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THE WORKS OF THE REV. ISAAC WATTS, D.D. YN NINE VOLUMES. VOL. IL TWELVE SERMONS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. EVANGELICAL DISCOURSES; DEATH AND i1EAVEN ; CONTAINING DOCTRINE OF THE PASSIONS j OP THE LOVE OF GOD, AND THE USE AND ABUSE OF THE PASSIONS. LONDON: FEINTED FOR LONGJIAN, HURST, REFS, ORME AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER - ROW DAINES, ROBINSON AND SON, IIARDCASTLE, AND IIEATON, LEEDS, By Edward Baines, Leeds. 1812.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. SERMON XLIV. TheDoctrine of the Trinity, and theUse of it, Egli. ii. 10. ... ... 1. XLV.TheKnowledge of God by'the Light of Nature, together with the Uses of it, and its Defects, Acts xiv. 15, 16, 17. ... ... ... ... 23 XLVI.God's Election of a People for Himself among Men, and giving them to his Son in the Covenant of Redemption, Eph. i. 3, 4, 5. ... ... 42 XLVII.TheExcellency and Advantages,of the Christian Dispensation, with the Invitations and Promises of the Gospel, Heb. viii. 16. ... ... ... 57 XLVIII.The Exaltation of Christ to-bis Kingdom, and his sending down the Holy Spirit, Acts ii. 33.... 70 XLIX.The perpetual Obligation of the Moral Law; the Evil of Sin, and its Desert of Punishment, 1 John iii. 4. ... ... ... ... .:. 84 L. The Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath, Gen. ii. 3...,. 98 LL=Christian Baptism, Mat. xxviii. 19. ... ... 110 LILChristian Diligence, withthe Blessings that attend it, in Opposition -toSloth, Security, Backsliding, &c. Prov. xviii. 4, .. ... ... 122 LIII.Christian Fellowship, with its Duties and Advan- tages, Rom. xv. 6, 7. ... ... ... 132 LIV. To Encourage the Reformation of Manners, Ex. xvii. 11. ... ... .. ... :.. 145 LV. On the Deathóf George I. Is. v. 12. ... ... 166 EVANGELICAL DISCOURSES ... ... ... ... 183 Discounse I. II. Commission ofSt. Paul ... ... 184 192 Ill. IV. Difference between the Law and the Gospel 203 214 V. VI. Early Appointment of Christ's Atonement 224 232 VII. VIII. Faith in its Lowest Degrees ... 242 253 IX. X. Faith built on Knowledge ... ... 262 277 XI. OrdinaryWitness of the Spirit ... 292 XII. Extraordinary Witness of the Spirit . 303 (Essay) Powers and Contests of Flesh and Spirit ... 317 DEATH AND HEAVEN ... :.. ... ... 349 Dtscounse I. Conquest over Death ... ... 354 II. Happiness of Separate Spirits 374 DOCTRINE OF THE PASSIONS 443 OF THE LOVE OF GOD ... ... ... 511 Drscounse I. Of the Love of God 515 H. Divine Love the commanding Passion 525 III. Use of the Passions in Religion ... 543 IV. Inferences therefrom ... ... ... 559 V. Abuse of the Passions in Religion ... 571 VI. Affectionate Cl.ristian vindicated ... 588 VII. Means of Exciting the Devout Affections .. 599
SERMONS. SERMON XLIV. The Doctrine of the Trinity and the Use of it Ertl. ii. 18. Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the p Father. THERE is hardly another-text in the bibl'e, of so short an ex- tent that contains in it so much of the substance and glory of our holy religion. Here, we have,I. The doctrine ofthe bles- sed Trinity plainly represented. The Father and the Holy Spirit are expressly named, and the little word, "him," most evidently refers to Christ the Son of God, who is mentioned before, ver. 13. II. We read also in this verse, the important use of this great doctrine : We must have access to God the Father, through the mediation of his Son, by the aids of the Holy Spirit : And. III. There is theunion of all nations, and the harmony of all the true worshippers of God, held forth in the words, We both have access. This is the common and uni- versal method of approach to God, for it is provided for the whole world, which is here distinguished into Jews and Gen- tiles. We both have access to the Father by one Spirit, through one Lord Jesus. These three shall be the chief divisions of my discourse, and I shall consider each of them distinctly. First, The doctrine of the blessedTrinity is here repre- sented to us, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit : And in order to set this article of our faith in the most plain and easy light, for theuse of common christians, I would draw it out, as far as scripture evidently leads the way, into several proposi- tions. But here let it be observed, that I am not going topresent }roll with any 'of those particular schemes sf explicationof this Vox,. II.A A
2 T8E DOCTRINE Or THE TRINITY. doctrine, which have divided theTrinitarian writers, but nakedly to represent it according to its most obvious appearances in scripture, and yet in such a manner as almost all our divines have received, and delivered it, who may differ in particular schemes of explication. Proposition I. God is a Spirit, all -wise, and almighty, in- finite, eternal, unchangeable, and incomprehensible by any creature; the first, the greatest, and the best ofBeings. Since the word of God assures us thathe is a Spirit; John iv. 24. since men are called his offspring; Acts xvii. 28. since man is the image of God; 1 Cor. xi. 7. it is evident, that God teaches us to conceive of himself, in a way ofresemblance to our own souls, which are spirits. We are therefore to conceive of him as a Being, which has understanding, or conscious- ness and knowledge, which has a free will, and power of operation ; for these are the clearest and best notions that we have of `a spirit: And the scripture itself frequently applies them all to God, and speaks of his understanding, will, and power. Yet still let us remember, that we must conceive of these things in God, in the highest and greatest perfection possible ; removing always, from our idea of God, everything that is im- perfect, and raising this idea infinitely above every power and quality that is in our own souls. He bath infinite wisdom, or understanding, to know, contrive, and decree all his works, and infinite power, to execute and effect his decrees. Every thing in God transcends the highest conceptions of man. II. 'There is but one only, the living, and the true God. There is but one godhead, onedivinity ; for since God is the first, the greatest, and the best of Beings, there can be but one that is the very first, the very greatest, and the very best. Besides, God is a self- sufficient Being, and can wantnothing from another ; Acts xvii. 25. He is an all-sufficient Being, and can do every thing of himself Job xlii. 2. and therefore, he cannot possiblystand in need of any other being beside himself. Within himself the one God possesses all possible perfection. Two such all-sufficient Beings could do no more than one could do, either with regard to their own blessedness, or with regard to creatures ; for if two could make eachother more blessed, or do any thing more toward creatures, than one could do, then each of them alone could not be self-sufficient, nor all-sufficient; each of them could not be a God, if they could want any help from another. Thence it follows, thatthere cannot be two Gods ; for since each of them must be self-sufficient, that is sufficient for himself, and all-sufficient, that is, sufficient for all other
SERMON XLIV." purposes whatsoever, one of these two Gods would be utterly needless and useless : But it is absurd to imagine, that a God is an useless, or needless Being ; therefore there can be no other God but one. This is thegreat and universal dictate of the light of nature, and this is the constant doctrine of scripture in the Old and New Testament : And indeed, this unity of the godhead, is a peculiar glory of all the religions, that God hath given to men, and whereby they are distinguished, from the false religions of the heathen nations, who did generally profess more gods than one. God hath always taken care, to secure to himself an unrivalled dignity and majesty, in all his dispensations. This is the lan- guage of God'by Motes, Hear, O Israel, the Lordour God is one Lord; Deut. vi. 4. And Christ confirms this doctrine, most abundantly, in the New Testament, and ,that in the very same words ; Mark xii. 29. And he commends the scribe for affirming,," There is one God, and there is none other but he." This is the foundation and basis ofall that can be called true religion, in every nation and in every age since the world began. And when a multitude of nations had lost this doctrine of the one God, and fell into the worship of many, whom they called gods, it was one great design of chris- tianity, to destroy polytheism, or the doctrine of many gods, among the nations of the world, and to reduce them more universally to that ancient and eternal truth which some of their own philosophers professed, viz. that there is but one true God. Fence it follows, by plain consequence, from these two propositions, that since God is a Spirit, eternal, all-wise, and almighty, &c. and since there cannot be more gods than one, there cannot be more than one eternal, all-wise, and almighty Spirit ; there can be but one eternal and almighty Being. Let this then be fixed as an unchangeable truth. . III. This one God bath revealed himself by the light of nature, as well as by scripture, to be the first cause ofall things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, . the Creator and Governor, the original Possessor, and the sovereign Lord of all other beings whatsoever. And as he is the original Lord of all, he requires the worship and homage of all his intelligent creatures : He demands holy obedience to his laws, and humble submission to his providences ; and upon this account, even some of the ancients, by the light of nature, have called him, Father ofall. IV. The great God bath more clearly made himself known inhis word, under the personaland relativecharacter of a Father, A2
4' THE DOCTRINE OF TFIÉE TRINITY. that is, as aperson bearing the relation of a Father, and that not only to angels and men, who are called the sons of God : but he is aFather. also to our Lord Jesus Christ himself, though in a far More excellent and superior way, for Christ is the only begotten Son. Yet it may be noted that God is never called the Father of the Holy Ghost. Under this personal character of the Father, the great God appears in scripture, as the, prime Agent and Ruler in all the kingdoms of nature, and grace, and glory : the Father is emi- nently Lord of heaven and earth, as Christ himself calls him*. He sustains the dignity and majesty ofgodhead, and maintainsthe divine rights arid prerogatives of it in heaven, earth, and hell. It is under this personal character that he appears in my text, as that GodaidFather, who receives the homage and worship of sinful men, returning and approaching to him through Jesus Christ his Son, and by his Holy Spirit. V. God the Father is-revealed in scripture, as transacting his affairs that relate to bis creatures through .Jesus Christ his Son, and by his Holy Spirit. It is by his Son he made the world; Heb. i. 2. It is by his Spirit he formed the host of heaven; Ps. xxxüi,6. It is byhis Spirit he renews the face of the earth, and covers it.with living creatures; Ps. civ. 30. It is by his Son he redeems sinful mankind from hell, and by his Spirit he sanctifies them, and makes them fitfor heaven. Note, Pile Son of God is sometimes called the Word of God, and God is said to act by his word, as well as by his Son, in several places of scripture-.. These are the blessed Three, who, by the christian church, for many ages, have been called the holy Trinity. The clear and distinct revelation of them, and their various offices to us in the gospel, is the chief glory of the christian religion, and there- forewe are initiated or admitted into the profession of this reli- gion, by being baptised into the name of the sacred Three, the Father, the Song and the Holy Spirit. Having surveyed the scriptural representations of God the Father, in the foregoing propositions, let us now consider what is the first, the most plain and obvious manner, wherein the scrip- turerepresents to the Son of God, and the Spirit of God, and, * Mat. xi. 25. Jesus said, 1 thank thee, O Father, Lord a heaven and earth Terse 27. All things are delivered to rue of my Father. fi I do not here asseri any thing, or make any enquiries, whether, or bow far the idea of the Word of God, may differ from the idea of the Son of God;be- cause. this has been controverted among orthodox Writers. It is very plain and certain that both the se names belong to Jesus Christ, the second person in the sacredTrinity; and this is sufficient for my present purpose, since I design to avoid all particular controversies about modes of explication in this place.
SERMON XLIV. 8 by degrees, riseup to the several and more complete 'descripti, ans of them in the bible; VI. The Son of God is spoken of generally, in the New Testament, as a very glorious Person, fan immortal spiritual Being who was some way begotten of the Father, that is, de- rived from God the Father, or hath some special relation to him as an only begottenSon; John i. 18. as thefirst begotten of God, Heb. i. O. as thefirst-born of every creature; Col. i. 15. who was with God, and had glory with the Father, before the Worldwas; John i. 1. xvii. 5. By whom God made the worlds, and created all things, visible and invisible; Col. i. 16. Iieb. i. 2, 3. Who cameforth from the Father, and came into this world; John xvi. 28. who took flesh and blood upon him 'seventeen hundred years ago ; lieb. ii. 14. and thus became a complete man : He was made of a woman ; Gal. iv. 4. was born of the virgin Mary, in an extraordinary manner, without an earthly father ; Luke i. 35. and was for this reason also called the Son of God. He lived above thirtyyears a man among men, taught divine doctrine here an earth, apd wrought various divine wonders to confirm it, was crucifiedby theJews and Romans, rose again from the dead, left thisworld; andascended to his Father, andour Ì áther, to his God andour God; John xx. 17. even where he wasbefore he appear- edin flesh; . vi. 62. VII. As this description raises Jesùs Christ far above the dignity of angels, and carries something divine in it, so there are several express ascriptions of true and proper divinity or god- head to him. This glorious person, Jesus the Son of God, hath divine names, titles, attributes, operations and worship ascribed to him, even such whereby God the Father himself is knownand distinguished to be the true God, &c. Ts. the Father called the Lord our God often in scripture? So Thomas calls Christ, My Lord, and my God; John xx. 28. Is the Father called, " the First and the Last ;" Is.' xliv. 0. So is the Son; Rev, i. 17. and xxi. 13 Is the Father called Jeho- vah, the mighty God, and God blessed for ever? So is Christ; Jer. xxiii. 6. Is. ix. 6. Rom ix. 5. Christis that Jehovah;whom all theangels of Godmost worship; Ps. xcvii. 17. compared with Iieb. i. Q. Christi is that God, that Jehovah, who laid the found- ation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of his hands; lieb. i. 10, 12. compared withPs. cii. 22, 25. He is that Lord and God, who ascended on high, and led captivity captive; Ps. lxviii. 18. compared with Eph. iv. 8. He is that Jehovah, on whose name, those who call, shall be delivered, or saved; Joel ii. 32. compared with Rom. x. 13. These, and many other scriptures prove, that Jesus Christ A3
a THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. may be properly called true God : For our God is a jealous God, jealous of his honour and divine prerogatives ; Ex. xxxiv. 17. Jehovah is his name, and he will not give his name and glory, his peculiar titles and attributes, to another; Is. xlii. 8. Therefore since Christ the Son of God, has these divine names, titles, and glories attributed to him, he must have true godhead, in some wayor manner, belonging to him also. VIII, Since Jesus Christ, considered as man, cannot have these divine names and titles belonging to him ; therefore the man Jesus must be united to God, or onewith God, to have a right to these names, &c. Thus the Son of God plainly appears to be a complex person, who hás two distinct natures united in him, namely, God and man: And under this character he is several times represented in scriptures, in the Old and New Testament. He is thechild, who is born, and yet the mighty God; Is. ix. 8. He is the righteous branch of David, ;chose name is Jehovah our righteousness, ä;e. Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. He is Emmanuel, or God with us; Mat. i. 23. He is the Word, who was with God, who was God, andwas madeflesh : John i, 1, 14. He is God, even the living God, manifest in the flesh, who was takenup in glory; 1 Tim. iii. 15,16. He is a man, in whom dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily ; Col. ii. 9.Aman of thte seed of David, and yet God over all, blessed for ever : Rom. ix. 5. True God and true man are united in this wondrous Person, as one complex principleof doing and suffering, even as the body and the soul are united in every man to make one complex agent. And thereby Christ is divinely fitted for those blessed offices whichhe sustains, the work which he performs, and the worship which he receives. God redeemed his church with his own blood; Acts xx. 28. Worthy is the Lamb that vas slain to receive glory and blessing; Rev. v. 12. This is the most plain and clear ac- count, which the scripture gives us of Christ the Son of God. Now let us enquire what is the most easy and obvious notion of the blessedSpirit in scripture. IX. The Spiritof God seemsto be most usually represented, in the Old Testament and in the New, as a distinct, eternal, essen- tial principle in the godhead,* even as the spirit of a man is a natural, essential principle in man. This is the comparison used in scripture : 1 Cor. ii. 11. As none knows the things of a man, save the spirit of aman, which is in him ; even so the things of God, knowetle none but the Spirit of God. A number of other texts seem to conspire in this representation : Ps. cxxxix. 7. Whither * The pious and venerable Doctor Owen, inhis, r' Discourse of the Holy Spirit" in his little book of theTrinity makes no scruple tp use the term. " a dis tinct principle of operation?' and represents it," as subsisting in one godhead, In the divine essence or being g" and Ibis he dpes in several places of that dis- course.
SERMON XLIV. !' sh n Igo from thy Spirit, whither shall I fleefrom thypresence? where the term Spirit signifies God himself, or a distinct princi- ple in the Divine Essence. Ps. cvi. 33. The children of Israel provoked his Spirit ; Is. Ivi. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit, even as the spirit of a prince is provoked and vexed by the rebellion of his subjects. So Eph. iv. 30. Grieve not the HolySpirit of God,, whereby ye are sealed. These have quieted my Spirit in the north country, 4c. Zech. vi. 8. As the spirit of a man, or of any living creature, does not imply another being, derived from that creature, but a natural principle of operation in the very essence of that creature, and whereby that creature acts, so the Holy Spirit is generally cal- led the Spirit of God, not to denote another inferior being deri- ved from God, but some eternal glorious principlein the very essence of God, someprinciple or power in andof the true and eternal godhead, by which God operates[. So Ps. xxxiii. 0. The hosts of Heaven are formed by the breath or Spirit of God; Job. xxvi. 13. By .his Spirit he garnished the heavens; Ps. 1i. 12. David prays that God would uphold him by hisfree Spirit; Rom. viii. 11. God shall quickenyour mortal bodies, that is, raise you from the dead, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Thus God created' the world, and raiseth the dead by his Spirit, as an almighty principle of operationA. X: This Divine Principle, the Spirit of God, is sometimes represented in a personal manner as a divine person, or sovereign f Note, I have, in some of my writings, used the word " power," to de. note this principle of operation in the godhead, since this word is very much used in scripture to describe the Holy Spirit. i.nke i. 35. The Holy Ghost shell come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; Acts x. 38. Jesus of Nazareth was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and with power. John iii. 34. He had the Spirit given him without measure; and it was by this Spirit he wrought mira. eles, and cast out devils, and healed diseases, which in other places, is called the finger of God, and the power of God; Mat, xii. 28. Luke xi. 20. and v. 17. The apostles waited at Jerusalem for the promise of the spirit, which, Luke xxiv. 49. is called their being endue[ with power from on high; the word is Evra ci , power, not s oasee or authority,: And many other scriptures mightbe cited for this purpose. Let it be noted also, that theword " power" does not leadus, into the idea of another distinct substance, in the godhead, as the word " principle" might chance to do. ,e It might be added, perhaps under this proposition, that, when the Spirit of God is represented as speaking or acting in believers, he seems to be described as the Spirit of the Father, or a divine almighty principle reallybelonging to God, whichoperates in them, but is entirely distinct and different from their own spirits ; so Mat. x. 20. Il is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speakelh in you. It is this same Spirit of God, which taught their tongues to speak strange languages, and wrought miracles by their lips and, their hands. It is manifested as a divine principle of agency speaking and acting in them, infi- nitely different-from all their human principles of acting: This appeared emi- nently in the primitive and inspired christians, and in the ancient prophets they were actuated as by another spirit, or a divine active principle, distinct ; front' and vastly superior to their own.
2'145 DOCTRINE OF THE- T$INITY: intelligent Agent, even as the true eternal God himself, with divine names, titles, attributes, &c. So the spirit of a man, though it be but one distinct principle in man, yet is sometimes represented as the man himself : And this is verycommon in the Hebrew idiom and sometimes in other languages. There are . several instances of this representation of the spirit of God in. scripture. Is God the Father the God of Israel? And is not the Holy Spirit so too ? 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3. The Spirit of Jeho- vah spoke by me; the God of Israel said. The Holy Ghost is that Jehovahwho was tempted by the Jews in the wilderness Compare Ps. xcv. 3, with Heb. iii. 7 -9. He is that God that dwells in the saints as in his temple; 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. and vi. 19. He is that God to whomAnanias told a lie; Acts v.2, 4. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. He is-that divine Person, who said, Separate to me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto Ihave called them ; Acts xiii. 2. He is that Divine Agent,. who sent Peter to Cornelius ; Acts x. 20. The Spirit said to him, behold two men seek thee, go with them for I have sent themfi. Here mite, That there are some places of scripture, where- in it is pretty difficult to determine, whether the Holy Spirit be represented as the sovereign divine Agent, that is, God him- self ; or, as a distinct power, or' principle in the godhead, by which God the Father acts. And, upon this account, some texts may be fairly interpreted both ways, without any incon= venience : Yet, in other places, this distinction is plainly ob- served, as may appear by several of these scriptures which I have cited. XI. Sometimes this Divine Principle, the Holy Spirit, is represented in a personal manner, but in a subordinatecharacter, and as a person more directly acting according to theeconomy of the gospel. Then he is set forth, not only as proceeding* from, the Father, and given to the Son, but he is describefl also as sent both by the Father and the Son, to perform various offices' and operations in the world, and especially iù the church. John xv. 26. When the Comforter is come, wham Iwill send unto yon from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedetis from the Father, he shall test fy of me. And though under f Here I take occasion to correct a mistake of my memory, in my last r' Dissertations on the Trinity, where I did not remember, that the pronoun I, was applied to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. I donot here enter into that question, whether the Holy Spirit, considered . in bis own divine essence, or subsistence, is derived from the Bather, or from the Son, or both? But I content myself here to declare, that, as to the economy of the gospel, and the manner of operation, the Spirit proceeds from the Father, and is sent both by. the Father and the Son. This is plain scripture, and beyond all dispute.
SERMON XLIV. 0 this idea in the christian economy, the Spirit is represented in a subordinate manner, yet in his divine nature or godhead he is truly, essentially, and eternally one with God the Father. IfThis proposition does not give full Satisfaction concerning the representation of the Holy Spirit, in a subordinate manner in some scriptures, perhaps, the next proposition may relieve those difficulties. XII. The term Spirit, and Holy Spirit, in scripture, does not always signify the divine Agent himself, but sometimes it means his gifts, graces, and influences, the virtue or efficacy of this divine principle in godhead. Nor is this at all strange, for Jesus Christ himself is called the Word of God, becaue he reveals the will of God tomen ; and yet the very laws and rever lotions, which God bath given to men byJesus Christ, are some times also called the Word , of God ; so, though the Spirit of God himself distributes gifts, and graces, and divine influences among men, yet these very gifts and graces, and divine influ- ences, which are given by the Spirit, are also sometimes cal- led the Holy Spirit.. This has been always granted by our best writers. And perhaps, this may be the meaning of that term, in some of those places of scripture, where the Spirit is said to be poured put upon men, to be shed down on the apostles, to be given to believers by laying on the hands of the apostles, where menare said to have a portion of the Spirit, whether greater, or less, or double : or perhaps, where the Spirit is said to be, or not to be given by measure, .or where, persons are said to be filled, or anointedwith the Spirit. Perhaps, I say some of these scriptu- ral phrases may be better explained concerning the gifts, graces, and influences of the Holy Spirit, than concerning the divine Agent himself, who is true God. It seems to be much more proper tó say, divine influences are shed down, poured out, and given to then, by laying on of hands, &c. then to say, that the true God himself is shed down, is poured out, or givento some men, by other men's laying hands upon them ; or than to say, we are anointed with God, or God is given, or not given, by measure, &o.* There are several other scriptures that confirm this proposition. Itis evi- dent 'that it was theHoly Spirit by which Elijah spoke and acted, and yet it is ,called the Spirit of Elijah, that is, his gifts; 2 Kings ii. 9, -15. It is the Holy Spirit by which the Corinthians spoke, yet it is called the spirits of prophets, and these are said to be subject to the prophets ; 1 Cor. xiv. 32. which would hardly be said concerning the divine Agent, or God himself. See Poole's Anno- talions. Thisproposition does by no means deny, or diminish the truth and glory of the Spirit of God dwelling eminently in the human nature of Christ, who was anointed and filledwith the Spirit, And subordinately in every true Christian : For God himself is said to dwell in his people, as in his temple, and the Spirit cif
10 TTIE DOCTRINE OF 111E TRINITY. This has been the general sense of all our divines in this matter, and I thought it necessary to insert this proposition here, that it might more evidently appear, that though, in some scrip- tures, the term Spirit, and holy Spirit, may signify his gifts, graces, and influences, yet this does not at all derogatefrom the true and eternal godhead, which is plainly ascribed to the Holy Spirit in other places. I-Ierenote, though it ishard to determine always with certainty, when the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of God, signifies the divine Agent himself, and when it denotes his influences ; yet there are some texts, wherein the Sense is plain and evident. XIII. Though the Son, and Spirit, are true God, as well as the Father, yet all divines universally acknowledge, that the language of scripture seems to ascribe some sort of peculiar eminence, or special prerogative, to the Father, in such respects as these: 1. The Father, as I hinted before, is always represented as the first and chief Agent in creation, in providence, and in the affairs of salvation: the Father is described and exhibited,as acting by his Son, or Word, and byhis Spirit, as sending them, and employing, or, using them, as mediums of his agency : Whereas the Son, and Spirit, are never represented as Chief Agents, in comparison with the Father, nor are they said, in this manner, to act by the Father, or to send, or use, and em- ploy him as such a medium of their acting. 2. When the name of God is used absolutely in scripture, it generally relates to the Father. This appears in innumerable instances : As, for example, where Christ is called the Son of God, the word God plainly signifies the Father : And indeed, this idea of God, as the Father or prime Agent, is much the most frequent and general sense of the word God, in the Old and New Testament, as all men confess. 3. The Father is described as the only true God, as the one God, even the Father ; and that in such scriptures, where the Son, or Spirit, are named, and plainly distinguished fromhim; Johnxvii. 3. Christ saith to his Father ; " This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent;" Eplh. iv. 6. There is one body, oneSpirit, oneLord,oneGod God dwells in them, and abides with them for ever; John xiv. 16, 17. For lie that hash not the Spirit of Christ, is none of his; Rom. viii. 9. But this proposition relieves those harsh and unwarrantable expressions, of being anointed with God, of receiving a double portion of God, of God being shed or poured down ou men, which would be the plain consequence of interpreting such scriptures con. ceroing the divine Agent himself, or the Iioly Spirit, who is true God; and for that reason our divines have generally thought it proper and necessary to inter- pret many of these expressions, rather concerningthe gifts, graces, and influen- ces of the Spirit.
SERMON XLIV. 11 and Father of all. I Cor. viii. 6. " To us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." XIV. Since there isbut one God, even the Father, accord- ing to St. Paul, and since the Father is the only true God, according to Christ's own expression, then the Son and Spirit cannot have another, or a different godhead from that of the Father : But since the Son and Spirit also are true God, it must be by some communion in the same true godhead, which belongs to the Father : For if it were another godhead, that would make another God ; and thus the christian religion would have two or three Gods, which is contrary to the whole tenor of the gospel*, This might be proved from many scriptures, and many rea- sonings drawn from scripture; I shall mention two or three of them : 1. Christ himself saith? John x. 30. " I and my Father are one," that is, one in divine power and godhead, as the con- text leads us to expound it l And this has been the most general sense of all cur Trinitarian writers. 1 John v. 7. The apostle saith, " There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are one :" which is usually explained, these three are one in Deity, or have one and the same godhead. Nor do I know any better exposition. 2. The godhead of the Father, and the godhead of the Spirit, is the very same godhead which is in Christ, and which wrought his miracles. John xiv. 10. " I am in the Father, and the Father is in me : It is the Father that dwelleth in me, he Both the works," that is, the godhead of the Father. And this language is so strong, as if Christ and God, in these mira- culous actions, were to be esteemed one complex agent, since he elsewheresays; John x. 30. " I and my Father are one." * Here let it be observed, that I donot enter into that question, whether the godhead, which is ascribed to the Son, does always signify the full, complete, and adequate idea of the godhead, which is in theFather? or whether, in some scriptures, it only may mean an inadequate idea of godhead, which may be sup- posed to be called the word, or wisdomof God; or whether it be not rather the entire godhead under the special idea of wisdom ? For I would not enter into any particular schemes of explication, in this sermon : But, in general, it isevi- dent from scripture, that the godheadof Christ, and that of the Father, must be one and the same godhead, since there are not two Deities. . Let it be observed, again : that supposing the godhead of the Father and the Son, to be the very same, then, though the Father has theonly true godhead in him, the Son and Spirit are not excluded from a communion therein. For than it may be made to appear, that, though the Father be called the only true God ; John xvii. S. the Son and Spirit may be trueGod also ; yet, perhaps, this text might receive a much clearer explication, by applying some particular sehesge, in order to interpret it but this is not my present work.
12 THE DOCTRINE of THE TRINITY. Again Mat. iii. 28. " Jesus, by the Spirit of God cast out devils." Now if there were any other distinct godhead in the Son, besides the godhead of the Father, or of the Spirit, it seems to be somewhat strange andunaccountable, that themira- cles of Christ should never be plainly ascribed to that peculiar distinct godhead of the Son, but that scripture should so often tell us, he wrought his miracles by the Holy Spirit, or by the aid of his Father. I think, therefore, it must at least imply thus much, that the godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, is but one and the same godhead. And it is this same one godhead, or divine essence, that is united personally to the man .Jesus Christ, and wrought his miracles,: It is the same godhead that subsists in the Father, and in the Son, whatsoever personal distinctions are between them, which shall heconsidered immediately. 3. Many of those scriptures, in the Old Testament, which apparently refer to God the Father, that is, -to the great God, considered and exhibited as the prime Creator, and Lord of all, the God of . Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; I say, many Of these very scriptures are ascribed to Christ, in the New Tes, talnent, and interpretedconcerning Christ, particularly in Rom. x. 11 -13. xiv. 10-12. Eph. iv. 8-10. Ps. ii. 6-11. Heb. i. 10-12. which, I think, could not be a just representation, if the godhead of Christ, and the godhead of the Father, were not one and the sanie godhead. I add after all, this bath been the common and general sense of all our protestant divines, at home and abroad, that' the godhead of the Father, Son, and Spirit, is but one and the sainegodhead, or divine essence. XV. Yet, there is a plain distinction held forth in scrip- ture, between the sacred Three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as I have already declared ; even so plain and strong, as that they are all several times represented, in a personal manner, and are spoken of, as three distinct Per - sons*, who have different works or offices, attributed and as- signed to them. The Father is represented, as the prime Agent, in our cre- ation, and redemption, our sanctification, and salvation : It was he sent his Son Jesus Christ to redeem, and save us from hell : *Though they are generally called "threedistinct'Persons," byour divines, yet there are no writers, either abroad orat home, that ever pretended this to be the express language of scripture; And there are very few, if any, of our most orthodox writers, who ever supposed the word 'f person," was to be taken here in the fall, common, and literal sense of it, for a distinct conscious being; but only in a qualified and restrainedsense, or a sense that is analagous, or a-kin to the common meaning of it, among men : for threedistinct persons, in the com- mon and literal sense of it, would be three distinct $pinta, whichvery few Tri. nitarians allow. -
/SERMONXLW. 13 it is he tends his Holy Spirit to enlighten, sanctify, andcomfort us, and to prepare us for heaven. The Son is represented as sent by the Father into this world, to take our flesh andblood upon him, that he might die to redeem us : He becomes our Prophet, our Priest, and our King, to complete our salvation : He scuds the Holy Spirit, from theFa- , ther, to dwell in his people. The Holy Spirit is represented as sent, by the Father and the Son, to confirm the truth of the gospel, to guide us into all truth; to change our sinful natures into holiness, and to witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God: He is expressly called a Witnesser, and a Comforter, or Advocate. XVI. Upan the whole it appears, that there is, and there must be, some real union and communion in godhead between the sacred Three, thé Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to answer and support the divine names, titles and attributes, &c. which are ascribed to them all ? And, there is, and theremust be, some sufficient distinction between them, to sustain these distinct personal characters and, offices, and to answer to these distinct representations of scripture : Though how far this oneness of godhead, and this personal distinction extend', may not be easy for us, to find out exactly, and to describe to the understanding and satisfaction of our fellow- christians. This is that very question, which has so much difficulty in it to answer : This has been the hard problem of christianity, in almost all ages, how to reconcile and adjust this article: This hasbeen the solemn labour of our several schemes and hypothe- ses, wherein some oT us would be glad to arrive at clearer con- ceptions, by a further search of the holy scriptures. But among the many attempts that have been made to adjust this matter, there is not one which is universally approved. XVII. Though perhaps, we may not find, nor determine clearly and precisely, how far the sacred Three are the sameas to their oneness of godhead, nor how far they are different, as to their distinct personal character,; yet it is our duty to honour them, according to the revelation which scripture hath made ; that is, we must pay all ofthem divine honours, since they have communion in godhead ; and we must transact our impòrtant affairs of salvation with them according to their distinct offices, as our Father, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier. Thus I have given a plain scriptural account of the doctrine of the Trinity, without entering intothose particular explications, whereby, Trinitarian writers have unhappily divided themselves into several contending parties. And I have done my endeavour to express what appears to be the first, the most plain, and
14 THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. obvious representation of things in scripture, and that so inoffen- sively to my brethren, who own and believe this doctrine, that I am persuaded there have been but few Trinitarians these hun- dredyears past, who woulddeny any one ofall these propositions. TÑor am I conscious to myselfthat I have ever written any thing inconsistent with them, in any of my discourses on this divine subject. [Here is aproper division of this Sermon into two parts.] The second thing contained in the text is, the important use of this great doctrine of the Trinity, and that ìs, We have an access to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. I shall not stand here to debate, whether the access, which we have to the Father, in my text, refers to any particular act ofworship, or to our general return to God from a state ofsin, guilt, and distance. The text is a divine truth in both these senses : But since it seems to be the chief design of the whole chapter, to shew theway ofour return to the favour of God, and a state of peace and friendship with him, since we are said to be brought near to God by the bloodof Christ ; verse 13. I suppose,, it cannot be improper to take this verse, in the sameextensive sense*. But, ifthe apostle should mean our access to God, in particular acts of worship, here in my text, yet I am sure, this glorious sentence is justly applicable to the general access of a sinner to God, andhis introduction into a state ofdivine favour : For it must be confessed, that our first general return to God from a stateof sin, and all our gradual advances to greater near- ness, must be stilt expected, and obtained through Christ, and by the Holy Spirit. Here let ùs consider thedifferent stations, or characters, in which the sacred Three are represented in this great and impor- tant concern of our salvation, and at theend of each representa- tion, I shall shew briefly, what our duties are to the sacredThree, in our approaches to God, correspondent to the stations, in which the gospel places them. I. God, the great God, and Father of all, is here repre- sented as sustaining the majesty of godhead, as the sovereign Lord, and governor of his creatures, and my text, compared with the foregoing verses, discovers him to us in these four views : 1. As offendedwith his creature man, on the account of h' I might take notice here, in order to confirmmy extensive senseof the text that theword access in one or more copies, is ,t ov.,, peace e And the infer- ence, which the apostle makes in the next verse, Therefore ye are no morestrangers and foreigners, is very, naturallydrawn from our access to God, as a state of peace with God, but not from a particular act of worship.
SERMON XLIV. j$ sin ; verse 3. for we are, by nature, the children of his wrath, we are strangers and enemies in our minds, and by wicked works ; Col. i..21. We are afar offfrom God, without God, and without hope in the world ; Eph. ii. 12. Though this be spoken particu- larly ofthe Ephesiau idolaters, yet, in a sense, it is true of every man, in a state of nature. 2. God appears willing to be reconciled, ready to receive us upon our return to him, in this chapter. In other places of scripture, he is, represented sittingon a throne of grace, approach- able by sinful creatures ; and this is sufficiently implied in verse 4. He is rich inmercy, and has loved us with great love. 3. He has appointed his own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Reconciler. We are utterly unworthy of his favour or love ; nor will a holy God suffer guilty creatures to come near him, without a proper and honourable Mediator ; and since we could not provide ourselves of such a friend, he has appointed his own Son to that office. God has set him forth to be apro- pitiation. 4. He makes us willing to be reconciled : He saves us by free grace, andwhen he has ordained faith to be the way ofour return to him, he works that faith in us, by his own Spirit. Verse8. By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Let us consider noiv, what are our duties, according to this representation of the character, which God the Father sustains here. From all these things it plainly follows, that in our reli- gious transactions, we are eminently to look to God the Father, as the person who is our original Maker, Lord and sovereign ; whose laws we have broken, whose anger we have incurred, and fromwhom we have separated ourselves by sin : We are to seek peace with him, and reconciliation to him. We must return to him as our rightful Lord, and address ourselves to him byhumble repentance, as sitting on the throne of Majesty, and vindicating the rights of godhead : To him we must pray, and apply our- selves, eminently to him as the first Spring of mercy, the Author of all grace, and ascribe to him the gloryof his condes- cending wisdom and love.; we must offer him our thanks and praises, that he is willing to be reconciled, that he has sent his Son to be the Reconciler, and appointed a way of reconciliation. This is the general current of scripture language, both in precept and in example ; and the chapter, where my text is, as well as the whole epistle, plainly leads us to this practice. II. We come next to enqúire more particularly, how Christ the Son of God, is represented as the medium, through whom we have access to the Father, for our reconci- liation is attributed to him, he is our peace; verse 14. Now
±SOCTRIfIE OP THE TRINITY. "-Christ becomes our Mediator of reconciliation, eminently, there five ways : 1. By his incarnation, that is, by takingour flesh and blood upon ,him: And thushe became-a man amongst men The Son of God, who is one with the Father in godhead, became one with us in human nature. The word, who was God, and who was with God, .the same wordwas madeflesh, anddwelt with us; John i. 14: When he became Emmanuel, Godwith us, he did not onlyunite God and man in his owls person, but since he came in the likeness ofsinful flesh; Rom. viii. 3. he- did, as it were, exemplify an union of peace and reconciliation between a holy God and sinful man. His very incarnation gave us a pledge of that friendship, which he came to restore between- God the Creator and his guilty creatures, who were before at enmity, and strangers; both by the apostacyof our first parents, and our owncontinued rebellions. 2. Christ came to reconcile us to God, by fulfilling perfect obedience to the law, which wehadbroken, sadby sustaining the punishment and death, which was due to our sins. This we could never suffer, and outlive the suffering ; for the broken law threatened death, but provided no resurrection. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, taking flesh and blood upon him, took our sins also, and became a sacrifice for sin ; he bare our sins in his body on the cursed tree ; 1 Pet. ii. 24. and, by his blood, has made complete atonement for sin, has repaired the honour of the law, and government ofGod, which we had highly dishonoured ; and thus he has made a way for the exercise of the mercy and for- giveness of God, without any disgrace to his governing justice; and has laid a happy foundation for our approach to God the Fa- ther, though we are, by nature, strangers and rebels, guilty and condemned. 3. Christ ascended to heaven, to present his own sacrifice before the throne of God, even as the high-priest, under the Jewish dispensation, went into theholy of holies, topresent the blood of the sacrifice of atonement, and sprinkle it before the mercy-seat. This was the chief glory and perfection of the priesthood of Aaron, and according to the apostle's reasonings, in the epistle to the Hebrews, chapters vii. viii. ix. This seems to be the ultimate glory and perfection of the priesthood of Christ, viz. his entrance into heaven with his own blood, there to áppear in the presentee of God for us; I-Ieb. ix. 11, 12-24. There he presents himself, not only as the Lamb that has, been slain, but he appears, in his own pure and' perfect metliatorial righteousness, before God,, in the name of sinfulman ; as Aaron the high-priest, in the nameof thepeopleof Israel, appeared in the most holy place before God; not only with theblood of atone-
SERMON lath, ii nient in his hand, but with holiness to the Lord, inscribed on the mitre, on his forehead ; Ex. xxviii. 36. God the Father beholds his only begotten Son there, as the great Representative of air his children : Hebeholds his own law satisfied and fulfilled, in his perfect obedience, even to death : and this is an everlast- ing foundation for reconciliation and peace between God and sinners. 4. Christ lives for ever to intercede for sinful man, to plead with God for mercy to his guilty creatures. Perhaps, in the natureof things, this is not much different from the former parti- cular ; for his presentingof his sacrifice, as for ever fresh in the virtues of it before the Father, is a sort of intercession. His blood has avoice in it, and his very appearance there is a power- ful pleading. But however, since the high-priest of old, not only presented the atoning blood, but also offered incense in the holy of holies, which is a type of intercession, we may pro- perly enough make some distinction between them, and re- present these two transactions of Christ, as our high-priest, in adistinct light. He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, since he lives for ever to malee intercessionfor them; Heb. vii. 25. 5. He is represented as dwelling in heaven, as our great High-priest, not only to present our services, our prayers and our praises to God, and make them acceptable to the Father, throughhis infinite merit, notwithstanding all their imperfections, but also to introduce our departing souls into the presence of God, without spot or blemish ; Eph, v. 27. and to present his whole church, at the great day, be,fore his own and his Father's glory; withexceeding boy; Jude 24. This is the last great act of his mediatorial office, and by this we obtain a full and complete access to God, to dwell with him for ever, in the regionsof light and joy, Now let us consider, how we ought to regulate our practice in our return from sin, and our approaches to God, in a correspondency with these instances of the mediation of Christ. From this account of things, it follows, that whensoever we sinful and guilty creatures, address ourselves to God the Father, it must be done in, and by the name and interest of Jesus Christ, as our onlyMediator. We must humbly ask forgiveness of our sins, for the sake of the sufferings of the Son of God; we must depend entirely for our acceptance with the Father, on the virtue ofhis perfect obedience even to death ; and entreat ofthe Father, that lie wouldbe reconciled to us, upon the account of his own Son Jesus, utterly disclaiming' all merit and worthiness of our own, renouncing all other Saviours and all other hopes, for VOL. lI. B
IS THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. Christ alone is the way to God ; No man eometh to the Father but by me; John xiv. 8. We must give thanks to the Son of God, for his amazing condescension to take our nature on him, and dwell in flesh and blood ; and for his voluntary submission to death, to redeem suchguilty creatures as we are. We must trust in him for com- plete salvation, both from sin and hell, and resign ourselves, as guilty, sinful and perishing creatures, into his hands, and to his methods ofrelief. All our prayers, and acts ofworship and obe- dience, must be recommended to the Father by his name, and throughhis intercession. After every fresh instance of sin, we must fly to hint as our faithful advocate in heaven, and have daily recourse to him, as our great Sacrifice and our Mediator; becauseour sins are daily renewed in this imperfect state. In short we must surrender ourselves up to him, that he may bring us as near to God, as this present state of things will admit ; and when we are dying, we must commit our departing spirits to him as Ste- phen did, that he may present us to his Father, when we leave this sinful and wretched world. Thus we have access to God the Father, byhis Son Jesus Christ, who is our great Peace- maker. I grant, that several other necessary duties, which we owe to Christ our Lord, might be mentioned in a more distinct and explicit manner, viz. the acknowledginghim as our great Pro- phet, receiving his divine instructions with an humble faith, and imitating his sacred example with holy care ; the submission to him as our Lord and King, yielding a ready and chearful obedi- ence to his commands, and a humble subjection to his providen- tial dispensations ; to which I may add, depending on him for daily grace, and the promised aids of his blessed Spirit, asbeing appointed of theFather to bestow them ; for he is exalted to be a Prince, as well as a Saviour; and indeed, Christ doth promote this great work of the salvation of men, by his universal govern- ment of thevisibleand invisible worlds, with this view and design by giving and continuing his gospel, to particular nations, by sending forth his ministers and messengers to invite sinnners to be reconciled to God, and by the communications of his Spirit to men. But these things do not appear directly to bethe present viewof the apostle inmy text, while he is describing Christ as a medium of our access and reconciliation to God, chieflyby his death and its influences. And as for the work of the Spirit, that comes next in course to be mentioned. III. Having shewn the glorious service, which the second lierson in the Holy-Trinity performs for our salvation, according to my text, wé come now to speak ofthe third, thatis, theblessed
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