This doctrine will still appear more plain, to my dear brother, by the plural names of God. In the first verse of the Bible it is evident—In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. That this name is plural, is plain by the work of the distinct Persons. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And the third person is spoken of as the WORD, who said Let there be light. Thus the three in one were concerned in creation. In Ephesians iii, 9, God is said to create all things by Jesus Christ—this is one Person—Christ is said to be creator too—by the word of the Lord was the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Here is the Word that was with God, and was God; and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. By his spirit he garnished the heavens, and his hand framed the crooked Serpent. This is the Holy Trinity in Unity—the Persons who said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. Behold the man is become at one of US. Go to, let US go down.—Whom shall I send, and who will go for US? These words clearly prove a plurality of Persons. If any man love me, my Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make OUR abode with him.
In the Epistle of John we read of Communion with the Father, and the Son; and Paul speaks of Communion with the Holy Ghost. The glorious Covenant of Grace shews a Plurality of Persons. Divine worship is to be given to the three Persons. Baptism is in their Names: sometimes one Person is mentioned before the other; the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost; here Christ is first mentioned. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into a patient waiting for Christ. The acknowledgement of God, and of the Father, and of Christ—thus we see the Spirit is mentioned first. In the first chapter of Ephesians the Father is first introduced—Paul prays that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would grant the spirit of wisdom in the knowledge of Christ. These, and many other passages evidently prove that there are Three in One and One in Three, God blessed for evermore; so the Scripture teaches, and so must we believe; to err in this subject is fatal. But the Spirit has engaged to lead us into all truth, nor can one humble follower of Jesus go down to the shades of death, opposing this glorious doctrine. How these are one, and how each Person subsists in the one Divine Essence, is not for us to know, nor is it of any importance, it is enough for me to know, that the terms of Father, Son, and Spirit, are not given to shew what the Trinity is in the divine Essence, as God; but what they are to the church in an everlasting Covenant; and this is life eternal to know the Father, that adopted me as his own—to know the Lord Jesus, in the greatness of his salvation, by the teaching and leading of the Holy Ghost. This is the harmonious witness in the word, and I bless God for the same in the heart. There are three which bear witness; and he that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself; and this is the witness, the Father says, Yea I have loved thee; the Redeemer says, I have redeemed thee; and the voice of the Spirit is known, I have called thee. This is the point I want you, my brother, to apprehend, to feel, and enjoy. This is a religion that will stand the test, will bear the furnace, and all religion, besides what comes from, and leads to the adorable Trinity, is madness, delusion and daring presumption! This is the maker or MAKERS—CREATORS, father, husband, friend, and God.
The wise man not only points out the glorious Object, but the Work in which they are engaged, even the Work of Creation. These glorious Persons having formed the grand plan of salvation, which was the first great act of Jehovah, in Council and Covenant, now brings forth the grand theatre of the Universe, whereon to display the glories of rich, free, restoring grace; and this act of power, love, wisdom, and goodness, is the joint Work of the three Persons; as the word God is a plural term, Elohim, or as some term it Alehim—the Persons engaged, the Covenanters. This is a point that has been long proved by good and great men—the several acts of Creation—God created the heaven and earth, formed both; then the Spirit’s, act—and the Spirit of God, the Lord and giver of life, moved upon the face of the waters, to separate the parts which were mixed together, and to give them a quickening virtue, to produce living creatures in them. Then the Saviour is represented as saying, Let there be light, and there was light. This came from himself, who is called the Light of the World. And God said (this is repeated nine times over; and as the term God is plural, and includes the Three, there is great propriety and beauty in the expression) Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. This consultation is designed to point out that honor and dignity that was to be conferred on Man, the noblest work of all his creatures—in his image, as God’s vicegerent; having dominion over the creatures; erect in his body; with every excellent endowment of his mind; in purity, holiness, and righteousness; in wisdom and beauty—thus man was made in his image. But though this is a great truth, yet I humbly conceive this is not all; from all eternity God had a favour towards man; and having exalted the dear Saviour to be the great Head of the Church, he set him up in the nature of his people, so that Adam was formed in the nature, in the very image which God had designed to honour Christ in; that image made he man: this was agreeable to divine consultation. In this image our dear Lord four thousand years afterwards made his appearance; and this was the joint work of the Holy Trinity—a body hast thou prepared me. He took part of the children’s flesh and blood—The power of the Holy Ghost shall come on thee, and that which shall be born unto thee shall be called the Child of the Most High.
Thus the formation of our nature is the joint work of the Trinity, in the first and second Adam; but this point will appear of equal importance if we contemplate our New Creation, as the work of the same divine Persons. Our Regeneration is called a Creation, but more of this in my next. The best of blessings attend you.
So prays your willing servant to command
in all Godliness,
LETTER III.
TO AMICUS.
DEAR FRIEND,
GRACE and peace be with you. I thought it needful to drop you another Letter on a subject of infinite importance to you, to myself and to the whole church of God. The Saviour, in a conversation with a learned and polite Doctor of Divinity, positively declared the necessity of another, a New, a second Birth. Blessed be God, the salvation of the children of God is completed without this, but we must be born again to know this salvation is ours; and to pretend to lay claim to such Salvation, without being born again, is most daring presumption! This new Birth is a change of heart and life; the formation of a new man; an infusion of holy principles—all new—every thing; that is, every principle which the Holy Spirit inspires is new; new views, new sensations, new ideas, new pursuits; and new trials; all is become new. If any man be in Christ Jesus he is become new. This birth goes by various names in scripture—it is stiled a Calling; The master is come and calleth for thee. It is represented as an implanting or engrafting—Cut off from the old stock: Our souls cleave to Jesus as our all in all. It is a Conquest; by the power of the Holy Spirit our enmity is slain, our wills subdued, and our affections set on heavenly objects. It is called an heavenly Birth—Of the seed of God’s word we are said to be begotten to a lively hope. A new man is formed; for this the Redeemer travailed in spirit; for this ministers labour and toil; and to enjoy God in Christ Jesus, no small portion of spiritual labour falls to the share of the happy possessor. The Saviour enters the soul; this must create a stir there. He comes into, and by the door of the heart; all that come in any other way, as sin and Satan did, are thieves and robbers. Upon his entrance we, by his light, see our lost state—feel our guilt—conscience is quickened, as well as the mind enlightened; and here, my brother, you may discover the vast disparity between the Possessor and the mere nominal Professor; it is not to be seen either in their light, or conduct, for a man destitute of the grace of God, may be clear in his head, and upright in his moral deportment. This is the snare that is come upon the Churches: these are the false evidences by which thousands are deceived—it is not enough, the main spring is wanting, which is Life. This is the genuine work of God: this proves our union with the Living Vine. By this life I feel myself condemned by the Law. I feel a spirit of bondage to fear. I feel the sting of death. I feel the workings of corruption, which I knew nothing of before. I feel dreadful apprehensions of God’s wrath; and while my conscience feels these things, I see, in the light of the word, and by the Spirit, the exact suitableness of the dear Saviour. I am enabled by the same Spirit to believe he lived, obeyed, suffered, died, and is risen again, and receives poor sinners—the lost, the helpless, the guilty, and the vile. This begets a hope in my mind that he will save me. The Promises encourage me—the freeness of grace—the Lord delighting in mercy, through the satisfaction of Jesus—the scriptural account of poor sinners as vile as me being saved. These things encourage me to hope; while my faith, small as it is, argues at times, as Manoah’s wife did, If the Lord had meant to have destroyed me, would he have shewed me what I see?—or told me what he has? No, no!