i. 35. And he was "the finger of God," by whom Jesus wrought his mighty miracles. Luke xi. 20. We are baptized in his name. By him we are enlightened, regenerated, and sanctified. He is the eternal Spirit, through whom Christ offered himself without spot to God; and blasphemy against him is never forgiven unto men. Heb. ix. 14; Matt. xii. 31. And can we, with these decisive marks of divinity, deny his Godhead?

V. These three are one; but how we know not.

We have no revelation to guide our inquiries on this profound subject. The fact is clearly revealed, and we are bound to believe it; but the manner is a secret, and may be so to all eternity. It is an incomprehensible and inexplicable mystery; but we believe it on the authority of God in holy writ. We perceive many things in nature that resemble this subject. The sun is one: but he has light, heat, and motion. The mind of man is one: yet in that we perceive understanding, will, and affections. But these fall infinitely short of the subject under consideration; and all attempts to explain this mystery have obscured the subject, and furnished infidels with matter of triumph. In this, as in other mysteries, reason itself must bow down; and faith must receive, with child-like simplicity, what God has revealed,

VI. Foolish men have attempted to explain this mystery.

Innumerable volumes have issued from the press, with pompous titles, on the doctrine of the Trinity; and a man may read them, until he is driven into infidelity by their perplexed method of reasoning. One says one thing, and another, another; but they generally darken counsel by words without knowledge. Job xxxviii. 2. In the lectures of Doddridge we have a list of the various opinions, both of the ancients and moderns, on this subject; but that list goes to prove how far men may wander from the truth when they depart from the plain letter of Scripture. One runs into Arianism; another into polytheism; and all into the gloomy shades of night. The schoolmen in former times, and metaphysical reasoners in our day, have driven many into Socinianism; but if all were satisfied with the plain word of God, the doctrine of the Trinity would not be called in question. It is clearly revealed; but nowhere explained; and all attempts at explanation are absurd and ridiculous.

VII. The best plan is to use this doctrine practically; and to leave what we cannot understand to a future state.

That passage in the Ephesians which shows that both Jews and Gentiles have access to the Father, through Jesus Christ, by one Spirit, leads us directly into the practical use of the Holy Trinity. Ephes. ii. 18. There the three Persons are brought before us: the Father, to whom we have access; the Son, through whom

we have access; and the one Spirit by whom we have access. Do we desire to contemplate the glories of the Father? let us draw near through his Son, and by his Spirit. Are we disposed to pray? let us pray to the Father, in the name of his Son, and by the aid of the Spirit in our hearts. Would we offer up praise and thanksgiving? let us present it to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Ghost. Thus the Holy Trinity is found in our devotional exercises; and we reap the benefit, though we cannot explain the mystery. And when this plan is in full and constant operation, we have sweet fellowship with the ever-blessed Triune God; and rejoice in the unity of that glorious Being, who is manifested to us as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

But when we pray to Jesus, who is one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, we should plead his merit. The first Christians, in the purest age of Christianity, called on the name of Jesus Christ. This is stated in the following passage: "Unto the church which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." 1 Cor. i. 2. And when we pray to the Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, we should plead the merit of our Saviour. We shall find it a blessing to pray to the Holy Spirit, for illumination, regeneration, and sanctification;

but generally, we pray to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Ghost.

We conclude in the words of Bishop Jeremy Taylor: "He who goes about to speak of the mystery of the Trinity, and does it by words and names of man's invention, talking of essences and existences, hypostases and personalities, priorities in co-equalities, and unity in pluralities, may amuse himself, and build a tabernacle in his head, and talk something he knows not what: but a good man, that feels the power of the Father, and to whom the Son is become wisdom, sanctification, and redemption, in whose heart the love of the Spirit is shed abroad, this man, though he understands nothing of what is unintelligible, yet he alone truly understands the Christian doctrine of the Trinity."

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CHAPTER V.

THE CREATION.

Creation includes all worlds, visible and invisible-Our world began with time—It was created out of nothing by the Lord God Omnipotent-Six days were employed in this stupendous work-The whole creation displays amazing wisdom, power, and goodness-It should be carefully examined by all the children of men.

CREATION includes all worlds, visible and invisible; and all beings, from the archangel in heaven, to the meanest reptile on earth. Every thing that exists, whether animate or inanimate, is the workmanship of God. Matter and mind, in all their astonishing varieties, were formed by his hand. Nothing could make itself; nor could any creature create any thing that exists. When God created other worlds, or angelic beings, is not revealed; nor can it be known, either here or hereafter, without a divine revelation. But all worlds, as well as ours, had a beginning. Angels may communicate much information on this interesting subject, in a future state; but their knowledge has been derived from God, who is the fountain of wisdom. The solar system, where we are placed, is the workmanship of the Deity; and other systems of worlds, far beyond our reach, are his handy-work. But while we survey those that