One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 117
SERMON CXVII. Of the Distinction of Perſons, and Ʋnity of Eſſence in the Deity: againſt the Socinians.
JOHN 17.21.
As thou Father art in me, and I in thee.
THe ſecond thing conſiderable in this Text, is the Patern and Example of Ʋnity. It's not all kinde of unity he prayeth for, but that which is the moſt abſolute and perfect, even ſuch unity as is between the Father and Sonne: Not as if this did denote equality, but ſimilitude only. Becauſe this patern was mentioned in the prayer for the Apoſtles unity, I ſhall not repeat what then was delivered: Only this muſt be acknowledged, That there is a two-fold Interpretation of this being of the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father. The Ancients they underſtand this of the Divine Nature, as if the unity here ſpoken were homeouſial: But Calvin ſaith, Huc eos abripuit contentio cum Arianis, the heat of diſpute with the Arians carried them off from the ſenſe: So that he giveth a ſecond interpretation, making the ſpeech to be underſtood, not of the ſon in reſpect of his Divine Nature, but of his Mediatorſhip, for by that he is made one with God the Father, and one with us: For whereas before Chriſts Mediatorſhip there was a miſerable confuſion and diſſipation of mankinde, God the Father againſt man, and man againſt God; Through Chriſt there is an happy unity obtained: So that in Calvins judgement, this unity is that of a Mediatour, whereby Chriſt as Head of his Church, being joyned to us, doth thereby alſo joyn us to the Father. In this ſenſe alſo he explaineth that known place, John 10. I and my Father are one; Neither may we think (as ſome have calumniated, that Calvin doth Judaize or Arianize; for though he deny this to be the ſenſe of theſe places, yet otherwiſe he doth firmly propugn the true Doctrine about Chriſts Divine Nature. But there is no ſolid ground to make theſe interpretations diſtinct, for one doth neceſſarily ſuppoſe the other. Chriſt could not be our Mediatour and Head, to make us one with the Father, unleſſe he were God, and ſo of the ſame nature with the Father; and therefore the unity of their Nature muſt be underſtood, as the foundation.
So that we have in the words, The diſtinctions of their Perſons, by their peculiar proprieties, Obſerv. The Father and Son are two diſtinct Perſons, yet one in Nature and Eſſence Conſider.and the unity of their Nature; Their perſonal proprieties are Father and Sonne. The oneneſs of their Nature is in thoſe words, Thou in me, and I in thee. From whence obſerve,
That the Father and Sonne are two diſtinct Perſons, yet one in Nature and Eſſence. I ſpeak not of the holy Ghoſt, which in other places is made the third perſon, but of theſe two only, becauſe they alone are mentioned in the Text.
To open this, Conſider ſome things in general, and then what is implied in their peculiar relations,1. God conſidered abſolutely and relatively.
1. That God is abſolutely known, as God.
2. Relatively, as in theſe three Perſons. God abſolutely conſidered may be known by the book of nature, relatively only by the Scripture and revelation. By the creatures we only can come to know that there is a God, maker of all things, but that this God is diſtinguiſhed by three perſonal proprieties, is not matter of inveſtigation, but faith only: Therefore howſoever ſome learned men have endeavoured to illuſtrate this myſtery from humane Philoſophers, eſpecially the Platoniſts, who ſpeak of three principles, the Minde, the Word, and the Spirit, yet they made theſe three diſtinct Eſſences, and cannot be applied to this myſtery, though, it may be, they had theſe confuſed notions from ſome ancient tradition of the Hebrews. In the Old Teſtament this myſtery was believed and received; Therefore good and ſolid Arguments may be fetcht thence to prove this Doctrine, yet in the New Teſtament, Chriſt, who is the foreign, the Word, doth more expreſly reveal it; ſo that in thoſe who do believe the Scriptures, yet obſtinately and blaſphemouſly not only deny, but deride the Doctrine of the Trinity, it is a very high ſin and blaſphemy.
2. Although the Scripture reveal unto us three Perſons, 2. There is notwithſtanding but one God.yet this is not to be underſtood, as if thereby were conſtituted many Gods. There were Hereticks called Tritheita, that made three Gods of theſe three Perſons. Now this is clear, that though the Scripture acknowledge three Perſons, yet it doth as plainly declare, there is but one God; Therefore though every Perſon be God, yet there are not three Gods: Therefore when the Father is called the alone God, this is not to exclude the other Perſons from being God, but any other made god. The Heatheniſh Idols were not gods, nor will God give this glory to any creature.
3. This Doctrine therefore of the Trinity is purely an object of faith, 3. This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of faith, and cannot be demonſtrated by reaſon.and cannot be demonſtrated by reaſon. The Schoolmen do well declare, That the ſame things in Divinity may be demonſtrated by reaſon, and believed by faith, as that there is a God; this may be known both wayes; ſo that though faith and ſcience cannot have the ſame formal motive, yet they may be converſant about the ſame object, we know there is a God by demonſtrations of reaſon, we believe by authority and teſtimony from Scripture: But now this truth about the Perſons in the Divine Nature, is only to be believed: It cannot be demonſtrated by reaſon. Indeed when once this revelation is made, then it is not hard to finde out ſuch reaſons and conſequences grounded on Scripture, that may ſerve to anſwer all the objections of any adverſaries; for nothing revealed to be believed, is contrary to reaſon, though it may be above it. Therefore when Scripture hath laid the foundation, then reaſon may make a ſuperſtruction, yet we muſt take this Caution; although reaſon be allowed to be a ſervant to faith, we muſt look ſhe grow not imperious, as Hagar to Sarah, for then we are to caſt her out of doors, then the Rule is, Mulier iſta ratio, taceat in Eccleſiâ. This Doctrine therefore is to be adored with humble believing, and not to be ſearcht into by curious or furious raſhneſs; and certainly the devil is very ready to tempt in this point, ſometimes he prevaileth to ſeduce in this point, as appeareth by the multitude of Arians of old, and Socinians of late, ſometimes he cannot ſeduce, yet he doth ſhake and diſturb the mindes of the godly exceedingly by ſuggeſtions; ſo that their temptations about dogmatical faith, ſometimes are as grievous, as about juſtifying faith. But now although we have a two fold light, the light of reaſon, and the light of faith, and the latter ought to correct & direct the former, yet ſuch is our corruption, that we make the light of reaſon to correct the light of faith, as if we ſhould make the Sun to borrow its light from the ſtars. But theſe two lights are as ſuperiour and inferior; ſo that although nothing can be falſe by the light of reaſon, which is true by the light of faith, yet the light of faith comprehends many things, which the light of reaſon cannot, as nothing can be falſe to ſenſe, and true to reaſon, yet reaſon can comprehend many things which ſenſe cannot: Therefore when the light of the Moon which is reaſon is very dim and ſtaggering, let the light of faith like that of the Sun fully enlighten and confirm thee.
The characteriſtical properties of the Perſons in the Godhead.In the next place, Let us proceed to the peculiar characteristical properties, for though the Father and Sonne have the ſame common Nature and Eſſence, yet a different ſubſiſtence: So that though they are one God, yet not one Perſon. It's a known Rule, In Chriſt there is aliud and aliud, another nature, and another nature, but not alius & alius, another Perſon and another perſon; but in the Trinity there is not aliud & aliud, but alius & alius; As for the uſe of the word Trinity, Perſon, &c. though not Scripture words, yet the ſenſe being there, it's lawfull for diſtinction and explication ſake to uſe them, though the word foreign ſignifying a Perſon, be a Scripture word, and there is the conjugate foreign, from whence we may make the abſtract, as Paul from foreign doth foreign. Concerning therefore the relation of the Father, there are theſe things.
1. In that he is called the Father, and Chriſt the Sonne, it's implied, that he is the firſt Perſon in the holy Trinity, and the Sonne the ſecond, only when he is called the firſt, you muſt not underſtand it in dignity and perfection, for the Father hath no abſolute perfection, which the Sonne hath not; for ſeeing both have the nature of God, therefore one cannot have greater perfection then another; The Father is not more wiſe, more powerfull, more holy then the Son; Nor is he the firſt Perſon in reſpect of duration, as if the Father was God before the Son; for ſeeing he was from all eternity Father, therefore he had alſo this Son from eternity, as the Sun was never without its beams. Indeed the Orthodox do well deride, and juſtly, the Socinians, That whereas they confeſs the Father from all eternity, and the Son, a made, or conſtituted God in time, that they thereby introduce an old God, and a young God, not indeed as theſe words denote infirmities, but as old is taken for ancient, and young for that which is new. And certainly, if there was a time, when Chriſt was not the Son of God, then he became to be ſo in time, but he is called the firſt Perſon in order: for ſo the Scripture repreſents an order to our conceptions in this glorious myſtery, as appeareth by the form of Baptiſm, whereby we are baptized firſt into the name of the Father, and then of the Sonne; The Father then is the firſt Perſon, and the Son the ſecond, not in reſpect of dignity or duration, but order.
2. When God the Father is ſaid to be the Father of Chriſt his Son, It is not in a large ſenſe, as he is called Father ſometimes, but in a proper, peculiar and incommunicable ſenſe; for therefore he is called foreign and foreign, the only begotten Son of God, and indeed we ſee plainly the unity of the Father ſeparated from the unity of believers in this Text, That they may be one, as thou in me, and I in thee, for God is called the Father of all men. To which purpoſe the Apoſtle alledgeth that of the Poet, We are his off-ſpring, Act. 17.27. Thus alſo he is called the Father of Believers in reſpect of Adoption, for ſo our Saviour, Joh. 20.17. I aſcend to my Father and your Father, but he is called the Father in reſpect of a true and proper generation of his Son; as is more to be ſhewed. The Socinians would have him called the Son of God, partly, becauſe of that extraordinary conception and birth, partly, becauſe of the conſtituting and ſanctifying of him to the Office of a Prieſt, and partly, but principally, becauſe of his Reſurrection and Exaltation to that great power and dominion which now he hath, but theſe things are only declarative and conſequential to that eternal generation, whereby indeed he is the Son of God properly, and thus the Jews underſtood it, when they accuſed him for blaſphemy, becauſe by ſaying, He was the Son of God, he thereby made himſelf God, which our Saviour doth not deny or refuſe; but proveth it more firmly.
Laſtly, In that he is called the Father, it is thereby implyed, That he is the fountain and original of divine being to the Son. Thus John 5.26. As the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath he given the Son, to have life in himſelf. To have life in himſelf is only proper to God: Now as the Father hath it, ſo alſo hath the Son, but he hath it by donation, or communication from the Father: In this ſenſe it is, that Chriſt ſaith, He ſpeaketh nothing of himſelf, but as he heareth of the Father, ſtill reducing all things unto him, not that the Divine Nature is begotten, but the ſecond Perſon, who hath the Divine Nature.
Secondly, The property of the Son is, to be begotten of the Father. And herein lieth the true proper difference of thoſe two Perſons, The Father is of himſelf not begotten, the Son is of the Father and begotten: Now this doth imply, that Chriſt hath not his being by creation, as Adam had, and Angels, who therefore are called The ſons of God, but truly and really by generation, for ſo the Scripture appropriates this to him, That he is the only begotten Son of God; only you are not to meaſure this ſpiritual and eternal generation with that of the creatures, but to abſtract it from all ſuch humane imperfections; and therefore though it be truly a generation, yet it's not of the ſame univocal nature with that of creatures: So that as God is not in a predicament, neither is there the ſame univocal being to God, and the creature: Thus it is alſo in this generation. Let us not therefore judge of this myſtery by examples and inſtances from the creature; for as the nature of God is incomprehenſible, ſo alſo is this generation.
Ʋſe 1. To bewail the doctrinal errours and blaſphemies whereby the devil hath ſeduced many in this point: Oh pray to God to preſerve thee from ſuch poiſon! Many deſperately preach and write, that Chriſt is not truly God, nor the eternal God, and ſo make us guilty of horrible Idolatry, and withall overthrow the pillars and foundations of Religion. By this we ſee, that blaſphemy and damnable hereſies are in our nature, which we ſhould be plunged into, if God leave us unto our ſelves.
Ʋſe 2. Of Exhortation, To take heed not only of unbelief in reſpect of the promiſes, but alſo the doctrinals: This gift is alſo of God; It's he that inableth and confirmeth the heart in this particular alſo; and indeed dogmatical faith is the foundation of ſalvifical.
Ʋſe 3. To admire the love both of Father and Son in procuring our ſalvation for us; The Fathers love is ſeen, to ſend his only begotten Son, the Son of his love, in whom he delighted, more then in all creatures into the world, and to die ſuch an ignominious death for us enemies: And then the Sons love is ſeen in leaving that glory and bleſſedneſs he had for a while, to be in a ſtate of wrath and anger for our ſakes; No wonder if the hearts of men and Angels can never be ſufficiently enough taken up with theſe things.
Ʋſe 4. To indeavour after ſuch an unity as the Father and Son have; It's the preſident in the Text: Doth the Father and Son ever diſagree? Doth the Son will one thing, and the Father another? Neither ought there to be any diſagreement amongſt believers.