he made to the fame perfons. When he appeared to Abram in the plain of Mamre, he reminded him that, although his fituation was changed, he was ftill under the protection of the fame God. He faid to him; "I am JEHOVAH that brought "thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this "land, to inherit it " When he commanded Jacob to leave Mefopotamia, and return to his own kindred; that he might have no doubt as to the certainty of the call, and that he might know that it was the fame God who had "fed him all "his life long," and that his power was the fame in all places, and at all times, he referred him to what had taken place many years before, faying; "I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedft "the pillar, and where thou vowedft a vow unto "mes." Afterwards, he made himself known to Jacob by the fame peculiar character. He said to him; Arife, go up to Bethel,-and make "there an altar to God that appeared unto thee, "when thou fleddeft from the face of Efau thy "brother h"

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When the glorious confequences of the afcenfion of Chrift are foretold, it is in this language: "The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham i." In conformity to this, and to illuftrate the unity of the object of worship, and the unity of his work for the redemption of the Church, Peter declares to the Jewish council; "The God of

f Gen. xv. 7.
i Pfal. xlvii. 9.

C 2

"Abraham,

g Gen. xxxi. 13.

h Gen. xxxv. I.

"Abraham, and of Ifaac, and of Jacob, the God "of our fathers, hath glorified his fon Jefus k."

He had been known, for a long fucceffion of ages, as "the God of Ifrael," and as his Redeemer. He had claimed this character, as attested by many temporal and typical redemptions; and efpecially as JEHOVAH, "who brought up the chil"dren of Ifrael out of the land of Egypt;" and afterwards, in reference to the deliverance from Babylon, as he "who led the feed of the house "of Ifrael out of the north country." In the language of prophecy, he had faid to his own Son, as the glorious Antitype, and as the Reprefentative of that spiritual Ifrael whom he had chofen to be his peculiar treafure; "Thou art my fer

vant, O Ifrael, in whom I will be glorified "." Now although, in the New Teftament, he is called" the God of Abraham, of Ifaac, and of Ja"cob," and alfo "the God of Ifrael "," in order to illuftrate his unity both of effence and of operation; yet, the fpiritual redemption being accomplished, he is efpecially defigned in relation to this. The God, and the Father, of Ifrael efpecially delights to be known as "the God and Fa"ther of our Lord Jesus Christ," that true Ifrael in whom he hath been fo fignally glorified.

VIII. That JEHOVAH is the only true God, hath appeared from a variety of proofs, recorded in Scripture-history, of his power in changing the heart. He, even he only "knoweth the hearts "" of

k Acts iii. 13. 1 Jer. xxiii. 7, 8, m Ifa. xlix. 3.

n Luke i, 68.

"of all the children of men ;" and he only can change them. In the former respect he displays his infinite wisdom; in the latter, his almighty power; in both, he appears to be God alone. Hence, when he promises a revival to his Church, by the gracious effufion of 'his Spirit, he declares that this should be to her an indubitable evidence' of his exclufive right to the honours of deity: "Ye fhall know that I am JEHOVAH, when I have "opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and Spirit in you, and ye fhall live P."

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"

shall put my

Both by the anfwer of prayer, and by the power of divine grace on his heart, Manaffeh "knew that JEHO"VAH he was God 9."

So great is the natural obduracy of the heart, that no power can fubdue it but that which is divine. Hence it is described as a heart of ftone; and the breaking of it is claimed by God as his prerogative: "Is not my word like as a fire, "and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in "pieces = ?"

Such is its deceitfulness, that God only can fo know the disease as to apply an effectual remedy. He alone can discover it to the finner, because he alone is perfectly acquainted with it. Therefore he fays, "The heart is de"ceitful above all things ;-who can know it? I "JEHOVAH fearch the heart, and try the reins." This work alfo declares, that it is he only "who "formed the spirit of man within him." For as

C

p Ezek. xxxvii. 13, 14. q 2 Chrơn. xxxiii. 13.

• 1 Kings viii. 39.

r Jer. xxiii. 29.

s Chap. xvii, 9, 10.

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the renovation of the heart is called a creation, who can thus renew the heart, but he who created it at first? When the Pfalmift refers to the wonderful works of JEHOVAH in proof of his exclufive deity, he particularly fpecifies this work of mercy. Among the gods there is none like "unto thee, O JEHOVAH, neither are there any "works like unto thy works. Thou art great, "and doft wondrous things: thou art God alone. "For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou "haft delivered my foul from the lowest hell t."

--

Is the God whom we profess to adore, the only living and true God? Let us flee from idolatry in every form. While we deteft the worship of falfe gods, or of faints and angels who are our fellowfervants; let us beware of the love of the world. For covetoufnefs is idolatry. He, who is God alone, hath a rightful claim to our whole hearts. This claim he makes on us, on the very ground of his abfolute unity: "Hear, O Ifrael, JEHOVAH "our God is one JEHOVAH. And thou fhalt love JEHOVAH thy God with all thine heart, and "with all thy foul, and with all thy might "." Let us fay unto him in fincerity, "Whom have "I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon "earth that I defire befides thee." From him alone let us look for falvation. He only who is God, can be a Saviour. To give the name to any other, is blafphemy. Our God is equally jealous of his honour in this refpect, as in that of his effential unity. "I," faith he, "even I am JEHO

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VAH,

t Pfal. lxxxvi. 8. 10. 13.

u Deut, vi. 4, 5.

"VAH, and befides me there is no Saviour.""There is no God elfe befides me, a juft God "and a Saviour, there is none befides me. Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the "earth: for I am God, and there is none elfe v."

SECTION II.

The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity,-Proved from the Hiftory of Creation-of the Fall ;-of the Confufion of Tongues-of Redemption.

WE have feen, that the preservation of the doctrine of the divine unity, was one fpecial end of the revelation given to the Ifraelites; and that even the hiftory contained in the facred vo-. lume was meant to be a hedge around this important doctrine. But while the all-wife. God manifefted fuch care with refpect to the unity of his effence, he would not conceal from his Church the manner of his fubfiftence in three diftinct per-. fons. This doctrine, indeed, like many others of the greatest moment, was more obfcurely revealed before the coming of the Meffiah. To fo grofs and carnal a people was God pleafed to reveal himself, and in a period of fuch general polytheifm, that it appeared proper to his infinite wisdom, to unfold this mystery more fparingly. C 4 The

Ifa. xliii. 11.; alv. 21, 22.