Imatges de pàgina
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Here, in the parts effentially acted in the compact concerning this inflitution of the Lord Chrift, we view the divinity of the Father, and of the Word, and of the Holy Ghoft: Here we are directed, as to the eter nal source of all, by, the declarative divinity of the heaven and the earth, the fcriptures, ordinances, angels and faints; all which confifts in their witneffing this truth.-Here we contemplate that all efficient a&ion and fact, which in effect framed the worlds: And here we behold not only the mere efficient caufe, but alfo the virtual foundation and head, the life and the light of the world.

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The divine record relates wholly to the truth which is in Chrift Jefus: This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son.-The Father and the Holy Ghoft bear record to Chrift; but the Word beareth record of himfelf: the way, and the truth, and the life. John xiv. 6.-Here then we muft look alone for effential divinity; Here is the discoverable Divine Being; the Source of light and life, and of divine manifeflation: Here we are dievery rected to difcover that fact, the report of which carries in it every manifeflation, or revelation of God. And what do we difcover here? The Foundation and Head of all worlds, viz. a Chrift:-Chrift the Beginning of the creation, the Angel-Chrift, and Chrift Jefus.-Verily, and indeed, a foundation and head; a Chrift in virtue and strength, in life and glory: Which in his times he shall fhew, who is the bleffed and only Potentate; the King

of Kings, and Lord of Lords.And which glorious truth was the good confeffion he witneffed before Pontius Pilate.

The word, or will of God in the beginning was the divinity exhibited in the creation: the name or will of God in the angel was the divinity unfolded in all the exhibition in that character; and the Word being made flesh, and dwelling among us, as Chrift the Son, fully difplayed the divine will, and is the divinity of the gofpel.-As, therefore, Christ brought into the world, is the Divine Being all expreffed-God manifeft; it follows, that all divinity is in him effentially:-all the fullnefs of the Godhead bodily. It appears, therefore, that the doctrine of Chrift is our principle, and our argument; our alpha and our omega, our first and our last, our beginning and our conclufion.

The diftinction noticed, between the evidence of the teftimony of divine truth, and of the actual exhibition, is of the fame nature as the diftinction between the light of the feriptures, and of reason.-When we speak of the light of nature, or of reafon, it should be diftinguifhed from mere intellect, and alfo from opinion. I have obferved that people often mean by reafon their belief or opinion, and when they fay, that certain things do or do not comport with their realon, no more is meant, than the agreement or difagreement of thofe things with their adopted belief or opinion. But, though the opinions of men may be very different, and very abfurd, reafon must be every where one and the fame

confiftent thing, viz. the reafon of things; which being difcovered by the intellect, forms the truth and rationality of the mind.

The true idea of reafon is far from being fomething which neceffarily fubfifts in the human mind; I mean in a fallen ftate; for without the knowledge of Chrift, who is wif dom and knowledge, man is the moft irrational being: it is the rationality of all God's works, which undoubtedly has its origin in the divine principle.

We know that all reasoning, or logic, is a triple ratio, and may be fimply comprised in a propofition, a fubject or mediate, and a refult or conclufion:-This, certainly, bears a ftriking analogy to the diflinct parts of the divine will, as illuftrated in the Theory.The fame thing is obferved of mathematical demonftrations, of the harmony of founds,*

• "So refined and mysterious is the effect of musical con"cord, that forge learned artists have discovered in it an image " of the Supreme Source of all order and harmony.-A writer " of the last (17th) century, (Mr. Symfon,) who composed a " valuable Treatife upon Mufic, has the following obferva"stion: When I farther confider that three found:, placed by "the interval of a third one above another, de conftitute one en"tire barmony, which governs ans comprifes all the founds which, "by art or imagination, can, at once, be joined together in mu"fical concordance; this I cannot but think a fignificant emblem of that fupreme and incomprehenfible THREE in ONE, werning, comprifing, and difpofing the whole machine of the "world, with all its including parts, in a most perfect and fiués pendous harmony.

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"This phyfical Trinity, as an abfolute fact in music, must "be evident to every beginner in the fcience; and it is a Trin"ity in Unity; but it is a mirror in which many eyes will difcern no image: With me it is a matter of imali concern, how an allufion would be relished by a Middleton, a Bayle, or a Voltaire, whose minds were poifoned by a difaffection

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and of numberless movements and affocia tions in the natural, moral, and divine worlds, which have often been confidered, as strongly corroborating the doctrine of a Trinity in relation to the great First Cause.-This reafon conftitutes our Theory. The Divine Being is a rational being; and his works, which are defigned to manifeft his eternal power and Godhead, must be rational works, and fuch moft apparently they are; and the dif covery of the truth of the Divine Being in: his works or in his word, is all the reason that exilts in the mind; and a man has no more reafon than he has knowledge of God.

That is a truly enlightened and rational man, who may fay of the perfect will of God, This is my reafon; and who embraces and holds what agrees with this, as agreeing with his reafon, and no more.

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to truth. Certain it is, whatever ufe we may make of the principle, that the compafs of all harmony can afford us no more than three founds in concord, however they may be multiplied by repetitions; and that if they are perfectly in tune, they conftitute one found, which an unpractifed ear would find it extremely difficult to decompofe.-In the harmonies, we have them included within the fytem of a single notes and in the ærial confonance, two concordant notes will generate a third to complete the triplicity of the harmony. So aprofite is this picture when compared with the original that I should be forry to take the refemblance for the work "of chance. And where is the wonder, if nature and revelation, which have the fame author, should speak the fame lan"guage? It would rather be wonderful if they did not. "If Mr Symfon's allution is just, and founded in the nature of things, it teaches us this important truth, that when the praises of the Creator are offered up by the church, with founds of harmony, we pay our tribute to him in that coi *which bears his image and fuperfcription; and thus we render unto God that which is properly his own."

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PROFFESSOR JONES'S ESSAY ON SOUND AND MUSIC

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And it is not strange, that the attempts of then to reafon together, or to come together by reasoning, as they call it-laborious, multiplied, and long continued attempts-when the principle and theory of reafon is not acknowledged, not only prove fruitless, but prove controverfies, widening the differences, exciting hatreds, and often ending in war.This, however, is ftrange indeed, that thefe reafoners and difputers never get difcouraged, fufpect their falfe ground, and give over their fruitless and criminal attempts!

The scriptures are confidered as the hiftory and revelation of facts, attested by every poffible authority; but reafon diftinguished from revelation, is confidered as the evidence refulting from the confiftency, agreement, and harmony of the facts themselves.-The fcriptures inform us that God, Aleim, made the world, and the works of creation declare' plainly the fame thing. The fcriptures teach that God exercifes a care and government over his works, and the events of Providence clearly manifeft the fame truth; and the fcriptures witness that the Father and Son are one-that the Son is in the Father, and the Father in him; which is the great gospel doctrine; and the works of filial obedience, and the power which accompanied the Lord Jes fus Chrift in the world, and which ftill attends his doctrine, fully prove their teftimony. So that, according to the words of Chrift, we' may believe either the declarations of divine truth, or the facts themfelves, which are there by attefted. Believe me that I am in the Fa

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