ceffary only to enquire for three things; firft, a head, or one who exercises authority and command, fuch as is neceffary to form the filial character; fecondly, a subject, or one brought under fuch authority and command, and fo becoming a fon; and, thirdly, a commandment, fuch as carries the authority, and embraces the favor of the head; or a precept clothed with effectual power to form the child, and to give the reward of filial obedience, which is the heirship of the parental eftate, or the inheritance of the fame authority and com mand; and these things are found exifting, neceffarily and eternally, in the divine will. And it has been fhewn, that there is an everlafting Father, or one who exercifed this authority, before the world began; also, that there is an eternal Son, or one who was the fubject of this command, and the object of this favor, before the world exifted. And the nature of the divine authority proves that the Spirit is also eternal. The existence of the precept and promife of God, which is fpirit and life, is involved in the existence of this parental authority and filial duty.

Agur, in his prophecy, lamenting that he had not the knowledge of the holy, whilft earneftly inquiring after the truth, as every holy foul is, being directed by the spirit of infpiration, he gave the answer to the great question respecting the knowledge of the Father and his Son, which is eternal life, in the fame words in which he asked it.

Who hath afcended up into heaven, or des cended? Who hath gathered the wind in his

tarbound the waters in a gar established all the ends of the

What is his name, and what is his Son's tou canst tell?.

The inquiry, in thefe words is, evidently, concerning the divine principle; and the whole fubject is here defcribed.-First, The glory of Chrift-Who hath afcended up into en, or defcended? We have the autho

ty of the apoftle, for confidering this as a defeription of Chrift's humiliation and exaltation; and as intending his defcending and cending; in which order he constructs the pallage. Secondly, The glory of the Father in him-Who hath gathered the wind in his fifts? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? This is plainly a defcription of the divine authority and command.--And, third

, The Holy Spirit which is the agent employed in the execution of this authority, Called his fifts, a garment, &c.-Thefe quel tions are put in a manner which imports, that the inquirer felt that he who could aniwer them, and tell the name of the living and pue God, and his Son's name, had learned wif

, and had received the knowledge of the A, and had attained the object which is he ultimate of all true defires.

What is here given, may be confidered as e perfeription of the book of the generatiz Jus Chrif-fo much only of this g did God's ancient people know; for to the book was fealed. And though we vem golpel-times, yet how few of us have

fo much of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift as had Agur! Because he had attained no more divine knowledge, he thought himfelf not to have the understanding of a man; and he esteemed himfelf brutish, viz. being fomewhat below the proper dignity of a man; but he who has not attained fo much, must be thought a mere brute.

As brief, however, as his knowledge was, he dared not like many in thefe days, to add unto the words of God, left he should be reproved, and he be found a liar. Folded as it was, he fill kept to the book—the divine will unfolding in Jefus Chrift, in his defcending and afcending, was his Alpha and Omega-he was content to begin at the beginning of the creation of God; or with that act of the divine will which, in the effect, fent Jefus Chrift into the world; and he was content alfo to end at the ends of the earth.

The folemn queflion, what is God? as it was put by this holy infpired man, is merely this, what has God wrought? As though he had faid, tell me what God has done? Open to me this matter of his defcending and ascending? Unfold the acts of divine government; of his gathering the wind in his fifts; of binding the waters in a garment; and, finally of eftablishing all the ends of the earth? Do this, and you will anfwer my great queition-do this and you will explain the truth of the Father and the Son, in which is eternal life; he who can do this, has the knowledge of the holy, and can tell what is his name and what is his Son's name.

By the power of the Spirit, of which the wind is the emblem, Jefus Chrift was sent into the world-by this power, in the hands of the Father, as the wind gathered in his fifts, he went and returned, was carryed up and down; and, by this, he learned obedience, and was formed, as a fon, according to his Father's will; and finally, by this, he is rewarded as a fon, by being filled with all its infinite fulness, and by difpenfing the fame to his church and people:And being fent into the world by this high authority, behold! the waters alfo, the great deep, which is the emblem of his humiliation and fufferings-even death and hell are controlled, and, as it were, bound in a garment; which is the emblem of God's truth and faithfulness, wherein he had promifed to him, that he would not leave his foul in hell, neither would he fuffer his holy one to fee corruption, Again, look away to the ends of the world, and contemplate the bleffed iffue of the me diatorial work of Jefus Chrift, in the final eftablishment, peace, and glory of his everlafting kingdom. The ends of the earth, or ends of the world, is a phrase often used in the fcriptures, to denote the prefent and the future ftate of the gospel kingdom, in the times of the reftitution of all things, when it is promifed that all the ends of the earth fhall fee the faivation of our God.

Wherever we have a clear view given us of the divine principle, we are led to contemplate the truth of the threefold ftate of Christ, and that also of the world or his king.

dom, in perfect conformity to him as the Head and Lord of all; for this divine theory unfolds neceffarily from the divine will. This remark is illuftrated in the view before us. The gathering of the wind in his fifts is a proper description of the kingdom of nature; the binding of the waters in a garment, is a natural defcription of the kingdom of grace; and the establishing of all the ends of the earth, is a beautiful defcription of the kingdom of glory. And this was all that the holy man defired to know; and what more can the wife in heart defire? It was this book of the kingdom which fully opens in the future glory of Jefus Chrift and his people, that John the Revelator faw in the right hand of him that fat upon the throne, written within and on the backfide, fealed with feven feals; concerning which he wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon; but, thanks be to God, it is the high and diftinguishing privilege of the children of the kingdom, that to them it is given to know its myfteries, being experimentally and effectually taught them, by the fpirit and power of the holy humbling commandment of Jefus Chrift, and by the confolation of his bleffed exalting promife.

This paffage affords evidence that Agur was a great prophet; for, though he could not read it, yet he faithfully held the book of the generation of the Son of God in his hand; and like a certain preacher, who, after puzzling a while at the text, made a folemn impreffion upon his hearers, by the an