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I

THESAURUS

THEOLOGICUs.

S. MATT. iii. 16, 17.

And Jefus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the Water: and lo, the Heavens were opened unto Him, and he faw the Spirit of God defcending like a Dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo, a Voice from Heaven, Saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

J

ESUS being about thirty Years of Age, (S. Luk. iii, 23.) or twenty nine Years, ten Months, (το τριακοτᾶ ἔτες - ἐνσάρκα γενήσεως,

τετέςι και Αιγυπίες Αθὺς δωδεκάτη πρὸ ἓξ εἰδῶν NouBgiwr 7 "Eλanvas, Aix n', &c. Epiphan. Haref 51.. 24.) on the 6th of the Ides of November, or the 8th Day of that Month; fo that he turned the Water to Wine, when juft thirty Years of Age.

He came to be baptized, not because he want> ed it, for he had no Sin, but i. To fanctify Baptifm to us. Atque ita non ille neceffitatem habuit

B

abluendi,

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abluendi, fed per illum in aquis ablutionis noftra erat fanctificanda purgatio. Hilar. Pictav. in S. Matt.

Can. 2.

And fo he was circumcifed, S. Luk. ii. 21.

And fo instituted Baptifm instead of Circumcifion; as afterwards, the Lord's-Supper for the Paffover, S. Matt. xxviii. 19. A&t. xxii. 16. S. Matt. xxvi. 26.

2. Because he was by this Means to be initiated into his Office, Ne homines gravarentur ad baptifmum Domini venire, cum non gravaretur Dominus venire ad baptifmum fervi. See S. Auguft. Enchirid. ad Laureat. c. 49. De mirab. facr. Scriptura, 1. 3. c. 5. & in Pfal. xc. Tom. 8. p. 696.

John forbad him, S. Matt. iii. 14. But Jefus faid, he must not look at the Worthiness of the Perfon, but at the Command of God, v. 15.

John came between the Law and the Gospel, S. Job. i. 25. And he notified our Saviour to the People, v. 29, 30. and particularly, in relation to the Holy Ghost's Defcent upon him at his Baptifm, v. 33.

At which Baptifm, we may observe, how all the Perfons of the Blessed Trinity manifefted their efpecial Prefence. Voce Pater, Natus corpore, Fla

'men ave.

I. The Son is baptized. For, he was baptized, 'is not only to declare him to be the well-beloved Son, v. 17. but we are told also, that it was Jefus that came from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him, v. 13. that ordered it to be fo done, v. 15. and that was baptized, and went up Straightway out of the Water, v. 16.

II. The Spirit, the Holy Ghoft, the Third Perfon of the Blessed Trinity, defcended upon our Lord, S. Joh. i. 32.

1. Ωσε, as a Dove, 'Οὐκ ἐν φύσει, ἀλλ' ἐν εἴδει π gises. S. Chryfoft. in loc. oopaling de. S. Luk. iii. 22.

2. As a Dove for its Innocence, Purity and Love. "Hμse To (ãov x) nadacóv. S. Chryfoft. ibid.

3. Holy Ghost was visible under this Shape; John faw it, S. Luk. iii. 22. S. Job. i. 34. or, at least, hovering over our Saviour, as a Dove hovers when it is lighting. Καὶ ἀναδύνΘ αυτῇ ἀπὸ το ὕδα]Θ, ὡς περιςερὰν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἀπιπλῆναι ἐπ ̓ αυτὸν ἔγραψαν οι Απόςολοι αυτό τότε το Χριστ. fuft. M. c. Tryph. p. 315.

4. The Heavens were opened to make way for this Sight, and to fhew they were now opened for Believers. Ανεώχθησαν αυτώ δι ἐρανοὶ, in the Text. And S. Mark, Ade qičoμévus très sogrès, S. Mar. i. 10.

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5. The Spirit now defcended and lighted on Jefus, S. Chryfoft. thinks, in the Sight, not of S. John only, but of the Jews; πsv in misevdav οι Ἰσδαίοι, φῆσιν· ἐδὲ δ μόνΘ Ἰωάννης εἶδε τὸ πνεῦμα ἐν de desses, in S. Jo. Hom. 17.

1. To demonftrate him to be the Meffiah; S. Mar. i. 7, 8. S. Joh. i. 33.

2. To inaugurate him into his Office, S. Job.

XX. 22.

3. To fulfil the Prophecy that had been long before concerning him, Ifa. xi. 1, 2. and xlii. 1.

III. The Father spake, and audibly owned our Saviour for his Son; fo fays the Evangelift; Bes hold a Voice from Heaven, &c. Thou art,

1. My Son, S. Luk. i. 15. Therefore, he that fpake, was the Father.

2. My beloved Son, S. Matt. xii. 18. and xvii. §. 3. In whom I am well pleased, 2 S. Pet. i. 17. even fo that others too were accepted thro him, Ezek. i. 6.

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OBSERV. I. There are three Perfons in the one Godhead, or Divine Essence.

1. There are three Perfons; as appears,

1. From the Old Teftament, Gen i. 26. and iii. 22. 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Psal. xxxiii. 6. Isai. xlii. 1. 2. From the New Teftament, S. Luk. i. 35. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. S. Joh. xiv. 26.

2. Every one of these is God. 'I♪ò, 'Adàμ y'íγονεν ὡς ἧς ἐξ ἡμῶν τῶν τριῶν ἢ ΘεότητΘ ύποςάσεων. Anaftaf. Sinait. in Hexaem. 1. 12. p. 5.

1. The Father's being fo, is not difputed, but Jews, Turks and Hereticks, acknowledge it.

2. That the Son is fo, fee S. John i. 1. and xx. 28. Phil. ii. 6. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Act.. xx. 28. S. Matt. i. 23. otherwise he could not be our Saviour.

3. And no lefs is the Holy Ghost God, S. Matt. xii. 31, 32. Act. v. 4. 1 Cor. iii. 16.

3. All three Perfons are yet but one God, Deut. vi. 4. 1 S. Joh. v. 7. 1 Tim. ii. 5. S. Joh. xvii. 3.

4. The Order of these three Perfons.

1. The Father in the first place, fo He is mentioned here; And to Him a Priority of Order is afcribed in all other Places of Scripture, wherefoever the whole three Perfons are spoken of.

2. The Son next. He is the only begotten of the Father, and therefore next after him; S. Joh. iii. 16. Heb. i. 2, 6. is God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, as ftyled in the Creed, commonly call'd the Nicene; In S. Bafil's Language, he is, 'Alon alagadós.

3. The Holy Ghoft laft, S. Joh. xv. 26. This is plain, in that he is call'd the Spirit of God and of Chrift, Rom. viii. 9. The Spirit of the Living

God,

God, 2 Cor. iii. 3.

And of Christ, Phil. i. 19.

And of the Son, Gal. iv. 6.

5. Every one of these Perfons is to be worshipped.

1. Because every one is God, as already obferved.

2. Because this is the great Diftinction between Christians and others, that we have a more explicit Notion and clearer Revelations of the Trinity; to whom we are therefore to pay our Adoration accordingly.

OBSERV. II. All three Perfons were prefent at Christ's Baptifm. Because,

1. All are equally defirous of Man's Happiness, Ezek. xviii. 31. S. Joh. v. 40. Ephef. iv. 30.

2. To fhew that we are to baptize in the Name of all three Perfons; We having,

1. Chrift's Example, at whofe Baptifm all three Perfons were thus prefent, and in which they were thus concerned.

19.

2. His positive Precept for it, S. Matt. xxviii.

INFERENCES.

1. That all three Perfons concur in especial Acts of Providence. Thus, Gen. i. 26. 1 S. Job. V. 7.

2. That Baptifm is a Divine Institution, and fo of neceffary and indifpenfable Obligation, S. Joh. iii. 5. Act. iii. 19. §. Mar. xvi. 16. Rom.

vi. 3.

3. That we have great Cause to bless God for ours, 1 S. Pet. iii. 21, Ephef. ii. 12, 13. 1 Cor. vi. 11.

USB That we carefully perform our several Duties to each of these Perfons. Such as,

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