2. God and the Holy Trinity
1. The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God, whose subsistence is in and of himself; who is infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; who is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; who only has immortality; who dwells in the light which no man can approach; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; who works all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; who is most loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth; who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; who is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him and who, at the same time, is most just and terrible in his judgements, hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty.
1. He is singular. There is only one God, the living and true God, The Lord our God. All others are false. Worship him alone.
2. He is self-existent, not dependent on others but existing by his own power and will. Approach him aware that he depends on no-one for his existence and has to answer to no-one.
3. He is infinite. There is no limit to him or to his perfections. He is beyond us in everything.
4. He is incomprehensible. Because of who he is, none can fully fathom the depths of his person and nature but God himself. We can know him but we cannot fully understand him. There is always a mystery.
5. He is spiritual. Essentially spiritual and invisible, he has no body, is indivisible into parts and not like a creature with passions. A spiritual being must be served spiritually. God hears prayer but is not fickle or capricious in responding.
6. He alone has true immortality in himself. He is without beginning or end. Praise him.
7. He dwells in unapproachable light and is unchanging, vast, everlasting, omnipotent, beyond understanding. We cannot tame God or shut him up in a box. He is always beyond us, higher than our highest thought.
8. He is sovereign. A most holy, wise, free, absolute God, he works out everything in line with the dictates of his own unchanging, most righteous will to this end - his own glory. He controls all things and does as he wants. Bow to his will and seek always what he seeks – his glory.
9. He is love. Loving, gracious, merciful, tolerant, God is full of goodness and truth and one who forgives. Look confidently to him for grace and mercy. Good and true, he will receive all who look to him.
10. He is just. A fair God, he rewards earnest seekers but because he is completely righteous he is very severe when he brings judgement. He hates all sin and refuses to pardon the guilty who do not repent. Be encouraged: God rewards those who seek him. Be warned: he hates sin and robustly judges the guilty.
2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and from himself, is unique in being all-sufficient, both in himself and to himself, not standing in need of any creature which he has made, nor deriving any glory from such. On the contrary, it is God who manifests his own glory in them, through them, to them and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, from whom, through whom and to whom all things exist and move. He has completely sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do through them, for them or to them whatever he pleases. In his sight, all things are open and manifest. His knowledge is infinite, infallible and not dependent on the creature. Therefore, nothing is for 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 whatever worship, service or obedience they owe as creatures to the Creator and whatever else he is pleased to require from them.
1. God is uniquely all-sufficient, both in and to himself. All life, glory, goodness or happiness is found in him. He has no need of any creature nor can he derive any glory from one. We depend on God for life, happiness, glory and goodness. We can only give him what he first gives us.
2. Anything praiseworthy in creatures is God-given. He displays his glory in, through, to and on them. The only source of all being, everything exists and lives from, through and to him. He has absolute, supreme authority over all creatures and does through, for and to them as he pleases. We can only do what God allows. Without him we are nothing. We owe him everything. If we are to be anything worthwhile at all it must be from, through, to and for him.
3. Everything is seen by him and known to him. Omniscient, he has unlimited and complete knowledge, independent of every creature. So nothing for him is dependent on some other factor or at all uncertain. We can hide nothing from him. He always sees us - a comfort to the good, a terror to the wicked.
4. God is utterly holy in all his decisions, actions and commands. We never have reason to complain or object about him or what he does. Whatever happens, whatever he demands, he is sinless.
5. Angels and men owe whatever worship, service or obedience a creature owes his Creator plus anything else God may require. God can never ask too much from us. He made us and sustains us and is our Lord.
3. In this divine and infinite being there are three subsistences: the Father, the Word or Son and the Holy Spirit. All are one in substance, power and eternity; each having the whole divine essence, yet this essence being undivided. The Father was not derived from any other being. He was neither brought into being by, nor did he issue from any other being. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning and are therefore only one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and also their personal relations. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and our comfortable dependence on Him.
1. Here the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is affirmed. In the true God are three subsistences or persons - Father, Son, Spirit. They are one in substance, power, eternity. Each has in him all that it means to be God, something indivisible. The Bible expects us to believe that God is one yet three, each of them being truly and indivisibly God.
2. The Father is characterised by not being derived from or brought into being by or issuing from any other being. We must also believe that the Father is self-existent - not begotten by or proceeding from any.
3. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. He alone has the quality of being eternally the Father's Son.
4. The Holy Spirit comes out from Father and Son. He alone has the quality of proceeding from both. (Some limit procession to the Father).
5. All three are infinite and without beginning and there is only one God. God’s nature or being should not be divided, though we can distinguish various particular attributes in each person and differences in how they relate. We cannot divide God but we can distinguish how they act in, eg creation, inspiration of Scripture, salvation and prayer. The Father creates by the Word, the Spirit beautifies the work; the Father speaks of the Son by the Spirit; the Father saves through the Son by the Spirit; prayer is to the Father through the Son, by the Spirit.
6. This doctrine is the basis for all fellowship with God and all contented security in him. This is why it is so important to grasp this vital teaching.
1. The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God, whose subsistence is in and of himself; who is infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; who is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; who only has immortality; who dwells in the light which no man can approach; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; who works all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; who is most loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth; who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; who is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him and who, at the same time, is most just and terrible in his judgements, hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty.
1. He is singular. There is only one God, the living and true God, The Lord our God. All others are false. Worship him alone.
2. He is self-existent, not dependent on others but existing by his own power and will. Approach him aware that he depends on no-one for his existence and has to answer to no-one.
3. He is infinite. There is no limit to him or to his perfections. He is beyond us in everything.
4. He is incomprehensible. Because of who he is, none can fully fathom the depths of his person and nature but God himself. We can know him but we cannot fully understand him. There is always a mystery.
5. He is spiritual. Essentially spiritual and invisible, he has no body, is indivisible into parts and not like a creature with passions. A spiritual being must be served spiritually. God hears prayer but is not fickle or capricious in responding.
6. He alone has true immortality in himself. He is without beginning or end. Praise him.
7. He dwells in unapproachable light and is unchanging, vast, everlasting, omnipotent, beyond understanding. We cannot tame God or shut him up in a box. He is always beyond us, higher than our highest thought.
8. He is sovereign. A most holy, wise, free, absolute God, he works out everything in line with the dictates of his own unchanging, most righteous will to this end - his own glory. He controls all things and does as he wants. Bow to his will and seek always what he seeks – his glory.
9. He is love. Loving, gracious, merciful, tolerant, God is full of goodness and truth and one who forgives. Look confidently to him for grace and mercy. Good and true, he will receive all who look to him.
10. He is just. A fair God, he rewards earnest seekers but because he is completely righteous he is very severe when he brings judgement. He hates all sin and refuses to pardon the guilty who do not repent. Be encouraged: God rewards those who seek him. Be warned: he hates sin and robustly judges the guilty.
2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and from himself, is unique in being all-sufficient, both in himself and to himself, not standing in need of any creature which he has made, nor deriving any glory from such. On the contrary, it is God who manifests his own glory in them, through them, to them and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, from whom, through whom and to whom all things exist and move. He has completely sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do through them, for them or to them whatever he pleases. In his sight, all things are open and manifest. His knowledge is infinite, infallible and not dependent on the creature. Therefore, nothing is for 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 whatever worship, service or obedience they owe as creatures to the Creator and whatever else he is pleased to require from them.
1. God is uniquely all-sufficient, both in and to himself. All life, glory, goodness or happiness is found in him. He has no need of any creature nor can he derive any glory from one. We depend on God for life, happiness, glory and goodness. We can only give him what he first gives us.
2. Anything praiseworthy in creatures is God-given. He displays his glory in, through, to and on them. The only source of all being, everything exists and lives from, through and to him. He has absolute, supreme authority over all creatures and does through, for and to them as he pleases. We can only do what God allows. Without him we are nothing. We owe him everything. If we are to be anything worthwhile at all it must be from, through, to and for him.
3. Everything is seen by him and known to him. Omniscient, he has unlimited and complete knowledge, independent of every creature. So nothing for him is dependent on some other factor or at all uncertain. We can hide nothing from him. He always sees us - a comfort to the good, a terror to the wicked.
4. God is utterly holy in all his decisions, actions and commands. We never have reason to complain or object about him or what he does. Whatever happens, whatever he demands, he is sinless.
5. Angels and men owe whatever worship, service or obedience a creature owes his Creator plus anything else God may require. God can never ask too much from us. He made us and sustains us and is our Lord.
3. In this divine and infinite being there are three subsistences: the Father, the Word or Son and the Holy Spirit. All are one in substance, power and eternity; each having the whole divine essence, yet this essence being undivided. The Father was not derived from any other being. He was neither brought into being by, nor did he issue from any other being. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning and are therefore only one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and also their personal relations. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and our comfortable dependence on Him.
1. Here the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is affirmed. In the true God are three subsistences or persons - Father, Son, Spirit. They are one in substance, power, eternity. Each has in him all that it means to be God, something indivisible. The Bible expects us to believe that God is one yet three, each of them being truly and indivisibly God.
2. The Father is characterised by not being derived from or brought into being by or issuing from any other being. We must also believe that the Father is self-existent - not begotten by or proceeding from any.
3. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. He alone has the quality of being eternally the Father's Son.
4. The Holy Spirit comes out from Father and Son. He alone has the quality of proceeding from both. (Some limit procession to the Father).
5. All three are infinite and without beginning and there is only one God. God’s nature or being should not be divided, though we can distinguish various particular attributes in each person and differences in how they relate. We cannot divide God but we can distinguish how they act in, eg creation, inspiration of Scripture, salvation and prayer. The Father creates by the Word, the Spirit beautifies the work; the Father speaks of the Son by the Spirit; the Father saves through the Son by the Spirit; prayer is to the Father through the Son, by the Spirit.
6. This doctrine is the basis for all fellowship with God and all contented security in him. This is why it is so important to grasp this vital teaching.
The 1689 differs from Westminster at several points here. This can be seen here.
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