tainly I offer a high affront to the Majefty of heaven, if I refufe to affent to what a God of infinite truth has actually declared, merely be cause he has not thought fit to let me into the knowledge, how fuch a thing can be. a As to fo great a point as the doctrine of the Trinity, we fhould neither let our imperfect corrupt reason fit judge upon it, nor fuffer an undue curiofity to form fchemes to explain it. I fhall here ufe the words of a very able and judicious writer. k "We muft nat (fays he) venture upon bold explications of the Trinity, left a luxurious fancy prove too ftrong for our faith. When we acknowledge the doctrine of the Trinity to be a mystery which is incomprehenfible, and yet go about to explain it, we contradict our felves, because we pretend to explain what we own to be inexplicable. Many who prefume to explicate and illuftrate the doctrine of the Trinity by fimilitudes, obfcure it, because they exceed the bounds of Scripture light: when they endeavour to explain all things about it to reason, they exprefs many things which are unfound as to faith. The doctrine of the Trinity is a truth to be adored with the greatest humility, but not to be ventilated with rafhness, and a daring curiofity: We muft not nicely enquire into it, but, with a modeft humble faith, adore and admire it, at a distance, as that which has a veil of secrecy spread over it. As it is a flighting ingratitude, to be careless about what God has manifefted, and to neglect what he has revealed; fo it is a provoking arrogance, to be too inquifitive about what God has hid." Mr. R. Taylor in his difcourfe of the myfterioufnefs of the Gospel revelation. In his works, Vol. V. p. 188, 189. The The more we examine into the Scripture proofs of the true Divinity of Chrift, and the holy Spirit, the more we answer the characters of men and Christians; but when we trouble ourselves with unrevealed authorities, as we do but grafp at clouds, and beat the air; so we are in a fair way to be turned from the true faith, to fictions of our own brains. There is a myftery too deep in the manner of the three perfons union and diftinction, for finite understandings to fathom; we may as well attempt to drink up the ocean, to lift the earth, or to span the fun. I cannot but admire the following excellent words of a very polite and judicious divine', of the ancient church. "I fcarce think on the unity of the divine nature, but I am overwhelmed with the light of three divine perfons: I fcarce begin to diftinguish the three perfons, but I am carried back to the one nature. When one of the three perfons prefents itself to my mind, I think this to have the whole Godhead, my intellectual fight is fully taken up, and I mifs the greater part [the other two perfons] : I cannot fo far comprehend the greatness of one perfon, fo as to leave more to another. When I gather up the three perfons in my mind, I fee one light, which united light I am not able to feparate or comprehend." Whenever we find curiofity prompting us, to fearch into the mode, how three perfons can be one God, we ought 1 Ου φθάνω τὸ ἓν νοῆσαι, καὶ τοῖς τρίσι περιλάμπομαι· ἐν φθάνω τα τρία διελεῖν, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐν ἀναφέρομαι. Ὅταν ἐν τ' τριῶν φαντασ θῶ, τότο νομίζω τὸ πᾶν, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν πεπλήρωμαι, καὶ τὸ πλεῖον διέφυγεν· ἐκ ἔχω τὸ μέγεθος τότε καταλαβεῖν, ἵνα δῷ τὸ πλεῖον τῷ λειπομένῳ· ὅταν τα τρία συνέλω τη θεωρία, μίαν ὁρῶ λαμ πάδα, ἐκ ἔχων διελεῖν ἢ μετρῆσαι τὸ φῶς ἐνιζόμενον. Gregor. Nazianz. Orat. xl. Vol. I. p. 688. Ed. Par. to m to check fuch a temper, by confidering what it is we are for prying into; it is no less than the nature of the infinite God, and can we be fo vain as to fancy, that our finite understandings can take in infinity; or imagine, that by searching we can find out God, or discover the incomprehenfible to perfection? We ought ra ther to fit down contented with that measure of light, which God has afforded us; and it will be our greatest wisdom, filently to adore, at a distance, where we must not presume to draw nigh to gaze. I know, fearching into the mode of Chriftian myfteries, has too often been the disease of those who have wrote npon them. There is fomething in it that pleases the pride of men at firft; but when they have gone too far to make a handsome retreat, and know not how to go forwards, they are fill'd with much greater perplexities, than those were, which they wanted to get over. It is with them, as it is with tra m Man! foolish man! Scarce know'st thou how thy felf began; Scarce haft thou thought enough to prove thou art; eye, Through the myfterious gulph of vaft immenfity; Moftly thy learned luft: Vain are thy thoughts, while thou thy self art duft. Prior's Poems, p. 1, 2, How narrow limits are to wisdom given ? Earth fhe furveys, fhe thence would measure heaven: Now wanders dazzl'd with too bright a day; And from the fummit of a pathlefs coaft Sees infinite, and in that fight is loft. Prior's Solomon, Book I. p. 174. vellers, 4 vellers, who crofs the Alps, or any other great chain of mountains. At firft they conceive a great deal of pleafure, at the novelty of the view of nature, ass it were, half in ruins; and they are delighted with the profpect of hills, rocks, and woods, thrown together, insa confused: magnificence, that has fomething more majeftic, than can be found in the regular works of art, but when they have paffed through ma ny dangers, and fee nothing but bleak and naked tops, and only discover hills rifing over hills, and mountains heap'd on mountains, they grow difcouraged, and begin to with, they had not travel'd do far, and were it not for reincounter ing the dangers they have already pafs'd thro', they would turns back, and not purfue their journey. Thus when men, to gratify a needless curiofity, have travell'd through many mazes of imagination, to findd folutions of things above their understandings, they meet with nothing but barren tracts, and fooknow not how to go forward, while their pride hinders them from turning back. There are no worse guides in searching after truth, than a projecting fancy, and warmth of imagination, therefore we ought not to follow fuch falfe lights; but while we are only travellers to a better place, where we hope to see our redeemer as he is, we should be content to know but in part, as an excellent ancient writer expreffes it "What is the union of the Son with the Father, what is the communion of the Father with the * Μόνο παραπεμπόμενοι τότη-----ἐιδίναι τὶς ἡ τῇ παιδὸς πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἑνότης, τὶς ἡ τὸ πατρὸς πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν κοινωνία, τὶ τὸ πνεῦμα, TIS & TAY TOGSTAV II. Athenagoras, Apol. c. 11. P. 46. Ed. Oxon Son, A Son, what is the Spirit, and what is their unity and diftinction. I allow that there is a modus, wherein the doctrine of the Trinity is true, but then I can never think this modus is to be known and comprehended by any finite minds: it is only known to the three divine perfons themselves, and can never be clearly explain'd by man; neither can we expect the divine aid, to affift us in our searches into things, which the divine wisdom has not thought fit to reveal. Had it been proper for us to have known, how the three divine perfons can be one God, it would have been revealed, as well as that there are three divine persons, who are the one God: but fince Scripture has not revealed, how these three can be one, it is labour idly spent, for us, poor fhallow mortals, to go about to determine accurately, how far the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one, and how far they are three. It is ftrange, that a humble refraining from fearching after what we have no light from Scripture to trace, fhould be call'd, by Mr. Watts P, lying down fatisfied in darkness; furely we may fearch into what is fact, without knowing how it is. When our great philofopher, Sir Ifaac Newton, fo happily explain'd the motions of heavenly bodies, by the theory of gravitation, and yet own'd he knew not the caufe of gravity, did he require us to lie down fatisfied in darkness? When Mr. Watts tells his hearers, they have immortal fouls, whofe well-being they ought to feek; does he require them to lie down in darkness, because neither he, nor any one elfe, can tell them how thofe ? Preface to Mr. Scott's Sermon, p. vi. fouls |