all."
Psalm 104:24. When we consider the vast variety of creatures and
things which God has produced from the same original matter, the
fitness of everything for its intended purpose, the subservience of
one thing to another, and the conspiring of all to a common end—how
conspicuous is his wisdom! Nor is the wisdom of God less apparent in
the government of the world, especially in ejecting the most grand
and glorious designs by weak and feeble means, and even by the bad
dispositions of men—"making even the wrath of man to praise him, and
restraining the remainder thereof." "O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"—Romans 11:33. But this
perfection of God shines forth with the brightest luster in the
method of redemption by Jesus Christ. Nothing less than wisdom truly
divine could have devised a plan whereby "mercy and truth should
meet together, and righteousness and peace should embrace each
other." Here is "the hidden wisdom of God." Here "he has abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence;" and hence the publication of
this contrivance is spoken of as a discovery of "the manifold wisdom
of God." Ephesians 3:10.

9. God is infinitely powerful, or almighty. The power of God is that
perfection whereby he is able to effect all things that do not imply
a contradiction, either to his own perfections, or to the nature of
things themselves. "With God nothing shall be impossible," said the
angel to the Virgin Mary. "With God all things are possible," said
Jesus to his disciples. How great must be that power which produced
the beautiful fabric of the universe out of nothing! "By the word of
the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the
breath of his mouth." "For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded,
and it stood fast." Psalm 33:6, 9. His power is still exerted in the
preservation of the world; for he upholds all creatures in their
being and operations by the word of his power. It appears
conspicuously in the moral government of the world—especially in
restraining wicked men from their purposes; for "he stills the noise
of the waves, and the raging of the people." But it is most
eminently displayed in the work of redemption by Jesus Christ; in
the formation of his human nature in the womb of the Virgin; in
supporting his human nature under that load of wrath which was due
to us for our transgressions; and in raising him from the dead. It
is also displayed in the production of that wonderful change which
takes place in the conversion of a sinner, which in Scripture is
termed a new creation; in the preservation of believers in a state
of grace; in enabling them to resist and overcome strong
temptations, to perform arduous duties, and to bear heavy trials
with patience and joyfulness; and it will be signally manifested in
raising up their bodies, glorious and immortal, at the last day.

It may be observed, that although there are some things which God
cannot do, yet this implies no imperfection in his power. He cannot
do what involves a contradiction; for instance, he cannot make a
thing to be, and not to be, at the same time; he cannot do what is
repugnant to his nature, or his essential perfections; he cannot
deny himself—he cannot lie—he cannot look upon sin—he cannot sleep,
or suffer, or cease to exist. This, however, argues no defect of
power, but arises from his absolute perfection.

10. God is infinitely holy. The holiness of God is the perfect
rectitude of his nature, whereby he is absolutely free from all
moral impurity, and, in all that he does, acts like himself, and for
the advancement of his own honor; delighting in what accords with,
and abhorring what is contrary to his nature and will. Holiness is,
as it were, the luster and glory of all the divine perfections;
hence God is styled "glorious in holiness." It is that perfection
which those exalted spirits, who are best acquainted with the
glories of the divine nature, dwell most upon in their songs of
praise; hence, the seraphim cry one to another, "Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord of hosts." Isaiah 6:3. God himself puts peculiar honor
upon his holiness; for he singles it out as that attribute by which
he swears that he will accomplish whatever he has spoken.—Psalm
89:35. The holiness of God is manifest from the original condition
of all rational creatures; for, when formed by him, they were
perfectly holy. It has been awfully dis-played in the judgments
which God has executed upon sinners. The expulsion of the rebel
angels from heaven,—the exclusion of man from paradise, as soon as
he became a sinner,—the destruction of the old world by water,—the
overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; these, and innumerable other
instances, the Scripture records of God's awful displeasure against
sin. But nothing affords such a striking demonstration of God's
hatred of sin as the sufferings and death of his own Son. God must
be of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, since, when our guilt was
transferred to his own Son, he spared him not. Could he have
overlooked sin in any case, he would certainly have done it in the
case of his dear Son. But, though he was the object of his Father's
ineffable delight, and though he was personally innocent, yet, when
he stood charged with the sins of his people, he could not be
excused from suffering and dying. "It pleased the Lord to bruise
him, he has put him to grief." Isaiah 53:10.

11. God is infinitely just. The justice of God is that perfection of
his nature according to which he is infinitely righteous in himself,
and just and equal in all his proceedings with regard to his
creatures. "A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is
he." Deuteronomy 32:4. God is just to himself, by acting in all
things agreeably to his nature and perfections, and by maintaining
his own rights and prerogatives. He is just to his creatures, by
governing them in a way agreeably to their nature, according to a
law which he has given them. God's justice has been variously
distinguished, according to the various ways in which it is
exercised. His legislative justice, is his giving righteous laws to
his creatures, suited to their original abilities, commanding or
forbidding such things as are fit for them to do or forbear. Hence,
his law is said to be "holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12. His
distributive justice, is his rendering to every one his due,
according to law, without respect of persons. This, again, is
distinguished by various names. There is remunerative justice,
whereby God rewards the sincere, though imperfect obedience of those
who are accepted in his sight as righteous, through the
righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to them, and received by
faith. "Truly, there is a reward for the righteous." "God is not
unrighteous, to forget their work and labor of love." Psalm 58:11;
Hebrews 6:10. But this reward is entirely of free grace, and not of
debt. There is punitive justice, whereby God renders to the sinner
the punishment due to his crimes. This is nothing else than God's
distributive justice, as it regards punishment. It is sometimes
called vindicatory justice, and sometimes avenging justice. This, we
hold, in opposition to Socinians, is not an arbitrary effect of the
will of God, but an essential perfection of his nature; and,
therefore, upon the entrance of sin, its exercise was indispensably
necessary. God must inflict the punishment due to sin, either upon
the transgressor himself, or upon another as his surety. This
appears from the holiness of God, which requires that he should
demonstrate his aversion to sin by punishing it according to its
demerit. It appears from the threatening of the law, taken in
connection with the truth of God. "In the day you eat thereof, you
shall surely die," was the penalty annexed to the law, and the
faithfulness of God is pledged for the execution of the sentence
upon transgressors. This is confirmed by the testimony of conscience
in all men, apprehending that punishment will overtake the
transgressor; hence, both barbarous and civilized nations have had
recourse to sacrifices to appease the anger of the Deity. This
appears, further, from God's indicting remarkable judgments, even in
this life, on sinning nations and individuals; and especially from
his executing punishment upon his own Son, as the surety of sinners.
Christ having substituted himself in the piece of sinners, justice
exacted of him full satisfaction. And never did justice appear in
such terrible majesty, as when God gave it the commission to awake,
and smite the man that was his fellow.—Zechariah 13:7. Then it was
seen that God "can by no means clear the guilty," or allow sin to
pass with impunity.

Several writers, of late, have attributed to God what they call
public justice; that is, justice which respects the great general
end of government,—the public good. But, we apprehend, there is no
foundation, either in Scripture or reason, for supposing that this
kind of justice has any place in the moral government of God. Such
an idea proceeds upon the supposition that the divine government, so
far as punishment is concerned, is completely analogous to human
governments. There is, however, a wide and obvious distinction
between the procedure of human governments and the procedure of the
Most High.

12. God is infinitely good. Though all the perfections of God are
his glory, yet this is particularly so called; for when Moses
earnestly desired to behold the glory of Jehovah, the Lord said, "I
will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord before you." "And the Lord passed by before him,
and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," &c.—Exodus.
33:18, 19, and 34:6. The goodness of God is distinguished by
different names, according to the different aspects in which it is
viewed, or the different objects about which it is exercised. When
it relieves the miserable, it is called mercy; when it confers
favors on the undeserving, or on those who deserve nothing but what
is evil, it is called grace; when it supplies the wants of indigent
beings, it is called bounty; when it forbears to execute punishment
upon provoking rebels, it is called patience or longsuffering. The
goodness of God is, therefore, a very comprehensive term; it
includes all the forms of his kindness towards men, whether
considered as creatures, as sinners, or as saints. But we may
describe it generally as that property of the Divine Being which
disposes him to communicate happiness to his creatures, a far as is
consistent with his other perfections.

Innumerable are the instances in which God has manifested his
goodness. What but goodness could prompt him to give being to so
many creatures, when he stood in no need of them, being infinitely
happy in the enjoyment of himself? What goodness does he display in
upholding innumerable creatures in existence, and in making ample
provision for their wants? But the most astonishing display of this,
as well as of all the other perfections of Deity, is in the
redemption of sinners. In the contrivance of the plan, and in the
execution of it from first to last, God appears good, in a manner
and to a degree that astonishes the inhabitants both of earth and of
Heaven. The goodness of God, as manifested in this world, is usually
expressed by the term love; and the love herein displayed surpasses
knowledge.—John 3:16.

The goodness of God may be considered as absolute and relative,—as
it is in himself, and as it is exercised toward his creatures.—Psalm
119:68. It may also be considered as common and special. Of his
goodness, in the former view, his creatures promiscuously are
partakers.—Psalm 33:5; 145:9. Of his goodness, in the latter view,
his chosen people are partakers.—Psalm 106:5.

13. God is infinitely true and faithful. The truth of God is that
perfection of his nature whereby it is impossible for him not to
fulfill whatever he has spoken. He is "a God of truth, and without
iniquity, just and right is he." Whatever God has spoken, whether in
a way of promise or of threatening, he will, sooner or later,
infallibly accomplish. "It is impossible for God to lie." No
difficulties can arise to render a performance of his word
impracticable; and he is not liable to a change of mind.—Numbers
23:19. We may, therefore, be confidently assured, that "there shall
not fail one good word of all that the Lord our God has spoken."

How blessed are they who, upon good grounds, can call this
all-perfect Being their Father and their God! How miserable those
who live "without God in the world!" and what a "fearful thing" must
it be to "fall into the hands of the living God!" That we may escape
this misery, and possess the happiness of those "whose God is the
Lord," let us unreservedly yield ourselves to God, through Christ,
and take him to be our portion forever. May the sincere language of
every reader be, "Whom have I in Heaven but you? and there is none
upon earth that I desire besides you."

SECTION 3. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of
one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor
proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy
Spirit eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Exposition of 2.3

We are here taught,—First, That in the one Godhead there are three
persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Secondly, That
these three are distinguished by their personal properties. Thirdly,
That each of these persons is truly God.

I. That in the one Godhead there are three persons, is affirmed in
opposition to the Anti-trinitarians, who maintain that God is one in
respect of personality as well as of essence. The term which has
been chosen to express the doctrine now under consideration is
Trinity. This word is not to be found in Scripture, but it is a very
appropriate and happy term to express this profound mystery. It is a
compound Latin word, signifying three in unity; that is, three
distinct persons in one undivided Godhead. The adversaries of this
doctrine now call themselves Unitarians, by which they mean to
intimate their belief of only one God, and insinuate that those who
believe the doctrine of the Trinity must admit more than one God.
But we maintain, as strongly as they, that there is only one God,
and we think it perfectly consistent with this belief, to
acknowledge three persons in the Godhead. This, indeed, is a
mystery, but there is nothing in it absurd, or contradictory to
reason. We do not say that three are one in the same sense and in
the same respect in which they are three; that would, no doubt, be a
plain contradiction in terms. But we say, they are three in one
respect, one in another respect,—three in person, one in essence;
and there is no absurdity in that at all. It surpasses our reason,
indeed, fully to understand it; and so do a thousand things besides,
which yet we know are true and real. But, if it be a doctrine
clearly revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, we are bound to believe
it, howe