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.
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