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nuation of his forecited reply, "Have I been so long time with you," &c. (nothing wonderful). "Believest thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME, HE DOETH THE WORKS" (Ib. xiv. 10).

For with the Father saying and doing, or words and works are all one. And such are also whatever things he does by the Son, or the Son by him: whatever is said or done in one of these mediums being accountable also as said or done in the other, and by God in each. Hence the Son can do nothing of himself; but all by the Father, as his disciples by him and so he tells them; "Verily, verily (says he) I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father" (John xiv. 12). "For without me ye can do nothing" (Ib. xv. 5). And of the same import also is that other medium, namely the Spirit: all the works of God in men being necessarily wrought thereby according to promise, and not else; as for example, first God by the prophet," and I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon ME, whom they have pierced" (Zech. xii. 10)-and next in Christ, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things," &c. (John xiv. 26). "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (Cor. I. ii. 11).

The Word by recurring to the Father, whether personally or in prayer, effects for us immediately what we can only procure mediately for ourselves. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh

intercession for us," &c. (Rom. viii. 26). And if we can only imagine this continual afflux and reflux of the tide of life in either channel, namely of the Word or Spirit, which consists thereby from the Heart or Fountain of life, we may be able to trace the unity as well as distinction, not only between the Fountain and streams of life, but also between both and the extremities, whether consisting in angels or men, with Christ at the head of both.

3, But what makes the general ignorance or unconsciousness of the unity of the Word and the Spirit with each other, and of their several, as well as common unity with the Father, the Fountain of happiness and perfection, rather remarkable is, its continuance to the present in spite of many an implicit acknowledgment of the fact, even by heathen poets, and that sometimes in terms that would not have disgraced the pages of a Christian divine; as for example, where virtue is said by one to be the narrow WAY of happiness, and by another to be sprinkled with sweat,-virtue signifying the mode as well as the quality, and the principle as well as the effect-in heathen literature. So, in a virtuous man's way, or in any man's way, we may observe a clear distinction without a division, as it relates either inwardly or outwardly—to thinking or doing, to principles or persons, to causes or consequences: the means and accompaniments of either end or direction being also equally different; as of the inward, letters with self-approbation or reproach—of the outward, tools, weapons, &c., with sweat, as aforesaid.

Our Saviour has indicated this same distinction concerning the Way and the Impetus with their identity in several of his sayings as recorded by the evangelists, and especially in the following recorded by St. John and St. Matthew: v. g.

"I am the Way and the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John xiv. 6). "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not

worthy of me" (Matt. x. 38). "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the Way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT" (Ib. vii. 14).

4, The misfortune of most inquirers, whether heathen or Christian, has been that of courting or cultivating one of these relations too exclusively of the other: as those who are called wise, the Word exclusively of the Spirit; and those who are not called wise, the Spirit exclusively of the Word: whereas the same Two being one in effect, as we have seen, the enjoyment of one relation is not to be had perfectly without the other. Alas; that the perception of the truth should not oftener be accompanied with the sense or conviction-the enjoyment of the form of godliness, with that of its power and essence, on the one hand; or, that a fallacious power, zeal without knowledge, should ever be allowed to transport, like a furious tempest, some beyond their reckoning, as it were, into unknown seas; while others are "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph. iv. 14)—on the other!

In our voyage through life the Spirit and the Word should be to us in the relation of wind and compass, two differing helps like those, though of one principle or beginning-perhaps: for the doctrine of such matters is not in the province of God's Word. In God's Word the persons of his elect are considered as so many temples or shrines his sanctifying spirit as their oracle-his creative Word, as their Great High Priest-their part, to consult him daily, worshipping his Divinity, obeying his responses, keeping his temple clean: what an advantage for their private regulation and domestic worship! If ever the response of an heathen oracle was worth regarding, or even

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· ὄρθιος διμος ἐπ ἀυτὴν,”

“ Καὶ τρηχὺς τὸ πρῶτον,” &c.

that of Nature to which such oracles were often opposed, -how much more the response of the heart sanctified by Nature's God! For the feelings of old, distempered nature are now like streaky milk; which would be excellent food, if it was not spoiled at the fountain: but that it is the province of the Spirit to correct-of the Word to indicateand of the elect, "as new-born babes to desire sincerely, that they may grow thereby" (Pet. I. ii. 2).

CHRISTIAN MODES.

PART II.

RELATIONS OF THE KINGDOM.

CHAPTER IV.

MEDIATE IN TRINITY.

1, Doctrine.-2, Evidences.-3, Objections and Errors.

"And these Three are One."-JOHN I. v. 7.

THE properties which cannot be imputed to the Supreme Being, or the external and only real Subjective of the Kingdom, directly but are mediately in his three principal Types or Persons, whether singly considered or in duality having now been noticed, with evidences, objections and errors regarding the same in either consideration, that is, either single or dual-there still seems room enough for another review of the subject in its full combination, or of the same unity in trinity, presenting one view of one God in three types or persons. And here it is that the glorious majesty of the Godhead shines in full splendour, being displayed in a perfect unity, or united in perfection.

But if we found the view of these divine relations singly oppressive, and the view of them doubled, or singly compared, still more disproportioned to the humble means engaged in their survey, how vastly beyond them must we find the same in this more perfect scope or combination!

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