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know that the Lord he is God, there is none else beside him (f)." He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else (g)."—" I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God (h). "We know that there is none other God but one (i)."" There is one God (j)."-We, therefore, cannot but agree to the first assertion in this article, in opposition to the sinful presumption of atheists, and to the false polytheism of the heathen, that THERE IS ONE, AND BUT ONE St. Paul in his First

LIVING AND TRUE GOD.

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Epistle to the Thessalonians applies the epithets living and true" to God; "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (k).” And the prophet Jeremiah says, "The Lord is the true God, he is the living God (1). He is the living God, that is, "he hath life in himself (m); he is self-existent, deriving his being from no exterior cause; "In him we live (n).”

"He giveth life to all things (o)." He is the fountain and origin of life to all the animated part of the creation; he is the true God, as distinguished

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distinguished from the vain gods of the Gentiles, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God (p)."

The article next states, that, God is EVERLASTING; that is, that he has existed from all past eternity, and will continue to exist to all future eternity (q). The Supreme Creator of all things must necessarily have existed from all eternity, since he could not have caused his own existence; and he must continue to exist to all eternity, since a being cannot cease to be, when there is no superior by whom his annihilation, or any alteration in him can be produced, and when there is nothing in his own essence which is subject to change or decay. We may rely upon the truth and certainty of these conclusions, but at the same time we must acknowledge that our capacities can by no means comprehend how a being exists necessarily, independently, and eternally (r). God is in several passages of Scrip

(p) John, c. 17. v. 3.

ture

(q) Eternum proprie dicitur, quod neque initium ut esset habuit, neque cessare unquam potest esse. Origen. Or. Periarch. cap.3.

(r) "It is to be observed," says Dr. Clarke, "that the Scripture, as it does not much insist upon proving to us the being of God, but rather always supposes that to be already known by the light of nature, so also, when it mentions any of the natural attributes

of

ture styled eternal and everlasting: "The eternal God is thy refuge (s)."-" Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary (t)."-"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever (u)."-" According to the commandment of the everlasting God (x)." And in the Revelation of St. John, the eternity of God is thus described: "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (y).

To suppose that God is circumscribed by body, consists of material parts, or is liable to passions, would be so utterly inconsistent with our ideas of infinite perfection, with our notion of a Being who is equally present every where, and who is free from every possible defect, that

we

of the divine essence, it does not usually enlarge upon the proof or explication of them, but generally makes mention of them occasionally only, and as presupposing them beforehand well known by men's reason." Vol. 1. Serm. 5. To which may be added, the tradition of the revelations to Adam and the early patriarchs, and the evidence from prophecies and miracles continually before the people to whom the Old Testament was immediately addressed.

(s) Deut. c. 33. v. 27. (u) 1 Tim. c. 1. v. 17. (y) Rev. c. 1. v. 8.

VOL. II.

(t) Is. c. 40. v. 28.

(x) Rom. c. 16. v. 26.

we must without hesitation pronounce that God is WITHOUT BODY, PARTS, OR PASSIONS, "God is a spirit (2), and a spirit hath not flesh or bones (a)."-" God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent (b).", When, therefore, the Scriptures speak of the face, eyes, ears, and hands of God, or of his grief, jealousy, anger, and other mental emotions, we are to consider that such language is only accommodated to the understandings of men; and that those properties and qualities do in fact by no means belong to the Supreme Being. We can form no conception of the agency of a pure spiritual substance, and therefore, in speaking of God, we are under the necessity of using terms derived from ourselves, and which we cannot but know to be in reality inapplicable to him.

God having created all things out of nothing, and given to them their various and respective powers, and being able to change, annihilate, and dispose of every thing in the universe, in any manner which he pleases; and no substance either animate or inanimate, material or immaterial, being capable of resisting or impeding his will; it follows that the POWER of God is INFINITE.

(z) John, c. 4. v. 24.
(b) Numb. c. 23. v. 19.

"In

(a) Luke, c. 24. v. 39.

"In thy hand, O God, is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee (c)?""The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it, and who shall disannul it? his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back (d)?" -“He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (e)."-With God all things are possible (f)."- "With God nothing shall be impossible (g)."-" He doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost thou (h)?"

"The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (i).”—“The Lord God omnipotent reigneth (k)."-But though with the holy patriarch we confess that "God can do every thing (1)," we must remember that Omnipotence itself does not extend to contradictions or impossibilities; "God cannot lie (m)," inasmuch as that would be contrary

(c) 2 Chr. c. 20. v.6.
(e) Ephes. c. 1. v. 11.
(g) Luke, c. 1. v. 37.
(i) Gen. c. 17. v. 1.
(1) Job, c. 42. v. 2.
(m) Heb. c. 6. v. 18.

(d) Is. c. 14. v. 27.
(f) Mat. c. 19. v. 26.
(h) Dan. c. 4. v. 35.
(k) Rev. c. 19. v. 6.

Impossibile est ei mentiri ;

et impossibile istud non infirmitatis est, sed virtutis

et majestatis, quia veritas non recipit mendacium, nec Dei virtus levitatis errorem. Ambrose.

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