Chapter 3 THE TRINITY CONTINUED.
I shall now invite the attention of the attentive reader, to a more full elucidation of the exclusive deity, or divinity of the incarnate Jesus, or that all we can know of a trinity in God is revealed in Jesus Christ, as the object of faith. The sense in which God is revealed as being triune, seems more to respect the operations of God, than his essence; if he is revealed as the first cause; as the Father of the manhood of Christ, or the author of our spirits, he is properly called Father, which is a relative term, relating to an offspring, or issue. If he be revealed in the labour of his works, either in creation, or redemption, he is properly called the Word, or Son. The term Word, or Son, is also a relative term, and relates to a speaker, something spoken, and something spoken too. The Word proceeding, was the human nature,[John 1:14] the speaker was God, [Gen.1:3] and when he speaks to us by his Son, or Word, we are the things spoken to. As a man expresses his will by his word, so God expresses his will, and reveals his power in and by his word; in which he goes forth in the accomplishment, or prosecuting his purposes; as he spoke all things into being by the word of his power, so he preserves all by the same word. If he be revealed as an invisible spirit, to quicken the soul and dwell in his people, and yet not in a corporal substance, but a spiritual indwelling, &c., he is revealed as a Holy Ghost. So the triune manner in which God is revealed, seems to be in relation to the triple work in which he is revealed; that is in creation, redemption, and illumination, or regeneration, and not in a trinity existing in his indivisible essence.
Now to prove this glorious, this soul comforting, this heart curing and love inspiring; yet alas, this long neglected and almost enveloped truth; hear the unerring word of revelation, as it teems from the pen of inspiration, to guide the feet, inform the mind, and comfort the hearts of Zion’ s heaven bound pilgrims in their march below.
I shall, [in proving the whole Trinity: of Father, Word or Son and Spirit to be in Jesus Christ] show that the Father is in him, or that Christ in his divine nature is the Father. Isa. 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, the MIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER.” Now I would fain hope, that no man who venerates the Bible, will blame me for calling Jesus the Father, since the scripture hath enjoined it on me; saying his name shall be called, not only the Father, but the everlasting Father; and I cannot believe he was to be so called barely in the way of a compliment, or flattery; but because he is the everlasting Father, and not as some say, barely the second Person in theGodhead distinct from the Father, and begotten by him. In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and my Father are one.” Will any lover of Jesus, blame me for believing he told the truth? Surely they will not. If Jesus and the Father were one, then Jesus was not barely the second person in the Trinity, and distinct from the Father, but if Jesus and the Father be one, then Jesus is the Father.
When Jesus said, “I and myFather are one;” the Jews took up stones again to stone him; and said he was a blasphemer; and some now who profess some reverence for Christ, call me a heretic, for believing that he told the truth. Jesus then referred them to his works; John 10:37, “If I do not the works of my Father [not the works of the second person in the Trinity] believe me not.” If any of my readers should say, that Jesus is the second person in the Trinity and distinct from the Father; I hope they will consider his works, and if he does not the works of the Father, believe him not, but if he does the works of the Father, though you will not believe his word, yet believe for the very works sake, for they are his witness. John 10:38. He adduces hem, “That ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” In consequence of saying the Father was in him, and he in the Father, the Jews sought again to take him, but he escaped out of their hands. Let those who are contending that Jesus in his divine nature, is the second person in the Trinity, and distinct from the Father, remember that Christ offended the Jews, by contradicting such an idea, and in stating my sentiments verbatim and unequivocally, I do not suppose that the disciples had ever heard or even thought of there being three distinct persons in the Godhead; but it seems as if they had some notion, that the Father was distinct from Jesus, before they were better taught by Christ, their all wise preceptor.When Jesus, speaking of his going to prepare a place for them, said, [John 14:4] “Whether I go, ye know, and the way ye know,” verse 5, “Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whether thou goest; and how can we know the way,” verse 6, 7, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”
From his saying if they had known him, they should have known his Father, that they did know the Father, and had seen him, it seems some light began to break in upon their minds on this subject; and in order to gain a more clear understanding, in this momentous doctrine; at the 8th verse, Phillip saith unto him, “Lord, show us theFather, and it sufficeth us.” Now if the divine Jesus, be the second divine person in the Trinity; and theFather be the first; and they be distinct from each other; how came it to pass, that Jesus deceived Phillip, so much as to show himself to him, and positively declare; “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;” and then go on, by arguments the most convincing to confirm the disciples in this delusion, [if it be a delusion] which it must be if the divine Jesus, and the Father be two distinct persons. Why does Jesus call for Phillip’ s faith in this doctrine, if it be heretical as he does? see verses 9, 10 & 11. “Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long a time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Phillip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then; show us the Father? Believest thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the works sake.”
This is the very powerful, and pointed manner, in which the immaculate Jesus convinces his disciples, that the Father is not a distinct person from him, but that they are one. Surely many are much slower to learn, than Phillip was, for they have read this instructive conversation of our blessed Lord, from their childhood, and yet do not believe that Jesus is the Father.
Reader let me ask you, doest thou believe? I hope you are ready to confess to your Savior, Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief. If so thou canst fall down and worship him. I think it needless to mention any more scriptures to prove that the divine Immanuel, and the Father, are one. If the injunction which God by the prophet lays us under to call him the everlasting Father is to be disregarded by christians, and only complied with by heretics, as they are called, by such as hold thatJesus is not the Father but another person distinct from him. If the positive declarations of Jesus before the Jews, who took up stones to stone him for what he said, are to be disbelieved; because it contradicts the notion of his being a distinct person from the Father; if Christ’s explanation of this doctrine to his disciples at their request; and his showing himself to them, and positively declaring, that, they that have seen him have seen the Father; I say, if all this is to be sacrificed on the altar of tri-personality; and all the works, and words, which he refers both the Jews, and his disciples to for evidence on this point; If all these are to be thrown aside, as heresy and lies, by men professing any reverence for Jesus, or the sacred scriptures, it is time to take an alarm; and say with one of old, O how are the mighty in Israel fallen! How are their fine gold changed! Surely there is none that understandeth! Lord be very near unto us, for we are but few; be thou near unto us, for the help of the mighty men faileth.
As it is so generally believed, that Jesus is the Word or Son; I suppose it wants no proof; but as I intend to show a trinity in Jesus Christ, I will present the reader with a few witnesses on this point. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here the Word seems to be spoken of in two senses, first as being with God, and secondly as being truly GOD. Just in the same manner this same Word when it was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, is sometimes said to be God, even the Father; and again he says, “my Father is with me.” When he says “I and my Father are one,” we understand him to speak of his divinity; and when he says “my Father is greater than I,” we understand him to speak of his humanity. In the Word when it was made flesh, both these natures were existing, the humanity with the divinity, in the one God-man. So in the Word in the beginning; were these two natures, the Word in the human nature, was with God, but the divine power, or nature, of the Word, was God. So the Word was both with God, and was God, just as Jesus was both the Father, and yet the Father is greater than he. So the Word was with God, and the Word was God, vs. 14. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory, [the glory, as of the only begotten of the Father] full of grace and truth.” Here was the same Word made flesh with both natures in him; yet, the human nature was made flesh, and the divine nature in it, is the glory which was beheld, as the glory of the human nature.
Here the Word appears in both natures yet. I John 1:11, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life.” [see also vs. 2,3] John begins his gospel and first epistle, in speaking of the Word, and no doubt means the same thing in both places, and though he says “no man hath seen God at any time,” [see John 1:18, and 1 John 4:12,] yet here he says, speaking of the Word, we have seen it with our eyes, have handled it &c. That is, divinity is invisible; but humanity visible, and so both natures are in the Word still; for the divine life was manifest in theWord here, as the divine glory was in the other quotation. Rev. 19:13, “And he was clothed in a vesture, dipped in blood, and his name is called THE WORD OF GOD.”
From these texts it is decidedly a fact, beyond all doubt, that Jesus is in the most emphatical language declared to be the Word. Not only in his human nature, which was with God, was made flesh, was visibly seen and sensibly handled by his followers; but in his divine deity, which was God, [not the second person] whose glory was beheld in the man, as if it were the man’ s glory, and demonstrated the man to be the mediator; to be the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; and the divine life was manifested, as God was manifested in the flesh. This the apostles saw, and did testify that Jesus is the Word, or Son of God. Now as the prophet was not afraid of honoring the blessed Jesus too much by calling him the everlasting Father, I will call him so without any reserve; and believe him to be what he is called; and worthy of all the honors ascribed to him; and as the apostle John when in the Isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, bears this testimony, his name is called theWord of God. I will call him so with all my heart, and believe him to be what he is called.
My next business is to show that Jesus is the Spirit, or that the Spirit is in him. When I say the Spirit is in Jesus, I do not mean by effusion, delegation, or inspiration; although when the manhood, or humanity of Christ is spoken of, it is properly said that the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him, was given to him, and he was anointed with it, &c., but here I am speaking of his divine nature, which was not anointed by the Spirit, or quickened by it; but was the anointing and quickening Spirit itself, independent of delegation, effusion, or inspiration.When the scriptures speak of the advent of Christ in the flesh, they speak of the divine Spirit being upon him in his glory, power, and divinity. See Isa. 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.” &c.Here the prophet was personating the man Christ; see Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” John 3:34, “For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
It may be objected, that these scriptures do not prove that Jesus was the Spirit, but only, that the Spirit was upon him, or given to him.I admit it; but he to whom the Spirit was given, and upon whom it rested, was the human nature, or manhood of Christ. Then if the Spirit without measure was given to and rested upon the man Christ, surely it was his divine nature, or divinity, but we have positive witness to the point. Gal. 4:6, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Now the Spirit is said to be the Spirit of his Son, surely none will deny, but the Spirit that was sent into our hearts, was the HolyGhost, but this was the Spirit of the Son of God, then it was in him, and he is the Spirit. See 2 Cor. 3:6.“For the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life,” [or quickeneth, as the margin reads.] But Christ is our life, and quickeneth whom he will. John 5:21, Col. 3:3,4.
Therefore Christ and the Spirit are one, and not two distinct persons. But the Spirit, and Word being one, performs the same act of quickening or giving life, being the divinity of Jesus Christ, it is properly said, I Cor. 15:45, “The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.” The last Adam was Jesus, the Word made flesh, and the glory revealed in it, which was the divinity of it, was the Spirit that giveth life, nay, “the life was manifested;” “the Spirit is life,” then the Spirit was that life which was manifested in the Word, and is the Spirit of the Word; not distinct from it, but the very quickening power of it; and so Christ is not a person distinct from the quickening Spirit, but is a quickening Spirit. Rom. 8:9, “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” In this passage, the Spirit is first called the Spirit of God, and then the Spirit of Christ. Then if God and the Spirit be one, and consequently God is a Spirit; so Christ and the Spirit are one, and consequentlyChrist is a quickening Spirit. The Apostle continues this subject, by saying, vs. 10, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Now the word, “If Christ be in you,” and the words, “If so be that the Spirit of God be in you,” being used in interchange, evidently mean the same thing; then Christ is the Spirit of God.
The same thing is demonstrated by comparing the 11th verse. I presume that no reader of the Bible will feel disposed to dispute, but that the Spirit of God, that quickens, gives life, and dwells in his people, even crying Abba Father in their hearts, &c. is the Holy Ghost. If this is not denied, [which I think the most blinded zeal imaginable cannot prompt a christian to deny] then my point is proven, from scripture language. I have not been under the necessity of depending on inference and implication, in settling my premises; no, I have laid before the eyes of my reader, the chapters and verses; nay the very words which declare; as in the voice of thunder, bursting from the battlements of heaven, and teeming through the pen of inspiration, to arouse the ears and hearts of dreaming mortals; to vivify the almost torpid soul with fresh energy to look with vividness to God manifest in the flesh; and hail him Immanuel “the everlasting FATHER,” “the WORD OF GOD,” “a quickening SPIRIT.” O my brethren in Christ will you not own him, Father,Word, and Spirit too? To you I appeal, who love to honor Christ your God, and never are alarmed, with one remorse for honoring him too much. If hosts of D. D.’ s should speak in strains as eloquent as angels, and say, there are three distinct divine persons in the Godhead; and the divine Jesus is but the second one of these; distinct from the Father, and Spirit, and begotten in his divine person by, or derived of the Father by eternal generation, &c.; are you not ready to say, when you turn your eyes to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee?” Yes, I think like the convinced Thomas, you are saying, I own him to be, “my Lord and my God.” Yes he is Jesus Christ, my Lord; and to us there is but one Lord.
Now, from pointed scripture language that cannot lead us astray, I have proven that Jesus is, in his divinity, The everlasting Father, the Word and a quickening Spirit. This trinity is revealed in one person, and that the human person, or flesh of Jesus Christ; and is God over all blessed forever. He is revealed, or manifested to man, as the object of faith, the source of comfort, the fountain of life and theGod of our worship, and affections.
Christian brethren; If the holy apostles and prophets, when under the inspiration of God, were not backward to call our blessed Jesus, the Father, Word, and Spirit, let us call him so, and believe him to be what we call him. If we hold him to be what the inspired Isaiah, the wise master builder Paul, and the beloved disciple John have declared him to be, we have both the old and new testaments on our side; nay even the Captain of our salvation is for us. We will, we must plead for his honor. Come brethren, ye travelers to Zion; come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty; come, rally to the standard of the omnipotent Immanuel; the white flag is waving, it is unfurled in the gospel field, and the voice of the scriptures as of the seraphs, invite you to liberty; they proclaim emancipation from anti-christian oppression, and our heavenly Father’ s voice is calling, “Come out of her my people.” O may every child of grace with jubilant soul repair to our beloved Jesus saying “great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
Having fully shown, from pointed scripture, that all we can know of a Divine Trinity, from revelation, is in Jesus Christ; my next work will be to prove that the divine Immanuel, is exclusively God; or that the divinity of Jesus, is God, to the exclusion of all other persons, distinct from him. As I have pointedly proved each of my foregoing propositions by the word of inspiration; I propose to prove this, from the same source; and let scripture explain scripture. Then we must be right. I know there are many that are not willing to allow Jesus this honor, but we will hear some parallel scripture texts, speak on this subject; for none but avowed infidels, will dispute the validity of such witnesses, and to them I have made my appeal with confidence, so let us hear their voice, and the case is decided.
Isa. 6:5 “Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” It is said, John 12:41, “These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, [Christ’ s glory,] and spake of him.” Then Christ is the LORD OF HOSTS.
Isa. 43:11, “I even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior.” Compare this with II Peter 3:18, “Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Then Jesus is the Lord, beside whom there is no savior.
Isa. 44:6, “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts; I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God.” See a parallel in Rev. 22:13, “I am Alpha andOmega; the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” See also Rev. 1:8, 11 & 17. In the former text the Lord of Hosts declares he is the first, and the last; and beside him who is the first and the last, there is no God. In the latter text Jesus is declared to be the first, and the last. Therefore, beside Jesus there is no God.
Isa. 8:13,14, “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.And he shall be for a sanctuary; and for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” See how the apostle applied this to Christ; I Peter 2:7,8, “Unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense,” &c. In the former text, the Lord of Hosts himself is a stone of stumbling and rock of offense to both houses of Israel; in the latter text, Jesus is said to be the stone of stumbling and rock of offense. So if Peter was right, Jesus is the Lord of Hosts himself, and unless there be more than one Lord of Hosts, Jesus is exclusively LORD OF HOSTS.
Isa. 54:5, “For thy maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy redeemer, the HolyOne of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” Compare with Matt. 9:15, “And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they fast.” Here Christ is teaching that he himself is the bridegroom. According to John 3:29, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.” Now if Christ is the husband, and bridegroom of the church, he is our maker, and the GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH. The church has but one husband and he is not the second person in the Trinity, distinct from the Father, and Spirit, but he is our maker, the God of the whole earth, to the exclusion of all persons distinct from him, and JESUS is he.
Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” [It is said the word rendered Lord, ought to be rendered Jehovah] Jesus declares himself to be this character. John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep.” Now there is not two shepherds, for Christ says, v. 16, “There shall be one fold and one shepherd.” Therefore, Jesus is the Lord [Jehovah] beside whom there is no Lord, in heaven or earth, nor no distinct equal person.
Psalm 78:56, “Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God; and kept not his testimonies.” The apostle with reference to this same people, and transaction, says; I Cor. 10:9, “Neither let us temptChrist, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.” From these two texts it is clear, that Christ is the MOST HIGH GOD. There can be but one most high God; therefore Christ to the exclusion of all persons distinct from him, is the only most high God.
From comparing the old & new testaments, and seeing how the new explains the old; we see beyond controversy, that the only, the most high, and exclusively all the God of the old testament, or that was known by the prophets; is Christ in the new testament and is the same that the apostles own to be “our Lord Jesus Christ,” “The only wise God to the exclusion of all distinct persons from him.”
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