1. In our former lectures we treated of the being, character, perfections,and attributes, of God. What we mean by perfections is, the perfectionswhich belong to all the attributes of His nature. We shall, in this lecture,speak of the Godhead -- we mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing,and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made,that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven,on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensityof space. They are the Father and the Son -- the Father being a personageof spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fullness, theSon, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, madeof fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, orrather man was formed after His likeness and in His image; He is also theexpress image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing allthe fullness of the Father, or the same fullness with the Father; beingbegotten of Him, and ordained from before the foundation of the world tobe a propitiation for the sins of all those who would believe on His name,and is called the Son because of the flesh, and descended in suffering belowthat which man can suffer; or, in other word, suffered greater sufferings,and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be. But,notwithstanding all this, He kept the law of God, and remained without sin,showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remainalso without sin; and also, that by Him a righteous judgment might comeupon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God may justly becondemned by the law, and have no excuse for their sins. And He being theOnly Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome,received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mindwith the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of theFather and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these threeconstitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things;by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, andthese three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Sonpossessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness --filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind,glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of theFather, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sittingat the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father,mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father;or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forthupon all who believe on His name and keep His commandments; and all thosewho keep His commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and becomeheirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessingthe same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even theexpress image of Him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullnessof His glory, and become one in Him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spiritare one.
3. From the foregoing account of the Godhead, which is given in His revelations,the saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto lifeand salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ; by whoseblood they have a forgiveness of sins, and also a sure reward laid up forthem in heaven, even that of partaking of the fullness of the Father andthe Son through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fullness of the Fatherthrough the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakersof the same fullness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and theSon are one, so, in like manner, the saints are to be one in them. Throughthe love of the Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of theHoly Spirit, they are to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Of what do the foregoing lecture treat? Of the being, perfections, andattributes of the Deity? Lecture 5:1
What are we to understand by the perfections of the Deity? The perfectionswhich belong to His attributes.
How many personages are there in the Godhead? Two: the Father and Son.Lecture 5:1 (See footnote.)
How do you prove that there are two personages in the Godhead? By theScriptures. Genesis 1:26. Also lecture 2:6: "As the Lord God said untothe Only Begotten, who was with Him from the beginning, 'Let us make manin our image, after our likeness' -- as it was done." Genesis 3:22:"And the Lord God said unto the Only Begotten, 'Behold, the man isbecome as one of us: to know good and evil.'" John 17:5: "Andnow, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory whichI had with thee before the world was." Lecture 5:2.
What is the Father? He is a personage of glory and of power. Lecture5:2.
How do you prove that the Father is a personage of glory and of power?Isaiah 60:19: "The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither forbrightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be untothee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." 1 Chronicles 29:11:"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory."Psalms 29:3: "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God ofglory thunders." Psalms 79:9: "Help us, O God of our salvation,for the glory of thy name." Romans 1:23: "And changed the gloryof the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man."Secondly, of power. 1 Chronicles 29:11: "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness,and the power, and glory." Jeremiah 32:17: "Ah! Lord God, beholdthou hast made the earth and the heavens by thy great power, and stretched-outarm; and there is nothing too hard for thee." Deuteronomy 4:37: "Andbecause He loved thy fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them,and brought them out in His sight with His mighty power." 2 Samuel22:33: "God is my strength and power." Job 26: commencing withthe 7th verse to the end of the chapter: "He stretcheth out the northover the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth upthe waters in His thick clouds; and the could is not rent under them. Heholdeth back the face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it. Hehath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to anend. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at His reproof. Hedivideth the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smiteth throughthe proud. By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formedthe crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of His ways! but how little a portionis heard of Him? But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
What is the Son? First, He is a personage of tabernacle. Lecture 5:2.
How do you prove it? John 14:9, 10, 11: "Jesus saith unto him, 'HaveI been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? Hethat hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show usthe Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father inme? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Fatherthat dwelleth in me He doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Fatherand the Father in me.'" Secondly, -- and being a personage of tabernacle,was made or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness ofman. Lecture 5:2. Philippians 2:2-8: "Let this mind be in you, whichwas also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it notrobbery to be equal with God; but made Himself no reputation, and took uponHim the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and beingfound in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient untodeath, even the death of the cross." Hebrews 2:14, 16: "Forasmuchthen as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewisetook part of the same. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels:but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." Thirdly, He is also in thelikeness of the personage of the Father. Lecture 5:2. Hebrews 1:1, 2, 3:"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times pastto the fathers, by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto usby His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He madethe worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express imageof His person." Again, Philippians 2:5, 6: "Let this mind be inyou, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thoughtit not robbery to be equal with God."
Was it by the Father and the Son that all things were created and madethat were created and made? It was. Colossians 1:15, 16, 17: "Who isthe image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature; for byHim were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visibleand invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers;all things were created by Him and for Him; and He is before all things,and by Him all things consist." Genesis 1:1: "In the beginningGod created the heavens and the earth." Hebrews 1:2 (God) "Hathin these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heirof all things, by whom also He made the worlds."
Does He possess the fullness of the Father? He does. Colossians 1:19,2:9: "For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell."For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Ephesians1:23: "Which is His (Christ's) body, the fullness of Him that fillall in all."
Why was He called the Son? Because of the flesh. Luke 1:33: "Thatholy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God."Matthew 3:16, 17: "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightwayout of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he (John)saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him: andlo, a voice from heaven saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased.'"
Was He ordained of the Father, from before the foundation of the world,to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on Hisname? He was. 1 Peter 1:18, 19, 20: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye werenot redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vainconversation, received by tradition from your father: but with the preciousblood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verilywas foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifestedin these last times for you." Revelations 13:8: "And all thatdwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast), whose names are notwritten in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of theworld." 1 Corinthians 2:7: "But we speak the wisdom of God ina mystery, even the hidden mystery, which God ordained before the world,unto our glory."
Do the Father and the son possess the same mind? They do. John 5:30 "I(Christ) can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge, and my judgmentis just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father whosent me." John 6:38: "For I (Christ) came down from heaven, notto do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me." John 10:30: "I(Christ) and my Father are one."
What is this mind? The Holy Spirit. John 15:26: "But when the Comforteris come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me (Christ)." Galatians4:6: "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of HisSon into your hearts."
Do the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead? They do.Lecture 5:2. (See footnote.)
Do the believers in Christ Jesus, through the gift of the Spirit, becomeone with the Father and the Son, and the Father and the Son are one? Theydo. John 17:20, 21: "Neither pray I for these (the apostles) alone,but for them also who shall believe on me through their word; that theyall may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they alsomay be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
Does the foregoing account of the Godhead lay a sure foundation for theexercise of faith in Him unto life and salvation? It does.
How do you prove it? By the third paragraph of this lecture.