Imatges de pàgina
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So the form of baptifm, whereby I was initiated, and entered into the church, according to our bleffed Saviour's own exprefs order, Matt. xxviii. 19. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and "of the Holy Ghoft," devotes me to the fervice of all three, and to one as much as another. Thus alfo that form of bleffing, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. in the three great Names, makes each by himself, the fountain whence it comes. "The grace of our Lord Jefus "Chrift, and the love of God, and the commu"nion of the Holy Ghoft, be with you all. Amen." And the plain affertion of " Jefus Chrift's being "over all, God blessed for ever," Rom. ix. 5. and that all men should "honour the Son, even as they "honour the Father," John v. 23. makes him, in particular, the object of divine adoration, to be worhipped, as my Lord and my God. And not only the name of God, Acts v. 4. but the attributes and works of God, being also ascribed to the Holy Ghoft; (Pfal. cxxxix. 7. John xiv. 26. 1 Cor. iii. 16. and chap. xii. 11. 2 Pet. i. 21. Job xxxiii. 4.) confirms me in it, that he is no less than God the Holy Ghoft. In whom therefore I must believe, and to whom I must offer up my prayers, and all my fervices, and myself. Thus far then I am not only fafe, but bound to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each as God, and Lord: and, (as in the Gloria Patri, &c.) to give glory to them equally. And therefore I am certain, they must all three be but one and the fame God, under diftinct confiderations. And when I call upon this, or that, or the next, I do not mean another god. Though I vary the ftyle, I do not change the Deity: but ftill it is the fame moft high, and holy, and only One, whom I confide in, and fall down before, and call, and wait, and rely upon.

But then, that which puzzles thee, my foul, to conceive, is, how three fhould be one, and one fhould be three: that each fhould be God, and yet

but

but one God. And hence come all the tragical exclamations of abfurdity, in the doctrine of the bleffed Trinity. And proud dictators, in fuch things as are above their reach, will take upon them to make the pofitive conclufion, that can never be, which they are at a lofs to conceive how it fhould be. Though God's word fays it is, they cry, 'tis not poffible, because above their comprehenfion. And, if they will believe no more than they can comprehend, they may, in time, think it not convenient, to believe there is any God at all: becaufe they are not able to conceive the manner of his being. But they that are fo much out, and frequently baffled, even in common things about them, O how arrogantly do they affume to themfelves an infallibility of judgment in the great things fo far above them! Indeed I muft believe neither God, nor foul, if I must believe nothing without a perfect knowledge, that enables me to folve all difficulties. Though I will here believe no more than God reveals, nor any thing which contradicts the certain knowledge, which God has given me, yet I will believe it, because God has faid it, when I can know it no further than he is pleafed to reveal it. My reafon then hall truckle to fcripture, in matters that are above my reafon. Nor will I gainfay all that I cannot thoroughly underftand; but fubmit and acquiefce, unless I knew it impoffible to be true. And concerning God, my foul, fure God himself is beft able to inform me. For the things of God "knows no man, but the Spirit of God," 1 Cor. ii. 11. And the account that he gives, how fhall I confute, unless I were fure of the contrary? which I can never be, when I am no better acquainted with that infinite Being, which, at beft, I can know but in part, and fee now darkly as in a glafs. There's ftill abundantly more in it than I can reach. And indeed the whole of human knowledge is far from being adequate to it, or a match for it.

Though

Though I will not then interpret fcripture, fo as to confute all my fenfes, when duly exercised about their proper objects; but I would be allowed fuffi. cient, to diftinguifh fuch things as bread and wine, from flesh and blood, however fome (from the letter, this my body,) would tie me up to believe a fubftantial change, where I do fee, and feel, and tafte, and plainly perceive the contrary: yet the glorious Deity is fo far from being an object of my fenfe, that it out-matches my reason; and has unknown profundities in it, which no man in the world can fathom. Therefore I take it, as God is pleased to give it, and will not seek to be wife above his Word, but make that the model of my faith. Yet this belief of the Trinity does not oblige me to all the words of art, and all the modes of reprefentation, used by every affertor. No, here I will content myself with what God himself has told me. Nevertheless, I cannot wonder, if men do labour for fit expreffions of that, which has no resemblance in nature. And their weakness or mistakes in defcribing the manner, fhall never fhake my belief of the thing. For I dare truft the veracity of God, revealing it though I cannot depend upon the ingenuity of fome men expounding it.

Yea, my foul, does not the whole of my religion (as I am a Chriftian,) hang upon this belief of the Trinity? when as all my falvation was tranfacted by it: the Father fending the Son to redeem the world; and the Son fending the Spirit to make application of the redemption. And though I reverence the mystery, which I own my infufficiency to deal with; yet I will not look upon it as a nicety, to puzzle our heads; but as God's kind revelation, to endear himself, and win our hearts; to make us more fenfible of our mifery, and the difficulty of our recovery, when needing fuch a remedy, as the only Son of God fent to be the Saviour of the

world.

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world. And from the wonders of fuch love and mercy, to raise us to the higheft veneration, affection, gratitude, and all poffible returns of chearful duty, to our glorious Deliverer, our gracious Father, our dear Redeemer, and bleffed Comforter: unto whom be all glory, now and eternally.

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THE PRAYER.

Holy, bleffed, and glorious Trinity, three perfons and one God! Have mercy upon. "me miferable finner. Forgive me all my mistaken "notions, and unworthy apprehenfions of the di❝ vine, eternal Majefty. And where I cannot con"ceive as I ought of the triune God moft high,

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nor reach to any thought worthy of my heavenly "Lord, O pity my frailty, and guide me in the "profound myftery, that I may not think of thee, "fo as to provoke thee; nor feek after God only "to gratify my curiofity: but in order to the bet"tering of my worship and duty, and the promot"ing of my faith and comfort, in the Father of my "Lord, in the Redeemer of my foul, and the Com"forter of my heart, which are the three great names, and personal diftinctions of the one true "God, that lives and reigns over all, world with"out end. Amen."

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TH

MEDITATION VII.

Of the Godhead of Christ.

HAT JESUS CHRIST is the true God, maker of the world, and over all, God bleffed for ever; O my foul, what is more exprefsly afferted in holy fcripture? and if this (as fome will have it) be only

a great

a great compliment, bestowed upon him; then must I fay, (what I would not say for all the world,) that the gofpel is only a great fallacy put upon us, when it obliges us to worship a titular Deity with divine adoration, as we do honour the Father Almighty and everlasting: and to believe in him, for our Saviour, who, if he be not very God, can never anfwer that character: for it coft more to redeem our fouls, than can be paid or done by any creature. We have business for a Saviour to do, which none but the Almighty can ever effect. And I thought it had been he, that fhould have redeemed Ifrael; and that with an eternal redemption. But he who can effect that glorious work, must be the Lord of all Lords: for in fuch a Lord alone, "fhall all the "feed of Ifrael be juftified, and fhall glory," Ifa. xlv. 25. His name must be called, "Wonderful, "and the mighty God," chap. ix. 6. Nor are these only pompous titles; but he that wears them, every way deferves them, and counts it no robbery, to be equal with God, being indeed one and the fame God with the Father, " In whom dwells all the "fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col. ii. 9. Not only fome qualities of the divine nature communicated to him; but the whole divine effence refiding in him and that really and fubftantially, more than a fhadow and a figure: even fo vitally united with his manhood, as to make up the one glorious perfon Chrift Jefus.

And therefore, my foul, do thou magnify the Lord, and my fpirit rejoice in God my Saviour; rejoice that I have fuch a Saviour, who is God mighty to fave, even to the uttermoft: and doubt not to fay to him with Thomas, my Lord, and my God! Yea, what time thou art afraid, truft in him: and when this doubt arises in thy mind, what hope, that infinite juftice and purity fhould ever take the criminal and guilty into the embraces of mercy! Here fee the ground of hope, that he who is very

God,

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