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8. 1.

which he teftified of his Son; For there are Three, &c. In the next Verfe St. John brings three Witneffes to prove Chrift's Humanity, that he was true Man, and thefe three are the Spirit, (or his Soul) and the Water, and the Blood that came out of his Side when it was opened with the Spear

In this Verfe we have other three Witneffes and a threefold Cord is not eafily broken) to prove his Divinity, namely, The Father, and the Word, himself, and the Holy Ghoft; For there are Three, &c. Not I Cor. three Gods, For though there be that are called gods, whether in Heaven or in Earth, as there be gods many, and lords many, as the gods of the Nations, thefe lying Vanities and Idols, which the Heathen called celeftial Gods, and terreftial Gods; yet to us there is but one God, Eph. 4. even the Lord Almighty, the true and living God, who made the Earth by his Power, and established the Jer. 10. World by his Wifdom, and stretched out the Heavens by his Difcretion. The Father, of whom are all Things, and we in him, and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all Things, and we by him, and one Spirit, by whom we are fealed unto the Day of Redemption.

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Know therefore this Day, O Ifrael, and confider in thine Deut. Heart, that the Lord he is God in Heaven above, and 4. 39. upon the Earth there is none elfe. And again, Thus faith

the Lord, the King of Ifrael,and bis Redeemer the Lord of Hofts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.

There are not Three Gods then, but One, even the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, whereof we have feveral Inftances in Scripture, as in the Admi niftration of our Saviour's Baptifm, there was a ManiMatth. feftation of all thefe Three, of the Father in a Voice 3.17 from Heaven, of the Word in the Humane Nature, of

the Holy Ghost in the Shape of a Dove: Likewife in

the

the Adminiftration of our Baptifm when we are wafhed; according to the Commandment in the Name of the Matth. Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. And 28. 19. again, our blessed Saviour promises, That he would pray the Father, and he fhould give them another John Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the Father 14. 16. himfelt would fend, becaufe he proceeds from both, and is with both, one God beffed for ever.

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Amen. Benediction, (wherewith the Faftor diffolves the Congregation) faying, The Grace of the Lord Jefus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. There are Three that bear Record in Heaven: And firft, This is the Witnefs which the Father hath teffified of his Son, when he fealed this Truth with an audible Voice from Heaven at his Baptifm, and at his Transfiguration, faying, This is my beloved Son, in whom Matth. I am well pleafed, hear ye him.

Purfuant to this is that Apoftfed for ever.

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3. 17. Next, The Word of Life, and the Word of God : This is his Name, and this is his Memorial to all Generations, as it is written, In the Beginning was the Word, and the, Word was with God, and the Word was God: As the Word which we frame in our Mind is the Image and Interpreter of our Minds, (like a looking Glafs reprefenting our felves to our felves and to others) so is Chrift the Brightness or flowing forth of his Father's Glory and exprefs Image of his Perfon, and we behold his Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. And again, All Things that I have heard of my Father, I have made John known unto you. No Man hath feen God at any Time, the 15. 15. only begotten Son which is in the Bofom of the Father, he bath declared him. This Ifay) is his Name, the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever, he is the true and faithful Witnefs, who bears Record of

him

himself that he is the very fame Perfon now in Heaven, who converfed a while here on Earth. This he attested to St. Stephen, and to St. Paul, and to others when he was exalted on the right Hand of Majefty, and manifefted his Glory; as a Perfon's own Teftimony that he is alive, is the fureft Evidence, or a King's fitting on his Throne with his Crown on his Head, and his Scepter in his Hand, is Witnefs fufficient of his royal Dignity.

The Holy Ghoft likewife confirmed this Truth by many fignal Inftances and Appearances at his Baptism, and on the Day of Pentecoft; For there are Three that bear Record in Heaven: And to thefe Witneffes in the Text, to prove that our bleffed Saviour is the Son of God, fee how he appeals in the Days of his Flefh on Earth, I am one (faid he) that bear Witness of my felf, and the Father that fent me bears Witness of me. And again, When the Comforter is come whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father, he ball teftifie of me. And now St. John having with thefe Divine Teftimonies cleared the Divinity of our bleffed Lord, he fubjoins in the next Place the Unity of thefe Three that bear Record in Heaven, And thefe Three are One; according to that of our bleffed Saviour, I and my Father are One, even one God blessed for ever, of whom, and to whom, and through whom are all Things, to whom be Glory for ever. Amen.

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Nor is it conceivable how it fhould be otherwise, when the Divine Nature is infinite, and what is infinite must needs be one, and all in all in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost.

There can be no fuch Unity and Oneness in created Beings, in Men or Angels, because their Natures are finite and fallen from their Original; and therefore they are feparated and divided, which caufed our bleffed

Saviour

Saviour pray for his Difciples, and for all that believe in his Name, that they might be made perfect in one, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.

This indeed was a Myftery among the Gentiles, yea and among the Jews alfo, to whom this Doctrine was taught but in Parables and dark Sayings, left they who were prone to Idolatry, and furrounded with idolatrous Nations might have miftaken it for a Doctrine of Polythefim, or a Plurality of Gods: But now this Mystery which hath been hidden from Ages, and from Generations, is revealed to us by Jefus Chrift, for the Obedience of our Faith and Worship.

There is nothing more plain and eafie to be understood, when we speak in the Language of the Scriptures, and fay, There is one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in us all; for in him we live, and move, and have our Being For this Caufe, fays St.Paul, I bow my Knee before the Father of our Lord Jefus Christ.

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OFather Almighty, and Father everlafting, Hallowed be thy Name for ever and ever. Amen.

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And again when we fay, That our Lord Jefus, who in the Fulness of Time was made of the Seed of David according to the Flefh, is from all Eternity, the only begotten Son of God, Light of Light, and Life of Life; for as the Father hath Life in himself, fo hath he given to the Son, to have Life in himself; Whofe goings forth Micah have been from of old, from everlasting: As when he faid to the Jews, Verily, verily I fay unto you, before Abraham John was I am. Jefus Chrift the fame to Day, Yesterday, 8. 18. and for ever.

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He is the Son of God, not in Refpect of Creation, as
Men and Angels are faid to be Sons of God, and his
Off-fpring, becaufe, by him all Things were created: 8.

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Nor in Refpect of Regeneration and Adoption, because? himself hath given this Privilege to all Believets; buti after a more fpecial Manner and nearer Relation. Our blessed Saviour is God's own Son from all Eternity, for Col. 1. in him. dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily and fubftantially; Therefore as we worship the Father, we fhould likewife worship the Son For the Father loveth the Son, and fhoweth him all Things that him John 5. felf doth, and he will fhow him greater Works than thefe, that ye may marvel. For the Father raifethi up. the dead, and quickneth them even fo the Søn l quickneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no Man, but hath committed all Judgment to the Son, that all Men fhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, Honoureth not the Father that hath fent him. Lob usa onli

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As we believe in the Father, we should likewife believe in the Son: Therefore faid he to his Difciples, Let not your Hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, belvede aljo in me. And as we pray unto the Father, we should likewife pray-unto the Son, and in his Name, according to that Promife, Whatfoever you fall ask in my Name ↓ that will I do, that the Father maybe glorified in the Son. This fame Promife he rehearses again in the following Verfe, for the Encouragement of our Faith, faying, Joh.14. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it. However the Father may be the firft and the more immediated i 13, 14. Object of our Prayers, yet it is in Chrift's Name, and by the Affiftance and Infpiration of his Spirit, which the Scripture calls praying in the Spirit, and praying in the f Holy Ghoft, our Prayers are hallowed, and have Accefs unto the Throne of Grace.

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In like Manner we confefs with our Mouths, and believe in our Hearts, that the Holy Ghoft is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Chrift Jefus, because he

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