the self-same spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 11. and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness c. Shall I need to subjoyn what you may perhaps already sense and consider That Baptism is to be ministred in the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost as well as in the name of the Father Mat. 28.19 Prop. 4. God the Father then is not cannot be so the object of prayer as is exclusive either of God the Son or of God the Holy Ghost 1 For the Son It is manifest that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Joh. 5.23 If you 'l review the last prayer of that lively Protomartyr Steven it is directed hither They stoned Steven calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Act. 7.59 He that runs may read the same requests from the beloved Disciple of Christ and from his bride the Church which conclude our Bibles Come come Lord Jesus c. Rev. 22.17 20 21. Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom is the only recorded prayer of the penitent thief upon the Cross Luk. 23.42 43. Paul begins well-nigh every Epistle with prayers to him as well as to the Father Rom. 1.7 1 Cor. 1.3 2 Cor. 1.2 c. And is followed herein both by John and Peter 2 Joh. 3.2 2 Pet. 1.2 In short this is given us as the character of all true Christians 1 Cor. 1.2 Act. 9.14 With all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Observe it is not said That call upon the name of the Lord through Jesus Christ though this is no doubt their duty and his due as being the Mediator It lets us see that his Saints look upon him not only as a middle person through whom they pray unto God but as true and very God to whom they make their prayers 2 For the Holy Ghost We are debters in point of prayer to him as he also deriveth all our grace and peace to us We are debters saith the Apostle not to the flesh but to the spirit and this not only to live after the spirit but to lift up our hearts with our hands to him in spirit and truth O come saith the Psalmist let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God c. Psal 95.6 7 8. The Apostle maketh application of this part of the Psalm to the Holy Ghost Heb. 3.7 8 c. External and internal worship is due then from us to God the Holy Ghost The reason which the Psalmist gives us reach him as well as the other persons He is the Lord our God he made us and not we our selves The spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the almighty hath given me life The inspiration of the almighty hath given me understanding Job 33.4 c. 32.8 Know ye not saith Paul that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost Which he elsewhere maketh synonimous with being the temples of God What then Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods and therefore glorifie God the Holy Ghost So that inward and outward worship not only may but must be given to the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 20. c. 3.16 17. The Saints of God have offered him therefore their prayers of petition see instances Prop. 3. and the Seraphims do offer him their prayers of praise and thanksgiving Crying holy holy holy Lord God almighty which with express warrant enough is interpretable to the Holy Ghost and not to be limited to one or both the other persons Isa 6.3 9. with Act. 28.25 26. Shall I add more evidence where there is so much already Lo 1. The objective fundamental and formal ground of prayer is found with the Son and with the Holy Ghost as well as with the Father Is the Father God so is the Son God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 And the Holy Ghost is called God not less than three times in one Scripture 1 Cor. 3.16 17. I forbear ampler testimonies because you acknowledg this fundamental truth Is the Father an omnipresent majesty pray we where we will so is the Son also Hear him Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 So likewise is the Holy Ghost Whither shall I go from thy spirit saith the Psalmist i.e. I can go no whither but thy spirit is with me Psal 139.7 Is the Father an omnipotent mercy pray we for what we will he is able to hear and help us So also is the Son the mighty God the almighty Isa 9.6 Rev. 1.7 8. And so likewise is the Holy Ghost All these worketh that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 Briefly is the Father omniscient knowing what we pray for how we pray what are the purposes of and what principles are at act in our hearts and in what proportion and when it is best to answer our prayers and to accommodate our desires and distresses So is the Son he knoweth what is in man the very heart and reins he knoweth all things Joh. 2.24 25. c. 21.17 Rev. 2.23 And so also is the Holy Ghost he searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 11 12. 2. For the object of faith Is it the Father only Nay so is God the Son and God the Holy Ghost And if the object of faith then of prayer also Rom. 10.14 Mat. 28.19 That the Son is the object of faith seems to require little or no proof with him that believes the Scriptures Since they were written to this very end that we might believe in the name of the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name Joh. 20.31 1 Joh. 5.13 And he that disbelieveth or denieth this disbelieveth or denieth the Father also 1 Joh. 2.22 23 24. Here was the blessed faith of Peter the rock the bottom or foundation upon which the Church is built Mat. 16.16 17 18. Hitherto also our blessed Saviour calleth his Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 14.1 The Holy Ghost is the object of faith likewise I believe in the Holy Ghost is one and an eminent article of the true Creed of Christians Plain it is that the wisdom of the Spirit is the wisdom of God the power of the Spirit is the power of God the testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God And if we may and should believe the witness of men much more the witness of God for the witness of God is greater It is the Spirit who is one God with the Father and with the Son that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth and therefore to be believed relied upon as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2.1 4 5. 1 Joh. 5.6 7 9. He that believeth not in the Spirit then believeth not in
expedient for the right directing of your Prayers frequently to actuate such thoughts in and about the distinction of these persons before Paayer Because this serves thereunto as a means to its end There is not only a habitual but an actual preparation of our selves prerequired to Prayer Job 11.13 Isa 64.7 Psal 108.1 The actual presenting of the divine essence to our selves and pressing the glory thereof upon our Souls which eminently shineth forth in all these persons is admirably preparatory hereunto and hath a powerful influence per modum objecti upon our minds wills and affections both to fetch them off from other pursuits and objects and to fix and unite them in and to the present office To allure the heart to draw nigh to him to aw it with the dread of him to advance it to a dependance on and delight in him and to abase shame us in the sense of our distance from him as Creatures and the dishonour we have done to him as sinners as you have seen in effect already Qu. 2. Direct 5. The Doctrine of the Trinity is as all Theological Doctrines are a Practical Doctrine The Scriptures propound it in order to Faith and Worship Not one of these persons but is the object of both as I have already proved Q. 1. Prop. 4. Prop. 4. In actuating distinct thoughts upon these distinct persons in the undivided essence we may read and thence recollect many incouragements and inducements to Prayer both of petition and Praise Think of them in their essentiall union and whatsoever of obligation on inducement an infinite immutable absolute allsufficient most pure most perfect goodness and truth may offer you for your incouragement in Prayer here it is your Faith may freely take it up and improve it Think of them in their personal distinction And here also what is there rather what is there not that may perswade and encourage Prayer Let me intimate a few things 1 Think you of God the Father The thoughts of that very name cannot but take with an ingenuous nature and will bring his Children with Reverence and with Confidence upon their knees as it did Paul Eph. 3.14 But you must think further of him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ibid. This consideration in confession will not only bend the knee but break the heart Luk. 15.18 Zech. 12.10 This will immediately set the Soul a blessing of him Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 Eph. 1.3 1 Pet. 1.3 Yea and send your Soul a begging to him and crying after him Abba Father i.e. Father Father O that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies would give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him c. Gal. 4.6 Jer. 3.4 Eph. 1.17 c. Lo. 1. hence may your Soul resume he is my God and my Father This was that blessed news which Mary must bring from Christ to his Disciples Behold I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Joh. 20.17 2. Hence may you Soul reason down all discouragements 1. Why may I not adventure t is not the presence so much of a Judg as of a Father is it not my Father that reacheth me out the Golden Scepter There is something of encouragement that he is my Father by Creation the eyes of all may and do wait upon him and he gives them their meat in due season But how much more of encouragement is there that he is the Father of Christ my Father in my Christ Here your faith may see boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 2. What may I not ask and have He is able to do exceeding abundantly for me above all that I can ask and think who could beget an only begotten Son in his own unbegotten nature c. yea and he is willing too He that spared not his Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Eph. 3.20 Rom. 8.32 2 Think you of God the Son The very thought of his relation to the Father will be taking and transporting to honour him and it will be your honour The Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth hath committed all judgments unto the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father And if any serve me saith he him will my Father honour Job 3.35.5 20 22 23.12.26 What! the only begotten Son of the Father the Angels worship him upon that account and how should we whose nature he took for whose sake he suffered c. how should we much more adore him think of this Sonship 1. It will afford you boldness in Prayer You need not sollicite the servants about the Court Angels or Saints departed to present your petitions for you the only begotten Son of the King of Kings who is in the bosom of the Father that hath his Fathers Eye his Fathers Ear his Fathers Heart yea his Fathers Essence bids you come with boldness in full assurance of faith by him Tells you that he will be your Advocate and that he is now at the right hand of his Father your intercessour Eph. 3.12 Heb. 10.20 22.7.25 2. It may assure you the blessing prayed for Can you think the Father will deny his only begotten Son of the same mind will nature with himself who taketh your petitions out of your hand or heart rather and tenders them in your behalf unto his Father All things that the Father hath are mine saith Christ Joh. 16.15 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you ask and receive that your joy may be full ver 22 23 c. 15.16 This comfort this confidence have we that believe on the name of the Son of God 1 Joh. 5.13 14. 3 Think you of God the Holy Ghost Lo this is the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father He proceedeth from and is one with the Father and with the Son and that to further your union and communion with himself and them He is not only a spirit of adoption to the Saints but a Spirit of supplication in the Saints Rom. 8.15 Zech. 12.10 If the temptations of the flesh pull you back let the thoughts of the Spirit put and prick you on that you make it a work not of formal saying but of fervent praying Praying in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. The thoughts of him 1. Lead you to the origine of ability for prayer Prayer is too hard for flesh and blood which therefore hangs backward your thoughts now prompt you an omnipotent help We know not either what we ought to pray for or how to pray for it as we ought Now the Spirit helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stands as it were over against us at the other end of the burden and puts under his shoulder with us and so
we may carry the right of this duty cleverly and come off cherily Rom. 8.26 2. Leave your hopes of the acceptance of your prayers This is not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God And God knoweth what is the mind of his own Spirit who for matter and manner maketh intercession in the Saints as the Son doth for the Saints according to the will of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 8.26 27. Gal. 4.6 Nay this Spirit is God existing in and equal with the Father and the Son in the same Godhead And therefore God the Son cannot deny to tender God the Father cannot deny to take what Prayers are presented by you in the power of the Spirit Let the thoughts of the Holy Ghost then be more frequent and familiar with you before prayer The thoughts of him will put you at a greater distance from and upon a greater defiance of your own fleshly appetitions and inclinations in Prayer will prompt you what you should desire in prayer how and for what will put you into a more Spiritual frame and disposition for Prayer yea and upon praying for a more abundant and efficacious influx and assistance of the Spirit of Prayer which your heavenly Father will be sure to give unto them that ask him Luk. 11.13 Prop. 5. You may proportionably order your thoughts concerning these distinct persons as to prayer by considering of and conforming your Prayers to the distinct manner of their existence and operation in the Godhead which is the object of Prayer The promisses make this plain enough without more proof But it is needful that I Instance and be more particular as to both their existence and operation 1 As concerns the distinct manner of their subsisting in the same Godhead which hath been delivered you before on Qu. 2. This may direct you how to order your thoughts and their whole transaction both 1. As to their persons 2. As to your praises and petitions 3. And in or as to both as the persons are united with each other in the same Essence 1 As to these persons I advise you to apply your self to the Father through the Son by whom alone you can hope for acceptance by the Spirit from whom you must have ability and assistance The Father is the first Person in order of these personal subsistants that giveth subsisting life both to Son and Spirit The Son is the second or middle Person subsisting of and from the Father and with the Father emitting or sending forth the Spirit The Spirit is the third and last in the order of these three Persons subsisting of and from them both and sent forth by both of them So then though it be not always necessary to keep this order of the persons in your mentions of them in prayer to all three persons because you find clear precedents by whom this order mentioned was not observed 2 Cor. 13 14. Rev. 1.4 5. Yet it is always necessary as to the inward manner and intentions of your mind that your applications be by the spirit by his assistance 2. through the Son through his mediation trusting by and for him to find acceptance to the Father who through the Son and by the Spirit giveth out answers As the Apostle doth more than intimate Eph. 2.18 Through him i.e. the Son We have an access by one Spirit unto the Father 2 As to your praises and petitions This lets you â—â—e what a wide and an effectual door is opened to you To ask from and acknowledg to the Father all those blessings which come to you by his giving of the Son Eph. 1.3 1 Pet. 1.3 And to Father and Son whatsoever benefits are communicated to you by their giving of the Spirit Rom. 15.13 2 Cor. 1.21 22. So that you need not determine nor should limit your requests or thanks to that only person from whom these blessings do in a more especial manner proceed The Father being the first principle of personal subsistence all things are from him by the Son and all things are referred back again by him to the Father 1 Cor. 8.6 Joh. 5.19 The Spirit subsisting from both and being sent out by both referrs you back in all both to Son and Father John 16.13 14 15. Gal. 4.6 3 As your prayers look upon all the Persons as inseparably united in the same essence Learn to admire their mutual inexistence one in another and in the same Godhead Which our Saviours example in that solemn prayer Joh. 17. may instruct you As thou O Father art in me and I in thee c. ver 21. Think you upon the Father Therewith admire and adore the Son who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1.3 Think you of the Son therewith admire and adore the Father He and his Father are one Joh. 10.30 Think you of the Holy Ghost Therewith admire and adore both Son and Father He proceeds both from the Father and from the Son Joh. 15.26 Think you of any admire and adore all They are all one eternal perfection one God 1 Joh. 5.7 2 As to the distinct manner of their working What it is you have seen already Q. 2. Direct 3. n. 4. The Son worketh from the Father and the Spirit from them both This directs you not only how to apply your selves to these persons to the Father through the Son by the Spirit as before but also in and for what viz. according to the more appropriate works of each person 'T is true there is no work of the Godhead without it self but it is common to and predicable of every person in the Godhead But yet as some will observe it is usual in the Scriptures to ascribe the former middle and latter part of these external works with proportion to the distinct order of these undivided agents I instance the great work of mans Salvation Our Salvation may be eminently considered in three parts or steps 1. The appointment 2. The acquisition 3. The application of it 1. The former part the appointment of man to Salvation Election which is the first step is eminently ascribed to the first person the Father Eph. 1.3.4 5. Gal. 1.15.16 Who hath appointed us to Salvation by his Son through Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Thes 5.9 2 Thes 3.13 Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.2 The Father then should eminently have the glory of our election in our prayers of thanksgiving as the Apostles render it him ver 3. Eph. 1.3 4 c. 2. The middle part the acquisition of Salvation for man in redemption is eminently ascribed to the middle or second person the Son who in the fulness of time was sent forth from the Father and offered up himself through the eternal Spirit that he might obtain eternal redemption for us and we might receive
God He that tells a lie to the Spirit tells a liâ—â—to God not unto men but unto God Act. 5.3 4. Prop. 5. The Father Son and Holy Ghost being verily and truly Gods and being distinct persons in the one only and same Godhead we may then according to the grounds laid direct our prayers to God with express mention of one only or of more or of all the persons in the Godhead The laudable examples in Scripture may evince the lawfulness hereof Paul directs his prayers with the express mention sometimes but of one person Ephes 3.14 Sometimes of two persons 1 Thes 3.11 Sometimes of all three 2 Cor. 13.14 John and Steven explicitely address themselves to the second person Rev. 22.20 Act. 7.59 Paul attests the third person Rom. 9.1 as well as others apply themselves to the first person and St. John invocates all three persons Rev. 1.4 5. Prop. 6. The Father Son and Holy Ghost being but one only God of one nature mind will power Godhead they are therefore according to the first Proposition to speak strictly and properly but one only formal object of prayer and of other parts of religious worship So that our Saviour bids us baptize not in the names but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 Not only to intimate their coequality in power and authority among themselves as being one and the same God with whom are no degrees of power or perfection But to instruct us how we should consider of and come before them in that and in all other acts of worship upon the same reason as those that are co-essential and co-equally the original and object of all as natural so instituted worship Thus also were the Priests bound to say in blessing the people Jehovah Jehovah Jehovah bless thee c. Num. 6.24 25 26. Thereby pointing them and us That though they are distinguished in their personal subsistence yet they are not to be divided in our prayers and supplications Rather that as these three are one in the unity of the divine essence so they should be eyed as one in the unity of an end or object in all our devout and religious exercises Prop. 7. In directing prayer therefore to God with express mention but of one or two persons the Saints of old did not and our selves ought not to exclude the other person or persons because they are all one God co-equal and co-eternal co-existing with each other yea in each other in the same Godhead Believe me saith Christ that I am in the Father and the Father in me Joh. 14.11 You need not any proofs from me that the Godhead or divine nature and excellency is the formal and adequate ground and reason of divine Worship Or that these three persons are God and therefore equal in the Godhead equal in glory not one greater or less than another not one above or below another These premisses being of infallible verity the inference is plain and obvious therefore are they to be equally worshipped not one more or less than another not one above or beneath another For there being no difference or degrees in the ground and adequate reason of the divine Worship that is due unto them there can be no difference or degrees admittable with any ground or reason in the worship that is done unto them If one be not less a God than another one may not be less glorified than another Prop. 8. Yet lastly the Father being the fountain and first principle though not of their essential subsistence yet of the personal subsistence of the Son and of the Holy Ghost of which in the next Question and so of their peculiar manner of working ad extra or without the Godhead viz. the Son working from the Father and the Holy Ghost from them both The Saints therefore have and your selves may eminently though not exclusively direct your prayers to God the Father yea and that for those benefits which come to you by the more especial and eminent operation of God the Son or of God the Holy Ghost 'T is easie to instance Paul blesseth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for all the blessings in and by Christ the remission of his sins the redemption of his soul c. Ephes 1.3 c. Then beseecheth he that the God of our Lord Jesus the Father of glory may give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of Christ ver 17. c. And again Chap. 3. v. 14 15 16 17. I bow my knees saith he unto the Father of our Loâ—â— Jesus Christ that you may be strengthned by his â—pirit that Christ may dwell in your hearts by â—aith c. Much to the same effect is the prayer of Peter Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Not to mention those passages of the Psalmist Vphold me with thy free spirit Lead me by thy spirit c. Psal 51.12 143.10 Q. 2. How may we order our thoughts aright in distinguishing these three persons Father Son and Holy Ghost I am not willing to weary either my self or you with a needless discussion of what you intend by this expression order your thoughts aright I suppose you would not have me understand thoughts so much in their larger and less proper notion and acceptation as they include all the interior acts of the Soul as in their more limited strict and proper sense as they import the acts and apprehensions of the intellect And that your meaning is how you may order your apprehensions or more briefly may apprehend aright in or touching the distinction of those persons And truth is according as your thoughts are well or ill ordered in this strict sense that your apprehensions are either fitting or faulty so will your thoughts be in that larger sense all the other inward motions of your Soul with relation hereunto will be well or ill ordered more free or more faulty This only I shall therefore further premise Father Son and Holy Ghost are and may be presented to our thoughts under a twofold consideration 1. Common or essential as they are God 2. Peculiar or personal as they are persons in the Godhead And this consideration of them is either 1. More absolute as they all subsist in the unity of the same nature Or 2. Meerly relative in the order of one person to another and distinction of one person from another And now in accord to your desires I offer you these Directions Direct 1. Think of Father Son and Holy Ghost as divine and increated persons That they are persons I do not attempt to confirm because you already confess both thing and name as that which best agreeth to the Scripture-expression as it doth Heb. 1.3 'T is true that this term person doth import the most excellent kind of subsistence viz. intelligent and rational We call not the best of brutes a person But
Psal 139.7 2. Think of them as whose essential actions are undivided That whatsoever the Father doth as God I say not as a person in the Godhead the same doth the Son and the Holy Ghost likewise as in creating the world quickning the dead c. Joh. 5.19 Job 33.4 Rom. 8.11 Direct 3. Think of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as three distinct persons in the undivided Godhead Let your thoughts work according to the word of truth Read that blessed Scripture 1 Joh. 5.7 Lo how they are distinguished by their names the Father the Word i.e. the Son Joh. 1.14 and the Holy Ghost distinguished by number three these three that are one one God of one nature Remember the Baptism of your Saviour There might you have heard the Father owning the Son and have seen the Son who had taken our flesh with the heavens opened to him by the Father and have beheld the Spirit descending on the Son like a Dove from the Father Mat. 3.16 17. Reflect else on your own Baptism as it is required by our Saviour Mat. 28.19 Here their several distinct names are propounded and their singular or Divine nature pointed at Recall else if you will that beloved Sermon of our Mediator Joh. 14. He doth more than once deliver you their distinction distinguishing the Father from himself and the Spirit from them both The Father will send the Holy Ghost in my name ver 26. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter even the spirit of truth ver 16 17. Another from himself who as to his corporal presence was going from them another from the Father Who as he saith shall give you another comforter But how another Another God It is impossible Another person is only intelligible So then you must think of Father Son and Holy Ghost not as distinct Gods but as distinct persons in the Godhead as one and the same God but not as one and the same person Think of the Father as not being the Son or the Son as not being the Father on the Holy Ghost as being neither Father nor Son and upon the Father and Son as not being the Holy Ghost Look upon them as coequal and therefore as distinct It being most absurd to say that the same person is equal to himself 1 Think of them as distinguished in and by the personal and incommunicable actions The Father begets the Son and hath given the Son to have life in himself as the Father hath life in himself Heb. 1.5 Joh. 5.26 The unbegotten Father then is clearly distinguished from the only begotten Son and the Son also from the Father The Father and Son do emit the Holy Ghost by an eternal spiration or communicating to him his distinct subsistence in the Divine Essence The holy Scriptures speak of the holy Spirit as sent by and from both the Father and the Son and as receiving from the Son as well as from the Father Joh. 14.26 c. 15.26 c. 16.14 15. As the Spirit both of the Son and of the Father Mat. 10.20 Gal. 4.6 So that the Father and Son sending are and must be distinguished from the Spirit sent No one sends himself or to himself Joh. ibid. c. 14.16 17. Nor doth the Scripture mention the Holy Ghost as the power only of the Godhead but as a person in the Godhead 'T is not said it but he shall lead you he shall glorifie me the Comforter whom the Father will send It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the neuter gender Joh. 16.13 Yet ver 14. not in the neuter but in the masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He the Spirit of truth he he he he he he he seven times besides in those two verses and once more he ver 15. 2 Think of them as distinguished in and by their personal and incommunicable properties 'T is proper to the Father to beget the Son to the Son to be begotten of the Father to the Holy Ghost to proceed both from the Father and the Son Heb. 1.5 6. Joh. 15.26 These distinct incommunicable properties infer plainly the distinction of the persons The Son begotten cannot be the Father begetting And the spirit proceeding cannot be either Father or Son from whom he doth proceed 3. Think of them as distinguished in and by the principle original and order of their personal existence The personal subsistence of the Father is from himself i.e. he receives subsistence from no other without himself but is the principle of subsisting to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Joh. 5.26 c. 14.26 The personal subsistence of the Son is from the Father I live by the Father saith he I came forth from the Father Joh. 6.57 c. 16.28 The personal sublistence of the Holy Ghost is both from Father and Son from whom he proceeds and by whom he is sent Joh. 15.26 c. 16.14 15. 4 Think of them as distinguished in and by the principle original and order of their operations and actions which are terminated without the Godhead The order of working follows that of being As their essential being is undivided so are their external works undivided also You know the received rule Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa As Sanctification is wrought in us both by God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Jude 1. 1 Cor. 1.2 c. 6.11 As their personal being or subsistence is distinguished in the same order are their works also distinguished Is the Father of himself so he worketh of himself The Father of whom are all things saith the Apostle All things are delivered unto me of my Father saith our Saviour 1 Cor. 8.6 Mat. 11.25 26 27. Is the Son of and from the Father so he worketh of and from the Father I have not spoken saith he of my self I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me c. The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do c. Joh. 12.49 c. 8.28 c. 5.19 20. Is the spirit both from Father and Son So he worketh from the Father and Son He shall not speak of himself saith Christ but whatsoever he shall hear viz. from the Father and from himself that shall he speak He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16.13 14. with Joh. 15.26 c. 14.26 Direct 4. Think of Father Son and Holy Ghost as distinguished not only in but from the Divine essence Though it be true they are not essentially distinguished yet it is also true that they are distinguished from the essence The Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God these three are one God Yet though the Godhead be predicated of all the three persons the persons in the Godhead are not predicated of one another The Father is not the Son nor is the Son the Father nor is the Holy Ghost either Father or Son or either of those the Holy Ghost The divine essence doth not beget nor is begotten nor doth
the adoption of sons by him Gal. 4.4 5. Heb. 9.12 14. And so in him we have redemption through his blood it being the blood though of an humane nature yet not of an humane but of a divine person the Son of God And so God is said to purchase the Church with his own blood Col. 1.13 14. Eph. 1.6 7. Act. 20.28 The Son then should eminently have the glory of our redemption in our thanksgivings and supplications as they give it him Revela 5.8 9. 3. The latter part the application of Salvation to man which is begun in Sanctification and Consummate in Glorification is eminently ascribed to the last person to the Holy Ghost who is therefore called the Spirit of Holiness 2 Thes 3.13 2 Pet. 1.2 Rom. 1.4 The Father predestinateth none to happiness but through holiness The Son hath purchased happiness for none but such as partake of holiness The Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son printeth out their holy image upon us And so we are saved according to the mercy of the Father for the merit of the Son by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and are now acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.4 5 6. Rom. 15.16 The Holy Ghost then should eminently have the glory of our sanctification as also of the glorification of our souls and bodies which is likewise by and from him Rom. 8.11 Prop. 6. You may piously direct your thoughts in Prayer touching those distinct persons by a deliberate view of what others have done in their applications to all those persons and by doing accordingly The laudable examples in Scriptures are left us for imitation in the like circumstances The blessing wherewith Paul concludeth his Epistle to the Corinthians shall be the only instance I will produce and prosecute which will both give to and receive light from the last proposition The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen It is true that Grace Love Communion are not strictly appropriated to any one of these persons in the Scriptures Yet the Apostle doth observably apply himself to these destinct persons with these destinct petitions And no doubt therefore we also may to the Father in admiring and in asking of his love to the Son in praying of and praying for his grace to the Holy Ghost in beseeching of and blessing him for his Communion The Fathers love begins our felicity and salvation There is his love of intention or benevolence ordaining the end and us to the end life and happiness There is his love of execution or beneficence ordering out to us and bestowing on us the means that may bring us to this end Both principal in giving his Son to redeem us and his spirit to renew us 2. And less principal his Ordinances Officers Word Rod c. let the Father be accepted admired adored in our prayers as to his love Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us c. 1 Joh. 3.1 c. 4.9 10. c. The grace of the Son doth as it were go on with our Felicity and Salvation Grace abounds superabounds reigns through righteousnes unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.20 21. The Son hath procured grace for us redeeming us from guilt reconciling us to God The Son publisheth grace to us and is as it were a publick treasury of grace for us that of his fulness we may receive grace for grace Come you then in your prayers to the Son for grace celebrate the grace that is in and with the Son and comes to you by the Son I say with the Apostle The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit Amen As he often Rom. 16.24 1 Cor. 16.23 Gal. 6.18 Philem. 25. The Communion of the Holy Ghost is in consummation of this happy enterprize begun He it is that comes and applies all that good which a loving Father hath purposed to us And all that grace which the everlasting Son hath procured for us and so giveth us fellowship with himself with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Phil. 2.1 Eph. 3.16 21. 1 Joh. 1.3 Tit. 3.5 6. Breathe more after his Communion than in your prayers Bless him more for this Communion in your praises Let me only remember you that this direction concerns you mostly if not only when your prayers are directed to all three persons with distinct and express mention as Pauls here were It is high time to conclude Happy happy happy are those Prayers which are terminated upon these three holy persons in one and the same infinitely holy Essence The enjoyment of this trinune God by Faith is the highest happiness of the Church militant The enjoyment of this trinune God by sight is the height of blessedness in the Church Triumphant Trinuni Deo sit Gloria SIR THus I have given you my thoughts upon this difficult but divine Subject with as much clearness as I could and with more contractness here and there happily than you would Yet you see to what a length this discourse is drawn out much beyond the limits of a letter a Tract I did not intend nor you that I know expect If God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may be glorified by us and we edified and built up into them it is enough To this God and to the word of his grace I commend you and crave your improvement of whatsoever interess your prayers can make with him for SIR Your real Friend and Lover J. N.
art verily faulty But is it united to fear God's name There is none that Conscience bids thee pursue by desire like him or binds thee to please in and by thy duties like him or to promote his designs of glory equal with him Psal 86.11 c. 73.25 1 Thes 2.4 2. Enquire into the offices whereunto it directs thee Dost thou renounce the hidden things of dishonesty durst you not walk in craftiness or handle the Word of God deceitfully by contempering flesh and spirit in thy work as Vintners do in their Wines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But wouldst thou every office thou presentest shouldst be a pure offering every prayer a pure prayer And that which thou principally covetest therein is that thou mayst call on the Lord out of a pure heart 2 Cor. 4.2 Mal. 1.11 Job 16.17 2 Tim. 2.22 3. Enquire into the openness simplicity and unguilful disposition of thy Conscience What hast thou an heart and an heart as those Psal 12.2 marg one for God another for Baal for the world Miserable the pure Conscience is a plain Conscience 't is clothed with simplicity and godly sincerity 't is a spirit in which is no guile Durst you not double then in the matters of Conscience nor dissemble in the matters of corruption Art willing God should see the worst of thee and shew thee the very worst of thy self Dost thou expose all to his search and wouldst approve all in his sight and not so much as have thy heart secretly enticed from himself This is a pure Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal 32.2 1 Chron. 12.33 Psal 119.23 24. Job 31.27 2. Is thy Conscience purified from its defilement I know you are not purified from all degrees of sin are you from all the kinds of sin You are not purified from the actual stain of them but are you from the habitual state in them this is God's promise and the Gospel-purity of the Conscience I will cleause you from all your filthiness Ezek. 36.25 26 33. c. 37.23 I know none can say and speak truly his Heart is clean from all adhesion of sin to him or from activity of sin in him But can you say my heart is clean from the approbation of any sin by it and from the allowance of any sin in it 1 What say you to an habitual course in sin I know there are wicked works found with you but is there no wicked way found in you Do you refrain your feet from every evil way Though you fall into the mire with the sheep do not you wallow in the mire with the Swine Do you wash off the repeated spots of your sins by the renewed streams of godly sorrow to repentance else never call it a pure Conscience Psal 139.24 Psal 119.101 2 Pet. 2.22 Mich. 6.11 2 What say you to the authority and command of sin Doth Conscience woo and welcome it or witness and war against it and wash it self afresh in the blood of Christ and waters of Contrition when it hath contracted guilt and filth by the power or policies of it Is Conscience pure from its reign though she cannot preserve you from its rage Sin may pollute your Conscience and for present captivate it But doth not Conscience give up her self to the commands thereof but grieves rather that she should so be contaminated And when captivated doth Conscience raise complaints in and recollect the other powers of the Soul And doth she run to Christ renew the quarrel and reinforce her strength for another combate and resolve never to quit the field till she carrieth the victory and the Crown be fixed upon the head of Christ This is a pure Conscience Rom. 6.12 23. c. 7.15 ult 3 What say you to the hearts closing with sin Are you pure from the indulgence of sin though you cannot be from the in-dwelling of sin Do you hate all false ways Is there never an Herodias that your Hearts hug and cherish Are you for taking away all iniquity Is thy Conscience afraid of all abhorrent from all arms against all Secret as well as open Such as serve the interest of the flesh as well as such as straiten it And would you keep your selves unspotted from the world unspotted from the flesh as well as unswallowed uâ— by the world or by the flesh This speakâ—â— you to have a pure Conscience Psal 119.104 128. Hos 14.2 Psal 19.12 13. Jam. 1.27 Jude 23. Thirdly What is thy Conscience purified unto 1 To what as thy employment The pure Conscience is for the purest carrlage after the purest Copy 1 Job 3.3 This is the Temple of God the very floor of whose house as was that of Solomon's is over-laid with pure Gold both within and without 1 Cor. 3.17 1 King 6.30 Search the acts and offices of Conscience then is Godliness the greatest employment which it commands the other powers of the Soul and wherein it most congratulates it self If it be purified from sin 't is for the service of God if from dead works 't is to serve the living God 2 Tim. 1.3 Tit. 2.14 Heb. 9.14 2 To what as thy enjoyment The pure Conscience is for the purest comforts not so much for those which run out of the muddy Cisterns of Creatures but for such as rise out of the unmixed springs of Communication with God in Christ and the intimate sense of his quickning and conserving influences Nor doth it ever enjoy it self with that serenity as in the evidence of God's grace to him or in the exercise of his grace in and by him This is its rejoycing this its rest Psal 65.4 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal 116.7 Enquire then what are those enjoyments wherein Conscience giveth thee the greatest content and complacency Are they the impurer objects and operations of Sense or the purer acts and objects of the spirit of Faith Here is that pure river of the water of life wherein the pure Conscience doth most bath and bless it self Phil. 4.7 Rom. 15.13 Rev. 22.1 3 To what as thy end The pure Conscience puts forth its acts both imperate and elicite upon the purest accompt and for the purest ends with pure Conscience The Intentions to which it determineth the Will are not as the Feet in Nebuchadnezar's Image part of Iron and part of Clay but like that Image's Head of fine Gold 'T is a Conscience toward God 2 Tim. 1.3 Dan. 2.32 33. 1 Pet. 2.19 Enquire then whether the praise of God be that principal end which you prefer in and above all that Conscience carrieth you out to enterprize whether you do not mingle your glory with his or make his glory serve yours If God hath purified thy Conscience it is peculiarly for himself as the sole supream end and object of it And the Apostle offers us this observation That whatsoever is done heartily i.e. of pure Conscience is done unto the Lord and not unto men Phil. 1.20 Joh. 5.44 c. 12.43 Tit. 2.14 Col. 3.23 Ephes 6.6 7. Q. 5. How may
to the adult Jews who were then Circumcised and not till then with the Circumcision of the Heart * See Fords pract use of Infant-â—aptis Rom. 6.3 4. Act. 22.16 1 Pet. 3.21 Phil. 3.11 12 13. 2. The waters of sorrow or sincere repentance Contrition will cleanse thy Conscience Evangelical tears will expunge these tinctures No dirt will fix where these drops fall witness David Repentance will blot out these stains from thy Soul and thy sins also before God Smite thy rocky Heart then with the Rod of God and the Waters will gush out Draw Water and pour it out before God Repentance is called the washing of the Heart from wickedness Ezek. 18.30 31. Jer. 31.18 19. Psal 51. Act. 3.19 Exod. 17.6 1 Sam. 7.6 Jer. 4.14 3. The Waters of the Spirit sanctifying and regenerating the Spirit is not only compared to Water as quenching the drought of the Soul but as cleansing the defilements of the Soul Joh. 7.37 38 39. Ezek. 36.25 Conscience will continue sinful till he comes and cleanses its filth is not to be washed off by any work of flesh but by the effectual work of God's Spirit 'T is God's Spirit must sanctifie our Spirits or we stick in the sink and mud of our sin and uncleanness Isa 4.4 Rom. 15.16 1 Pet. 1.2 Resist not the Spirit then but receive those influences he sheds abroad Listen not to the flesh look within the vail of the Covenant where God hath promised to put his Spirit within you yea and to pour out his Spirit on you and plead his Promise in your Prayers Ezek. 11.19 Isa 44.3 Psal 51.12 143.10 3 Blood The Bath for Conscience is the Blood of Christ Here is the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness this cleanseth from all sin and there is not any sin which doth not need this cleansing or any power of the Soul Both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry were to be purged by Blood Moses sprinkled therewith both the Book and all the People Consider Conscience then in any capacity it needs this cleansing as a Book as a Witness as a Judg as it 's the Mansion of God and as it ministers to and in Man Zach. 13.1 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 19. 23. Sprinkle then this Blood of Jesus upon thy Conscience The People were to sprinkle the Blood with a bunch of Hysop dipt therein as well as the Priests Exod. 12.22 Lev. 16.14 To note there must be an Application of Christ's blood made by us as well as an Application made to us of this Blood by Christ and thus have we our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience as by the Spirit on his part sprinkling it on us so by Faith on our part which sprinkleth us with it Faith is that bunch of Hysop which being dipt in this Blood purifieth the Heart Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean saith the Psalmist Purifying their hearts through faith saith Peter Heb. 10.22 1 Pet. 1.2 Psal 51.7 Act. 15.9 Believe then in the Lord Jesus Faith is not only effectual through the Blood of Christ to purge the Conscience from the guilt of sin to the justification of thy person but also from the filth of sin to the Sanctification of thy Nature Rom. 5.1 Act. 26.18 4. Behold the noted excellency of a pure Conence and be assiduous For at 1 Mind the noted place of Conscience it 's the upmost part of the Soul next under God and above all that is in Man A pure Conscience is of Angelical perfection Purity is the Gem and Diamond in the Crown both of the clear and pure Conscience this renders it like the New Hierusalem a City of pure Gold 2 The noted power of this Conscience The pure Conscience hath a power of converting even the basest Mettals like the Philosopher's Stone into pure Gold afflictions into advantages To the pure Conscience all things are pure like that Perfume which the Lord prescribeth Moses whatever they are asunder being tempered together they are pure and holy 1 Pet. 2.19 c. Tit. 1.15 Exod. 30.35 3 The noted price of this Conscience What cost it no less rate than the precious Blood of the pure and immaculate Lamb of God What print carrieth it no lower than the resemblance of the purest Essence and Excellency of God Of what preciousness and pleasance doth God account it Of no less than his Habitation his Throne his Resting-place Heb. 9.14 cum 1 Pet. 1.19 1 Joh. 3.3 Isa 57.15 4 The noted Priviledges of this Conscience How great here boldness in prayer the blessing of peace the beauties of God's Presence c. Heb. 10.22 Phil. 4.7 Psal 18.26 But how glorious hereafter in a pure and perfect state most pure and beatifick sights Psal 24.3 4. Mat. 5.8 But consider this and you cannot be careless God Glory Christ Comfort do all severally bespeak Conscience as Christ sometime did Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me But wash this and thou art clean every whit Joh. 13.8 10. Q. 6. How may we preserve our Conscience pure Though I must remit you for fuller satisfaction to what hath been already spoken Chap. 2. Q. 6. Yet I shall not refuse to subjoyn something more in this place 1. Continue at your work Conscience is clean but not all therefore is neither all your work done for its cleansing till hope pass into enjoyment ye ought to be purifying both the Promises hoped for and the principle of hope put upon and perswade unto it 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Joh. 3.3 Neglect not any of the means already prescribed you Qu. 5. Direct 3. The same word and work of Faith Hope c. which made thy Conscience pure will maintain its purity 2. Keep Conscience to its work Keep it doing and you keep it from defiling The pure Gold never rusts or cankers till it rests or is coffered up Paul kept it on employment and so kept it pure 2 Tim. 1.3 Act. 24.16 Conscience hath its work within door upon it self and upon the whole Soul and Spirit and without door upon the Sense and their Objects and Organs If it rests like a standing Pool it putrifieth and gathers stench If it runs like a living Fountain it purifieth it self and whatever is put into it 3. Keep Conscience upon its watch Consciscience is the Centinel to watch over and for it self and the whole Soul beside Watch therefore in all things He that would be clean must be circumspect 2 Tim. 4.5 Psal 119.9 1 Watch against Sinners These will be throwing forth and throwing on of dirt Press not unnecessarily into their Society Be not partakers with their sin keep thy self pure Isa 57.20 Ephes 5.7 11. 1 Tim. 5.22 Yea in the very Society of the Saints be yet still upon thy Watch looking diligently One defection hath defiled many and the more weak thou art the more watchful be thou A weak Conscience is defiled quickly Heb. 12.15 1 Cor. 8.7 2 Watch
go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord c. Gen. 3.8 Isa 50.5 Jer. 50.4 5. Who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. He requires it Seek ye my face and you must resolve upon it thy face Lord I must and I will seek 'T is good for you and God hath annexed his special promise to to it Jer. 30.21 Psal 27.8 73.28 4 There must be an hearty conjunction with him For of what avail is acquaintance as long as the heart hangs loose in our converses Your heart must be knit and cleave unto him as Jonathan's did unto David Psal 86.11 Act. 11.23 1 Sam. 18.1 What acquaintance with omniscience while your hearts stand off and God is near in your mouth but far from your reins Behold he desireth truth in the inward parts He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins And if thy heart be not right with him thy other applications will be reckoned flattery not friendship Jer. 12.2 3. Psal 51.6 Jer. 17.10 Psal 78.7 36 37. 1 Chron. 28.9 5 Be actually and often communicating thy self to him If you will hide your heart from him what hopes of acquaintance with him He that intends acquaintance should be emptying and unbosoming his heart to him and making him partaker of his secrets Pour out your heart before him then especially in Prayers and Supplications Present him your particular cases and concernments Hide nothing from him from whom indeed nothing is hidden Let all thy pangs of sorrow have vent like Hannahs in the pouring out of thy Soul It may be when thou art pouring out thy case he may be pouring in his comforts Psal 62.8 32.5 38.9 1 Sam. 1.15 Prayer hath the promise of his Presence and indeed of peace In every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God shall keep your hearts c. Psal 145.18 Job 33.26 Phil. 4.6 7. 6 Add to all this an affectionate correspondence and communion with him Acquaintance doth not barely note an interest in another but intimacy but endearedness at least intercourse with that other I would have you secure an interest in him that thou be able with Thomas to say My Lord and my God This will serve thee in with choice peace in that this God is the God of peace Psal 16.2 Joh. 20.28 1 Thes 5.23 But I would not have you think it enough to have obtain'd an interest in him but you should maintain an holy open intercourse with him for herein lieth the crop and confluence of Evangelical peace and it is the end for which one whole Epistle was written 1 Joh. 1.3 4. Oh! what a calm and serenity of Conscience do such holy converses of faith love c. breathe forth What a conflux of joy are they blessed with Who ever came down from this Mount but his face shone with the irradiations of Divine love Or did not say of being on this Mount as Peter of being on that Mat. 17. 'T is good for us to be here let us build Tabernacles c. Isa 26.3 Exod. 34.29 30. Psal 65.4 36.7 8.9 Mat. 17.4 Direct 7. Argue this state and ascertain it to Conscience if thou wouldst arrive to peace Adjure her throughout all her proceedings or argumentations and articulate converses about it to be plain and full with thee as ever thou wouldst attain to a sound and well-setled peace Peace of Conscience is not the birth of rash and precipitate conjectures at an adventure but of rational and pondering self-converses and arguings by comparing a mans self with the signs or marks which the Scriptures give him for judging his estate and condition Hereby know we that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts * Inde fit ut pacatam conscientiam habeamâ—â— Bez. 〈◊〉 not ad 〈◊〉 or as the Syriack make our hearts quiet before him Hereby we know that we know him viz. to be our advocate with the father and that he is the propitiation for our sins and therefore our peace if we keep his commandments 1 Joh. 3.18 19. c. 2.1 2 3. Call Conscience to attend its office for clearing thy estate and charge it to be open and down-right with thee in the discharge of every part as it proceedeth in way of ratiocination and discourse It proceeds as I have said in a practical Syllogism As thus To be spiritually minded is life and peace But I am spiritually mind do mind spiritual Objects first and fullest Ergo I have life and peace Adjure hereby the living God to tell thee nothing but the truth in all the parts of her discourse Let artificial Logick be found only among Scholars yet is there natural Logick in every mans Conscience as one * Fenners Treat of Conscienc p. 231 232. well observeth Charge her before God and the Lord Jesus Christ to be clear and impartial with thee throughout In the first Proposition adjure her not to give thee unsound marks on the one hand as a very hypocrite may have nor unsafe marks on the other hand as are only to be had where there is height or growth in grace and are therefore improper in the present case which concerns only the truth of grace In the second Proposition adjure her to be full and faithful with thee in her testimony Wilt thou say this before the all-seeing God for me Wilt thou speak it to thy superiour as well as to my self Canst thou say Behold my witness is in heaven and my record is on high Psal 139.1 23 24. Joh. 21.17 Job 16.19 In the third Proposition urge her to speak home and speak out as she will answer it to God the supream Judg. Give her no rest if she either suspends her sentence or is short in it till she saith Shibboleth plainly and roundly that ye may bring things to some certainty as they did Job 16.30 2 Tim. 1.12 1 Joh. 2.5 See this fully prosecuted Q. 3. Direct 8. Attend the spirit of peace Spiritual peace is an effect of pouring out the spirit upon us Isa 32.15 16 17. Not as if it did exclude the efficiency of Father or Son 'T is both from him and them Rev. 1.4 5. It was through the eternal Spirit that Christ offered his spotless blood to purge and therewith pacifie the Conscience from dead works It is the same eternal Spirit that mouldeth us into the mystical union with Christ maketh application of his blood to the Conscience and manifests the same to its peace and comfort Heb. 9.14 1 Cor. 12.13 Tit. 3.5 6 7. Abuse not the Spirit then but attend his work upon thee his ways before thee and his witness in and with thee 1 Attend his work upon thee What he is doing what he is demanding and with what designes * See Fords spir of bond c. 10 11.
See thou do not baffle with or break from him Quench none of his motions be they never so strict or seem they never so severe They all tend to grace they all end in peace And though he be as yet a spirit of bondage to fear it is not to exulcerate Conscience more sharply but to heal it the more soundly and that he may be a spirit of adoption to thee whereby thou maist cry Abba father 1 Thes 5.19 Isa 61.1 Rom. 8.15 2 Attend his ways before thee not only his ways in the Sanctuary without thee in the means of grace as praying hearing c. but his ways that are more spiritual within thee in the motions of grace and minding of Spiritual and gracious matters The less spiritual-mindedness the less serenity of mind What blustrings are there here beneath But above 't is all in an happy tranquility There are no tempests or thundrings in the upper region Call up thy Conscience and its Colleagues thither and keep them conversant about spiritual and heavenly Objects and thou shalt then soon know what is the communion of the Spirit and what these suavities of Conscience are To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually is life and peace Phil. 3.20 21. cum 18 19. Col. 1.9 10. Rom. 8.5 6. 3 Attend the witness of the Spirit in and with thee It is the Spirit that beareth witness saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 5.6 Which he doth not only externally in the Scriptures but internally to and with our spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.16 A single witness under the law was of no moment But at the mouth of two witnesses shall the matter be established Deut. 19.15 Jo. 8.17 Lo two witnesses are tendered upon the case to clear it God's spirit and our spirit both of them needful and useful to testifie the things of God and the things of man For what man knoweth the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 3.11 The spirit witnesseth to and with our spirit or Conscience in and throughout its whole argumentation and progress whereupon it concludeth its peace E. g. All those that with child-like appretiation affiance and affections can cry Abba father are the children of God But I can with a child-like appretiation affiance and affections cry Abba father Therefore I am a child of God Rom. 8.15 16. The Spirit witnesseth with my Spirit 1. To the truth of the Proposition by an internal manitestation or revelation of that truth to the mind whereof he hath already made an outward revelation in the Scriptures Joh. 14.26 Psal 119.18 2. To the truth of the Assumption by irradiating the Conscience and enabling her in and upon the reflections she maketh to apprehend feel and descry such appretiations and affections in me or whatsoever other mark or medium I am making use of to clear up my estate thereby Eph. 1.17 18. 1 Cor. 2.12 14. 3. To the truth of the Conclusion not only by strengthning her to conclude my state and condition from such appretiations and affections but by shedding abroad such beams of joy and comfort as confirm me therein and seal it up unto my soul 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Rom. 5.5 Eph. 1.13 c. 4.30 Though you must not attend for an external audible testimony from the Spirit * See Hollingw Hol. Ghost on the bench p. 74 75. Ball 's Lif of Faith p. 79. which was never promised and hardly if ever pattern'd Yet you may and must attend for the internal and effectual testimony of the Spirit in effecting exciting heightning and evidencing of his own graces to and in you and in the effusion of the love of God and of his joy upon you which is called the joy in and of the Holy Ghost and is the companion of peace of Conscience Rom. 14.17 1 Thes 1.5 6. Let me only add Thou must not expect as if the Spirit would or could witness peace to thee before it hath wrought grace in thee For its testifying peace to the Conscience is by testifying the truth of thy grace and closing with Christ Thou must first set thy scal to the truth of God in the reception of his testimony by faith in his Son ere the Spirit of truth will seal thee up to the day of redemption Joh. 3.33 cum Eph. 4.30 2 Cor. 1.22 In whom after that ye believed * Quasi dicat non citiùs nec ante sed post sidem in Christum Zanch. ad loc ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Thus appealing Conscience into and adjuring her by the divine presence will be of notable advantage It will not only awaken and engage Conscience but will awe her from extreams to which Sin and Satan may otherwise incline her and put the more authority and undeniableness into her testimony and sentence as being given not only upon God's commission but with God's contestation and comprobation and so will be the more powerful to arrest and stay scruples to anticipate or answer Satan and ascertain the Soul in the sweetest and steadiest affiance while the testimony and judgment of Conscience to a mans righteousness and reconciliation c. is after such severities and as in the sight of God And her language to the Soul is like that of Eliphaz to Job Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good Psal 17.2 3. 7.3 9 10. 26.1 2 3. Job 13.15 16. c. 23.10 c. 27.2 5 6. c. 5.27 Q. 7. How may we keep Peace of Conscience when once gotten The former Directions C. 2. Q. 7. and those even now given you Q. 7. are of useful review here likewise * See Fenners Treat of Consc p. 200 c. But I shall be particular Direct 1. Keep out sin This is THE make-bate and like a mad man it casteth firebrands arrows and death Her entrance and first embraces its true may promise a mellifluous sweetness But her end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword that pierceth even to the Conscience And if anothers abuse of his liberty may wound your Conscience much more will the ardour of your own lusts Prov. 26.19 c. 3 4. Rom. 6.21 1 Cor. 8.12 Psal 38.3 5. Keep out especially 1 Scandalous sins These fly at God and his glory His name is blasphemed through them and shall you be blessed in them Had Zimri peace who slew his master Though David was the darling of Divine Providence yet farewell his peace when he once fell into such a provocation 2 Sam. 12.14 2 King 9.31 Psal 51.8 11. 2 Self-condemned sins Think not to sin against Conscience and yet sin in quiet Such sins are a daring of Conscience to do its worst and do implicitely condemn her as she doth explicitely condemn them And how can she in such a circumstance acquit and clear Remember what it
* See Fenner 's Treat of Consc p. 205 c. as it anticipateth what would trouble and confound the terms of our peace but as it affordeth a testimony to Conscience of the truth of our peace Hereby we know that we know God and are known and acknowledged by him Hereby we assure our hearts before him 2 Cor. 1.12 1 Joh. 2.3 5. c. 3.19 Yea God assureth the true Evangelical obedience an happy tranquility and peace The work of righteousness shall be peace Glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good As many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them Isa 32.17 Rom. 2.10 Gal. 6.16 I advise especially that you preserve 1. Loving affections The more you love his precepts the more you shall live in peace Great peace have they which love thy law Psal 119.165 166 167 132. 2. Loyal aims Let the preponderating motive be to please the Lord that you walk worthy of him unto all pleasing And he will reciprocate with you Every thing shall work together to pleasure you your enemies shall be at peace with you God himself shall take pleasure in you And therefore Conscience must needs be at peace with you No testimony speaks that peace to Conscience as this that I please God 2 Tim. 2.4 Col. 1.10 Rom. 8.28 Prov. 16.7 Psal 149.4 Heb. 11.5 Direct 8. In short keep a foot consideration and your most awakened and active circumspection Look backward and consider your pangs and plaints ere it came your prayers and promises that it might come the price you then set upon it the pains you then spent for it c. Look forward and consider the end it pointeth at the effects it promiseth the enjoyments to which it predisposeth c. Look upward and consider the principle whence it cometh the price which it cost the proprieties and priviledges which it cleareth c. Look downward and consider not only others horrors but how ominous hopeless c. your thoughts of hell and of the grave would be if you should lose your peace You cannot miss of motives whither soever you convert your minds In a word lose this and you lose all God Glory Heaven Happiness though not as to themselves yet as to your sense Keep this and you keep all the sweets the security of all Nay if you keep not this you cannot keep your selves at least in any quiet and composure For 't is the peace of God that keeps your hearts and minds all your rational faculties Phil. 4.7 Keep thy heart therefore with all diligence Be diligent that you may be found of God in peace without spot and blameless Watch thou in all things Prov. 4.23 2 Pet 3.14 2 Tim. 4.5 Watch the adversaries oâ— Conscience that they neither flatter her oâ—â— of her peace or fright her with their power neither feed her with prejudice nor force her upon any precipice that they neither cause an invasion nor cherish an insurrection Watch the acts of Conscience both imperate which she injoyneth other powers of the Soul and elicit which issue immediately from her self that they neither decline the rule nor discontinue their exercise nor be distorted to either extream but be discharged regularly Watch her answers that they be the answers of a good Conscience toward God In fine watch every avenue that nothing pass in or out but what you can give a good account for to the God of peace Mat. 26.41 1 Cor. 16.13 c. 8.9 Hebr. 3.12 1 Pet. 3.21 Luk. 21.34 36. Q. 8. Whether a pious Christian may not live for some time without Peace of Conscience Doubtless he may For though we may admit Piety to be the practical foundation of Peace yet we must allow some time between laying the foundation and raising up the frame or building 'T is true the end of that man is peace but his entrance is most times perplex as Manassebs Ephraims the Jews and Jaylors was Psal 37.37 2 Chron. 33.12 c. Jer. 31.18 c. Act. 2.37 c. c. 16.29 c. It is plain 1 there can be no peace before grace Q. 1. 'T is first grace then peace in all the options of the Apostle Rom. 1.7 2 Cor. 1.2 2 There is and must be grace in order of time and nature before peace For the true peace of a gracious Christian ariseth from the testimony of Conscience to the truth of his grace So that Conscience in pronouncing peace doth alway presuppose grace and maketh use of the truth of our grace as a medium whereby it proveth that we are upon terms of peace 2 Cor. 1.12 Isa 26.12 Psal 4.8 3 There may be a considerable interval between the implanting of grace in us and the imparting of peace to us whether we consider the ground of peace or the giver of peace 1. The ground of peace The immediate rise of peace is not the simple existence of grace in us but the sense and evidence of this grace to us And it is manifest that grace may exist in that subject which hath no evidence or sense of it and that for a long time Witness Heman David c. 'T is one thing to know God 't is another to know that we know him This is the product usually of much time many thoughts and trials of our selves Christ tells his Disciples Whither I go ye know and the way ye know But Thomas saith unto him Lord we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way There is no contradiction They knew it but did not know that they knew it notwithstanding so long continuance with him Science there was at least a dark and confused knowledg but not Conscience no distinctness or clearness of knowledg though they had so long converse with him in whom were laid up the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Psal 88.3 9 15. c. 42.3 8. 1 Joh. 2.3 Joh. 14.4 5. 2. Let the giver of peace be considered Grace and peace are from the same Spirit But not at the same time or with the same circumstances 'T is the same spirit that sanctifieth us in the day of our renovation and that sealeth us up to the day of our redemption But it is not by the same act That is antecedaneous this afterward After ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Isa 32.15 17. Rom. 15.13 16. Ephes 1.13 How long or how little time he will take ere the ensealing of the deed is not for us to determine while he hath not declared it in his word and is pleased to diversifie so much in his works Pauls peace was not so early as Lydias was 'T is not for us to know the times and scasons which the Father hath put in his own power Act. 9.9 17 18. c. 16.14.1.7 This is certain Grace is from the Spirit as working out sin and writing out the similitude of God upon the Soul Peace is from him as witnessing with our spirits our Sonship and Salvation So that
been never so wicked mercy hath a wing to cover you and clucks after you as her chicken 2 Chron. 36.16 Joh. 3.20 Heb. 2.3 Rom. 2.4 5. Isa 1.19 Mat. 23.37 7. Once more who are the Objects of Omnipotent mercy but such as are in misery Mercy is an attribute whose aspect is ever toward the Creature God knoweth himself loveth himself but is not merciful to himself And 't is misery is the object of mercy as the sole motive of bestowing mercy is his own free mercy So that the calamitousness of thy condition should not be abused to keep thee from mercy but used as an argument rather to awaken and quicken thee to the speediest close with mercy Here maist thou unload thy burdens and ease thy miserable breast The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy With him is a multitude of tender mercies Whither can you look but to mercy if you will not still live in misery Now here is work for saving mercy in the sense of thy misery Justice looks what your merits are but mercy looks what your miseries are Be not discouraged sin and misery are the most strong and suitable arguments whereby to plead for mercy For now you present God with the proper object of mercy which you pray him to magnifie You have the example of his Worthies to encourage you Lord be merciful to me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Be merciful unto me O Lord for I am poor and needy Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed My soul also is sore vexed O save me for thy mercies sake Exod. 33.19 Jam. 5.11 Psal 51.1 41.4 86.1 3. 6.1 5. Direct 5. Present the Object by and through whom we can only hope for Salvation aright to you the Lord Christ His very name is argument enough to refell despair revive hope and raise both desire and delight His name Jesus Lets thee see what he is to his and what he will be to thee if thou wilt believe in him a Saviour from thy sins Mat. 1.21 Act. 16.31 1 Tim. 4.10 Away with thy strait and narrow conceptions of the blessed Jesus The Angel tells us This is good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people that there is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. The Apostles testifie that God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world And if you attend his own sayings he assureth you I came not to judg the world but to save the world And God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Luk. 2.10 1 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 12.47 c. 3.17 What is it then that sticks with you Do you think him either 1. averse that he will not or 2. not able and so cannot save so vile a sinner as thou art though thou submit unto him Behold Christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prorsus perpetuo perfectè as * ad Heb. 7.25 Gryneus giveth it us CHAP. V. Quest Whether we should direct our Prayers only to God the Father or may also to the Son and to the Holy Ghost And how may we order our thoughts aright in distinguishing these three persons especially as to prayer MOst dear and worthy Friend I willingly own the obligations you have put upon me to God and you And shall rejoyce to serve you or if this may satisfie you I shall not premise any needless Preface to what this paper offers you Your concessions in our late Conference I shall not so much prove as improve The question you would be clear in being complicate I shall take asunder and tender you what satisfaction I may from the holy Scriptures without the accession of humane Authors as knowing that your faith doth not indeed should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 Quest 1. Whether we should direct our prayers only to God the Father or may also to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Answ I affirm we may direct our Prayers to any of them and should direct our Prayers to all these three persons in the one most single and undivided Godhead To this purpose please to peruse these ensuing Propositions Prop. 1. God is the object of prayer the adequate and alone object His commands as also your concessions determine our prayers to and upon him who is God by nature upon him and upon no other Mat. 4.10 Psal 50.15 65.2 Gal. 4.8 Psal 44.20 21. So that the proper fundamental and formal reason of divine worship is the perfect and infinite excellency of the eternal Godhead Prop. 2. The Godhead which is and can be but one there being but one first cause and last end Deut. 6.4 Ephes 4.6 Isa 41.4 c. 44.6 8. subsists in Father Son and Holy Ghost without any division of that most single essence yet with distinction of these several persons This as your self concedes so these Scriptures clear 1 Joh. 5.7 Mat. 28.19 c. 3.16 17. Deut. 6.4 Jehovah Elohim So that as the Father is God Rom. 15.6 c 1.7 So also is the Son 1 Joh. 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 Act. 20.28 And so likewise is the Holy Ghost Act. 5.3 4. 1 Cor. 3.16 17. c. 12.6 7 8. Three distinct persons they are but one and the same God There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three its not said ver 8. agree in one but are one Not only do they agree in one testimony but are one in truth one thing one nature one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 5.7 I should further expatiate in clearing this truth but that you have already evidenced your clearness in it Prop. 3. The Son and Holy Ghost being one God co-equal and co-essential with the Father divine honour and our dues of office as prayer c. are to be deferred therefore and given unto them as well as to the Father This is eminently enough pointed to us in that prayer of Benediction which was prescribed unto the Priests Numb 6.23 27. Wherein they must thrice iterate The Lord the Lord the Lord bless thee c. But it is evidently and expresly pattern'd in that prayer of Valediction 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God i.e. the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen The practice of John may be produced likewise in that proemial prayer for and salutation of the Seven Churches Rev. 1.4 5. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come a frequent periphrasis of the Father and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne i.e. the Holy Ghost the variety and perfection of whose Graces in these Seven Asian Churches is hereby indicated he being but one and
in that this term is extended to Creatures to Men to Angels you are to think of Father Son and Holy Ghost as increated persons from whom therefore you must remove all creature-imperfections even in your very thoughts As 1 Created persons are of a determined or rather finite nature 1. Of finite perfections 2. of a finite presence 3. of finite power and 4. of a finite permanence or duration But these increated persons are infinite in their nature the Godhead being infinite 1. Of infinite perfections Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out Job 37.23 Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than hell what canst thou know c. Job 11.7 8 9. 2. Of an infinite presence Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. Yea blessed Lord whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence Jerem. 23.24 Psalm 139.7 c. 3. Of an infinite power I am God almighty saith he Is any thing too hard for me c. Gen. 35.11 Jer. 32.27 4. Of an infinite permanence or duration From everlasting to everlasting thou art God He is the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity Psal 90.2 Isa 57.15 2 Created persons are of a divisible and compounded nature and therefore changable But these increated persons are of a most indivisible simple and immutable nature For so is the Godhead a most pure a most perfect nature without the least change without the least composition Each person is called Jehovah who is what he is viz. a most pure and perfect being without variableness or so much as a shadow of turning Exod. 3.14 Jam. 1.17 God is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 3 Created persons are of a dependent nature As all created persons depend upon their first cause or principles for their continued preservation so the nature doth depend upon its proper person for its support or sustentation But now the divine nature which is in these three persons doth not depend upon any or upon all these persons for its sustentation or subsistence But all three persons subsist in this one independent nature as is said of the subsistence of the Son Phil. 2.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subsisting in the form i.e. in the essential form of God as being equal with God as it follows The Godhead it self is independent or it is not Godhead or it is not infinite He is Jehovah which implys that his being is neither from nor for nor in nor by any other but is most absolute and independent I am the first and I am the last and beside me there is no God Isa 44.6 c. 45.21 22. 4 Created persons are of different natures numerically different though not specifically True it is that Peter Paul Philip are of the same specifical nature i.e. they are all of them men but they are not of the same singular or numerical nature i.e. they are not the same man But these increated persons are of the same nature not only of the same specifical but of the same singular nature they are the same God That as you may safely say God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost So you must think and say of them that they are one and the same God one and but one These three are one 1 Joh 5.7 Hear O Israel the Lord our God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one Lord. You must not then think of these three uncreated persons as you would of those three created as if these were distinct Gods as those are distinct men 5 Created persons have many different accidents and are distinguished from each other by a congeries or heap of accidents as time place c. But these increated persons are of that infinite perfection as being the same God that they are above any such thing as an accident The infinite simplicity of the Divine nature cannot admit of such finite things as are accidents as also nor can its immutability 'T is a confessed maxim amongst Christians Whatsoever is in God is God I have sworn by my holiness saith God Psal 89.35 God sware by himself saith the Apostle Heb. 6.13 God's Holiness then is God himself 'T is true the Father Son and Holy Ghost are distinguished by their personal properties or if you will needs so call it by their personal attributes But they are not different by any personal accidents as James and John are This their perfect nature is utterly alien from and abhorrent of Direct 2. Think of Father Son and Holy Ghost as the same God subsisting in one and the same undivided essence or Godhead See that you do not divide the nature when you distinguish the persons Therefore John having shewn you these three distinct persons immediately subjoyneth that they have but one undivided essence 1 Joh. 5.7 The same in effect doth Jesus Mat. 28.19 as we have noted before Q. 1. Prop. 6. Enough may seem to have been already spoken to this both there and but even now But I add you should not only think of them as one and the same God in the same most single essence but think of them as inseparably subsisting in and with one another in the unity of this same essence That the Son subsists in the Divine nature or essence you saw but even now from Phil. 2.6 Direct 1. That the Son and Father subsist in the same Divine essence is manifest in that the Son is the express image of his Fathers person or subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his Father and he are one in essence Heb. 1.3 Joh. 10.30 The Holy Ghost therefore must and doth subsist in the same essence for he is one God with the Son and Father 1 Joh. 5.7 Believest thou not saith Christ to Philip that I am in the Father and the father in me And then he calleth upon him from his word and from his works which were the Fathers in and with him Believe me that I am in the father and the father in me Joh. 14.10 And again afterward he assureth his Disciples That at that day when the Holy Ghost the Comforter should be more plentifully communicated to them from the Father at that day ye shall know that I am in the father ver 20. Now the Holy Ghost being co-essential with the Father and with the Son and subsisting with them in the same single and omnipresent nature doth therefore also subsist in and with the Father and Son and they also in and with the Spirit In short then you must so think of them that you do not divide when you do distinguish them 1. Think of them as whose essential attributes are undivided That the Son and Holy Ghost are equally excellent infinite immutable c. with God the Father because God equal with the Father And there can be no inequality betwixt them who are all infinite Phil. 2.6
proceed which the infiniteness simplicity and immutability thereof can no way admit Yet the Father doth beget the Son is begotten and the Holy Ghost doth proceed Think of the Divine essence then 1. As one only one most singly and singularly one But think of the Divine persons as three three distinct subsistents in this Divine essence 2. Think of the Divine essence as only of and from it self but think of the Divine person of the Son as of or from the Father and of the Holy Ghost as from them both 3. Think of the Divine essence as common or communicated to all and to each of the three persons But of the persons as incommunicable and impredicable of one another The Father cannot be the Son nor the Son the Father c. 4. The Divine essence to conclude is of absolute consideration a person is of relative consideration A person in the notion thereof includeth over and above the essence a relation as of the Father to the Son of the Son to the Father of both to the Holy Ghost and of the Holy Ghost to both A person in the Godhead is the Godhead distinguished by an incommunicable relative property These things have received proof already therefore I forbear here Direct 5. Think of this Trinity of persons in the unity of the same essence not only with distinct apprehensions but with dearest appretiations with deepest abasements of thy self with divinest admiration of them with devotedst adhesion with deliciousest affections and with devoutest actions 1 With dearest appretiations The top of your blessedness or felicity is union and communion with this blessed Trin-unity Let your highest thoughts turn in hither and take up here Prefer one God in three persons beyond all other good and price him as your highest and only chief good The glorifying and enjoyment of these three glorious persons in the one glorious Godhead is the business and blessedness of the glorified ones to all eternity as is not obscurely intimated Rev. 4.8 Holy holy holy Lord God almighty Let this mystery therefore have the highest throne in all the thoughts of your mind Say with David Only marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul waiteth upon God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which noteth the plurality of persons in this one nature Psal 62.1 To have the trin-une God your God is the highest happiness and therefore calleth for your highest appretiations The fellowship of the Father Son and Holy Ghost was the highest felicity the Priests could wish unto the people or Paul unto his Corinthians or John unto the seven Churches Num. 6.23.27 2 Cor 13.14 Rev. 1.4.5 2 With deepest abasements the Angels themselves cover their faces and the four and twenty Elders with their golden Crowns fall down before the Throne of God when they come to see and celebrate this glorious Mystery to cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Isa 6.2 3. Rev. 4.8 10. How much more should we that dwell in Houses of Clay Here if ever should reason lower its Top-sail and strike or stoop rather to Revelation Flesh and Blood cannot reveal nor doth without the spirit of faith receive this mysterious union of three persons in one nature or that other of two natures in one person one Christ Though these are not against yet are they above reason Matth. 16.16 17. 1 Cor. 2.11 12 14. But if reason it self call for Elijahs Mantle wherein to wrap its face from this dazling glory what are our Rebellions our Sins what malignity is in them and what murmuring should be by us while every sin is a dart thrown at this glorious Essence and as it were a study of dissolving the substantial union of these three glorious Subsistents It is enmity against God contrariety to God nor is any one an enemy to God or he to them but by and for sin Rom. 8.7 Levit. 26.23 24. Isa 63.10 This is that which crucified the Son quencheth the Spirit and puts contempt upon the Father Once more your very relation to so high a God should humble you Let my soul boast it self in him but blush and be ashamed in me who am I or what is my life or my Fathers Family in Israel that I should be Son-in-law to the King Worm that I am and no man not worthy of the least of all thy mercies infinitely below thee as I am thy Creature yet more infinitely as I am a Sinner and yet will this glorious God become my God these glorious Persons become my Portion God the Father become my Father God the Son my Saviour God the Spirit my Sanctifier I have seen thee Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty with the Eye of Faith I have seen thee Behold I am vile what shall I say unto thee Infinitely Infinitely Infinitely am I unworthy of thee I Repent and Abhor my self in dust and ashes compare Isa 6.3 with 5. Job 42.2.7.40.4 But I may not so expatiate 3 With divinest admiration Angels adore this mystery and shall not men admire this mystery Isa 6.3 here are such depths as I cannot wade through can only wonder at One yet Three Three yet one God the Father begetting God the Son and yet the Godhead of the Son unbegotten God the Holy Ghost proceeding from both and yet the Holy Ghost God Coeternal and Coequall with both All these one God in each other Alius alius yet not Aliud aliud these are matters I find beyond my reason to comprehend 't is too short to reach them yet find reason to confess believe because God hath revealed them O that I could more devoutly admire where I cannot distinctly apprehend concerning the Eternal generation of the Son and procession of the Holy Ghost And let my reason never cavil at that which is infinite but remember continually that it self is finite There are fewer difficulties in that than in this subject where the Apostle falls off from a strickt discussion and falls into a devout admiration O the depth O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! How unsearcheable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11 33. 4 With the devotedst adhesion of your understanding to this fundamental truth of your will to this fountain-goodness You are baptized in or into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 Here abide I exhort you with Barnabas that with purpose of heart you would cleave unto the Lord Act. 11.23 Here is enough in the glorious Trinity to take up every thought of your heart and whereon to imploy every faculty and power that you have Here is the universality of truth to content your understandings and of goodness to content your wills and affections What truth what good what perfection that bears proportion to such an intelligent and immortal nature as your souls are of that is not to be found with this one God in these three persons your blessedness is
lodged up here Numb 6.24.25 26. As much as you loosen from hence you lose of blessedness 5 With diliciousest affections How can you think of this glorious trinunity as your God and your objective felicity and be not taken up yea transported with joy Here are the ravishing enjoyments of the restless joys of Saints and Angels above in glory in their communion with these three holy persons in the Almighty Godhead Rev. 4.8 How can you otherwise choose than be pleased with these undivided persons who are to you an undivided portion and an eternal blessedness Is there any such garden of delights and comforts as in contemplating the divine persons and perfections especially as they are yours in so near and dear a relation Where is your love where is more loveliness If you have any thoughts to lay out in love here bestow them who can never bestow them else-where with more comfort or with better cause In the Godhead lo the perfections of love Infinitely loving is too low an expression for him he is infinite love for God is love 1 Joh. 4.8 In each person lo the prints of love The Father hath so loved you as to give his only begotten Son to you ver 9.10 Joh. 3.16 The Son hath so loved you as to give himself for you and to make a Bath of his own blood to wash you Gal. 2.20 Rev. 1.5 The Spirit doth so love you as to apply all the behoofs of the Fathers electing love and of the Sons redeeming love to you and to shed abroad the blessed beams thereof in you Tit. 3.4 5 6. Rom 5.5 How can you think of such united loves and not be wrapt up into extasies of love for them that are so loving and so lovely 6 With devoutest actions The union of these three glorious persons in the one glorious Godhead calls for the united power and putting forth of all your graces Every Saint should be a Seraphim when he cometh to celebrate this mystery of mysteries in regard of the fervour and vigour of each renewed faculty and quality Here is employment for every gracious habit Here are infinite united excellencies to induce their most intensive extensive and united exercise Now for the strongest faith love hope c. to give glory to God for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever i.e. say some Aug. de Trin. l. 6. c. 10. Lomt sent l. 1. dist 36. of the Father through the Son and for the Spirit Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja to these three glorious persons and again Amen Alleluja to the one only Eternal Godhead to allude to Rev. 19.1 3 4 6. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost A doxology of great antiquity and of as great authority Thus may your thoughts walk freely and work effectually powerfully practically upon this most worthy subject I advise you not so much to speculative thoughts as to those that are practique which will affect your heart and not amaze the head The Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity hath in it amazing difficulties such as may puzle the profoundest wits such as I am not ashamed with Justin Martyr to confess I can neither satisfie my self in nor counsel others to search after An holy Circle of the humblest admiring and highest believing will best commed in this an holy Christian Let your thoughts run backward and forward in this holy round from believing forward to admiring where your short and straitned reason cannot comprehend And from admiring backward again to believing because Scripture Revelation hath made it clear That of Nazianzene hath frequently affected me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nondum pervenio Illigere hoc unum tum his tribus luce circumtundere pervenio haec divid re in hoc unum super haec Q. 3. How may we order our thoughts aright concerning these three distinct persons as to Prayer What hath been already premised in answer to the two former questions may perhaps seem enough to others for clearing of this also Thither I must remit you in a great part for satisfaction and shall only subjoyn these six ensuing propositions which will be of good and great use if you therewith take in what hath been already tendered you for the right directing of your Prayers to these divine Persons which as your late discourse prompts me to think was the great design you levelled at by this general question and for resolving those difficulties which seem to perplex you Prop. 1. Though you are to distinguish the persons yet it is not your duty in prayer to present unto each person distinct petitions I confess you may do it as Paul and the Priests sometimes did 2 Cor. 13.14 Numb 6.24 25 26. But there is no command that you must do it and if you consult examples you may find a whole constellation of Saints by whom it was not done Mat. 11.25.26 Joh. 17.1.5 Eph. 1.17 Phil. 4.20 see Q. 1. Prop. 5. Prop. 2. Though the distinction of the persons should be preserved as in habit within your thoughts for the right presenting of your Prayers yet it is not your duty to put it forth into act in every prayer you present For 1. There is no command for it either in the unwritten book of nature or in the written books of Scripture And where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 1 Joh. 3.4 2. Your capacities being considered which are very strait and narrow it becomes incompossible with those concerns of Prayer which you have in hand to carry along a distinct view of these distinct persons in every distinct Petition You have a command 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoever ye do do it all to the glory of God An unintermitted intention of God in every act of our lives is granted to be neither needful nor possible But if our intentions be not formally and explicitely but only virtually and implicitely referred hither so that we refer not any action to such an end as is not consistent with this end and that we actually refer all our actions to such ends as are in connexion with and in subordination to it and if the habitual intention and respect of our hearts be toward God and his glory upmost and these intentions be often actuated and awakened I say if it be thus then have we Evangelically satisfied this commandment You will easily make application of what I have said to the illustration of this proposition Be sure you do preserve upon your thoughts the necessary distinction of these persons in the one only Godhead which is the object of Prayer and though you do not explicitely mind their distinction in every Prayer Yet let not your minds so fluctuate in any Prayer as either to divide the Godhead or to exclude any person therein or to confound all the persons in whatsoever Prayer see Q. 1. Prop. 3 4 6 7. Prop. 3. It is requisite and at least