Holy Trinity altogether. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Ha. lix, 21. Here is the Father and the Son agreeing about a covenant; I have made a covenant with my chosen. The Son is undertaking to become man: it is to be a covenant by sacrifice. He undertakes in our behalf, and for us: the promise of eternal life and the Holy Spirit are to come upon him; this the Holy Ghost undertakes to do; and these are to abide upon him, the head of influence, till salvation is finished. And, when Christ was glorified, then the Word and Spirit were to be sent forth by the Covenant Head to the chosen seed. The Spirit is to apply the benefits of the cross, and proclaim liberty to the elect-By the blood of thy covenant I have sent thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. They are called Christ's prisoners, because they are given unto him to redeem, sanctify, and fave.

In the work of creation the distinct personality and operations of the Holy Trinity plainly appear. There is God the Father creating all things by Jesus Christ, Eph. iii. 9; and there is the Holy Spirit moving upon the face of the waters (Gen. i. 2),

bringing the confused chaos into its present beautiful form and order. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Pfalm xxxiii. 6. Here is the Lord, and the essential Word which was with God and was God, creating the world; and the breath of his mouth, which is the Holy Ghost, equally concerned in the work; for by his Spirit be bath garnished the heavens. Job xxvi. 13.

Nor need it be thought strange that the Holy Ghost is compared to breath and to the wind; feeing, as a learned man observes, that " generation expresses the Son's distinct mode of subsisting in the divine Effence, so spiration may also express the Spirits distinct mode of subsisting therein; 'and, perhaps, is the true reason of his bearing this name." And, as he is called the Breath of the Almighty, and as Christ breathed on the apostles and faid unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; the proceffion of the Holy Spirit is beautifully fet forth thereby.

There was a council held among the divine perfons about the creation of man. Let us, says the Father to the Son, make man in our image, after our likeness; and the Holy Ghost was breathed into him, who formed his foul and quickened him. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. In those words, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, a plurality of perfons appear; but in the last text, So God made man in bis

own

own image, the unity of the Divine Effence is preferved; the first account being in the plural number, and the last in the fingular.

In the government of the world the Trinity appears to be equally concerned. This may be seen in the king of Babylon's visions: I faw in the vifions of my bead, upon my bed; and, behold, a watcher and an boly one came down from heaven. Dan. iv. 13. This is in the fingular number. This matter (says Daniel) is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Dan. iv. 17. I know that many are of opinion that these watchers are angels; but that cannot be; for the decree is called the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the words of the Holy Ones; but angels are not of God's council, nor have they any hand in making God's decrees. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord; or, being his counsellor, hath taught him? With whom took be counsel, and who instructed him? Ha. xl. 13, 14. What is called the decree of the Watchers and of the Holy Ones, is explained by the prophet. This is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king. Dan.iv. 24. Befides, though the angels are holy creatures, yet three of them cannot be emphatically called the Holy Ones, for there are twenty thousand of holy angels, and there are holy fouls in heaven and holy faints on earth. But God in three perfons is the fountain fountain of holiness. Nor need we wonder at the Trinity being called Watchers, seeing God the Father, Son, and Spirit, watch over all the faints. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. - Behold, he that keepeth Ifrael shall neither slumber nor fleep. Pfal. cxxi. 3. And, unless the Lord keep the city of Zion, all other watchmen wake but in vain. Thus do the Holy Trinity work jointly together, and their diftinct personality is feen in all their glorious works; and so it will further appear in every branch of the work of falvation.

As in the mission and commission of ChriftFrom the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God and his Spirit bath fent me. Ifa. xlviii. 16. Here is Christ who is the ME that is fent, and the Lord God and his Spirit which sent him. If a trinity of names is meant, and not persons, as a wife man observes, it should have been worded thus: " And now I myself, and myself, have fent myself." This prophecy had its accomplishment just before Christ entered on his ministry, at his baptifm. Christ was upon the earth, the Holy Ghost defcending in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. These are the Lord God and his Spirit fending Christ forth, and bearing their teftimony both to his fonship and to his appointment.

Salvation also is ascribed to all the three persons, who are equally concerned in it. The Father

speaks thus: But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will fave them by the Lord their God; and will not fave them by bow, nor by fword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by borsemen. Hofea i. 7. Thus the Father bears teftimony to his only-begotten Son, and tells us that he is the Lord God by whom he saves us; and we believe him, not doubting but God is a faithful and true witness, and must be a better judge of his own Son, and what he is, than all the Arians and Socinians in the world. God the Father saves us by the Lord our God, who is the Son; hence he is called Jesus, because he shall fave bis people from their fins. Matt. i. 21. Nor is the Holy Ghost excluded from the work of salvation; for the Father, who tells us that he will have mercy upon the house of Judah, tells us also how this mercy shall come to us, even by the Holy Spirit-But according to his mercy be faved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Tit. iii. 5. Thus are all the three divine perfons engaged in our falvation. Hence we read of wells, more wells than one, in which salvation is to be had-Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation. Ifa. xii. 3.

Again, an empty name cannot write nor bear record. How does a fictitious name appear in a court of law, when there is no person to be found that bears that name, or is called by it? But there are three that bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. John