Other significations of “spirit” I find nowhere any; and where none of these can satisfy the sense of that word in Scripture, the place falleth not under human understanding; and our faith therein consisteth not in our opinion, but in our submission; as in all places where God is said to be a “Spirit,” or where by the “Spirit of God” is meant God himself. For the nature of God is incomprehensible; that is to say, we understand nothing of “what He is,” but only “that He is”; and therefore the attributes we give Him are not to tell one another “what He is,” nor to signify our opinion of His nature, but our desire to honour Him with such names as we conceive most honourable amongst ourselves.
Gen. 1:2: “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Here if by the “Spirit of God” be meant God himself, then is “motion” attributed to God, and consequently “place,” which are intelligible only of bodies, and not of substances incorporeal; and so the place is above our understanding, that can conceive nothing moved that changes not place, or that has not dimension; and whatsoever has dimension is body. But the meaning of those words is best understood by the like place ( Gen. 8:1), where when the earth was covered with waters, as in the beginning, God intending to abate them, and again to discover the dry land, useth the like words, “I will bring my Spirit upon the earth, and the waters shall be diminished,” in which place, by “Spirit” is understood a wind, that is an air or “spirit moved,” which might be called, as in the former place, the “Spirit of God,” because it was God’s work.
Gen. 41:38: Pharaoh calleth the Wisdom of Joseph, the “Spirit of God.” For Joseph having advised him to look out a wise and discreet man, and to set him over the land of Egypt, he saith thus, “Can we find such a man as this is, in whom is the Spirit of God?” And Exod. 28:3: “Thou shalt speak,” saith God, “to all the wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron garments, to consecrate him”; where extraordinary understanding, though but in making garments, as being the “gift” of God, is called the “Spirit of God.” The same is found again,