ted, or necessarily existent. But in this latter view, considering it applied to a necessarily-existent Being, its attributes and perfections must be boundless and unlimited, extending infinitely beyond all research, either human or angelic.

2. But farther; in proportion as existence is preferable to non-existence, the former must be a perfection: the latter, a total privation of being. The former must be positive, in all the extent of the sphere of its capacity, whether created or uncreated: but the latter must be negative, without definition, without capacity, without attribute or perfection; untangible even by thought; and, properly speaking, it cannot be called a direct contrast to the former, because that which has not existence, can admit of no comparison with that which has.

3. If we take the word substance in its strict and philosophical meaning, in which sense it is used in this place, and throughout this Essay, we shall be compelled to admit, that existence, simply considered, is not a substance; because, in this abstract sense, it is incapable of any independent subsistence. Simple existence is rather that radical and singular perfection which, on all occasions, distinguishes objects of thought, substances, attributes, and modes, from absolute nonentities; and it may be denominated the permanent and universal criterion between entity and nonentity. It always necessarily supposes and

implies an object or a substance, in which it inheres: but, in the simple abstract, it can never acquire independence. Hence it follows, that all the capacities, powers, properties, or perfections of substances, whether created, or necessarily existent, presuppose existence, and ultimately rest on this universal basis, with respect to every thing that is.

4. Now, the longer the period of existence continues, the more extensive that perfection is, which existence implies and constitutes. This view may be followed through all the gradations in creation, and applied to all the different objects comprehended in matter, and to matter itself, as an independent substance. It may also be followed through all the gradations of mind, from that of the smallest animated being, visible by the microscope, to the very highest order of created intelligence; and to mind itself, as an independent substance. Now, as duration is a perfection, and not a substance, we may consider it, when applied to the created or the uncreated being, just as we do life, moral excellence, and moral perfections. Thus we may speak of life, created or uncreated; moral excellence, created or uncreated; wisdom, power, goodness, veracity, created or uncreated, in the same manner we may speak of duration, created or uncreated, according as we view it a perfection in the created or uncreated being; and as uncreated, it is in

itself eternal, immense, and immutable, it must necessarily inhere in some necessary, uncreated Essence, which, every way like itself, must be eternal, immense, and immutable. Or we may say, that duration proves itself to be a perfection, because it is absolutely necessary to the existence. of every created being. And duration is constituted a perfection, because of its connection with, and inherence in, the necessarily-existent and eternal Substance.

And as there can be but one Being to which these attributes can be applicable, there can only be but this one Essence, in which the perfection of uncreated, eternal, immense, and immutable duration inheres. And as this Essence, with all its attributes and perfections, must be self-existent, or necessarily existent, uncreated, and every way independent, it must be the great First Cause of all things, and must be an intelligent Spirit.

Now, if we raise our speculations from finite and created spirits, to this infinite, self-existent, and uncreated Spirit, and explore, with cautious investigation, this necessarily-existent Being, or Substance, we may range through unlimited and boundless existence, until we are altogether lost in the view of the unlimited and uncreated duration of this divine and absolutely perfect spiritual Essence. And this method of ascending from the perfections of moral created spirits, to the

moral uncreated, is perfectly legitimate, because the former are created after the image of the latter, in moral perfections.

5. Whatever is necessary to the existence of any object, or of any independent substance, must itself certainly exist; because that which neither does nor can exist, can be no way essential to the being of that object, or of that independent sub

stance.

With respect to created objects, or created substances, the great, adorable, and necessarilyexistent Being, which uncreated duration presents to our view, is alone the sovereign, and absolute judge, of every capacity, power, or perfection, necessary to the existence of that object, or of that substance, whether dependent or independent with regard to its end in creation. But in relation to the self-existent and uncreated Substance' itself, no judgment is necessary to prescribe the existence of this Being, because if uncreated duration be one of its necessary perfections, then this Being must include in its own nature every necessary, essential, absolute, perfection.

6. Whatever is necessary to the existence of any dependent object, or any independent substance, and without which that Being could have no capacity, power, property, or perfection, must necessarily exist, and stand primarily connected with that object, or substance; or must be a me

dium of the continuance of the powers, properties, or perfections of that dependent object, or of that independent substance. In this view also, we see creation, both matter and mind, in all gradations, throughout the boundless universe, in the hands, under the authority, and at the sovereign disposal, of the great self-existent, uncreated First Cause, of which, we say, absolute duration is an essential perfection.

7. As duration is a perfection considered abstractedly, and a necessary medium of finite existence, duration must itself actually exist, both as a perfection, and with respect to creation, and all created things, as a necessary medium of being. Many of the excellencies, both of created dependent objects, and created independent substances, rest altogether on this medium of being, and, in proportion to the extent of their nature, they may be said to partake of this perfection. But as this perfection stands far back, before the existence of created beings, and runs far into futurity, beyond the period of the existence of created things, it is evidently a perfection far above the capacity of finite creatures.

In surveying this perfection in all its extent, we see all created beings comprehended in uncreated duration, and, as such, under the authority of the great necessarily-existent First Cause, of which, we say, uncreated duration is an essential perfection; and they entirely depend on this