the like. And it is natural that this should be the case; for it is undeniable that the Scriptures have suffered by the hand of time, through transcribings and translations, and have lost, especially to the English reader and others who have them by translation only, much of that perfection which they at first had, consequently the building which is built on them, or even squared by them alone, must be proportionably imperfect and uncertain. But this is not all; The Scriptures in no case represent themselves as the foundation of the Church, but the revelation of God, or Christ himself; it is therefore subverting the Scriptures, and as they are true, subverting the truth, to make them the foundation. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,

which is Christ."*

But in the progress of the work of God and in the increase of the Church in the second appearing of Christ, matters will have a different train, and the truth of the Scriptures be confirmed, while they serve their own proper use in the hands of the people of God. 66 All (holy) Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works." In the true Church of Christ the genuine fruits of the Gospel may be found in such a manner as eventually to confound all scruples as to the truth of revelation; for in its progress, which hath already begun to appear, may be found peace, for its members do not go to war against men's lives, or property, or rightssafety, for its members shed no human blood-union, or the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is one body and one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, being all baptized by one Spirit into one body; one Lord, Jesus Christ, one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in them all. No place is found for selfishness, covetousness, or partiality; for they have all things common and no man calleth any thing which he possesseth his own. No room is left for even a plausible suspicion of worldly or sinister views in their possessions; for they gain their living by their own industry, and their preachers receive not a cent of pay in money or other value of earthly goods as a compensation for preaching. And the testimony which they bear against sin in nature and works, including the visible and manifest order of their lives, cuts off all room for sensual indulgences.

No doubt the suspicious will surmise that worldly motives are the object; but as the most judicious cannot point out the room for such surmisings, they will have no weight with the candid. And believers being able to live thus together, supported only by that faith and revelation which they profess, to live without any external bond, in closer communion than any who have such bonds, to live in freedom from destructive wars, and wasting contentions among themselves, stand as a lasting monument of the truth of the faith of Christ which they profess, and of their being built on the true foundation as well as a silencing proof of the truth of revelation, and of those Scriptures which bear witness of such a church, because experience proves that no faith one side of that which is grounded on revelation, yea, none one side of the faith of Christ in his second appearing, is able to produce such fruits.

* 1 Cor. iii. 11. † 2 Tim. iii. 16.

The Church thus built upon the foundation which God hath laid in Zion, and instructed by that guide whom Christ promised, of which promise a record is made in the Scriptures to stand as a lasting witness showing who is the guide of his people; I say, the Church built on that foundation and instructed by that guide, is not subject to the fluctuation and inconstancy to which those are subject who undertake to build on the Scriptures as their foundation and director. Most of them indeed undertake to modify that foundation to their own understanding, forming systems, as they say, according to the Scriptures; but none of these plans are able to keep the people together on that principle, during a revival of the light and power of God to any great extent, however they may answer for a form in times of deep insensibility or profound darkness.

But the Church of God, built on the true foundation, and taught by the Holy Spirit according to promise, is able to understand the Scriptures and apply them to their right use, and the youngest of its members possess a sufficiency of understanding and find enough of the Spirit to keep on the foundation in union. And the unfaithful cannot

abide; for the foundation is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to them who stumble at the cross, being disobedient. The Church on this foundation will, in its progress, wipe off all reproach from the name of Christianity and confirm the truth of revelation.

But we have no intention of treating largely on this subject, or of entering minutely into the arguments and obviating the objections of naturalists against the existence of God or the truth of revelation, as that work of God has begun on the earth, which in its progress will obliterate every trace of infidelity or doubt respecting the being of God, the certainty of his revelations to men, or the truth of Christianity. In the mean time, what is here stated may subserve the promotion of that work of God, by ministering at least some instructions to honest minds, who may be beset with the flattering baits of infidelity. But the publication is mainly intended for those who believe in the being of God and acknowledge the propriety of worshipping him.

CHAPTER III.

OF GOD, IN A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF HIS ATTRIBUTES.

I COME, in the next place, to speak of God in relation to his creatures. God is the author of the heavens and earth, the creator of all worlds, the fountain-head, of whom and for whom all his creatures were made, and by whom they live.

The first thing to be considered in the character of God as related to his creatures, particularly to men, with whom we have mainly to do, is his POWER. His eternal power is clearly seen in his works, which is so intimately connected with his Deity, or existence as God, that it is seen also. (Rom. i. 20.) Power is indispensable in the works

of God, in his creation and providence. It was necessary that God should have power in himself, adequate to the execution aad management of the works which he intended, and that he should have in himself the knowledge that he did actually possess that power, independently of all other beings. He is at no loss for power. These things will not be controverted by many.

The next particular to be noticed in contemplating the Divine character, in his relation to his creatures, is his WISDOM. It was necessary that God should possess wisdom to plan his works in the best manner to effect the proposed end; so that his true character might appear in his works, in the best manner possible, his own glory be declared, and the happiness of his creatures secured on the most fair and elegible terms, or if lost, that the character of God should remain unblemished and finally unimpeached, and the unhappy sinner be left inexcusable, to confess and deplore his own folly and guilt. "Lo! this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." (Eccl. vii. 29.) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD." "Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked: it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him." (Isa. i. 18, and iii. 10.) God's wisdom appears in his works, and is more and more conspicuous as men become acquainted with his ways. But his wisdom is like himself, incomprehensible by the finite mind. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom. xi. 33.) The wisdom of God is the fountain-head of all the little portions of wisdom in men, which he bestows as they have Thus God gave wisdom to Solomon; and saith James, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith." (Ja. i. 5. 6.) But that God doth inherit in himself an inexhaustible fountain of wisdom will be readily acknowledged.

need.

His KNOWLEDGE is intimately connected with his wisdom in the order of his attributes. Thus the apostle speaketh of the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. His knowledge may be considered as the offspring or emanation of wisdom, and viewed as having a special relation towards the objects on which it fixes, or the works of God, and those of his creatures, which are the objects of his notice and attention. That God's knowledge is equal to all demands, or that there is no lack of knowledge in God, and that it is unlimited in and of himself, its source being inexhaustible, will be readily granted. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Acts xv. 18. Col. ii. 3.) But the knowledge of God will come into con

sideration hereafter.

God's RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE come next in order, being essentially one; but the first of which, if any distinction be made, may be considered as the inherent and necessary attribute of God, from which the second issues forth and is inseparable from all his works and ways, which are all righteous, just and equal. "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" And again, "The LORD is righteous." And again, "The LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth."

The righteousness and justice of God, in connection with his power, wisdom, and the like, are the defence of all truth and righteousness in men, as well as the source from which spring the protection and confidence of all just men, by which a happy event is secured to them. "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous." "For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness." "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." (Psm. cxxv. 3. and xi. 7. Isa. iii. 10.) So that no man need be afraid to practise righteousness, because of the present sufferings and reproach, while God is righteous who stands engaged for the issue. All acknowledge God's righteousness in words, though many maintain such sentiments concerning God as greatly tarnish his character, not to say they would utterly supplant all righteousness and justice in him and his works. But we will take a more familiar and free contemplation on this subject in the sequel.

"GOD IS LOVE." It would be in vain to attempt to point out in words the whole character of God in its true colors: The only design of what is here stated is to take a compendious view of the attributes of God as he stands related to men, amongst which that of love is by no means to be omitted, being that which he hath set forth in the Gospel, as the uniting cord between God and men; "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (1 Jno. iv. 16. and Jno. iii. 16.) And abundantly more to the same purport. But I must not in this place give a loose rein to feelings on this subject, as I should be carried too far from the present design.

The GOODNESS of God may be considered as the handmaid and the offspring of love. Goodness, as well as love, and all the rest, is properly an attribute or quality, and not a foundation or primary existence. And without love there can be no goodness, and without righteousness and justice there can be no true love or goodness, and without power and wisdom and knowledge, there could be no righteousness, or justice, or love, or goodness in God. God is perfect, and no part of his character can be lacking or rejected, without rejecting God. The goodness of God is made known to men in the works of nature and grace, or in the accommodations for the support and comfort of the body, in return for which all are called to be exercised with gratitude, and in the provision which he has made in Christ for the salvation of the soul by the Gospel, in return for which, and influenced by a just respect to the recompense of reward, all honest men devote themselves and their all to God in the Gospel of Christ. "For the love of Christ constraineth us. 99 (2 Cor. v. 14.)

The MERCY of God may be viewed as comprehended in his love and goodness. This, though properly an attribute of God, the principle of which is necessarily included in his character, hath no place to exercise itself without having respect to creatures in distress, or some state of wretchedness, want or dependence, as it hath particular relation to misery, that is, something to move mercy or pity, and especially so, as it is exercised towards the fallen race. And out of this state of things the term mercy seems to have arisen. Nevertheless, that original attribute or perfection of Deity, as it exists essentially in him, and by

which he is moved to relieve the distressed, is essentially and unchangeably the same, and could have been exercised towards his dependent creatures, who would always have stood in need of his aid, had they never known sin or guilt or any of the wages of sin. No doubt the impression of this essential attribute in Deity, produced from the heart and tongue of Zacharias that rich expression, "through the tender mercies of our God;" in the Greek, through the compassionate bowels of the mercy of our God. The Hebrew word also, [on] so often translated mercy, is considered as denoting the deepest emotions and strongest affections of the heart, as those between parents and children; which the Greeks expressed by [5ópyn,*] innate love, or that which is natural to the order of beings towards their own offspring, relatives, and finally to all.

GOD'S HOLINESS is so universally acknowledged and ascribed to him by all, that nothing need be said to gain the consent of mankind, that it is an essential attribute. Without that infinite contrariety to sin, and opposition to every thing wicked or impure, called holiness, there could be no God-without holiness, no mercy, no goodness, no love, no justice, no righteousness, no wisdom, no power in an original subject, no light, no truth. Accordingly in all the ascriptions of praise to God, holiness has a leading place. Thus in Isaiah's vision of the Lord, he heard one crying to another and saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isa. vi. 3.) And in the vision which John had of the Church of God, the four living creatures, each of whom had six wings as had the seraphim seen by Isaiah, and who were full of eyes within, "Rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who wast and art and art to come." (Rev. iv. 8.)

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But the holiness of God is particularly proper and necessary to be remembered on account of its practical use. For as God is essentially and necessarily holy, it cannot be expected that he can possibly acknowledge an unholy being in that intimate and near relation to him, which accompanies salvation. The necessity of holiness in the people of God was early taught. "Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy. (Lev. xix. 2.) And when Christ appeared who first revealed the perfect way, in which alone men could become holy, the exhortation was not forgotten: "But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Accordingly the people of God are habitually represented as a holy people; and although under the law they could be no more than ceremonially holy, it is not so in the Gospel; "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope doth; by the which we draw nigh to God." (Heb. vii. 19.)

*This is that natural affection of which the Apostle represents some of the heathen as being destitute, a5ópyous, without natural affection, or having no desire for the happiness of others. (Rom. i. 31.) This is the natural affection or compassionate disposition common to the human family, and which to violate is iniquity. This is it which is so often construed into the lusts of the flesh, or sexual propensities, by modern devotees to a carnal life, who object to living a life of crucifixion to the flesh with the affections and lusts, after the example of Christ, lest by renouncing the fleshly works of the first Adam they should fall under the apostolic reprobation and lose their relation to Christ the quickening Spirit.