in the strongest possible light, the love and gratitude which man owes to God. Very many passages of Scripture apply to this subject; but let a few suffice for our present purpose. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.... To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us; and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 Now the love of the Father in giving his Son to be our Redeemer, and in giving the Spirit for our Sanctifier, is correspondent to his nature-is infinite. So also the love of the Son and Spirit is infinite; and hence that love which we owe to the Father, Son, and Spirit, is the highest

and we

1 John iii. 16. Rom. v. 5, 6, 8, 10. Eph. ii. 4, 5; iii. 19; 1 John iii. 16; iv. 9.

V. 2.

of which our nature is capable. The love which they shew to man, is the love of God; and therefore unspeakable: and since their love to man is unspeakable, his love towards them should be without limit. "We love him because he first loved us." (1 John iv. 19.) And as the consideration of the love of God in the plan of Redemption is most powerful in exciting our love towards the Father, Son, and Spirit,-so has it a similar influence in exciting our love towards each other; for we now find ourselves under additional obligations to mercy, kindness, truth, and every virtue, in consequence of the Gospel Revelation. For, "herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another....Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John iv. 10, 11; iii. 16.)

Nor is the doctrine of the Trinity less practical, with regard to that Trust, with which we ought to rely on God, than to our faith and love towards him. As sinners we need both pardon and sanctification ;by the Son then we obtain pardon; for "if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins." (1 John ii. 1, 2.) "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (Acts v. 31.) So also, by the Spirit, we obtain Sanctification; for "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth....Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification of

the Spirit unto obedience." Now, in putting our trust in the Son for pardon, and in the Spirit for sanctification, we confide not in a created being, but in God; and therefore we find a sure and certain ground of confidence, and are under the highest obligations to gratitude and trust for the benefits which we derive from them, and have the certainty of those benefits being conferred on all those who humbly apply to them.

8. As then the doctrine of the Trinity is practical in the highest possible degree, in its application to that Faith, Love, and Trust which we should exercise towards the Son and Spirit; so also it might be shewn to be equally practical with regard to every other duty. And as it is a kind of practical Atheism to refuse honour and worship either internal or external to the Father; so also, is it equally Atheistical to refuse honour and worship to the Son and Spirit ;for if God be Father, Son, and Spirit, as is here taken for granted, there can be no question that each Divine person must be equally adored. "The Father judgeth no man: but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father....And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are

1 2 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Peter i. 2.

in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying; blessing and honour, and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him, that liveth for ever and ever." 1 Now if it be a great and dangerous sin to disregard and despise the Father, as most certainly it is, then must it be a great and dangerous sin to disregard and despise the Son or Spirit :-for to use the words of the profound Bishop Butler, If Christ be indeed the Mediator between God and man, i. e. if Christianity be true; if he be indeed our Lord, our Saviour, and our God, no one can say what may follow, not only the obstinate, but the careless disregard to him in those high relations. Nay, no one can say what may follow such disregard, even in the way of natural consequence....Again, if mankind are corrupted and depraved in their moral character, and so are unfit for that state which Christ is gone to prepare for his disciples; and if the assistance of God's Spirit be necessary to renew their nature, in the degree requisite to their being qualified for that state; all which is implied in the express, though figurative declaration," Except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God:" supposing this, is it possible any serious person can think it a slight matter, whether or no he makes use of the means expressly commanded by God, for obtaining this Divine assistance? especially since the whole analogy of nature shews, that we are not to expect any benefits, without making use of the appointed means for obtaining or enjoying them.' 2

John v. 22. 23. Rev. v. 11-14.

2 Butler's Anal. p. 2. c. i.

9. Since then, religious regards, both internal and external, are due to the Son and Spirit as well as to the Father, not only in consequence of their divine nature, but of the relations in which they stand to us, as Mediator and Sanctifier; we may from hence perceive the piety and the wisdom of the Church of England, in appointing distinct and specific prayers to the Son and Spirit, in her public form of worship. For if God be Father, Son, and Spirit, and if the Son be our Redeemer and Mediator,-and the Spirit be our Sanctifier,-then, there can be no more question whether we should address prayers to them, than to the Father. The perfection of our worship will always be in proportion to the perfection of our knowledge of the Deity and as from Revelation we discover that God is Father, Son, and Spirit; so we are bound to worship him according to the Revelation which he has given of himself.

I cannot better conclude this introductory chapter, than in the words of that eminent Theologian, Dr. Waterland. A right knowledge of God, and a practice conformable to it, and both in order to a more complete and blissful enjoyment, are not speculative or indifferent matters, but matters properly practical and of infinite concernment. If religious practice in any measure depends upon a previous knowledge of God, as undoubtedly it does, then certainly for the like reason, the perfection of that practice depends upon the perfection of such knowledge. A general and confused notion of God, may produce as general and confused rules of demeanour towards him; while a more particular and explicit apprehension of the Deity, will of course produce a more particular and explicit service....If God be Father,