which I am animadverting mentions the Lord's coming to be by water first; whereas, if water baptism be intended, then it follows that he came by water last; for he came by blood, and by the Spirit, from the womb of his mother, but not by water till thirty years after; but in the text water is mentioned before the blood, and blood before the Spirit.

He came by water first; for God loved his people from everlasting, and therefore from everlasting Christ was set up to be future man, and in man's nature to be man's covenant head, representative, and mediator. He was then made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, to us; the Father's choice of us was in him, and in him he gave us life. In his lovingkindness to us the covenant of life and council of peace was held and agreed on from the ancient settlements, which bear an everlasting date. "Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." And, in love to us, the king, mediator, and ruler's goings forth appear to be from of old, yea from the days of eternity. In the death of Christ God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. In this was manifested the love of God, in that he sent his Son to die for us; and in this agrees the Saviour. "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This love is the first and selfmoving cause in the God of all our salvation in

and through Jesus Christ. I know of no cause previous or antecedent to this. It was love in God that moved him to pity us, and it was love that influenced his will to choose us in Christ, which is called the good will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us; and, as it sprung from love, it is called the good pleasure of his will, and the good will of him that dwelt in the bush.

Hence it may warrantably be concluded that Christ came by water, by the river of God's pleasure; for God so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten Son. And that he came by blood, in his assumption of human nature, as man's Redeemer and Saviour, by whose incarnation and suffering he manifested the greatest love that could be shewn to the children of men. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

And he came by the Spirit who operated on the virgin Mary at his conception, formed the human nature, and filled it with all his gifts and graces, even from the womb; and this was the oil of gladness with which he was anointed above all his fellows; for God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him, as he does to all them that have fellowship with him, for to them is given only a measure of the Spirit, and that to profit withal.

Hence I conclude that the Father bears record in heaven to the divinity and sonship of Christ, and to a free salvation for sinners by the faith of him, as the fruit and effect of his eternal love to

them in the gift of him. And this record reflects a witness in the believer's heart when the love of God is shed abroad there by the Holy Ghost. But then it may be asked, what witness has this love when shed abroad there? Why it casts out all fear and torment, and makes the new birth manifest; for whosoever loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. The voice, therefore, of the love of God in such an heart is this, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Everlasting love says this, and adds God's yea unto it, which is yea and amen to the believer. Thus Christ came by water; and this water has a witness in the earth, a Yea, I have loved thee; and this is in every heart that believes on the Son of God.

Secondly, He came by blood at his incarnation and birth. His own blood was shed for us by his sacrifice for sin; and, when he discovers himself unto us, it is as Christ crucified for us; and this his atoning blood speaks peace, pardon, and reconciliation, to us and in us. Thus he came by blood; and this blood has a voice and a witness in every believing soul which speaks better things than the blood of Abel.

Thirdly, The Spirit also hath a voice in us, which is his testimony, or witness, that he bears to our adoption; for so it is written, "And, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Thus, "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are One." Christ came by water and by blood, and the Spirit beareth witness. And these are the three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one. The first person that bears record in heaven, is God the Father; and Christ is said to come first by water. The second person that bears record is the Word, and he is said to come by blood. The third person that bears record in heaven is the Spirit, and he is said to bear witness in the earth, because he is truth.

Now for the witness of each person. The eternal love of the Father says, "Yea, I have loved thee."

The blood of sprinkling speaks pardon, peace,

and reconciliation.

And the Spirit says, Abba, Father.

This is the third and last witness, And, as the three that bear record in heaven are one, so all those three witnesses, says John, agree in One. And then he adds; "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; and this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth hath the witness in himself." Now as these three agree in one, what is that one witness in this triune harmony? I answer, it is our sonship.

The Father's everlasting love that says, Yea, I

have loved thee, proves our predestination to the adoption of sons; the witness, therefore, of this love is to our sonship.

When faith receives the blood of sprinkling, and the heart is purified by it, then we are manifested to be the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus; the witness, therefore, of blood is to our sonship.

And, because we are sons by predestination, and manifestly so by faith in Jesus, the Spirit is sent into our hearts to assure us of it; and to make us claim it he cries, 'Abba, Father. The Spirit's witness is to our sonship. Thus these three agree in one; and he that believes hath this triune witness in himself, which is to be preferred above all the witnesses and testimonies of men. Such souls are enlightened to see, quickened to feel, and instructed to know, by efficacious grace and divine operations, three persons in one God. All others know nothing of these things but what they know naturally, and in these things they corrupt themselves. For "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them, because they are spiri tually discerned."