confiftent thing, viz. the reafon of things; which being difcovered by the intellect, forms the truth and rationality of the mind.

The true idea of reafon is far from being fomething which neceffarily fubfifts in the human mind; I mean in a fallen ftate; for without the knowledge of Chrift, who is wif dom and knowledge, man is the molt irrational being: it is the rationality of all God's works, which undoubtedly has its origin in the divine principle.

We know that all reafoning, or logic, is a triple ratio, and may be fimply comprised in a propofition, a fubject or mediate, and a refult or conclufion:-This, certainly, bears a ftriking analogy to the diftinct parts of the divine will, as illuftrated in the Theory.The fame thing is obferved of mathematical demonftrations, of the harmony of founds,*

"So refined and myfterious is the effect of musical concord, that some learned artists have discovered in it an image "of the Supreme Source of all order and harmony.-A writer of the laft (17th) century, (Mr. Symfon,) who compefed a "valuable Treatife upon Mufic, has the following obfervation:-When I farther confider that three found:, placed by "the interval of a third one above another, do conftitute one en"tire harmony, which governs and comprifes all the founds which, "by art or imagination, can, at once, be joined together in mu fical concordance; this I cannot but think a fignificant emblem. of that fupreme and incomprehenfible THREE in ONE, governing, comprifing, and disposing the whole machine of the "world, with all its including parts, in a most perfect and fiu"pendous harmony.

"This phyfical Trinity, as an abfolute fact in mufic, must "be evident to every beginner in the fcience; and it is a Trin"ity in Unity; but it is a mirror in which many eyes will difcern no image: With me it is a matter of imall concern, how an allufion would be relished by a Middleton, a Bayle, or a Voitaire, whofe minds were poifoned by a difaffection

and of numberless movements and affociations in the natural, moral, and divine worlds, which have often been confidered, as ftrongly corroborating the doctrine of a Trinity in relation to the great Firft Cause.-This reafon conftitutes our Theory. The Divine Being is a rational being; and his works, which are defigned to manifeft his eternal power and Godhead, must be rational works, and fuch moft apparently they are; and the dif covery of the truth of the Divine Being in. this works or in his word, is all the reafon hat exifts in the mind; and a man has no nore reafon than he has knowledge of God -That is a truly enlightened and rational man, who may fay of the perfect will of God, This is my reafon; and who embraces and holds what agrees with this, as agreeing with his reafon, and no more.

to truth. Certain it is, whatever ufe we may make of the principle, that the compafs of all harmony can afford us no more than three founds in concord, however they may be multiplied by repetitions; and that if they are perfectly in tune, they conftitute one found, which an unpractifed ear would find it extremely difficult to decompofe.-In the harmonies, "we have them included within the fyftem of a single note; and in the grial confonance, two concordant notes will generate a third to complete the triplicity of the harmony. So aprofite is this picture when compared with the original, that I fhould be forry to take the refemblance for the work "of chance. And where is the wonder, if nature and revela“tion, which have the fame author, should speak the fame language? It would rather be wonderful if they did not.

"If Mr Symfon's allufion is juft, and founded in the nature of things, it teaches us this important truth, that when "the praises of the Creator are offered up by the church, with founds of harmony, we pay our tribute to him in that coin "which bears his image and fuperfcription; and thus we render unto God that which is properly his own."

PROFFESSOR JONES'S ESSAY ON SOUND AND MUSIC,

And it is not strange, that the attempts of men to reafon together, or to come together by reasoning, as they call it-laborious, multiplied, and long continued attempts-when the principle and theory of reafon is not acknowledged, not only prove fruitless, but prove controverfies, widening the differences, exciting hatreds, and often ending in war.This, however, is ftrange indeed, that thefe reafoners and difputers never get difcoura ged, fufpect their falfe ground, and give over their fruitless and criminal attempts!

The fcriptures are confidered as the hifFory and revelation of facts, attefted by every poffible authority; but reafon diftinguished from revelation, is confidered as the evidence refulting from the confiftency, agreement, and harmony of the facts themfelves.-The fcriptures inform us that God; Aleim, made the world, and the works of creation declare plainly the fame thing. The fcriptures teach that God exercifes a care and government over his works, and the events of Providence clearly manifest the fame truth; and the fcriptures witnefs that the Father and Son are one-that the Son is in the Father, and the Father in him; which is the great gospel doctrine; and the works of filial obedience, and the power which accompanied the Lord Jefus Chrift in the world, and which ftill attends his doctrine, fully prove their teftimony. So that, according to the words of Chrift, we may believe either the declarations of divine truth, or the facts themfelves, which are thereby attefted. Believe me that I am in the Fa

ther, and the Father in me? or elfe believe me. the very work's fake.

for

A ftranger, vifiting at Salem, is told by his friend, that the town is almolt encircled by two rivers, or arms of the fea; one extending on the north fire, the other on the fouth. He believes his friend; but he may go out and furvey the fituation of the town, and believe his own eyes.-A man may believe the feriptures of divine truth, and rationally exercife his mind in their divinity; and he is criminal if he does not; but he may allo furvey the operation of divine truth, exercise his mind in, and give credit to the divinity of the work itself; and if he does not do this, he is no lefs criminal.

Inferences from facts have generally been. confidered as being within the province of reafon; and, doubtlefs, in many inftances, one fact may be clearly inferred from another; but, on this ground, there is more room for conjecture and doubt. I confider this tract as hazardous, and fhall attempt it with caution. The reader is already apprized that the demonftration of the Divine Theory confifts in the divine operation; and that our illuf trations will be chiefly made, by bringing ins to view the works of God as they are known to us by the fcriptures, and what we fee and experience.

THE

DIVINE THEORY.

PART I.

THE BEGINNING:

ILLUSTRATING THE TRUTH OF CHRIST AS BEING THE HEAD OF THE CREATION.

CHAPTER I.

OF ETERNAL THINGS.

Section 1, The Pre-existence, and effential Glory of Chrift.

1. CHRIST is from everlasting.

The eternity of Chrift is included in what has been shewn of his divinity, or of his bearing an effential part in the matter of the divine will; but the truth of his eternal exiftence is fo important to the argument before us, that I wish to bring it particularly into view.

According to the Theory, the divine eternal principle exifts in a matter of voluntary action, or, in a will or purpose with its efficient action. A dormant purpofe is not the purpofe of God. The divine will cannot be conceived to exift, but as expanding or operating; which primary operation, as already fhewn, conftituted the Beginning, the pre

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