whatsoever fhall come to pafs.-All things in nature, providence, and grace, are of him, and through him and to him to whom be glory for ever: Amen.

In the Bible we are informed of what JEHOVAH did concerning his choice and election of his people in Chrift before the foundation of the worldof his love towards them-of the purposes of his grace refpecting them, and his defigns upon them; and, by it, through the gracious illuminations and teachings of the Holy Spirit, we are led into the true, clear, and faving knowledge of God. Here he is revealed in the unity of his nature-in his perfons and perfections-and by it, we are led to know, that there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three

are one.

The doctrine of the ever bleffed Trinity, which I purpofe at this time to treat of, is a moft deep and fublime article of our most holy faith, and upon which our everlasting falvation depends: and it is purely a doctrine of divine revelation. Neither nature, nor philofophy, discovers it, nor can they reach it; for though when it is clearly ftated from the word, and spiritually understood, it may be illustrated by many things in nature; yet it is revealed only in, and made known unto us by the word. Here it runs and is to be seen in every part of it, and though it is fometimes represented by fuch as are ftrangers to and enemies against it, that it is merely a fpeculative point, and people may do well enough without the knowledge and belief of it, yet this is all mistake. It

being an everlasting truth, that every article of our faith is built upon it, every truth of God is connected with it, and we cannot worship God aright, without the true and faving knowledge of it.

JEHOVAH has revealed himself, as the fole, true, and only object of worship, and we cannot worship him aright, if we are deftitute of the true knowledge of him. We cannot attain the true knowledge of him without a revelation of himself made known unto us; and this he hath made in the inspired volume, where his incomprehenfible effence and his perfonalities are declared. And, upon the foundation of God's word, and taking it only for my guide, in a dependance upon the Holy Spirit for his gracious and fpecial affiftance, I fhall proceed, founding and building all I have to fay and deliver upon this deep and fublime fubject, on God's own veracity in his word. And, before I proceed one ftep further, I would obferve, that the best belief of this effential and important truth, is that which is received from the bare word, and is fully believed upon the bare teftimony of the Lord in the word. The words of my text contain a full and clear proof of the doctrine. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and these three are one. That is, three in perfon, one in the nature and unity of the Godhead. So that the eternal Father, the eternal Son, and the eternal Spirit, are the one eternal and incomprehenfible JEHOEach of them is God and Lord, and all three but one, the fame in effence, equal in power, eternity,

VAH.

and glory. When an unbeliever reads this text, he ftumbles even with God's word in his hand, and before him. He reasons carnally upon it, ignorantly cavils at it, and argues against it, faying, how can this be? how can three be one? and one three? This is not the doctrine of the text. It treats of the unity of the Godhead, and of the diftinct modes of fubfiftence in the Godhead, and declares that though the perfons in the Godhead are three, and are distinct as to their perfonalities, fo that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father, the Holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son: yet the essence, nature, or Godhead, which is the fountain of the Divine perfons, and in which they exift, is one, for God is one. The Lord our God is one JEHOVAH. Gál. iii. 20. Deut. vi. 4.

The words of the text contain and hold forth the following truths. First, the unity of the Godhead. Secondly, a trinity of perfons in the Godhead. Thirdly, their proper deity-and diftinct perfonality. And Fourthly, that they are three teflifers or witneffes, for there are three that bear record n heaven, be Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and theje three are one. The unity of the Godhead is what the Scriptures carefully guard; which truth is fully contained and eternally fecured in the word JEHOVAH, which we tranflate LORD, and which, whenever it is printed in capital letters in the Old Teftament, always fignifies JEHOVAH, which is the incommunicable name of God, expreffive of the in, communicable nature of the Godhead. It fignifies

necessary existence, or exifting by a neceffity of nature. The Pfalmift in the 83d Pfalm, ver. 18. expreffeth himself thus, That men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the earth. Jeremiah fays, JEHOVAH is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlafling King. At his wrath the earth fhall tremble, and the nations Shall not be able to abide his indignation. Jer. x. 10. And the Lord himself speaking in the 42d of Ifaiah, verfe 8, faith, I the JEHOVAH, that is my name. And this word JEHOVAH, Occurs fix thoufand eight hundred and fifty-five times in the Scriptures. So that the nature and effence of God is one-infinite and incomprehenfible, without divifion, or multiplication. And this leads me to profecute the prefent fubject.

First, to prove from the Scriptures, that there are three perfons in the Godhead. Secondly, that each of these hath a joint concern in the works of creation, providence, and grace. Thirdly, that each is God and Lord. And Laftly, that they bear their joint testimony concerning the falvation of elect finners by Christ Jesus.

I am first to prove from the Scriptures, that there are three perfons in the one infinite-incommunicable-and incomprehenfible Godhead. And this I fhall endeavour to do from the following paffages in the infallible word. In the 1ft chapter of the book of Genefis, we read of God's creating the heaven and the earth, and at the 26th verfe of it we hear him fpeak thus, Let us make man in our image, after

our likeness; these words must have been and were directed by one of the Divine perfons to the other two, for the Us here, manifeftly points out a plurality. It is not a confultation with angels-for they are not of his council. Who hath been his counfellor? No creature. Man was made after the image of God. And it is truly remarkable, that the firft word ufed in the' Bible concerning the Deity, is a word of the plural number: The word tranflated, and read by us, God, is allowed both by Jewish and Chriftian writers, to be a plural one, and it is used on purpose to point out the perfons in the Godhead; and their joint concern in the creation is evidently spoken of. In the beginning God (in the Hebrew ELOHIM) created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep: And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God faid, let there be light, and there was light. Here are all the three divine perfons jointly concerned. Here is God the Father, to whom creation is always in Scripture afcribed, though not to the exclufion of the Son and Spirit, for we have in these words the beginning of the creation, which God created. Here is God the Spirit spoken of as performing his part in this great work, He moved upon the face of the waters. And God the word is taken notice of. God faids let there be light, and there was light which the Pfalmift explains in this very manner in the 33d Pfalm, verse 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: (i.e.) by the effential word, who