48. “Be it
so,” it is rejoined, “but glory is by no means so
absolutely due to the Spirit as to require His exaltation by us in
doxologies.” Whence then could we get demonstrations of the
dignity of the Spirit, “passing all
understanding,”
Phil. iv. 7. if His communion
with the Father and the Son were not reckoned by our opponents as
good for testimony of His rank? It is, at all events, possible
for us to arrive to a certain extent at intelligent apprehension of
the sublimity of His nature and of His unapproachable power, by
looking at the meaning of His title, and at the magnitude of His
operations, and by His good gifts bestowed on us or rather on all
creation. He is called Spirit, as “God is a
Spirit,”
John iv. 24. and “the
breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord.”
Lam. iv. 20. Sic in A.V.
and R.V., the reference being to Zedekiah.
cf. Jer.
xxxix. 5. The
Vulgate reads, “Spiritus oris nostri Christus
Dominus,” from the Greek of the LXX. quoted by St.
Basil, “Πνεῦμα
προσώπου
ἡμῶν
χριστὸς
κύριος.” He is called holy,
1 John i. 20. as the Father is holy, and the Son is
holy, for to the creature holiness was brought in from without, but
to the Spirit holiness is the fulfilment of nature, and it is for
this reason that He is described not as being sanctified, but as
sanctifying. He is called good,
Ps. cxliii.
10.
as the Father is good, and He who was begotten of the Good is good,
and to the Spirit His goodness is essence. He is called
upright,
Ps. li. 10. as “the
Lord is upright,”
Ps. xcii. 15. in that He is
Himself truth,
John xiv. 17; xv. 26;
xvi. 13; 1 John v. 6. and is Himself
Righteousness,
2 Cor. iii. 8,
9. having no
divergence nor leaning to one side or to the other, on account of
the immutability of His substance. He is called Paraclete,
like the Only begotten, as He Himself says, “I will ask the
Father, and He will give you another comforter.”
John xiv. 16, παράκλητον. cf. Note on p. 29. Thus names are borne by the Spirit
in common with the Father and the Son, and He gets these titles from
His natural and close relationship. From what other source
could they be derived? Again He is called royal,
Ps. li. 12, lxx. πνεῦμα
ἡγεμονικόν.
Vulg. spiritus principalis. Spirit of truth,
John xv. 26, etc.
and Spirit of wisdom.
Is. xi. 2. “The
Spirit of God,” it is said “hath made
me,”
Job xxxiii.
4. and God filled
Bezaleel with “the divine Spirit of wisdom and understanding
and knowledge.”
Ex. xxxi. 3, LXX. Such names
as these are super-eminent and mighty, but they do not transcend His
glory.