tie ri 204 THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. be entangled in the most pernicious errors, or lost in everlasting wanderings. The directions which relate to our establishment in the faith of the Trinity are these I. " Furnish your memory with those portions of holy scripture, wherein this sacred doctrine is most clearly expressed," and by which it is most effectually supported : That you may be "ready to give toevery one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is ill you with meekness and fear ;' 1 Pet. M. 15. that you May havean answer ready at hand to repel the assaults of error and temptation. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and the shield of faith in that word, are admirable pieces of christian armour'and artillery in an evil play. H. "Maintaina firm and resolute assent to what the word of God plainly reveals concerning this divine doctrine," and be not ever wavering and tossed in your mind, with a kind of doubt- ful uncertainty; merely because you cannot explain the matter, and adjust every difficulty. Keep on your spirit such a holy acne of the majesty and au- thority of God speaking in his word, that you may never stag- ger in the faith, which you can find so clearly dictated from heaven. Nor be ashamed to profess it at all proper occasions. Having settled the substance of this doctrine in your minds, and founded it ea the plain and solid evidence of scripture, you ought not to doubt and waver, much less to desert your faith merely because yóo.cannot answer every objectionagainst it: For even in the atfairs.0f nature and the civil life, as Dr. Owen well expresses it, " If the objections Wherewith we may be entangled be not of the same weight and importance with the reason for which we embraced any'opinion, it is a madness to forego it on the account thereof. And much more must this hold amongst the common sort of ,christians, in things spiritual and divine. If they will let go, and part with their faith in any truth, be- cause they are not able to answer distinctly some objections that may be made against.it, they may quickly find themselves dis- puted into atheism." In every sacred truth that is revealed to us, a plain evidence and full assurance that God bath said it, should be a sufficient answer to a thousand objections. III. Since a particular knowledge of the " modus" or manner, how three persons are one God, is not clearly revealed in scripture, and therefore not necessary to salvation, " Be not too fond of any learned explications of this sacred mystery." Do not give into them too soon, nor yield your full assent to them too easily, nor be furiously zealous in the defence of them. Ifo not fix and root your judgment too fast in any of these
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