and the power of divine truth. But may God, in tender mercy, open our eyes to see wondrous things in his law; and our hearts to feel, and sweetly enjoy, the saving efficacy of his holy and ever blessed word.

X. It is no inconsiderable argument in favour of the sacred books, that they have been preserved by Divine Providence through the lapse of ages, and the revolutions of mighty empires.

The books of Moses were written about four thousand years ago; and it is more than two thousand years since the days of Malachi, the last Jewish Prophet. Nearly two thousand years have elapsed since the last book of the New Testament was written by John the Divine. Now view the wreck of empires since the days of Moses; and the revolutions of kingdoms since the apostolic age! The four great monarchies, with all their pomp and glory, have passed away; fine monuments of art, admired for their beauty, have perished; many learned works of eminent men have been entirely lost; and the customs and manners of many great nations have been entirely changed.

But the word of God has remained, and still remains, in a high state of preservation. Persecuting heathens have sought its destruction; Papists have withheld it from the people; and infidels have attacked it with an unsparing hand; but it still remains, and will remain for ever. "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man

as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever." 1 Pet. i. 24, 25.

Had the Bible been a mere human work, as some persons have supposed, it might have perished ages ago; but God has carefully preserved his own book, by a gracious providence, for the benefit of the human race. If it be objected that other ancient works have been preserved, as those of Homer, but that we cannot prove their divinity by their antiquity; we reply, that there is a wide difference between the one and the other. Wicked men have not sought the destruction of Homer's works; but they have made mighty efforts to destroy the Bible. There has not been a satanic influence against Homer; but that influence has been directed against the word of God. But, in spite of men and devils, the word has been preserved, in great purity, from age to age.

The Jews have carefully preserved the Old Testament, both in peace and war; and since they have been scattered over the face of the earth, they have watched over it with constant care. The Christians have been careful, in all their sufferings and divisions, to preserve the New Testament; and it is morally impossible, in the present state of the religious world, either for any book to be lost, or for any material alteration to be made in the matter of the holy books.

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CHAPTER III.

THE PERFECTIONS OF GOD.

God is absolutely perfect-He is one-Self-existent-from eternity to eternity—a Spirit-Omnipotent—Omniscient— Omnipresent-Holy-Just-Good and merciful-Faithful and true-Unchangeable-and the Father of all.

GOD is known, in part, by his glorious works; but our best and most extensive views of him are derived from his holy word. In that word, he states his glorious perfections; but they are not fully explained, being far above the reach of human intellect. This circumstance must be kept in view in all our observations on this sublime subject, lest we should fall into the error of Job's friends, who did not speak of the Almighty the thing that was right. But may the Lord himself direct our humble inquiries on this momentous subject; and may we bear in mind, that we know nothing of the Divine Being but what he has revealed in his works and word. I. Absolute perfection belongs, exclusively, to the Lord our God.

All other beings, of every rank and order, are imperfect when compared to him. Their perfection is relative, but his is absolute. He has every perfection that the mind of man can conceive; and every perfection belongs to him in the highest degree. "Who in the heaven can

be compared unto the Lord!" Ps. lxxxix. 6. The angels are but of yesterday; their powers are limited; and they are entirely dependent on God. But "thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee." 2 Sam. vii. 22. All excellences meet in God; and he is the sum and centre of all perfection.

II. The perfections of God cannot be understood by any created being.

That mind which could comprehend his greatness, would be equal to himself. But all created minds, whether human or angelical, are limited within narrow bounds.* How far superior intelligences can see, we know not; but, beyond their most extensive views, there is infinity. Had they intelligence far more extensive than the human mind can conceive, still they would be lost in contemplating the entire perfections of that Being, who brought them into existence. We may say to man, "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty

There is a line which no created understanding can pass; and whatever faculties are given to a being, must necessarily be confined within certain limits, and their operations proportioned to their essential state; according to the maxim in philosophy, that what is received is proportioned to the capacity of the subject that receives it. The angels' nature is vastly more intellectual than ours, and yet they veil their faces, can neither know nor comprehend the glories of the Uncreated One.-Ellis.

to perfection?" Job xi. 7. As this is utterly impossible, he is wise who adores that Being whose perfections cannot be comprehended by any creature, either in earth or heaven.

III. The unity of God is acknowledged both by Jews and Christians; and is clearly revealed in the holy Scriptures.

Moses taught this fundamental' truth to the children of Israel: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." Deut. vi. 4. And the Apostle Paul assured the Ephesians, that there is "one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all." Ephes. iv. 6.

The highest Trinitarians acknowledge this truth. They believe in a trinity; but it is a trinity in unity. If this be denied, we must either go into simple Unitarianism, or into polytheism; but both the one and the other is unscriptural, and cannot be defended, without a flat denial of the written word. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God: but these three are ONE. And the perfections of the Triune God cannot be proved, unless we acknowledge his unity; for if there were other gods of equal perfection, how could we affirm that he is all-perfect? Is he not omnipotent? and does not that imply that he has all power? Is he not omniscient? and does not that imply that he knows all things? And is he not omnipresent? and does not that imply that he fills all things? But he who has a superior, or