the law of God? The apostle Paul says, "They being ignorant of "God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own "righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."* How clearly this is exemplified in the elder son, who condemned his father's righteousness, and extolled his own! As the elder son was angry at his father's proceedings, and would not come in, it appears evident that, whatever obedience he might formerly have yielded, he still possessed the carnal mind, which is "enmity against God." Therefore, in applying this character to the formal professor, we may with propriety and justice remark, that whatever degree of confidence he may place in his former righteousness, he never can find his union with the Father, unless he is willing to unite with the increasing light of truth, wherever it is made manifest: and tho the Father should offer him all his possessions, he could never enjoy them so long as he continued in disunion with the Giver.

The parable of the Pharisee and the publican, who went up into the temple to pray, is designed to represent the same characters. As the Pharisee, like the elder son, justified himself in the observance of formal ceremonies; so the publican, like the prodigal, condemned himself, and begged for mercy: therefore, being the more honest, he was "justified rather than the other;" yet neither of them could be justified, as to their original characters.‡

From such self-justified Pharisees and professors of religion, arises the greatest opposition against any new manifestation of the light of God. The reason is obvious; they fix their sense upon the work of God in some past dispensation, instead of pressing forward to find the light of God before them. Thus the Scribes and Pharisees of that day, had their sense so firmly fixed to the law of Moses, as the foundation of their hope, and the ground of their justification, that they could not hearken to the voice of Jesus

*Rom. x. 3.

† See Luke xviii. 10.

Modern Pharisees have grown more artful in their hypocrisy than those of ancient times. Finding that the honest confession of the publican was more acceptable to God than the boasting of the Pharisee, they have learned to counterfeit his character by borrowing his language to cover their hypocrisy. Their language now is, "God be merciful to me a sinner. I am a poor sinner-I can do nothing of myself-I rely wholly on the mercy of God-The atoning blood of Christ is all my dependence for salvation," &c. And yet at the same time, they will superstitiously maintain their old forms, and strictly adhere to their human invented creeds and ceremonies, under a profession of christianity, while they continue to follow the course of the world, and walk in the ways of sin; as tho the hypocritical confession of being sinners, were sufficient to propitiate the favor of God, and recommend them to his mercy, without actually forsaking their sins. Thus they are, by profession, christian sinners. But such hypocrites ought to remember that, "He that committeth sin, is of the Devil." See 1 John iii. 8.

Christ, "who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one "that believeth;" especially as they found that his righteousness required a greater cross against the fallen nature of man, than was required by the law. And even to this day, the Jews, as a people, have never acknowledged Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. The same kind of conduct is observable, in a greater or less degree, among the formal professors of the various denominations, at the present day. After having lost the spirit and power of their religion, by the indulgence of their corrupt propensities, they settle down into a lifeless form, upon some fixed, external principles, established by their first founders, without ever looking forward for any further increase, unless it be that increasing indulgence to the flesh which tends to diminish the cross, and assimilate their religion with the principles and spirit of the world. And so strongly opposed are such professors to every thing that has any appearance of that light and power of God which requires a greater cross against the pride and lust of man, that we generally find the greatest opposition against dancing, as an act of divine worship, to proceed from professors of this description. Yet such characters will generally manifest great zeal for that ceremonious and formal worship which is performed by the tongue only.*

Thus while they are offended at the increasing work of God, they still maintain the character of the elder son, who was unreconciled to the merciful displays of his father's kindness and charity. And yet the same call of the everlasting gospel is extended to them, as freely as to their more prodigal brethren, who, if they are not less sinners, are less blinded by traditional forms of godliness, and therefore have no cloke for their sins. Therefore all are invited upon equal terms: "Come in and share the fatted calf, "the feast of the Lamb; be stripped of your old garments of sin, "and be clad with the robes of righteousness: Come in and rejoice "with your repenting, prodigal brother, and worship God in the "dance."

*See Matt. xv. 8.

I 2

THE NATURE OF GOD AND HIS WORKS OF CREATION.

CHAPTER 1.

The Attributes of God; their harmony and consistency manifested in God's dealings towards his creatures: the idea of christian sinners wholly inconsistent with these Attributes.

MUCH learned labor has been spent in vain attempts to search out the nature and character of God, and to pry into the attributes of the Almighty; as tho poor sinful man, in his fallen and depraved state, were able, by his own wisdom and understanding, to trace out those qualities which constitute the ALMIGHTY GOD!" Canst "thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Al"mighty to perfection ?"*

The infinite and invisible God can be known only through the medium of Divine Revelation. As far as God in his wisdom sees fit to reveal his true character to man, so far it may be known, but no further. And it is certainly most reasonable and consistent, as well as most just and equitable, that a Being who is infinitely just and righteous, should make the greatest displays of himself to those who, by faith and obedience, approach the nearest to him. Therefore it is not to the learned Theologist, immured in the deep recesses of philosophical speculation, that God deigns to reveal himself in his true character; but to those who deny themselves of all ungodliness and every worldly lust, who walk in the paths of righteousness and peace, who are not merely knowers of his word, but doers of his work. Such, and such only, have a just right to look to God for a true knowledge of his Divine character; and such can, with humble confidence, rely on a faithful display of his goodness, without involving themselves in the dark mazes of scepticism, by a pertinacious confidence in their own wisdom and discernment.

To have just conceptions of the real character of that Divine PRINCIPLE OF BEING whom we call God, it is necessary to understand the nature of his attributes, which stand in perfect correspondence with each other, and which are fully displayed in his Word and Works, and clearly manifest his Divine perfections. "For "the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are "clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.”+

It is certainly most reasonable and consistent with infinite Wisdom, that the image and likeness of God should be most plainly manifested in man, who was made the most noble part of the natural creation. Accordingly we read, "And God said, Let us

* Jeb zi. 7

Rom. i. 20%

"make man in our image, after our likeness.So God created 66 man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; "male and female created he them." Hence it must appear evident that there exists in the DEITY, the likeness of male and female, forming the unity of that creative and good principle from which proceeds the work of Father and Mother, manifested in Power to create, and Wisdom to bring forth into proper order, all the works of God. If it were not so, then man, who was created male and female, as father and mother, could not, with any propriety, be said to show forth the image and likeness of God. But the manifestation of Father and Mother in the Deity, being spiritual, does not imply two Persons, but two Incomprehensibles, of one substance, from whom proceed all Divine power and life.*

The Almighty is manifested as proceeding from everlasting, as the first Source of all power, and the fountain of all good, the Creator of all good beings, and is the ETERNAL FATHER; and the Holy Spirit of Wisdom, who was the Co-worker with him, from everlasting, is the ETERNAL MOTHER, the bearing Spirit of all the works of God. This is according to the testimony of her own inspiration.

"Doth not Wisdom cry?-She crieth at the gates, at the entry "of the city:-" Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the 66 sons of men. Hear; for I will speak excellent things; and the 66 opening of my lips shall be right things. I love them that love 66 me; and those that seek me early shall find me..-I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment."The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his "works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,

66

or ever the earth was.- -When he prepared the heavens, I was "there: when he set a compass upon the face of the deep: when ❝he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the foun"tains of the deep: when he gave the sea his decree, that the "waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed "the foundations of the earth: then was I by him, as one brought 66 up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always be"fore him." And again: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, "and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay "hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her.”+

The attributes of God are manifested by the light of Divine revelation, and confirmed by the testimony of eternal truth, through Christ, in this day of his second appearing, and may be stated in the following order.

This shows something essentially different from "three distinct persons in one God," all in the masculine gender, as established by a council of catholic bishops in the fourth century, and which has been the prevailing creed among their blind and bigoted followers to this day.

See Prov. chap. viii. and chap. iii, 17, 18, 19.