If it be reasonable, as has been above observed, that the Almighty should save his poor creatures by means of one of that race, which he came to save, and also that himself should be the prime agent in that salvation; it is neither impossible nor incongruous that he should so unite himself with the human agent, that their actions might be perfectly identified; that there might be no defect, no discordance or confusion in any part of this economy of grace; no distraction of faith or love in the believer: but every eye fixed on one only Mediator.

If the Divine nature manifest itself by the assumption of the human for the advancement of these great purposes, it is not to be wondered, that it should take place under circumstances different from the ordinary method of man's appearance upon earth, and such as might give his manhood the prerogative of coming from the Creator in original purity. And although considered alone, the testimony of one witness might not be esteemed sufficient evidence to establish the truth of the immaculate conception of the Divine Redeemer, yet the connection which it has with the whole Revelation, which is founded on the most incontrovertible miracles, should have silenced every doubt; had there not been also the testimony of those* to its truth, who were interested to disprove it,

4 Joseph,

had the fact been false; as well as the attestation of angels on more than one occasion.

The Scripture no where represents the Divine nature as impaired by the frailties of the human; nor the human as losing its characteristic properties from being taken into closer connection with the Divine: though the soul must be enlightened and purified by such an heavenly union. "God was in Christ," in a mediatorial capacity, "reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. v. 19. To the reality of which union we can have nothing to object, for this plain reason, that we do not understand the nature of it. We might as well deny the union of our souls with our bodies, as the incarnation of the Son of God, on account of the difficulties which it presents to our understanding: the one is in many respects as inexplicable to our faculties at pre

sent as the other.

The doctrine of the Trinity, with which that of the Incarnation is intimately connected, is also declared to be absurd; because of the supposed contradiction which it contains: but that contradiction cannot be affixed on the words of Scripture. It represents indeed, such a distinction in the Divine nature in its relation to us, as to require our faith in the Father of all, who made us; in the Son who redeemed us; and in the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. It commands us to be baptized in that name, as involving in it a real and not a nominal distinction; while it as clearly in other parts maintains

the unity of the Divine Being. But if the expressions which affirm unity, and those which imply distinction, are applied in different respects, the apparent contradiction vanishes; for the propositions are not even contrary to each other and to this difference of application the comparison of the different parts of Scripture naturally leads us.

But indeed all the words by which we can speak of the Divine nature, which is infinite in every respect, are but the words of men; all whose conceptions are of limited objects, and therefore can denote only limited ideas. Our words must be liable to much perplexity, when applied to a subject so absolutely unfathomable by any faculties of ours, as the nature of the Supreme Being is. And if pressed too closely, they may be made to involve the speaker in contradiction in other doctrines as well as in this. Though if guarded by due circumspection, they may be used as a safeguard for the maintenance of important truths. So incompetent are we to attain a true notion of the Divine nature, that even in our apprehension of those natural attributes (if they may be so termed) of which we suppose ourselves to have some glimpse, we cannot preserve either our thoughts or expressions clear of inconsistence. What notion have we of eternity, but as a successive duration? and yet this will lead us to the absurdity of an eternal Being having a beginning, though we cannot define that beginning.

P

If again we call him self-existent; what ideas have we of a Being subsisting by the energy of his own nature, but the inconsistent one which considers him as the cause of his own existence? If we take the favourite phrase of the metaphysicians, and call it necessary existence, we are in still closer trammels; for that is introducing a prior cause; since necessity must arise from some cause inducing that necessity: unless we will modestly content ourselves with ascending from the effect to the cause; and because we see things which have received a dependent being, argue there must of necessity be a first cause, which gave them being: the only sense in which the word necessity can be applied in reasoning concerning that cause, who is independent of all causes, except those subordinate ones, which he has thought good to make dependent upon himself during his pleasure. In fact, how shall a mortal with precarious existence, the creation of yesterday, and enduring by parcels of minutes and of hours, attain to the comprehension of a Being, who is himself the spring, source and support of all beings; who is not commensurate with time, space, or number? or by what words shall we be able to communicate due conceptions to others? The subject is necessarily so much above us, that no objection can lie against any doctrine plainly revealed in Scripture, from our inability so to comprehend it, as to clear it from all difficulty.

CHAPTER II.

Morality of the Gospel.

THE next head which presents itself to our observation is the morality' of the Gospel. In this respect it seems hardly possible to make any objection to it. The spirit of it is decidedly adverse to that worldly principle upon which men formerly acted, which encouraged and fomented all that mischief to which they were naturally too much inclined. And from this very circumstance, those whose views are bounded by this sublunary scene, have been fond of representing it as impracticable in the circumstances, in which men are placed; and as unfavourable to the welfare of the world. While a similar notion of it, prevailing among those, who profess themselves to be Christians, has contributed to uphold in repute, practices not easily reconcileable with the precepts of their Divine Lawgiver. The principles and rules of

'The masterly manner in which Paley has treated this topic makes it almost presumptuous in an inferior writer to introduce it at all. But some eyes see an object the better for being presented to them with a less degree of light: and it affords great satisfaction to every lover of truth and Christian philosophy, to add even a feeble recommendation in favour of a defence of the charter of our present and future happiness, which so forcibly carries conviction with it, as his Evidences of Christianity do.