Hence that in Job 2.4 Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life And that of Solomon A living Dog is better than a dead Lion Eccles. 9.4 For when Life is gone there succeeds an incapacity not only of Doing but also of Enjoying Good From this consideration it is that the other significations of the word have their Original For Life being looked upon as the greatest natural Good and Death as the greatest natural Evil The one by a Synechdoche speciei is frequently used both in sacred and profane Authours to signify Good indefinitely especially the greatest Good and the other in like manner to signifie Evil especially the greatest Evil. The one is put for Happiness and the other for Misery And then again by a Synechdoche generis this general notion of Good or Evil Happiness or Misery implied in the words Life and Death becomes applicable to this or that particular Good and Evil as occasion serves Suppose the Spiritual Life of Grace or Death in Sin And the Eternal Life of Glory in Heaven or the Eternal Death of Torment in Hell Thus Deut. 30.19 I have set before you saith Moses to Israel life and death blessing and cursing where Life and Death are made equivalent to Blessing and Cursing therefore chuse life saith he that thou and thy seed may Live that is that you may be Happy So at ver 15. of the same Chapter I have set before you saith he life and good death and evil Where Life and Good are put exegetical each of other and so Death and Evil. And in the same sense it is the Poet tells us Non est Vivere sed Valere vita Thus God to Adam in Paradise for 't is no new Trope nor of yesterday In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death that is thou shalt become miserable For we know that Adam did not the same day die a natural Death but some hundreds of years after but he did that day begin to be in a state of Misery whereof his natural Death was but a part So Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death where the comprehension of all the Evils or Misery which sin deserves or God inflicteth for it is called Death like as on the contrary all the Happiness which the Saints enjoy is on the same account called Life The gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So here By Life we understand Happiness contrary to which is the Death of Misery and then by a Metalepsis or double Trope that Happiness in special which the Saints enjoy in Glory though not exclusive of what they have before and that Misery which in Hell attends the wicked 'T is true indeed that the condition of the Saints in Glory after the Resurrection may even in a proper sense be called Life because of that Union which shall then be of Soul and Body and the exercise of at least the most noble faculties of Life Yet do not I take that to be the true import of the Word here For though it be true that the Saints in Glory have not only an Union of Soul and Body but likewise a knowledge or sense of that estate wherein they are which may import not only a Life but even a Rational Life yet as true it is that the Damned in Hell have so too for their Souls and Bodies shall not be less United nor shall they be Insensible of their Woful condition yet is not that estate of theirs called a Life though naturally it be so and it is their misery that it is so but Eternal Death because a Life of Wo and Misery not of Bliss and Happiness A Living Misery being in this sense the truest Death Secondly As it is called Life for its Excellency so for its Duration it is called Eternal It is very usual in Scripture in the use of Allegories or Figurative expressions to add some kind of Epithet to distinguish the word so used from the same in its native signification And when the word is used so as to express figuratively somewhat more excellent than it self the Epithet hath somewhat of additional exellency in it Thus Christ is said to be the Spiritual rock 1 Cor. 10.4 the Living Bread or Manna that came down from Heaven Joh. 6.50 to distinguish the words so metaphorically used from the Rock and Manna literally spoken of in the story of their travails in the Wilderness And the Church of Christ as Living stones become a Spiritual house and a Holy priesthood to offer up Spiritual sacrifices to God 1 Pet. 2.5 Where the Epithets serve both for distinction from the material Stones and Temple the Levitical Priesthood and corporeal Sacrifices and for the commendation or preheminence of those before these So the new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.1 2. Jerusalem that is above Gal. 4.26 And Matth. 26.29 I will drink no more saith Christ of the fruit of the vine till I drink it New with you in my Father's kingdom Not that Christ did intend anew to drink of such wine in his Father's Kingdom but of a New wine another sort of wine than that commonly so callâ—d to wit those spiritual Joys in his Father's Kingdom which should more refresh their Hearts and Souls than this wine did their Bodies So I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman Joh. 15.1 I am the good shepherd Joh. 10.11 Not that Christ was more truly a Vine in propriety of speech than that which we so call or indeed a Shepherd who took the care of Sheep But that there was in Christ somewhat of another kind much more eminent than that of the Vine which did yet in some measure resemble it and a much greater Care but of another nature of those he calls his Flock than a Shepherd hath of his Sheep So here This is life eternal Not a natural Life such as is commonly meant by the word Life a life of the Body which after a short time is to be exchanged for Death but a Life a Happiness of another nature a far more excellent Good than what we call Life which doth but very imperfectly express it An Eternal Life And this Eternity as it serves in general to distinguish this word Life from the ordinary acceptation and doth import for the kind of it somewhat much more excellent So it doth particularly point out that Everlasting Duration of this so great a Happiness 'T is that which though indeed it have a Beginning shall never have an End And upon this account it is that it is so often called Eternal Life and Life Everlasting that it were endless to enumerate the places where it is so called An eternal inheritance A house eternal in the heavens An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not away A kingdom which cannot be moved An eternal weight of glory When our mortal shall have put on immortality And this consideration
God they did not understand him to speak in such a sense as when themselves were commonly wont so to speak as Joh. 8.41 We are not born of fornication we have one Father even God but in such a sense as they judged Blasphemous and had been so indeed had it not been true who therefore sought the more to kill him Joh. 5.18 because he said That God was his Father making himself Equal with God And the High Priest Matth. 26.65 rent his Cloths saying He speaketh Blasphemy when our Saviour affirmed before him That he was the Christ the Son of God 'T was manifest therefore that he so spake and they so understood him of such a Son-ship as argued a Divinity a being equal with God 2. His Humanity or Incarnation is pointed at in these words whom thou hast sent For by the Fathers sending him or his coming into the World is clearly meant his being Incarnate or made Man As Gal. 4.4 God sent his Son made of a Woman And Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us 3. His Mediatory Office is implyed as well in the Title Christ added to his Name Jesus as in that of his being sent by God Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah whom thou hast sent For as his Name Jesus doth design the Person so the Title Christ that is Messiah that in Greek answering to this in Hebrew and both signifying the Anointed doth import the Office to which he was designed and for which he was sent For God did not send him to no purpose but sent him for this end for this Work To be the Mediator between God and Man To reconcile us to the Father To make an Atonement or Propitiation for us To take away the sins of the World To obtain Eternal Redemption To procure an Everlasting Inheritance a purchased Possession To make Intercession for us To save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him Or as Joh. 3.16 17. where all the three Particulars are likewise intimated God therefore sent his onely begotten Son into the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life And now having gone through the whole Text we might if time would suffer look back upon it to take a new Survey thereof and collect from thence some of those particular deductions which might concern our practice For certainly the Knowledge which Christ here declares necessary to Eternal Life and the means conducing thereunto is not a bare Notional knowledge or a pure speculative Belief such as the Devils may have as well as we but an operative Knowledge a practical Faith a Faith fruitful in good Works without which those speculative notions will never bring us to Heaven And therefore without ingaging in the nice Disputes of Justification by Faith alone or Works concurring thereunto this is on all hands agreed without dispute That Faith without good Works will never justify us Whatever their influence be in Justification their Presence at least is necessary Without Doing we cannot in God's account be reputed either to Believe or Know. Those that obey him not are reckoned in God's account amongst those that Know not God at least amongst those who profess they know God but do in their works deny him Who shall be so far by such a Knowledge from obtaining Eternal Life that Christ shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them and to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power In particular If we know God to be the onely True God Then must we Love him Fear him Worship him and Obey him Nor doth the knowledge of Christ as Mediator abate any thing of this Duty For though he came to take away the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse for us yet not our Obligation thereunto He came not to destroy the Law or make it less obligatory to duty but to fulfill it I may add That those who will not acknowledge themselves under the Obligation of it have reason to fear they be yet under the Curse of it Again If we know Christ whom he hath sent It will be our duty then to Believe in him For 't is to those onely that Christ doth give eternal life And so to Believe in him as to Obey him For to those who obey not the Gospel of his Son it is that Christ shall render vengeance in flaming fire Furthermore If in this Christ we hope to have Eternal Life how should this excite our Rejoicing and Thankfulness for so great Salvation Not by Rioting and Drunkenness by Revelling and Debauchery which is the Abuse not the Celebration of this Solemnity in memory of Christ's Incarnation But by a pious Remembrance and Commemoration of that Redemption obtained for us such as may be to the Honour not the Reproach of him that came to Redeem us from our vain Conversation That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory for evermore The End of the First Sermon A Second SERMON Concerning the TRINITY TO THE UNIVERSITY of Oxford April 26. 1691. JOH xvij 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IT is now a great many years since in this Place if not to this Auditory I did discourse of these Words I shall repeat very little of that Discourse But think fit to add somewhat to what was then said Our Saviour in the three Chapters next foregoing the 14 th 15 th and 16 th Chapters of S. John's Gospel had made a large Discourse to his Disciples after his Institution of the Lord's Supper the night before he was to Die which in this 17 th Chapter he closeth with a Prayer to his Father in their behalf Wherein having made mention of Eternal Life ver 2. which he was to give to as many as the Father had given him that is to as many as should â—ffectually Believe in him he subjoins this Eâ—â—phonema And This is Life Eternal That they might know Thee the only True God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. In which words we have Two things proposed to us The Christian's Happiness And The Mâ—ans wâ—ereby it is to be attained I. The Câ—ristian's Happiness is called Life as to its Excâ—â—â—ency and Eternal as to its Duration Wâ—ich is Begun here in the Kingdom of Graâ—â— and is to be Perfected and for ever Conâ—inued in that of Glory II. The Means to attain it is the Knowledge of God and
Christ. Where by Knowledge I do not understand a meer Notional or Speculative Knowledge For such I presume the Devils may have in as large a proportion as any of us and yet never attain Eternal Life But an Active Practical Knowledge Such a Knowledge as is attended with Faith and with Practice suitable thereunto As in that of Isa. 53.11 By his Knowledge that is by the Knowledge of Him shall my righteous Servant justifie many That is by Faith in him attended with a suitable Practice to it The Object of this Knowledge is declared to be twofold 1. The Knowledge of God and 2. The Knowledge of Christ. To know Thee the onely True God that 's one part And whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ that 's the other And each of these contains several Particulars The former of them contains at least these Three 1. That there is a God 2. That there is but One True God 3. That the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is this Onely True God He is that God besides which God there is no other True God And though Jesus Christ be God also yet not another God but the same True God For He and the Father are One Joh. 10.30 In the latter of them the Knowledge of Christ are Three things also 1. His Divinity 2. His Humanity And 3. His Mediatory Office Which are here briefly insinuated and are elsewhere more fully expressed 1. His Divinity in that he is the Son of the Father who is the Onely True God Not by Creation as Adam and the Angels are called the Sons of God nor by Adoption as are the Righteous who truly believe in Christ But by Generation as the Onely Begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 and therefore of the same Nature with the Father 2. His Humanity implyed in these words Whom Thou hast sent That is So sent as to be made of a Woman so sent as to be made Flesh. Gal. 4.4 Joh. 1.14 3. His Mediatory Office implyed in the Title Christ added to the Name Jesus And whom Thou hast sent Jesus Christ. He was so sent as to be the Christ the Messias So sent as that the World through him might be Saved So as that whosoever Believes in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 17. Of all which Points I did then Discourse more largely and therefore do now but name them But I did then further observe from the Order of the Words to obviate a Cavil of the Socinians that the Word Onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here Restrictive not of the Subject Thee but of the Predicate the True God Of which I intend with God's Assistance and your Patience to speak further at this time Objection I. The first and great Objection of the Socinians from this place against the Divinity of Christ and the Doctrine of the Trinity is this If the Father be the onely true God then the Son or Holy-Ghost is not God or not the True God but the Father onely To which I shall give Three things in Answer 1. This Argument is a plain Fallacy which they put upon us by a willful perverting the Order of the Words For it is not said Thee Onely to be the True God as if not the Son also or the Holy-Ghost were the True God but the Father onely But to Know Thee not Thee onely or Onely Thee to be the Onely true God Nor is it so in our Englis◠Translation onely but in the Original Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth determine the Restrictive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be applied to the Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to the Predicate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just as in our English the Article The coming between Thee and Onely doth confine the word Onely not to Thee that went before but to True God which follows To know Thee not onely Thee the onely true God That is to know Thee to be that God beside which God there is no other true God Which we readily Acknowledge and Profess And then the Socinians Argument will appear just in this Form The God of Abraham is the Onely true God And therefore not the God of Isaac nor the God of Jacob. Yes say I the God of Isaac is the same God with the God of Abraham And therefore the True God as he is And the God of Jacob likewise And this one Answer doth fully satisfy the Objection and there needs no more Yet I shall add Two other things though they might here be spared because they may be of use elsewhere 2. I say further If it had been said as it is not Thee Onely yet even this would not exclude any who is the same with Him And therefore not the Son nor the Holy-Ghost since they are One and the same God with Him I and the Father are One Joh. 10.30 These Three are One 1 Joh. 5.7 To which purpose consider we what we have Jer. 16.14 15. and again Jer. 23.7 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the land of the North or out of the North Country Now we are told by God himself Exod. 20.2 3. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Thou shalt have no other God but ME. Shall we therefore argue thus The God who brought Israel out of Egypt is the onely true God and we must have no other God but HIM Therefore not him who brought Israel out of the North-Country Yes say I Him also For the God who brought them out of the North-Country is the same God with him who brought them out of Egypt not another God though designed by another Character and therefore in having Him we have not another God So here To Know thee onely if it had been so said as it is not it had implied no more but thus Not any who is not the same God with Thee To Know Thee Onely and not any other who is not the same God with Thee to be the true God Which therefore would not exclude the Son nor Holy Ghost who are the same God with the Father But of this Answer there is no need in this place because it is not said Thee Onely or onely Thee 3. I say further If it had been said as it is not Thee Onely as the Socinians would have it to be understood I would then say This were an Essential Predication rather than a Personal That is That the Predicate True God is affirmed of him in regard of his Essence rather than of his Personality As belonging to the Essence which is common to the Three Persons not as
than the Infinite the Eternal the Almighty God The same yesterday and to day and for ever as he is called Heb. 13.8 The Blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath Immortality c. as he is described 1 Tim. 6.14 15 16. And again The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 17.14 and Rev. 19.16 The Great God and our Saviour Tit. 2.13 Where our Saviour is so contra-distinguished not as another from the Great God but as another Title of that same Person He that is our God and Saviour or God our Saviour as it is Tit. 3.4 like as God and the Father Ephes. 5.2 and again Col. 3.17 Giving thanks to God and the Father For 't is manifest that here Tit. 2.13 it is spoken of Christs coming to judgment which is here called the Glorious appearance of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that is the glorious appearance of Jesus Christ who is the Great God and our Saviour The title that Jeremy gives to God Jer. 32.18 The great and mighty God the Lord of Hosts is his name Christ therefore our Saviour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Great God And the Doxology there added Rev. 1.6 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen is equivalent to that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.5 God blessed for ever And the like 1 Tim. 6.16 To whom be Honour and Power everlasting Amen And much more that of Rev. 5.12 13 14. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing As High a Doxology as that in the close of the Lords-prayer To which we have the Acclamation of every Creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are therein saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever And the four Beasts said Amen And the four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Too great things to be said of a mere Creature or a Titular God but very agreeable to Christ being as he is the same God with the Father the only True God I might here add a like Remark on that of Isai. 48.12 Hearken O Israel I am HE I am the First I am also the Last And in like manner Isai. 41.4 Isai. 43.10 13 25. Deut. 32.39 I even I am HE Hu and there is no other God with me or beside me And to the same purpose elsewhere Ani Hu I am HE so we render it I am HE What HE 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is the HE Absolutely taken and Emphatically applied to God Which I take to be of like import with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I AM I that Am or That which IS The Greek Septuagint in the places cited renders Ani Hu by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the vulgar Latin indifferently by Ego Sum Ego Ipse Ego Sum Ipse Ego Ipse Sum That is I am He or I AM. And Christ of himself Joh. 8.58 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before Abraham was I AM. And I the rather take it so to signify in the places cited because I there find it attended exegetically with an Intimation of his Eternity He Is He is the First and he is the Last Before him none Was and after him none shall Be He Is and ever Was and ever shall Be. CHARACTER III. The next Character that I shall insist upon is that of the two Proper Names of God Jah and Jehovah which I take to be Proper to God and Incommunicable to any other I put them both together because they be both of the same import and indeed of the same with Ehjeh I AM before-mentioned The chief difference is that Ehjeh I AM retains the form of the Verb but Jah and Jehovah are Nouns verbal from Hajah or Havah which signifie to Be All denoting Gods absolute Being And All peculiar to the Supreme God and no where applied in Scripture that I know of to any other I know the Socinians would perswade us that Jehovah is sometime given to an Angel which we do not deny but we say that Angel is not a Created Angel but the Angel of the Covenant who is God himselâ— The name Jah comes often in the Old Testament but not so often as Jehovah Particularly in Psal. 68.5 Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his Name JAH So we find it in our Bibles and it agrees with the Original But in our Psalters by a continued mistake instead of Jah or Ya is printed Yea. But this name is no where I think retained in the Greek Septuagint the Septuagint renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor in the New Testament which frequently follows the Septuagints form of Speech unless in the Solemn Form of praise Hallelu-Jah which the Greek puts into one word Alleluia that is Praise Jah or as it is usually rendred Praise ye the Lord. Which is jointly applied to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb Rev. 19.1 3 4 6. whom I take to be there meant by the Lord our God ver 1. and the Lord God Omnipotent ver 6. and the Great God ver 17. For the Supper of the Great God ver 17. is the same with the Supper of the Lamb ver 7 9. The name Jehovah is in the Old Testament much more frequent especially in the Original Hebrew But in our Translation is frequently rendered by the LORD as in all those places if the Printers have been careful where LORD is printed in Capital Letters The name Jehovah is at Exod. 3.14 â—5 made equivalent to Ehjeh I AM. For what is said at ver 14. Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you is thus repeated at ver 15. Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel JEHOVAH the God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you with this Addition This is my name for ever and this is my memorial unto all generations And Psal. 81.18 That men may know that thou whose Name alone is JEHOVAH art the most High over all the earth In which place the restrictive word Alone cannot be understood to affect the word Name as if it were thus to be construed cujus nomen est Jehovah solum Whose name is Only Jehovah For God we know had other Names whereby he is often called But to the word Whose cujus solius nomen est Jehovah To whom Alone or to whom Only the name Jehovah doth belong So Isai. 45.5 I am JEHOVAH and none else there is no God beside me And Deut. 5.35 39. JEHOVAH he is God and there is none else beside him JEHOVAH he is God in heaven
above and upon earth beneath there is none else And Isai. 42.8 I am JEHOVAH that is my name and my Glory will I not give unto another And Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the LORD thy God is one LORD or JEHOVAH thy God is one JEHOVAH there is no other Jehovah but he And Deut. 28.58 That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name THE LORD THY GOD or JEHOVAH thy God And to the same purpose Deut. 32.39 1 Sam. 12.2 and in many other places I will not despute whether this name JEHOVAH were never made known till God did thus declare it to Moses at Exod. 3.15 It might seem so to be by that of Exod. 6.3 I appeared unto Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them 'T is true that God is often so called in the Book of Genesis But that Book was written by Moses after the time that Moses speaks of in Exodus And Moses might so call him by a name known at the time when he wrote though it had not been known at the time whereof he wrote As when Abraham is said to go forth from Vr of the Chaldees or of Chasdim Gen. 11.31 though Chesed the Son of Nahor from whom in likelihood the Chaldees were called Chasdim was not born till afterwards as appears Gen. 22.22 So Exod. 12.40 where the Children of Israel are said to have sojourned four hundred and thirty years it must be reckoned backward as far as Abraham's coming forth from Vr of the Chaldees at which time they could not be called the Children of Israel for Israel was not then born but it was that people who were afterwards called the Children of Israel And many such Prolepses or anticipations of Names there are in all Historians But whether it be upon this account or some other that he is said by his Name JEHOVAH not to have been known to them is not material to our present business 'T is enough that Jehovah is now known to be the signal Name of the True God and I think no where given to any other Now that our Saviour Christ is called Jehovah is not to be denied And it is for this reason that the Socinians would have us think that this Name is not peculiar to God In Jer. 23.5 6. he is called Jehovah Tzidkenu the LORD our Righteousness Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice on the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell in safety which is agreed by Jews and Christians to be understood of the Messias And this is the name whereby he shall be called JEHOVAH Tzidkenu the LORD our Righteousnâ—â—s JEHOVAH our Righteousness And to the same purpose Jer. 33.15 16. In Psal. 102. which is called A prayer of the afflicted when he poureth out his complaint before the LORD Jehovah It begins thus Hear my prayer O LORD Jehovah and let my cry come unto thee And he to whom this prayer is made is eight or nine times called the LORD Jehovah Now he to whom this prayer is made we are told Hebr. 1.8 10 11 12. is our Lord Christ Vnto the Son he saith Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands They shall perish but thou remainest They all shall wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail All which is cited out of that Prayer made to the Lord Jehovah So I the LORD Jehovah the first and the last Isai. 41.4 Thus saith the LORD Jehovah before me there was no God neither shall there be after me Isai. 43.10 Thus saith the LORD Jehovah the King of Israel and his Redeemer Jehovah the LORD of Hosts I am the first and I am the last and beside Me there is no God Isai. 44.6 which are the Characters applied to Christ Rev. 1.8 9. 2.8 21.6 22.13 as was shewed before 'T is true that in the Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament the name Jehovah is no where retained but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I think every where put for it Whether because of a Jewish Superstition no where to pronounce that Name or because it could not conveniently be expressed in Greek Letters I will not determine And for that reason because the Septuagints did not use it it is not used in the New Testament which doth mostly comply with the Language of the Septuagints as being the Greek Translation then in use And therefore we are not to look for the Name Jehovah there applied to Christ. But divers places are in the New Testament applied to Christ wherein the name Jehovah was used in the Old Testament And the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord by which both the Septuagints and the New Testament do constantly render the Hebrew Name Jehovah is so frequently applied to Christ in the New Testament as that throughout the New Testament it is almost his constant Character the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ c. One Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 Our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory Jam. 2.1 My Lord and my God Joh. 20.28 No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 And elsewhere so often that none can be ignorant of it CHARACTER IV. The last Character which I shall insist upon of the True God the Only God is that of the Lord God of Israel Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. Deut. 6.4 And the Lord thy God is almost the constant Language of Moses to the Children of Israel And it is the Character which God directs him to use Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel The Lord God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me this is my name for ever and this is my memorial unto all Generations Exod. 3.15 and the Lord God of the Hebrews ver 18. And elsewhere very often throughout the Bible And doubtless he that was the Lord God of Israel is the true God the only God 'T is He who tells us I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have no other God but Me Exod. 20.3 And Besides Me there is no other God Isai. 44.6 and so often elsewhere that it is needless to name the places And this Character as well as the rest is expresly given to Christ also Luk. 1.16 17. where we are expresly told of John the Baptist that many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord Their God to the Lord God of Israel for he shall go before Him in the spirit and power
days and three nights in the Whale's belly when brought as an Argument to prove our Saviour ought so long to lie in the Grave But St. Paul tells us 1 Cor. 15.3 4. that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he rose again the Third day according to the Scriptures And Christ in like manner Luk. 24.46 Yet I know not any thing more clear to that purpose in the Scriptures of the Old Testament than either this of Jonah's being so long in the Whale's belly to which Christ himself alludes Mat. 12.40 or that of Hos. 6.2 After two days he will revive us and the third day he will raise us up Which seems not to be more express for the Resurrection of Christ on the Third day than this of Jonah But such covert Intimations there are in the Old Testament of things afterward more clearly discovered in the New Nor was this unknown to the ancient Jewish Doctors as appears by what Ainsworth in his Notes on Gen. 1. cites from thence out of R. Simeon Ben Jochai in Zoar Come see the Mystery of the word Elohim there are three Degrees and every Degree by it self Distinct and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joined together in One and are not divided one from another only there he calls Degrees what we now call Persons So that it was not unknown to the Jews of old whatever the present Jews think of it 3. What these Three are the Father the Word and the Spirit seems to be likewise intimated in the Story of the Creation Gen. 1. where they seem to be distinctly named In the beginning Elohim God created the Heaven and the Earth ver 1. where no man doubts but God the Father is implied though perhaps not He only And ver 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Where Ainsworth tells us from the ancient Rabbines whom he cites they call him The Spirit of Mercies from before the Lord The Spirit of Wisdom called the Spirit of the Living God And The Spirit of the Messias Of the same Spirit we have elsewhere mention My Spirit shall not always strive with Man Gen. 6.3 Take not thine Holy Spirit from me Psal. 51.11 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isai. 61.1 They vexed his Holy Spirit Isai. 63.10 and elsewhere And if it be said that by the Spirit of God is meant God himself we say so too for we do acknowledge that the Holy Ghost is God himself And of the Word there is a like intimation ver 3. God Said or spake the Word Let there be Light and there was Light And in like manner ver 6 9 11.14 20. God Said Let there be a Firmament c. So Psal. 33.6 7. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made c. He Spake and it was done He Commanded and it stood fast And Psal. 148.5 He Spake the Word and they were made He commanded and they were created Consonant to that of Heb. 11.3 By faith we understand that the Worlds were made by the Word of God And 1 Pet. 3.5 7. By the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth c. And by the same Word they are kept in store or preserved In which places by the Word so often mentioned and with such Emphasis put upon it seems to be meant that Word mentioned Joh. 1.1 3 10. In the beginning was the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things were made by Him The World was made by Him just as in Heb. 11.3 the Worlds were made by the Word of God Nor was this notion of the Word Personally taken unknown to the Jewish Doctors For what we have Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord Dixit Jehova Domino meo the Chaldee Paraphrase renders by Dixit Jehova Bemeimreh in Verbo suo meaning by His Word the Messias and of whom our Saviour himself expounds it Mat. 22.44 And it is frequent in that Paraphrase by the Word to design the Messias as S. Joh. doth Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word And I put the more weight upon this because as here Gen. 1.2 3. so we have in several other places the Word and Spirit mentioned as concerned in the Creation Psal. 33.6 By the Word of the LORD Jehovah were the Heavens made and all the Hosts of them by the Spirit or breath of his mouth Berwach Where we have Jehovah his Word and Spirit Job 26.12 13. He divideth the Sea by his Power and by his Wisdom or Vnderstanding he smiteth through the proud By his Spirit he garnisheth the Heavens his Hand hath formed the crooked Serpent Where we have the Power of God the Wisdom of God and the Spirit of God And Job 33.4 â—he Spirit of God hath made me and the Breath of tâ—e Lord hath given me Life So Psal. 104.24 30. O LORD Jehovah how wonderful are thy Works in VVisdom thou hast made them all Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the Earth And it is not amiss here to take notice that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well ratio as oratio so Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Word of God and the Wisdom of God And as in Joh. 1.1 3 10. it is said of the Word that in the beginning was the Word all things were made by Him and the World was made by him And Heb. 11.3 The Worlds were framed by the Word of God So the same is said of Wisdom Prov. 3.19 The LORD by VVisdom hath formed the Earth by Vnderstanding hath he established the Heavens And Prov. 8.22 c. The LORD possessed me Wisdom in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning ere ever the Earth was When he prepared the Heavens I was there When he established the Clouds above When he strengthened the Fountains of the deep When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth then was I by him c. And accordingly the Holy Ghost is called the Power of God Luk. 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee And 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation which doubtless is not without the operation of the Holy Ghost working and preserving faith in us Suitably hereunto God's Power and Wisdom are oft conjoyned He is Wise in Heart and Mighty in Strength Job 9.4 c. He is excellent in Power and in Judgment Job 37.13 But without laying too great a stress on every particular there seems a foundation clear enough to consider the Word of God and the Spirit of God as clearly distinguishable even in the great Work of Creation and that the holy Writers even in the Old Testament have considered them as distinct and that even the Jewish Writers have owned them as such I know very well that those who have a