that he is a most perfect Being,--the original of
all things,--most wise, most powerful, and infinite in all perfections. Now
common reason may tell any man that there can be but one thing most
perfect and excellent, there can be but one infinite,--one almighty,--one
beginning and end of all,--one first mover, one first cause, "of whom are
all things, and who is of none."

Again, in this place of John ye have a testimony of the blessed trinity of
persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in that holy unity of essence. The
great point which John hath in hand is this fundamental of our salvation
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and Saviour of the world, in whom all
our confidence should be placed, and upon whom we should lean the weight
of our souls. And this he proves by a two-fold testimony--one out of
heaven, another in the earth. There are three bearing witness to this
truth in heaven, "the Father the Word," (that is, Jesus Christ, the
eternal Son of God, whom this apostle calls the Word of God, or Wisdom of
God, John i. 1) and the Holy Ghost. The Father witnessed to this truth in
an audible voice out of heaven, when Christ was baptized, (Mat. iii. 17)
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Here is the Father's
testimony of the Son when he was baptized which was given very solemnly in
a great congregation of people, and divinely, with great glory and majesty
from heaven, as if the heavens had opened upon him, and the inaccessible
light of God had shined down on him This was confirmed in the
transfiguration, (Mat. xvii. 5) where the Lord gave a glorious evidence--to
the astonishment of the three disciples--how he did account of him--how all
saints and angels must serve him, "him hath God the Father sealed," saith
John. Indeed, the stamp of divinity, of the divine image in such an
excellent manner upon the man Christ, was a seal set on by God the father,
signifying and confirming his approbation of his well beloved Son and of
the work he was going about. Then the Son himself did give ample testimony
of this. This was the subject of his preaching to the world, "I am the
light and the life of men, he that believeth in me shall be saved." And
therefore he may be called the Word of God, (John i. 1) and the Wisdom of
God, (Prov. viii.) because he hath revealed unto us the blessed mystery of
wisdom concerning our salvation. He is the very expression and character
of the Father's person and glory, (Heb. i. 3) in h