the liberty to tell this author, That many do think, and that very justly, that ́ both thofe fentiments of the Jews were alike mistaken; and that because our Lord himself, in ver. 28. has determined it to be the voice of his Father. It was not an angel that fpoke; nor was it the voice of an angel that was heard at his baptifin, any more than at his transfiguration; when he received "from God the Father, honour and glory; when there came fuch a voice to

him, from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am "well pleased"." The fame writer infinuates as though it was not the likeness of the holy Spirit, which was fent at Chrift's baptifm; because the holy Spirit is invisible; but that this likeness was minifterial: and gives, as he thinks, a parallel inftance in the book of the Revelation; 'where, he fuppofes, a created angel appeared in the likeness of Chrift; and in his name, said, I am the Alpha and Omega, &c. which I apprehend to be a very great mistake. For the angel by whom Chrift made known the Revelation to John, is not the fame with him, whom John faw in the vifion, in the midft of the golden candlestics, and who faid the abovementioned. It is not ufual for those who are meffengers, embassadors, or legates, to fay, they are the very perfons by whom they are fent; nor could a created angel, without blafphemy, fay, that he was the first and the laft, which is peculiar to the Moft High God. In fine, I apprehend that the voice, which was heard at Chrift's baptifm, was an articulate voice formed. by God; that it was not the voice of an angel, nor the voice of the Son, nor of the Spirit, but of the Father only and the likenefs which was feen, was not the likeness of an angel, nor of the Son, nor of the Father, but of the Spirit, which was affumed pro tempore; as he afterwards appeared in the fhape of cloven tongues, like as of fire, and fat upon the apostles on the day of Pentecoft. And now I am speaking of the baptifm of Chrift, it may be proper to mention ours, which ought to be performed" in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." We are not baptized into three names or characters, but in the one name of three Perfons diftinct, though not divided from each other: "Not into one of three names, as an "ancient writer has obferved, nor into three incarnates, but into three who "are of equal honour and glory w."

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10. Our Lord Jefus Chrift, not long before his fufferings, and death, made feveral promises to his difciples, that he would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, unto them; in which there are plain traces of a Trinity of Perfons; as when he says, "I will pray the Father, and shall give you another Com"forter, that he may abide with you for ever." Nothing is more manifeft, than

u 2 Pet. i. 17.

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* Ουτε εἰς ἕνα τριώνυμον, ἔτε εἰς τρεῖς ἐνανθρωπήσαντας, ἀλλ ̓ εἰς τρεῖς ὁμοτίμως. Epift. ad Philip. Ignat. afcript. p. 100. Ed. Voff. * John xiv. 16.

than that there are here three diftinct Persons. Here is the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Perfon praying; and the Father, another Person who is prayed unto; and here is another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth as diftinct from the Father, and the Son, who is prayed for. He that prays, cannot be the fame Person with him who is prayed unto; nor he that is prayed unto, be the fame with him that prays; nor he that is prayed for, be the fame with him who prays, or is prayed unto. In short, if the diftinction between them is not perfonal, but merely nominal, the fenfe of the words must be this: I will pray myself, and I myself, will give you myself to abide with you for ever. A writer I have lately mentioned, acknowledges, that I, Thou, and He, are perfonal characters; and if so, then they, to whom they belong, must be Perfons: and if thefe perfonal characters belong to Father, Son, and Spirit, they must be Persons Again, when our Lord says 2, Again, when our Lord fays ", " But the Comforter, which "is the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will send in my name, he fhall teach you all things, &c." he gives a plain intimation of a Trinity of Perfons, to whom he afcribes diftinct perfonal actions and characters: for otherwise the sense of the words must be, I will fend myself, in the name of myself, who shall teach you all things, &c. Once more, when he says, "But when the "Comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the "Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he fhall teftify of me;" we may fairly infer a Trinity of Perfons in the Godhead. We are indeed told ", That "if we confider, the Father dwelleth in, and is one with the Son, he "might well fay, The Comforter should be fent by him, from the Father, to "denote his being enriched immeafurably, by his Father and his God, who " is a Spirit." That the Father dwells in the Son, and is one with him in nature or effence, is allowed; but unless there is a distinction of Perfons be tween them, he could not well fay, that the Comforter fhould be fent by him, from the Father.

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11. Our Lord Jefus Christ, by his fufferings and death, procured eternal. redemption for his people. Now the redemption-price was paid, the atonement made, and the facrifice offered up to God, in the Person of the Father; and that by the Word, or Son, the second Perfon in human nature; and allthis through the eternal Spirit, or third Perfon in the Deity, according to Heb. ix. 14. " How much more fhall the blood of Chrift, who, through the"eternal Spirit, offered himself without fpot to God, &c." Some indeed, by the eternal Spirit, understand the divine nature of Chrift. But it is not an ufual phrafe in fcripture, to fay, That Chrift did this, or the other thing by

Kis divine nature; but it is ufual to fay, That he did this, or the other thing by the Spirit. Thus he is faid to "caft out devils by the Spirit of God"," and to "give commandments to the apostles, through the Holy Ghost" and in fome copies of Heb. ix. 14. it is read, through the Holy Spirit.

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12. Chrift having fuffered and died in the room and ftead of his people, was buried, and the third day was raised from the dead; "when he was declared to "be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness :" all the three divine Perfons were concerned herein. That God the Father raised him from the dead, and gave him glory will not be denied: and it is very evident, that he raised himself according to his own prediction. Nor muft the Spirit be excluded, who will have fo great a share in the refurrection of our bodies at the last day for "if the Spirit of him that raifed up Jefus from the dead, "dwell in you; he that raised up Chrift from the dead, fhall alfo quicken your "mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you!"

13. And now I am speaking of Chrift's refurrection, it may not be improper to take notice of the work of regeneration, which is fometimes aforibed to it; and which work is the work of Father, Son, and Spirit. Sometimes it is given to the Father of Christ, as in 1 Pet. i. 3. and fometimes to the Son, as in 1 John ii. 29. and sometimes to the Spirit, as in Tit. iii. 4-6. where you will meet with all the three Perfons together, by obferving, that God, our Saviour, in ver. 4. is manifeftly distinguished from Jefus Chrift, our Saviour, in ver. 6. and the Holy Ghoft is distinguished from them both, in ver. 5, to whom the washing of regeneration and the work of renovation are ascribed.

14. Adoption is an act of divine grace, in which all the three Persons appear. The Father of Chrift predeftinates to the adoption of children; Christ gives the right and power to as many as believe in him, to become the fons of God; and the Spirit witneffeth, with our fpirits, that we are the children of God. Hence one of his titles is, The Spirit of adoption. And they are all three to be seen together in one verse: "And because ye are fons, God hath "fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father &;" where God the Father is spoken of as diftinct from his Son, and his Son as diftinct from him, and the Spirit as diftinct from them both.

15. The children of God, after converfion, need fresh divine illuminations ; for which the apostle prays, in Eph. i. 17, 18. " That the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom "and revelation, in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding "being enlightened, &c." Which prayer is no inconfiderable proof of the doctrine

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doctrine of the Trinity. Here is the God and Father of Christ, who is prayed unto; and the Spirit of wisdom, who is prayed for; and that in order to the faints increase in the knowledge of Chrift, who is diftinct both from the Father and the Spirit.

16. The apostle not only prays for greater illuminations, but, in Eph. iii. 14-16. for larger fupplies of grace and strength: "For this caufe, says he, "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole "family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to "the riches of his glory, to be ftrengthened with might by his Spirit in the "inner man." He bows his knees to the Father of Chrift, as a distinct Perfon from him, whom he defcribes as the God of the univerfe, and implores his Spirit to strengthen the faints with might in their inner man.

17. Though the love of God is plenteously thed abroad in the hearts of his people, at their first converfion, yet they have need to be afresh directed into it by the Spirit of God. Hence the apostle put up fuch a fervent prayer for the Theffalonians, 2 Theff. iii. 5. "The Lord direct your hearts into "the love of God, and patient waiting for Jefus Chrift." By the Lord, we are to understand the Lord the Spirit, as he is called in 2 Cor. iii. 18. being manifeftly diftinguished from God the Father, into whofe love, and from Jesus Christ, into a patient waiting for whom, he is defired to direct their hearts, which is his proper work and business.

18. And fince I have mentioned feveral petitions, it may not be amifs to confider the object of prayer, and our manner of addrefs to him. The object of prayer, is the one God, the Father, Son, and Spirit. Sometimes the God and Father of Chrift is fingly addreffed, as in fome of the preceeding inftances; and frequently grace and peace are wifhed for from Jefus Chrift, as well as from the Father; fometimes fupplication is made to the Spirit, as in the inftance laft mentioned; and fometimes we find them all three addrefled together, as in Rev. i. 4, 5 "John to the feven churches which are in Afia: "Grace be unto you, and Peace, from him which is, and which was, and "which is to come:" which is a periphrafis of Jehovah the Father. "And "from the seven Spirits which are before his throne:" by whom we are not to understand angels, the worshipping of them being forbidden. Befides, it is abfurd to imagine that grace and peace fhould be wifhed for from them, equally as from God; or that they should be put upon a level with Jehovah, and fet before the Lord Jefus Chrift. But by thefe feven Spirits are meant the Holy Spirit of God; fo called because of the fulness and perfection of his gifts and grace; and in allufion to his feven names in Ifa. xi. 2, 3. and with a view to the feven churches of Afia, who were under his influence.

And then

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it is added, "And from Jefus Chrift, the faithful witnefs, and the first begotten. "of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth;" about whom there is no difficulty. Our manner of addrefs in prayer is to God, in the Perfon of the Father, though not exclufive of the Son, and Spirit; and through the Lord Jefus Chrift, as Mediator; and by the affiftance of the bleffed Spirit: which furnishes out a confiderable argument for a Trinity of Perfons in the Godhead, and is very fully and diftinctly expreffed by the apoftle, in Eph. ii. 18. For through him, that is, Chrift, we both have an accefs, by one Spirit unto the Father." A late writer conceives ", the words "should be "thus understood, that God brings Jews and Gentiles, by his powerful inAluence, as one Spirit through Chrift unto himself, as their common Father:" And to this purpose our Lord fays, "No man can come to me, except the "Father who hath fent me, draw him." But it ought to be observed, that the apoftle is speaking, not of God's bringing fouls to himself, through Chrift, by his powerful and efficacious grace, as at converfion, but of the comfortable accefs of his people already converted to himself, through Chrift, by the Spirit of Grace; much lefs does he fpeak of their being brought as one Spirit, but by one Spirit; and that unto God, as their Father, in a way of special grace and favour. But to go on,

19. I might inftance in the infpiration of the fcriptures, which is wholly a divine Work, and is peculiarly afcribed to the Holy Ghoft, though not to the exclufion of the Father, and of the Son: for David, in his last words, affures us, That the writings which he was the penman of, as the sweet pfalmift of Ifrael, were dictated to him by the eternal Three; when he fays, in 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3." The Spirit of the Lord fpake by me, and his word "was in my tongue. The God of Ifrael faid, The rock of Ifrael spake to me, &c." By the God of Ifrael I understand God the Father, the mighty God of Jacob; from whence is the Meffiah, the fhepherd and ftone of Ifrael: and by the rock of Ifrael, I understand the Meffiah, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and prince of peace; who is fometimes figuratively called the rock and by the Spirit of the Lord, the third Perfon, under whofe influential motions and directions the pfalmift fpoke and wrote.

20. There are feveral paffages in fcripture, where the name of Jehovah is three times mentioned, and that only; and where an epithet of the divine Being is three times repeated; which, though they do not prove the doctrine of the Trinity, yet they caft fome light upon it; and one cannot well read them without taking fome notice of it, as Numb. vi. 24-26. "The Lord blefs "thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face to fhine upon thee, and be

The great concern of Jew and Gentile, p. 47.

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