"And there were seven LAMPS of fire burning before" "the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Rev. iv. 5"

See alfo Numbers viii. 2.

"The seven lamps fhall give light over against theTM "candle stick."

The first most important and leading doctrine in the true theology is the doctrine of the indivifible unity (or oneness) of Deity; whofe true character is the only proper ftandard of truth and right in the church of God.

The character of God is a standard which in its own true nature is compofed of felf evident principles and demonftration, independent of time, fituation, or circumstance; and must be viewed as it is in its own felf existent and unchanging nature, without regard to any thing elfe, paft, prefent, or future.

A proper knowledge of this divine standard (the true character of God) is obtained no other way than by forming a genuine acquaintance with the true nature of his feven communicable attributes; inwhich his whole character is comprised; which are thefe following, viz.

Divine Standard

ift. Love T
2nd. Wisdom
3rd. Power

4th. Holiness
5th. Justice
6th- Goodnefs

7th. Truth

Urime

All enlightened men among all nations throughout the world, will acknowledge with us, that each and

every of these attributes are felf exiftent, felf dependent, eternal, unchanging, and infinite; that every thing which is in its nature manifeftly repugnant to the true nature of thefe, or any of them, must be equally repugnant to the nature of God and divine truth; and that there is not one fingle point of doctrine in the whole body of divinity but what may and ought to be, fairly tried by this ftandard.

The divine authenticity, propriety and infallibility of the standard being granted, by all, it will follow of courfe that fuch church as is found most truly to receive and adhere to this standard must be equally. acknowledged, by all, to be the most correct, only true, and latter day church; nor is it poffible to find a standard in existence equal to this.

This ftandard in its own felf exiftent and immutable nature, is felf evident,-it is good-it is: infallible, it is divine-it is invincible and our enemies cannot deny it.

THE FIRST BRANCH OF THIS STANDARD IS

DIVINE LOVE.

DIVINE LOVE, is an attribute fo effential to the being and nature of God that the apoftle calls the whole Deity into view by the name thereof, faying "God is Love." This attribute being self existent and immutable can never be varied, by any caufe, from what it is, and always was, in its own nature : but, must continue unchangeably one and the fame as it was from all eternity.

Divine love is a leading attribute in Deity, by which the whole conduct of God is governed, and ander the influence of which he is always actuated :

for " GOD is love.” and he cannot be actuated but by the influence of his own nature.

Pure and univerfal friendship is an effential property in divine love, and as the love is felf exiftent and unchanging, even fo, is the friendship which proceeds therefrom: nor can two opposite properties fuch as Friendship and Enmity possibly exift in divine love; becaule God cannot be divided against

himself.

No property, therefore, which in its nature is contrary to pure, univerfal, and unchanging friend fhip, can poffibly exift in the mind or nature of Deity for "God is love," and nothing contrary to pure love and friendship, to all his creatures, can proceed from him.

So also, he who dwelleth in God dwelleth in love, and he who dwelleth in love dwelleth in friendship, and must be a friend to all God's creatures.

So much for the FIRST BRANCH of the great STANDARD.-It is good,-It is divine,-It is infallible,It is unchanging,-It is invincible And our enemies cannot deny it.

THE SECOND BRANCH OF THIS STANDARD IS

DIVINE WISDOM.

DIVINE WISDOM being infinite admits of no fucceffion of ideas; all the thoughts of Deity there. fore, must be felfexiftent and effential to his very nature and being as God, entirely independent of all future occurrences, nor can it be poffible for any, or all, of the actions of creatures in time, to produce (or give birth to) one fingle thought in the infinite mind that was not there, or that was not effential «.

to his very nature and being, from all eternity. But all the thoughts and conduct of Deity must neceffarily originate in, depend upon, and proceed from his own infinite and unchanging effence: Nor can it be poffible for any thing which in its nature is repugnant to his pure and holy nature ever to find an entrance in the infinite and unchanging mind.

All the thoughts, determinations and actions of Deity, therefore, must be felfexiftent, felfdependent, eternal, unchanging and infinite.

To hate, or punish, any creature then, must be incompatible with the nature of Deity; because, to hate, or punish, without a caufe in the creature, would make the Deity defpotic, tyrannical and cruel; which is inconfiftent with and repugnant to divine love and friendship; and for him to hate, or punish, for a cause seen in the creature, would make void and destroy the doctrine of the felfexiftence and immutability of the infinite mind: for certainly, if any conduct of the creature could be a cause of one fingle thought or action in God which otherwise would not have taken place, or would not have existed in Deity, then, fuch conduct of the creature muft have been the moving ftimules, or object seen, in the mind of Deity to excite him to think and act differently from what his own effence, independent of such conduct, would have thought or acted; which amounts to a pointed denial.both of his infinity and immutability.

The mifery and wretchedness of the creature then muft originate in and proceed from another fource, which in its nature, is different from the nature of God: for it is contrary to the nature of Deity to direct his attention to, or to take knowledge of any object which in its nature is repugnant to divine

purity, or to his own effence: Nor can the Deity be excited to one fingle thought, or action, but by his own felf exiftent nature. All his defigns originate in his own eflence and muft be lelf exiftent and dachanging.

Moreover, if God renders any of his creatures miferable he must have defigned from eternity, fo to difpofe of thele creatures, or he muft not have defigned it :—if he did design it from eternity, then, he must have brought them into existence for that end and their fins could not have been the original cause, but, only the neceffary means by which to effect the self exiftent defign of God in their intended end; if he did not defign it from eternity, but, finally difpofes of them in a way quite different from what he originally defigned, then, he must be paffionate, whimsical and finite which, to fay, amounts to a denial of his Godhead.

Take it which way we will, if we make God the pu. nifher, the doctrine tends to mifreprefent and defame. his character, and to deny the infinity of his wifdom.

The doctrine of endless mifery then of courfe falls to the ground; becaufe, if mifery be eternal it must be fupported by an eternal caufe, and as there is no eternal cause but God it follows that God must be the fupporter of Auch mifery; and from his conduct his creatures have to judge of his character and difpofition from eternity: for as his character and difpofition is now, even so, it must have been from eternity; because creature actions could not have changed it from what it always was in its own nature. So much for the second branch of the great STAN. DARD. It is good ;-It is divine ;-It is infallible; -It is unchanging ;-It is invincible. And our enemies cannot deny it.