Peter MacBride
(2.) The Spirit is a distinct Person from God the Father and the Son. This is a point of the greatest importance, for many heretics have denied it. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person in the Godhead because:
[1.] He is spoken of as distinct from the Father and the Son. He is so spoken of, (1.) in the form of baptism (Mt 28:19). If the Spirit of God be not distinct from the Father and the Son, why is He here distinguished from them? And is the mention of Him here to be considered as a mere repetition of what was said before?
(2.) He is so distinguished also in 2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” Here the Holy Ghost is clearly distinguished both from the Father and Son; now if He is not distinct, this is a mere repetition. This might be demonstrated from many other passages which show that He is a distinct person.
[2.] He is spoken of as a Person. That He is so spoken of is clear from the passages already noticed and many others (as, for instance, Jn 14:17-26, 15:26, 16:7-14). Nothing can be clearer than that the blessed Spirit is here spoken of as a Person; although He is distinct from the Father and Son, He is also a distinct Person.
[3.] Personal attributes are ascribed to Him – those qualities which can only belong to a person. For instance, we find, (1.) Understanding is ascribed
1A further part of a chapter in “The New Creature”, to be found in MacBride’s Remains. “The New Creature” is a series of sermons on: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17). The first part of the chapter, “The Holy Spirit Is a Divine Person” appeared last month and presented Scripture teaching on the subject.
to Him; now this is something that only belongs to a person. That this is ascribed to the blessed Spirit is clear from what has already been said, and from 1 Corinthians 2:10: “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” This shows that He is a person.
(2.) Will is ascribed to Him. This is implied when He is said to come; but besides this, it is directly attributed to Him, as we may see: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will” (1 Cor 12:1-11). Here we see that He not only has an understanding, but a will of His own ascribed to Him.
(3.) Affections, so far as these may be said to belong to God, are ascribed to Him. So He is said to love: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit” (Rom 15:30). This shows He is a distinct Person.
[4.] The actions ascribed to Him show that the Spirit is a distinct Person. These are personal actions, as, (1.) To order something. This He does, as we may see in Acts 13:2.
(2.) To come and reveal any truth, are likewise truly personal actions; yet these are equally ascribed to the Spirit of God, as is clear from: “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (Jn 15:26); and, “I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of
judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (Jn 16:7-14).
(3.) To distribute, in a sovereign and independent manner, various spiritual gifts. This must likewise be considered of the same nature; yet this is also ascribed to the Spirit of God (1 Cor 12:1). These things show that He is a distinct Person from the Father and Son.
[5.] The actions which may be done to Him prove His distinct personality; for instance, He may be vexed, grieved, provoked and sinned against. Now this only can be said of a person. It is indeed objected that He is spoken of in some places as if He is not a person, as for instance, when He is compared to water. Now it is admitted He is so spoken of. But all may be spoken of in this manner, and it is indeed quite common to do so. In particular, the Saviour Himself, whose distinct personality cannot be doubted, is spoken of in the same manner: “I am poured out like water,” He says (Ps 22:14). And if such an expression does not prove that Christ is no Person at all, neither do similar expressions prove that the Holy Spirit is not a Person. So then the Holy Spirit is a distinct, divine Person in the Godhead, and is one with the Father and the Son, the same in substance with Them, equal in power and glory.
Before passing from this part of the subject, I observe: (1.) The name of this glorious Person is Spirit, a name that is given to Him in reference to His personal relation to the other Persons of the Godhead.
(2.) His relation to Them, so expressed, consists in His procession from Them; so, (1) He proceeds from the Father, as is clearly stated: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (Jn 15:26). “The Spirit of truth”, it is said, “proceedeth from the Father.”
(2) He also proceeds from the Son. This has indeed been long disputed by the Greek Church, as it is not said, in so many words, in Scripture that He proceeds from the Son, as it is said as to the Father. But though it is not so said, yet it is said that He is the Spirit of the Son: “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal 4:6), which intimates that He proceeds from the Son, as well as from the Father. Seeing He is not called the Spirit of the Father anywhere in Scripture that I can remember, it might as well be said that He is not the Spirit of the Father, as to deny that He proceeds from the Son because that is not said in express words.