through whose mediation, and for whose sake, believers will be saved Eph. 1: 3-5; 2:7-10; 2 Tim. 1: 9; John 1: 12; 14: 6; 1 John 4: 9; 1 Thess. 5: 9, 10; Col. 3: 4; John 17: 2; is not a mere man, but possessed a twofold nature (John 6: 62; 16: 28; 8: 14; 3: 11, .13; compare John 6: 33, 35, 38, 40, 46, and 8: 23, with 1 Cor. 15: 47; Acts 9: 3-5; that he existed before his human birth, and appearance in the flesh John 8: 58; 1: 15; before the beginning of the world John 17: 5, 24; Col. 1: 17; and they declare his existence to be eternal ; (1 John 1: 1, 2; Heb. 1: 10-12; Rev. 1: 11; 2: 8; 22: 13; 1 John 5: 20; Is. 9: 6. Divine attributes, as omnipotence Phil. 3: 21, compare John 10: 28–30; 2: 19; 2 Pet. 1:3) and omniscience Rev. 2: 23; Matt. 11: 27; John 2: 24, 25; 6: 64; with that adoration in praise and prayer, which is due to these perfections; John 5: 23; 14: 1, 13; 1 Cor. 1: 2; 2 Cor. 12: 8; 1 Thess. 3: 11; Acts 7: 59; Heb. 1: 6; Phil. 2: 10, 11; and which can properly be paid only to the divine Being Is. 42: 8; Jer. 17: 5; Matt. 4: 10; are ascribed to Christ; from which we learn, that he is called God John 1: 1, compare verse 14; 20: 28; Rom. 9: 5; 1 John 5: 20; Heb. 1: 8; in such a sense that it can be said he possesses power to do whatever God can do; and that all the perfections of the divine nature can be predicated of him, and all adoration, obedience, trust, and love, claimed by the divine Being, should be paid to him (Ps. 2: 12; Matt. 28: 9; Luke 24: 52; John 5: 23; Acts 7: 59; Rev. 5: 11–14. It is evident, therefore, that independently of the union of the Son, or the Word, with the man Jesus, there is a real and an eternal distinction between Him and the Father. The scriptures teach that the Son is God, in the same sense as the Father; yet there is but one God, and the very same; and the entire divine perfection which belongs to the Father, belongs also to the Son.

2. Divinity of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures further teach us to pay equal and undivided honor to the Holy Ghost, with the Father, and the Son Matt. 28: 19; 2

Cor. 13: 13; 1 Cor. 12: 4-6; both in the formula of baptism, which is to be administered in the name (or in honor) of the Holy Ghost, equally with the Son and the Father; and in the apostolic benediction, inasmuch as their united, coequal agency, is employed in the salvation of every redeemed soul. Compare 1 Pet. 1: 2, with Jude 20: 21. See, also, Matt. 12: 32.

And while he is represented as in the closest union with the Father and the Son John 15: 26; 16: 13—15; compare Matt. 10: 20; Rom. 8: 9, 11, with Gal. 4: 6; he is also clearly distinguished from both John 14: 16; 1 John 5: 7; is often called God € 1 Cor. 3: 16; 6: 19, 20; Acts 5: 3, 4; unlimited power is ascribed to him 1 Cor. 12: 8, 9, 11; as well as knowledge of future things; (John 16: 13 of the secret purposes of God 1 Cor. 2: 10; and Divine works; such as the conviction of sin, the conversion and sanctification of the soul, bestowing miraculous gifts, and the inspiration of the scriptures Eph. 4: 30; Mark 12: 36; Luke 1: 35; 2: 26; 3: 22; Acts 1: 2, 16; 13: 2; 15: 28; 20: 28; 21: 11; 28: 25; 1 Cor. 2: 13; Heb. 2: 4; 3: 7; 2 Peter 3: 21.

Thus clearly and fully do the scriptures teach us the doctrine of the divine Trinity in Unity. They offer no explanation of the mode of God's mysterious existence as three in one sense, and yet but one; they only reveal it as a fact. As such it is our duty, humbly, heartily, and joyfully to believe it. It is not contrary to reason; if it were, it should be rejected. It is above the power of reason to comprehend, and so are the eternity, the self-existence, the omniscience and omnipresence of God, and the existence of spirits; to say nothing of thousands of unexplained things which lie in our path every day. The infallible word of God has taught it, together with many other mysteries as great, therefore it is to be believed.

SECT. 4. Of God as the Creator and Ruler of the World.

1. God created all things, animate and inanimate, visible and invisible, the heavens and the earth, with all their inhabitants. Gen. 1: 1; Ps. 121: 2; 146: 6; Neh. 9: 6. Compare Rev. 10: 6; 14: 7; Jer. 10: 11, 12; Acts 17: 24; Col. 1: 16; John 1: 3,

2. This he did without the intervention of means, or the employment of materials; in other words, he brought into existence, by an act of his will, that which before had no existence, and which began to exist solely because he willed it. Ps. 33: 6, 9; Is. 48: 13. Compare Heb. 11: 3; Gen. 1: 3, 6, 9; 14: 15, 20)

3. He who created, also governs the world, and overrules the operations of natural causes, and the actions of his creatures. It is evident that God would not create a world, nor creatures, which he could not fully govern and control, and it is evident that he would exert his power to do this in the way which he sees best. Ps. 66: 7; Eph. 1: 11; Matt. 10: 29; Luke 12: 7,

4. It follows, therefore, that all things must take place in accordance with his pleasure. For, as nothing can occur without his knowledge and foresight, it is clear that whatever takes place according to what appears the course of nature, is so, not on that account merely, but because God sees it to be in accordance with his wise and benevolent purposes; for otherwise he would have specially interfered to bring about a different event. Ps. 139: 16; Gen. 50: 20; Amos 3: 6; Is. 10: 5, 7, 12, 15; Luke 19: 42-44,

5. A firm confidence in the providence of God does not conflict with any just views of human freedom and accountability, nor encourage indolence or presumption; but is fitted to tranquilize the mind, inspire courage, and animate us to holy and persevering effort. (1 Pet. 5: 7; Matt. 4: 5-7; Acts 27: 23-25, compare with verses 31, 44,

SECT. 1. Of Man in his Original State.

God created Adam and Eve Gen. 1: 27; 2: 7, 21, 22} to be the progenitors of the whole human family (Gen. 1: 28; Acts 17: 26; perfect Gen. 1: 31; and, like himself, holy Gen. 1: 26, 27; 5: 1; Eccl. 7: 29} and consequently happy. They were required to keep the whole moral law; (Gal. 3: 12; Luke 10: 28; Mark 12: 30, 31; Luke 10:27, 28 the essence and sum of which, consists in implicit obedience, growing out of supreme love to God; to prove which, an outward test was added, which was a command to abstain from the fruit of one tree Gen. 2: 17 in the garden which they were to dress and keep," under the penalty of death Gen. 2: 17 or all that ensued— the painful dissolution of the body Rom. 5: 12; loss of innocence and happiness Gen. 3: 8, 10, 16, 17; alienation and separation from God Gen. 6: 3, 5, 6; and condemnation to eternal misery Rom. 6: 23; 8: 6,7; Gal. 6: 8; Heb. 12: 14.

7,

Our first parents were, in their primitive state, under a covenant of works. They might have been justified, and confirmed in holiness and happiness by their own efforts alone, had they never sinned. No other human beings were ever placed in this condition. Their innocence, holiness, and free communion with God, would have continued forever, the source and sure foundation of perfect felicity, had they perfectly obeyed the whole moral law. This is the standard of duty to all men, but not the condition of salvation to any, except to our first parents while in their state of innocence, before the fall.

SECT. 2. Introduction of Sin.

Eve being deceived, 1 Tim. 2: 14} by the temptation of Satan Gen. 3: 1-5, compare Rev. 12: 9 and by her persuasion, Adam, also ate of the forbidden fruit/Gen. 3:6; by which disobedience they became conscious of guilt and shame Gen. 3: 7-13; their bodies became mortal verse 19; 1 Cor. 15: 21, 22; they were driven from the garden, Gen. 3: 23, 24); condemned to hard toil for their subsistence verse 19; and the earth was cursed, and made sterile on their account/verses 17, 18. In conof this single transgression sequence such is the law of God, and the nature of man—they became wholly sinners, James 2: 10 and of course inclined to all forms of transgression, which sinful disposition was propagated to their immediate descendants(Gen. 5: 3 and to the whole human family (Rom. 5:12; coextensive with death; so that all human beings are born with dispositions inclined to sin, John 3: 6; Ps. 51: 6. Compare Lev. 15: 18.

Thus the whole law of God was represented in this prohibition of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By transgression of this one prohibition, they fell from that perfect love which is the fulfilling of the law, and became selfish, carnal, and depraved, in their affections. The question whether the human race should be born with holy, or with sinful natures, was suspended, by the will of God, on the conduct of Adam, in respect to this one prohibition. He is, therefore, the only man who ever was, or could be, guilty of original sin. The personal guilt of ¦ that original sin is not transferred to his posterity; but a depraved nature, which is a consequence of that sin, is inherited by them all. No one of Adam's posterity is born into the world with the same physical constitution, the same moral disposition, nor sustaining the same relations to God, or to the rest of the human race, as Adam in his state of original purity and rectitude.