The Common Principles of the Christian Religion, Sermon 12
Deut. 6. 4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
GReat is the mystery of Godlinesse, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Religion and true Godlinesse is a bundle of excellent mysteries, of things hid from the world; yea, from the wise men of the world, 1 Cor. 2. and not only so, but secrets in their own nature, the distinct know ledge whereof is not given to Saints in this estate of distance and absence from the Lord: There is almost nothing in Divinity, but it is a mystery in it self, how common soever it be in the apprehensions of men: for it is mens overly, and common, and slander apprehensions of thē, which makes them look so commonly upon them: there is a depth in them, but you will not know it, till you search it, & sound it, & the more you sound, you shal find it the more profound: But there are some mysteries smal, and some great, there is a difference amongst them, all are not of one statu…e, of one measure: The mystery of Christs Incarnation and D…ath, and Resurrection, is one of the great mysteries of Religion, God manifested in the flesh, yet I conceive there is a greater mystery than it, and of all mysteries in nature or divinity, I know none to this, the Holy Trinity, and it must needs be greatest of all, and without controversie greatest, because it is the beginning and end of all, fons & finis omnium, all mysteries have their rise here, and all of them return hither. This is furthest removed from the understandings of men, what God himself is, for himself is infinitly above any manifestation of himself: God is greater than God manifested in the flesh, though in that respect he be too great for us to conceive. There is a naturall desire in all men to know, and if any thing be secret and wonderfull, the desire is more inflamed after the knowledge of it, the very difficulty or impossibility of attaining it, in stead of restraining the curiosity of mans spirit, doth rather incense it. Nitimur in vetitum is the fruit, the sad fruit we plucked and eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. If the Lord reveal any thing plainly in his Word to men, that it despised and set at naught, because it is plain, whereas the most plain truths, which are beyond all controversie, are the most necessary and most profitable for our eternal salvation; but if there be any secret mystery in the Scriptures, which the Lord hath only pointed out more obscurely to us, reserving the distinct and clear understanding of it to himself, Deut. 29. 26. that is the Apple which our cursed natures will long for, and catch after, though there be never so much choice of excellent saving fruit in the Paradise of the Scriptures besides. If the Ark be covered to keep men from looking into it, that doth rather provoke the curious spirit of man to prye into it, 1 Sam. 6. 19. If the Lord shew his wonderfull glory in the Mount, & charge his people not to come near, left the glorious presence of God kill them, he must put rayles about it, to keep them back, or else they will be medling, such is the unbridled licence of our minds, and the perverse dispositions of our natures that where God familiarly invites us to come, what he earnestly presseth us to search and know, that we despise as trivial and common: and what he compasseth about with a divine darkness of inaccessible light, and hath removed far from the apprehensions of all living that we will needs search into, and wander into those forbidden compasses; with daring boldnesse. I conceive this holy and profound mysterie is one of those secrets which belongs to God to know, for who knowes the Father but the Son, or the Son but the Father or who knoweth the mind of God but the Spirit? Yet the foolish minds of men will not be satisfied with the believing ignorance of such a mysterie, but will needs enquire into those depths, that they may find satisfaction for their reason, but as it hapeneth with men who will boldly stare upon the Sun, their eyes are dazled and darkned with its brightnesse; or those that enter into a Labyrinth, which they can find no way to come out, but they further go into it, the more perplexed it is, and the more intricate; even so it befalls many unsober and presumptuous spirits, who not being satisfied with the simple truth of God, clearly asserting that this is, endeavour to examine it according to reason, and to solve all the objections of carnal wit and reason (which is often enmity to God) not by the silence of the Scriptures; but by answers framed according to the severall capacities of men, I say all this is but daring to behold the infinite glorie of God with eies of flesh, which makes them darkned in mind, and vanishing in their Expressions, while they seek to behold the inaccessible light, while they enter into an endlesse Labyrinth of difficulties; out of which the threed of reason and disputation can never extricat them or lead them forth. But the Lord has shewed us a more excellent way, though it be more despicable to men: man did fal from his blessednes, by this curious and wretched aime at some higher happinesse, and more wisdom. The Lord hath chosen another way to raise him up again by faith, rather thā knowledge, by believing rather than disputing: therefore the great command of the Gospell is this, to receive with a ready and willing mind whatsoever the Lord saith to us, whatsoever it may appear to sense & reason; to dispute no more, to search no more into the secret of Divine mysteries, as if by searching we could find them out unto perfection, but to believe what is spoken, till the day break, and the shadows flee away, and the darknesse of ignorance be wholly dispelled by the rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse. We are called then to receive this truth that God is one, truly one, and there are three in this one, the Father, the Son; and the Holy Ghost: This I say, you must believe, because the wisdom of God faith it, though you know not how it is, or how it can be, though it seem a contradiction in reason, a Trinity in Unity, yet you must lead your reason captive to the obedience of faith; & silence it with this one answer, The Lord hath said it: If thou go on to dispute and to enquire how can these things be? Thou art escaped from under the power of Faith, and are fled unto the tents of humane wisedom where thou mayest learn artheism but no Religion: for the world through wisedom knew not God. 1 Cor. 1. And certainly who ever he be that will not quiet his conscience upon the bare word of truth in this particular, but will call in for the help of reason and disputation, how to understand and maintain it; I think he shall be further from the true knowledge of God, and satisfaction of mind than before; There is no way here, but to flee into Pauls Sanctuary. Who art thou O man; that disputes? When ever thou thinks within thy self; How may this be, how can one be three, and three one, then withall let this of Pauls sound in thine ears, Who art thou, O man who disputes? Think that thou art man, think that he is God: Believing ignorance is much better than rash & presumptuous knowledge; ask not a reason of these things but rather adore and tremble at the mysterie and Majesty of them. Christianity is foolishnesse to the world upon this account, because it's an Implicite faith (so to speak) given to God; but there is no fear of being deceived; though he lead thee blind by a way thou know not, yet he cannot lead thee wrong. This holy simplicity in believing every word of God, & trusting without more trying by disputation, is the very Character of Christianity, and it will be found only true wisdome; for if any will become wise, he must be a fool in mens account; that he may be wise, he must quite his reason to learn true Religion, which indeed is a more excellent and divine reason, neither is it contrary to it, though it be high above it.
In this place of Moses, you have the Unity of God asserted, The Lord thy God is one Lord; And that is indeed engraven on the very hearts of men by nature, That God is One: for all may know that the common notion and apprehension of God, is, that he is a most perfect being; the Originall of all things, most wise, most powerfull, & infinite in all perfections. Now common reason may tell any man that there can bee but one thing most perfect & Excellent, there can be but one infinite, one Almighty, one beginning and end of all, one first mover, one first cause, of whom are all things, and who is of none.
Again, in this place of Iohn ye have a Testimony of the blessed Trinitie of Persons, Father, Son, and holy Ghost, in that holy Unity of Essence; The great point which Iohn hath in hand, is this fundamentall of our Salvation, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God & Saviour of the World, in whom all our confidence should be placed, and upon whom we should lean the weight of our souls, & this he proves by a twofold testimony, one out of Heaven, another in the Earth; There are three bearing witnesse to this truth in heaven, The Father, the word (that is) Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, whom this Apostle calls the word of God, or wisdom of God. Ioh. 1. 1. and the Holy Ghost. The Father witnessed to this truth in an audible voice out of Heaven when Christ was baptized, Mat. 3. 17. This is my wel-belovd Son, hear him; here's the Fathers Testimony of the Son when he was baptized, which was given very solemnly in a great congregation of people, and divinely with great glory and Majesty from Heaven; as if the heavens had opened upon him; and the inaccessible light of God had shined down on him, which was confirmed in the transfiguration. Mat. 17. 5. VVhere the Lord gave a glorious evidence, to the astonishment of the three Disciples, how he did account of him, how all Saints and Angels must serve him; Him hath God the Father sealed, saith Iohn. Indeed the stamp of divinitie of the divine Image, in such an excellent manner upon the man Christ, was a Seal set on by God the Father, signifying & confirming his approbation of his well-beloved Son, and of the work he was going about. Then the Son himself did give ample Testimony of this, this was the subject of his Preaching to the VVorld, I am the light and life of men. He that beleeveth on mee shall be saved, and therefore he may be called the word of God, and the wisedom of God. Joh. 1. 1. Prov. 8. Because he hath revealed unto us the blessed mysterie of Wisdom concerning our Salvation; He is the very expression and Character of the Fathers person, and Glory. Heb. 1. In his own Person, and he hath revealed and expressed his Fathers mind, and his own Office so fully to the World, that there should be no more doubt of it. Out of the mouth of these two witnesses, this Word might be established: But for superabundance, behold a third, the Holy Ghost witnessing at his baptisme, in his Resurrection, after his Ascension, the Holy Ghost signifieth his presence and consent to that work, in the similitude of a Dove, the Holy Ghost testified it in the power that raised him from the dead, the Holy Ghost put it beyond all question when he descended upon the Apostles according to Christs promise. For the other three witnesses on earth, we shal not stay upon it, only know that the work of the regeneration of souls by the power of the word and spirit signified by water, the justification of guilty souls signified by the blood of Jesus Christ, & the Testimony of the spirit in our Conscience bearing witnesse to our Spirits, is an assured Testimony of this, that Jesus Christ in whom we believe, is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The changing, pacifying and comforting of souls, in such a wonderfull manner, cryes aloud, that he in whom the soul believes is the true and living God, whom to know is eternal life. But mark I pray you, the accuracy of the Apostle in the change of the speech, these three witnesses on earth (saith he) agree in one, in giving one common testimony to the Son of God, and Saviour of Sinners: But as for the heavenly witnesses the Father, the Word and Holy Ghost, how ever they be three after an inconceivable manner, & that they do also agree in one common Testimony to the Mediator of men, yet moreover they are one, They not only agree in one, but are one God, one simple undivided self-being infinite Spirit, holden out to us in three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to whom be praise and glory.