can imply, that the Spirit himself, whose Gifts and Graces Chrift either enjoy'd or bestow'd, as did alfo his Apostles, is a Being diftinct from, or fubordinat to, the Very God.

10. St. John wishes Grace and Peace to the feven Churches from him which is, which was, and which is to come; and from the feven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jefus Chrift, &c. Rev. 1. 4, 5. You have rightly (c) obferved, that whether this be meant of the Holy Ghoft, is not agreed by Interpreters. Now if this is not meant of the Holy Ghoft, then no Argument can be drawn from hence in favor of your Doctrin, or against mine. But if it be meant of the Holy Ghoft, yet it can't be inferr'd from hence, that the Holy Ghoft is a Being diftinct from God, notwithstanding the particular Enumeration of God, the Spirit, and Jefus Chrift; any more than it can be inferr'd, that a particular Man's Spirit, Soul and Body are not one Being, because the Apoftle fays, I pray God your whole fpirit and foul and body be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, 1 Theff. 5. 23. It may indeed be rightly inferr'd, that there is a real Diftinction in one and the fame Being; as there is a real Diftinction in the Man, who notwithstanding is one and the fame Being: but it can't be inferr'd, that God and the Spirit are distinct and feparat Beings; much lefs that the one is derived from, or fubordinat to,' the other.

II. We read, that the Spirit and the bride fay, Come, Rev. 22. 17. From hence it has been inferr'd, that the Spirit is not the selfexiftent God, but a being fubordinat to him. But how does it appear, that

(c) Pag. 218.

by the Spirit in this Place we must understand that Being who infpir'd the Prophets? 'Tis much more reasonable to understand it of the extraordinary Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, which the fame Apoftle (d) cals the Unition, which taught the Chriftians of those Days, 1 John 2. 20, 27. And confequently the Spirit may fignify the Perfons endued with the extraordinary Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, viz. the Teachers of the Church, as contradiftinguifh'd from their Flocks. So that the Meaning will be, that both the infpir'd Teachers, and aifo their People, viz. the Church which is the Bride, do fay come; that is, they earnestly defire the Appearance of Chrift. This Text therefore is foreign to the present Purpose.

What other Texts remain, may easily be reduc'd to fome of the foregoing Heads; and the fame Answer will ferve. Wherefore (to avoid needlefs Repetitions) I fhall add no more about this Point, which (I think) has been fufficiently clear'd already.

(d) Compare Confut. of Quakerism, Chap. 6. p. 61, &c.

CHA P.

CHAP. XIV.

Of the Trinity in Unity.

I

HAVE hitherto been fhewing (I hope, to your Satisfaction and Conviction) that, 1. the WORD or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Christ, 2. the Holy Spirit, are the felfexiftent or very God, and confequently one and the fame Being.

But then 'tis evident, that the Holy Scriptures do notwithstanding manifeftly diftinguish the WORD from the Spirit. The whole Courfe of the New Teftament is a continued Demonftration of this. However, let us reflect upon one Confideration.

The Apoftle declares, that the WORD was made flesh, John 1.14. So that the WORD was as truly united to the Man Chrift Jefus, as the Spirit of a Man is united to his Body; And during the whole Course of his Miniftry this Union lafted. And yet all this while, the Holy Spirit, as you truly (a) obferve, is defcrib'd in the New Testament as the immediate Author and Worker of all Miracles, even of those done by our Lord himself; and as the Conducter of Chrift in all the Actions of his Life, during his State of Humiliation bere upon Earth. Again, 'twas not the WORD, but the Spirit, which preferved our Lord from Sin; for thro' the eternal Spirit be offer'd himself without fpet to God, Heb. 9. 14. And tho' the Union of the WORD and the human Soul continued after the Separation of the Body from the Soul by Death; yet the WORD did not raise the Body again; but 'twas

(a) Script. Doct. p. 301.

P 4

quickned

quickned by the Spirit, 1 Pet. 3. 18. This clearly Thews, that the WORD and the Spirit are as really diftinct in the fame felfexiftent Being, or very God; as the Soul and the Body are really diftinct in the fame created Being, Man. For the WORD and the Spirit are conftantly reprefented as diftinct Principles of Action; and the Spirit acted, in the moft eminent manner, in and thro' the Man Chrift Jefus, at the fame time, that the WORD was quiefcent in him.

But farther, as the Holy Scriptures inform us, that the WORD and the Spirit are really diftin& in the felfexiftent Being or very God: fo do they plainly diftinguifh the felfexiftent Being, or very God, both from the WORD and from the Spirit. Particularly the WORD is called the WORD of God, 2 Pet. 3. 5. Rev. 19. 13. and the WORD is faid to have been with God in the beginning, John. 1. 1. And as God made all things by or thro' our Lord, viz. his Divine Nature, 1 Cor. 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 2, 10. fo God is faid to have made all things by or thro' the WORD, John 1. 3, 10. The Spirit alfo is call'd the Spirit of God, and thereby diftinguish'd from God, whofe Spirit he is, in feveral PlaAnd confequently the WORD of God, and the Spirit of God, are in fome Senfe diftinguifh'd from God, whofe they are.

ces.

From hence it follows, that tho' neither the WORD nor the Spirit is a diftinct Being from that God, whofe WORD and Spirit they are; any more than the Spirit of a Man is a diftinct Being from the Man, whom the Spirit of a Man effentially belongs to: yet there is in the Divine Effence or Nature fomething diftinct from the WORD and the Spirit; and which together with the WORD and the Spirit, conftitutes the whole Divine Nature or Effence. Now

Now it must be obferv'd, that tho' the WORD and the Spirit are God, that is, effential to, and conftitutive of, the felfexiftent Being; yet that which together with the WORD and the Spirit does conftitute the Divine Nature or Effence, is not known to us by any other Name, than fuch as expreffes the felfexiftent Being, which it (together with the coeffential WORD and Spirit) conftitutes, viz. by the Names God, Father, &c. And because the WORD was made Flesh, and perfonally united to the Man Chrift Jefus, whofe Generation by the Holy Ghoft made him the Son of the felfexiftent Being; therefore the WORD may well be term'd the Son of God upon the Account of this temporal Generation. And as for the eternal Generation of the WORD (tho' that Phrase is not found in Scripture, nor is God therein ever called the Father of the WORD, nor the WORD called the Son of God, upon any Account antecedent to the Incarnation: yet) because the WORD fubfifts eternally (becaufe neceffarily) in God, not as a diftinct Being from God, but as one and the fame Being with God; and because God (or that which, befides the WORD and the Spirit,is in God,or effential to God) is all along reprefented fo, as that the WORD is his, and he is not the WORD's: therefore we justly think of the whole Divine Nature or Effence in fuch a manner, as that God, or (if you will fuffer me fo to fpeak; for our Ideas being fo imperfect, and our Language fo defective, I hope, I may be excufed fuch a Figure or Similitude) fo much of the Divine Nature or Effence, as is not by any more particular Name diftinguifh'd in Scripture from the WORD and the Spirit, and which is conceived by us as Prior in order of Confideration to both the WORD and the Spirit, is very properly term'd the eternal Father of the WORD,