Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

"of all the children of men ;" and he only can change them. In the former refpect he displays his infinite wisdom; in the latter, his almighty power; in both, he appears to be God alone. Hence, when he promises a revival to his Church, by the gracious effufion of his Spirit, he declares that this should be to her an indubitable evidence of his exclufive right to the honours of deity: "Ye fhall know that I am JEHOVAH, when I have "opened your graves, O my people, and brought "you up out of your graves, and fhall put my Spirit in you, and ye fhall live P." Both by the answer of prayer, and by the power of divine grace on his heart, Manaffeh "knew that JEHO"VAH he was God 9."

[ocr errors]

So great is the natural obduracy of the heart, that no power can fubdue it but that which is divine. Hence it is defcribed as a heart of ftone; and the breaking of it is claimed by God as his prerogative: "Is not my word like as a fire, "and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in

pieces?" Such is its deceitfulness, that God only can fo know the disease as to apply an effectual remedy. He alone can difcover it to the finner, because he alone is perfectly acquainted with it. Therefore he fays, "The heart is de"ceitful above all things ;-whq can know it? I JEHOVAH fearch the heart, and try the reins." This work alfo declares, that it is he only "who "formed the fpirit of man within him." For as C 3

1 Kings viii. 39. * Jer. xxiii. 29.

the

[blocks in formation]

66

the renovation of the heart is called a creation, who can thus renew the heart, but he who created it at first? When the Pfalmift refers to the wonderful works of JEHOVAH in proof of his exclufive deity, he particularly fpecifies this work of mercy. Among the gods there is none like "unto thee, O JEHOVAH, neither are there any "works like unto thy works.-Thou art great, " and doft wondrous things: thou art God alone. "For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou "haft delivered my foul from the loweft hell t."

Is the God whom we profefs to adore, the only living and true God? Let us flee from idolatry in every form. While we deteft the worship of false gods, or of faints and angels who are our fellowfervants; let us beware of the love of the world. For covetoufnefs is idolatry. He, who is God alone, hath a rightful claim to our whole hearts. This claim he makes on us, on the very ground of his abfolute unity: "Hear, O Ifrael, JEHOVAH "our God is one JEHOVAH. And thou fhalt love

JEHOVAH thy God with all thine heart, and "with all thy foul, and with all thy might "." Let us fay unto him in fincerity, "Whom have "I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon "earth that I defire befides thee." From him alone let us look for falvation. He only who is God, can be a Saviour. To give the name to any other, is blafphemy. Our God is equally jealous of his honour in this refpect, as in that of his effential unity. "I," faith he, "even I am JEHO

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

"VAH, and befides me there is no Saviour.""There is no God elfe befides me, a juft God "and a Saviour, there is none befides me. Look "unto me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the "earth: for I am God, and there is none elfe v."

SECTION II.

The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity,-Proved from the Hiftory of Creation;-of the Fall;-of the Confufion of Tongues ;-of Redemption.

We have seen, that the preservation of the doctrine of the divine unity, was one fpecial end of the revelation given to the Ifraelites; and that even the hiftory contained in the facred volume was meant to be a hedge around this important doctrine. But while the all-wife God manifefted fuch care with refpect to the unity of his effence, he would not conceal from his Church the manner of his fubfiftence in three diftinct perfons. This doctrine, indeed, like many others of the greatest moment, was more obfcurely revealed before the coming of the Meffiah. To fo grofs and carnal a people was God pleased to reveal himself, and in a period of fuch general polytheism, that it appeared proper to his infinite wisdom, to unfold this mystery more fparingly. C 4

▾ Ifa, xliii. 11.; xlv. 21, 22.

The

The doctrines of effential unity and plurality of perfons, are fo tempered together in the language of infpiration, that while the Church could have no excufe for turning afide to polytheism, fhe could with as little reafon conclude that her God fubfifted in a fingle perfon. It is not merely in the doctrines, precepts or promises, that we are to fearch for this mystery of a plurality in unity. It fo frequently beams forth, even in the hiftoric page, that we are under a neceffity of believing, that it was not one of the leaft defigns that God had in view, in favouring the Church with the historical parts of Scripture, more fully to reveal this doctrine, as well as to preferve it uncorrupted.

The doctrine of a plurality, appears in the very first words of infpiration. God would not record the hiftory of creation, without informing the Church, that the character of Creator was by no means to be confined to one perfon. It has often been obferved, that this is taught in the words rendered God created, where we have a noun in the plural, joined with a verb in the fingular number, plainly expreffing a plurality in unity. That this is the genuine fenfe of the paffage, appears from the work afcribed, in the next verfe, to the Spirit of God, who is faid to have "moved "on the face of the waters." By modern Jews, whom fome Chriftians have followed, this expreffion has been rendered, " a wind of God," or "a mighty wind." But the firmament, or expanfe, was not created till the fecond day. This

includes

'includes the atmosphere which furrounds our earth for the fowl is faid to "fly above the earth "in the open firmament of heaven "." Now, it cannot reasonably be fuppofed, that there could be a mighty wind, or any wind at all, before the exiftence of an atmosphere.

If we turn to the gofpel-history, we find a third perfon mentioned as engaged in the work of creation. "All things were made by" that Word, who" in the beginning exifted with God "."

This plurality appears ftill more exprefsly, when the facred hiftorian gives an account of the creation of man: "And God faid, Let us make man "in our image, after our likenefs." But it is a plurality in unity: "So God created man in his "own image." It has been juftly obferved, that to this the language of Elihu, and of the royal Preacher, agrees: "None faith, Where, is "God my Makers ;" and, Makers ;" and, "Remember now thy "Creators 2." Nothing can be more abfurd than the various attempts which have been made to fhew, that this language may be otherwise underflood. God could never fpeak in this manner to angels, or to any fecond caufes. For to whomfoever these words were addreffed, they must have been co-operators with God in this divine work. They must have affifted him in making man. Philo the Jew exprefsly fays, that these words, Let us make, declare a plurality 2. That the Jewish writers in general view this

v Gen. i. 20. w Jobn i. 1.-3. x Gen. i. 26, 27.

z Ecclef. xii. 1.

a De Confuf. Ling. p. 270.

language as including

y Job xxxv. 10.

« PreviousContinue »