網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

is the fpirit of the Father; and crying Abba Father, is the fpirit of the Son;-the Holy Ghost is therefore the spirit of the Father and of the Son. The Trinity and Unity of the Godhead is moft clearly demonftrable. It appears by the matter of fact offered in the divine will, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, are infeparable in existence; one God, the fame in fubftance; for that will, commandment and bleffing, in which they are one, is the divine fubitance; and, therefore, as acting together, primarily and effentially, in that will, they are equal in power and in glory.

And as the divine principle, will, or record is eternal, each perfon acting in it, or bearing it, is neceffarily eternal. In the display of the divine principle, however, the characters of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, do neceffarily bear the date of time, and appear in an order :-Here there is a day of the exhibition of the Son, and therefore a day of the manifeftation of the Father; and also, there is here a day of the hedding forth of the Holy Ghoft, which is the day of God's power.

The idea entertained by fome, of the exiflence of a Father before the Son, is evidently the imagination of the existence of fome being before the Godhead, or the Alpha, the Firft and Beginning; or before that difcoverable Divine Being, whofe existence can be conceived of only as a Trinity.

It is effentially requifite to the nature and exiftence of a firft principle, that it be felf

dependent and whatever is felf-dependent must be a first principle; but the divine will is acknowledged to be fuch, How grofsly abfurd is it, therefore, to conceive and talk of fomething's exifting, upon which this acknowledged felf-dependent principle is fuppofed to depend, befides itself?

But as we know that this principle, the divine purpose or will, is itself eternal, and bears all the divine characters; we fhall leave the fuppofition of any pre-exifting being or thing to the fancy of dreamers.-The eternity of God's purpofe is unfolded in the Divine Theory; and the fubject of this eternity will fully fatisfy the children of wifdom; but the gazing empty eyes of the fool will not be fa tisfied with roving to the utmost limits of the universe.

An objection may arife to our confidering a principle, of the voluntary nature, as the Divine Being-But God is a Spirit; and what other idea may be formed of a fpirit, than that of a voluntary principle? A good fpirit is a good principle, and an evil fpirit an evil principle.-And, why fhould it be thought objectionable that mere principle, of a voluntary nature, fhould be defined as an active rational being-May we entertain any other idea of a good spirit than that of a voluntary harmonious principle, and of an evil fpirit but the contrary? The fcriptures teach that God is light, truth, love, &c. which is merely the idea of good principle; and that the Devil is the oppofite; falfe principle, darkness, error, enmity, &c.-The apoftle

S

John faith, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they are of God. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every Spirit that confeffeth Jefus Chrift in the flesh is come, is of God. And every Spirit that confefseth not Jefus Chrift in the flesh is come, is not of God; and this is that of Antichrift.-Here, by spirit, is certainly meant principle:-And of the Word of Life, which we have heard, which we have feen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled; which is fo evidently the principle we have illustrated as a covenant, a record, &c. he faith, This is the true God, and eternal life.

But there is another view of the divine fubject, which it may be neceffary farther to illuftrate, in order to fhew the argument of the Theory; which is, that the truth of Chrift is all and in all; all effentially and all decla ratively. The divine principle has been stat ed and illuftrated as being of the nature of a covenant tranfaction, or a matter of record between parties; and it has been fhewn, that the idea of the divinity of the Father, of the Word, and of the Holy Ghoft confifts in their being immediately concerned, and their ac-ting together in this eternal compact. It has been fhewn, moreover, that the matter tranfacted, or what was fo done, was the inftitu-` tion of a Chrift, or the fetting up of one as the foundation and head of the world; fo; that in the truth imported by this name, Chrift Jefus the Lord, is comprised the whole body of divinity, and in him all fullness dwells.

Here, in the parts effentially acted in the compact concerning this inflitution of the Lord Christ, we view the divinity of the Father, and of the Word, and of the Holy Ghoft: Here we are directed, as to the eternal source of all, by the declarative divinity of the heaven and the earth, the fcriptures, ordinances, angels and faints; all which confifts in their witneffing this truth,-Here we contemplate that all efficient action and fact, which in effect framed the worlds: And here we behold not only the mere efficient cause, but also the virtual foundation and head, the life and the light of the world.

[ocr errors]

The divine record relates wholly to the truth which is in Chrift Jefus: This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son. The Father and the Holy Ghoft bear record to Chrift; but the Word beareth record of himself. I am the way, and the truth, and the life. John xiv. 6. Here then we must look alone for effential divinity: Here is the discoverable Divine Being; the Source of light and life, and of every divine manifeftation: Here we are directed to difcover that fact, the report of which carries in it every manifestation, or revelation of God. And what do we difcover here? The Foundation and Head of all worlds, viz. a Chrift:-Chrift the Beginning of the creation, the Angel-Chrift, and Chrift Jefus.-Verily, and indeed, a foundation and head; a Chrift in virtue and ftrength, in life and glory; Which in his times he shall fhew, who is the bleffed and only Potentate; the King

-

of Kings, and Lord of Lords. And which glorious truth was the good confeffion he witnessed before Pontius Pilate.

The word, or will of God in the beginning was the divinity exhibited in the creation: the name or will of God in the angel was the divinity unfolded in all the exhibition in that character; and the Word being made flefh, and dwelling among us, as Chrift the Son, fully displayed the divine will, and is the divinity of the gofpel.-As, therefore, Chrift brought into the world, is the Divine Being all expreffed-God manifeft; it follows, that all divinity is in him effentially—all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. It appears, therefore, that the doctrine of Chrift is our principle, and our argument; our alpha and our omega, our first and our last, our beginning and our conclufion.

The distinction noticed, between the evidence of the teftimony of divine truth, and of the actual exhibition, is of the fame nature as the diflinction between the light of the fcriptures, and of reason.-When we fpeak of the light of nature, or of reason, it fhould be diftinguished from mere intellect, and alfo from opinion. I have obferved that people often mean by reafon their belief or opinion, and when they fay, that certain things do or do not comport with their reafon, no more is meant, than the agreement or difagreement of thofe things with their adopted belief or opinion. But, though the opinions of men may be very different, and very abfurd, reafon must be every where one and the fame

« 上一頁繼續 »