Nor is their hypothefis any better calculated to reconcile what the Scripture afferts about the perpetuity of our Lord's kingdom, with what it fays concerning his delivering of it up to the Father. For as, according to them, he does not reign by nature, but only in virtue of his offices; it does not appear how his kingdom can be eternal. Nay, it neceffarily follows that it must come to a period, if his offices do fo.-The feeming contradictions, therefore, between the different paffages, remain in all their force, as to any relief which can be afforded by their hypothefis. If, then, we be able perfectly to reconcile these apparently jarring texts, they must allow that our fentiments have a manifest and great advantage over theirs.

Though the diftinction of nature and office, which is fundamental in their hypothefis, be of no fervice here; yet ours of two distinct natures în the Perfon of Chrift, which is effential to the fyftem embraced by us, is calculated to answer the important end. Nothing more easy, nothing more natural, than to reconcile one Scripture with another, on the foundation of this diftinction. For example: Jefus Chrift is man, and therefore inferior to the Father: He is God, and therefore equal with the Father. He is Y man, and therefore ignorant of fome things: He is God, and therefore must be omnifcient. He is man, and therefore must be dependent on the First Caufe; he prays and is heard. He is God; to act, therefore, he need only to will; for by willing he commands, and by commanding he - executes. “I WILL, BE THOU CLEAN." man, and therefore may receive a dominion, which is not natural to him: he may also receive it for a certain time; after which, he fhall deliver up his delegated kingdom and dominion to the

4

He is

Father.

Father. He is God, and therefore has an everlasting kingdom, a neceffary dominion that shall never have an end.

Crellius will reply, This diftinction of two natures in Chrift, is a fiction.' But if so, the Scriptures are abfolutely irreconcilable. Befides, if we fearch the Volume of Inspiration, we shall find this diftinction ftrongly marked and firmly laid. There it is affirmed, that "THE WORD," who created all things, "WAS MADE FLESH;" and that "GOD was manifeft IN THE FLESH." These affertions muft imply, that the Divine nature was united to the human, in the wonderful Perfon of Jefus Chrift. The fame fundamental. truth is expreffed in the name, "IMMANUEL; "GOD WITH US."

And if you examine the paffages produced against us by our opponents, you may foon perceive, that this diftinction of natures in our Mediator, is quite confiftent with their fcope and defign. For example: "If ye loved me, ye "would rejoice, because I faid, I go unto the

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Father: for my Father is greater than I." It is as man that He leaves his difciples; for, in other refpects, he engages to continue with them to the end of the world: it is of himfelf as going away Speedily, that he speaks the words; and, confequently, he fpeaks of himself as man, when he fays, My Father is greater than I."-And as to thofe ideas of dependence which he expreffes in other places, the feveral paffages may be easily explained, confiftently with the analogy of faith and the Divinity of our Lord, either by the dif tinction of two natures; or by the office of Mediator; or by that relation which subfifts between the Father and the Son. But that peculiar mode of fubfiftence not being revealed in the Scripture, it would be prefumptuous folly in me to attempt an

inquiry

inquiry into it and I again declare, that I will make no inquiries, on this myfterious profound fubject, which are curious and philosophical. FOR DIVINITY CONSISTS IN SPEAKING WITH THE SCRIPTURE, AND IN GOING NO FURTHER.

CHAP. VII.

Some Confiderations adapted to relieve the mind, refpecting the Difficulties which attend this Great Myftery.

Having anfwered the principal objections,

which our opponents advance against us, it is proper we should now inquire; How we may fatisfy our own minds, as to the difficulties attending the grand truth, which it has been the bufinefs of this Treatife to establish? And, in order to this, the following confiderations are prefented to the reader's notice.

Almoft every thing in the fyftem of nature, notwithstanding the great improvements in modern philofophy, is attended with difficulties. If you look up to the heavens, you ftand aftonished at their greatnefs, and feel yourfelf incapable of comprehending that immenfity which lies beyond thofe vaft fpaces which furround us.If you caft your eyes on the earth, you meet with as many myfteries of nature, as there are animals, plants, and creatures inanimate. You meet with infuperable difficulties in explaining, the fenfation of one, the vegetation of another, and the motion of a third.-If you confider material nature in its -wide extremes, of immenfe greatnefs and invifible 1 minuteness, you are struck with amazement and imagination is nonpluffed.-If, to the confidera

tion of bodies, you take in that of their duration, time will fhew you incomprehenfible wonders; both in the fucceffion of ages paft, and in that which is future.-If you turn your thoughts to fpiritual effences, every thing furpaffes your comprehenfion. You cannot comprehend, either their manner of exifting, or their manner of acting. Even the human foul is fo great a paradox to itself, that it long fince defpaired, not only of comprehending, but of knowing itself.

.

And if fo, is there any reafon to affert, as our adverfaries do, that there are no myfteries in religion? Or, have they fufficient ground to refufe their affent to the doctrine of our Lord's eternal Divinity, fo clearly revealed in the Bible, because it is attended with fuch difficulties as are infuperable to the powers of reafon? Is it any wonder if the difficulties with which we meet in the Christian religion, and efpecially thofe that regard the Deity of Chrift and the doctrine of the Trinity, fhould be found greater, much greater, than those which attend a philofophical inquiry into the fyftem of nature? It would, indeed, be a wonder if it were not fo; because the conftitution and capacities of our minds bear fome proportion to natural objects, which are created and finite; and are much better qualified to inquire into <their causes and properties, their connections and uses, than into thofe of religion, which are of a fpiritual kind, and particularly what relates to the INFINITE GODHEAD.-Befides, the bleffed God has not prepared our minds, in the Volume of Revelation, for meeting with myfteries in the frame of nature, as he has in the objects of religion. He has told us that the mystery of godLinefs IS GREAT, and that the things of the gospel are accounted FOOLISHNESS by the fons of fcience.

• But

But reason, they will fay, reason is the principal light, and, in fome refpects, the principal revelation, by which God makes himfelf known to man. By reafon we are led to the Scriptures; and by that noble faculty we are delivered from the blindnefs of universal scepticifm. Reafon, as before obferved, prepares the way to faith, by leading us to receive the Scripture as a Divine Revelation; but when he has put the Sacred Volume into our hands, and has found the natural import of its language, the either is, or ought to be filent. She has no right to demand, How can thefe things be? no right to dictate what the Almighty fhould reveal, or bow he fhould fpeak. Nay, there is nothing more reasonable, than to hearken to the voice of Unerring Wisdom and Infinite Authority, with an implicit fubmiffion and an unfufpecting reliance.

There are two kinds of knowledge; one of curiofity, the other of practice and this diftinction takes place in all arts and fciences. Thus, for inftance, in the art of navigation we must know, what a fhip is; which feas are fafe, and which dangerous; at what time fuch a fea is navigable, and when it is not fo. This is

effential to the end of navigation; and this I call, a knowledge of practice.-But it may be inquired, Why the fea is falt? What is the reafon that fuch a fea has its flux and reflux more than another? And why fuch particular winds prevail more in this climate than they do in that? This I call, a knowledge of curiofity: and it would be very abfurd to fail of reducing the other to practice, becaufe thefe queftions contain fuch difficulties as are unanswerable. Again: I refolve to eat my common food, and, fometimes, when I have no appetite; because I know that without food my ftrength and life must fail. But were I to defer