in wisdom." a "He that is perfect in knowledge, is with thee." "I know that no thought can be withholden from thee." c "Great is the Lord, and of great power, his understanding is infinite. Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men."

ENCE.

Another of the natural perfections of God, is OMNIPRESHe is not confined to any one place in the universe. He doubtless makes different manifestations of himself to different characters, in different places. But, although it may be said that he is ever with his people, and that he forsakes the wicked, still in another sense, it is true, that if we ascend into heaven, or make our bed in hell, or if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, we are surrounded by him, and cannot escape his presence. d As he has created all things, for ought that we can see, all things must constantly depend on him. He must be every where, in order to support and preserve in existence the works of his hands. There is also, wherever we have any knowledge of existence, a constant agency to be discovered, which can be attributed to no other being. We may also readily see, that if he be not every where present, he cannot be infinite in knowledge. But it is needless to spend time in endeavouring to prove from the light of nature, that which is clearly and undeniably established in the Bible. "Am I a God at hand saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him? saith the Lord: Do I not fill heaven and earth?" e "The heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." f Q. What are the moral perfections of God?

A. They are Benevolence, Justice, Truth, Mercy, &c. 1. God is BENEVOLENT. Whatever arguments there

may

b ver 4. c Chap xlii. 2. Jer. xxxii. 19 Acte Rom. xi. 38. d Ps. cxxxix. 1.

Ps. cxxxix. 1–12.

e Jer. xxii.

be from the light of nature in proof of this, we can see no good reason for stating them or dwelling upon them, since it is a point on which the Scriptures speak with so much decision. They seem not contented merely with stating that God is good, but they represent his moral character as made up of benevolence. "God is love He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." a All his natural and moral perfections are entirely and harmoniously employed in executing plans of benevolence. "God so loved the

world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." b 2. God is JUST. It appears rational that a being, one of whose principal objects is to exhibit kindness and benevolence, must be a just being. We can form no conception how benevolence could exist without justice; neither could we have any rule, by which we might give it a due estimate. Justice, as the term is applied to the Deity, generally implies, that he will render to all beings their rights, according to an equitable and righteous scale. But what this scale is, by which the rights and the characters of beings are to be estimated, we have no knowledge till we look into the Scriptures. We not only have this standard clearly revealed in the Bible, but are assured that God is determined to support it. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, (said the Saviour,) I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." c "Just and right is he." d "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." e "A just God and a Saviour." f "A just weight and balance are the Lord's." g

a 1 John iv. 16. b John iii 16. c Mat. v. 17, 18. d Deut. xxxii 4. e Rev. xv. iii. f Isa. xlv. 21. g Prov xvi 11.

Again he is a God of TRUTH. By the truth of God, we mean that his representations are invariably according to facts. That this is his character, we are not entirely without evidence from the light of reason. If he is a benevolent

being, as we trust has already been sufficiently shown, he must be determined to promote the greatest possible happiness of his creatures. As truth is the foundation of all confidence, so it is impossible without it, for that reciprocal trust to exist, without which, society cannot be happy. The ve racity of God, without the aid of revelation, can be seen only in the uniformity of his works and providences. It is said, with truth, that he speaks to the children of men by his works and ways. So far as the lesson which we may derive from these sources is uniform, so far we discover his truth. It cannot be denied, that we uniformly, whatever object we contemplate, receive an impression that God is wise and powerful. Neither can it be denied, that the events of almost every hour tell us, that the happiness we derive from this world, was not the object for which we were created.

"The paths of the Lord his God who

The testimony of Scripture upon this point, is plain and decisive. When God was pleased to proclaim unto Moses his name, he declared himself to be "Abundant in truth." a Again he is said to be "A God of truth." b "Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." c Lord are mercy and truth." d "The keepeth truth forever." e "It is impossible for God to lie." This attribute of Jehovah, we can never seriously contemplate but with the deepest interest. It secures the fulfilment of every promise and every threatening contained in the Bible.

a Ex xxxiv. 6. b Deut. xxxii. 4. c Ps. xxxi. 5. d Ps. xxv. 10. ecxlvi. 6. Heb. vi. 18.

Another of the perfections of God, is MERCY. This, we have in substance, already proved. We have shown that God is benevolent, and mercy is one of the various ways by which benevolence is exhibited. By mercy we are to understand kindness bestowed on such as are unworthy. The existence of mercy supposes guilt or unworthiness, and this supposes a rule of justice by which men are estimated and condemned. In dealing better with mankind than they deserve, God is constantly manifesting his mercy. In continuing our lives, when by his law, we are under the sentence of condemnation, affords a conclusive evidence that he is merciful. The whole system of salvation as revealed in the Bible, is only one infinitely glorious plan, for the exhibition of mercy. He is the "Lord God merciful and gracious." a The passages which speak of the mercy of God, are so numerous, it is use

less to cite them. b

There are other displays which God is pleased to make of himself, which, by some writers, are called perfections, which are in truth, but varying exhibitions of such as have been already mentioned; such as holiness, by which we mean his hatred and opposition to sin; and wisdom, by which is meant the choice of good ends and well-adapted means for their accomplishment. In view of all the perfections of God, as seen by the light of nature and of revelation, are we not constrained to acknowledge, that, as a being to govern the world, to inspire the most unshaken confidence, and to form by an exhibition of his own nature, a theme for eternal admiration and praise, it is impossible for us to discover the least defect in his character?

Doddridge's Lectures.--Hopkins System.--Dwight's Theology.

a Ex. xxxiv, 6. b Ps cxxxvi. 26.

SECTION IV.

Unity of God, Divinity of Jesus Christ and the

Q.

A.

Holy Spirit.

What evidence have we, that there is but one God?

It is evident from the unity of design, that we discover in all his works. From the uniformity of the laws of nature it is certain, that if there be more than one, they act in perfect concert, and it is impossible to form any conception of two infinite beings, which, in every respect, are exactly alike. If they are in any respect unlike, both cannot be infinite; but if they are in every conceivable particular alike, it will follow, that they are but one. But this point is decided in the Scriptures beyond a question. The Divine Unity is unequivocally established, and the worship of more than one God is expressly condemned. The Creator of the world is represented as one Agent. But the proposition is still more unequivocally supported by direct passages of Scripture. "The Lord our God is one Lord." a "I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there is no God." b "There is none other God but one." c

Q.

What are we to understand by the doctrine of the Trinity?

A. It is not meant that God is three in the same sense, as that in which he is one; but that there is a mysterious distinction between what are called the persons in the Godhead, which renders the use of the pronouns I, thou, and he, in addressing each other, just and proper.

Q. What do we understand by the word person, as it is used in reference to this subject ?

Deut vi. 4. b Is. xliv, 6. c 1 Cor. viii. 4.