And therefore the fame apostle doth in another place, exprefsly conjoin, and yet as exprefsly diftinguifh the Father and the Son in directing his fupplications, 1 Thef. iii. 11. • God himself even our Father and our Lord Jefus Chrift direct our way unto you.' The like prefident alfo have you of thanksgiving; Eph. i. 3, 4. Bleffed be the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift,' &c. I fhall not add those very many places, wherein the feveral particulars that do concur unto that whole divine worship (not to be commu nicated unto any, by nature not God without idolatry) wherein the faints do hold communion with God, are diftinctly directed to the person of the Father.

2. It is fo alfo in reference unto the Son, John xiv. 1. You believe in God (faith Chrift) believe alfo in me.' Believe alfo, act faith diftinctly on me; faith divine, fụpernatural, that faith whereby you believe in God, that is the Father. There is a believing of Chrift, viz. that he is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. This is that whofe neglect our Saviour fo threatened unto the Pharifees: John viii. 24. "If you believe not that I am he, you fhall die in your fins.' In this sense faith is not immediately fixed on the Son, being only an owning of him, that is, Christ to be the Son, by clofing with the teftimony of the Father concerning him. But there is alfo a believing on him, called believing on the name of the Son of God,' I John v, 13. So alfo, John ix. 36. yea the distinct affixing of faith, affiance and confidence on the Lord Je fus Chrift the Son of God, is moft frequently preffed, John. iii. 16. God (that is the Father) fo loved the world, that whofoever believeth on him (that is the Son) should not perish' The Son, who is given of the Father is be-lieved on. He that believeth on him, is not condemned ver. 18. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life," ver 36. This is the work of God that ye believe on him, whom he hath fent, John vi. 29, 40. 1 John v. 10. The foundation of the whole is laid, John v. 23. That all men fhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father; he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which fent him.' But of this honour and worship of the Son, I have treated at large elsewhere; and fhall not in general infift upon it again. For love, I fhall only add that folemn apoftolical benediction, Eph. vi. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jefus Chris

in fincerity.' That is with divine love, the love of religious worship; which is the only incorrupt love of the Lord Jefus.

Further, That faith, hope and love, acting themselves in all manner of obedience and appointed worship, are peculiarly due from the faints, and distinctly directed unto the Son, is abundantly manifefted from that folemn doxology, Rev. i. 5, 6. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever, and ever, Amen.' Which yet is fet forth with more glory, chap v. 8. The four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints, And ver. 13, 14. Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, heard I faying, bleffings, honour, glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." The Father, and the Son, he that fits upon the throne, and the Lamb, are held out jointly, yet diftinctly as the adequate object of all divine worship and honour, for ever and ever. And therefore Stephen in his folemn dying invocation, fixeth his faith and hope distinctly on him, Ăcts vii. 59, 60. Lord Jefus receive my fpirit, and Lord lay not this fin to their charge; for he knew that the Son of man had power to forgive fins alfo. And this worship of the Lord Jefus, the apoftle makes the difcriminating character of the faints, 1 Cor. i. 2. • With all (faith he) that in every place call upon the name of Jefus Chrift our Lord, both theirs and ours; that is, with all the faints of God. And invocation generally comprizes the whole worship of God. This then is the due Mediator, though as God, as the Son, not as Mediator.

Thus alfo is it in reference unto the Holy Spirit of grace. The clofing of the great fin of unbelief, is still defcribed as an oppofition unto, and a refifting of that Holy Spirit. And you have diftin&t mention of the love of the Spirit, Rom. xv. 13. The apoftle alfo peculiarly directs his fupplication to him, in that folemn benediction, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. • The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with

you.' All fuch benedictions are originally fupplications. He is likewife entitled unto all instituted worship, from the appointment of the adminiftration of baptifm in his name, Matth. xxviii. 18. of which things more afterwards.

Now of the things which have been delivered, this is the fum; there is no grace whereby our fouls go forth unto God, no act of divine worship yielded unto him, no duty or obedience performed, but they are diftinctly directed unto Father, Son, and Spirit: now by these and fuch like ways as thefe, do we hold communion with God; and therefore we have that communion diftinctly, as hath been defcribed.

This alfo may farther appear, if we confider how diftinctly the perfons of the Deity are revealed to act in the communication of those good things, wherein the faints have communion with God. As all the fpiritual afcendings of their fouls, are affigned unto them refpectively, fo all their internal receivings of the communications of God unto them, are held out in fuch a diftribution, as points at diftinct rifes and fountains, (though not of being in themfelves, yet) of difpenfations unto us. Now this is declar

ed two ways.

1. When the fame thing is, at the same time, afcribed jointly, and yet diftinctly to all the perfons in the Deity, and refpectively to each of them. So are grace and peace, Rev. i. 4, 5. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jefus Chrift who is the faithful Witness, &c. The feven fpirits before the throne, are the Holy Spirit of God, confidered as the perfect fountain of every perfect gift and dif.. penfation. All are here joined together, and yet all mentioned as diftinguished in their communication of grace and peace, unto the faints. Grace and peace be unto you

from the Father, and from, &c.

2. When the fame thing is attributed feverally and fingly unto each perfon. There is indeed, no gracious influence from above, no elapfe of light, life, love, or grace upon our hearts, but proceedeth in fuch a difpenfation. I fhall give only one inftance, which is very comprehenfive, and may be thought to comprize all other particulars; and this is TEACHING. The teaching of God, is the real com

munication of all and every particular emanation from himTelf unto the faints, whereof they are made partakers. That promife, they shall be all taught of God, enwarps in itself the whole mystery of grace, as to its actual difpenfation unto us, fo far as we may be made real poffeffors of it. Now this is affigned.

1. Unto the FATHER. The accomplishment of that promise is peculiarly referred to him, John vi. 45. It is written in the prophets, and they fhall be all taught of God. Every man therefore who hath heard and learned of the FATHER, cometh unto me.' This teaching whereby we are tranflated from death unto life, brought unto Christ, unto a participation of life and love in him, it is of, and from the Father: him we hear, of him we learn, by him are we brought unto union and communion with the Lord Jefus. This is his drawing us, his begetting us anew of his own will, by his own Spirit. And in which work he employs the ministers of the gofpel, Acts xxvi. 18.

2. Unto the SON. The Father proclaims him from heaven to be the great Teacher in that folemn charge to hear him, which came once again from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, hear him. The whole of this prophetical, and no fmall part of his kingly office, confifts in this teaching; herein is he faid to draw men unto him, as the Father is faid to do in his teaching, John xii. 32. which he doth with fuch efficacy, that the dead hear his voice and live. The teaching of the Son, is a life-giving, a fpirit-breathing teaching: an effectual influence of light, whereby he fhines into darknefs; communication of life, quickening the dead, an opening of blind eyes, and changing of hard hearts, a pouring out of the Spirit, with all the fruits thereof. Hence he claims it as his privilege to be the fole Master, Matth. xxiii. 10. is your Mafter which is Chrift.

One

3. To the SPIRIT. John xiv. 26. The Comforter he • fhall teach you all things; and the anointing which you have received,' (faith the apostle) abideth in you, and " you need not that any man teach you, but as the fame anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,' ye fhall abide in him, 1 John ii. 27. That teaching unction which is not only true, but truth itself, is only the Holy Spirit of God: so

that he teacheth alfo; being given unto us, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God, 1 Cor. ii. 15. I have chofen this special inftance, because as I told you, it is comprehenfive, and comprises in itself moft of the particulars that might be enumerated; quickning, preferving, &c.

This then farther drives on the truth that lies under demonftration; there being fuch a diftinct communion of grace from the several perfons of the Deity, the faints must needs have diftinct communion with them.

It remaineth only to intimate in a word, wherein this distinction lyes, and what is the ground thereof. Now this is, that the Father doth it by the way of original authority; the Son by the way of communicating from a purchased treasury; the Holy Spirit by the way of immediate efficacy.

1. The Father communicates all grace by the way of original authority. He quickeneth WHOM HE WILL, John v. 21. Of HIS OWN WILL, begat he us, James i. 18. Lifegiving power is in refpect of original authority invested in the Father by the way of eminency: and therefore in fending of the quickning Spirit, Chrift is faid to do it from the Father, or the Father himself to do it. • But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will fend. John xiv. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will fend from the Father,' John xv. 26. Though he be also faid to fend himself, on another account, John xvi. 7.

2. The Son by the way of making out a purchased treafury. Of his fulness do we all receive and grace for grace, John i. 16. And whence is this fulness? It pleased the Father that in him all fulnefs fhould dwell,' Col. i. 19. And upon what account he hath the difpenfation of that fulness to him committed you may fee, Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11. • When thou shall make his foul an offering for fin, he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord fhall profper in his hand. He fhall fee of the travail of his foul and be fatisfied: by his knowledge fhall my righte ous Servant justify many: for he fhall hear their iniquities,' Ifa. liii. 10, 11. And with his fulness he hath alfo authority for the communication of it. John v. 25, 26. Matth. xxviii. 18.

3. The Spirit doth it by the way of immediate efficacy,