of things, but of all that is paffed and forgotten among men, and of all that ever fhall be unto the end of time. Inftances we have of both kinds in the facts recorded by Mofes, and the many prophecies which have been fulfilled, and many more which relate to events yet to fall out in their proper time. And thus we find him pleading against the idols of the nations, and their thoughtless votaries : Bring forth your strong rea"fons, faith the God of Jacob. Let "them bring forth, and fhew us what "fhall happen: let them fhew the former "things, that we may confider them."Shew the things which are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods," If. xli. 21. 22. 23. This, it is evident, cannot be done but upon one of two fuppofitions; either that all things are under his direction and difpofal, or that he hath fuch a perfect knowledge of them, that he can certainly fay what effects will follow. In either cafe, fuch power and knowledge can belong to none but the creator.

At the fame time that we have this great foundation of all religion attested by fuch plain and palpable evidence, we

have another advantage: by having a power fo analogous and fimilar to that by which the worlds were created, brought under our obfervation, the belief of creation is greatly facilitated; as it effectually removes that prejudice which is fome how become in a manner natural, against believing any effects of power to which we have never obferved any thing fimilar: and further, by unquestioned instances of fimilar powers, and very nearly of the fame kind, the mind is in an easy, and almost infenfible manner, led up to the justest notions of that God we profefs to worship, as a being effentially poffeffed of perfect and abfolute power, not to be controlled by any, or all other powers put together. And thus, in that ancient Chriftian creed bearing the name of the Apofles, the article, I believe in God the Father almighty, ftands without any other addition but the ground on which it is believed, the maker of heaven and earth.

Our modern wife men, alarmed, as would feem, by the dreadful confequences of abfolute power lodged in a weak fallible man, have raised a horrible cry against afcribing it to God, and given it

names

names which I do not chufe to repeat. But had they adverted to a very obvious truth, That all imperfection whatsoever is owing entirely to the want of power, they would easily have seen, that perfect or abfolute power and abfolute perfection are but different words for the very fame thing. The distinction between what they call natural and moral perfections, whatever foundation it may have in created conftitutions, can by no means apply to him in whom all perfections are equally effential, however the weakness of our apprehenfions may lead us to conceive of them.

CHA P. II.

Ignorance of Abstract Nature. Ignorance of Divine Nature, Power, or Works. Knowledge conveyed by Images. The true ftate of Creature-dependence.

UT after all, however ftrong the e

B after all, ho

vidences of this

great truth

are, and they are indeed the strongest which crea

tures of our kind are capable of receiving,

the

the thing itself remains an impenetrable mystery, how a world, fuch as this, could be brought into being, when there were no materials either to work upon, or to work by: and yet more, that it should be done by the bare word, or rather the bare will, of the creator. This is a fe

cret which muft for ever remain with him who is perfect in understanding, and who alone can know the extent of his own power. And yet the eternity of the world, or even of the matter of which it confifts, would be ftill as inconceivable, and confequently as great, or rather a greater mystery, and therefore as hard to be believed: only with this difference, that the existence of the material world is more obvious than that of the invifible creator.

This naturally leads us into depths, if poffible, ftill greater, the impenetrable secrets of the divine being: He created the heavens and the earth, and that gave a beginning to them, and to what we call time, by which their duration or continuance in being is computed. But the creator himself then was: nay, infinitely beyond the utmost distance that can be iVOL. II. magined,

D

magined, he did exift. Accordingly it is faid of him, If. lvii. 15. that " he inha"biteth eternity;" and by the Apostle, 1 Tim. vi. 16. "He only hath immortality;" which laft expreffion excludes, not only end of being, but all not-being. But who can reach the full import of these words? The diftinguishing name by which he chofe to be known in the first ages, JEHOVAH, is with good reason thought to exprefs his very effence; and his answer to Mofes, when he wanted to know his name, isa fort of paraphrase of it; which the Apoftle John renders, He that is, and was, and is to come. And thus it comes out, as if he had faid, I am he that is, or, he who is being and that is fomething more than to fay, he is the fole proprietor and poffeffor of being; it imports, that being is his very effence. Much to the fame purpose is the title we find him fo often afsuming of, The Living God; not only to distinguish himself from dead idols, but especially to fet himself forth to our faith, as the absolute proprietor,and therefore the only spring ' and fountain of life, as well as of being. And thus we find our Lord giving it as

the