This matter concerning the character of Christ being set in a fair light, and established upon scripture arguments, takes off the force of many pretences against his proper Deity, arising from the supposed derivation of one divine person from another in Deity, and a supposed act of eternal generation producing a co-essential, eternal Son; which things are not expressed or implied in any part of revelation, and are acknowledged on all sides to be great and incomprehensible difficulties.

A great part of what is objected against the Deity of Christ, is founded upon the human definitions of GOD. Some haughty mortals have undertaken to tell what GOD is, and because the complex character which we have of him in scripture, does not answer their definitions, they cannot apprehend how he can be GOD. By confounding of things they confuse their own ideas, and lose the truth. If similitude of attributes argues a sameness of moral rectitude and character, the scriptures have fairly determined Jesus Christ to be GOD; for there is not any revealed attribute or perfection of GOD, but what is in the plainest terms ascribed to him. But what the physical essence of GOD is, the books of revelation have no where declared.

All attempts are vain to define the manner of the existence of a supreme cause. This far in general we may argue with certainty, that a cause or being that has in nature no superior cause, and therefore is also unproduced, and independent, must be self-existent: that is, existence must be essential to him; or, such is his nature, that he cannot but be. Every being must either exist of itself, or not of itself; that which exists not of itself, must derive its subsistence from some other, and so be dependent: but the being mentioned

above, is independent and uncaused. The root of his existence is no where but in his own nature: to suppose it any where else, is to suppose a superior cause to the supreme which is a contradic

tion.

Such a being must be eternal and infinite. Eternal, because there is no way by which such a being can begin, existence being of his nature. Infinite because his existence cannot be limited by any other.

Such a being is above all things that come under our cognizance; and therefore the manner of his existence must be above all our conceptions. He necessarily exists. But there is nothing falls within our comprehension of that kind. We know of no being, but what we can imagine it not to be without any contradiction to nature, but this Supreme Being himself. With respect to him, we know by reasoning, that there must be one being, who cannot be supposed not to be, as certainly as we know any thing at all: though at the same time we cannot know him, and how he exists. Adequate ideas of eternity and infinity are above us, who are finites. What relation or analogy there is betwixt time, which is a succession of moments, and eternal, unchangeable existence;-how any being should be no older now, than he was five thousand years ago, &c. are speculations which involve finite minds in insuperable difficulties.

As our minds are finite, they cannot without a contradiction comprehend what is infinite. What though they were enlarged to ever so great a capacity, yet so long as they retain their general nature, and continue to be of the same kind, they would by that be only rendered capable to apprehend more and more finite ideas; out of which, however

increased or exalted, no positive ideas of the perfection of GoD can ever be framed. In the nature of a perfect infinite being, there can be nothing finite, nor any composition of finites. Though we cannot comprehend his essence and manner of being, yet we may say with certainty, that he is free from all defects.

It is extremely inconsistent for us to talk about how the Supreme incorporeal Being exists, as if we comprehended his nature, while we do not comprehend the nature of the most inferior spirits; nor have any conceptions even of matter itself divested of its accidents: when we cannot turn ourselves any way, but we are accosted with something above our understandings, besides the numberless undescried regions, with their several states and circumstances, which our philosophy has never yet frequented. If we cannot penetrate so far as to disCover the nature and effects of them, is it to be expected that we should, that we can see the mysteries of his nature, who is the supreme cause of all?

We may and ought in our conceptions of GOD, to remove from him what are defects in ourselves, as want of life, ignorance, impotence, acting inconsistently with truth, and the like; these are defects in us, and would be much more so in him, therefore cannot in any sense be ascribed to him. For as ignorance is the same in every subject, we understand what it is, and may literally deny that it belongs to GOD: the like may be said of his power, &c. Though we do not understand how he knows things, and his manner of operation. Thus we may speak without pretending to comprehend his

nature.

In like manner we may draw conclusions from the consideration of his works in the production and government of the world, without pretending to comprehend the manner of his existence. So far from this, that a just contemplation of his works, will lead to the necessity of acknowledging, that there must be an incomprehensible being at the head of them: and though we do not comprehend the mode or manner in which the world depends upon him, and he influences and disposes things, because this enters into the knowledge of his nature, the one cannot be understood without the other; yet when we see things which are not self-existent, and plainly observe an economy and design in the disposition of them, we may conclude there is some being, upon whom their existence depends, and by whom they are modelled and managed.

But great care should be taken in all our behavior towards GoD, that we make no false representation of him. We must take care not to represent him by any picture or image, either mental or material, for this is to deny at once his incorporiety, and incomprehensible nature, &c. So far from this, the language we use when we speak of him ought not only to be well chosen, but also understood in the most sublime sense possible: and the same care is necessary with respect to our thoughts. For though our terms be the most reverent and proper that we can conceive, he is still something above all our conceptions. For as the mode of his existence and essential attributes are incomprehensible by us, our words and phrases, and the objects of our faculties, must be inadequate expressions of them.

As for example, when we speak of his mercy, we must not by mercy understand what is called compassion in us, which is attended with a certain

uneasiness, and therefore cannot be ascribed to GoD in that sense we ascribe it to ourselves, whose affections are moved by pathetic arts of rhetoric, or tears of importunity; but there can be no alteration supposed in the Deity, though from the weakness of our understanding, we denominate the perfections of GOD variously, as he exerts himself on this or that occasion.

Perhaps it may be affirmed upon good grounds, that among men there is nothing that resembles the mercy of GOD. So different are the ideas we have of what is called mercy among men, as to the objects, extent, causes, and manner of shewing it, that there is not any example which seems to have the least relation to the true idea we ought to have of God's mercy revealed in his word. Among criminals they are pardoned who appear to be least guilty;-in shewing mercy, the preference is given on account of some circumstances in the crimes, or in the persons who commit them. Men shew mercy in pardoning such as injure them, when the offender repents, and perhaps must crave forgiveness. Mercy is shewed to the miserable, from the impressions the nature and degree of the misery hath upon men's feelings, which depends upon the art of representing the case, or the disposition the persons are in to be affected with it.

But the mercy of God is extended to the chief of sinners, the most guilty,-not because they re pent, nor on account of any good qualities in them more than others; but the mercy contained in his promise, all sovereign, and free, being shewed them in forgiving their offences, moves them to repentance; or, rather (to speak more agreeable to the gospel) is the cause of that gracious change in them, and these new dispositions to love GoD and hate sin, which is an effect peculiar to the divine