For it exists neceffarily; and is an attribute of Deity. Try to annihilate the idea of rectitude in your mind; and you will find it equally impoffible; the idea of rectitude, as fomewhat real, will still return upon the understanding. Rectitude is therefore a neceffary attribute of Deity; and all the Divine moral attributes, of which we have any ideas, are only rectitude differently exerted. And the rectitude of the Divine nature is the proper bafis and foundation of moral good in the difpofition or practice of every moral agent in the univerfe; or, in other words, virtue, in an intelligent and free creature, of whatever rank in the fcale of being, is nothing else than a conformity of difpofition and practice to the neceffary, eternal, and unchangeable rectitude of the Divine nature.

Of every positive simple idea that can enter into our minds, it may be faid, that it is either fomething belonging to the Divine nature (to speak according to our imperfect way) or it is a work of his, or of fome creature of his. We do not say, God made immensity or space, duration or eternity, truth, benevolence, rectitude, and the reft. But thefe are clear, pofitive, fimple ideas in our minds. Therefore they muft exift. But if they exift, and yet are not made by God, they must be neceffarily exiftent. Now we know, that nothing exists neceffarily, but what is an attribute of Deity, that is, one of our imperfect and partial conceptions of his infinite nature, which in

groffes

groffes and fwallows up all poffible perfec

tions.

Though we have here treated of the perfections of the firft caufe feparately, and one after the other, we are not to form to ourselves an idea of the Supreme Being as confifting of feparable or difcerpible parts, to be conceived of fingly, and independently on one another. In treating of the human mind, we say it confifts of the faculties of understanding, will, memory, and fo forth. But this evidently conveys a falfe idea of a mind. It is the whole mind that underftands, wills, loves, hates, remembers, fees, hears, and feels, and performs all the other functions of a living agent. And to conceive of its faculties as feparable from or independent on one another, is forming a very abfurd notion of mind which cannot be confidered as consisting of parts, or as capable of division. When we say whatever is an attribute of Deity is a Deity itself, which is demonftrably true, we ought to underftand it in the fame manner as when we say, that whatever is a faculty of the human mind is the mind itself. Thus, though immensity alone, truth alone, infinite power or wisdom alone, tho' no one of these perfections alone is the full and complete idea of Deity, any more than understanding alone, will alone, or memory alone, is of the human mind, yet all the firft, together with the other attributes, as they fubfift in the Divine mind, are Deity, and all the latter, with the other mental

D 2

mental powers, are the human mind, and yet neither the former nor the latter can be conceived of as divifible or made up of parts.

As the neceffary exiftence and abfolute perfection of God render it proper and reasonable to afcribe to him the creation of the univerfe; fo his omniprefence, infinite power, and wildom, make it reafonable to conclude that he can, with the utmost facility, without interruption, for infinite ages, conduct and govern both the natural and moral world. Though the doctrine of providence is found in the writings of the wife Heathens, and is therefore commonly confidered as a point of natural religion; yet, as revelation only fets it in a clear and fatisfactory light, I shall put off what I have to fay upon it to the fourth book.

Our being utterly incapable of forming any fhadow of an idea adequate to the true nature and effence of the Supreme Being, is no more an objection against the certainty of his existence, than the impoffibility of our conceiving of infinite beginningless duration, is against its reality. What our reafon compels us to admit, must not be rejected, because too big for our narrow minds to comprehend, nor indeed can we reject it, if we would.

Let us therefore do our utmoft to conceive of the Supreme Being as the one independent, neceffarily-existent, unchangeable, eternal, immenfe, and univerfal mind, the foundation, or

fubftratum

fubftratum of infinite fpace, duration, power, wifdom, goodness, juftice, and every other poffible perfection; without beginning, without end, without parts, bounds, limits, or defects; the cause of all things, himself uncaused; the preferver of all things, himself depending on no one; the upholder of all things, himself upheld by no one; from all moments of eternity to all moments of eternity, enjoying the perfection of happiness, without the poffibility of addition or diminution; before all, above all, and in all; poffeffing eternity and immenfity, fo as to be at once and for ever fully mafter of every point of the one and moment of the other; pervading all matter, but unaffected by all matter; bestowing happiness on all, without receiving from any; pouring forth without measure his good gifts, but never diminishing his riches; let us in a word think of him as the All, the Whole, the Perfection of per

fection.

While we view his adorable excellencies according to our limited and partial manner, let us take care not to conceive of him as made up of parts, who is the most perfect unity. While we confider, in fucceffion, his feveral attributes of power, wisdom, goodness, and the reft, let us take care not to form a complex or compounded idea of him, whofe effence is abfolutely pure and fimple. We are not to think of various attributes, and then fuperadd the idea of God to them. The perfection or abftract of wisdom, power; goodness, and every other attribute, in one fim

ple idea, in the one univerfal mind, which fills infinitude, is the most perfect idea we can form of incomprehenfible Deity.

Here is a Deity truly worthy to be adored. What are the Jupiters and Junos of the Heathens to fuch a God? What is the common notion of the object of worship; a venerable perfonage fitting in heaven, and looking down upon the world below with a very acute and penetrating eye (which I doubt is the general notion among the unthinking part of Chriftians) what is fuch a God to the immenfe and unlimited nature we have been confidering!

An Idea of the Divine Scheme in Creation. The happiness of conscious Beings, the only End for which they were brought into Existence. Happiness, its foundation. Univerfal Concurrence of all Beings with the Divine Scheme abfolutely neceffary to univerfal Happiness.

O far we have gone upon a rational founda

tion in establishing the existence of God, and his being poffeffed of all poffible perfections. From the abfolute and unchangeable perfection and happiness of God, it appears, as obferved above, that his defign, in creating, must have been, in confiftency with wisdom and rectitude, to produce and communicate happiness. This must be kept in view throughout the whole of the

scheme.