Chapter 2 - Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Paragraph I

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.

Scripture References

  1. 1
    • 1 Corinthians 8: 4, 6
    • Deuteronomy 6: 4

      4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD :

  2. 2
    • Jeremiah 10: 10

      10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

    • Isaiah 48: 12

      12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

  3. 3
    • Exodus 3: 14

      14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

  4. 4
    • John 4: 24

      24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

  5. 5
    • 1 Timothy 1: 17

      17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

    • Deuteronomy 4: 15-16

      15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: 16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves , and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

  6. 6
    • Malachi 3: 6

      6 For I am the LORD , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

  7. 7
    • 1 Kings 8: 27

      27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

    • Jeremiah 23: 23

      23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD , and not a God afar off?

  8. 8
    • Psalms 90: 2

      2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

  9. 9
    • Genesis 17: 1

      1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

  10. 10
    • Isaiah 6: 3

      3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

  11. 11
    • Psalms 115: 3

      3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

    • Isaiah 46: 10

      10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

  12. 12
    • Proverbs 16: 4

      4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

    • Romans 11: 36

      36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

  13. 13
    • Exodus 34: 6-7

      6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD , The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation .

    • Hebrews 11: 6

      6 But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

  14. 14
    • Nehemiah 9: 32-33

      32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

  15. 15
    • Psalms 5: 5-6

      5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

      6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

  16. 16
    • Exodus 34: 7

      7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation .

    • Nahum 1: 2-3

      2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Paragraph II

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 pleases; 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.

Scripture References

  1. 17
    • John 5: 26

      26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

  2. 18
    • Psalms 148: 13

      13 Let them praise the name of the LORD : for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

  3. 19
    • Psalms 119: 68

      68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

  4. 20
    • Job 22: 2-3

      2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him , that thou makest thy ways perfect?

  5. 21
    • Romans 11: 34-36

      34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

  6. 22
    • Daniel 4: 25, 34-35
  7. 23
    • Hebrews 4: 13

      13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

  8. 24
    • Ezekiel 11: 5

      5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD ; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

    • Acts 15: 18

      18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

  9. 25
    • 145: 17
  10. 26
    • Revelation 5: 12-14

      12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Paragraph III

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.

Scripture References

  1. 27
    • 1 John 5: 7

      7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

    • Matthew 28: 19

      19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

    • 2 Corinthians 13: 14

      14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

  2. 28
    • Exodus 3: 14

      14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

    • John 14: 11

      11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

    • 1 Corinthians 8: 6

      6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

  3. 29
    • John 1: 14, 18
  4. 30
    • John 15: 26

      26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

    • Galatians 4: 6

      6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.