THE NATURE OF GOD AND HIS WORKS OF CREATION.

CHAPTER 1.

The Attributes of God; their harmony and consistency manifes ted in God's dealings towards his creatures: the idea of christian sinners wholly inconsistent with these Attributes.

MUCH learned labor has been spent in vain attempts to search out the nature and character of God, and to pry into the attributes of the Almighty; as tho poor sinful man, in his fallen and depraved state, were able, by his own wisdom and understanding, to trace out those qualities which constitute the ALMIGHTY GOD! "Canst "thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Al"mighty to perfection ?”*

The infinite and invisible God can be known only through the medium of Divine Revelation. As far as God in his wisdom sees fit to reveal his true character to man, so far it may be known, but no further. And it is certainly most reasonable and consistent, as well as most just and equitable, that a Being who is infinitely just and righteous, should make the greatest displays of himself to those who, by faith and obedience, approach the nearest to him. Therefore it is not to the learned Theologist, immured in the deep recesses of philosophical speculation, that God deigns to reveal himself in his true character; but to those who deny themselves of all ungodliness and every worldly lust, who walk in the paths of righteousness and peace, who are not merely knowers of his word, but doers of his work. Such, and such only, have a just right to look to God for a true knowledge of his Divine character; and such can, with humble confidence, rely on a faithful display of his goodness, without involving themselves in the dark mazes of scepticism, by a pertinacious confidence in their own wisdom and discernment.

To have just conceptions of the real character of that Divine PRINCIPLE OF BEING whom we call God, it is necessary to understand the nature of his attributes, which stand in perfect correspondence with each other, and which are fully displayed in his Word and Works, and clearly manifest his Divine perfections. "For "the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are "clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.”+

It is certainly most reasonable and consistent with infinite Wisdom, that the image and likeness of God should be most plainly manifested in man, who was made the most noble part of the natural creation. Accordingly we read, "And God said, Let us

* Jeb xi. 7

† Rom. i. 20:

"make man in our image, after our likeness.-So God created 66 man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; "male and female created he them.” Hence it must appear evident that there exists in the DEITY, the likeness of male and female, forming the unity of that creative and good principle from which proceeds the work of Father and Mother, manifested in Power to create, and Wisdom to bring forth into proper order, all the works of God. If it were not so, then man, who was created male and female, as father and mother, could not, with any propriety, be said to show forth the image and likeness of God. But the manifestation of Father and Mother in the Deity, being spiritual, does not imply two Persons, but two Incomprehensibles, of one substance, from whom proceed all Divine power and life.*

The Almighty is manifested as proceeding from everlasting, as the first Source of all power, and the fountain of all good, the Creator of all good beings, and is the ETERNAL FATHER; and the Holy Spirit of Wisdom, who was the Co-worker with him, from everlasting, is the ETERNAL MOTHER, the bearing Spirit of all the works of God. This is according to the testimony of her own inspiration.

"Doth not Wisdom cry ?-She crieth at the gates, at the entry "of the city:—“ Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the 66 sons of men. Hear; for I will speak excellent things; and the 66 opening of my lips shall be right things. I love them that love 66 me; and those that seek me early shall find me.—I lead in the "way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment."The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his "works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.-When he prepared the heavens, I was "there: when he set a compass upon the face of the deep when ❝he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the foun"tains of the deep: when he gave the sea his decree, that the "waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed "the foundations of the earth: then was I by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always be"fore him." And again: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, "and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay "hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her.”+

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The attributes of God are manifested by the light of Divine revelation, and confirmed by the testimony of eternal truth, through Christ, in this day of his second appearing, and may be stated in the following order.

* This shows something essentially different from "three distinct persons in one God," all in the masculine gender, as established by a council of catholic bishops in the fourth century, and which has been the prevailing creed among their blind and bigoted followers to this day.

† See Prov. chap, viii. and chap. lii. 17, 18, 19.

1. POWER. It is necessary, first of all, that God should possess power sufficient for self-existence and independence, and for the accomplishment of all his works. His power is infinite, and therefore fully competent to perform any thing consistent with his nature. “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established "the world by his wisdom."*

2. WISDOM. In all the operations of God, Wisdom stands connected with Power: for without the corresponding operation of Wisdom to direct and bring forth into proper order, nothing could ever be brought to perfection. "The Lord by wisdom hath "founded the earth; by understanding he hath established the "heavens."+ Wisdom appears evident in the beauty, order, harmony and perfection of all God's works. "O Lord, how mani"fold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all.”‡

3. GOODNESS. The goodness of God is abundantly manifest in its operations towards mankind. "The earth is full of the "goodness of the Lord."|| All the operations and works of God are good, being planned in perfect wisdom, and every way adapted to the respective purposes for which they were intended.

4. Light. "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."¶ Without light, God could never be known to exist; and it is by the operations of light that his works are seen, and his goodness made manifest to his creatures.

5. HOLINESS. The holiness of God is abundantly declared in the scriptures. "O Lord, who is like thee, glorious in holiness ?”** Holiness is, in the highest degree, expressive of the perfect purity of the Divine Nature. Nothing unholy or impure belongs to God; and therefore nothing of that nature can ever proceed from God, or be owned and accepted by him.

6. Love. God's love is abundantly manifested towards his creatures in the kind dispensations of his Providence, through which they receive all their temporal blessings; and also in the merciful displays of his goodness and tender compassion, whence flow all their spiritual privileges. "God is love; and he that ❝ dwelleth in love; dwelleth in God, and God in him."++

7. RIGHTEOUSNESS. "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, ❝and holy in all his works. Righteousness and judgment are the "habitation of his throne.-The heavens declare his righteousness." Righteousness is ascribed to God, throughout the scriptures, as a distinguishing attribute, and is peculiarly expressive of the perfect uprightness of his Divine character.

These seven are the only inherent attributes which constitute the very nature and essence of God, as revealed to man, and from which all others proceed.

* Jer. x. 12. ¶ 1 John i, 5.

† Prov. iii, 19. ** Exod. xv, 11.

Psa. civ, 24.

Psa xxxiii, 5. ff 1 John iv. 16. ‡‡ Psa. xcvii, 2, 6, and cxlv. 17.

All other attributes or principles, with every thing pertaining to Godliness, may be considered as comprehended in, and proceeding from these seven. Justice, tho an essential attribute of God, is so intimately connected with his Righteousness, that they, in effect, form but one. Righteousness, is that which is inherently right and equitable in God. Justice is a display of that which is right and equitable towards his creatures. Mercy is also an essential attribute; but it proceeds from goodness and love: for wherever God, from his infinite goodness and love, administers his gifts in tender compassion to the needs of his creatures, there is a display of mercy. Understanding and knowledge are the operations of Wisdom and Light, without which there could be no understanding nor knowledge.

As to the terms omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, so much used among theologists, and which they consider as terms expressive of Divine Attributes, it may be proper to remark that, omnipotence is only another name for Almighty Power; and that omniscience implies a knowledge of all things, and of course, proceeds from Wisdom and Light. Omnipresence cannot properly be called an attribute. Undoubtedly, "the eyes of the Lord are "in every place, beholding the evil and the good;" but God's essential presence cannot be in any evil work. Some talk of God's infinity, eternity and unchangeableness, as essential attributes; but this seems to be a distinction in terms, more calculated to bewilder the mind than to enlighten the understanding. By a little reflection we may easily perceive that, if "God is infinite, eternal "and unchangeable in his Being," which all must admit, then all his attributes must, of necessity, be infinite, all must be eternal, and all unchangeable; and hence arises his independence of all other beings, and his sovereignty over all.

Truth is the declarative attribute of God, which proceeds from all his other attributes, and by which they are all declared and made manifest, and without which man could know nothing of God. "Thy word is truth."* In Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the Truth, was manifested the real character of God: "For in him "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead (or Deity) bodily."+ That is, in him was manifested the very nature of those attributes, and in this sense, God dwelt in him. We read that, “Our God is a consuming fire." This includes every attribute of God; and these, being all manifested by the truth, operate like fire, and will finally consume and destroy whatever is contrary to the nature of God. It is also declared in the scriptures, that "God is a Spirit ;" or rather, according to the original, God is Spirit. All his attributes are spiritual: He is that infinite and eternal Fountain whence proceeds all spiritual blessings to all his creatures. Hence he is

* John xvii, 17.

† Col. ii, 9.

Heb. xii, 29,