SERM. the Caufe will go, but when the World is set in IV. Judgment over the Saints, we can never think that the Chriftian's God will be juftified in his Sayings. Though it is our Comfort that he will be true, and every Man a Liar. For he who calls the Ends of the Earth to look to him is the xl. 28. Creator of the Ends of the Earth. If. xlv. 22. Deut. xxxii. 6. 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 2. The Name of Chrift is called upon us from the other Right that he has in us, for by him we are bought with a Price. This was always the Argument of Revelation in the Old Testament, and it continues to be fo in the New. Mofes pleads as Paul does. Is not he thy Father that has bought thee, has he not made thee and redeemed thee? And fo fays the Apoftle, ye are not your own, but bought with a Price, therefore glorify GOD in your Bodies and Spirits which are God's. If that God whofe ye are is not He that has bought you with a Price, whatever Claim he may have to your Duty from any antecedent Work, yet he has none at all from Redemption; you are not to glorify him upon the Argument that is here used. But when Chrift gave himself for your Iniquity, it was not only that he might purify a Tit. ii. 14. peculiar People, but purify them to himself. They are his peculiar People, as he used to say, every one that is called by my Name I have created him for my Glory. And, this People have I formed for myself, they fhall fhow forth my Praife. If. xliii. 7, 21., The Right of Redemption lay in him, as all the Rights flowing from it belong to him. We take his Name, because we are his Purchase. And therefore an Apoftate denies the Lord that 2 Pet. ii. bought him. He did not buy us for another, because to this Purpose he both died and rofe again, and revived, that he might be the Lord 2. Rom. xiv. 9. both both of Dead and Living. I don't say this (as SERM. Christ himself does not) with any Exclufion to the IV. Father's Interest in the Ransomed of the Lord; for, as he speaks, fo muft we, All mine are John xvii. thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in 10. them. 3. The Name of Chrift is called upon us as a Token of his Supremacy over all Things to the Church. The Church has no other Head of Jurifdiction or of Influence, but Him who has all Things under his Feet. In Baptifm we recognize his Authority and depend upon his Energy; the former is fupreme, the latter is omnipotent. He could not be equal to either of these, if he Eph. i. had not the Fulness of him who fills all in all. ult. From this Almighty Dominion and Virtue are they quickened who were dead in Trespasses and Sins. You give a Testimony in Baptifm, both to his Government and to his quickening, that he not only judges the Dead, but that he raises them. He directed you to this Solemnity upon the Ground of his having all Power both in Heaven and Earth. If he had less than this, he would never abolish an old Ordinance, and bring in a new one. The Phrase that this Power is given him ought not to be received as an Argument against his eternal neceffary infeparable Title to it. For if it was not in him, antecedent to any Grant, the Worship paid him will be brought to prove, what we know is impoffible to be true, that God has given his Glory to another. 3. The Name of THE HOLY SPIRIT is called upon us in Baptifm. We have but one Word to fignify his perfonal Character; Holy Spirit or Holy Ghoft. I am not yet got fo far into my Subject as to confider his Diftinction from the Father and the Son; at prefent I have no more before IV. SER M. before me, than to fhow why his Name is mentioned in the first Act of our profeffed Subjection to the Gospel of Christ. 13. 6. 1. This could never be allowed, if he was not, as Chrift is, the Creator of the Universe. Thus we read of him in very diftant Cafes, that Job xxvi. he has garnished the Heavens, and his Hands have formed the crooked Serpent: All the Hofts Pf. xxxiii. above were made by the Breath (or Spirit) of the Lord. He was one in that great Confultation; when it was faid, let us make Man; for Elibu fays the Spirit of the Lord has made me, and the Breath of the Almighty has given me Life: He moved upon the Face of the Waters, and faid let there be Light, when Darkness was upon the Face of the Deep. He is the God who commanded Light to fhine out of Darkness. Gen. i. 26. Job xxxiii. 4. Gen. i. 2. 2 Cor. iv. 6. 2. His Equality and Communion with the divine Nature, is what the Apostle argues from his Name. We know that fecret Things belong xxix. ult. to God, and to no Creature at all. None can Deut. 10. So know the Mind of the Lord: With whom has 1 Cor. ii. he taken Counfel? And yet the Spirit fearches all Things, yea, the deep Things of God. that, fuppofing him to be an Agent, the Omnifcience of God is his Object, and can we think it is not his Character? Does he know as much, as He does, who knows all Things? Nay, he feems to have his Name for this very Purpose. As no Man knows the Things of a Man, but the Spirit of Man who is in him, fo that Things of God knows no Man, but the Spirit of God. No wonder then, when Baptifm is a Surrender of ourfelves to the moft high God, that we are called Pf. cxlvii. by the Name of one whofe Understanding is infinite. This is fo clear from the Language of Scripture, that they who cannot deny his Perfec 5. tion relieve their Caufe, by turning Jugglers, SERM. and cafting a Figure upon his Perfonality. II. IV. i. 4. 3. It is the Spirit who makes effectual the whole Redemption of the Saints; by him they are faved, and therefore by his Name they are called. He overshadowed the Virgin in our Luke i. 35 Saviour's Conception. It is the Spirit who raised Rom. viii. up Jefus from the Dead; and he was declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Spirit of Johniii. 5. Holinefs. Converts are born of the Spirit. He xvi. 8, 9, convinces them of Sin, that is of Unbelief, and 10. in convincing them of it delivers them from it, by showing them a Righteousness in Chrift's going to the Father. And it is by him they have Victory, for he convinces them of Judgment that the Prince of this World is judged: As they live, Gal. v. they walk, in the Spirit. Through him they 25. mortify the Deeds of the Body. Rom. viii. 13. ult. Rev. iii. ult. It is be by whom the Bible was given: Holy Men of God fpake as they were moved by the 2 Pet. i. Holy Ghoft. In reading this we hear what the Spirit faith unto the Churches. It is he who came down upon the Apoftles with cloven Tongues of Fire; they were therr baptized with Acts i. 5. the Holy Ghoft. This Spirit who is good, leads Pf. cxliii. us to the Land of Uprightness. We are baptized for the Remiffion of Sins ; now, though he who has purchased this bestows it; yet it is Eph. iv. the Spirit who feals it to us till the Day of Redemption. IO. 30. Baptifm is a Surrender of ourselves for Protection as well as Homage; and therefore we must have a Regard to that Comforter, who John xiv, abides with us for ever. It is he who invites us 16. up to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb; for the Spirit and the Bride fay come, and whofoever Rev. xxii. will, let him take of the Water of Life freely. SER. 17. SERMON V. A Diftinction of Perfons in the divine Nature to be received, though not explained, upon no other Evidence than Scripture. The Arians chargeable with Tritheism. The Trinity does not fignify three Gods; but it denotes more than three Names or Powers. The Notion of an analogical figurative Perfonality confuted; it is as abfurd as the Anima mundi. The Diftinction of Perfons in Names, Relations, Communion, Worship, and Operations. Objections answered, viz. that the Term Perfon is unfcriptural and theatrical. That it deftroys the Unity of the Godhead. That clear Ideas would convince the Enemy. The Perfonality is only an eastern Figure. SERM. IV. A NOTHER Mystery contained in this fundamental Article of our Religion, is the Diftinction between those three, into whofe individual Name we are baptized, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. We are as much bound upon the Authority of meer Revelation to confels a Trinity of Perfons, as to believe an Unity of Na ture, |