may

searching into the nature of God, my beloved, it will become us to proceed with trembling humility, and extreme caution; we must lay aside all that vain confidence in our own reason, which lead us into error; we must pursue our way step by step; we must give heed to our treadings, that they slip not; and, above all, we must take Scripture for our guide, which will prove a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path; supplicating, at the same time, the illumination, guidance, and teaching of God's Holy Spirit.

Some people have been fond of demonstrating the attributes of God by dint of argument. Reasoning of this sort makes a part of that religion, which has been called the religion of nature." surely the religion of the Bible is the best religion; and we shall not act very wisely in trusting to nature for religion, when

But

Revelation supplies it to our hands. Some good men, no doubt, have employed themselves in this way with upright intentions;—but then, persons of another cast have made a bad use of their labours, and have endeavoured to exalt man's reason to a level with the Revelation of God; or to reduce Revelation to the standard of reason; which is, to subject the authority of God to the will of his creature man. Reason and Revelation have their distinct provinces; when the former invades the territories, or presumes to supersede the functions of the latter, confusion is always the result; error commonly triumphs, and truth is put to the rout. Reason may very fitly determine concerning the genuineness and the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures, and the grounds on which they claim our attention as the Word of God;-but as to the nature

of God, it is safest and best for us to consult the Sacred Volume, and to assume, as articles of faith,-to take for granted, as points of knowledge,-whatsoever God has been pleased to reveal to us concerning his being and his attributes. God must know best his own nature; and it is reasonable for us to conclude, that he has disclosed as much relating to it, in the Book of Revelation, as is sufficient for man's instruction in this present world. It will be our wisest way to adopt the teaching of God, which will always prove more satisfactory than the shrewdest guessing, or the most subtle arguments of man. O that we could subdue our reasoning pride! That we could lay our confidence in man's teaching at the foot of the altar! That the soul of man would submit to be taught by the Spirit of God! "The Spirit (saith St. Paul) searcheth all

things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

Now, what saith the Bible on the subject of God's omnipresence, out of which ariseth his omniscience? Jeremiah represents the Almighty asking a question, which, in a few words, ascertains the general doctrine:-"Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord."-Yes; "heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool." "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”—“ He is not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being."-"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."—

"Hell and destruction are before him; how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men?" Thus clear and decided is the voice of Scripture on this interesting subject. But, I think, the Psalmist enters into it the most elaborately, in the words connected with the text. Speaking to God, he says, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" Where shall I secrete myself from thy knowledge, or whither shall I betake myself, that I may be hidden from thine eye, and may escape thy cognizance? Now, to do this, the sinner must ascend to heaven, or must go down to the infernal world, called in Scripture, "the lower parts of the earth," the pit, hell, or the place of separate spirits; or he must go into some remote region of the world, or wrap himself in darkness:-there can be no hiding-place