absolutely perfect before creation, as it is since; and its essential perfections would remain undiminished, even were creation to be eternally swept aside. But if this Being be absolutely perfect in itself, it will then follow, that it must have eternally possessed the power of exercising its own efficiency, in all its eternal, absolute, and unlimited extent; and must for ever continue to do so, through all future eternity, absolutely independent of creation. For since every created being must have a beginning of existence-must be finite in its nature, and limited in its extent, -it will be totally impossible that ever the divine efficiency can be absolutely exercised towards creation, in all its eternal, absolute, infinite, and unlimited extent. This exercise of the divine efficiency, ad extra, must therefore be absolutely impossible. But since the Divine Being has eternally possessed the power of exercising its efficiency in all its unlimited and absolute extent, and this exercise, ad extra, is absolutely impossible, it will follow, that the possibility of eternally exercising this efficiency, in all its unlimited and infinite extent, must be ad intra. And, consequently, as the eternal exercise of this efficiency, ad intra, must be absolutely impossible upon the supposition of only one mode of subsistence in the Divine Essence, it will most certainly follow, that a plurality of modes must subsist in the Divine Essence.

Proof of the doctrine farther established, by the activity of the Divine Nature, or the principle of life, intelligence, or moral excellence.

This reasoning will appear still more clear and certain, by viewing it in another light. We have already proved that life, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency, are naturally active, energetic, and operative.-We take one example of moral excellence. This is naturally and necessarily energetic and operative: this is naturally and necessarily inherent in the Divine Essence, in all absolute, uncreated varieties, and eternal, immense, and immutable extremes.Now, if it can be exercised or manifested to the very uttermost at all, it must be so by the Divine Being, which is absolutely perfect; and if it be granted, that the Divine Being ever did, can, or will, exercise or manifest the divine moral excellence in any one instance, to the very uttermost, then all is granted that we plead for in the argument for the divine moral excellence is eternal, immense, and immutable; and if that which is eternal, immense, and immutable, be exercised to the very uttermost, according to its own nature, it must be so eternally, immensely, and immutably. Hence the argument is fairly gained.

Again; if moral excellence be exercised or manifested at all by the Divine Being, it must be

manifested or exercised in personality; for the moral economy of the Divine Essence and perfections necessarily constitute personality; because, as far as we know, moral excellence, whether created or uncreated, if exercised or manifested at all, must be so in personality.

Farther; as the nature of the divine life, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency, is active, energetic, and operative, and as these inhere in the Divine Essence necessarily and essentially, and as the Divine Essence and perfections must necessarily partake of the same nature; the Divine Essence must, therefore, naturally, necessarily, and essentially, be active, energetic, and operative. This is the economy to which we refer. Moreover, as is the nature of any being, so is the power of that being; for the power of a being is derived from its nature: the divine power must therefore be active, energetic, and operative. Still farther; as is the power of any being, so is the will of that being: For the will of a being is derived from the power of that being; therefore the will of the Divine Being is naturally active, energetic, and operative. Thus the nature, power, and will of the Divine Being unite, harmonize, and agree, in being active, energetic, and operative. And as the divine moral excellence is active, and must be manifested or exercised to the very uttermost by the Divine Being, ad intra, according to all the qualities and attri

butes of its own nature; and this exercise, or manifestation, must be in personality; and the divine nature, power, and will, all unite, harmonize, and agree, in this exercise or manifestation, in personality; and this moral excellence can never be exercised or manifested in personality, if there be but one mode of subsistence in the Divine Essence :-hence, it is hoped, there never was an argument more clearly proved than this, that there must be more modes of subsistence in the Divine Essence than one.

8. It must, therefore, undeniably follow, in order to preserve the idea of the absolute, eternal, immense, and immutable perfection of the Divine Being, that the divine efficiency ever was, now is, and ever will be, exerted or manifested in the Divine Essence, ad intra; without variation, change, or diminution, increase or decrease, from everlasting to everlasting, unceasingly, by the law and economy of the Divine Essence and perfections, constituting the Divine Being necessarily absolute, independent, and altogether perfect within itself; and that as much so, before creation and providence, as since; and would still continue to be so, were creation and providence for ever struck out of existence; otherwise the Divine Being must be mutable.

We therefore argue this point with the most unshaken confidence, from the law of the active, energetic, operative, and influential nature of the

divine life, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency for these divine essential perfections must, from everlasting to everlasting, necessarily, act and operate according to their own nature. And this is still farther supported and strengthened from the positive and established law, that the essence of every being must partake of the nature of its necessary and essential perfections; therefore the Divine Essence must, necessarily and essentially, partake of the activity, energy, operation, and influence, of these divine perfections which necessarily inhere in it, and thereby must of itself be active, energetic, operative, and influential. And as the nature of every being is, so is its power; and as the power of every being is, so is its will: no reasoning, therefore, can be more evident, manifest, and clear, than that the divine nature, power, and will, are necessarily, eternally, immensely, and immutably, active, energetic, operative, and influential; so that, without contradiction, and in defiance of all reasoning and argument to the contrary, there must be a way in the Divine Essence itself, by which the divine efficiency actively and energetically operates, to the very utmost of its own nature; and this can only be consistent with the glory of the whole of the Divine Essence, and the divine moral perfections, considered as necessarily efficient. And considering this efficiency as eternal, immense, and immutable, and as necessary