & Filio auctoribus confitendus eft, Hilar. de Trinit. lib. 2.

of the Greeks ; ἐκ Πατρὶς ἐκπορευό wworm to yo haμivov, Epiph. Haref. 62.

Sect. 4.

II. His Office; which is,

1. To dictate the Gospel, S. Joh. xiv. 26. and xvi. 13. 2 Tim. iii. 16.

(

2. To affift in the Propagation of it, S. Joh. xvi. 8.

3. To renew us, Tit. iii. 5.

4. To enlighten us, Ephef. i. 17. 1 Cor. ii. 10,

11, 12, 14.

5. To direct us, Rom. viii. 14, 26, 27.

6. To unite us to Chrift, 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. Ephef. iv. 1, 2, 3.

7. To affure us of our Adoption, Rom. viii. 15, 16.

8. To fettle and ordain a Ministry in His Church, Aft. xiii. 2. and xx. 28.

9. To endow them with Variety of Gifts, 1 Cor. xii. 28. Ephef. iv. 11, 12.

10. To make the Ordinances effectual, A&t. ii. 2, 37. S. Mar. xiii. 11.

11. To comfort and fupport His Church under Troubles, S. Joh. xiv. 16. Act. xiv. 22.

III. When was this Promise fulfill'd? 1. Negatively.

1. Not before Chrift's Paffion, S. Joh. xvi. 7. 2. Nor presently after His Refurrection, and before His Afcenfion, S. Joh. vii.

39.

3. Nor just at His Afcenfion, S. Luk. xxiv: 49 Act. i. 4.

2. Pofitively, after His Afcenfion, and Seffion at the Right Hand of GOD, A. ii. 1, 2. Why after His Afcenfion?

1. To confirm His Exaltation by the Spirit, as the Angels did His Afcenfion.

2. To shew that it is by His Mediation that the Spirit is given us.

INFERENCES.

1. Hence we fee the Certainty of Chrift's Afcenfion.

2. The Reasons of the Gofpel's Propagation. 3. The Method of Man's Salvation.

USES.

1. Quench not the Spirit, 1 Theff. v. 19. Ephef.

iv. 30.

2. Pray for the Spirit, S. Luk. xi. 13.

1. To convince you, S. Joh. xvi. 8, 9.
2. To convert you.

3. To fanctify you, I S. Pet. i. 2.
4. To ftrengthen you.

5. To direct you, Zach. xii. 10.

3. Follow the Guidance of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 1. Gal. v. 25.

4. Believe in the Spirit, S. Matt. xxviii. 19. 5. Blefs GOD for fending Him, Pfal. ciii, I, 2.

S. JOH.