certain modification of active energy; yet we must consider, that without the least respect to creation and providence at all, the divine efficiency, ad intra, must have been exerted naturally and necessarily in the Divine Essence, seeing life and moral excellence naturally tend to energetic operation, as well as efficiency; and this must have been so as actively and as perfectly before creation and providence, as since: And from the very nature of these divine perfections, they must be active, or influential, in the Divine Essence now; and, for the same reason, they must be so, through all future eternity. Therefore we must consider the divine efficiency as ener getic, and necessarily exerted within the Divine Essence itself, in a way consistent with necessary existence, perfection, and happiness.

4. With respect to intelligent efficiency, in the particular modifications of it exhibited in the work of creation and providence, exerted, ad extra, there is no difference of opinion between those who believe the doctrine of the Trinity, and those who oppose that doctrine; because it is admitted, on all hands, that all the works of the Deity, ad extra, are the operation of one simple undivided Being. "And although creation has not been from all eternity, yet it does not follow, that there ever was in God the absence of any ability to display a creative power. The creative power of God is certainly only a parti

cular modification of active energy, which, instead of implying that previous absence of omnipotent power, clearly demonstrates the certainty of its being, and proves it to be inseparable from the Divine Nature. Creative power was undoubtedly displayed in creation; but this work being accomplished, that mode of active energy, by which it was performed, must have been withdrawn; while permanent omnipotence must have remained to support existence; and a new mode of providential power must have been exercised, to support the various relations of what had been called into existence."

5. But with respect to the same everliving efficiency, ad intra, the opinions of those who believe this doctrine, and those who do not, are very different. And in arguing the point of difference, it is necessary, in the commencement, to lay aside all views of creation and providence, and to contemplate this glorious Being, of which we have argued, that duration and space are necessary and essential perfections, without beginning and without end, before creation and providence were called into being. And in this remote and far-extended view, looking before creation began, we must consider the Divine Being as absolutely perfect, and every way adequate to its own existence and happiness. And having necessary life, moral excellence, and efficiency, as essential perfections of its own nature;

and these perfections, naturally and necessarily in themselves energetic, influential, and operative, they must naturally and necessarily act from everlasting to everlasting, according to their nature. In this view, it will be found, upon the fairest principles of reasoning and argument, that the Divine Being must have been as perfect and as active as it now is, or ever will be; and that it must have comprehended within itself all that it now does and it must for ever continue to do so, without any dependence upon any creature, and without the least possibility of growing better or worse; without the least possibility of being more or less happy in itself; and without the least possibility of beginning or ending, in any of its perfections; and without the least possibility of change.

6. Now, if the Divine Being does in reality exist necessarily, and does in reality possess and comprehend within itself everliving, absolute, eternal, immense, and immutable efficiency, this efficiency must be necessarily operative; because it is essentially connected with absolute and perfect life, which, from its very nature, is energetic and operative; and perfect underived life is a necessary and essential perfection inhering in the Divine Essence: and because it is essentially connected with absolute and perfect moral excellence, and moral excellence, from its very nature, is energetic and operative: and perfect and

supreme moral excellence is necessarily and essentially inherent in the Divine Essence. Now efficiency, from its very nature, is also energetic and operative; and the most perfect and superlative efficiency is a necessary and essential perfection inhering in the Divine Essence and it is perfectly evident, from the very nature of these divine perfections, that it is natural to the Divine Being to exist necessarily and essentially in energetic and operative efficiency. This active energy, therefore, is essentially inherent in the Divine Essence, in an absolute and perfect way, before creation and providence began, and must still continue to be exerted, while creation and providence exist; and will for ever continue to be exerted through all future eternity, without the least regard to creation and providence. creation and providence exhibit only a particular mode, or particular modes, of the exercise of creating efficiency; but by no means any mode of the divine essential efficiency. If perfect, divine life be naturally operative, it must be naturally operative in a perfect way. If perfect divine moral excellence be naturally operative, it must be naturally operative in a perfect way. If perfect divine efficiency be naturally operative, it must be naturally operative in a perfect way. For, if not, this great, eternal, and necessarilyexistent Being, must possess everliving, intelligent, energetic, and operative efficiency, which

For

never was, never can, nor ever will be, exerted or manifested in a perfect way to the uttermost; or in a way becoming the nature of this efficiency, and all the other excellencies of the Divine Being, natural and moral: Because it is plain, without much reasoning and argument, that the divine efficiency neither is nor can be exerted or manifested to the very uttermost, in creation and providence; nor would it ever be so, ad extra, notwithstanding creation and providence were ten thousand times ten thousand greater than they are, and ten thousand times ten thousand repeated, at ten thousand times ten thousand intervals, as long as the present fabric of the universe shall continue; nor is it possible for the Divine Being itself to exert the divine efficiency to the very uttermost, ad extra. The Divine Being cannot create any thing, whether matter or mind, as eternal as itself, as immense as itself, and as immutable as itself; and unless this were possible, which it neither is nor can be, the divine efficiency neither is, nor can, nor will, be exerted to the very uttermost, ad extra. But from a fair consideration of the foregoing energetic and operative divine perfections, which clearly prove the Divine Nature to be operative,-and, in particular, from a consideration of the divine moral excellence, which is absolutely complete in all moral perfections, we may clearly infer, that there is some way in the Divine Essence, by which the