who believe that the Son and Spirit are the true God; though they may fall into very various and different sentiments about the way of explaining it.

And, in the last place, I have attempted to do all this in such plain and easy language, that every private Christian, who reads this doctrine, may understand it, so far as is necessary, may be established in the scriptural proofs of it, and may have his faith secured in this day of temptation.

Upon this account I have been watchful against admitting those Latin and Greek words and terms of art, which have too often tended to flatter the vanity of men, and to make them learned in mere words and syllables; and which have often proved an incumbrance and burden to their faith, rather than its support.

Having these views and designs ever in my eye, the judicious reader will not wonder that I have omitted some forms of argument, and some texts of scripture, which have often been called into this service. Some of these would, perhaps, have led me to speak of some particular scheme of explication which was contrary to my design. Others did not strike me with the same satifactory evidence, as some of my fathers or brethren have found from them. And though I will not rob them of their arguments, yet I beg leave to produce none but my own. And yet I may be bold to profess, that I believe this sacred doctrine as firmly as those who think they can prove it by a multitude of scriptures which I have omitted: And I hope this may be a sufficient apology for any such omissions.

It is a most uncharitable and unrighteous thing, while a man is professing and proving any article of faith in most express language, and by convincing demonstrations, that he should be suspected of heresy, merely because he chooses to leave

out some public phrases, or happens to drop some popular argument in that controversy, or excuses some doubtful text of scripture from that service. And yet this hath been too often the shameful practice, and the just reproach of many Christians, in whom the fury of an ignorant zeal has prevailed above the heavenly graces of light and love.*

At the same time I will take the freedom to declare, that when a man excepts against one argument for any sacred truth as feeble, and treats another with jest and raillery; when he tells you this text is not authentic, and the other has quite a different sense; when he cavils at this term because it is not expressly written in scripture, and will express the same truth in no terms at all; nor mention any one argument, that is sufficient to prove it: I think that man gives too just a suspicion that he is no great friend to that doctrine; and if he should tell me, I have no reason to deny his orthodoxy, yet I am sure at best there is reason enough to doubt of his prudence. But to proceed to my design.

The method which I have chosen is what the learned call analytic. Beginning with the first and plainest principle of natural religion, and then (supposing the revelation of scripture) I have attempted to lead my reader onward to the most easy and yet most satisfying evidence of this GLORIOUS MYSTERY of the gospel. Nor did I think it necessary to stand still often, to observe and answer every objection. For these, many times, break in upon the order of a discourse, and divert the mind from the train of argument; and as Dr. Knight well observes, in the preface to his late sermons on this subject, "Objecting is endless; the pursuit of which wearies the

* It would be well if those zealous advocates for the truth, who hesitate not to rank Dr. Watts with Arius, Socinus, Dr. Priestley, &c. &c. would attend to the above paragraph.

mind; draws it too far from the main argument, and is apt to leave it in confusion and obscurity. Honest hearts and common understandings, whose concern it is rather to discern truth than to know the multiform windings of error, being once convinced of the goodness of the proofs, that infer a doctrine, will be satisfied therewith; though they be not qualified to return an answer to every objector. For they well know that objections must fall, where the proofs of a doctrine are clear and conclusive."

I confess my thoughts, sometimes, ran out too far, in a defence of some occasional positions, or incidental truths; but upon a review, I have cut them all off from the body of this discourse, lest the thread of it should be too much interrupted.

After all our labours and studies, it is the good Spirit of God alone, who can lead us into all truth. If he please, he can bless this little treatise, which is the fruit of retirement, labour and prayer, and make it useful to instruct the ignorant, to settle the wavering, to guard those that are tempted, and to recover those that have gone astray. To this end I entreat my readers, that since it is but a little book, they would begin and read it through, that they may see all the parts of it in their proper connexion. Then I presume they will not take offence at any single sentence which, if separated from the rest of the work, might perhaps have given surprise or disgust to the weaker Christians.

I conclude with an ardent address to heaven, that the sacred mysteries of our religion, and particularly this doctrine, which contains in it, and carries with it the substance and glory of the gospel, may prevail over all the clouds and powers of error. 0 may it never more be profaned by angry disputes, and fruitless janglings; but be humbly received and piously improved, in order to pay necessary VOL. I.

honours to the SACRED THREE, which is the great design for which this doctrine was revealed. And thereby we shall effectually secure, and evidence our own interest in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the commaníon of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

INTRODUCTION.

There were many thousands of souls brought to the saving knowledge of God, and trained up for Heaven by the various revelations which God gave to mankind before our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. His own counsels and contrivances wrought, powerfully, for the salvation both of the Patriarchs and the Jews, under those darker dispensations, without their particular and explicit knowledge of those divine methods, whereby that very salvation was to be effected. These were reserved as a "mystery hidden from ages and generations, to be revealed by the gospel in these later times." Therefore the gospel is called, The revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest by a clear interpretation of the scriptures of the prophets, and made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, Rom. xvi. 25, 26, i. e. That the nations might show their obedience to a revealing God, by believing this doctrine, now it is clearly revealed, and the prophecies, 'concerning it,' explained.

Tis this gospel that teaches us how God the Father sent his own Son to assume human nature, and therein to fulfil all righteousness, and to make full satisfaction for our sins by his sufferings and death, in order to restore us to the favour of God. 'Tis this gospel that tells us, how our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and receiving from the Father the promise of the Spirit, sends Him down to renew our natures to holiness, and to restore us to the image of God. And 'tis this 2 Q

gospel that calls us to believe and trust in this Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in order to be restored to the favour of God by his righteousness and death, and to be renewed after the divine image, by the operations of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Thus we are taught by the gospel, what hand the SON and SPIRIT have in our salvation as well as the FATHER. The FATHER appears, here, as our sovereign and offended governor, condescending to be reconciled, and appointing this method for our recovery. The Son of GOD appears as a Redeemer and Reconciler; and the SPIRIT of GoD as a sanctifier; and we are taught to get an actual interest in these bless. ings by faith.

Upon this account, when we are admitted into the profession of the Christain faith, the names of the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT, are joined together in the very ceremony of admission. We are baptized with this form of words, according to the institution of Christ, Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go teach all nations, baptising them into the name of the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY GHOST."

Thus, though the ancient Jews and patriarchs might be saved without an explicit knowledge of the special methods of this salvation, and the divine persons concerned in it, because they were not then clearly revealed; yet, since they are clearly revealed to us by Christ and his apostles in the New Testament, and appointed to be a part of both our faith and our profession, 'tis evident that some knowledge of these divine persons, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and their several sacred offices; or an acquaintance with the doctrine of the BLESSED TRINITY, is now become a necessary part of our religion. So that, I know not how any man can properly be called a CHRISTIAN without it.

It is indeed certain, and must be confessed, that this sacred doctrine

of the TRINITY, has some great and unsearchable difficulties, which attend its full explication; such as the wisest men in all ages, have found too hard, and too high for their comprehension; and yet it is as certain, that so much of this doctrine as is necessary to salvation, is plainly revealed in scripture, and so easy to be understood, that the unlearned, and persons of the meanest capacity, may attain the knowledge of it. For, the "highway" to heaven, which was to be revealed under the gospel, must be marked out with such plainness and evidence, that, "the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Is. xxxv. 8.

It shall be my business, therefore, at present, to lead the unlearned Christian by soft and easy steps into this mystery, so far as may furnish him with a sufficient knowledge of it, for his own salvation; and show him how to confirm and maintain his belief of it by the plain evidence of scripture; and to secure him from making shipwreck of his faith in a day of temptation. And I shall attempt this, without perplexing and embarrassing his mind with any of those various mazes of scheme and hypotheses, which men of learning have invented to explain and defend this sacred article of the Christian faith.

The way wherein I shall pursue this design, is by laying down the following propositions, viz.:

I. There is a God.

II. This God is the creator of all things, the first and the eternal being, the greatest, the wisest, and the best of beings, the sovereign lord and disposer of all his works, the righteous governor of his intellectual creatures, and the proper object of their worship.

III. There is, and there can be, but one true God, but one such God as agrees with the foregoing description.

IV. Since there can be but one God, the peculiar, divine and distin

guishing characters of Godhead cannot belong to any other being.

V. God, himself, is so jealous of his own honour, and so concerned to maintain the dignity of his Godhead, as never to suffer these peculiar distinguishing characters to be ascribed to any other besides himself.

VI. He is also so kind and faithful to his creatures, as to tell them what are these peculiar and distinguishing characters of Godhead, that they may not run into the mistake of ascribing them to any other.

VII. The peculiar and distinguishing characters of Godhead, are those NAMES, TITLES, ATTRIBUTES, WORKS, and WORSHIP, which God has assumed to himself in his word, exclusive of any other being; and has either asserted them, expressly, to belong to himself, or left it sufficiently evident in his word, that they belong to him alone.

VIII. Yet these very names, titles, attributes, works and worship, which are peculiar to God, and incommunicable to another, are ascribed to THREE, by God himself, in his word; which three are distinguished by the names of FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT.

IX. There are, also, some other circumstantial, but convincing evidences, that the Son and the SPIRIT have the true and proper Godhead ascribed to them, as well as the FA

THER.

-X. Thence it necessarily follows, that these three, viz. THE FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT have such an intimate and real communion in that ONE GODHEAD, as is sufficient to justify the ascription of those peculiar and distinguishing divine characters to them.

XI. Since there is, and can be but one true God, these THREE, who have such a communion in GODHEAD, must properly be called THE one God, or THE ONLY TRUe God.

XII. Though THE FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT are but one God, yet there are such distinct properties,

actions, characters and circumstances ascribed to these THREE, as are usually ascribed to three distinct PERSONS among men.

XIII. Therefore it has been the 'custom of the Christian church, in almost all ages, to use the word "PERSON," "in order to describe these three distinctions of FATHER, Son, and SPIRIT, and to call them three distinct PERSONS.

XIV. Though the sacred three are evidently and plainly discovered in scripture to be one and the same God, and three distinct personal agents, or persons, yet the scripture hath not, in plain and evident language, explained and precisely determined the particular way and manner, how these three persons are one God; or how this one Godhead is in three persons.

XV. Thence I infer, that it can never be necessary to salvation, to know the precise way and manner, how one Godhead subsists in these three personal agents, or how these three persons are one God.

XVI. Yet we ought to believe the general doctrine of the TRINITY, viz. that these three personal agents, Father, Son, and Spirit, have real communion in one Godhead, though we cannot find out the precise way and manner of explaining it.

XVII. And wheresoever we meet with any thing in scripture that is incommunicably divine, ascribed to either of these THREE PERSONS, we may venture to take it in the plain and obvious sense of the words, since we believe the true and eternal Godhead to belong to them all.

XVIII. Where any thing inferior to the dignity of Godhead, is really and properly attributed in scripture to the person of the Son, or the Holy Spirit, it may easily be imputed to some inferior nature, united to the Godhead, in that person, or to some inferior character or office sustained by that person.

XIX. Nor do these inferior nature or natures, character or agencies, at all hinder our firm belief of

the GODHEAD of these three persons; which is so plainly expressed in scripture; nor should it abate or diminish our most sacred regards to them.

XX. We are bound, therefore, to pay divine honours to each of the SACRED THREE, Viz. THE FATHER, THE SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT, according to their distinct characters and offices assigned to them in scripture.

XXI. In so doing we shall effectually secure our own salvation. For the scripture has made our salvation to depend on those offices, which these divine persons sustain, and in the honours due to them, according to those offices, rather than upon any deep, philosophical notions of their essence and personalities; any nice and exact acquaintance with their mysterious union and distinction.

XXII. The man, therefore, who professes each of the sacred Three to have sufficient divine power and capacity to sustain the characters, and fulfil the offices attributed to them in scripture, and pays due honour to them according to those offices, may justly be owned by me, and received as a Christian brother, though we may differ much in our notions and opinions about the explication of the blessed Trinity, or though we may both be ignorant or doubtful of the true way of explaining it.

Now, if these propositions are found agreeable to the mind and will of God in his words, then may his blessed Spirit furnish me with clearness of thought, with force of argument, and happiness of expression, to explain and prove them, so far as to enlighten the understanding, and satisfy the consciences of humble and sincere Christians, in this great and glorious doctrine of the Trinity, that they may pay their distinct honours to the sacred three, in this world of darkness and imperfection, and walk on rejoicing in their way to the world of perfect light and happiness! Amen.

ON THE DURATION OF FUTURE
PUNISHMENT.

(Continued from page 204.)

II. Another class of texts is adduced in this controversy, which are alleged to predicate God's willingness to save all the human family. To the superficial observer, these texts will appear decisive. We shall quote some of the principal ones. Matt. xxiii. 37. "Ó Jerusalem! Jerusalem! who killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Ezek. xviii. 23. "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God?" and verse 39," For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth;" and chap. xxxiii. 11. "Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, from the evil of your ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" 2 Peter iii. 9. "The Lord is not willing that' any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 1 Tim. ii. 4. "Who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." Were there no other portions of sacred writ, with whose meaning must be reconciled that of the passages above cited, while they present apparently a different view of the subject, we should consider all controversy on the subject, not as simply puerile, but as blasphemously audacious, in rushing on the thick bosses of Jehovah's buckler. Here we have the solemn oath of Jehovah, that he has no pleasure in the death of the sinner-his solemn oath that he would rather the sinner should return and live. Let us

state the amount in the strongest terms-in the language of a man of rare genius, whose work both deserves to be, and shall be, more fully noticed hereafter. "What else can