one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." To the Ephesians he said, "I cease not to give thanks for you, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom." In St. John also it is written, "Grace be with you, mercy and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love"."

Q. What thoughts does a consideration of the truths contained in the former part of this section, as to our being the sons of God, raise in the devout Christian's mind?

A. What, but those of thankfulness and gratitude. Thankfulness for our creation; gratitude for our preservation; renewed and redoubled thankfulness and gratitude for our redemption through Christ, and the hopes of ultimate salvation, which we are allowed to entertain through his merits. Our first parents were born into the world in an exalted state of purity and bliss, with paradise allotted to them as their abode, and surrounded with every thing calculated to delight the senses, and exalt the soul. One condition only, and that easy of performance, was attached to the enjoyment of

* 2 Cor. xi. 31. Rom. vi. 4. xv. 6. 2 Cor. i. 3. Eph. i. 17. 2.John i. 3.

their happiness, and the continuance of the Almighty's favour. Nevertheless, Adam by transgression fell; thereby forfeiting for himself and his posterity all title to the mercy and loving kindness of the Lord. Did our heavenly Father in consequence give man over to destruction? Far otherwise. Even at that season he shadowed out the prospect of ultimate forgiveness; which in the fulness of time was effected by the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ the Lord. Now then we are become his children by adoption and grace: the blessed heirs of everlasting salvation. Does it not follow, that under all these various relationships, in which we are united to our heavenly Father; and for all his acts of unmerited goodness to us, as his children by nature and by regeneration ;love, and obedience, and praise, and 'adoration, are as a debt due from man to God? A debt which can never adequately be paid, or ever cease to be binding upon us.

Q. What impressions do we derive from the review just taken of the union of God the Father and God the Son?

A. Those of wonder and admiration! The mind recoils upon itself when it reflects what a sublime mystery it has ventured to explore! And though, under the guidance of revelation, and fortified by the recorded opinions of the

best and wisest of men", the enquiry we have pursued appears as satisfactory in its conclusions as it is important in its nature, still it is so far above the unassisted powers of our reason, that we tremble whilst we give utterance to our thoughts. One thing however is most apparent, that as God has thought fit to reveal himself to us under the character of Father, and every page of the New Testament contains evidence of the divinity of the Son, we should be inexcusable in passing over these doctrines in silence, as if we regarded them not; persuaded as we are, at the same time, that they tend more perhaps than any other part of the Creed, to direct aright the form, and subject, and character of our devotional addresses to God the Father; and to his Son, the only begotten of God, God of God, very God of very God; and thus enable us to pray with the heart, and to pray with the understanding also.

SECTION III.

Almighty.

Q. Having proved the being of God, and expressed your belief in the mystery of that eternal

h For the truth of this assertion, see the voluminous notes in Bishop Pearson's admirable Expos. vol. ii. art. i. p. 30-50.

generation by which God is properly styled the Father, proceed to the next point.

A. We believe that God the Father is Almighty.

Q. Explain this attribute of God's omnipo

tence.

A. When we call God Almighty, we mean that his power is unlimited both in extent and duration: we assign to him the most absolute independent dominion over all things in every possible way, as their Creator, the Ruler of their destinies, their Governor, Judge, and Heavenly Monarch. Thus in the Revelations it is written, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." And again, in the words of David: "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all'."

+ 1 Tim. vi. 15. Παντοκρατωρ εστιν ο παντων κρατων, ο παντων εovola wv, St. Cyril. Catech. VIII.-о →εог πavтodνvaμos kaι παντοκρατωρ, ο δυναμενος κράτησαι, κτίσαι, ποιησαι, τρεφειν, αυξειν, σωζειν, σώματος και ψυχης εξουσιαν εχων. Clement. Alexandrin. ex Script. Prophet. Eclog. xxvi.

* Rev. iv. 11.

11 Chron. xxix. 11. See also Job ix. 4. xxvi. 6-14.

Q. What force is given to the word Almighty in those passages of Scripture in which it occurs?

A. Referring back from those texts in our authorized translation of the Old and New Testament, where God is called Almighty, to the originals", we find, that in the Old Testament, God is styled T, (Shaddai); and л, (Sabaoth); and in the New Testament, яаνтокρатw. Now is expressive of God's all sufficiency, or his ability to perform all things; and NAY refers to his exercise of omnipotence in the government of all things". Παντοκρατωρ (παν κρατος Exwv) signifies, that all power is his, both to will and to perform. The sense of the word Almighty in the Creed, is therefore the same as in the Bible.

Q. Prove this almighty power to belong to God?

A. One proof of it is included in our argument on the existence of God; infinite power being requisite to govern the world, and preserve the harmony which reigns throughout the creation. To which we may add the following proof.

If God be not Almighty, his power is limited.

Job v. 17. 2 Sam. vii. 8. 2 Mac. i. 25. 2 Cor. vi. 18, &c. 155.

Barrow, vol. ii. Serm. XI. p.

• Schleusneri Lexicon in Voc.