Thy ways, Thou King of the ages' (Rev. xv. 3). All the Divine requirements are characterised by perfect rectitude and equity. The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good' (Rom. vii. 12). And, more especially, the justice of God will be manifested in the rewards and punishments which He will at last dispense according to the character and conduct of men. Retribution, it is solemnly affirmed, belongs to Him, and, in its perfect form, to Him only. 'Vengeance belongeth unto Me; I will recompense, saith the Lord' (Rom. xii. 19). So, too, we are assured, that all the judicial decisions of God will be characterised by the strictest impartiality. This truth is dwelt upon by St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, with deep interest. Having spoken of the last day as 'the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,' he states the principles upon which that judgment will proceed, and which the Omniscient One will apply with perfect accuracy to the varying circumstances of the probation of each individual; and then he adds, 'For there is no respect of persons with God' (Rom. ii. 11).

Another moral perfection of God, necessarily implied in His holiness, but which may be separately dwelt upon, is His truth and fidelity. His declarations are all true and certain. He cannot deceive; He cannot lie' (Titus. i. 2; Heb. vi. 18). The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations' (Psalm. c. 5). And He is faithful to all His promises. This feature of the Divine character is dwelt upon by the Sacred Writers with deep interest, and is placed in most instructive and encouraging combination with the provisions of the scheme of grace in Christ. God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord' (1 Cor. i. 9). Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised' (Heb. x. 24. See, also, 1 Cor. x. 13; 1 Thess. v. 24; 2 Thess. iii. 3). Thus, as we survey the rich and varied blessings offered to us in Christ Jesus, we can rest in the assurance that they shall all be ours if indeed we cleave to Him.

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Passing to the great attribute of love, which is so prominent in the Divine character, we may view it as assuming several forms. In the general form of goodness, it is manifested in the provision made for the happiness of created beings. We may confidently affirm that God takes pleasure in diffusing happiness; though, in the case of moral agents, this must ever be connected with the higher considerations arising from the sacredness of rectitude and duty. But the truth is certain, that God is benignant; and, while His moral displeasure rests on all sin, and on those who practise it in wilful opposition to the truth which they possess, there is no feeling that partakes of malignity or selfish irritation in the Divine Mind. The declarations of Scripture on this subject are most encouraging and impressive. The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works' (Psalm cxlv. 9). The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord' (Psalm xxxiii. 5). 'O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men. For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness' (Psalm cvii. 8, 9).

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Towards man as fallen and guilty, the love of God has assumed the forms of long-suffering and mercy. Instead of instantly visiting upon us our offences, or abruptly terminating our moral probation, God bears long with those who trifle with His authority, and even repel the overtures of salvation and peace. And He seeks our recovery. The scheme of redemption by Christ Jesus is the development of His gracious counsel; and we may reverently say that He takes pleasure in welcoming to His favour all who penitently fly to the appointed Refuge. In the revelation of His character made to Moses, in answer to his prayer, 'I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory,' He gave prominence to His forbearance and mercy, though He also affirmed His hatred to cherished sin. 'And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity

and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty' (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7). And the Apostle Paul has beautifully spoken of the benignity of God to man, as manifested in the provisions of redemption: But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and His love toward man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He poured upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life' (Tit. iii. 4—7).

We are thus taught to consider the love of God as assuming the form of grace to man,-not only in inviting his return from the path of disobedience, but in the rich and ample provisions of blessing for all who accept His mercy in Christ Jesus. The love of God pours itself forth in abundant communications of peace, and comfort, and purity, and strength to all believers; and the whole economy of salvation is the development of His inherent graciousness. St. Paul has emphatically expressed this sentiment in his Epistle to the Ephesians :- But God, being rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus' (Ephes. ii. 4-7).

Still further, the love of God assumes the form of complacency towards those who come to Him in Christ Jesus, and yield themselves up to His service, while they seek to be conformed to His own character. The ancient Scriptures abound in declarations of the special and complacent regard of God to those who are devoted to Him. 'He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy' (Psalm cxlvii. 10, 11). The

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Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him He also will hear their cry, and will save them' (Psalm cxlv. 18, 19). But know ye that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself' (Psalm iv. 3). And to crown the statements of Holy Scripture on this subject, our Lord Himself, the Incarnate Son, has assured us that His love towards His obedient and devoted people resembles the ineffable complacency which the Eternal Father takes in Him ; while the Father Himself regards them with special love as united to His Son. Even as the Father hath loved Me, I also have loved you: abide ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love' (John xv. 9, 10).

Such, then, are the perfections of the Divine Nature, as revealed to us by God Himself. These perfections, though they may be considered distinctly, exist in intimate and`inseparable union in Him, and they are developed in ever-varying manifestations in His providential and moral government of His creatures. As we reverently contemplate them, we feel that it becomes us to lie low at His footstool, and yet that in Christ we may look up to Him with confidence and claim Him

as our God. Beholding His glory as it is revealed to us in the face of Jesus Christ, we see that in Him all excellences centre, and that He is the Source of all that is right, and pure, and good throughout the Universe.

CHAPTER III.

THE HOLY TRINITY.

N the revelation which God has been pleased to vouchsafe to

affirmed. There is one God, one Eternal and Almighty Being, the Source of all existence, the Creator and Sustainer of universal nature. Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the Lord He is God; there is none else beside Him' (Deut. iv. 35). 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord' (Deut. vi. 4).

But while the Unity of the Divine essence is thus emphatically set forth, we are taught that in that essence there are mysterious Personal distinctions; and we are led to adore the one Jehovah as the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST. One of the most frequent appellations of the Most High in the Old Testament is Jehovah Elohim; and while the former term implies the essential unity of God, as the self-existent Being, the very form of the latter indicates that plurality in some sense belongs to Him. In this view the latter of the two declarations just cited is remarkable and impressive :-' Jehovah, our Elohim, is one Jehovah.' Allusions to the Trinity of Persons in the one Godhead occur throughout the ancient revelation. The formula of blessing which Aaron and his sons were commanded to use reminds us of this lofty mystery: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be