faith. In God all perfection exists without limitation; no definition, therefore, can be given of Him. Nevertheless, he can be so described as to convince us of the reality and character of His being, to the utmost powers of our comprehension and understanding.

3. As God is a Spirit, it is evident that our highest knowledge of Him must be by revelation. This revelation is made to the human race in the holy Scriptures, which were given by divine inspiration; and although the fulness of the Deity cannot be known, yet enough is revealed for our happiness and security, and probably as much as, in our present state, we can receive. Christ has been the Source of this divine manifestation to man; for, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." (John i. 18.)

4. Whatever attribute or property is in the divine nature is essential to it, and is unlimited and illimitable. Every quality of being requisite for perfection is possessed by God without limitation, and cannot be separated from His nature, which is one eternal and infinite self-existence. All the properties of His being are necessary, and underived, and independent of all other. These attributes are not separate or separable one from another, but are qualities of one spiritual nature, which cannot be divided, but is absolutely perfect in unity and glory.

5. The Persons in the Godhead are essential and necessary to the divine nature. This is the mode of the divine existence as revealed in the Scriptures. These Persons are not separate or independent one of another; they exist in the Godhead; and each possesses the fulness of Deity. These Persons are,-the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; all of whom are of equal nature, but distinct in person, and in relation to each other.

6. Although there are three Persons in the Godhead, yet there are not three Gods, but one God. The unity of the divine nature is certain and evident from its spirituality, which cannot be divided; but the mode of this unity is, that there are three Persons of equal nature and glory in one undivided and indivisible Godhead.

7. Every perfection of existence is fully and absolutely possessed by God. As His nature is spiritual, and eternal, and infinite, so nothing can be added to it to make it more glorious; it possesses in itself unlimited perfection; there cannot, therefore, be anything in relation either to duration or space which is not in full possession by Him. All His attributes are equal to His existence; and He possesses all perfection in Himself. His whole being is one self-existence; and no innovation can ever be made upon His glory, which is necessarily perfect and immutable, because His whole nature is eternal and infinite. His bliss or happiness can never be invaded by the creature; for all creation exists by His will, and all things related to all created beings are known unto Him from all eternity. He is, therefore, over all, and in Himself blessed for ever.

8. He is the Creator and Lord of all. the fulness thereof." The visible and

"The earth is the Lord's, and invisible heavens, and all the

hosts of them, are His. And as everything belongs to Him by ereation, so His dominion and authority will extend over all things for ever.

9. All things were created for the glory of God. Not that the divine glory is perfected or augmented in any manner by any contribution of the creature, for that which is infinite cannot admit of increase; but that the Creator might reveal Himself to the creature, and thereby communicate the highest bliss it is capable of realizing, and that He might receive a proper ascription of praise for His wisdom, power, and love, for ever. God is not "worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Acts xvii. 25.) Nevertheless, He justly receives the expressions of praise from the works of His hands; hence in the worship of heaven they are represented as saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.)

II. The modes by which God has revealed Himself to man.

1. Although God is immeasurably beyond the comprehension of finite minds, yet He has made Himself known to us in the holy Scriptures in a manner suited to our capacities, and commensurate with our requirements. As the Scriptures are a perfect revelation of Him, so must He therein be exhibited in His true character, and to an extent sufficient for the wants of man as long as he continues in this state of existence. The full and real character of the Deity is to be found only in the revelation which He has made of Himself in His word. Nevertheless, some knowledge of Him might be acquired from His works; but such bears no comparison with that revelation of Himself which He has made in His word.

2. Another source from which we derive considerable knowledge of the Divine Being, is from the names by which He has made Himself known. These names indicate either some perfection in His nature, or some relation in which He stands as Lord of all. He is called God, Lord, Jehovah, the Lord God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, the I AM, the Almighty, by which names are indicated His perfections and glory, His supremacy, independence, self-existence, eternity, and omnipotence, and by which we apprehend Him as the Creator, Supporter, and Ruler of all things.

3. We also acquire much knowledge of God from the revelations and declarations of His attributes or properties of His nature. That He is eternal, hence one designates Him "the eternal God;" (Deut. xxxiii. 37;) another addresses Him thus, " From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God." (Psalm xc. 2.) He calls Himself "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;" (Isai. lvii. 15;) and in another place He declares, "I lift up My hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever; (Deut. xxxii. 40;) by which we learn that He is eternal, immaculately pure, and the living God. His infinity, spirituality, omnipresence, and omniscience, are thus declared: "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee."

(1 Kings viii. 27.) "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." (Jer. xxiii. 24.) "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?" (Psalm cxxxix. 7.) "His understanding is infinite." (Psalm exlvii. 5.) His power is "almighty," (Gen. xvii. 1,) it is irresistible; "for none can stay His hand;" (Dan. iv. 35;) and it is incomprehensible: "The thunder of His power who can understand?" (Job xxvi. 14.) Some of His moral attributes He declared to Moses in such a manner as to command reverence and love in the hearts of mankind, " And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 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." (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.) "Justice and judgment are the habitation of "His "throne;" (Psalm lxxxix. 14;) yet "God is love;" (1 John iv. 8;) and His "tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm cxlv. 9.)

4. Again, the Scriptures direct us how to form a conception of God from His works. It is true that, where there is no inspired revelation, some knowledge of Him may be acquired by the operations of His hands; for "the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." (Rom. i. 20.) Nevertheless, a much greater degree of divine knowledge might be acquired, even from the works of creation, by the assistance of the Scriptures, which throw a perfect light upon every subject by which such knowledge is obtained.

1st. Although the works of creation do not directly and audibly teach, yet they speak to the intellect in a language which is understood by men of every tongue and every clime. The things that are made demonstrate to the understanding that they were brought into existence by an intelligent and powerful Maker. And when the multitude and magnitudes of the things forming the visible creation are attentively considered, they impress us with the assurance of the eternity, omnipotence, wisdom, and supremacy of that Being by whom they were made, and are sustained. One of the classes of objects which first attract the attention of men, are the heavenly bodies; hence the psalmist says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." (Psalm xix. 1.) The day and night proclaim the profundity of His understanding. "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge." These speak to men of every age, and in every place: "There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Psalm xix. 2-4.) Wherefore some divine knowledge is taught by the works of the creation, even to those not favoured with direct revelation; but to the intelligent man, by whom these great and marvellous works are sought out,

the heavens present such a demonstration of the power and glory of God as to surpass the comprehension of the most exalted intellect. The innumerable multitudes of those vast orbs of light which spangle the heavens, the magnitudes of those stupendous worlds, and their distances from us and from each other, demonstrate the omnipotence and wisdom of Him who, in reference to every system in the universe, had only to speak, and it was done, to order it, and it stood fast.

2nd. Nor is the glory of God less clearly seen in the lower heavens, as the same inspired writer affirms: "The firmament showeth His handy work." If we consider the firmament to refer to the atmosphere of this earth, and the various providential operations that are constantly performed by it, as the medium through which the light and heat of the heavenly bodies are transmitted, and also of evaporation and condensation; and as conveying dew and clouds and rain to the land, we have in it as clear a proof of the wisdom of God, as we have of His power in the orbs of heaven. The greatness of its extent, the minuteness of its particles, the influence it exerts upon the surface of the earth, and upon the animal and vegetable world in sustaining life, and the reflex influence these exert upon it in preserving it in healthy and beneficial equilibrium, declare "His handy work;" they demonstrate the existence of an intelligent and superintending Being. When we consider all these things, the provision made for the restitution of its constituent elements when consumed, and the universal death that must ensue were such a provision not instituted, we perceive a mind adapting it to the peculiar state of every object upon the surface of the earth, and to the entire existence of each and all; and we have in it a convincing proof of a wise Creator and Preserver, whose understanding embraces all.

3rd. Very little is known of the earth, except of the surface or at small depths below it; yet sufficient is known to convince us that it was framed by a wise, powerful, and benevolent Being. Its surface is arranged into two great divisions, viz., land and water, each of which contributes to the welfare of the whole; and neither of which could long support its inhabitants without a proper general separation, admixture, and blending together. The earth presents its mountains and plains, its hills and dales, with all their beauty, fertility, and luxuriance, making an ample provision for man and beast. The waters of the oceans, seas, channels, and rivers, present grand and beautiful scenes, and are as stupendous reservoirs for watering the earth, and the element of existence to fishes innumerable, both great and small. These are beautifully noticed by the Psalmist, who, blessing God for the operations of His hands, observes, "Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which Thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth. He sendeth the springs into the valleys,

which run among the hills." (Psalm civ. 5-10.) Here we have presented to us the construction of the world, and the constant operation of its elements, all manifesting, by their constitution and adaptation, that they were produced by an intelligent and powerful Creator, and that they continue to be directed, by unerring wisdom, to the wisest and most benevolent ends, viz., the welfare of every living creature. Here is a most lucid demonstration of the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.

4th. If we examine the products and inhabitants of the earth, we shall, in each one, find proofs of a contriving and designing mind. In the minute herb, and thence to the stately tree, we may trace a wisdom that surpasses human comprehension. The fishes of the sea, the birds of the air, the creeping things of the earth, and fourfooted beasts, present such convincing evidences of the existence of their Creator, that any man, with the due use of his senses, that does not perceive the divine hand in them, is without excuse. And man, with his capacious mind, is demonstration to himself of the existence of God. All organized things are manifestly "things that are made;" and, as they could not have constructed themselves, they prove the existence of their Maker, and, according to their magnitude, multitude, and skill in their formation, exhibit His power and wisdom also. A general survey of the universe must deeply impress every unprejudiced mind with the eternal power and Godhead of that Being who is the Creator and Lord of all.

5th. The structure of animals is a convincing evidence of an intelligent Creator. How perfectly suited is every living creature to all its modes of being! the internal and external structure of each and all agreeing with the utmost precision. There is not a requirement by any animated being, but is adequately provided. The bones, joints, sinews, muscles, veins, circulating fluids, skin, and general formation of the structure, present to the mind an irresistible demonstration of wisdom. This is not merely observed in one, but in all. How wonderful is the skill which is displayed in the construction of an animal! How nicely proportioned are all its parts; made firm by bones and flexible by joints, and compacted as a whole with the nicest adjustments! Can any person suppose that the ten thousand contrivances of art here found, arose by chance, or that there was no controlling or directing mind exerted in its production? It is impossible; violence must be done to the understanding to force such a conclusion upon it. No piece of human art could be contemplated, and such a conclusion drawn, although the contrivances and skill displayed fall incomparably below the works of nature. Could any man of sound understanding be persuaded that a railway formed itself? that it made its own levels and tunnels, laid its rails, erected its various apparatus, constructed its own engines and carriages, and directed itself from one given locality to another, without any intelligent mind to construct and control, or skilful hand to prepare ? We know he could not. And it would be an equal act of violence to the mind to pervert it to such a conclusion in respect of the works of God, which exhibit superior skill and