divine moral excellence may be exerted or manifested to the very uttermost of its nature. We always look for created moral excellence to be exerted by a moral being, and, in many cases, we suppose it should be exerted to the very uttermost of the power of that being. The Christian religion shows this, and, in some rare instances, we find it among the heathens, and even in the affairs of the present life. Now, if this be supposed necessary in a created moral being, at any time, may we not suppose it to be also necessary, in some instance, in the uncreated moral Being, where moral excellence, in all its uncreated glory, necessarily and essentially operate. Now, if we suppose it possible that, in any one instance, either past, present, or to come, the Divine Being ever has, can, or will exert, or manifest, the divine efficiency to the very uttermost, all that we plead for in the argument is gained: because the divine efficiency is necessarily and essentially eternal, immense, and immutable. Now, if that which is eternal, immense, and immutable, ever can, and ever be, in any one instance, exerted or manifested to the very uttermost, it must be exerted or manifested eternally, immensely, and immutably, by the necessary law of its own essence. There must then be some way in which the divine efficiency is exerted to the very uttermost, according to its own nature, within the Divine Essence itself; and that cannot possibly

be in the way of creation and causation, but in the way of divine, mysterious energy, necessary to the existence, perfections, and happiness of the Divine Being within itself, entirely independent of all efficiency, ad extra. For if this be not so, the great, the eternal, the omnipotent divine efficiency, never did, can, nor will, from all past eternity, through all future eternity, exert or manifest itself to the utmost of its own energetic capacity. And if so, it must undeniably follow, that the divine efficiency never was, never can, and never will be, exerted or manifested to the uttermost; which is the same as to say, that the Divine Being possesses a necessary and essential perfection, which never was, can, nor will be, exercised in a way consistent with its own nature, the extent of the Divine Essence, and the other divine perfections. And if we admit this, we cannot tell whether the Divine Being is able to exert its own divine efficiency to the uttermost, or not, which is the same as to say, the Divine Being may be imperfect for any thing we know: And if we affirm that the Divine Being is imperfect, we may as well affirm that the Divine Being does not exist. We do not argue this point by the bare abstract idea of the divine efficiency only: we take in the idea of perfect divine life, intelligence, and moral excellence, as supreme and necessarily inhering in the Divine Essence, together with the divine

supreme efficiency; and if it be admitted, in any instance, from all past eternity, through all future eternity, that the Divine Being can exert or manifest life, intelligence, moral excellence, or efficiency, to the very uttermost of their own nature, as inhering in the Divine Essence, the argument is at once granted; for the divine life, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency, are naturally active, energetic, and operative, and naturally eternal, immense, and immutable; and if that which is eternal, immense, and immutable, be exerted or manifested to the utmost of its own nature, in any one instance, through endless du ration, it must, in that instance, be exerted or manifested eternally, immensely, and immutably, -and this is just what we argue.

The supposition of the very existence of efficiency, as inhering in the Divine Essence, infers the exercise of it, according to its nature, at some time or other; and the very supposition of the exercise of it in any one instance, past, present, or to come, infers the exercise of it eternally, immensely, and immutably. For the perfection of efficiency, inhering in the Divine Essence, infers, that it must be every way like that Essence, eternal, immense, and immutable; and, as we have already argued, if that which is eternal, immense, and immutable, be ever, in any one instance, exercised according to its nature, it must be exercised eternally, immensely, and

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immutably. The divine efficiency is eternal, immense, and immutable; therefore it must be exercised eternally, immensely, and immutably. For, if not, it never can be exercised at all; and if it never can be exercised at all, the Divine Being has a necessary perfection inhering in its essence, which, if we dare say so, is of no use: For, if it never can be exercised according to its own nature, it must be of no use, and, by consequence, it must be unnecessary. But it is admitted, on all hands, that it really is necessary: it cannot therefore be necessary and not necessary, for this is a downright absurdity: it must therefore be necessary, and must be necessarily exercised, eternally, immensely, and immutably.

This method of reasoning is fairly logical, and may be applied to every one of the divine moral perfections.

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7. The famous Dr. REID, speaking of power, says, Every operation supposes power in the being that operates; for to suppose any thing to operate which has no power to operate, is manifestly absurd. But, on the other hand, there is no absurdity in supposing a being to have power to operate, when it does not operate. Thus, I may have power to walk, when I sit, or to speak, when I am silent. Every operation, therefore, implies power; but the power does not imply the operation."

This reasoning applies only to the will of a

created being possessed of power. But the reasoning which we adduce, applies not to the will only, but also to the nature and power of the Divine Being, with respect to the energy or operation of life, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency,-perfections necessarily inhering in the Divine Essence: for Dr. REID's reasoning, with respect to a created being, only proves imperfection, and shows, that this being is not, at all times, nor in all places, in the full and perfect exercise of those perfections bestowed upon it by the Creator. But should we venture to argue, that the Divine Being, who is absolute perfection itself, is not, at all times, and in all places, through every point of eternity and immensity, in the absolute, full, and perfect enjoyment and exercise of all the divine perfections, natural and moral, that moment we affirm that the Divine Being is imperfect: for, with respect to the Divine Essence and perfections, ad intra, it is not possible to conceive or imagine the smallest variation or change of a temporary nature, without entirely doing away the idea of Deity. As omnipotence is a perfection which is essential to the Divine Being, this Being must necessarily possess all possible power, not only in unlimited extent, but in all possible varieties: it must also possess that of everliving and intelligent efficiency.-Now, as all the perfections of this great and glorious Being are underived, it must have been as