not be eternal. If Jesus Christ, then, is the divine Son of God, he must have received his origin from God, and, therefore, he was not eternally begotten.

(3.) One unoriginated being cannot produce another unoriginated being. No man in his senses can tell, no mind can conceive in what sense an unoriginated being can be a begotten being. Hence it follows, that if Jesus Christ in his divine nature has been begotten and was born, he cannot be self-existent nor unoriginated. Existence which has been begotten must have had a beginning, and, consequently, cannot be eternal.

(4.) Action and volition are necessarily implied in the term begotten. This term, when applied to the divine nature of our Lord, implies action and volition on the part of the Father; consequently, Jesus Christ owes his existence to the previous action of God. As the divine nature of Christ was begotten, his existence was a consequence of the ACT by which he was begotten. To beget, signifies to bring that into existence which did not exist before; consequently, Jesus Christ had no personal, conscious existence before he was begotten, and, therefore, he cannot be eternal.

(5.) There can be no real difference between eternal generation, and eternal creation. The advocates of eternal sonship tell us the Son of God was produced by an eternal generation. The atheist tells us the world was produced by an eternal creation. Now there is no more contradiction in the one than in the other. If the Son of God can be begotten, and, at the same time, be self-existent, unoriginated, and eternal, then the world may be created, and at the same time be self-existent, unoriginated, and eternal. There is no more contradiction in saying that God created this world from all eternity, than there is in saying that he begat his Son from all eternity.

(6.) Creation and generation which never had a beginning, never did exist. Nothing can be said to be without beginning, only the self-existent and unoriginated God; he alone is truly and properly eternal.

(7.) Ineffable generation and ineffable creation, are precisely similar, and inexplicable terms. We are told that the generation of an unoriginated being is ineffable; truly, and so is an unoriginated creation ineffable.

(8.) A being whose existence is predicated on an ACT of another, cannot be unoriginated. When it is said, therefore, that the divine nature of our Lord was begotten, generated, produced, and born, it is asserted as clearly and as fully as language can express ideas, that this divine nature of Christ, per se, owes its existence to the ACT of the Father by whom it was begotten.

(9.) Infinitude precludes the bounds of number, so that we cannot say of any one of God's volitions that it was the first, or, of another, that it is the last; and hence it is intuitively evident, that though there may never have been a time when the Deity did not

act, yet each of his actions had a beginning, just as truly and really as that they have had an existence.

(10.) If any one of God's actions (say that of his begetting his Son) can have been without beginning, then each of his actions may have been without beginning, and if they are without beginning, then they are eternal; and hence, we have as many eternals as there have been actions, attributable to the divine agency to all past eternity, and not only so, but his actions in all coming time must be unoriginated, though not performed till to-morrow, or after the general judgment.

(11.) To affirm that the divine nature of Jesus Christ is begotten from all eternity, is to say that it is not eternal. That existence which is eternal is from eternity to eternity, without having been begotten, produced, made, or born.

(12.) Finally, the terms Father and Son are relative terms: Son implies FATHER; and father implies, in relation to Son, precedency of time. Father and Son imply the idea of generation; and generation implies a TIME in which it was effected, and time also antecedent to such generation. Generation, furthermore, implies volition and action, and volition and action imply the existence of an intelligent, agent by which they are performed. It is evident, then, as the Son was begotten by the Father, that there was a period in which he did not exist. To say he was begotten from all eternity, is manifestly absurd; and the phrase eternal Son, is a positive self-contradiction. Eternity is that which has had no beginning, nor stands in any reference to time. Son supposes time, generation, and a father; and time, also, antecedent to such generation. Therefore, the conjunction of these two phrases, Son and eternity, is absolutely impossible, as they imply essentially different and opposite ideas. So that the doctrine of the eternal generation and eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ, is manifestly false. The generation of Jesus Christ certainly took place in time, for God himself says, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

5. If Jesus Christ be the Son of God in his divine nature, then he cannot be truly and properly God. If the Son derived his existence from the Father, and if God be the Father of Christ, then the Son of God cannot be God, any more than he can be the Father. To maintain that the Son is the Father, is, in other words, to affirm that Christ is the Father of himself; a position which no man in the exercise of his senses would assume. To affirm that the Son of God is God, is to affirm the same thing, unless we mean to assert a plurality of Gods: God the Father, and God the Son. This would be the same as to maintain that one God generated another God, a position which none but a heathen would be likely either to maintain or believe. Such a doctrine would contradict every page of the Bible, which uniformly asserts that there is but "one living and true God." It also as fully and clearly asserts that this one God is the Father. I am aware it has

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been maintained, that if Jesus Christ be the proper Son of God, then he must possess the same nature and perfections as the Father, and, therefore, he is truly and properly God, equal with the Father. It seems to me, however, that this position involves many inextricable difficulties. It involves the absurdity that one God has generated another God, or that God generated himself, and, consequently, acted before he existed, and yet, at the same time, was self-existent. The position also affirms that there is no difference between a selfexistent, unoriginated, independent, and eternal being, and one who is begotten, derived, and dependent. The Father is a self-existent, independent, and unoriginated being, but the Son is a begotten, derived, and, consequently, a dependent being; therefore they, in some respects, must necessarily differ; and whosoever, in any respects, differs from God, cannot be God. As the Son of God, in some respects, differs from God, therefore he cannot be God. To maintain that God is self-existent, and at the same time begotten; eternal, and at the same time born; unoriginated, and at the same time derived, would be undeifying the Deity, and representing him to be the most changeable being in the universe.

We have already explained the sense in which we understand Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. He is the Son of God by deriving his existence from God, the Father, without the intervention of any ministering agent, or means of that derivation. And this is not true with reference to any other being whatever, for all other beings derived their existence from God by the Son as a ministering agent. According to this view of the subject, the supreme and underived majesty of God, the Father, remains unimpaired, and, at the same time, the glory of the Son remains equally unobscured.

ARTICLE VII.

An Address to the Ministers of the Christian Connexion.

"No professors of the genuine gospel," says the pious Booth, in his Pastoral Cautions, "have more need to be on their guard against self-deception, respecting the state of religion in their own souls, than those who statedly dispense the gracious word of truth. For as it is their calling, and their business, frequently to read their Bibles, and to think much on spiritual things, to pray, and preach, and often to converse about the affairs of piety, they will, if not habitually cautious, do it all ex officio, or merely as the work of their ministerial calling, without feeling their own interest in it." If these sentiments are correct, if such is the tendency of the exercise of the ministerial office, we should not only do well to guard

and fortify our minds against it, but also use all the means in our power to stir up each other's minds to a greater degree of engagedness in the important work of saving souls. Indeed, this should be one of the great objects of our coming together in our yearly and quarterly conferences. It has been too much, and too often neglected. And would to God that, on the present occasion, one stood before you more capable of imparting instruction, of kindling a brighter flame of devotion, and of exciting a more intense and ardent desire for the salvation of perishing sinners. To accomplish this object shall be the aim of this address.

When the Romans heard Cicero, says Fenelon, they cried out, "O, what a fine orator!" But when the Athenians heard Demosthenes, they called out, "Come on; down with Philip!" If I can excite within you, my brethren, that determination to attack the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to overthrow the dominion of sin in the hearts of men, which Demosthenes excited in the breasts of his fellow-citizens to oppose the invaders of his country, I shall have gained my object in this address. And, indeed, these should be the kindling desires, the ardent aspirations, of all our hearts. To awaken these emotions in our souls, permit me to call your attention to a few important considerations. And,

I. A minister of the gospel should be deeply impressed with the importance and responsibility of the station he occupies. This state of feeling should be constant and abiding, in his study, in his closet, in his parochial visits, and in the pulpit. And except these be the all-absorbing feelings of the soul, no man will be likely to discharge the functions of the ministerial office, with either pleasure to himself, or profit to his people. It is to be feared that many young men enter the ministerial office, and take upon themselves the vows of God, without due consideration, that they are influenced by other motives than the love of souls and the glory of God. But such men seldom fail to dishonor their calling, and uniformly prove a curse to the people. When a man enters into the ministerial office under proper influences, he will be led to consecrate himself wholly to God-he will employ all his talents and all his learning to promote the welfare of souls, and to advance the cause of the Redeemer. When the celebrated George Herbert informed a court friend of his resolution to enter into sacred orders, he endeavored to dissuade him from it, as too mean an employment, and too much below his birth, and the excellent abilities and endowments of his mind. To whom he replied: "It hath been formerly judged that the domestic servants of the King of heaven should be of the noblest families of the earth; and though the iniquity of the late times have made clergymen meanly valued, and the sacred name of priest contemptible, yet I will labor to make it honorable, by consecrating all my learning, and all my poor abilities, to advance the glory of that God who gave them, knowing that I can never do too much for him, that has done so much for me, as to make me a Christian.

And I will labor to be like my Saviour, by making humility lovely in the eyes of all men, and by following the merciful and meek example of my dear Jesus." What a noble determination—an example worthy the determination of an angel.

Our office, my brethren, is no ordinary one. We are ambassadors from the King of kings and Lord of lords, to a revolted world. Never had men committed to them an embassy of so deep, so important, and so everlasting moment. No work ever undertaken by mortals was so solemn, or connected with such amazing consequences. Among all the thousands to whom we preach, not one but will take an impression from us that will never wear out. The fate of millions, through succeeding generations, depends on our faithfulness. Heaven and hell will for ever ring with recited memorials of our ministry. And O, our own responsibility! There is for us no middle destiny. Our stake is for a high throne of glory, or for a deeper hell; for, to say nothing of the souls committed to our care, our work leads to the altar. Our home is by the side of the Shechinah. We have daily to go where Nadab and Abihu went, and to transact with him who darted his lightning upon them. It is a solemn thing to stand so near that holy Lord God. Let us beware how, by unhallowed fervor, we bring false fire before the Lord. Let us not fail to devote to our work our best powers, an unceasing application, consecrated by unremitting prayer. Anything but a careless preparation for the pulpit, and a sleepy performance in it. Forget your father, forget your mother, but forget not this infinite work of God.

Soon we shall appear with our respective charges before the judgment-seat of Christ. What a scene will then open between a pastor and his flock; when all his official conduct towards them shall be scrutinized, and all their treatment of him and his gospel shall be laid open; when it shall appear that an omniscient eye followed him into his study every time he sat down to meditate, to read, or to write, and traced every line upon his paper, and every motion of his heart; and followed him into the pulpit, and watched every kindling desire, every drowsy feeling, every wandering thought, every reach after fame. Ah! my dear brethren, when you hear on the right hand the song of bursting praise that you ever had existence, and on the left behold a company of wretched spirits sending forth their loud lamentations that you had not warned them with a stronger voice, will you not regret that all your sermons were not more impassioned, and all your prayers more agonizing? But what is that I see! A horrid shape, more deeply scarred with thunder than the rest, around which a thousand dreadful beings, with furious eyes and threatening gestures, are venting their raging curses. It is a wicked pastor, who went down to hell with most of his congregation; and these around him are the wretched beings he decoyed to death. My soul turns away, and cries, Give me poverty, give me the curses of a wicked world,