Chapter II - Of God and the Holy Trinity
I. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God;(1 Cor. 8:4,6; Deut. 6:4) whose subsistence is in and of Himself,(Jer. 10:10; Isa. 48:12) infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself;(Exod. 3:14) a most pure spirit,(John 4:24) invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;(1 Tim. 1:17; Deut. 4:15,16) who is immutable,(Mal. 3:6) immense,(1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23) eternal,(Ps. 90:2) incomprehensible, almighty,(Gen. 17:1) every way infinite, most holy,(Isa. 6:3) most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will,(Ps. 115:3; Isa. 46:10) for His own glory;(Prov. 16:4; Rom. 11:36) most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,(Exod. 34:6,7; Heb. 11:6) and withal most just and terrible in His judgments,(Neh. 9:32,33) hating all sin,(Ps. 5:5,6) and who will by no means clear the guilty.(Exod. 34:7; Nahum 1:2,3)
II. God, having all life,(John 5:26) glory,(Ps. 148:13) goodness,(Ps. 119:68) 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,(Job 22:2,3) 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,(Rom. 11:34-36) and He hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleases;(Dan. 4:25,34,35) in His sight all things are open and manifest,(Heb. 4:13) His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain;(Ezek. 11:5; Acts 15:18) He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works,(Ps. 145:17) and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship,(Rev. 5:12-14) service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.
III. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit,(1 John 5:7; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14) of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided:(Exod. 3:14; John 14:11; I Cor. 8:6) the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father;(John 1:14,18) the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son;(John 15:26; Gal. 4:6all 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.
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Of the Holy Scriptures
- Chapter 2: Of God and the Holy Trinity
- Chapter 3: Of God’s Decree
- Chapter 4: Of Creation
- Chapter 5: Of Divine Providence
- Chapter 6: Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
- Chapter 7: Of God’s Covenant
- Chapter 8: Of Christ the Mediator
- Chapter 9: Of Free Will
- Chapter 10: Of Effectual Calling
- Chapter 11: Of Justification
- Chapter 12: Of Adoption
- Chapter 13: Of Sanctification
- Chapter 14: Of Saving Faith
- Chapter 15: Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation
- Chapter 16: Of Good Works
- Chapter 17: Of the Perseverance of the Saints
- Chapter 18: Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
- Chapter 19: Of the Law of God
- Chapter 20: Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace Thereof
- Chapter 21: Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
- Chapter 22: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day
- Chapter 23: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
- Chapter 24: Of the Civil Magistrate
- Chapter 25: Of Marriage
- Chapter 26: Of the Church
- Chapter 27: Of the Communion of Saints
- Chapter 28: Of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
- Chapter 29: Of Baptism
- Chapter 30: Of the Lord’s Supper
- Chapter 31: Of the State of Man after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead
- Chapter 32: Of the Last Judgment