the meanest Production in Nature and may find a thousand things in themselves to baffle their Reason and therefore it must be very unfit to judge of the Divine Nature and Sibsseveral timesstence And if we observe what ways they take to evade those plain Scriptures before-mention'd we shall quickly see their Reason is not very formidable in Matters of Faith whatsoever it may be in other things For some of them they deny to be Scripture as they do these Words of my Text others they put such strain'd and foreign Interpretations upon and use such miserable Shifts to escape the Force of them that one would think they are passionately in love with Heresie that defend it at this rate But these Things have been answer'd to their Shame by several worthy Authors and I hope also to the Conviction of some of them Their Exception against the Word Person as applied to these Three in my Text is also impertinent For he to whom those Names Actions and Prerogatives before-mention'd do belong must be a Person tho' he were not call'd so in Holy Scripture Heb. 1.3 But the Father is there term'd a Person when the Son is call'd the express Image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Person and it 's hard if a Son who hath all the Perfections of his Father may not be call'd a Person too But whether these captious Men will or no the Scripture hath given him that Denomination with respect to his Divinity 2 Cor. 2.10 If I forgave any thing to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Person of Christ Where the Apostle affirms that when he forgave or absolv'd a Penitent he did it in the Person of Christ that is in his Name as his Deputy and Representative who as God hath Power to forgive Sins From these Places there is Warrant for those Terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Greek Fathers commonly us'd to signifie a Person in the Trinity And when we find them thus applied to the Father and the Son who can deny them to the Holy Ghost since the Glorious Properties and Works of the Deity are also ascrib'd to him Thus have I given you some Account of the Doctrine of the Trinity as it is discover'd to us in Holy Scriptures which hath been constantly believ'd and defended by the Churches of Christ in all Ages And seeing we have such Evidence from Scripture and so General a Consent for the Truth of this Doctrine we may with great Satisfaction believe and confess it And because our Faith in the Trinity is of the greatest moment to us as we are assur'd also from the Scripture and very much for the Honour of our Religion and the Author of it we ought zealously to defend it against those Antichrists in our Days as St. John calls them who deny the Father and the Son 1 John 2.22 2. I should now say something of the Record that these Three bear that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God But this will not require much Proof after that which hath been given oâ—â—â—â—ly concerning his Divine Nature and doth consist of Testimonies from the Three several Persons of the Trinity Therefore to these I shall only add That this is witnessed by them to the Saints and Angels in Heaven who have the Beatisick Vision of the Glorious Trinity and particularly of the Divinity of Christ united with his Human Nature It hath been attested from Heaven by the Voice of God the Father at our Saviour's Baptism and Transfiguration asserted by Christ himself several times who said also that he came from God and was one with him and manifested by the Holy Ghost when he descended upon Christ in a visible Shape at his Baptism and upon the Disciples in a miraculous manner according to our Saviour's Promise From whence it appears that as these Three are One in their Essence or Nature so also in their Testimony concerning the Messias which some think is only meant by those Words These Three are One But because they are true in an higher Sense as I have prov'd to you and the Words are in a General Form they ought chiefly to be understood of that and from hence an Unity in their Record or Testimony will necessarily follow The Holy Ghost doth also constantly give this Testimony in the Holy Scriptures and in his Effects upon the Hearts of his People Which may probably be meant of that Witness which he is said to bear in Earth at the 8th Verse of this Chapter and one of these Effects is afterwards mention'd Ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself Let us therefore daily pray to God for this excellent Grace which will assure us of the Truth of such Doctrines as we cannot comprehend And that we may receive it together with an Improvement in all Divine Knowledge let us sincerely do all those Duties God requires of us and then he will certainly discover himself and the Mysteries of Salvation more to us Now to the Ever-blessed and Glorious Trinity the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost Three Persons and One Eternal and Only Wise God be all Honour Praise and Dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry Two Sermons by the Reverend Mr. John Howard THE True Interest of a Nation Or The Duty of Magistrates Ministers and People in order to the further Settlement and Prosperity of these Kingdoms A Sermon preach'd at the Assizes held at Buckingham July the 5th 1692. The Evil of our Days with the Remedy of it A Sermon preach'd at a Visitation at Ruthwel in Northamptonshire Octob. 12.1697 MR. Pool's English Annotations on the Whole Bible wherein the Sacred Text is inserted together with the various Readings and Parallel Scriptures c. In Two Volumes Folio The Works of the late Reverend Mr. Stephen Charnock In Two Volumes Iolio The Life of the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter with the History of the Times he lived in Written by himself and published by Mr. Matthew Sylvester In Folio Mr. Lorrimer's Apology for the Ministers who subscribed only unto the Stating of the Truths and Errors in Mr. Williams's Book from the Exceptions made against them by Mr. Trail Quarto His Remarks on Mr. Goodwin's Discourse Proving That the Gospel-Covenant is a Law of Grace And answering the Objections to the contrary c. Quarto Mr. Shower's Thanksgiving-Sermon on the Discovery of the Assassination-Plot April the 16th 1696. Quarto His Mourners Companion Or Funeral Discourses on several Texts The Second Edition In Two Parts Octavo His Sermons on Isaiah 55.7 8 9. God's Thoughts and Ways above ours especially in the Forgiveness of Sins Octavo His Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Nath. Oldfield Dec. 31. 1696. Octavo A Preservative against Deism Shewing the great Advantage of Revelation above Reason in the two Great Points Pardon of Sin and a Future State of Happiness With an Appendix in Answer to a Letter of A. W. against Revealed Religion in the Oracles of Reason Octavo A Discourse of the Nature and Necessity of Faith in Jesus Christ With an Answer to the Pleas of our modern Vnitarians for the Sufficiency of bare Morality or meer Charity to Salvation Octavo A Brief Discourse of Infant Baptism Twelves These Three last by the Reverend Mr. Nathanael Taylor The Whole Duty of Man Epitomiz'd for the Benefit of the Poor with select Prayers suited to every Petition In Twenty fours Price bound Six Pence
State of our Souls knows all our Thoughts distinguishes between what is good and evil in them he can awaken our Consciences to feel Remorse for Sin and work what Change in us he pleases And then it follows Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open'd unto the eyes of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning whom we speak or with whom our present Business is and that is Christ who is the Subject of this latter part of the Chapter and mention'd as well before as after these Verses I have read to you 2. The Perfections of God are ascrib'd to the Word or the Son Some of these I have occasionally mention'd in speaking to those Names which are given to him in Scripture and therefore shall now speak more briefly to them His Eternity was hinted to under the Name of the Word at the beginning of St. John's Gospel and the Name Jehovah doth also imply it but there are several Expressions more full and plain to this Purpose Isa 9.6 Rev. 1.8 17. The Prophet Isaiah calls him the everlasting father and he himself saith I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come And again I am the first and the last the same which God saith of himself Isaiah 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God So Christ asserts his Eternity Joh. 8.58 when he saith Before Abraham was I am where he uses the very Term by which God made himself known to the Israelites Ex. 3.14 which denotes his Eternity This appears also from those Places in the Gospel where Christ saith he came from God from Heaven c. The Infinity of Christ is also asserted by himself when he saith Mat. 18.20 Chap. 28.20 Joh. 3.13 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them When he tells his Disciples I am with you alway even unto the end of the world and when he affirms No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the son of man which is in heaven where we are plainly taught that at the same time Christ was upon Earth he was also in Heaven and therefore fill'd all Places And it is remarkable that he here calls himself the Son of Man to assure us that he who was Man was also the Eternal and Infinite Son of God and so was one and the same Person in two so distinct Natures The Omnipotence of God which we had Occasion to take Notice of in our Saviour before is attributed to him by the Apostle Heb. 1.3 who saith he upholds all things by the word of his power and plainly intimated in that Promise of Christ Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name Joh. 14.13 that will I do that the father may be glorified in the son For he must have all Power who can do whatsoever his People shall desire Yea he hath expresly told us Rev. 1.8 that he is the Almighty His Omniscience of which we had before a remarkable Proof out of the Epistle to the Hebrews where he is called the Word of God is also attested by St. John where he saith of some of our Saviour's Followers Joh. 2.24 25. that Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man It is acknowledg'd by St. Peter in these Words Lord Joh. 21.17 thou knowest all things It is affirm'd by St. Paul when he saith In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Rev. 2.23 and it is asserted by himself in these Words I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works In a word he hath all the Perfections of God the Father for he saith All things that the father hath are mine Joh. 16.15 So that the Essence the Attributes and the Glory of God do belong to him And St. Paul assures us Col. 2.9 that in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily None can deny that Christ is meant in this Place for the Apostle is speaking of him here for many Verses together He mentions his Name several times and immediately before these Words And it is evident that they ascribe all the Perfections of the Deity to Christ as plainly as any can do The Word bodily indeed that is here added is capable of different Interpretations but whether we take it for wholly and entirely as it may well be meant or essentially and personally because it was usual with the Greeks as it is with us to call a Person a Body it doth not only confirm what was said before but denotes the hypostatical Union of the Divine and Human Nature in Christ Or if we will allow it to be only meant in the Body or together with it though in this Sense it adds nothing to the Character of his Divinity before given yet it can detract nothing from it On the account of these Perfections in Christ Col. 1.15 he is call'd the Image of the invisible God the Brightness of his Father's Glory Heb. 1.3 and the express Image of his Person Phil. 2.6 he is said to be in the form of God and equal with him 3. The Works of God are also attributed to the Son He tells us himself that what things soever the father doth these also doth the Son likewise Joh 5.19 And as it is said in the beginning of St. John's Gospel that he made all things so the Apostle affirms that God made the Worlds by him Heb. 1.2 not as an instrumental but a principal efficient Cause The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there render'd the Worlds properly signifies Ages but because Time was created together with the World and it is the Measure of all material things therefore it is sometimes us'd siguratively for the World the Creation of which is ascrib'd to Christ again Ver. 10. in these Words Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands The Sense of which Place is express'd more fully and particularly by St. Paul when he saith Col. 1.16 17. By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist The Works of Providence are also his for he is said to uphold all things Heb. 1.3 and this he could not do without infinite Wisdom and Power to supply every Creature with what is necessary to maintain its Being He forgives sins against God Luk. 5.21 which none but God
same Person Therefore to remove this Mistake and to give a farther Confirmation to the Truth I have been asserting 2. I am come to shew that these are not different Names of the same Person but Three Subsistences or Persons really distinct from one another And the very Design of the Apostle in this Place is enough to prove it for he brings them in as Three Witnesses of the Messias which Three Names cannot be in the Sense which is here intended So our Saviour speaking of the Father's Testimony concerning him Joh. 5.32 faith There is another that beareth witness of me and he afterwards tells his Hearers who he is in these Words The father himself which hath sent me Ver. 37. hath born witness of me And again Chap. 8.16 c. If I judge my judgment is true for I am not alone but I and the father that sent me It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that bear witness of my self and the father that sent me beareth witness of me Chap. 16.32 And he further tells his Disciples Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scatter'd every one to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the father is with me We see therefore that the Father and the Son are Two distinct Persons and that the Holy Ghost is a Person distinct from both of them is evident from those Words of our Saviour John 14.16 17. I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit of truth c. where Three Persons are distinctly express'd with different Actions belonging to each of them the Son prays the Father answers his Prayer and gives his Disciples another Comforter who shall always abide with them So these Three are express'd in the Form of Baptism the Apostolical Benediction and in several other Places of Scripture And it is absurd to think our Saviour requires us to be baptiz'd into Three Names and that the Apostle in blessing the Church would use Three Names with particular Distinctions to each of them if he intended but One Person 3. I proceed therefore to shew what Relation these Three Persons have to each other And as to the Father and the Son their very Names suppose that the One hath his Being from the Other not as if he were made by him for then he could not be Eternal and therefore not Truly God but as proceeding from him by Eternal Generation And hence he is called the Brightness of his Father's Glory the Word of God c. The Holy Ghost hath his Being both from the Father and the Son as eternally proceeding from them For our Saviour tells his Disciples Joh. 14.26 That he proceeds from the Father that he himself will send him and that the Father will send him in his Name Chap. 15.26 And St. Paul calls him the Spirit of Christ and of the Son Rom. 8.9 Therefore we have the same Reason to believe the Spirit proceeds from the Son Gal. 4.6 as from the Father As the Relation therefore between the Father and the Son is founded upon that Eternal Generation by which the Son hath his Being from the Father so the Relation of the Holy Ghost to them both is founded upon that Eternal Spiration whereby he hath his Being from them But what this Generation and this Spiration is as also the manner of each Person 's subsisting distinctly in the same Divine Nature I may say with the Prophet Isaiah who shall declare it Isa 53.8 4. I am to prove That these Three are One God And this is evident from all those Places of Scripture where God is said to be but One Deut. 6.4 Chap. 4.35 Isa 45.5 As Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. Vnto thee it was shew'd that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God there is none else besides him I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides me There is one God and Father of all Eph. 4.6 who is above all and through all and in you all c. To which we may add that our Saviour several times affirms that He and the Father are One and that He is in the Father and the Father in Him And as this Unity of the Godhead is so plainly asserted in Holy Scriptures so it is also taught by the Law of Nature for what is Infinite and Omnipotent can be but One for it is against the Nature of Infinity to be in more and if One can do all things there is no need of any other Therefore it was the Opinion of the wisest Heathens that there is but One God tho' they suffer'd the People who were fond of Superstitions to worship many Thus we see the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Nature is plainly asserted in many Scriptures so that it these Words of my Text had been quite lost through the Malice of Hereticks the Mistake of Transcribers or any other Accident the Doctrine contain'd in them would fully appear in the Places before-mention'd and many others For as often as the Scripture attributes to each of these Three the Names Properties Works or Worship of God it asserts them to be so many Divine Persons and where ever it affirms there is but One God it teaches us that these Three are One And therefore we may justly wonder so much Offence hath been taken by some Men at several Expressions in the Athanasian Creed as The Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are not Three Gods but One God c. These Expressions they are bold to charge with Contradiction and yet they cannot deny that the Scripture plainly asserts the same many times over and therefore they would do well to consider upon whom this Charge of Contradictions must light And their Boldness is the greater not only for the Plainness of Revelation in this Case and the Greatness and Excellency of the Subject so treated by them but because it is far above the Judgment of their Reason For a Man must understand the Nature of an Infinite Mind or Spirit and what is the true Notion of different Hypostases or Persons in that Nature before he can say it is a Contradiction to assert them Therefore they would better employ their Reason in finding out such Contradictions they are sit to judge of and I will put them in mind what looks very like one and that is to acknowledge the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and yet deny some Doctrines plainly deliver'd in them because they cannot understand the manner of those things that are asserted by them and tho' they say they do understand it yet this shews their Boldness and Ignorance the more when we know the wisest of them will be easily puzzl'd about
explains the Words of the Psalmist when he saith God hath rais'd up Jesus again Acts 13.33 as it is also written in the Second Psalm Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and he may from hence be fitly term'd as he is the first-born from the dead and the first-fruits of them that slept yet he can no more be call'd the Only-begotten Son of God for this Reason than the First-born of a numerous Issue can be said to be all the Children or the First-fruits the whole Crop For it is evident from many Places of Scripture that the Church shall be also rais'd to a Glorious State and those very Terms the First-born and the First-fruits are us'd to assure us of it and on this Account they are call'd the Children of God by our Blessed Saviour who saith Luke 20.35 36. They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they die any more For they are equal unto the angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection Now what difference soever there was between the Perfections of Adam and Christ as Man or between the Glory he was rais'd to and that which the Saints shall have hereafter this cannot properly distinguish his Relation to God the Father from theirs For tho' a First-born who hath many Brethren should have a greater Inheritance than all of them and a Right of Dominion too as the Ancient Patriarchs had over the whole Family yet he cannot justly be call'd the Only Son for these or any other Advantages he might have above the rest Christ is therefore call'd the Son of God chiefly in respect of his Divine Nature and so the Ancient Jews understood this Term as it was applied to the Messias Therefore upon Occasion of Christ's calling God his Father it is said The Jews sought the more to kill him Joh. 5.18 because he not only had broken the Sabbath but said also that God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own or his proper Father making himself equal with God Jesus was now generally look'd upon as the profess'd Messias because John the Baptist had given a Publick Testimony concerning him which was confirm'd on all Occasions by his Disciples and had been confess'd by himself Therefore the Jews having a Notion of that Eminent Relation which the Messias had to God the Father as his Eternal Son when they heard our Saviour mention God as his Father put a very different Sense upon these Words from what they would have done from another Person and because they did not believe him to be the Christ they interpreted them to his Disadvantage For tho' they themselves were ready to say upon Occasion Joh 8.41 We have one Father even God yet they accounted such an Expression from our Saviour to be Blasphemy and attempted several times to put him to Death for it And this was the pretended Crime for which he was at last condemn'd For the High-Priest having not such Witness against him as he desired Mat. 26.63 c. put an Oath upon him to tell him whether he were the Christ the Son of God to which when our Saviour had intimated his Consent the High-Priest rent his cloaths saying he hath spoken blasphemy and asking the judgment of the council concerning it they all pronounced him to be guilty of death But the Disciples believing that he was the Christ did also acknowledge him to be the Son of God in the Sense before-mention'd in several Confessions which they made to him But I shall now only take notice of such as were attended with some Remarkable Circumstances which will help us to understand the Meaning of them When our Lord had done two Miracles together walking himself with Peter upon the Sea in a Tempest and causing the Wind to cease on the sudden Mat. 14.33 so soon as he was come into the ship the disciples and others that were with them came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the son of God By which Words it appears they acknowledg'd him to be God because they gave him Divine Worship at the same time And if they had committed a Mistake in these Things there is no question but our Saviour would have corrected it in them The like Adoration was also given to Christ by the Man who was born blind Joh. 9.38 so soon as he understood from him that he was the Son of God But nothing is more Remarkable to this Purpose than Martha her Confession who when our Saviour had ask'd her Joh. 11.25 c. whether she believ'd him to be the Resurrection and the Life that is that he could by his own Power raise Men from the Dead to Life again and that Faith in him would save them from Death and make them Partakers of Everlasting Life she answers him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world So that this Confession did imply as much in her Opinion as that Christ was Omnipotent and the Great Object of a Divine and Saving Faith And in that she saith the Son of God which should come into the world this supposes it was formerly believ'd the Messias should be such a Person There are several other Testimonies in the Gospel to this Purpose but I shall add but one more from St. John himself which gives a great Confirmation to all the rest who speaking of the Signs which Jesus did saith These are written Joh. 20.31 that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name These Words Jesus is the Christ the Son of God are certainly meant of his being God as well as Man because many Signs done by him did plainly prove it And in this Chapter the Apostle mentions two of them namely our Saviour's Appearing two several times in a miraculous manner to his Disciples the latter of which Appearances drew that Confession from St. Thomas My Lord and my God And it is Remarkable that immediately after these Words and Christ's Answer to them the Apostle adds many other signs did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God which Words have no doubt a particular Respect to Thomas his Confession as those which follow have to our Saviour's Answer to him For Christ having said to Thomas Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed The Apostle tells us how far this Blessing goeth even to Eternal Life in these Words and that believing ye might have life through his name And indeed the Occasion of St. John's writing this Gospel and the Arguments that are every where contain'd in it do sufficiently