Now it is no wonder, that a being who is miserable himself, should endeavor to make others so; for according to a common saying, misery loves company. But that a Being, who is said to be all love, all powerful and perfectly happy, should torment his own offspring, and give his greatest adversary power over them to torment them also, yea, to help him to torment them, is of all things the most inconsistent and absurd; and more so, if possible, when we consider, that it is the nature of love, and the disposition of all intelligent creatures, who are happy, to seek the happiness of others. And when from a principle of love, God created mankind, on purpose that they might be partakers of his happiness, to enjoy and glorify him forever, and he can never be disappointed. "But man became disobedient, and sinned against him."Can you say, that God did not permit this for wise purposes? Is not love in us, very ready to forgive? Though "in us, a drop, in God, an ocean. Would not a good father reclaim his disobedient children, and hinder them from totally ruining themselves if he had power so to do, and freely forgive them if they had done ever so bad? "Certainly he would; if he did not, instead of being a good father, he would be very bad indeed." Has not God power abundantly? "Most assuredly.'" What! and yet let them perish eternally? Is this the character you ascribe to God? Contrary to every thing like love and goodness, of which we have any conception; and that conduct which every person would despise in an earthly parent. People, particularly the clergy, ought to be ashamed of

such doctrine, so derogatory to the charact not only of the Supreme, but of every good ma I shall now notice further, how the lovely a adorable character of God has been represen ed, or misrepresented, under the darkness ar power of Antichrist; and people in general hav believed, and acted, according to their gro ideas of his character; and according to the own prevailing dispositions and passions, whic they have ascribed to him, as, says a well inform ed writer, "Unhappily men have looked at Deit through the medium of a carnal mind, and hav formed all their evil tempers in Jehovah." A they are often wrathful, and angry, pleased an displeased, so they think that God is the same And they talk, and preach, and pray about Go being pleased, and displeased, and of his being very angry at the bad conduct of his creatures just as if babes, (for as to knowledge they are so in his sight, and indeed a great part of man kind are so in the sight of all men, (or the few) who possess a little wisdom,) poor weak igno rant creatures, at their best state, (or the best,) are said to be altogether vanity, (Ps. xxxix. 5. and the scripture in another place says, that "all the inhabitants of the earth are but as grasshoppers;" (Isaiah xl. 22,) can do any thing to please or displease and make angry the omnipresent, omnipotent, unchangeable, eternal Jehovah, before whom "all nations are but as the drop of a bucket, and are counted but as the small dust of the balance; behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing," (Isaiah xl. 25.) Yea, the world and all the planetary system is almost nothing in his sight; and if annihi

ated would hardly be missed by an eye that Could behold the whole. Yea, even our planeary system, is almost nothing when compared to the innumerable billions of worlds that float in the endless immensity of space. And if creation so eternal, and to us incomprehensible, what must the Creator be? O the inconceivable, incomprehensible greatness of our God, our Creator and Father!! Can he be offended at what his poor, weak children do? (made so, "made subject to vanity," for wise purposes.) Would not we despise the conduct of a parent, whom We saw wrathful and angry at his little children? No wise and good parent will be angry at his children on any account, and never correct them in anger, or passion, but in love, and for no other purpose but for their good, "that they might amend."

It is said by some good writers, that there may be a time or state, in which we may be where the seraphim, angels, (supposed to be the highest order,) now are; and then they as far beyond us as they now are; and thus all God's creatures continue eternally progressing in wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and happiness; and never, throughout the endless ages of eternity, arrive to where he is. Be this supposition as it may, it is so far from having any thing revolting in it, that it is very consoling and encouraging; and I cannot see, why not very probable.

But as great, and as far beyond our comprehension as God is, we have cause to be thankful that he has revealed himself to us as a Being of love. And this is what most nearly concerns all his creatures to know. If we could

know nothing else of him, to know this is suf ficient, it is the best of all knowledge. It is the beginning and end of all that concerns us: indeed there is no end to it; for he has not only revealed himself as a Being of love, but also, for our great encouragement and consolation, the extent of it, that it is unbounded, unlimited and eternal, in which are embraced all worlds and all creatures.

It is my intention in this work to represent the true character of our Creator, that people may be led to imitate him in mercy, charity, tenderness, kindness, and in all good works one to another. And as by contrast the difference between two opposite things is more clearly seen, I will now make a few extracts from several celebrated writers, who have been called orthodox divines; showing further their ideas of God and how he has been represented by them, and that I have not exaggerated the dreadful account that has been commonly given of his character; which we will see has been contrary to every principle tending towards benevolence.

The following is an extract from a sermon entitled "Sinners in the hands of an angry God!" Preached (July 8th, 1741,) by that celebrated divine, Jonathan Edwards, then President of the College of New-Jersey. The text to this Sermon is Deut. xxxii. 25. «Their feet shall slide in due time."

Speaking of sinners, he says "They deserve to be cast into hell. They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. Every unconverted man properly belongs to hell. The reason why they do not go down to hell at each

moment, is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry with them; as angry as he is with many of these miserable creatures, that he is now tormenting in hell! and they do there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath." [How unaccountable it is that God should be so very angry at his poor creatures, even to help the devil to torment them, when he knew before he made them, what they would be, and indeed predestinated and decreed that they should be just what they were, and should act just as they did, and made them for this fiery torment, and after all this he is so very angry at them, angry at what he himself decreed should be, angry at his own work: just like a passionate man who, after he has made a thing, is angry because he made it not right. But we will go on with this dreadful sermon.] 66 Yea, God is a great deal more angry with numbers that are now or earth; yea, doubtless with many that are now in this congregation, that it may be, are at ease and quiet, than he is with many of those that are now in the flames of hell. The devil stands ready, to seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him!!" [as soon as they die the devil takes them.] They belong to him!!" [It is an absolute falsehood, they belong to God, for he says in plain words; Behold all souls are mine; (Ezek. xviii. 4.) and Christ declares that "all were given to him of the Father." How stupid it is, to say that God would make souls, creatures susceptible of pleasure and pain, and give them to his great adverary, the devil, to be tormented by him in this

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