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faculties。 A lofty spirit means pride; a lowly spirit humility;
an evil spirit hatred and melancholy。 So; too; the expressions
spirits of jealousy; fornication; wisdom; counsel; bravery;
stand for a jealous; lascivious; wise; prudent; or brave mind
(for we Hebrews use substantives in preference to adjectives);
or these various qualities。 (63) (8。) The mind itself; or the life: 〃Yea; they
have all one spirit;〃 Eccles。 iii:19 〃The spirit shall return to
God Who gave it。〃 (64) (9。) The quarters of the world (from the winds
which blow thence); or even the side of anything turned
towards a particular quarter … Ezek。 xxxvii:9; xlii:16; 17; 18;
19; &c。
(65) I have already alluded to the way in which things are referred to
God; and said to be of God。 (66) (1。) As belonging to His nature; and
being; as it were; part of Him; e。g the power of God; the
eyes of God。 (67) (2。) As under His dominion; and depending on His
pleasure; thus the heavens are called the heavens of the Lord;
as being His chariot and habitation。 So Nebuchadnezzar is
called the servant of God; Assyria the scourge of God; &c。
(68) (3。) As dedicated to Him; e。g。 the Temple of God; a Nazarene of God;
the Bread of God。 (69) (4。) As revealed through the prophets and not
through our natural faculties。 In this sense the Mosaic law is called the law
of God。 (70) (5。) As being in the superlative degree。 Very high mountains
are styled the mountains of God; a very deep sleep; the sleep
of God; &c。 In this sense we must explain Amos iv:11: 〃I
have overthrown you as the overthrow of the Lord came
upon Sodom and Gomorrah;〃 i。e。 that memorable overthrow;
for since God Himself is the Speaker; the passage cannot well
be taken otherwise。 The wisdom of Solomon is called the
wisdom of God; or extraordinary。 The size of the cedars
of Lebanon is alluded to in the Psalmist's expression; 〃the cedars
of the Lord。〃
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(71) Similarly; if the Jews were at a loss to understand any
phenomenon; or were ignorant of its cause; they referred it to God。 (72)
Thus a storm was termed the chiding of God; thunder and lightning the
arrows of God; for it was thought that God kept the winds confined in
caves; His treasuries; thus differing merely in name from the Greek wind…
god Eolus。 (73) In like manner miracles were called works of God; as
being especially marvellous; though in reality; of course; all natural events
are the works of God; and take place solely by His power。 (74) The
Psalmist calls the miracles in Egypt the works of God; because the
Hebrews found in them a way of safety which they had not looked for; and
therefore especially marvelled at。
(75) As; then; unusual natural phenomena are called works of God;
and trees of unusual size are called trees of God; we cannot wonder that
very strong and tall men; though impious robbers and whoremongers; are
in Genesis called sons of God。
(76) This reference of things wonderful to God was not peculiar to the
Jews。 (77) Pharaoh; on hearing the interpretation of his dream; exclaimed
that the mind of the gods was in Joseph。 (78) Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel
that he possessed the mind of the holy gods; so also in Latin anything well
made is often said to be wrought with Divine hands; which is equivalent to
the Hebrew phrase; wrought with the hand of God。
(80) We can now very easily understand and explain those passages of
Scripture which speak of the Spirit of God。 (81) In some places the
expression merely means a very strong; dry; and deadly wind; as in Isaiah
xl:7; 〃The grass withereth; the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the
Lord bloweth upon it。〃 (82) Similarly in Gen。 i:2: 〃The Spirit of the Lord
moved over the face of the waters。〃 (83) At other times it is used as
equivalent to a high courage; thus the spirit of Gideon and of Samson is
called the Spirit of the Lord; as being very bold; and prepared for any
emergency。 (84) Any unusual virtue or power is called the Spirit or Virtue
of the Lord; Ex。 xxxi:3: 〃I will fill him (Bezaleel) with the Spirit of the
Lord;〃 i。e。; as the Bible itself explains; with talent above man's usual
endowment。 (85) So Isa。 xi:2: 〃And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
him;〃 is explained afterwards in the text to mean the spirit of wisdom and
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understanding; of counsel and might。
(86) The melancholy of Saul is called the melancholy of the Lord; or a
very deep melancholy; the persons who applied the term showing that they
understood by it nothing supernatural; in that they sent for a musician to
assuage it by harp…playing。 (87) Again; the 〃Spirit of the Lord〃 is used as
equivalent to the mind of man; for instance; Job xxvii:3: 〃And the Spirit of
the Lord in my nostrils;〃 the allusion being to Gen。 ii:7: 〃And God
breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life。〃 (88) Ezekiel also;
prophesying to the dead; says (xxvii:14); 〃And I will give to you My Spirit;
and ye shall live;〃 i。e。 I will restore you to life。 (89) In Job xxxiv:14; we
read: 〃If He gather unto Himself His Spirit and breath;〃 in Gen。 vi:3: 〃My
Spirit shall not always strive with man; for that he also is flesh;〃 i。e。 since
man acts on the dictates of his body; and not the spirit which I gave him to
discern the good; I will let him alone。 (90) So; too; Ps。 li:12: 〃Create in me
a clean heart; 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away
from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me。〃 (91) It was
supposed that sin originated only from the body; and that good impulses
come from the mind; therefore the Psalmist invokes the aid of God against
the bodily appetites; but prays that the spirit which the Lord; the Holy One;
had given him might be renewed。 (92) Again; inasmuch as the Bible; in
concession to popular ignorance; describes God as having a mind; a heart;
emotions … nay; even a body and breath … the expression Spirit of the Lord
is used for God's mind; disposition; emotion; strength; or breath。 (93) Thus;
Isa。 xl:13: 〃Who hath disposed the Spirit of the Lord?〃 i。e。 who; save
Himself; hath caused the mind of the Lord to will anything;? and Isa。
lxiii:10: 〃But they rebelled; and vexed the Holy Spirit。〃
(94) The phrase comes to be used of the law of Moses; which in a
sense expounds God's will; Is。 lxiii。 11; 〃Where is He that put His Holy
Spirit within him?〃 meaning; as we clearly gather from the context; the
law of Moses。 (95) Nehemiah; speaking of the giving of the law; says; i:20;
〃Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them。〃 (96) This is referred to
in Deut。 iv:6; 〃This is your wisdom and understanding;〃 and in Ps。
cxliii:10; 〃Thy good Spirit will lead me into the land of uprightness。〃 (97)
The Spirit of the Lord may mean the breath of the Lord; for breath; no less
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than a mind; a heart; and a body are attributed to God in Scripture; as in Ps。
xxxiii:6。 (98) Hence it gets to mean the power; strength; or faculty of God;
as in Job xxxiii:4; 〃The Spirit of the Lord made me;〃 i。e。 the power; or; if
you prefer; the decree of the Lord。 (99) So the Psalmist in poetic language
declares; xxxiii:6; 〃By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and
all the host of them by the breath of His mouth;〃 i。e。 by a mandate issued;
as it were; in one breath。 (100) Also Ps。 cxxxix:7; 〃Wither shall I go f