Book. IV. 377 hoiy·Ghofl: And the ~ery firfl: wor? of the Bible that fpeaks of man, ic holds out the Tnmty as creatmg htm, and God {aid, let m rnak{ man in eur own im.we ~ h~ faith, fer "'!] to ~ew the Trinity of perfons; and he fattlun ourtmageJ not tn our 1r11ages, to iliew Gen.J,lG, the umc'y ofeffence. And when Mofes begms to rehearfe the Law to Jfrael, tl~e firft thing be teacheth them, is the Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity. HMre 0 Ifrad, the Lord our God, the r) 6 Lord'u one. The lair word vne denotes the unity; _the three eur. ·"'· words the Lord our God, anfwer the three perfons ; ~nd the midle ~ord ottr God, deciphers fitly the fecond perf'On who affumed our n:nure; how fie eben was it, that at the beginning of the new world , and the new law, and the baptifme of Chnlt, the three perfons Jhould be revealed; efpecially fince he ordained baptifme robe adminifl:red in all their names ? baptiz,ing them in the ?{;.rme ofthe F11ther, and ofrhe Sonne, andofthe hoi] Ghoft, but Matt h. 18, '9• where is it revealed? fee Mauh. 3. r6, r7. where the Father fpeaks from heaven, the Sonne comes OYt of the water, and the holy Gholl: appeares in the likeneffe of a dove. This was the greateft meeting thdt ever was upon the earth; every perfon ofthe Trinity gives fome fenfible evidence of his prefence at it. To the fecond, why in the forme ofaDove1 rather then fome other forme ? many reafons are given, as. -- . I. To iliew Chri(l:s innocency, purity, Gmplicity, charity, and love. 2. To thew what innocency and harmlefnefs Jhould be in thofe that are bapti·Led. . 3· To anfwer the figure in 7'{:;ab.r flood for as a dove at that time brought tydings of the abating of the waters, fo now it brings tydings of the abating ofGods wrath upon the· preaching ohhe Gofpel : the fi:fr dove we fin de in the Btble is N oahs dove . with the Oltve branch in her bill. proclaiming peace; the next is Daz:id.r dove, with feathers !ilver-wbite, as notinrs fincerity; then E[.q, dove, mourning with'her v~·ce, as figmfying p1tience; and lafl:ly, Chrifis dove in ·1 ocent, and harmlelfe; now all thef properties pnec in this Dove the <.. pirit ofGod·Much more might I adde co thele, que I deGre to hafren to fome more edifying truths. From this baptifme of Chrifr, we may learne a praCtical neCcc ~effar'j' .j Vft~
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