8.) God, indeed, has other names given to him in scripture; but they are generally descriptive of offices or attributes, and attributes, which might belong to others. Thus, he is called ALE and ALEIM, because these words, in the original, refer to his covenant faithfulness. And sometimes they are compounded; as AL-SHADDAI, God the munificent; AL-SABBAOTH, the God of armies, and many others: but this name, JEHOVAH, seems descriptive of his essential being, or incommunicable attributes, and is most appropriately his own. In the original, it means, he who is, or was, simply and absolutely, (see Exod. iii. 14;) of course, it implies independent, past, present and future existence. HE WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME, is the expression of it, in the New Testament. But this is only a translation; and I have scarce a doubt, that the Hebrew language has been preserved for this very reason, among others, that no other language can so properly express God's own name, as that in which he first communicated it. Our names of God do not fully reach the meaning of Jehovah ; and if they did, they would not be the very name, which this Being has chosen to give

himself.

For proof that this name, Jehovah, belongs only to the Eternal Deity, consult Amos v.

8th; ix. 6th, and Exod. xv. 3d. We proceed with the attributes of this Being: He is, in the

3d place, ONE. “ Hear, oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE Lord, or Jehovah." And that he is exclusively so, we hear again from the prophet Isaiah: I am He; before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me; I, even 1, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour. (xliii. 10 and 11.) Indeed, it is evident, from the nature of things, that God can neither be divided, nor if he could, would it be possible for two Supreme Beings to co-exist. The very idea of God is that he is infinite; but if he were divided, or if there could be another God, each could not be infinite for there is then something in each, which the other does not possess. How absurd, for instance, to talk of two Almighty Beings, when the very idea of one Almighty Being is, that he has all the power of the universe; and so of any other infinite attribute. We wish to have it strongly impressed, that we hold strictly to the unity of Jehovah's essence. When we come to speak of the mode in which that essence exists, we may say something further on this subject; at present, let it be remembered, that it is the

creed, not only of the Bible and reason, but of the whole church, that God is one.

4. Gol is immense. "Canst thou, by searching, find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is high as heaven, what canst thou do? Deeper than hell, what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sca."

7, 8, and 9.)

(Job. xi.

By the immensity of God, is meant, now, the same as his infinity: that in all his perfections he is beyond limits; his power, his wisdom, and every other attribute, is absolutely immeasurable; not only past finding out by us, but actually beyond all measurement.

We cannot take the most simple of his attributes, and trace it outward, without finding it to go beyond our research. We may compare it, and illustrate it by saying, as the prophet does of his strength, that it takes up the hills, and spans the heavens; but still we have only told what is not a match for it. What the real extent of the attribute is, we conceive not, nor can we conceive it. It is "an ocean of infinities, where all our thoughts are drowned." For a further and most sublime representation of this subject, see the 145th Psalm, 3d verse, and Isaiah xl. from 12th to the 17th verse.

5. God is eternul. He is called in his word, the King eternal, immortal and invisible. (1 Tim. i. 17.) The high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity. (Isai. lvii. 15.) The God whom Abraham worshipped, was Jehovah, the Everlasting God. (Gen. xxi. 33.) And that he endures to eternity, as well as exists from eternity, is affirmed in the 90th Psalm from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. God's eternity may be proved, moreover, from the consideration that he exists independently, or in and of himself. Of course, there never was a time when he did not exist, unless you are willing to admit the absurdity that he existed before he existed, and began the production of his own existence. But it is unnecessary to resort to this proof, with such clear and abundant scriptures before us.I am afraid, besides, to attempt to reason on such a subject. I feel much more like falling down and worshipping; for surely, if there be any subject calculated to overwhelm us, it is this. We talk of the difficulties of the doctrines of a Trinity; but I challenge any one to show wherein such a doctrine involves greater mysteries than God's eternity. It is not only above reason, but it does, in some things, seem to contradict reason. Let any one inform us, for instance, how an intelligent be

ing can be self-existent, and yet eternal in that existence, and we will undertake to dispose of any other doctrine relating to the Deity. But it does not become us to speculate here, we had better fall down, as Isaiah did, when he saw the glory of God, and join the cry of the adoring seraphim, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty?

But, 6thly, God is not only eternal, but immutable. “I am the Lord, says he, I change not." (Malachi iii. 6.) "The Father of lights, with whom there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning." (James i. 17.) This immutability respects his whole nature, his existence, and all his attributes. Its truth is evident from reason. God's existence could never have changed; for if so, it must either have changed for the better or for worse. But not for the worse could it change; and if for better, then it was comparatively bad before. Neither could any of his attributes have changed. Take his knowledge, for instance. If this has been increasing, then, in the backward reckoning, it is found decreasing; and since you have an eternity to try it in, you will come to a period when it was very small; and, finally, when it was nothing! And so of every other attribute; they are all unchangeable. If they sometimes seem to change, as his