in all humility conceive, that God has not revealed any mysterious subjects unto man, but what He has graciously designed to be ultimately understood; that as all Scripture has been imparted to us by inspiration of God, and declared to be profitable in the first place for doctrine, it is our wisdom and our duty, with all diligence to endeavour to comprehend them. And may God in his infinite mercy grant, that the knowledge of them may further the great work of our salvation!

CHAPTER III.

THOUGH in the course of the subject on which we have been last descanting, very many passages have been quoted from holy writ in support of the argument which reason dictated, yet this being the subject of all subjects that most deeply teems with import, we shall examine the sacred volume on the three following points: first, on the purity of the divine nature; secondly, on the jealousy which Deity expresses for the honour of his name, and his solemn declaration that it shall not be polluted; thirdly, on the assertions it contains, and that do most fully prove, that it is through the unsullied perfections and infinite merits of the adorable Redeemer, that intelligence can look for acceptation from the Fountain of perfection.

And we must crave the indulgence of our readers for the frequent repetition of scriptural passages already quoted in the foregoing pages, and with which we should not trespass on their patience by again inserting, but from the conviction that the collecting this important information in one mass, will still more completely elicit the truths they are intended to demonstrate, than they can

do by the desultory insertions which we have previously given.

be

The infinite purity of the divine nature may inferred from his detestation of wickedness; for when God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And he alone found favour in his sight who was a just and perfect man, and walked with his God. (Gen. vi. 5, 6, 8.) The great celestial priest Melchisedek, testifies unto the purity of God, by styling him God most high, (Gen. xiv. 20;) and because Jehovah could swear by no greater, he sweareth by himself. (xxii. 16.) Jacob proclaimed his unsullied purity, when he declared that though he had seen God face to face, his life was preserved. (Gen. xxxii. 30.)

The purity or holiness of God, which are synonymous, is again declared by Moses, being admonished by Deity himself not to approach the mount whereon He did appear, and to put off his shoes from off his feet, because the place whereon he stood, on account of its nearness to where the great I Am did manifest himself, was holy ground. (Ex. iii. 5, 14.) The lamb ordained to be offered unto him was directed to be an unblemished and spotless one, at once depicting the purity of him whom it represented. (Ex. xii. 5.) God is glorious in holiness, his habitation is holy, (xv. 11, 13;) and all who draw nigh to him must sanctify themselves, (xix. 22,) and be holy men unto him.

(xxii. 31.) When the priest enters the holy place to memorialise God's people before the great Jehovah, he must bear upon his heart the Urim and the Thummim, (that is, light and perfection,) to demonstrate the same purposes we have already noted. (Ex. xxviii. 29, 30.)

ter,

The whole of the Mosaic institution was representative of the purity of God: the animals presented were all unblemished ones; and the sacri. fice of their lives, and the shedding of their blood, denotive that He whom they typically represented, was made perfect through sufferings; and that infinite purity of the divine nature, and the continual necessity of that pure and holy atonement being ever presented unto him, are furthermore made manifest in the progress of this chapthe rites and ceremonies that are therein enacted. (Ex. xxix. 33-39.) And in verse 43, God promises himself to sanctify the tabernacle with his glory but no man can see his face, for there shall no man see God and live. (xxxiii. 20.) And the place which represents the throne of God most high, is directed to be called the holiest of holies. (xxxvii.) "I am the Lord your God; ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves; and ye shall be holy, for I am holy," (Lev. xi. 44;) "neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God," (xviii. 21;) or suffer a blemished person to approach or come nigh to offer offerings to his unblemished God. (xxi. 17.) The sacrifice must be perfect, or it will not be accepted. (xxii. 21.) "I will be hallowed, for I am the Lord which hallow you." (ver. 32.) All things employed in

66

the service of the Lord must be pure, because the Lord is infinitely pure, (Lev. xxiv. ;) and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord their God. (Deut. xxv. 16.) "Publish the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he;" (xxxii. 3, 4;) and to the pure He will show his purity. (2 Sam. xxii. 27.) "And the Tirshatha said unto the people, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim;" till a proper representation appeared, denoting the infinite purity of the almighty Father and his almighty Son, (Ezra ii. 63;) which command is repeated Nehemiah vii. 65. "And shall a man be more pure than his Maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants, and his angels he charged with folly." (Job iv. 17, 18.) As for God, his way is perfect, (Ps. xviii. 30,) and his commands are pure. (xix 8.) He swears by his holiness, (lxxxix. 35,) and in his sight shall no man living be justified. (cxliii. 2.) Pureness of heart is approved by him. (Prov. xxii. 11.) Every word of God is pure. (xxx. 5.) He shall be sanctified in righteousness. (Isa. v. 16.)

Seated and lifted up on high upon his glorious throne, the resplendent glory of his train filleth the temple, that is, the whole universe of God:* above it stands the seraphims of glory, who un

* It has been proved, that the emblematic temple typifies the whole universe of God.