第51章

IntheeleventhchapterofNumbers，verse17，“Iwilltake，“saithGod，“ofthespiritwhichisuponthee，andwillputituponthem，andtheyshallbeartheburdenofthepeoplewiththee“；thatis，upontheseventyelders：whereupontwooftheseventyaresaidtoprophesyinthecamp；ofwhomsomecomplained，andJoshuadesiredMosestoforbidthem，whichMoseswouldnotdo。WherebyitappearsthatJoshuaknewnottheyhadreceivedauthoritysotodo，andprophesiedaccordingtothemindofMoses，thatistosay，byaspiritorauthoritysubordinatetohisown。

Inthelikesensewereadthat“Joshuawasfullofthespiritofwisdom，becauseMoseshadlaidhishandsuponhim“：*thatis，becausehewasordainedbyMosestoprosecutetheworkhehadhimselfbegun(namely，thebringingofGod’speopleintothepromisedland)but，preventedbydeath，couldnotfinish。

Inthelikesenseitissaid，“IfanymanhavenottheSpiritofChrist，heisnoneofhis“：*notmeaningtherebytheghostofChrist，butasubmissiontohisdoctrine。Asalso，“HerebyyoushallknowtheSpiritofGod：everyspiritthatconfesseththatJesusChristiscomeinthefleshisofGod“；*(2)bywhichismeantthespiritofunfeignedChristianity，submissiontothatmainarticleofChristianfaith，thatJesusistheChrist；whichcannotbeinterpretedofaghost。

Likewisethesewords，“AndJesusfulloftheHolyGhost“*(thatis，asitisexpressed，Matthew，4。1，andMark，1。12，“oftheHolySpirit“)maybeunderstoodforzealtodotheworkforwhichhewassentbyGodtheFather：buttointerpretitofaghostistosaythatGodHimself(forsoourSaviourwas)wasfilledwithGod；whichisveryimproperandinsignificant。Howwecametotranslatespiritsbythewordghosts，whichsignifiethnothing，neitherinheavennorearth，buttheimaginaryinhabitantsofman’sbrain，Iexaminenot：

butthisIsay，thewordspiritinthetextsignifiethnosuchthing；buteitherproperlyarealsubstanceor，metaphorically，someextraordinaryabilityoraffectionofthemindorofthebody。

TheDisciplesofChrist，seeinghimwalkinguponthesea*supposedhimtobeaspirit，meaningtherebyanaerialbody，andnotaphantasm：foritissaidtheyallsawhim；whichcannotbeunderstoodofthedelusionsofthebrain(whicharenotcommontomanyatonce。asvisiblebodiesare；butsingular，becauseofthedifferencesoffancies)，butofbodiesonly。Inlikemanner，wherehewastakenforaspirit，bythesameApostles：*(2)soalsowhenSt。Peterwasdeliveredoutofprison，itwouldnotbebelieved；butwhenthemaidsaidhewasatthedoor，theysaiditwashisangel；*(3)

bywhichmustbemeantacorporealsubstance，orwemustsaythedisciplesthemselvesdidfollowthecommonopinionofbothJewsandGentilesthatsomesuchapparitionswerenotimaginary，butreal；

andsuchasneedednotthefancyofmanfortheirexistence：thesetheJewscalledspiritsandangels，goodorbad；astheGreekscalledthesamebythenameofdemons。Andsomesuchapparitionsmayberealandsubstantial；thatistosay，subtlebodies，whichGodcanformbythesamepowerbywhichHeformedallthings，andmakeuseofasministersandmessengers(thatistosay，angels)，todeclareHiswill，andexecutethesamewhenHepleasethinextraordinaryandsupernaturalmanner。ButwhenHehathsoformedthemtheyaresubstances，enduedwithdimensions，andtakeuproom，andcanbemovedfromplacetoplace，whichispeculiartobodies；andthereforearenotghostsnotghostsincorporeal，thatistosay，ghoststhatareinnoplace；thatistosay，thatarenowhere；thatistosay，that，seemingtobesomewhat，arenothing。Butifcorporealbetakeninthemostvulgarmanner，forsuchsubstancesasareperceptiblebyourexternalsenses；thenissubstanceincorporealathingnotimaginary，butreal；namely，athinsubstanceinvisible，butthathaththesamedimensionsthatareingrosserbodies。

Bythenameofangelissignified，generally，amessenger；andmostoften，amessengerofGod：andbyamessengerofGodissignifiedanythingthatmakesknow