reason, that I must think that man under a strong delufion who can believe it; and that, if he can reconcile this to his mind, there is no abfurdity, however grofs, but he might eafily digeft. That Jefus Chrift is a diftinct being from the Father is clear from Scripture; for it is faid, "I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him who fent me.' It is not his body that came down from heaven, and yet he says he has a will distinct from him he came from, and that another fent him. Also, when he prays that the Father would glorify him (the Logos) with the glory he had with him before the world was, he fays, "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent." From these and many other paffages that might be brought, it is clear to me, that the Word is, and has been, ever fince he existed, a diftinct being from the Father: and as there is but one being who is the only true God, the Word cannot be Deity.

T. F. fays that I think the doctrine of eternal generation to be abfurd, because the object, or thing generated, must be pofterior to that which generated it. He acknowledges this to be true as it relates to finite beings; but does not think we have any rule to go by to prove it must be fo with God. I obferved before, that I do not pretend to understand the nature of Deity; but this I know, that even with God, a triangle is not a circle, nor a circle a triangle; nor is that which had a beginning without a beginning, and eternal. Therefore, when I am told, that Jefus Chrift was begotten---that he is the beginning of the creation of God---the firft-born of every creature, &c. I am as well convinced he had a beginning, as, when it is said he is fent by another, and does the will of another, I am fatisfied that he is distinct from him who sends him, and whose will he performs. But I have now been answering what I might have left; for hitherto T. F. has been arguing without any premifes, making mere arbitrary fuppofitions. He ought first to have proved from Scripture, that the fentiment he holds is contained therein, which when he has done, I fhall be very happy to argue the cafe more at large.

The next inquiry of T. F. is concerning the Holy Spirit, who or what is intended by the Holy Spirit promised by our Lord to his difciples, John, xiv. 16. and xvi. 7---13. where he fays, he will fend him, and he fhall do fuch things. As it relates to the perfonal pronouns him and he being applied to the Holy Spirit, I would obferve, that though him and he are perfonal pronouns, fpirit is an imperfonal noun; fo that the argument would, from this circumftance, be as ftrong for the

fpirit's

fpirit's imperfonality as the contrary. Again, it is common in the eastern writings, and particularly in the Scriptures, to perfonify imperfonal things; as for inftance, Judges, xxiv. 26, 27. "Jofhua took a great stone, and faid unto all the people, Behold, this ftone fhall be a witness unto us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord." Our Lord fays, John, xii. 48. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my word, has one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken fhall judge him at the laft day." Paul (1 Cor. xiii.) perfonifies charity, and fays, "Charity believeth all things.' And thus we fee it was common to ascribe perfonal names and personal acts to imper, fonal things; while there is not one. inftance to be brought from Scripture where impersonal acts or names are applied to perfons, unless the Holy Spirit could be proved to be a perfon; therefore it is not likely that our Lord and his apoftles fhould deviate from the general rule in this one inftance, and ascribe imperfonal acts to the Holy Spirit if he were a perfon; and that they do fpeak of the Holy Spirit imperfonally, is clear from many parts of Scripture, as when it is faid, "I will pour out my fpirit" being immerfed in the Holy Spirit; a portion of the fpirit, &c. In the xvith chaper of John, where he promises the spirit, he tells his difciples, that he has been speaking unto them in proverbs; that is, in metaphors, or rhetorical figures; it may, therefore, help to clear up the difficulty, if we take notice of the fulfilment of the promise, as recorded Acts, ïi. where we find the spirit spoken of in an imperfonal way, as coming like a rufhing mighty wind, and it, not be, filled the houfe, and it fat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. And at verfe 33, Peter fays, that Jefus, << having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spi rit, (viz. which he made to his disciples John, xiv. 16. xvi. 7--13.) he hath bed forth this which ye now fee and hear." Thus we fee, by the hiftorical account of the fulfilment of the promife, the explanation of the proverb or metaphor made use of by Chrift when he promised to fend the Holy Spirit. What tends to confirm me in the belief of the imperfonality of the Holy Spirit is this, that Peter, one of those to whom the promife was made, feems clearly to understand it as I do---that it is not a perfon, but the power or energy of the Deity exerted

in various ways.

If what I have written fhould throw any light upon the subject in question, I fhall feel great pleasure that I have contributed my mite toward difperfing the dark clouds of prejudice, and bringing

C 2

bringing truth to the light. And however I am reproached by men, as being the worst of heretics, the approbation of my own confcience, and the hope of the approbation of my mafter, will more than compenfate. If T. F. is not fatisfied with what I have here faid, I fhall be happy to hear from him again, and will endeavour to give every further elucidation in my power; that so, by freely investigating the doctrines we believe, all prejudice may be banished from our minds, and the glorious light of the gofpel, unobfcured by the traditions of men, may thine into our hearts, and bring forth its proper fruits, which are love to God, to his Chrift, and to all the creatures of God.

December 10, 1798.

S. THOMPSON,

I

EULOGY ON EARLY RISING.

F the practice of rifing betimes can be proved to be univerfally beneficial to mankind---if it can be fhewn to have been always mentioned with the highest encomiums---and that the greatest and best of men were early rifers, nothing further need be faid in recommendation of it.

Now that it contributes, and indeed univerfally, to the happiness of the world, will appear from the following confiderations. In the first place, Is life itself a happiness, or, if you like the term better, a real enjoyment? This, I hope, none will deny; and therefore, as early rifing is really an addition to 1.fe---I mean to active and confcious life---it must be an additional enjoyment; which every one that pleases may, and which every early rifer actually does enjoy.

Another argument to prove the advantage of early rifing may be drawn from its contributing to the health and vigour of animal life. It not only adds to, and in a manner lengthens the duration of life, but heightens, fo to fpeak, its very degree and reality. All the powers of human nature are thereby quickened and made to perform their feveral functions with greater force and energy; the confequence of which is a confiderable augmentation of actual enjoyment, that otherwise would have been loft.

Again, if we turn our thoughts to rational life, we fhall find no small advantage refulting from early rifing. What feafon fo proper for performing the duties of religion and piety? Are not our minds then compofed, calm, and ferene? Does not the dawning and return of day naturally infpire us with

exalted

exalted ideas of the great Creator and Governor of the world, who at firft ordained and ftill preserves the delightful viciffitudes of day and and night, fo admirably calculated to promote the happiness of the inhabitants of this globe? Is not every paffion then hufhed, and the mind in the best frame imaginable for paying to the great God of Nature that adoration, praife, and homage, which all his reasonable creatures owe him? In this refpect, then, the advantage of early rifing is manifeft.

With regard to focial duties, what more neceffary than early rifing? Is it poffible for a man who dozes away the morning on his downy bed, and spends one third of the day in the enervating embraces of death-like fleep, to discharge the duties either of private or public life, like the man who gets up betimes, fedulous to mind his business, and careful not to lose the balmy influence of the most early rays of the fun? The latter has the pleasure to see the greater, the most effential part of his work done before the other begins; the confequence of which is, that he has leifure to purfue new advantages, new fchemes of utility, both to himself and others; whereas the fluggard, by the too liberal indulgence of his beloved fleep, difables himself from performing even the indifpenfable duties of his station; instead of having time to look out for an addition to his happiness, he is not in a condition to make the best use of that which he already poffeffes. Befides, that excess of fleep, inftead of nourishing and refreshing, ferves only to enervate the whole human frame; and actually difables those who indulge in it for acting with that fpirit, refolution, and vigour they otherwife would do.

As to improving the mind in knowledge, the advantage of rifing early is no less evident. In the morning all the faculties of our foul are awake, fresh, and vigorous. What over-night defied our most diligent ftudy to find out, now voluntarily fubmits itself to our view; we fee, we comprehend, what formerly was thought above the reach of human understanding. Now as early rifing not only enables the mind to understand things eafier and better, but likewife affords time for setting about the ftudy of them, it must be allowed to be highly conducive to the attainment of knowledge.

In the hiftorical part of Scripture induftry and early rifing are inculcated as a doctrine." Thou fhalt diligently keep the commandments"--" Give diligence to make your calling. and election fure." They are likewife exemplified as a practice, as..." Awake; I myself will awake early; my voice

fhalt

fhalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord." Abraham rofe early in the morning---Mofes rofe early in the morning---Joshua arofe early---Samuel rofe early---Job rofe early---Jefus went early in the morning into the temple, and all the people came early to hear him. Moreover, it is encouraged by the great Author of our being---" I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me."

Sleep, any farther than as it is a neceffary refreshment, is the pooreft, dulleft ftate of existence we can be in: we are forced to receive it either in a state of infenfibility, or in the delusive folly of dreams. Sleep, indulged as it is by fome men, is a great lofs of time, as will appear from the following confideration--If two perfons go to bed at the fame time every night for one year, and the one rifes at four in the morning, the other at eight, the former will have gained, at the year's end, no lefs than two months on the latter---a pretty per centage indeed! To conclude---What exalted mortal in the last hour of life would not refign all the advantages of greatnefs and power, for a few moments of leisure and obscurity?

ACADEMICUS.

ON OATHS.

I

SIR,

T has long appeared to me a defirable thing, that'the command of our Lord, Mat. v. 33. "Swear not at all," &c. fhould be candidly and freely investigated, because I think our great Lawgiver never gave any command to his difciples but what was eafy to be understood, and of the utmost importance to be observed. But in refpect to this command, Chriftians in general either totally disregard or are very indifferent about it. There are a body of people called Quakers, who do submit to it; and fo far as they act agreeable to the persuasion of their minds, I give them credit; but, in general, it will be found, they have no other ground for their conduct but the opinion of their forefathers, founded upon this faying of our Lord---"Swear not at all."

Now as there are three kinds of oaths, firft, Profane, second, For confirmation of a fact, and, third, To bind to the performance of fomething, I think there is room for inquiry which of them it is the intention of our Lord to prohibit; and as an opportunity presents itself by the letter on oaths in your last volume, page 337, I fhall readily embrace it for freely and can