Church, which he merited as her Redeemer, and which was neceffary, in order to her falvation. Now, his character, as effentially the Son of God,. and at the fame time a divine Meffenger, could not be properly unfolded, without a declaration both of the paternity of the First Perfon, and of that wonderful difpenfation according to which the Second, although equal in power and glory, voluntarily emptied himfelf." Nor could the unity of the work of redemption, as pervading all the difpenfations given to the Church, and the beautiful harmony of the law and the gofpel, be otherwife difplayed. Without a full revelation of this mystery, how could it have been known that he who appeared in the end of ages as fent of God, was the very fame perfon who had formerly led the Church, as the Angel of his face; that He who now brought fpiritual redemption to his folk, was no other than that Angel-Redeemer who had already fo frequently delivered them from temporal calamities?

If this mystery be unknown or difbelieved, there can be no faith in Chrift as the Mediator between God and men. For he who believes not that the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son, as to identity of effence, while at the fame time there is a diftinction of perfons, denies the voluntary, fubjection of the Son to the Father in the eternal covenant, and thus the whole foundation of his merit and of our falvation. In relation to the work of our redemption, and in the hiftory given of it, are revealed various internal

actings

actings of the divine perfons towards each other, as well as thofe of an external nature. The Father appoints, gives, fends, prepares a human nature for his Son: the Son undertakes, gives himfelf, comes, affumes this nature.

From the history given of the conception of Chrift, we find that three divine perfons were engaged in the creation of this "new thing in the "earth." The Father appears in the character of the Higheft;" the Third Perfon, as "the "Holy Ghoft," and "the Power of the Higheft;" and the Second, as "the Son of God m." When this wonderful Perfon, the incarnate Word, was to be manifefted to Ifrael at his baptifm, each divine Perfon concurred in the work. The Father teftified his prefence and approbation by a voice from the excellent glory, announcing Jefus as his beloved Son; and the Holy Ghoft defcended like a dove, and refted on him ". The hiftory of his death, viewed in its connexion, affords a proof of a fimilar kind. As "it pleafed JEHOVAH," in the perfon of the Father, fuftaining the character of Judge, to bruise the Son as our Surety; and as he, having power over his own life, commended his fpirit into the hands of his Father, thus prefenting unto him a facrifice of a fweet-fmelling favour; he did fo "through the Eternal Spirit." The fame thing appears from the refurrection of Jefus. He was "powerfully declared to be the "Son of God in his refurrection from the dead;" for he had " power to take again" that life which

m Luke i. 35.

n Mat. iii. 16, 17.

o Rom. i. 4.

no

no one could take from him. This work is frequently afcribed to God, where the term evident"God hath raised

ly denotes the First Perfon.

66

66

66

up Jefus again; as it is alfo written in the fe"cond pfalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee P." As he was As he was "put to death in "the flesh, he was quickened by the Spirit," by that Spirit of holiness, by which alfo he went "and preached unto the fpirits in prifon." Nor is this lefs evident from the account given of the effufion of the Spirit. This is undoubtedly a divine work; and it is defcribed as belonging to each adorable Perfon. Jefus had foretold that the Comforter fhould come, that himself fhould fend him, and that he fhould at the fame time be fent by the Father. Accordingly, from the account given of this wonderful event by the apoftle Peter, which is left on record for the inftruction of the Church, we find that each divine Perfon was engaged in accomplishing it: "Jefus having re"ceived of the Father the promife of the Holy "Ghost, hath fhed forth this which ye now fee "and heart."

It is undeniable, that one fpecial end, which Chrift had in view in his miraculous works, was to confirm his doctrine with refpect to his equality with the Father. When he gave thanks at the tomb of Lazarus, before railing him from the dead, it was becaufe of the people who flood by, that they might believe that the Father had

66

fent him; and fent him as a Meffenger invested with divine power, because effentially poffeffing divine perfection. For he had previously faid to his difciples: "This fickness is not unto death, "but for the glory of God, that the Son of God I might be glorified thereby ;" and taught Martha, that if she "would believe, fhe would fee the "glory of God," in feeing the manifeftation of that power which effentially belonged to himself, as "the Resurrection and the Life "." When he cured the man fick of the palfy, it was in order to prove that he had "power on earth to forgive

fin ;" while he admitted the principle held by the scribes, that no one could forgive fins but God only. On different occafions he refers to his miraculous works, as irrefragable evidences of his having the fame effence with the Father; and of the mutual inexiftence, as fome have expreffed it, of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Father, in refpect of this effential unity, while there is at the fame time a real diftinction of perfons. When his enemies accufed him of blafphemy, because he faid, "I am the Son of God," "making himself God;" he replied, "If I do "not the works of my Father, believe me not. "But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe "the works; that ye may know and believe that "the Father is in me, and I in him w." Philip, when defiring to fee the Father, he faid, "Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the "Father

u John xi. 4. 25. 40. 42. comp. w John x. 33-36.-38.

v Mark ii. 7. 10.

Το

"Father in me; or elfe believe me for the very "work's fake ." The Evangelift John, when referring to the figns recorded in the preceding hiftory, fubjoins this declaration; "Thefe are writ"ten, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Son "of God y." That he appropriates this character to Jefus, as expreffive of fupreme deity, is evident from the uniform tenor of the gospel which

bears his name.

The doctrine of the Trinity is peculiarly elucidated by the hiftory of redemption; as it does not merely exhibit all the adorable Perfons as engaged in this work, but afcribes a peculiar operation to cach Perfon. The contrivance of our redemption is afcribed to the Father; the purchase of it to the Son; and the effectual application of this purchafed redemption to the Holy Spirit. The Father fends his Son as our Surety; the Son cheerfully comes in this character; and the Holy Spirit is fent by both. The purpofe of election is more immediately ascribed to the Father; the objects of his love are all chofen in Chrift; and they, who were thus chofen from eternity, are in time chofen out of the world, and feparated for himfelf, by the renewing and fanctifying work of the Spirit.

Nor is this all. The peculiar operation of each Perfon, in the work of our falvation, is perfectly analogous to the order of fubfiftence in the Holy Trinity; and thus beautifully illuftrates the mutual

D 2

* John xiv. 11. y John xx. 31. z See, for a farther illuftration of this fubject, Vindication of the Doctrine of Scripture, &c. Book ii. chap. 6. Of the Evidence of our Saviour's Divinity, from his Miracles.