Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-29

| no one in his senses can remain Ignc
ran, Of the truth. Job, xii 9. "Wh
knoweth not in all these that the ham
of Jehovah hath wrought this :" eth
Heavens declare the glory OF God.
Acts xiv. II. ale left not himsel
without witness xvii. 81, %. "He i
not far from every one Of u.s." Rom.
10, 90. "That which may be known o
God is manifest in them," and ii. IA
Is, "The Gentiles show the work o
the law written in their hearts; thei
consciences also bearing witness. -
l Cor j. 81.
"After that in the wisdom OF God
the world by wisdom knew not God
il pleased God by the foolishness o
preaching to save them that believe
There can be no doubt but that every
thing in the world, by the beauty OF its
order, and the evidence OF a determi
nate and beneficial purpose " hich per.
vades it, testiies tina; some supreme
efficient power must have pre-existed'
by which the whole was ordained Tor a
specific end.
There are some who pretend that
nature or fate is this supreme power ;
but the very name Of nature implies
that it must owe its birth to some prior
agent, or to speak properly, signifies
in itself nothing; but means either the
essence Of thing, or that general law
which is the origin of every thing, and
under which every thing acts-and
fate can be nothing blu, a divine decree
emanating from some almighty power.
Further, those who attribute the Gre
alton of every thing to nature, must ne
cessarily associate chance with nature
as a joint divinity: so that they gain
nothing by this theory, except that in
the place Of that one God, whom they
cannot tolerate, they are Obliged, how
ever reluctantly, TO substitute two So
vereign rulers Of affairs, who must al
most always be in opposition to each
other, In short, many ocular demon
many true predictions Ver!-
fed, many wonderful works, have COM
PEELED all nations to believe, either that
God, or some evil power whose name
was unknown, presided over the world.
How that evil should prevail over good,
and be the true supreme power. is as
unmeet as il is incredible. Hence 1t
follows, as necessary consequence,
that God exists.
Again: the existence Of God is furth-
er proved by that feeling, whether we
term it conscience, or right reason,
which in even the worst OF characters
is not altogether extinguished. II
there were no God, there would be no
distinction between right and wrong;
the estimate of virtue and vice would
entirely depend on the blind opinion oil
men. no one would follow virtue, no
one would be restrained from vice by
any sense of shame, or fear CT the laws,
unless conscience or right reason did
from time to time convince every one,
however unwilling, OF the existence OF
God. the Lord and ruler OF all things,
10 whom, sooner or LATER, each must
give an account of his own actions,
whether good or bad. The whole te-
nure of Scripture proves the same
thing, and the disciples OF the doctrine
of Christ may fairly be required to give
assent to this truth in the first instance,
according to the expression in Heb. tx.
6. che tina, comelh to God, must be-
lieve that he is" 1t is proved also by
the dispersion of the ancien, nation OF
the Jews throughout the whole world,
according to what God often forwaSn-
ed them would happen on account OF
their sins Nor is it only to pay the
prnalty of their own guilt they have
been reserved in their scattered state
among the rest of the nations, through
the revolution of successive ages, and
even to the present day; but rather to
be perpetual and living testimony to
all people under Heaven, Of the exis.
,ence of God, and OF the truth oil the
Holy Scriptures.
No one, however, can have right
thoughts of God, with nature or rea'
son alone as his guide, independent Of
the word or message Of God Rom. y
l4,"how shall they believe in him Of
whom they have not heard?"
God is known, so far as he is pleas
ed to make us acquainted with himself
either from his own nature, or from hi:
efficient power. !.
When we speak of knowing God, i
must be understood with reference to
the imperfect comprehension OF man
for to know God as he really is, tai
trauscends the power ofman's thoughts
much more Of his perception. /. Tim
vi. le. dwelling in the light which ne
man can approach unto" God there
fore has made as full revelation o
himself as our minds can conceive, OF
the weakness of our nature can bear
kxod. xxxiii. 90. %. "there shall NJ
man see me, and llye-but thou sha'
t. N