the thunder of his power who can understand?" Think of that power which originally gave existence to these innumerable worlds and myriads of celestial systems, which sustains all that exist, whether of matter or mind, throughout the immensity of creation; a power which nothing can successfully oppose; a power which can operate in the most perfect manner, at the same moment of time, in every part of God's wide dominion, with the utmost ease, and without the least confusion, error, or imperfection.

How inconceiv

able must be this attribute of the Divine character! And, as he is eternal and self-existent, he can never be exhausted; He is ever acting, yet he never fainteth, nor is he weary.

Such ideas of the boundless dimensions of creation, and the vastness of Jehovah's eternal power, to illiterate minds, may seem to border on extravagance, and may be regarded as superfluous speculations; but when we consider that "the universe is the work of infinite power, prompted by infinite goodness, and having infinite space in which to exert itself," we shall see that works on such a grand and majestic scale are becoming the dignity and glory of such a Being as the Omnipotent Jehovah, and that they afford delightful illustrations of his almighty power and glorious majesty.

It is almost superfluous to add, that the Almighty cannot do anything which implies or involves a palpable contradiction, because such actions are impossible in their nature. This might be illustrated by analogy or comparison to almost any extent; but let it suffice to say, God cannot do anything which is repugnant to his own perfections, either in relation to himself or to his creatures. cannot annihilate his own existence, because he is eternal; he cannot limit his perfections, because he is infinite; he

He

cannot lie, because he is a Being of eternal and immutable truth; he cannot love vice, or sin, neither can he hate holiness, for this would be inconsistent with his essential and immaculate purity. For any person therefore to contend that God is not almighty, because he cannot do that which is contrary to his own nature and perfections, is absurd and impious. We may conclude, as Bishop Pearson observes, that God is "absolutely omnipotent, because he is able to effect all things consistent with his perfections; and, by not being able to do anything repugnant to the same perfections, he demonstrates himself subject to no infirmity or imbecility.

II. GOD IS OMNIPRESENT.

By ubiquity or omnipresence is meant, that God is essentially present in every place. This attribute is peculiar to Deity. He is locally present throughout immensity of space. This notion of the Divine omnipresence is objected to by some, who understand this attribute merely to signify omniscience, or a perfect knowledge of all things: and they argue that the essential ubiquity of God implies the extension of the Divine nature, and that to say that God is everywhere present, "is substantially to maintain that only part of God is in any one place." They maintain also that "pure mind or spirit cannot have

any relation to space,

any more than time or thought." To such objections we might remark—

1. That God is a real existence, and therefore must certainly and necessarily sustain relations to space and place; but, as he is a spiritual existence, it necessarily follows that such relation to locality is not the same relation as that of matter. This is evident to every person who is

at all conversant with the philosophy of matter and mind. Matter fills that portion of space which it occupies, to the exclusion of other material substances; but God being a pure spirit, his presence does not exclude material substances from occupying the same space. Hence

2. The idea that God's essential omnipresence implies extension, and consequently that only a part of him is in one place, is unphilosophical and erroneous. Such notions cannot be applicable to pure mind, and such a theory seems very much like an attempt to confound things which essentially differ. Men who are best skilled in the science of mind say, that wherever mind is, there are all the properties of mind too, and may be exercised, whether occupying one or all points of space. Extension and divisibility are qualities of matter, and not of spirit.

Dr. Pye Smith, in his definition of the Divine Immensity, &c., makes some very judicious statements which have a direct bearing on the subject now under consideration. He says, "There is, with God, no diffusion or contraction, no extension nor circumscription, or any such relation to space as belongs to limited natures. God is equally near to, and equally far from, every point of space and every atom of the universe. He is universally and immediately present, not as a body, but as a spirit-not by motion, or penetration, or filling, as would be predicated of a diffused fluid, or in any way as if the infinity of God were composed of a countless number of finite parts, but in a way peculiar to his own spiritual and perfect nature, and of which we can form no conception. The adorable Supreme is incomparably more intimately present to and with and in us, than our own intellectual nature is to ourselves or our own con

sciousness." That God is universally and equally present is evident

1. From what is said of him in the Bible. From the many passages which affirm this important doctrine, we select the following :-" Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Job xi. 7-9. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." 1 Kings viii. 27. "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me," &c. Psalm cxxxix. 1-11. In Jeremiah xxiii. 23, we find the following question put forth by Jehovah himself: "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? do not

I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." The prophet Amos (chap. ix. 1-4), shewing the impossibility of the rebellious Israelites fleeing from the presence of God, says: " I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away; and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them," &c. And the apostle Paul says: "He is not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being." The attentive and intelligent reader will have observed, that in the above passages the omnipresence of God is represented as implying extension or a diffusion of the Divine essence; but this is owing to the peculiar character of scriptural language. In condescension to the imbecility and limited attainments of the human intellect, divine truth is revealed and written so as to suit the capacities of the bulk of mankind. As a learned author very properly remarks, "Metaphysical or philosophical preciseness is not the character of scriptural composition." Its eternal truths are expressed in striking and emphatic language, such as is calculated to make an impression on every class of mind. By the presence of God filling heaven and earth, we are not to understand that he has a subtle, extended body which pervades immensity or infinity of space, but