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| Chapter 2 - Of God and
the Holy Trinity |
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1. The Lord our God is but
one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite
in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but
himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions,
who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every
way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all
things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous
will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering,
abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and
sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just
and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means
clear the guilty.
1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy
6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12; Exodus 3:14; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17;
Deuteronomy 4:15, 16; Malachi 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23; Psalms
90:2; Genesis 17:1; Isaiah 6:3; Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4;
Romans 11:36; Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6; Nehemiah 9:32, 33; Psalms 5:5,
6; Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3
2. God, having all life, glory,
goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in and unto himself
all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which he hath made,
nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in,
by, unto, and upon them; he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom,
through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most sovereign dominion
over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself
pleaseth; in his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge
is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing
is to him contingent or uncertain; he is most holy in all his counsels,
in all his works, and in all his commands; to him is due from angels and
men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto
the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them.
John 5:26; Psalms 148:13; Psalms
119:68; Job 22:2, 3; Romans 11:34-36; Daniel 4:25, 34, 35; Hebrews 4:13;
Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 15:18; Psalms 145:17; Revelation 5:12-14
3. In this divine and infinite
Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy
Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine
essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten
nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit
proceeding from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning,
therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but
distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations;
which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with
God, and comfortable dependence on him.
1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians
13:14; Exodus 3:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:14,18; John 15:26;
Galatians 4:6 |