never did exist alone; for it is called a thing, a new thing, and a holy thing; and thus these wise men, by denying a trinity, have in fact made a quaternity; for it appears plain that John, by his assertion of a trinity of persons in unity of nature, neither brings in a human person, nor mentions a human nature; but confines and applies it entirely to the three divine persons in unity of essence, or in unity of essential divinity; as it is written, "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are One." In this passage the humanity of Christ is not mentioned, nor is it implied in the phrase, Word; for the Word was a divine person before the human nature existed, and without it; for John had in a preceding passage declared, that the Word was with God, and that the Word was God, and that all things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made; which is an absolute assertion of the distinct personality and essential divinity of the Word; and he confirms it by ascribing the whole work of creation to him, and all this antecedent to his incarnation, as follows; "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

This is the mystery which real faith not only assents to, but soundly credits, cordially receives, humbly acknowledges, and submits to, as it is written, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the ac

knowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." This mystery the wise and prudent of this world resist, and therefore God resists these proud ones. They oppose the revelation that He hath made of himself, who, one would think, must be the best judge of the mode of his own existence; at least, a better judge than those who cannot account for their own. These wanton ones sport and trifle with the most profound mystery in all the Bible; and by their preaching and writing they harden and embolden numbers of poor, unenlightened, unrenewed, unhumbled, uninformed, young men to laugh at and open a wide mouth against a mystery that is higher than heaven, deeper than hell, longer than the earth, and broader than the sea, Job xi. 7, 8, 9.

Whatever appears to thee, Reader, in the scriptures of truth to be contradictions, or whatever appears there in thy view of things to clash, seek wisdom from above to reconcile and make plain those things. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. If any text in God's book opposes any notion thou hast imbibed from the preaching or writings of men, stumble not, take no offence at the word, lest God leave thee to err from the way of understanding, and stumble upon the dark mountains. Be open to conviction, neither hate the light, nor fly from

it. Be not too proud to seek wisdom and direction from above, which is contempt of the divine prophet; neither rest or build on the judgment, parts, or abilities, of any man. "Let God be true, but every man a liar." We have many, yea multitudes, who, though they neither believe in Christ Jesus, or in the scriptures of truth, yet have faith in Socinus, Sabellius, Arius, and Elliot, who never knew either Christ or themselves, neither the wisdom that is from above, nor their own igno

rance.

To make straight paths for thy feet is to be enlightened to see a sweet consistency in the word of God; to see that nothing essential to salvation is lacking in thy faith; to have harmonious views of faith in the covenant of grace, and to feel tranquillity in thy soul,

Thirdly, cultivate communion and friendship with those who have been the most tried, and who are the most humble, steady, self-abased, and experimental; for such are the best able to cast up the highway, and to take up the stumbling blocks that may be laid before thee by crafty, designing, erroneous, and deceitful men. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed."

A false church is like a whore who keeps pimps. She hath not only some seated at her door, to call passengers who go right on their way, but she hath spies also to attend the assemblies of Zion, who are said to lie in wait to deceive;

these look after, find out, and catch, those who are simple and unwary, to destroy the way of their paths, lie in wait for him that reproves in the gate, and pervert the right ways of the Lord. These, by throwing themselves in the way of such weak souls, lead them straight to her house, who has cast down many wounded, and whose guests are in the depths of hell.

Grievous hath been the struggles and conflicts of my soul formerly, occasioned by the false glosses of these ministers of Satan, whose notions have been imbibed by their deluded followers, and thrown in my way by them; by which the devil always worked powerfully to make me stumble at the word, and take an offence at what I could not comprehend; and all his devices were intended to lead me into idolatry. What he aimed at was to fix the Most High in the image or similitude of a man, on the area of my imagination; which was nothing less than a high thing, which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; yea, it is an idol in embryo, conceived in the imagination. Sometimes this old crafty enemy of souls would attempt to puzzle me by bringing up three idols of this sort to represent the glorious Trinity, and then puzzle me about which to address. Against this I fought with all my might, well knowing that no man had heard the Father's voice or seen his shape, John v. 37. That Israel saw no manner of similitude, lest they should corrupt themselves and make an image, Deut. iv. 15. And that Christ, considered as man,

is not an object of divine worship, though God incarnate is. For, "though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." Those who saw him as man only were not to call him good, for no one is good but God; nor yet to trust in him, or pray to him, considered Trust not in man, nor in the son of man,

as man.

in whom there is no help. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Now the Word that was with God, and that was God, and was made flesh, and who is Immanuel, God with us, or God incarnate, is to be worshipped. This I read in scripture. But the devil, as I have just hinted, was working on my imagination, to confuse and confound my mind, and to lead me to heart idolatry; for I knew that God had compared himself to a fountain of living water, and to a consuming fire; and that the Holy Ghost was compared to wind; to either of which no human likeness can be framed or formed. I also knew that omnipresence could never be circumscribed in the limits of an imaginary doll, as was represented to me by Satan on the threshold of fancy. I likewise knew that eternal light, life, and love, could never be moulded into the likeness or similitude of a poor earthworm. If I had thought thus, I should have thought God to be just such an one as myself.

All idolatry begins first in the heart, by men who become vain in their imaginations, till their foolish hearts be darkened; professing themselves.