The God and Father of our Lord Jefus SER M. Chrift, the infinite and incomprehenfible V. Fountain of underived Majefty, is the Spring and Original of all Good: The Son of the Father, is to Us the Author and Purchafer, the Conveyer of all Communications from that inexhauftible Fountain of Goodness; and by his Mediation and Interceffion, the only Means of Accefs and Approach to that Throne of otherwife inacceffible Glory: The Spirit of God, fent forth from the Father and the Son, is the immediate Difpenfer and Distributer of thofe Benefits, which the Father grants by the Interceffion of the Son.

THIS is what the Scripture clearly and expreffly declares to us, concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In which Doctrine, because there are fome things difficult to be understood, and not needful to be explained; wherein the vain Curiofity of men has often exposed its own Weakness, and which profane and careless perfons have wrested (as they do other Doctrines) to their own Destruction; therefore this matter ought not to be frequently and flightly treated of; but upon

the

SER M. the most folemn Occafions, with the great
V. eft Care, and with the utmost Reverence.
M And upon fuch Occafions; fince the whole

ground and foundation of Chriftian Reli-
gion, is the Belief of our Reconciliation
to God, the Father and Supreme Lord of
All, through the Death of his Son, and by
the Influence of his Holy Spirit; and fince
This is Life eternal, to know Him who is
the only true God, and to know Jefus
Christ whom he has fent, and the Spirit by
whom he worketh in us every good Work
Since This, I fay, is the very Foundation
of Chriftian Religion; to have a right
knowledge, of Him who is the Creator
of the Universe, and Supreme Lord of the
whole World; of him, who is the Savi-
our and Redeemer of Mankind; and of
him, who is the Sanctifier of the elect
people, which is the Church of God: it
is therefore very fit, that upon particular
folemn Occafions, This great Doctrine,
which ought not to be frequently and
flightly handled, fhould with
should with great Cau-
tion and Reverence be explained at Once:
Explained; that is, not unfolded accord-
ing to the prefumptions of human Ima-
gination;

gination; but declared fo far, as 'tis ex-SER M. prefly revealed in Scripture; and fo far V. forth, as 'tis therefore intelligible, be- in cause it is revealed. For in Doctrines which are not made known by the Light of Reason and natural Understanding, but difcovered merely by Revelation, and which depend wholly on the Authority and Teftimony of the Revealer; in thefe things, human Imagination has no place, and the Opinion of no man is of any Importance, but only the exprefs Words of the Revelation itself. In declaring therefore unto you, that which is clearly and without all controverfy revealed in Scripture concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; I fhall rt confider briefly that which is fpeculative, concerning their Nature; 2dly, That which is moral, relating to their Offices; and 3dly, That which is practical, concerning the Honour we are to pay unto them.

1st, I fhall confider what is spoken in a Speculative manner concerning their Nature. And This part being that, wherein we are leaft concerned, and which we are leaft capable to underftand; the Scripture is very

SER M. brief in this particular: In being of much more importance that it fhould be clearly revealed to us, what they are Relatively to Us, than what their Nature is abfolutely in themselves. Yet even upon This Head we find in Scripture, as follows. Concerning the Nature of God the Father: that, agreeable to the Light of Natural Reason, there is One Supreme Absolute Independent Caufe and Original of all things, Eternal, Infinite, All-Powerful, Self-Sufficient ; the Maker and Lord of all things, himself derived from None, made of none, begotten of none, proceeding from none: By whom all Creatures material and immaterial, vifible and invifible, animate and inanimate, rational and irrational, mortal and immortal, in Heaven and in Earth were made ; by whom the Land and Waters, the Air and Sun and Stars, the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens, and all things that are therein; Plants, and Beafts, and Men; Angels and Arch-Angels; were created out of nothing From whom the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter and Sanctifier of all Holy men, proceedeth or is fent forth;

Of

v.

V.

!

;

Of whom laftly the Son himself, the Sa- SER M. viour and Redeemer of the World, in an ineffable manner, before all Ages was begotten. This is the Supreme Father and Lord of all, who dwelleth in Light inacceffible; whofe Majefty, no Thought can comprehend; whofe Glory, no Eye can behold; whofe Power, no Strength can refift from whofe Prefence, no Swiftnefs can flee; whofe Knowledge, no Secrefy can conceal itself from; whose Juftice, no Art can evade; whofe Goodness, no Creature but partakes of This is the God of the Universe, whom even the Heathen World has always acknowledged. This is the God of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob; the God who brought the children of Ifrael out of the Land of Egypt; the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift; of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things; to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever. But to proceed.

CONCERNING the Nature of the Son,
That which the Scripture declares to us,
(and otherwise than from Scripture we
can have no Light, in matters of Revela-
VOL. VI.
I

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tion ;)