A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 • SECTION 262

JOHX, CHAP. V.

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or worshippers of three distinct Gods, witliout knowing it. They talk as if God the Father's mind towards sinners was one thing-, and God the Son's another, — as if the Father haied man, and the Son loved him and protected him. Such persons would do well to study this part of Scripture, and to mark the unity of the Father and the Sou.

After all, that deep truth, " the eternal generation " of God the Son, whatever proud man may say of it, is the foundation ti'uth which we must never forget in trying to understand a passage like that before us. In the Trinity " none is afore or after other. The Father is eternal : the Son eternal : the Holy Ghost eternal. The Father is God : the Son is God : the Holy Ghost is God. And yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal : not three Gods, but one God." — As Burgon remarks, '•' There never was a time when any one of the three Persons Avas not ;" and it might be added, there never was a time when the three Persons were not equal. And yet the Son was begot- ten of the Father from all eternity, and the Holy Ghost proceed- ed from all eternity from the Father and the Son.

Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.

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