He obedience by the things He suffered faith in his God and Father supported him in the dark hour of anguish, when He was forsaken by his Father. In that most dismal hour, He trusted in his God, and set thereby an everlasting pattern to all probationaries: but though in our feeble nature, the glorious Son of God sustained a state of trial, it does not in the least degree detract from the glory of his divinity.

As to comment here upon this part of the subject, would lead us into too wide a field, we must reserve our observations for a future page, and only now remark, that as a prophet, Christ foretold events which could not have been foretold except by him, (or those whom He inspired,) who was in counsel with Omnipotence, which could not have been fulfilled but by Omnipotence.

The only scriptural quotation that will be now inserted in confirmation of the truths just stated, is from the prophet Micah, ver. 2: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting." And this assertion also proves the eternity of our Almighty Saviour: and we shall hereafter have occasion to point out more holy records, which are equally decisive on the question we have canvassed. The divinity of the Son of God, and equality with his high heavenly Father, having from Scripture been incontrovertibly established, we do thereby obtain an answer to the inquiry which occasioned this research.

It was the filial Deity, the eternal omnipotent Son of God, one with the paternal Deity, who assumed the lofty tone of demanding of his Father an entrance for his purchased church within the hallowed veil, to dwell for ever in the heavenly Jerusalem. It is much more in consonance with right reason to conclude, that a revelation sent from heaven should contain communications far beyond the reach of unassisted reason to discover, than that it should not do so and from our last examination of the sacred memorials has been elicited the existence of a glorious being, coequal, coeternal with the parent source of good.* But scriptural declaration comprises further wonder by the solemn form of baptism ordained by the filial Deity, we find the existence of a third blessed Person very clearly proclaimed; for the last command enjoined by our adored Lord runs thus: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ;" and by thus naming the latter in terms of equality conjointly with the Almighty Father and the Almighty Son, without any circumstance of inferiority thereunto attached, excepting that announced by the order of procession, we find the Godhead described as consisting of three hallowed blessed Persons; and this holy, initiatory rite of baptism was by the Son of God ordained as a perpetual standing law. "Having redeemed man

This inquiry has fulfilled the promise of endeavouring to ascertain in what light Christ designed us to understand his declaration of being the Son of God.

kind, and thereby acquired a new and special claim to their homage and service, He entered upon and took possession of his purchased inheritance; and for what end?-plainly that He might bring all nations, thus made his own by right of redemption, to the knowledge and worship of the true God; to a knowledge of his nature, and the manner of his existence and how is this done?-why by making them acquainted in the very first instance with the obligations conferred upon them by three ever blessed Persons, called by the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. These three Persons therefore, thus related and thus named, constitute that one true God, into whose name, faith, and profession, people of all the nations of the earth were to be baptized for all nations were commanded to be baptized in the name of the three Persons, in the same manner, therefore surely in the same sense as in the name of one; the form running in the name,' not names, but in the singular number, name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: thereby in the strongest manner describing their power equal, their persons undivided, their glory one."* And the benediction pronounced by St. Paul does equally invoke the aid of these three hallowed Persons. "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." (2 Cor. xiii. 14.)

This wonderful revelation, we must acknowledge, does compel us to invert the rule laid down

* Horne.

at the commencement of these pages; for that the Godhead should consist of a plurality of persons, is a communication far beyond the reach of unassisted reason to discover, (and consequently, as far beyond the power of unassisted reason to invent:) our inquiry, therefore, respecting the Trinity, cannot as heretofore consist in tracing the coincidence between the conclusions suggest ed by reason, with the assertions contained in the Scriptures; but in endeavouring to ascertain how far the assertions of Scripture are reconcilable with reason. Previous to our examination of these, we shall present our readers with a most invaluable auxiliary to this purpose, contained in a little book, entitled "Devout Meditations, or a Collection of Thoughts upon Religious and Philosophical Subjects; by the Honourable Charles How, Esq.," and which we now with the highest satisfaction transcribe.*

* "A Rational Essay upon the Trinity."

This is copied from a third edition. The following are letters affixed to its publication :

"To Archibald Macauley, Esq.

"KIND AND WORTHY SIR,

"How shall I sufficiently thank you for the favour and honour of your very valuable present? The book of meditations I have read, and more than once, and I shall never lay it far out

of

my reach; for a greater demonstration of a sound head and sincere heart I never saw. Dear Sir, I cannot but return to my favourite meditations, for, in truth, I am fond of them: I think you were a lucky man in meeting with the manuscript, and I know you are a worthy one, by bringing it to the press. The world is your debtor for it: my part of the debt I will pay as far

"In relation to the Trinity, I would have it considered whether unity of nature, or essence, and

as hearty thanks will go towards it, and I wish I could do more. But I am surprised that the author's name is suppressed, for I know no name to which that work would not do an additional credit; and why a man's modesty should rob him of his just honour, when by that honour his modesty can be no more offended, I know not. I wish you would consider this with regard to the future editions. I desire you, Sir, to insert me in the list of your friends, for such I am, and such I am obliged to be by your unexpected and merited favour.

"1752.

"I am your's &c.

"C. YOUNG."

"To Archibald Macauley, Esq., Lord Conservator.

"HONOURED SIR,

"When this work first appeared, it was proposed to have the author's name prefixed to it; and now that a second edition is become necessary, and that you, Sir, and several other men of good judgment, particularly your friend Dr. Young, so well known to the world for learning, piety, and genius, have given it as your opinions, that to be known for the author of such a work would add reputation to any name, I have desired that it may be done; and as the public now know to whom they owe this performance, it has been thought just that they should also know to whom they owe the publication of it. The manuscript came to my late dear wife as executrix to the author, her grandfather, with whom she lived from her infancy to the time of his death; and it is evident from the work itself, as well as from what has been said in the advertisement to the first edition that

he intended it for his own private use. As soon as you perused it at my house, from a principle of disinterested benevolence only, you earnestly desired it might be published, and took the whole trouble of it upon yourself; so that whatever praise is due for having rendered the closet exercises of a truly good man of public utility, that is justly yours;-though I at the same time know, that the inward satisfaction that you have already felt on this account is much superior to all applause. I have, at your