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6. We learn from what has been said, that all who go to heaven, will go there by the unanimous voice of the whole universe. They will be judged to be fit for heaven, by God, by Christ, by angels, by devils, by the finally miserable, and by themselves. It will be the real opinion of all, after attending the process of the great day, that every one, who shall have received the approbation of the final Judge, should be exalted to the honors, and distinctions, and enjoyments of the heavenly world, and there forever live under the smiles of their heavenly Father. And such a clear and decided opinion in the favor of the blessed, will add an inconceivable satisfaction to their minds for

ever.

7. We learn from what has been said, that all, who are excluded from heaven, will be excluded from it, by the unanimous voice of all moral beings. There will not be a dissenting voice in the dreadful sentence, "Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." All who shall meet with the disapprobation of the final Judge, will equally meet with the disapprobation of all the inhabitants of heaven and hell, together with the condemnation of their own enlightened consciences. It will appear clearly to the view of the universe, that all, who are condemned and punished, ought to be condemned and punished forever. Not one who is lost, will have one in heaven or in hell to take his part, or complain of his final and eternal destination. And what an intolerable weight will this add to that great and endless punishment, which shall fall upon the vessels of wrath, who are fitted for destruction!

This subject now admonishes all those, who trifle with moral things, and make a mock at sin, of their extreme guilt and danger. "Wo unto them that call

evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." The great day of light is coming, which will dissipate the mists and clouds, in which stupid sinners have concealed themselves, and which will expose their stupidity and guilt both to themselves, and to the universe. Then erroneous sinners, secret sinners, secure sinners, and skeptical sinners, will appear to themselves, and to all intelligent beings, in all their depravity, folly, and guilt, and become swift witnesses against themselves, that they have deserved the united, and eternal displeasure of the whole universe. Then it will be beyond their power to trifle with right ⚫ and wrong, good and evil; or to despise the just and awful sentence, which will fix them in endless darkness, guilt, and despair. "Wo unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep." The universal contempt of God, of angels, and of men, will be more than your wounded, guilty souls can endure. "A man may sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear!"

SERMON IV.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.

1 JOHN V, 7.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

IN treating on revealed religion, men have often run into two extremes. Some have been fond of finding mysteries every where in the Bible; while others have been equally fond of exploding all mysteries from divine revelation. Here the truth seems to lie in the medium. Many parts of Scripture are plain and easy to be understood; but some parts are truly mysterious, and surpass the utmost limits of human comprehension. Of all religious mysteries, the distinction of persons in the Divine nature, must be allowed to be the greatest. Accordingly upon this subject, there has been the greatest absurdity as well as ingenuity displayed, in attempting to explain a real mystery. But though a mystery cannot be comprehended, nor consequently explained; yet it may be stated, and distinguished from a real absurdity. And this is the only object of the present discourse.

The words, which I have read, plainly represent the Divine Being as existing in a mysterious manner; though their primary intention is, to point out the united testimony of each person in the Godhead to the divinity of Christ. "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." The Father testified to the divinity of Christ at his baptism, when he declared with an

audible voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Holy Ghost testified to his divinity at the same time, by descending upon him in the form of a dove." And Christ testified to his divinity, by his public declarations and miraculous works. "And these three are one;" that is, one God, one Divine Being. This indeed, is a profound mystery, which calls for peculiar precaution in both speaker and hearer, lest the one should say or the other receive any thing, which should be derogatory to the supreme and incomprehensible Jehovah.

I shall first attempt to state the doctrine of the Trinity according to Scripture, and then endeavor to make appear, that there is nothing in this doctrine, which is repugnant to the dictates of sound reason.

it

I. I shall attempt to show what conceptions the Scripture leads us to form of the peculiar mode of the divine existence. And here I may observe,

1. The Scripture leads us to conceive of God, the first and supreme Being, as existing in three distinct persons. I use this word, because there appears to be no better, in our language, by which to express that Trinity in Unity, which is peculiar to the one living and true God. Indeed, there is no word, in any language, which can convey a precise idea of this incomprehensible distinction in the divine nature; for it is not similar to any other distinction in the minds of moral beings. So that it is very immaterial, whether we use the name person, or any other name, or a circumlocution instead of a name, in discoursing upon this subject. Let me say, then, the one living and true God exists in such a manner, that there is a proper foundation in his nature, to speak of himself, in the first, second, and third person, and say I, Thou,

and He, meaning only Himself. This is a mode of existence, which is peculiar to the first and Supreme Being. No created being can properly speak of himself in any other than the first person, I. Thou and He, among creatures, denote another being as well as another person. But God can, with propriety, say I, Thou, and He, and mean only Himself. There is a certain SOMETHING in the divine Nature, which lays a proper foundation for such a personal distinction. But what that SOMETHING is, can neither be described, nor conceived. Here lies the whole mystery of the Trinity. And since this mystery cannot be compre. hended, it is absurd to borrow any similitudes from either matter, or spirit, or from both united, in order to explain it. All the illustrations, which have ever been employed upon the mysterious mode of the di. vine existence, have always served to obscure, rather than elucidate the subject; because there is nothing in the whole circle of nature, which bears the least resemblance of three persons in one God.

Some have supposed, there is a resemblance between this doctrine and the union of soul, spirit, and body, in one man. But allowing, that man is made up of these three constituent parts; yet it is easy to perceive, that these three parts make but one person, as well as one man. For a man, speaking of himself, cannot say, thy soul, nor his soul; thy spirit, nor his spirit; thy body, nor his body; but only my soul, my spirit, my body. The single man, who is composed of soul, spirit, and body, is also a single person; but God is one Being in three persons. And here the similitude totally fails of illustrating the principal thing intended.

Some have endeavored to illustrate the distinction of persons in the divine Nature, by what they call the cardinal properties of the soul; namely, understand

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