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inseparable from the Father and the Son : for unless the Spirit together with the Father and the Soil were one, it would be right for us to say, that the Father and the Son, who are one, together with the Spirit, are two : but this would be opposed to the entire sum of the Divine revelation. They are one in essence, in know- ledge, in will, and moreover in the agreement of their testimony : John x. 30, 38, xiv. 9, 10, 11. The three are not opposed con- jointly to the other three, but separately, each to each, as though it were said, Not only does the Spirit testify, but the Father also, John v. 37 : not only the water, but the Word also, John iii. 11, x. 41 : not only the blood, but the Spirit also, John xv. 26, 27. Now it becomes evident how necessary is the reading of the 8th verse. It was impossible for John to think respecting the testimony of the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and add the testimony of God as greater, without thinking also of the testimony of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and making mention of it in an enumeration so solemn ; nor can any reason be imagined why, without the three who bear witness in heaven, he should mention those that bear wit- ness on earth, and those as three. Enumerations of this kind are usually not single, but manifold, as Prov. xxx. ; how much more so in this place ? The 7th verse, of whatever importance it is, has a respective force, and tends to this object, that there should be a pro- gressive advance from the 6th verse to the 8th ; and here lies the advantage of the complaint above noticed. Whether the 7th verse, respecting the three that bear witness on earth, be compared with the preceding or with the following verse, the 8th is necessary. For the 6th verse and the 7th have some things the same, and some dif- ferent. Those which are the same, are only repeated on this account, that they may be adapted to the 8th verse : those which are different, and either vary the expression, or add something more to the sentiment, have a still plainer reference to the 8th verse. For instance, in the absolute expression, the Spirit only is said to be bearing witness : in the respective (relative) expression, the -water also and the blood are spoken of. In like manner the 7th and 8th verses have some words in common ; in others, when the expression is changed, the sentiment itself introduces something different, as in one , and one . The Trinity of heaven, archetypal, fundamental, un- changeable, plainly supports the triad of witnesses on earth, in an accommodated sense. The apostle might either have fixed the num- ber of those who bear witness on earth as greater ; comp. ver. 9 ; or he might have referred [reduced] them all to [under] one spirit ;
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