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tem, while every dependent mind shall be so animated with affection toward Him, that the fulfilment of His will, will be the governing desire of every one, as the sure and infallible mode, both of pleasing the Creator, and of promoting the best happiness of all the beings He has made.

All minds then, that are well ordered, are habitually acting for the greatest general happiness, under the influence of supreme love to God; while all disordered minds must be restored by the operation of the same principle. Love to God then, is the golden chain of eternal happiness, that is forever to unite in one interest, and in one tide of perfect enjoyment, the Creator and all his holy and infinite family.

CHAPTER XXV.

ON THE DIVINE MIND.

As it is by means of love to God, that the disordered mind of man is to be restored to the right exercise of its powers, and its eternal felicity perpetuated, nothing can be presented as more interesting or important than the character of the Being, who is to be the object of this affection.

No being can be loved until he is known, and affection must always be proportioned to the existence of the several traits which are causes of affection, and to the attention given in the contemplation of these characteristics. To love God then, we must know him, and to know him we must study his character, as it is revealed in his works and in his Word. We have seen that the works of creation, without the aid of Revelation, would but very imperfectly convey to the mind, such a character as would awaken the highest degree of rev

erence and affection. The works of nature, when viewed in connection with the clearer manifestations of Revelation, do indeed declare the glory of God, and show forth his goodness and love.

But it is to the Bible we must resort, for the chief of our information respecting God, his character, actions, and designs. We then are to take His Word, in order to discover who is the true God, and what is his character.

The only mode by which one being can be distinguished from all others, is by his names, his qualities, his actions, and his circumstance of time and place. Thus if we wish to distinguish one man from all others, we mention his names, his qualities of body and mind, his actions, the time when, and the place where he lived. For example, if we wished to designate General Washington, we should tell a person his names and titles, when and where he lived, his qualities of body and mind, and the various actions he has performed.

If we take the Bible then, to discover who is the true God, we are to seek the names, qualities, actions, and circumstances, which distinguish Him from all other beings.

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The most common names of the Being whom the Bible recognizes as the Supreme Divinity, are "God," and "the Lord." These are used as proper names, in distinction from the common terms, a god," and "a lord." In addition to these are the terms, Jehovah, I am that I am, the Alpha and Omega, the Lord of Hosts, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Saviour, the Judge of all the Earth, the First and the Last, and various other descriptive appellations.

The qualities ascribed to the Supreme Divinity, are spiritual existence; a mind possessing intellect, susceptibilities, and will; perfect wisdom, knowledge, justice, goodness, mercy, and truth; omniscience, omnipresence, and past and future eternity.

The actions that distinguish the Divinity are creation, the

government of the world, and the future general judgment. No circumstances of time or place can be ascribed to Him, who "filleth all things," and who is "from everlasting to everlasting."

But in examining the Bible, we find that there are three Beings, who each have the names, attributes, and actions of the Supreme Divinity ascribed to them. The only ways in which they are distinguished from each other, are by the peculiar appellatives, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and by certain actions in reference to the redemption and restoration of the human race to moral rectitude. In all other particulars, the names, attributes, and actions of the Deity, are indiscriminately ascribed, sometimes to one, and sometimes to the other.

That these are distinct and separate spiritual existences, and not one and the same, in the sense in which the soul of man is one individual existence, is proved from Scripture in the same manner as we prove the separate existence of any other three beings. Thus if we wished to prove that Peter, James, and John, were three spiritual existences, instead of one spirit animating three bodies, we should show it, by bringing evidence that there were expressions used to show the distinct operations of three different minds. They are represented as being together, and being separate, as being with each other, as addressing each other, and are described in just such language as men use, in designating and representing three separate existences.

This is the method to be adopted in proving the distinct and separate existence of the three beings designated as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They are represented as being together, and being separate, as being with each other, as addressing each other, as loving each other, and as exercising all the attributes of separate, independent beings. There is no mode by which any other three minds, spoken of in the Bible, can be proved distinct from each other, that cannot be.

employed to show the distinct existence of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The following is an example in which three different actions, which imply the existence of three separate minds are expressed. The Son of God speaks thus to his disciples, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

There is no person, who acknowledges that the Bible is to be interpreted by the common sense rules we apply to other books, that will deny that there are three Beings, to each of whom are ascribed the names, qualities, and actions, of the Supreme Divinity. The case is so clear, that were it not for other passages in the Bible, to be hereafter considered, it would establish the opinion, that there are three Gods, and forbid the idea of a Unity in any sense of the term.

It is an established law of interpretation, that language is to be taken in its literal and common use, unless this would contradict either the laws of reason, or the other assertions of the writer. It can be shown that the doctrine of three separate and independent Deities, is not contrary to reason, but is one of its deductions. The law of experience would lead to the belief of more than one God, and it is as easy to believe that three self-existent beings were from eternity, as to believe it of only one. The doctrine of the Trinity then, is not contrary

to reason.

We are next to ascertain if it is contrary to the other opinions of the Sacred writers. The following expressions are those urged in favor of the position, that other parts of Scripture forbid this idea.

"There is none other God but one." "Thon art God alone." "Thou art Lord alone." "The Lord he is God, there is none else." "I am God, there is none with me." 66 Before me was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." "There is none like unto the Lord our God." "O Lord God of Israel,

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there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or in earth beneath."

In these, and similar passages, unity of existence is ascribed to the Supreme God, and it is declared that there is no other God but him. The question then, is simply this: Is it consistent with reason, or with the ordinary use of language, to call three distinct existences, one existence? Can three separate spiritual existences, have the quality of unity, ascribed to them, or properly be called one, and be spoken of as alone? The answer to this question all depends upon the signification of the term unity; for in this, as in every other case, we must determine what a term signifies, before we can decide what is the proper application of it.

"A unit," may be defined, as "that which is regarded by the mind as a separate existence, having certain qualities, actions, or circumstances, to distinguish it from all other existences."

According to this definition, if three minds should exist, having no quality, action, or circumstance, by which the human mind could distinguish them from each other, they would properly be called a unit; they would be an existence which might be a unit in regard to all other beings, but themselves. The Bible reveals three spiritual Beings, that have existed from eternity; that are perfect in wisdom, goodness, and love; that fill all places, that know all things, that are one in feeling, in counsel, in desire, in purpose, in operation; who are one in every thing by which one mind can be distinguished from another; and until one of these minds became incorporated with a human body, there was no possibility in the nature of things, for human minds to distinguish one from the other. There was the most perfect unity of which we can possibly conceive.

There may be peculiar qualities, which would, if known, distinguish each of these minds; but all those qualities and circumstances by which the human race can distinguish one

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