Thy sight; that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest;" (Psalm li. 3, 4;) to which scripture the apostle probably alludes in confirmation of the righteousness of God at the final judgment: and then inquires, "Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? God forbid for then how shall God judge the world?" (Rom. iii. 5, 6.) All creatures when they came from the hand of the Creator were pure and good. The angels which fell were originally holy and happy, and their present misery is wholly imputed to themselves. Our Lord informs us concerning the devil, that he "abode not in the truth;" (John viii. 44;) and the apostle Jude, (verse 6,) that "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitations, He hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." By these assertions we learn that their fall was their own act; and the consequences will be endured by them as a righteous punishment for ever. Man, at his creation, was very good; " but he fell from that state, not by any predetermined decree, but by being deceived by the father of lies; on this ground every mouth is stopped, and all the world is guilty before God. And in the day appointed He will judge the world in righteousness, and give to every man according as his work shall be.

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5th. In providence, or the government of the world, God is just and righteous. He has not left Himself without witness to any man, either Roman or Scythian, bond or free. His providential arrangements are greatly varied; but every man is placed in that situation which will be most favourable for the ultimate design of his exist. ence. This applies both to time and place, as St. Paul asserts, "God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth; and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts xvii. 26-28.) Christ is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; so that, although every man has not been favoured with the written revelation of God's will, yet all have the law written in their hearts, and their consciences determine to themselves the rectitude or criminality of their actions. The decisions of the judgment day must be considered as the expressions of the justice of God's proceedings; and the revealed rule by which men will be judged exhibits perfect equity; where much is given, much will be required. Every man will be judged in accordance with the dispensation in which he lived: "For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law." (Rom. ii. 12.) The better the dispensation in which any man has lived, and his opportunities of acquiring the knowledge of God and of His will, the more will be required of him, and "there is no respect of persons with God." (Rom. ii. 11.) The servant who knew his master's will, and did it not, will be beaten with many stripes; whilst he who knew it

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not, will be beaten with few stripes. In that great and terrible day of the Lord will be the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, every mystery will then be solved; and every man will receive according to the deeds done in his body, whether they be good or

bad.

6th. But the most glorious display of the righteousness of God is made in the work of redemption. Guilty man is pardoned, restored to the Divine image and favour, and reinstated to all the privileges of holiness, which had been forfeited by sin, and saved from everlasting woe, into all the glories of eternal life. Yet in effecting this great change, God would not act unrighteously, but He provided a remedy by which all the claims of justice are satisfied, the law is fulfilled and made honourable, justice is sustained, mercy is extended to all mankind, and all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. This amazing scheme of love was accomplished by the sacrifice of Christ, who took our nature upon Him, and died upon the cross, by which He made atonement for the sins of the world. In this restoring act a suitable and sufficient sacrifice was presented, by which righteousness is sustained in the forgiveness of the penitent believer, and mercy extended to the gift of eternal life. The whole scheme of redemption demonstrates the righteousness of God, and that He will not show mercy at the expense of justice, as St. Paul declares, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference: for all have sinned and, come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. iii. 21-26.)

7th. The contemplation of this attribute should inspire the wicked with dread, and the righteous with delight. God will in no wise. acquit the guilty, nor condemn the innocent, but will give to every man according to his works. He vindicates the equity of His dealings towards every man by the mouth of His prophet, "Behold all souls are Mine as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth it shall die;" (Ezek. xvii. 4 ;) and, again, "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." (Ezek. xvii. 20.) Wicked men may prosper, and the righteous may suffer adversity, whilst in this world; but there is a day coming in which all earthly things will dwindle into comparative insignificance, and prosperity and adversity be esteemed only in their bearings upon eternity; and then it will appear that all God's works are done in righteousness and truth.

9. GOODNESS.

1st. The goodness of God is that perfection of His nature which includes the possession of all excellences, to the exclusion of all evil or defect either essentially or morally. It embraces the whole of His being in all its glories; and it is also that attribute which prompts Him to benevolence towards all the creatures of His hands. This benignity of disposition excites Him to beneficence and bountifulness in all His actions. God is therefore not only good in the perfection of His being, so that no evil is found in Him, but He is also good in all His actions, which is evinced by that love and kindness manifested by Him towards His creatures, which contribute to their welfare, and render them happy and blessed.

2nd. Goodness is an essential perfection of the divine nature; hence the scriptural assertion, "God is love." (1 John iv. 8.) He is not merely loving, but He is love itself; in Him it is pure and perfect, original and underived. He is the source and fountain of goodness; and all His acts declare this property of His nature. All goodness in the creature is derived from Him, and is a reflection of this attribute. This perfection is possessed by God in such a manner that no creature can have it in comparison with Him, as Christ informs us, “There is none good but one, that is, God." (Mark x. 18.) Perfect goodness belongs exclusively to Him; this is His nature: He is good through all time, and through all eternity; He cannot ever be anything but good. A creature might improve in goodness by becoming wiser, or better, or more powerful, but God is so perfectly good, that in Him this attribute does not admit of increase or diminution: He is good throughout eternity and infinity, and goodness in Him is an illimitable excellence, a perfection without possibility of change for ever.

3rd. All the attributes of Deity are pervaded with goodness, and all the actions of those attributes are regulated by it. This is an attribute so pure and lovely, that it is used synonymously for the glory of God, whom when Moses earnestly desired to see, he said, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory;" and God replied to him, "I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19.) Even the name "God" indicates "good; and on this account men are excited to praise Him, "O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men;" (Psalm cvii. 8;) and in another psalm it is declared, "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm cxlv. 9.) The divine goodness is an overflowing fountain of benevolence which meets every case of distress, and is equal to the moral and physical wants of man, as the Lord revealed to Moses in Mount Sinai, "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord and the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abun

dant in goodness and truth;" (Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6;) and, as commemorated by the psalmist, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings." (Psalm xxxvi. 7.)

4th. This attribute is expressed by a variety of terms, according to the relations and characters upon whom it is exercised. In the revelations of divine glory and benevolence towards unpolluted creatures, such as angels, it is "goodness.' In the restoration and salvation of fallen men, it is "mercy" or "grace." In relieving the temporal and spiritual wants of mankind, it is "pity." pity." In enduring with sinners so as to give them time and opportunity to repent, or not entering into judgment with them, it is "longsuffering." bearing with the ignorance and weaknesses of His people, it is "tender mercy. In redeeming us, it is "love.” And in bringing us to eternal glory, it is the combination and union of every element of goodness, and will be the wonder and astonishment of angels and men for ever.

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5th. The goodness of God is manifest in all His actions and proceedings throughout the universe. Goodness prompted Him to create all things. In the possession of His own fulness of being, He is perfectly happy for ever. His unlimited glory and all-sufficiency of existence cannot have addition, and therefore no motive but goodness can be conceived to have moved Him to create any being; but benevolence prompted Him to that act, that others might be made partakers of His bliss, and that hereby He might delight in the works of His hands; as it is written, "For Thy pleasure all things are and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.) The provisions which God makes for the well-being of His workmanship, in sustaining and directing all agents to one beneficent purpose, display this attribute; all wait upon Him, and He gives them their meat in due season. All the laws of the material universe manifest His kind regards; seed time and harvest, summer and winter, and day and night, never fail. His sun shines upon all, whether evil or good; and His rain descends upon the just, and upon the unjust. The spiritual and moral law by which man is governed is equally demonstrative of goodness; all its tendencies are beneficial, and obedience to it insures a great reward. But the scheme of redemption presents this attribute in an unspeakably glorious aspect, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 16.) This is the highest display of goodness that can be conceived by the human mind, and it will be the wonder and joy of heaven for ever. This act is goodness without limit, and, consequently, its heights and depths can never be fathomed by any created mind throughout eternity.

CHAPTER IV.

THE TRINITY.

PART I.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE.

1. THE doctrine of the Trinity stated. 2. All our knowledge of God we receive by revelations of Himself. 3. The incomprehensibility of the doctrine of the Trinity no ground for rejecting it. 4. All our knowledge of this doctrine derived from the Bible. 5. The word "Trinity" not found in the Scriptures, but the doctrine clearly revealed. 6. The doctrine of the greatest importance to mankind, and the foundation of the whole of revealed religion. 7. All revealed religion confirmed by the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity. 8. The signification of the term "person' in the Trinity, and the propriety of using it. 9. The persons in the Godhead are not separate or independent, but distinct; and the mode of the divine existence. 10. The usual mode of conducting the argument in favour of the Trinity stated. 11. The doctrine demonstrated, but not fully revealed in the Old Testament. 12. Plurals forms of speech indicating plurality of persons in the Godhead noticed. 13. The New Testament clearly states this doctrine, and limits the persons to three. 14. The form of baptism appointed by our Lord expressive of the Trinity. 15. Many passages in St. Paul's writings confirm this view. 16. St. Peter and St. John teach the same doctrine. 17. The vision of Isaiah, as interpreted by the New Testament writers. 18. Conclusion.

1. By the doctrine of the Trinity is understood the existence of three persons in the Godhead, each person being equal in glory, majesty, and all the attributes of Deity, which are possessed by each without confusion, or division, so that the three persons designated "the Father," "the Son," "the Holy Ghost," are so united and necessary in the divine nature that they are one God.

2. All the knowledge man possesses of God must have been taught him by divine revelation, and whatever has been so revealed men are laid under an obligation to receive. The mystery of the Godhead has been made known to us by this means alone. There is no indication, either in creation or providence, that the mode of the divine existence is a trinity of persons in unity of being; and therefore this doctrine is established by Scripture proof and declaration exclusively. This great mystery could never have been discovered by man, nor known except by the revelation of God, who hath declared it unto us by His Spirit.

3. Some have objected to the doctrine of the Trinity because it is incomprehensible. Its incomprehensibility is at once conceded. It is