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searchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." So these are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him! But the thunder of his power, who can understand? And so it will ever be, for the time can never come when the finite shall comprehend the infinite. Hereafter, much of the darkness which now overspreads the divine character and dispensations, will be dissipated; but new mysteries will be forever rising to the view of the contemplative mind! But if we have all the knowledge of God, of which our finite minds are susceptible, we should desire no more. An increasing knowledge of God will be one of the chief felicities of heaven.

God is merciful and gracious. Unless this attribute of mercy had been clearly revealed, a knowledge of all other attributes would give us little comfort. Even the goodness of God would hold out no consolation to sinners, who had forfeited every claim to divine benefits. When inexorable justice holds criminals in its grasp, of what account is it to them that their king dispenses favours to his obedient subjects? Man, by nature, is justly condemned. Justice cannot be set aside; it must have its demand, or God must change. Then, the only relief is the mercy and grace of God. And mercy can only have room for exercise when justice is satisfied. And this wonderful work has been accomplished by the atonement of the Son of God. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "Not that we first loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

The chief object of divine revelation was to reveal

the mercy of God. That God was good, and would do good to his obedient creatures, reason could teach; and that he was just, and would render to every one his due, was also a dictate of natural religion. But how God could be just and justify the ungodly, was a problem which human reason never could solve. That, however, which is impossible to man is possible with God. "Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Through the satisfaction made by Christ's atonement to divine justice, the door of mercy has been opened, and a free salvation offered to the guilty. The love of God to sinners, which is the same as his merey, is much spoken of in the word of God. And indeed it is, at once, the most delightful and wonderful object which can engage the contemplation of any human being. This love has its origin in the divine mind; there was nothing in the character of fallen man to excite it. It is, therefore, sovereign, free, and from everlasting. The depth and height and length and breadth of this love pass all knowledge. The bright evidence of its strength and freeness is found in the gift of his only begotten Son. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy." "As high as the heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." When he proclaimed his name to Moses, it was, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin." The songs of praise addressed to God in the ancient church, were wont to be concluded with the chorus, "The mercy of the Lord endureth forever."

"O give thanks unto the

Lord, for his mercy endureth forever." "Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth forever."

God is a God of truth and faithfulness. Truth is his very nature. All his declarations are true. "Thy word is truth." And as he has consented to enter into covenants with men, and to make great and precious promises to his people, he is faithful in fulfilling whatever he has spoken. No part of the good which he has ever promised has failed, or ever can fail of its accomplishment. "And ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed, of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you." "Know, therefore, that the Lord thy God he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations." He is therefore styled the "covenant-keeping God."

And as he is faithful in the fulfilment of his promises, so is he true in the execution of his threatenings against impenitent transgressors. To suppose that his denunciations of vengeance against sinners were merely spoken to produce terror, is most dishonouring to the God of truth. "The strength of Israel will not lie." "God is not a man that he should lie." "Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" "Surely, O Lord, thou wilt slay the wicked." "The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." If in any case his threatenings are not executed, it is because a condition was implied, as when God threatens an individual or a nation with destruction, and that individual or nation takes warning and repents, then his wrath is turned away. In all such threats there is an implied condition, that if the guilty

will repent, they shall escape the threatened destruction. Indeed, the very end of addressing such threatenings to men, is to bring them to repentance, that they may escape condign punishment.

God is long-suffering and forbearing toward the children of men. "He is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "He endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." This forbearance of the Almighty is often abused by wicked men. "Because judgment is not speedily executed against an evil work, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

God is condescending and compassionate. When we consider the majesty of God, nothing is more wonderful than his condescension. "He humbleth

himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.” "What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?. Though the Lord be high he hath respect unto the lowly." "Though heaven be his throne and earth his footstool, yet to this man will he look who is of an humble and contrite spirit and trembleth at his word." "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him."

God is supreme. "His kingdom ruleth over all, and he doth according to his will, in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth." All honour, glory, blessing, and praise should be ascribed to God.

CHAPTER VII.

THE HOLY TRINITY.

THE Scriptural evidence of this doctrine would not. be deemed insufficient by any one, were it not for the idea that there is something in the doctrine repugnant to reason; or, which it is very difficult to reconcile to right reason. The only thing then, which reason has to do with the subject is, to examine whether there is any thing in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, which is manifestly repugnant to any truth clearly ascertained by the use of right reason. It is admitted that this doctrine is not known by the light of nature; for even if there should be found in the material universe, or in the human mind, a resemblance to the Trinity, as some have supposed, this resemblance, if admitted would furnish no conclusive argument in favour of the doctrine. It is not pretended that the doctrine is either made known, or can be proved by reasoning. It is a doctrine of pure revelation. But if its opponents could show that it contradicted any clear and universally acknowledged principles of truth, we should be reduced to the necessity of either rejecting the Bible, which teaches the doctrine, or of so interpreting the Scriptures, as to exclude the absurd opinion. The first course is pursued by deists, who often give this as a sufficient reason for rejecting the Bible, that it contains doctrines contrary to reason. Jews and Mohammedans

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