approach the Father but in the Son, and through the Holy Spirit. We cannot pray without acknowledging the Trinity; to approach the Father through the Spirit is an act of worship to the Spirit. St. Paul says, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost."1 An oath properly taken is an act of worship. In approaching the Lord at his table this morning, we shall be worshipping the Trinity.

1 Rom. ix. 1.

Sunday Morning, June 5, 1831.

SERMON L.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.

[SECOND SERMON. ]

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. -1 JOHN V. 7.

THE PATERNITY OF THE FIRST PERSON IN THE TRINITY is the First subject I shall consider this morning. Men have endeavoured to comprehend this, it is a snare of Satan; all errors upon the subject of the Trinity are to be traced to an unhallowed spirit of reasoning. One of the Fathers has said, and I regret that Mr. Simeon, in one of his Skeletons of Sermons, has repeated the error, that the Father is the Fountain of Deity: this expression intimates that as the source has its beginning before the streams, so the Father, as the Fountain of Deity, has pre-existence: the Father in Deity is not before the Son; the relationship of Father and Son identifies itself wholly in one; if illustration may be resorted to, light

presents in the natural world this illustration, light involves the three primary colours-the three colours do not constitute the light, but the light comprehends the colours,―so the Father, Son, and Spirit are essentially one God. Scripture declares they are three persons-not merely names of one Divine Essence, as the Arians, Sabellians, and Socinians maintain: our Lord declares this truth. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

Holy Ghost."1 Compare the following passages, "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.2 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." 3.

Again: "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 4

Secondly: THE SONSHIP OF THE SECOND PERSON IN JEHOVAH: the Word:' this Sonship is ascribed by Christ himself, and his inspired writers, to his Deity. He is called "the Son," his "only Son," his "only Son," his "only-begot

1 Matt. xxviii. 19.
3 Psalm xxxvi. 9.

2 1 John i. 2.

4

1 John ii. 1.

ten Son," his "beloved Son." Contrast this with what is said of his humanity; he is called 66 a rod out of the stem of Jesse," the "seed of the woman.' He is the "Son of God" in a peculiar sense: "I will declare the decree : the Lord hath said unto me, thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee:" this day means eternity. "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth." 2

Again : "who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" "As he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they,"3 (the angels). Angels had no name by inheritance, Christ inherits his name because his was the Divine Essence. Consider him, the only-begotten Son,

1 Psalm ii. 7.

2 Prov. viii. 23, 24.

3 Heb. i. 3-5.

66

as distinct from, and infinitely above, his Sonship, in connection with his brethren. No man hath seen God at any time; the onlybegotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."1 God has other sons he is the " only-begotten Son," because essentially and eternally his Son, irrespective of all covenant engagements. He was the co-essential Son, "I and my Father are one: " he was the co-equal Son with his Father, and that necessarily; it could not be otherwise; there can be neither superiority nor inferiority with the Father. The Jews reasoned correctly, when, as it is related of them, they said Christ made himself equal with God, because he said God was his Father." 2

Christ declares, "I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him."3 Some say that Christ is the Son of God because he was miraculously conceived, and then born, of the Virgin Mary; but if so, he would more properly be called the Son of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit overshadowed the Virgin Mary. Christ always lays his claim to Sonship on his Divinity. "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the Son can do nothing of himself, but

1 Johni. 18.

2 John v. 18.

3 John x. 30, 31.