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God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as Heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than Hell, what canst thou know ?"

The Church, in the course of her festivals, presents this day to our consideration a truth which, as far as is necessary to our duty and consolation, may be understood, but in other respects is incomprehensible. The Trinity of persons in the Godhead is a doctrine so prominent on the face of the sacred writings, and so intimately connected with every part of the Christian system, that, though in almost every period of the Church, there have been some who have opposed it, Christians generally have cherished it as that fundamental truth of the Gospel which makes it "the power of God unto salvation." If indeed the doctrine of the Trinity be unfounded in Scripture, then results the singular fact, that the great body of those for whom this divine system was designed, have in every age erred in respect to one of its most important characteristics.

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The doctrine is incomprehensible. This is the principal cause which has excited against it the objections of human reason, and led some to doubt and others to deny it. The same objection applies to other truths of Religion. It is of importance therefore to prove, that if a doctrine of revelation be supported by proper dence, its being incomprehensible constitutes no reason

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able objection to it. To this point let me now direct your attention.

That a truth of revelation is incomprehensible, constitutes no reasonable objection to it. For

I. It is in the nature of things impossible that all the truths of revelation should be level to our comprehension.

II. Wise purposes are accomplished by their transcending our reason.

III. The objection that they are incomprehensible, will apply with equal force to those truths of nature and religion, which are universally admitted.

IV. Lastly their being incomprehensible does not impair their practical use and value.

Certain truths of revelation transcend our comprehension. This constitutes no reasonable objection to them-For

I. It is in the nature of things impossible that all the truths of revelation should be level to our comprehension.

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These truths respect principally the Divine mind and " God is in heaven and we upon earth "Who can ascend and penetrate his essence! "God is a spirit"." Who hath seen him at any time, or can see him? Shall we require to behold before we will acknowledge that glory which no mortal eye can approach, and

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before which Cherubim and Seraphim veil their faces! Shall we, who are but as of yesterday, attempt to comprehend him who is "from everlasting to everlasting!" Limited and feeble as are our powers, shall we aim to attain a full knowledge of that transcendantly glorious Being, whom the highest order of created intelligences but imperfectly know! One moment's sober exercise of our reason would teach us that these expectations are vain and presumptuous. One moment's impartial consideration would convince us that in a revelation which respects the Divine mind and the unseen things of eternity, and our own spiritual and immortal soul, there must be truths above our comprehension. A religion in which no truth transcends his reason never was given, never can be given to man. But

II. Wise and good purposes are accomplished by the mystery which surrounds certain truths of religion.

As intelligent and accountable beings, it seems fit that we should be trained, by a course of moral discipline, for virtue and happiness. As dependant creatures, humility and submission are among the highest virtues that can adorn our characters. Here then is the moral excellence of that mystery which envelopes the truths of re

ligion, and defying the keen researches of the human mind, humbles its aspiring pretensions. If the whole circle of religious truths were level to our comprehension, there would be no circumstance calculated to repress a proud confidence in our own powers and attainments. The virtues of submission and resignation would be stripped of their highest merit, if all the counsels and ways of God were perfectly clear and agreeable to our reason. As our Sovereign Lawgiver, God possesses a supreme claim, in the judgment even of human reason, to our obedience and our trust. And these virtues are most meritorious in the exercise, when his exactions are most mysterious, and his dispensations most dark.

Our Almighty Maker and Sovereign can never indeed require us to believe what directly contradicts that reason which he has given us to regulate our principles and to guide our conduct. Nor are any of the truths of religion contrary to reason. There may be something in them which human reason cannot fully discover; and of which therefore she is not a competent judge. For we cannot pronounce any truths contrary to reason, until we can completely discern them in all their relations and properties. Thus the doctrine of the Trinity, which the Church this day celebrates, though above the comprehension of reason, is in no respect contradictory to it. The mode of the ex

istence of three persons in one God is utterly incomprehensible. But surely our knowledge of the divine mind, and of the essence and mode of existence of the infinite and eternal God, is too imperfect to authorize us to consider this union of three persons in one God impossible. We cannot therefore pronounce the doctrine contrary to

reason.

Instead then of assailing the incomprehensible truths of revelation with presumptuous cavils, reason dictates that we consider them as the trial of our submission, and the test of our obedience. The human parent, in order to form his child to habits of submission, often requires obedience on the single ground of authority. And that child would deserve reprehension and punishment, who should refuse obedience until he comprehended the propriety of parental discipline, and the reasonableness of parental requisitions. And, my brethren, in reference to his almighty Parent, what are the highest wisdom, discernment and knowledge of man, but the ignorance, the weakness, and the folly of a child, "Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God."

III. Further. Certain truths of revelation being incomprehensible, constitutes no just objection to them; because the same objection applies with equal forcé to universally acknowledged truths.

Rom. ix. 20.

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