1 John 5:7

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

We have here a most blessed scripture, and which, from its vast importance, merits our closest attention. And, as there have been enemies to our holy faith, among the Christ-despisers, who would wish to wrest it from us; we have the more reason to prize it highly, to bless God for it, and to beg of him to write it on the living tablets of our hearts.

The grand point those heavenly witnesses bear their joint testimony to, is that fundamental doctrine of our most holy faith, namely, that Jesus is the Son of God. For this glorious truth, which includes in it the certainty both of his divine, and human nature, brings with it, and confirms all the momentous doctrines of the Gospel. This leading principle, being written by God the in regeneration on the heart; our lost estate by nature, and our recovery by grace, together with all the glorious events belonging to the Person, offices, character, and relations of the Lord Jesus Christ, blessedly follow, in the wonderful subject of redemption. Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, have set to their seal, and a great part of them in blood, to the truth as it is in Jesus. And, to confirm all, these Holy Three in One from heaven, bear witness to the same, that God hath given to the Church eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

I admire the manner of expression, which the Holy Ghost, by John, hath been pleased to adopt, in giving the Church those heavenly witnesses. He saith, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. He doth not say, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: probably, because it is to the Sonship of Jesus the testimony is here given; and, therefore, the same Person is mentioned by another of his names; the Uncreated Word, And there is a great beauty, as well as strength in this. The Pharisees, the sworn foes of Christ, had objected to his bearing witness of himself. And, although the Lord refuted the weakness of their argument, in terms of the plainest, and most unanswerable nature; see John 8:13. yet, when the Holy Ghost was pleased, by John, to give the Church the relation of those heavenly witnesses; he put an end to all such objections, by calling Christ the Word, and not the Son. It is the Sonship of Jesus, as including every other testimony to his Almightiness of character, which the Lord the Spirit here had in view; and there is, therefore, a great beauty and propriety in calling Jesus by his well - known name, the Word.

I must not, in a work of this kind, gratify my wishes at the expense of the Reader's time and patience, by entering largely into a subject so great and extensive as these precious words would furnish. But I cannot but beg a short indulgence, to amplify my observations on them a little.

And, first. Here is said to be Three which bear record in heaven, that is, from heaven, to the Church upon earth, to this glorious truth, concerning the Person of Christ: and that these Three are One. Our first object, therefore, is concerned to establish, from scriptural testimony, the oneness and unity of the divine essence, existing as is here fully stated, in a threefold character of Person. A few observations will clearly prove this point. That there can be but One Infinite, and Eternal God, is evident, from the very nature of his Attributes and Perfections. For, as an infinite, and eternal Being, he inhabiteth infinity and eternity. Consequently, there can be no other, for he occupies, and fills all space. This alone is enough, in proof of the oneness, and unity of the divine essence. And hence, we find those glorious distinctions of character commanded to be ascribed to him. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; Deuteronomy 6:4. So again, Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know, that the Lord he is God, there is none else beside him; Deuteronomy 4:35. And in a language infinitely sublime, and, as one might suppose, would distinguish the Almighty Speaker, we find God himself thus addressing the Church: Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me, there is no God. - Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any. Isaiah 44:6. Here is enough, without adding more, (though the Bible is full to the same amount, in confirmation of the unity and oneness of the divine essence. God is One. I will not detain the Reader with quoting at large some of the many passages in the Word of God, which prove, that these distinguishing perfections of character, constituting Godhead, are all equally ascribed to the whole three Persons of the Godhead. I shall content myself with referring to them. I only beg the Reader, however, before he proceeds further, that he will turn to those scriptures as I have marked them; for they not only confirm the one leading truth of our holy faith, of the unity and oneness in the divine essence; but establish what is here said: that there are Three which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One. See Isaiah 9:6; Zechariah 13:1; Malachi 3:1; John 8:51; John 8:51; Isaiah 48:16; Isaiah 63:10 with Deuteronomy 32:12; Isaiah 6:8 with Acts 28:25 and Luke 1:68 with 2 Peter 1:21; Leviticus 26:11 with 2 Corinthians 6:16, and Revelation 21:3; 1 Corinthians 6:19 with 1 Corinthians 3:16 etc.

Secondly. The same holy scriptures which are thus express, in proof of the oneness and unity in the divine essence, are equally express, in revealing the existence of three distinct Persons in this One Godhead. Not only in this verse before us, but in a great variety of other places, throughout the Bible. Yea, we have distinct actions described, concerning each glorious Person, in which they are revealed as speaking to the Church in Christ, or to themselves, concerning the Church in Christ, or in glorifying each other. Thus at the creation of man, we find the words, let us make man our image, after our likeness: Genesis 1:26. So again at the Tower of Babel; let us go down and confound their language: Genesis 11:7. So again, at the vision Isaiah saw: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah 6:8. And, to add no more, at the baptism of Christ, there was given the fullest and most complete demonstration of this distinction of Person in the Godhead, when the voice from heaven came saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: the Son of God in our nature at the same time in Jordan; and the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; Matthew 3:16. See the Commentary on those verses. In proof of the actions and speakings of the Holy Three see Matthew 17:5; John 12:28; Acts 13:4; Acts 13:4

Thirdly. We have these heavenly witnesses bearing express testimony to the Sonship of the Lord Jesus, in all the ministry of Jesus. To bring forward proofs on this point, would be little short of going over again the whole records of the four Evangelists. Every eyeless socket Jesus filled and gave sight to, confirmed his Godhead; because this was a complete act of creation. And all the works which Jesus did in his Father's name, and every devil he cast out of the bodies of men, by the Spirit of God, bore a like testimony to the divinity of his Person. Hence, we may safely conclude, in full assurance to the truth of this precious verse of scripture, that as the Church is baptized in the joint names of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Matthew 28:19, and the Church is blessed in the joint names, of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost: 2 Corinthians 13:14. so, there are three that bear record in heaven, to the Sonship of the Lord Jesus, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these Three are One!

And is it wonderful then, that a scripture so full in point of testimony to all the great and leading truths of the Church of God in Christ should be nibbled at by the enemies of Christ and his Godhead? The greater wonder is, (and only to be explained, by ascribing it to, the real source of all safety, God the Holy Ghost, the author of it, watching over his own word), that it had not been struck out of our Bibles, by the daring hand of infidelity. But, as the great enemy of souls, (who beguiles his children by his deceivings), not unfrequently, betrays himself by his subtilty, so here, by tempting to the charge of calling this verse an interpolation, and being introduced by some other hand, and not written by John, shews the fallacy of the argument. For let any plain honest man, by way of trial, read the 6th, and 8th verses of this Chapter (1 John 5:6; 1 John 5:8), and leave out, (as those opposers of God's truth would tempt us to do), the 7th verse; and let him say, supposing he had never seen, or heard the 7th verse, whether it would not strike him, that there was somewhat wanting? What connection could there be, between the last word of the sixth verse, and the beginning of the eighth? The And, which begins the eighth, is a conjunction copulative. And on the supposition, the seventh verse was omitted, what would there be to join? To such a miserable expedient are those men reduced, in order to support their wretched system!

Reader! I shall detain you no longer, than just to put the question to your heart, whether you can join me in praises, and thanksgivings to God the Holy Ghost, for the sweet and precious record of this verse; concerning those heavenly witnesses. Blessed be God the Spirit do I say, for such a record! And blessed be God the Spirit, for accompanying it with his seal in my heart to its truth! For what doth it record, when testifying to the Son-ship of Jesus the Son of God, but that God hath sent his Son Jesus to bless his people, in turning away everyone of them from their iniquities; Acts 3:26. And are there any that would oppose this, and make light of his Godhead, his atoning blood and salvation? Yes? And do they call themselves Christians after Christ? Yes! And is my Reader astonished at this? So am not I. There was a time, when the great enemy of souls professed christianity, when the man of sin was revealed the son of perdition, which the Holy Ghost by Paul foretold, and we know it came to pass; 2 Thessalonians 2:3. And what is there extraordinary in when we read, that such a master of subtilty he is, as it is written, Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light; 2 Corinthians 11:14. In the awful days in which we live, we are taught to expect such things. But there is this blessed assurance, from God our Savior. Though many shall come (saith that watchful Lord, see Isaiah 27:3) in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many, and though, except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved, yet Jesus saith, that for the elect's sake whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. Hence, though false christs, and false prophets rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect; yet the impossibility of the thing, is at the same time confirmed, in what Jesus saith. Let the Reader consult, in further confirmation of this blessed truth; Mark 13:5; Luke 18:7; and Romans 8:28 to the end, and Commentary in all.