in the margin of one of De Rossi's, (Doederlein,) and in the reading of Vulg. Arab. and perhaps Syr. Thus the two passages (Jer. 23. 6, and 33: 16) read exactly alike, viz. And this is his name which they shall call him, Jehovah our Righteousness.'

§ 7. It is needless, however, to multiply testimonies on a subject on which our people are unanimous. I therefore proceed to the incommunicable attributes.

But before we consider these attributes singly, I would beg your attention, my dear Benjamin, to one general remark, viz. that he must be God, to whom God's es sential attributes and perfections belong; for such attributes cannot be separated from the essence of God, or belong to any inferior being: for example, to be absolutely eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, uncreated, are attri butes of God, which belong to his nature and being, and cannot belong to any creature; for how, then, could the distinction and difference between God and the creature be preserved ?

For the same being to be created and uncreated, to have a being and to have no being, to be in all places, and yet limited to a certain place, carries in it an inconsistency and contradiction; the affirming of the one is the denial of the contrary. These opposite attributes cannot then belong to one and the same nature; for that must suppose it to be and not to be at the same time, and to be what it really is not.

To be a creature, is to be made in time; and therefore cannot be affirmed of that being which is not made, and never had a beginning: to be a creature, is to be limited in power, place and knowledge; for a finite nature cannot receive infinite perfections. That being, therefore, which is unlimited in power, place, and knowledge, cannot be a creature, and consequently must be God, to whom it is peculiar to be without beginning, to be infinite in power and knowledge, and to be immense, filling heaven and earth, but not to be limited or circumscribed by them.

A created and uncreated nature may be united in the same person, as in Christ; but to be infinite and finite, eternal and temporary; to know all things, and to know only some things; to be every where, and yet confined to one certain place, cannot belong to the same nature; for then that nature would be a contradiction to itself.

If God's essential properties could be communicated to a creature, then the essence of God must be communicated to the creature; for the essence and essential properties cannot be separated; for then God must be separated from himself, and both be and not be at the same time. And further, if God's essence could be communicated to a creature, then the creature would that moment become God; but God cannot become a creature, nor can a creature become God; therefore God's essential attributes cannot be communicated to a creature.

Such perfections as require an infinite, independent, unchangeable being for their subject, are what may be called God's essential attributes; that is, they are such as belong to God, and can belong to no other being; such are immensity, omnipotency, omniscience, eternity, and immutability. A creature may bear some resemblance to God, in a lower degree, as to wisdom, goodness, holiness; yet even these, in creatures, are limited, both as to measure and duration; whereas in God they are eternal and infinite, as his essence is; but no creature can be every where present, be without beginning and without end, know all things, and be able to do all things. To return then to our subject.

Omniscience, or the knowledge of all things, and particularly of the heart of man and his secret thoughts, is a property which Jehovah claims as peculiarly his. "For thou, even thou, only knowest the hearts of all the children of men." 1 Kings, 8: 39. "Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen, let them show the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things to come, show

the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods. Isa. 41: 22, 23. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart; I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways." Jer. 17: 9, 10. See also Amos, 4: 13.

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Omnipresence is a distinguishing perfection of God, which implies his immediate presence in all places, taking cognizance of, and managing all the affairs of his universal kingdom. Ps. 139:1-13. This is the common consolation which God gives to his people, wheresoever they are. Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isa. 41: 10.

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Omnipotence, or almighty power, is another divine in communicable attribute. I need not quote any passages of Scripture on the subject, for it has been justly observed that - almighty is so peculiar a character of Deity, that God takes it for his very title in more than fifty places in the Old Testament.

Eternity, i. e. without beginning or end, is another peculiar distinguishing perfection of God. Before the mountains were brought forth, or even thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God." Ps. 18:2. "Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts-I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there is no God." Isa. 44:6.

Immutability, or unchangeableness, is the last incommunicable attribute I shall name. "For I, the Lord, I change not." Mal. 3:6.

§ 8. I proceed to the next incommunicable criterion of Jehovah, which is the work of creation. The Scriptures every where appropriate this work to God, and exclude all other beings from the glory of it. By this, Jehovah distin

guishes himself from all other pretended deities: he challenges this as his peculiar glory, that he is the Maker of the heavens, and all things contained in them. "Thus shall ye say unto them, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens: he has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens by his discretion." Jer. 10: 11, 12. "And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cheru bims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth." 2 Kings, 19: 15; see also Nehemiah, 9: 6; Job, 9: 8. Jehovah himself declares," I have made the earth and created man upon it; I, even my hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." And again, "Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb; I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretched forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." Isa. 44: 24; 45: 12. How unaccountable and unwarrantable are these expressions, if the great God had used another, even a created being, as his minister or instrument in the great work of creation; for none is said to do that alone and by himself, which he uses the assistance and ministry of another in the performance of.

The apostle, in writing to the Hebrews, lays this down as an undisputable maxim, that creation is the work of God; "for every house," says he, "is builded by some man, but he that built all things is God." Heb. 3: 4. In the same manner he reasons in Rom. 1: 20, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Now, if a creature might make all these things, that had no such eternal power and Godhead at all, the force of the apostle's argument would be lost. Creation

requires almighty power. Almighty power is an incommunicable attribute of God, whoever has created a world must therefore be God; but the creation is attributed to the Messiah, as will be shown hereafter; the Messiah, therefore, must be God. But supposing, not granting, that some glorious uncreated spirit might be some way employed in the works of God, Ì demand whether this sublime being has infinite, or only a finite power, communicated to it for this end; if an infinite power, this is to deify a creature; if only a finite power, that can never go beyond itself, act where it is not, or produce something out of nothing. In perfect conformity with what has been said on this subject, is the first article of our national creed, which ascribes the creation of all things to God alone.

You perceive then, my dear Benjamin, that it is the favorite topic which God is pleased to insist most upon, whenever he would either distinguish his own peculiar majesty and power above and beyond all the gods of the nations, or when he would excite in his people the highest idea possible suitable to his transcendent excellen. cy and peerless perfections. Nothing higher or greater could be said than this, that he had created the universe, had laid the foundations of the carth, and that the heavens were the works of his hands. Ps. 102: 25, 26. If, therefore, it can be made evident that the Angel Jehovah is set forth to us under this same high character, let any man of common abilities, that has not his faculties prejudiced, or is not steeled against conviction, be left to draw the conclusion.

§ 9. I proceed now to show that divine worship is another of the peculiar criteria of Deity.

Worship, in general, imports the respect we pay to another on account of his excellency and superiority. Divine worship must, therefore, import such respect as belongs to a Being of such infinite excellencies and supreme authority as the blessed God alone is possessed of. Such worship is either internal, consisting in those acts of our mind (such