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Holy Trinity altogether. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Ha. lix, 21. Here is the Father and the Son agreeing about a covenant; I have made a covenant with my chofen. The Son is undertaking to become man: it is to be a covenant by facrifice. He undertakes in our behalf, and for us: the promise of eternal life and the Holy Spirit are to come upon him; this the Holy Ghost undertakes to do; and these are to abide upon him, the head of influence, till falvation is finished. And, when Chrift was glorified, then the Word and Spirit were to be sent forth by the Covenant Head to the chofen feed. Spirit is to apply the benefits of the cross, and proclaim liberty to the elect-By the blood of thy covenant I have fent thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. They are called Chrift's prifoners, because they are given unto him to redeem, fanctify, and fave.

The

In the work of creation the diftinct perfonality and operations of the Holy Trinity plainly appear. There is God the Father creating all things by Jefus Christ, Eph. iii. 9; and there is the Holy Spirit moving upon the face of the waters (Gen. i. 2), bringing the confufed chaos into its prefent beauti

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ful

ful form and order. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Pfalm xxxiii. 6. Here is the Lord, and the effential Word which was with God and was God, creating the world; and the breath of his mouth, which is the Holy Ghoft, equally concerned in the work; for by his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens. Job xxvi. 13.

Nor need it be thought ftrange that the Holy Ghost is compared to breath and to the wind; feeing, as a learned man obferves, that "generation expreffes the Son's diftinct mode of fubfifting in the divine Effence, fo fpiration may also exprefs the Spirits diftinct mode of fubfifting therein; and, perhaps, is the true reafon of his bearing this name." And, as he is called the Breath of the Almighty, and as Chrift breathed on the apostles and faid unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghoft; the proceffion of the Holy Spirit is beautifully fet forth thereby.

the divine per

There was a council held among fons about the creation of man.-Let us, fays the Father to the Son, make man in our image, after our likeness; and the Holy Ghoft was breathed into him, who formed his foul and quickened him. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. In those words, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, a plurality of perfons appear; but in the laft text, So God made man in bis

own

own image, the unity of the Divine Effence is prcferved; the firft account being in the plural number, and the last in the fingular.

In the government of the world the Trinity appears to be equally concerned. This may be seen. in the king of Babylon's vifions: I faw in the vifions of my head, upon my bed; and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven. Dan. iv. 13. This is in the fingular number. This matter (fays Daniel) is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Dan. iv. 17. I know that many are of opinion that these watchers are angels; but that cannot be; for the decree is called the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the words of the Holy Ones; but angels are not of God's council, nor have they any hand in making God's decrees. Who bath diretted the Spirit of the Lord; or, being his counsellor, bath taught him? With whom took be counsel, and who inftructed him? Ifa. xl. 13, 14. What is called the decree of the Watchers and of the Holy Ones, is explained by the prophet. This is the decree of the Moft High, which is come upon my lord the king. Dan.iv. 24. Befides, though the angels are holy creatures, yet three of them cannot be emphatically called the Holy Ones, for there are twenty thousand of holy angels, and there are holy fouls in heaven and holy faints on earth. But God in three perfons is the

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fountain

fountain of holinefs.

Nor need we wonder at the

Trinity being called Watchers, feeing God the Father, Son, and Spirit, watch over all the faints. He that keepeth thee will not flumber.-Behold, be that keepeth Ifrael shall neither flumber nor fleep. Pfal. cxxi. 3. And, unlefs the Lord keep the city of Zion, all other watchmen wake but in vain. Thus do the Holy Trinity work jointly together, and their distinct perfonality is feen in all their glorious works; and fo it will further appear in every branch of the work of falvation.

As in the miffion and commiffion of Chrift From the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God and his Spirit bath fent me. Ifa. xlviii. 16. Here is Chrift who is the ME that is fent, and the Lord God and his Spirit which fent him. If a trinity of names is meant, and not persons, as a wise man obferves, it fhould have been worded thus: "And now I myself, and myself, have fent myself." This prophecy had its accomplishment just before Chrift entered on his miniftry, at his baptifm. Chrift was upon the earth, the Holy Ghoft defcending in a bodily fhape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, faying, Thou art my be

loved Son, in thee I am well pleased. These are the Lord God and his Spirit fending Chrift forth, and bearing their teftimony both to his fonfhip and to his appointment.

Salvation alfo is afcribed to all the three perfons, who are equally concerned in it. The Father

speaks

fpeaks thus: But I will have mercy on the boufe of Judah, and will fave them by the Lord their God; and will not fave them by bow, nor by fword, nor by battle, nor by borfes, nor by borsemen. Hofea i. 7. Thus the Father bears teftimony to his only-begotten Son, and tells us that he is the Lord God by whom he faves us; and we believe him, not doubting but God is a faithful and true witnefs, and must be a better judge of his own Son, and what he is, than all the Arians and Socinians in the world. God the Father faves us by the Lord our God, who is the Son; hence he is called Jefus, because he shall fave bis people from their fins. Matt. i. 21. Nor is the Holy Ghost excluded from the work of falvation; for the Father, who tells us that he will have mercy upon the houfe of Judah, tells us alfo how this mercy shall come to us, even by the Holy Spirit-But according to his mercy he faved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Tit. iii. 5. Thus are all the three divine perfons engaged in our falvation. Hence we read of wells, more wells than one, in which falvation is to be had-Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation. Ifa. xii. 3.

Again, an empty name cannot write nor bear record. How does a fictitious name appear in a court of law, when there is no perfon to be found that bears that name, or is called by it? But there are three that bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft; and thofe three are one.

1 John

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