OF A PLURALITY IN
THE GODHEAD;
OR, A TRINITY
OF PERSONS IN THE
UNITY OF THE
DIVINE ESSENCE
John Gill
Having proved the unity of the
divine Being, and explained the sense in which it is to be
understood; my next work will be to prove that there is a plurality in the
Godhead; or, that there are more persons than one, and that these are neither
more, nor fewer, than three; or, that there is a Trinity of Persons in the
unity of the divine essence. Some except to these terms, because not literally
and syllabically expressed in scripture; as Essence, Unity, Trinity, and
Person; of which see the Introduction, see topic (point 5),
741, I shall,
1. First, Prove that there is
a plurality of persons in the one God; or, that there are more than one. The
Hebrew word Mynp which answers to the Greek word proswpa, is used of the divine
persons, ynp "My persons shall go with thee", #Ex 33:14 and if Kynp "thy persons go not with me, #Ex 33:15 and "he
brought thee out wynpb by his persons", #De 4:37. The word is used three
times in #Ps 27:8, 9 and in each clause the Septuagint has the word proswpon,
and which, as Suidas {1} observes, is expressive of the sacred Trinity. That
there is such a plurality of persons, will appear more clearly,
1a. From the plural names and
epithets of God. His great and incommunicable name Jehovah, is always in the
singular number, and is never used plurally; the reason of which is, because it
is expressive of his essence, which is but one; it is the same with "I AM
that I AM"; but the first name of God we meet with in scripture, and that in the first verse of it, is plural; "In the
beginning God (Elohim) created the heaven and the earth", #Ge 1:1 and
therefore must design more than one, at least two, and yet not precisely two,
or two only; then it would have been dual; but it is plural; and, as the Jews
themselves say, cannot design fewer than three {2}. Now Moses might have made
use of other names of God, in his account of the creation; as his
name Jehovah, by which he made himself known to him, and to the people of
Israel; or Eloah, the singular of Elohim, which is used by him, #De 32:15,16
and in the book of Job frequently; so that it was not want of singular names of
God, nor the barrenness of the Hebrew language, which obliged him to use a
plural word; it was no doubt of choice, and with design; and which will be more
evident when it is observed, that one end of the writings of
Moses is to extirpate the polytheism of the heathens, and to prevent the people
of Israel from going into it; and therefore it may seem strange, that he should
begin his history with a plural name of God; he must have some design in it,
which could not be to inculcate a plurality of gods, for that would be directly
contrary to what he had in view in writing, and to what he asserts, #De 6:4. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one
Lord": nor a plurality of mere names and characters, to which creative
powers cannot be ascribed; but a plurality of persons, for so the words may be
rendered, distributively, according to the idiom of the Hebrew language;
"In the beginning everyone, or each of the divine persons, created the
heaven and the earth". And then the historian goes on to make mention of them; who, besides the Father, included in this name, are
the Spirit of God, that moved upon the face of the waters, and the word of God,
#Ge 1:2 which said, "Let there be light, and there was light"; and
which spoke that, and all things, out of nothing; see #Joh 1:1-3. And it may be
further observed, that this plural word Elohim, is, in this passage, in
construction with a verb singular, "bara", rendered "created";
which some have thought is designed to point out a plurality of persons, in the
unity of the divine essence: but if this is not judged sufficient to build it
upon, let it be further observed, that the word Elohim is sometimes in
construction with a verb plural, as in #Ge 20:13 #Ge 35:7 2Sa 7:23 where
Elohim, the gods, or divine persons, are said to cause Abraham to wander from
his father's house; to appear to Jacob; and to go forth to
redeem Israel: all which are personal actions: and likewise it is in
construction with adjectives and participles plural, #De 4:7 5:26 Jos 24:19
#2Sa 7:26,27 Ps 58:11 Pr 30:3 Jer 10:10 in which places Elohim, gods, or the
divine persons, are said to be nigh to the people of Israel; to be living,
holy, and to judge in the earth; characters which belong to persons; and now,
as a learned man {3} well observes,
``that however the
construction of a noun plural with a verb singular, may render it doubtful to
some whether these words express a plurality or not, yet certainly there can be
no doubt in those places, where a verb or adjective plural are joined with the word Elohim''.
No such stress is laid on this
word, as if it was the clearest and strongest proof of a plurality in the
Deity; it is only mentioned, and mentioned first, because it is the most usual
name of God, being used of him many hundreds of times in scripture; and what stress is laid upon it, is not merely because it is
plural, but because it appears often in an unusual form of construction; it is
used of others, but not in such a form; as has been observed. It is used of
angels, #Ps 8:5 they being not only many, but are often messengers of God, of
the divine Persons in the Godhead, represent them, and speak in their name. And
it is used of civil magistrates, #Ps 82:6 and so of Moses,
as a god to Pharaoh, #Ex 7:1 as they well may be called, since they are the
vicegerents and representatives of the Elohim, the divine Persons, the Triune
God; nor need it be wondered at, that it should be sometimes used of a single
Person in the Deity, it being common to them all; and since each of them possess
the whole divine nature and essence undivided, #Ps 45:6,7. The ancient Jews not
only concluded a plurality, but even a Trinity, from the
word Elohim {4}. With respect to the passage in #Nu 15:16 they say {5},
"There is no judgment less than three"; and that three persons
sitting in judgment, the divine Majesty is with them, they conclude from #Ps
82:1 "he judgeth among the gods", Myhla. Hence they further observes
{6}, that
``no sanhedrin, or court of
judicature, is called Myhla unless it consists of three".
From whence it is manifest,
that the ancient Jews believed that this name not only inferred a plurality of
persons, but such a plurality which consisted of three at least.
Another plural name of God is
Adonim; "If I am (Adoaim) Lords, where is my fear?" #Mal 1:6 now,
though this may be said of one in the second and third persons plural, yet
never of one in the first person, as it is here said of God by himself; "I
am Lords"; and we are sure there are two, "The Lord said to my
Lord", &c. #Ps 110:1.
In #Da 4:17 the most high God
is called the watchers and the Holy Ones; "This matter is by the decree of
the watchers, and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones"; which respects
the revolution and destruction of the Babylonian monarchy; an affair of such
moment and importance as not to be ascribed to angels, which some
understand by watchers and Holy Ones; but however applicable these epithets may
be to them, and they may be allowed to be the executioners of the decrees of
God, yet not the makers of them; nor can anything in this world, and much less
an affair of such consequence as this, be said to be done in virtue of any
decree of theirs: besides, this decree is expressly called, the decree of the
most High, #Da 4:24 so that the watchers and Holy Ones, are
no other than the divine Persons in the Godhead; who are holy in their nature,
and watch over the saints to do them good; and over the wicked, to bring evil
upon them: and as they are so called in the plural number, to express the
plnrality of them in the Deity; so to preserve the unity of the divine essence,
this same decree is called, the decree of the most High, #Da 4:24 and they the watcher and Holy One, in the singular number in #Da
4:13.
1b. A plurality in the Deity
may be proved from plural expressions used by God, when speaking of himself,
respecting the works of creation, providence, and grace. At the creation of man
he said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness", #Ge 1:26 the pronouns "us" and "our",
manifestly express a plurality of persons; these being personal plural
characters; as image and likeness being in the singular number, secure the
unity of the divine essence; and that there were more than one concerned in the
creation of man, is clear from the plural expressions used of the divine Being,
when he is spoken of as the Creator of men, #Job 35:10 Ps 149:2 Ec 12:1 Isa 54:5 in all which places, in the original text, it is
my Makers, his Makers, thy Creators, thy Makers; for which no other reason can
be given, than that more persons than one had an hand herein; as for the
angels, they are creatures themselves, and not possessed of creative powers;
nor were they concerned in the creation of man, nor was he made after their
image and likeness; nor can it be reasonably thought, that
God spoke to them, and held a consultation with them about it; for "with
whom took he counsel?" #Isa 40:14. Not with any of his creatures; no, not
with the highest angel in heaven; they are not of his privy council. Nor is it to be thought that God, in the
above passage, speaks "regio more", after the manner of kings; who,
in their edicts and proclamations, use the plural number, to
express their honour and majesty; and even they are not to be considered alone,
but as connotating their ministers and privy council, by whose advice they act;
and, besides, this courtly way of speaking, was not so ancient as the times of
Moses; none of the kings of Israel use if; nor even any of those proud and
haughty monarchs, Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar; the first appearance of it is in
the letters of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, #Ezr 4:18 7:23
which might take its rise from the conjunction of Darius and Cyrus, in the
Persian empire, in both whose names edicts might be made, and letters wrote;
which might give rise to such a way of speaking, and be continued by their
successors, to express their power and glory: but, as a learned man {7}
observes,
``it is a very extravagant
fancy, to suppose that Moses alludes to a custom that was not (for what
appears) in being at that time, nor a great while after.''
The Jews themselves are
sensible that this passage furnishes with an argument for a plurality
in the Deity {8}.
A like way of speaking is used
concerning men, in #Ge 3:22. "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is
become as one of us"; not as one of the angels, for they are not of the
Deity, nor the companions of God, and equal to him; for whatever private secret meaning Satan might have in saying, "Ye shall be
as gods"; he would have it understood by Eve, and so she understood it,
that they should be not like the angels merely, but like God himself; this was
the bait he laid, and which took, and proved man's ruin; upon which the Lord God
said these words either sarcastically,
``Behold
the man whom Satan promised, and he expected to be as one of us, as one of the
persons in the Deity; see how much he looks like one of us! who but just now
ran away from us in fear and trembling, and covered himself with fig leaves,
and now stands before us clothed with skins of slain beasts!''
or else as
comparing his former and present state together; for the words may be rendered,
"he was as one of us"; made after their image and likeness: but what
is he now? he has sinned, and come short of that glorious image; has lost his
honour, and is become like the beasts that perish, whose skins he now wears.
Philo {9}, the Jew, owns that these words are to be understood not of one, but
of more; the en kai polla, the "one" and
"many", so much spoken of by the Pythagoreans and Platonists; and
which Plato {10} speaks of as infinite and eternal, and of the knowledge of
them as the gift of the gods; and which, he says, was delivered to us by the
ancients; who were better than we, and lived nearer the gods; by whom he seems
to intend the ancient Jews; this, I say, though understood by their followers
of the unity of God, and the many ideas in him, the same
with what we call decrees; I take to be no other than the one God, and a plurality
of persons in the Deity; which was the faith of the ancient Jews; so that the
polla, of Plato, and others, is the same with the plhyov of Philo, who was a
great Platonizer; and both intend a plurality of persons.
God
sometimes uses the plural number when speaking of himself, with respect to some
particular affairs of providence, as the confusion of languages; "Go to,
let us go down, and there confound their language"; which also cannot be
said to angels; had it, it would rather have been, go "ye", and do
"ye" confound their language: but, alas! this work was above the
power of angels to do; none but God, that gave to man the
faculty of speech, and the use of language, could confound it; which was as
great an instance of divine power, as to bestow the gift of tongues on the
apostles, at Pentecost; and the same God that did the one, did the other; and
so the us here, are after explained of Jehovah, in the following verse, to whom
the confounding the language of men, and scattering them abroad on the face of
the earth, are ascribed, #Ac 2:8-11. In another affair of
providence, smiting the Jewish nation with judicial blindness; this plural way
of speaking is used by the divine Being; says the prophet Isaiah, "I heard
the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
#Isa 6:8 not the seraphim say this, but Jehovah; for to them neither the name
Jehovah, nor the work agree; and though there is but one Jehovah that here speaks, yet more persons than one are intended by him; of
Christ, the Son of God no question can be made, since the Evangelist applies
them to him; and observes, that Isaiah said the words when he saw his glory,
and spoke of him, #Joh 12:40,41 nor of the Holy Ghost, to whom they are also
applied, #Ac 28:25,26. There is another passage in #Isa 41:21-23 where Jehovah,
the King of Jacob, challenges the heathens, and their gods,
to bring proof of their Deity, by prediction of future events; and, in which,
he all along uses the plural number;
"show us what shall
happen, that we may consider them; declare unto us things for to
come, that we may know that ye, are gods, and that we may be dismayed; ''
See also #Isa 43:9.
And as in the affairs of
creation and providence, so in those of grace, and with respect
to spiritual communion with God, plural expressions are used; as when our Lord
says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him", #Joh 14:23
which personal actions of coming and making abode, expressive of communion and
fellowship, are said of more than one; and we cannot be at a loss about two of
them, Christ and his Father, who are expressly mentioned;
and hence we read of fellowship with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ; and
also of the communion of the Holy Ghost, #1Jo 1:3 2Co 1:14. To all these
instances of plural expressions, may be added #So 1:11 Joh 3:11.
1c. A
plurality in the Deity may be proved from those passages of scripture which
speak of the angel of Jehovah, who also is Jehovah; now if there is a Jehovah
that is sent, and therefore called an angel, and a Jehovah that sends, there
must be more persons than one who are Jehovah.
The first
instance of this kind is in #Ge 16:7 where the angel of Jehovah is said to find
Hagar, Sarah's maid, in the wilderness, and bid her return to her mistress;
which angel appears to be Jehovah, since he promises to do that for her, and
acquaints her with future things, which no created angel, and none but Jehovah
could, #Ge 16:10-12 and what proves it beyond all dispute that he must be
Jehovah, is, what is said, #Ge 16:13. "She called the
name of the Lord, or Jehovah, that spake unto her, thou; God, seest".
In #Ge 18:2 we read of three
men who stood by Abraham in the plains of Mamre, who were angels in an human
form, as two of them are expressly said to be, #Ge 19:1.
Dr. Lightfoot {11} is of opinion, that they were the three divine Persons; and
scruples not to say, that at such a time the Trinity dined with Abraham; but
the Father, and the Holy Spirit, never assumed an human form; nor are they ever
called angels. However, one of these was undoubtedly a divine Person, the Son
of God in an human form; who is expressly called Jehovah, the Judge of all the
earth, #Ge 18:13,20,25,26 and to whom omnipotence and
omniscience are ascribed, #Ge 18:14,17-19 and to whom Abraham showed the utmost
reverence and respect, #Ge 18:27,30,31 and now he is distinguished, being
Jehovah in human form on earth, from Jehovah in heaven, from whom he is said to
rain brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, #Ge 19:24 which conflagration
was not made by the ministry of created angels, but is
always represented as the work of Elohim, of the divine Persons, #Jer 50:40 Am
4:11.
An angel also appeared to Abraham
at the offering up of his son Isaac, and bid him desist from it; and who
appears plainly to be the same with him who ordered him to do
it; expressly called God, #Ge 22:11,12 compared with #Ge 22:1,2 and Jehovah,
who swore by himself, and promised to do what none but God could do, #Ge
22:16-18 Heb 6:13,14 where what is here said is expressly ascribed to God. Add
to this, the name Abraham gave the place on this occasion, Jehovah-Jireh,
because the Lord had appeared, and would hereafter appear in this place.
The angel invoked by Jacob,
#Ge 48:15,16 is put upon a level with the God of his fathers Abraham and Isaac;
yea, is represented as the same; and the work of redeeming him from all evil,
equal to that of feeding him all his life long, is ascribed to him; as well as
a blessing on the sons of Joseph, is prayed for from him; all which would never have been said of, nor done to, a created angel.
The angel which appeared to
Moses in the bush, #Ex 3:2 was not a created angel, but a divine person; as is evident
from the names by which he is called, Jehovah, God, the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, "I AM that I AM", #Ex 3:4,6,14 and from
the things ascribed to him; seeing the afflictions of the Israelites, coming to
deliver them out of Egyptian bondage, and promising to bring them into the land
of Canaan, #Ex 3:7,8 to which may be added, the prayer of Moses for a blessing
on Joseph, because of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush, #De 33:16
and the application of this passage to God, by our Lord Jesus Christ, #Mr
12:26.
Once more, the angel that was
promised to go before the children of Israel, to keep and guide them in the way
through the wilderness to the land of Canaan, is no other than Jehovah; since
not only the obedience of the children of Israel to him is required; but it is
suggested, that should they disobey him, he would not, though he could, pardon their iniquities; which none but God can do: and
also it is said, the name of the Lord was in him; that is, his nature and
perfections; and since it is the same the children of Israel rebelled against,
he could be no other than Christ, the Son of God, whom they tempted; the angel
of God's presence; who, notwithstanding, saved and carried them all the days of
old, #Isa 63:9 1Co 10:9.
Again, we read of the angel of
the Lord, before whom Joshua the high priest was brought and stood, being
accused by Satan, #Zec 3:1 who is not only called Jehovah, #Zec 3:2 but takes
upon him to do and order such things, which none but God could do; as causing
the iniquity of Joshua to pass from him, and clothing him with change
of raiment; see #Isa 61:10.
To these may be added, all
such scriptures which speak of two, as distinct from each other, under the same
name of Jehovah; as in the above mentioned text, #Ge 19:24 where Jehovah is
said to rain fire and brimstone from Jehovah, out of heaven; and in #Jer 23:5,6 where Jehovah promises to raise up a righteous
branch to David, whose name should be called "Jehovah our
righteousness"; and in #Ho 1:7 where Jehovah resolves he would save his
people by Jehovah their God. Other passages might be mentioned, as proving a
plurality in Deity; but as some of these will also prove a Trinity in it, they
will be considered under the following head; where it will be
proved,
2. Secondly, That this
plurality in the Godhead, is neither more nor fewer than three; or, that there
is a Trinity of persons in the unity of the divine essence: this I have before
taken for granted, and now I shall prove it. And not to take notice of the name Jehovah being used three times, and three times only, in
the blessing of the priest, #Nu 6:24-26 and in the prayer of Daniel, #Da 9:19
and in the church's declaration of her faith in God, #Isa 33:22 and the word
holy repeated three times, and three times only, in the seraphims' celebration
of the glory of the divine Being, #Isa 6:3 and in that of the living creatures,
in #Re 4:8 which may seem to be accidental, or the effect
of a fervent and devout disposition of mind; but there is not anything, no not
the least thing, that is said or written in the sacred scriptures, without
design.
I shall begin with the famous
text in #1Jo 5:7 as giving full proof and evidence of this
doctrine; "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one": which is not only a
proof of the Deity of each of these three, inasmuch as they, are not only said
to be "one", that is, one God; and their witness is called the
witness of God, #1Jo 5:9 but of a Trinity of Persons, in the unity of the
divine essence; unity of essence, or nature, is asserted and
secured, by their being said to be one; which respects not a mere unity of
testimony, but of nature; for it is not said of them, as of the witnesses on
earth, that they "agree in one"; but that they "are one".
And they may be called a Trinity, inasmuch as they are "three"; and a
Trinity of Persons, since they are not only spoken of as distinct from each
other, the Father from the Word and Holy Ghost, the Word
from the Father and the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the
Word; but a personal action is ascribed to each of them; for they are all three
said to be testifiers, or to bear record; which cannot be said of mere names
and characters; nor be understood of one person under different names; for if
the one living and true God only bears record, first under the character of a
Father, then under the character of a Son, or the Word, and
then under the character of the Holy Ghost; testimony, indeed, would be bore
three times, but there would be but one testifier, and not three, as the
apostle asserts. Suppose one man
should, for one man may bear the characters, and stand in the relations of
father, son, and master; of a father to a child of his own; of a son, his
father being living; and of a master to servants under him;
suppose, I say, this man should come into a court of judicature, and be
admitted to bear testimony in an affair there depending, and should give his
testimony first under the character of a father, then under the character of a
son, and next under the character of a master; every one will conclude, that
though here was a testimony three times bore, yet there was but one, and not
three, that bore record. This text is so glaring a proof of
the doctrine of the Trinity, that the enemies of it have done all they can to
weaken its authority, and have pushed hard to extirpate it from a place in the
sacred writings. They object, that it is wanting in the Syriac version; that
the old Latin interpreter has it not; that it is not to be found in many Greek
manuscripts; and is not quoted by the ancient fathers who wrote against the Arians, when it might have been of great service
to them. To all which it may be replied; that as to the Syriac version, though
an ancient one, it is but a version, and till of late appeared a very defective
one; the history of the adulterous woman in the eighth of John, the second
epistle of Peter, the second and third epistles of John, the epistle of Jude,
and the book of Revelation, were all wanting, till restored
from a copy of archbishop Usher's, by De Dieu and Dr. Pocock; and who also,
from an Eastern copy, has supplied the version with this text, so that now it
stands in it. And as to the old Latin interpreter, it is certain that it is to
be seen in many Latin manuscripts of an early date, and is in the Vulgate Latin
version of the London Polyglot Bible; and the Latin translation which bears the
name of Jerom has it; and who, in an epistle to Eustochium,
prefixed to his translation of those canonical epistles, complains of the
omission of it, by unfaithful interpreters. As to its being wanting in some
Greek manuscripts, it need only be said, it is found in many others; it is in
the Complutensian edition, the compilers of which made use of various copies;
out of sixteen ancient copies of Robert Stephens's, nine of them had it; and it is also said to be in an old British copy. As to
its not being quoted by some of the ancient fathers, this can be no proof of
its not being genuine; since it might be in the original copy, and not in that
used by them, through the carelessness and unfaithfulness of transcribers; or
through copies erased falling into their hands, such as had been corrupted
before the times of Arius, even by Artemon, or his disciples,
who lived in the second century; who held that Christ was a mere man; by whom
it is said {12}, this passage was erased; and certain it is, that this epistle
was very early corrupted; as the ancient writers testify {13}: or it might be
in the copies used by the fathers, and yet not quoted by them, having
scriptures not without it, to prove and defend the doctrine of it; and yet,
after all, it appears plainly to be quoted by many of them;
by Fulgentius {14}, in the beginning of the sixth century, against the Arians,
without any scruple or hesitation: and Jerom, as before observed, has it in his
translation, made in the latter end of the fourth century: and it is quoted by
Athanasius {15}, about the middle of it; and before him by Cyprian {16}, in the
middle of the third century: and is manifestly referred to by Tertullian {17},
in the beginning of it; and by Clemens of Alexandria {18},
towards the end of the second century: so that it is to be traced up within a
hundred years, or less, the writing of the epistle; which is enough to satisfy
anyone of the genuineness of this text. And, besides, it should be observed,
that there never was any dispute about it, until Erasmus left it out in the
first edition of his translation of the New Testament; and yet
he himself, upon the credit of the old British copy, before mentioned, put it
into another edition of his translation. Yea, the Socinians themselves have not
dared to leave it out in their German Racovian version, A. C. 1630. To which
may be added, that the context requires it; the connection with the preceding
verse shows it, as well as its opposition to, and distinction from, the
following verse; and in #1Jo 5:9 is a plain reference to
the divine witnesses in this; for the inference in it would not be clear, if
there was no mention before made of a divine testimony. But I shall not rest
the proof of the doctrine of the Trinity on this single passage; but on the
whole current and universal consent of scripture, where it is written as with a
sunbeam; according to which, a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead appears in the
works of creation, providence, and grace; in all things
respecting the office and work of Christ; in God's acts of grace towards and
upon his people; and in their worship and duties of religion enjoined them, and
practised by them.
2a. In the works of creation:
as by these the eternal power and Godhead are made manifest,
so in them are plain traces of a Trinity of persons; that God the Father made
the heavens, earth and sea, and all that are in them, under which character the
apostles addressed him as distinct from Christ his Son, #Ac 4:24,27 none will
doubt; and that the divine Word, or Son of God, was concerned in all this a
question cannot be made of it, when it is observed that it is said, "All
things were made by him, and without him was not anything
made that is made", #Joh 1:3. And as for the Holy Spirit he is not only
said to move upon the face of the waters which covered the earth, and brought
that unformed chaos of earth and water into a beautiful order, but to garnish
the heavens, to bespangle the firmament with stars of light, and to form the
crooked serpent, the Leviathan, which being the greatest, is put for all the fishes of the sea; as well as he is said to be sent
forth yearly, and renews the face of the earth at every returning spring; which
is little less than a creation, and is so called, #Ge 1:2 Job 26:13 Ps 104:30
and all three may be seen together in one text, #Ps 33:6 "By the word of
the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his
mouth"; where mention is made of Jehovah, and his Word, the eternal Logos, and of his Spirit, the breath of his mouth, as
all concerned in the making of the heavens, and all the host of them. And as in
the creation of man, in particular, a plurality has been observed, this
plurality was neither more nor fewer than three; that God the Father is the
maker of men, will not be objected to; "Have we not all one father? hath
not one God created us?" #Mal 2:10 and the Son of God, who
is the husband of the church, and the Redeemer of men, is expressly said to be
their maker, #Isa 54:5 and of the Holy Spirit, Elihu in so many words says,
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the almighty hath given
me life", #Job 33:4.
2b. A
Trinity of persons appears in the works of providence. "My father",
says Christ, "worketh hitherto and I work", #Joh 5:17 that is, ever
since the works of creation were finished, in which both had an hand, they have
been jointly concerned in the works of providence, in the government of the
world, and in ordering and disposing of all things in it; and not to the
exclusion of the Holy Spirit, for, "Who hath directed
the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?" that is,
in the affair of the government of the world, as follows; "With whom took
he counsel, and who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment, and
taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?" to
manage the important concerns of the world, to do everything wisely and justly,
and to overrule all for the best ends and purposes; see
#Isa 40:13,14. And particularly the three divine persons appear in that
remarkable affair of providence, the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and
the protection and guidance of them through the wilderness to the land of
Canaan. Whoever reads attentively #Isa 63:7-14 will easily observe, that
mention is made of Jehovah, and of his mercy, lovingkindness, and goodness to the children of Israel; and then of the Angel of
his presence, as distinct from him, showing love and pity to them, in saving,
redeeming, bearing, and carrying them all the days of old; and next of his Holy
Spirit, whom they rebelled against, and whom they vexed, and yet, though thus
provoked, he led them on through the wilderness, and caused them to rest in the
land of Canaan.
2c. The three divine persons
are to be discerned most clearly in all the works of grace. The inspiration of
the scriptures is a wonderful instance of the grace and goodness of God to men,
which is the foundation and source of spiritual knowledge, peace, and comfort;
it is a divine work: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God", #2Ti 3:16 of God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and
though it is particularly ascribed to the Holy Spirit, "holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost", #2Pe 1:21 yet no one surely
will say, to the exclusion of the Father; nor is there any reason to shut out
the Son from a concern herein; and we find all three dictating the writings
David was the penman of: "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,
and his word was in tongue; the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to
me", #2Sa 23:2,3 where, besides the Spirit of the Lord, who spake by every
inspired writer, there is the Father, the God of Israel, as he is commonly
styled, and the Son, the Rock of Israel, the Messiah, often figuratively called
the Rock; and in the same manner, and by the same persons David was inspired,
all the other penmen of the scriptures were. Those writings
acquaint us with the covenant of grace, no other writings do, made from
everlasting before the world was; this covenant was made by Jehovah the Father,
and was made with his Son, who condescended and agreed to be the surety,
mediator, and messenger of it; yea he is said to be the covenant itself; and in
which the Holy Spirit is promised, and whose part in it is, and to which he agreed, to be the applier of the blessings and promises of
it to those interested therein; see #Ps 89:3 #Isa 42:6 Mal 3:1 Heb 7:22 12:24
Eze 36:27 Joh 16:14,15 and they are all three mentioned together as concerned
in this covenant, in #Hag 2:4,5 where, for the encouragement of the people of
Israel to work in rebuilding the temple, it is said, "For I am with you,
saith the Lord of hosts", according to "the word
that I covenanted with you"; or rather, as Junius renders it, "with
the Word" by whom I covenanted "with you, when ye came out of
Egypt", (at which time the covenant of grace was more clearly and largely
revealed;)"so my Spirit remaineth among you": where may be observed,
Jehovah the covenant maker, and his Word, in, by, and with whom he covenanted;
and the Spirit standing, as it may be rendered, remaining
and abiding, to see there was a performance and an application of all that was
promised. In the sacred writings, the economy of man's salvation is clearly
exhibited to us, in which we find the three divine persons, by agreement and
consent, take their distinct parts; and it may be observed that the election of
men to salvation is usually ascribed to the Father; redemption, or the
impetration of salvation, to the Son; and sanctification,
or the application of salvation, to the Spirit; and they are all to be met with
in one passage, #1Pe 1:2. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus". The same may be observed in #2Th 2:13,14 where God
the Father is said to choose men from the beginning unto salvation;
and the sanctification of the Spirit, is the means through which they are
chosen; and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end to which they are
chosen and called: but no where are these acts of grace more distinctly
ascribed to each person than in the first chapter of the epistle to the
Ephesians, where God the Father of Christ, is said to bless and choose his
people in him before the foundation of the world, and to
predestinate them to the adoption of children by him, in whom they are accepted
with him, #Eph 1:3-6 and where Christ is spoken of as the author of redemption
through his blood, which includes forgiveness of sin, and a justifying
righteousness; which entitles to the heavenly inheritance, #Eph 1:7,11 and then
the Holy Spirit, in distinction from them both, is said to be the earnest of
their inheritance, and by whom they are sealed until they
come to the full possession of it, #Eph 1:13,14. The doctrine of the Trinity is
often represented as a speculative point, of no great moment whether it is
believed or not, too mysterious and curious to be pried into, and that it had
better be let alone than meddled with; but, alas! it enters into the whole of
our salvation, and all the parts of it; into all the doctrines of the gospel, and into the experience of the saints; there is no
doing without it; as soon as ever a man is convinced of his sinful and
miserable estate by nature, he perceives there is a divine person that he has
offended, and that there is need of another divine person to make satisfaction
for his offences, and a third to sanctify him; to begin and carry on a work of
grace in him, and to make him meet for eternal glory and
happiness.
2d. A Trinity of persons in
the Godhead may be plainly discovered in all things relating to the office and
work of Christ, as the Redeemer and Saviour. In the mission of him into this
world on that account: he, the Son of God, was sent by agreement,
with his own consent, by the Father and the Spirit; this is affirmed by
himself, #Isa 48:16. "Now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me";
even he who says, #Isa 48:12,13. "I am the first and the last", and
whose hand laid the foundation of the earth, and whose right hand spanned the
heaven, and who is continued speaking to #Isa 48:16 and must be a divine
person; the mighty God, who is said to be sent by Jehovah
the Lord God, and by his Spirit; who therefore must be three distinct persons,
and not one only; or otherwise the sense must be, "now I and myself have
sent myself", which is none at all. Christ the Son of God, sent to be the
Saviour, in the fulness of time was made of a woman, or became incarnate; and
though he only took flesh, the three divine persons were concerned in this
affair; the Father provided a body for him in his purposes
and decrees, council and covenant; the Word or Son was made flesh, and dwelt
among men, and that which was conceived in the Virgin, was of the Holy Ghost,
#Heb 10:5 #Joh 1:14 Mt 1:20 and in the message to the Virgin, and the
declaration of this mysterious affair to her by the angel, mention is made distinctly
of all the three Persons; there is the "highest", Jehovah
the Father; and "the Son of the highest", who took flesh of the
Virgin; and the Holy Ghost, or "the power of the highest", to whose
overshadowing influence, the mysterious incarnation is ascribed, #Lu 1:32,35.
Christ, the Son of God, being incarnate, was anointed with the Holy Ghost, his
gifts and graces without measure; whereby, as man, he was fitted and qualified
for his office as Mediator. The anointer is said to be God,
his God, the great Jehovah; the anointed, the Son of God in human nature,
called therefore the Christ of God, the true Messiah; what he was anointed with
was the Holy Ghost, his gifts and grace, signified by the oil of gladness; see
#Ps 45:7 Isa 61:1 #Ac 10:38 when he was thirty years of age he was baptized of
John in Jordan, where all the three divine persons appeared; the Son in human nature, submitting to the ordinance of baptism: the
Father, by a voice from heaven, declaring him to be his beloved Son; and the
Holy Spirit, descending on him as a dove, #Mt 3:16,17. This was always reckoned
so full and clear a proof of the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, that it was
a common saying with the ancients, go to Jordan, and there learn the doctrine
of the Trinity. Before our Lord's sufferings and death, he
gave out various promises to his disciples, that he would send the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter, to them; in which there are plain traces of a Trinity of
Persons; as when he says, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter", #Joh 14:16. Here is God the Father of Christ, who is
prayed unto, who is one Person; and here is the Son in human nature, praying, a
second Person, the Son of God; and because he was so, his
prayer was always prevalent; nor could he be a mere creature, who speaks so
positively and authoritatively, he shall give you; and then there is another
Comforter prayed for, even the Spirit of truth, distinct from the Father and
the Son; the same may be observed in and in #Joh 15:26 16:7. Christ by his
sufferings and death, obtained eternal redemption for men.
The price that was paid for it, was paid to God the Father so it is said,
"hath redeemed us to God by thy blood", #Re 5:9. What gave the price
a sufficient value was, the dignity of his person, as the Son of God, #1Jo 1:7
and it was "through the eternal Spirit" he offered himself to God,
#Heb 9:14 which some understand of the divine nature; but it is not usual to
say, Christ did this, or the other thing, through the
divine nature, but by the Spirit, as in #Mt 12:28 Ac 1:2 besides, in some
copies of #Heb 9:14 it is read, "through the Holy Spirit". Again,
Christ having suffered and died for men, he rose again for their justification;
in which all the three persons were concerned; God the Father raised him from
the dead, and gave him glory, #1Pe 1:21 and he raised himself by his own power,
according to his own prediction, #Joh 2:19 and was
"declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of
holiness" or the Holy Spirit, "by the resurrection from the
dead", #Ro 1:4 see also #Ro 8:11.
2e. This truth of a Trinity in
the Godhead, shines in all the acts of grace towards or in
men; in the act of justification; it is God the Father that justifies, by
imputing the righteousness of his Son, without works, #Ro 3:30 4:6 8:33 and it
is not only by the righteousness of Christ that men are justified; but he
himself justifies by his knowledge, or by faith in him, #Isa 53:11 and it is
the Spirit of God that pronounces the sentence of justification in the
conscience of believers; hence they are "justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God", #1Co 6:11 in
the act of adoption; the grace of the Father in bestowing such a favour on any
of the children of men, is owned, #1Jo 3:1 and through the grace of Christ, a
way is opened, by redemption wrought out by him, for the reception of this
blessing; and he it is that gives power to those that believe in him, to become
the sons of God, #Ga 4:4,5 Joh 1:12 and the Holy Spirit
witnesses, their adoption to them; hence he is called the Spirit of adoption,
#Ro 8:15,16 and all three appear in one text, respecting this blessing of
grace; "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father", #Ga 4:6 where the Father is
spoken of as distinct from the Son, and the Son from the Father, and the Spirit
from them both, and all three bear their part in this
wonderful favour. Regeneration is an evidence of adoption; and an instance of
the great love and abundant mercy of God; and which is sometimes ascribed to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, #1Pe 1:3 and sometimes to the Son
of God, who regenerates and quickens whom he will, #Joh 5:21 1Jo 2:29 and
sometimes to the Spirit of God, #Joh 3:3,5 and all three are mentioned
together in #Tit 3: 4-6 where God the Father called our Saviour, is said to
save by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which
grace of his is shed abroad in men through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Once more,
their unction, or anointing, which they receive from the Holy One, is from God
the Father, in and through Christ, and by the Spirit; "Now he which
establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us,
is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts", #2Co 1:21,22 where God the Father is represented as the
establisher and anointer, and Jesus Christ, as a distinct person, in whom the
saints are established and anointed; and the Spirit, distinct from them both, as
the earnest of their future glory.
2f. It plainly appears that
there is a Trinity of persons in the Godhead, from the worship and duties of
religion enjoined good men, and performed by them. The ordinance of baptism, a
very solemn part of divine worship, is ordered to be administered, and is
administered, when done rightly, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost", #Mt 28:19 which
are to be understood, not of three names and characters, but of three persons
distinctly named and described, and who are but one God, as the singular word
"name", prefixed to them, signifies; men are to be baptised in one
name of three persons; but not into one of three names, as an ancient writer
{19} has observed; nor into three incarnates; but into three
of equal honour and glory. God alone is
to be invoked in prayer, and petitions are directed sometimes to one Person,
and sometimes to another; sometimes to the first Person, the God and Father of
Christ, #Eph 3:14 sometimes to Christ himself, the second Person, as by
Stephen, #Ac 7:59 and sometimes to the Lord the Spirit, the third Person, #2Th
3:5 and sometimes to all three together, #Re 1:4,5 and whereas
the saints, who are made light in the Lord, need an increase of light, prayer
is made for them, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
would give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him, that is, of Christ, #Eph 1:17,18 where the Father of Christ is prayed to;
the Spirit of wisdom is prayed for; and that for an increase in the knowledge
of Christ, distinct from them both: and whereas the saints
need an increase of strength, as well as light, prayer is made for them, that
the Father of Christ would strengthen them by his Spirit in the inward man,
#Eph 3:14-16 Zec 10:12 and in a formentioned text, prayer is made to the divine
Spirit, to direct the hearts of good men into the love of God, and patient
waiting for Christ, #2Th 3:5 where again the three divine Persons are plainly distinguished; and who may easily be discerned as
distinct Persons, in the benedictory prayer of the apostle, #2Co 13:14 with
which I shall conclude the proof from scripture, of a Trinity of Persons in the
unity of the divine essence; "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all". Amen.
To which may be added; that a plurality of Persons in the
Godhead, seems necessary from the nature of God himself, and his most complete
happiness; for as he is the best, the greatest and most perfect of Beings, his
happiness in himself must be the most perfect and complete; now happiness lies
not in solitude, but in society; hence the three personal distinctions in
Deity, seem necessary to perfect happiness, which lies in that most glorious, inconceivable,
and inexpressible communion the three Persons have with one
another; and which arises from the, incomprehensible in being and unspeakable
nearness they have to each other, #Joh 10:38 14:10,11.
{1} In voce agiov.
{2} Vid. Alting.
Dissert. Philolog. 4. s. 6, 7, 8.
{3} Allix's Judgment of the
Jewish Church, p. 124.
{4} See my Doctrine of the
Trinity, p. 30.
{5} Gloss. in T. Bab. Yebamot,
fol. 46. 2.
{6} T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 6.
1. & Gloss. in ibid.
{7}
Kidder's Demonstration of the Messiah, part 3. p. 90. edit. fol.
{8} See my Doctrine of the
Trinity, p. 35, 36.
{9} tou poihswmen plhyov
emfainontov, De Confus. Ling. p. 344, 345.
{10} In Philebo, p. 372, 378.
Ed. Ficin. Vid. Parmenidem, p. 1111, 1112, 1117, 1120, 1122.
{12} Vid. Wittichii Theolog.
Pacific. c. 17. s. 254.
{13} Vid. Socrat. Eccl. Hist.
l. 7. c. 32.
{14} Respons. contr. Arian.
Obj. 10. & de Trinitate, c. 4.
{15} Contr. Arium, p. 109. de
Unit. Deitat. Trin. ad Theoph. l. 1. p. 399.
{16} De
Unitat. Eccles. p. 255. & in Ep. 73. ad Iubajan. p. 184.
{17} Adv. Praxeam, c. 25.
{18} Paedagog. l. 3. in fine.
{19} Ignat. Epist. ad Philip.
Ascript. p. 100/ Ed. Voss.