than the following expressions of Bernard, in his treatise on loving God, which I cannot help quoting. 66 66 If," says he, "I owe my whole self for my creation, "what can I add for my renovation by means so asto"nishing? I have not been renewed so easily as I "was made. God made me, by merely speaking a single word; in renewing me, he has not only spoken "much, but endured many grievous and ignominious "sufferings. In the first work he gave ME to myself; "in the second he GAVE HIMSELF; and when he thus "GAVE HIMSELF, he RESTORED ME to myself. Having, then, been both GIVEN and RESTORED, I owe "MYSELF, I doubly owe MYSELF for MYSELF. What "shall I render to God for HIMSELF? for though I "were able to render MYSELF a thousand times, what "am I in the presence of GOD!" Christian faith in God teaches a man thus to reason, and thus to stir up his soul. 66 XXV. We remark, in conclusion, that what has been said must not be understood to intimate, that no person in whom all the attainments of which we have now spoken, and these in the degree which we have delineated, are not found, can say in sincerity, I BELIEVE IN GOD. We have described "believing in God," not as it subsists in Christians that are weak and "of little faith," but as it may be conceived, and as it is sometimes seen in those to whom the Lord has imparted a richer measure of his Spirit. It is proper in this manner to propose faith in God to ourselves, not that we may fall into despair, or be unduly discouraged, when we cannot discern some parts of the description VOL. I. De Diligendo Deo. G. in ourselves; but that captivated with its beauty and excellence, we may cultivate, with all possible zeal and activity, the small beginnings which we have, till we gradually reach that full assurance of faith, which produces so many excellent fruits. Lord, we believe; help thou our unbelief. AMEN. DISSERTATION VI. ON FAITH IN A THREE-ONE GOD. 1. THE Creed is usually divided into three parts; of which the first relates to GOD THE FATHER, and the work of CREATION; the second to GOD THE SON, and the work of REDEMPTION; the third to GOD THE HOLY GHOST, and the work of SANCTIFICATION. The most ancient formulary having consisted of a simple profession of the Trinity, our present Creed, which took its rise from that formulary, and in course of time was completed by the addition of various articles, is still so framed that these may all be referred to the Three Persons in the Godhead. This great doctrine remained as the Foundation of foundations, upon which the other articles were built. II. When, however, his own distinct actions are ascribed to each of the Persons respectively, this must not be understood to intimate that either the power or the operation of the Persons is divided, or that any one of them accomplishes his work more immediately than another. As God is one, so the power and operation of all the Persons are one and undivided; and each person is the immediate and perfect cause of the whole work. The Son and the Holy Ghost created the world by the same power, and by the same act, with the Father. The manner of those works which respect our redemption, is, nevertheless, somewhat different. As a participation of the human nature was requisite to the performance of these, and as the Son alone assumed this nature into personal union with himself, these works, being the works of the God-man, are peculiar to the Son. Yet it is admitted that in so far as the Godhead was concerned, they are the works of the whole Trinity; and, accordingly, they are, in this view, attributed to the Father and the Holy Spirit equally with the Son. To the Father: "Believest thou not that I am "in the Father, and the Father in me? The words "that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the "Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works." a To the Holy Spirit: "I cast out devils by the Spirit "of God." The incarnation itself, and similar acts, though peculiar to the Son in respect that they terminate upon him only, are nevertheless, in regard to the agency by which they are effected, the works of the whole Trinity.c III. But this distinction of the Divine works, has a respect, 1st, To the order of the Persons, which ought to be observed in their operation, as well as their subsistence. Thus, because the Father is the First person of the Godhead, and creation is the first external work of the Deity, as it is the beginning of all those things that are without God, it is justly ascribed, by special economy, to the Father, who, on this account, is called “Lord of heaven and earth." Yet the agency of the Son, and the Holy Ghost,f is not excluded from this work. 2dly, It is necessary, also, to attend to the terminating of an act upon some certain Person. For this reason, redemption is attributed to the Second person, for whom alone the human nature was prepared, in and by which the Godhead performed many acts relating to our salvation.s The Father, however, is said to have "reconciled the world to himself,"h and to have "made peace by the blood of the cross of Christ :" and we" are washed, sanctified, and justified, by the Spirit "of our God." Paul, in like manner, says of the living God, essentially considered, that he is "the Saviour "of all men, especially of them that believe."k 3dly, Some add that the distinction of the Divine works has a respect to the proximate and immediate principle of operation, and that, in this view, our sanctification should be ascribed to the Holy Ghost. We may be permitted, however, to call in question the solidity of this sentiment; for one Divine person doth not act by another, as an intermediate cause; and, as the power of all the persons is one and the same, each of them accomplishes an effect by the same immediate operation. A holy God, essentially considered, is the sanctifier of Israel.m The Father and the Son perform this work not less immediately than the Spirit; for the power and the operation of all the three are the same. If, indeed, the order of operation amongst the persons be considered, the Father acts by the Son and the Holy Ghost. But, in this sense, all the works of God ought e Heb. i. 10. i Col. i. 20. k 1 Tim. iv. 10. f Gen. i. 2. h 2 Cor. v. 19. 12 Thess. ii. 13. |