became flesh, there arises, likewise, the same necessity of conceiving God as personally united to man without sin, as there is a necessity for absolutely distinguishing between the Divine essence and human nature. Faith in everlasting holy love, which is God, can only be theoretically and practically realized through the cognition of Him who is the perfect and eternal object of divine self-knowledge and love; that is to say, by conceiving the love of the Father to the only-begotten Son. Finally, the full animating nature and communication of God, which includes neither a diminution nor restriction of his essence, can only be preserved by the trinitarian doctrine of the Spirit."

*"The God whom we serve is not merely the God of nature: He is revealed as acting and decreeing in relation to plans which extend far beyond the present and visible state of things. In the revealed threefold personality of the Godhead, we discover the explanation of many wonderful circumstances that could never be understood from the simple knowledge of its essential unity. The designs of God are decrees, proceeding from the same unchangeable and eternal wisdom; but in the execution of these decrees a threefold mode of operation is manifest, which, though in each instance indicating the presence of Deity, manifests also a difference of personality, that is, the energy is one, but the persons acting are three. It is not till the personality of God is known and contemplated, that we see the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity. An impersonal God is a mere abstraction; but admit His personality, and the doctrine of the Trinity seems necessarily to follow. We may account for the characters impressed on the system of nature when we only recognize as its ruler a national Deity. But the system of grace requires for its explanation that threefold personality so sublimely exhibited in the solemn visions of the Apocalypse. There we behold the glorified Son clothed in the attributes of eternity,-and there the Comforter, designated by the mystic title of perfection, "the Seven Spirits of God;" while in the Unity of the one Lord God Almighty, they receive the homage of the Church and of universal nature."

Without this doctrine we must lapse into Pantheism or into Tritheism. We must believe in an impersonal God or in three Gods of equal or unequal divinity, as we have seen Unitarians

*Pictorial Book of Common Prayer, p. 235. Note.

Y

V

have boldly avowed to be the alleviative and gloried in as their faith.*

But it is especially as it bears upon the person and work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit in man's redemption that the doctrine of the Trinity appears to have been revealed. It is ever associated with all that bears upon man's duty, hope and everlasting happiness.†

It is the embodied manifestation of the infinite, free and sovereign grace of the divine being. It is the medium of revealing and displaying to us this love. It is manifested by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as co-equal and consubstantial persons distinct and yet united in one blessed essence.

§"The Infinite essence thus declares itself as unity never can be otherwise distinguished, and as distinction can never be otherwise united. And in this awful originality of being and entity there dwells, there inheres, this perfect love."

The purpose of God in this divine love implies engagements and mutual stipulations. The Father proposes the mediation. The Son offers himself. The Holy Ghost seals and qualifies the incarnate Son for his mediatorial work. The Elohim are. the sworn ones. Between them was "the covenant of peace." With each other was this covenant "confirmed by an oath" that immutable pledge that God cannot lie. There is inauguration into office and subordination of trust and work. The head of Christ is God. God is in Christ. Christ is in the Father and the Father in Him. The Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, but proceedeth from the Father and the Son. The Father in His love predestinates those whom he has given to the Son and in due order calls, justifies and sanctifies them. The Son becomes incarnate and offers up himself once for all as a sacrifice for sin and thus becomes the surety prophet, priest and king of his ransomed ones. The Holy Spirit enlightens, convinces, converts, sanctifies, strengthens, witnesses to our adoption and fills us with joy unearthly and to the natural heart inconceivable.

How then are we found to admire and to adore "the mystic three in one?" One inexplicable three. One in simplest unity. How abundantly should we bless God for the revelation of this heavenly doctrine-the foundation of all faith, hope and salvation-this glorious manifestation of himself—this mystery *See the proofs given in Dr. Edwards' Preservative Against Socinianism, p. 9-12. †See Phil., 2.

Hamilton's Sermons, p. 9.

which no created mind could ever have discovered or even imagined. Now we can comprehend with all saints the length and breadth and height and depth of the love of God in Christ Jesus.

"In perfect consistency with* his justice and holiness, God is now in Christ the sinner's God, a way has been opened by the Son by which the sinner may draw near to the Father, and deliverance is offered by the Spirit's sanctifying work from the power of sin." "We should, moreover keep our eyes fixed on the Trinity as the pattern of our happiness and of the union that should exist among those who profess their faith in this great doctrine."

O THOU, whom neither time nor space
Can circle in, unseen, unknown;
Nor faith in boldest flight can trace,
Save through thy Spirit and thy Son!-

And Thou, who, from thy high abode,

To us in mortal weakness shown,
Didst graft the Manhood into God,
Eternal, Co-eternal Son!—

And Thou, whose unction from on High,
By comfort, light, and love is known!
Who, with the Parent Deity,

Dread Spirit! art for ever One!

Great First and Last! thy blessing give!
And grant us faith, thy gift alone,

To love and praise Thee while we live,
And do whate'er Thou would'st have done!

From this doctrine as a fountain having its source in the infinite bosom of the everblessed Godhead believers are permitted to draw evermore living water. We are brought into living relations with the living God. We enjoy communion and fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and that with such mutual love, the conjunction and kindly interchange of giving and receiving that God is said to dwell in us and we in Him.

The origin of this divine fellowship is the spontaneous and everlasting love of God the Father. Therefore does he say, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." From this well head in the Divine love, flows out every good and perfect gift to the children of men. To the eye of infinite compassion we were apostate and undone. Whilst we were yet in God's foreknowing presence sinners God loved us. When there was no eye to pity *Venema, p. 266.

ness.

and no arm to save in his love and pity he redeemed us and his divine power gave us all things that pertain to life and godliHe gave us His only begotten, well beloved Son who was in the beginning with God and who was God. He gave us the Holy Spirit the Comforter, the Sanctifier, the perfecter of his people. He gave us the covenant of promise and with it all needful grace, mercy and peace to help us according to our need. Oh, yes, while we were enemies Christ in promise died for us and we were reconciled by the death of His Son and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Not sooner had man fallen and sin entered into the world and death by sin than God manifested his purpose that we guilty and despairing men might clearly see the fellowship of the mystery and might be *"able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, which passeth knowledge, and might be filled with all fulness of God; who hath given us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness."

God therefore revealed his glad tidings of great joy to all people. He gave to our first parents and through them to all mankind the promise of a Saviour-the word of life-the pledge of deliverance. The grace of God presented man's despair, revived his desponding spirit, and melted into penitence the hearts which showed no repentance and asked no mercy for their misdeeds. Thus the church began in them in whom sin began. God even then began to sever some from the rest of the world by the work of his grace, and called them by His word and spirit to the participation of eternal happiness through the knowledge of His Son and in the use of every precious and proper means he was pleased to appoint for the furtherance of their salvation.

God the Father therefore as He is the everlasting head of the everlasting persons in the triune Godhead is also the fountain of spiritual life. When quickened by His Spirit, we are made partakers of the life of God. We enter upon fellowship and communion with him. Our life is hid with Christ in God. We give ourselves unto God as they that are alive from the dead and present unto him our bodies, souls and spirits as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. God becomes in Christ our reconciled God and we the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty.

*Ainsworth, p. 37.

As conducive to the purposes of his grace, in thus calling, saving and sanctifying souls the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory giveth unto us *"the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Him, whereby the eyes of our understanding are enlightened, and we know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

It is thus that their eyes are opened to see the wonders of his law and the still more wonderful ways of his grace and goodness. God's word is our light. The way of His precepts is their study. God himself is their instructor. They are all taught of God. They have an unction from the Holy One whereby we know all things. They need not that any one else teach us. This spiritual understanding is as a well spring of life to them that have it. The secret of the Lord is revealed in His covenant to give them knowledge. The Scriptures are unveiled. The mystery of God's will is opened. They are made partakers of God's love. They have a heart to know God who becomes their God and they His people.

From God the Father also believers receive faith which enables them to believe in what is invisible to mortal eyes, as full of glory because such glorious things are spoken of them by God who cannot lie. This gives substance also to what is in this world enjoyed only in hope because it is made sure by the promise of inheritance and the pledge and foretaste of its coming blessedness imparted in the witness of the Spirit that we are the children of God and therefore heirs.

Faith takes God's word as infallible security for all it declares whether as truth, as promise, as precept or as warrant. It finds therefore in all that God has said hidden manna on which it feeds-balm by which all its maladies are healedinstruction and reproof. Faith leads us to Christ, unites us to Him, as branches to the vine and members to the head. In Him we see the justice of God satisfied for our sins-our sins imputed to Him-and his righteousness imputed to us. We are found in Him not trusting to any righteousness of our own but to that righteousness whis was wrought out by Him as God and offered to the acceptance of our faith by God the Father. By this faith being justified we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and experience the blessedness of the man unto whom the Lord imputeth a righteousness which is without works on their part and needeth none since it is that *Ainsworth, p. 92.