Practical use of the Trinity.

and which therefore are not necessary to faith. It is sufficient for us to apprehend, that there are three equal persons in one Jehovah, or self-existent Godhead, and that this Godhead is One; that we are privileged to have communion with these divine persons in their several offices of salvation; and that, by the unction of the Spirit, we come into the grace of the Son, and possess the love of the Father, now and for evermore. Through Christ (says the Apostle) we both (i. e. Jews and Gentiles) have an access by one Spirit unto the Father. And thus the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, are with all true believers in every age of the world. He, therefore, that doth not thus apprehend the doctrine of the Trinity, only apprehendeth the phantom of his own imagination, and is never the better for his speculation, be it ever so abstruse or refined. Indeed, there is not any doctrine of the gospel, not excepting the mysterious one now mentioned, but which stands upon fact, is in perfect harmony with all other truths, and invariably leads to use and experience.

Of what avail to my soul are all the nicest disquisitions of men? I want food and light, reality and enjoyment. These do thy word, O Lord, afford in plentiful measure, when thy grace opens the well-spring to my heart.-I am there taught to pray for that anointing of the Holy One, which shall lead and guide me into all thy saving truth. By him I am both instructed and enabled to renounce myself, to put on Christ, and to cleave to my Redeemer as my only portion and hope. By the Spirit and Son of God, I am led up to fellowship with the Father, and to call upon him as

Incarnation of Christ.

my Father, even mine. O my blessed God, my Abba, my Father, my Life, and my All, what hast thou revealed to my poor soul; and how much more hast thou done and prepared than thou hast hitherto revealed to men, or than men in this state are able to conceive! O thou Fountain of unutterable blessedness, thou unfathomable Height and Depth of love, help me thus to know thee in the secret of my soul; and may all thy works of providence and grace increase this inward knowledge to the end! While others dispute, let me enjoy. Manifest thy precepts to my mind, and say to my longing spirit, Peace be unto thee, for I am thy salvation.

One spark of this life is of more worth than the whole universe of notions; for this not only brings an understanding of divine things superior to all speculations, but gives with it a fulness of satisfaction, arising from the very taste and perception of the things themselves. Faith takes them for realities, hope is enkindled by them as such, and love finds them to be so, and embraces them with joy to the end.

CHAP. VI.

ON THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST, BY WHICH HE BECAME IMMANUEL.

WHO shall unfold this mystery, or unfathom this love of my God? The Ancient of days became a child of days, and the Lord of all would be the servant of all, that he might be a Redeemer, a brother, a friend, of poor unworthy mortals, of

Christ our Immanuel.

vile apostates and rebels, such as I am, and such as, without him, I and all others for ever must have been.

He took our nature without sin, that he might bear our sin. If had been in that which he took for himself, it would not have been possible, that one, who was equally sinful, should have taken off sinfulness, from others. Thus he, who was not, and could not be a sinner by nature, did, by imputation, become the greatest of sinners. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree; and Jehovah laid upon him the iniquities of us all; when he once suffered for sins, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST. This dear Immanuel was a Lamb without spot, and therefore meet to be slain for atonement; and a Scape-Goat, or Strong-One, going off, laden with iniquities; and so able to bear them away into everlasting forgetfulness.

He was very God and very Man in one Christ. As Christ he is Immanuel, or God with us. What his name implies, that he truly is. He is God with us, able to save and to succour, able to bless and to enliven, in all our pilgrimage from earth to heaven. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

And is this thy promise, O thou meek and lowly Jesus! and shall I be still slow of heart to believe it! Shall I always be hanging my head like a bulrush; and shall my eyes be still gushing out their faithless tears, when thou hast promised not only the best of creatures in earth and heaven, but thine own blessed self to be with me, who art Lord of all! O my dear Redeemer, be so with me by thy gracious power, that I may be deeply sensible of thy continual presence; manifest thyself to me as thou dost not unto the

Descent into Egypt.

world; for I am thine, and I desire to give up myself and all I am and have to thy blessed will for ever. Be indeed, according to thy name, my Immanuel, my God with me and in me of a truth, that I may walk in fellowship with thee as one agreed, and draw from thy fulness all those supplies of grace, life, and peace, without which I can neither be happy, nor be alive to thy glory. O hear and answer, for mine eyes and my heart are upon thee!

CHAP. VII.

ON CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO EGYPT.

It behoved this Immanuel in all things to be made like unto his brethren; therefore he went down into Egypt. All he did upon earth had some use and meaning. By some facts, he testified what he was doing, and by others, what he would do continually, for his people.

Out of Egypt have I called my Son, saith the Lord. His redeemed were spiritually in Egypt, the house of bondage. They were there under the service, of a cruel king, a prince who ruleth in the world by usurpation till the time appointed. Grievous are the tasks, and sad are the wages, of this tyrant of souls. Jesus went down and came up again for a sign. As the head of his people he did this, preaching their redemption from bondage in himself. In their order and times, they come up out of Egypt too, by the strong hand of this Captain of salvation. He is great in might, and therefore not one of them faileth. The

Condescension of Christ.

prince of the air loseth his dominion over them; and though he follow them like Pharaoh, and chase them all the way, he cannot hinder their course of faith, nor rob them of their Canaan in glory.

O marvellous love of my Saviour! Was it not enough for thee to take up my nature in its best estate, without submitting to a manger, to contempt, to persecution, to banishment, and all the wrongs of men? O how low must I be fallen, that it should be needful for thee (for if it had not been needful, this act had been spared) to endure poverty, wretchedness, and shame, that I might be delivered from all! I was in Egypt, and thou camest to me. Thy grace preached liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound. Thy power performed what thy love proclaimed; and thou broughtest the prisoners from the prison, and those that sat in darkness out of the prison-house. I, O wonderful to tell! I, among thy ransomed, have followed thee in the regeneration out of this dismal Egypt, and have tasted a little of the glorious liberty of thy children. Not unto me, my dear Saviour, not unto me, but unto thy name be all the praise. I was wallowing in the mire of Egypt, and in the mud of the Nile; I was entirely given up to the filth and pollutions of this evil world, and should have remained therein till I had been sunk for ever in its woe, unless thy mighty arm had wrought out my deliverance, and set me free. Nor am I worthy at any time to receive from thee a crumb of bread, or a drop of water; and yet thou hast privileged me to aspire to a crown, and a crown too of the highest glory, with a divine assurance of obtaining it. Glory to thee,