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

the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up, and the train filled the
temple" John i. lS. "no man hath
seen God a, any time" vi. 46. "not
that any man hath seen the Father, save
he which is of God, no man hath seen
the Father" v. 81. Eye have neither
heard his voice at any time." !. Cor.
xiii. 70. "we see thro' glass, darkly"
49, in part.
Our safest way is to form in our
minds such conception IF God as shall
correspond with his own delincatlon
and representation of himselfin the sa-
cred writings. For granting that both
in the literal and fgurative descrlp-
tons of God, he is exhibited not as ne
really is, but in such a manner as may
be within the scope of our comprehen-
sions, yet we ought to entertain such
conception of him, as he in condo
scending to accommodate himself to
our capacities, has shown that ne de-
sires we should conceive For 1t is
on this very account that he has lower
ed himself to our level, lest in our flights
above the reach Of human understand
ing, and beyond the written word OF
Scripture, we should be tempted to In
dulge in vague cogitations and subtle
ties.
There is no need, then, that theolo-
eians should have recourse here to
what they call anthropopathy-a hg-
ure invented by the grammarians to
excuse the absurditics OF the poets on
the subject of the heather divinitles.
We NAV be sure that sufficient care has
been taken that the Holy Scriptures
should contain nothing unsuitable to
the character or dignity Of God, and
God should say nothing OF himself
which could derogate from his own
majesty. 1t is better therefore to con-
the Deity, and to conceive OF
him, not with reference to human pas
sions, that is, after the manner OF men,
who are never weary Of forming suit
able imaginations respecting him, but
after the manner of Scripture, that is in
the way in which God has offered HIM
self to our contemplation: nor should
we think that he would say or direct
any thingto be written of himself,whic
IS inconsistent with the opinion he
wishes us to entertain of his character.
Let us require no better authority than
God himself for determining what is
worthy or unworthy Of him. lf"it re-
pented Jehovah that he had made man.
Gen vi. 6, and "bccause OF their groan-
ings," Judges ii. Is. let us believe that
it did repent him, only taking care to
remember that what is called repent
ancc when applied to God, does not a
rise from inadverlency, as in men; for
so he has himself cautioned US, Num-
bers xiii. 10. GOOD is not man that
he should lie, neither the son OF man
that he should repent" See also Sam.
XIV %. Again, fist grieved the Lord
at his heart" Gen. vi. 6. and it "hls
soul were gricvcd for the misery of Is
rael," Judges X. i6. let us believe that
it did grieve him. For the affections
which in good man are good, and
rank with virtues, in God are holy. II
after the work of six days it be said OF
God that"h rested and was refreshed"
Exod, XXI. II. if it be said that she
feared the wrath Of the enemy" Duet.
xxxu. 81. let US believe that it is not be-
meath the dignity of God to grieve in
that for which he is grieved, or to be
refreshed in that which refresheth him,
or to fearjn that he feareth. For how
ever we may attempt to soften down
such expressions by latitude OF IN
depreciation, when applied to the Deity
it comes in the end to precisely the
same thing. IF God be said "to have
made man in his own image, after his
likeness" Gen.I. 26, and that too not
only as to his soul, but also to his out
ward form unless the same words
have different Specifications here and
in chap. v. 3. "Adam begot son in his
likeness, after his image" and if God
habitually assigns to himself the mem
bers and form Of man, why should we
be afraid of attributing to him what he
attributes to himself, SO long as what
is imperfection and weakness when
viewed in reference to ourselves ne con-
sidered as most complete and excel
lent whenever it is imputed to God!
Questionless the glory and majesty OF
tie Deity must have been so dear to
him, that he would never say any thing
of himself which could be humiliatins
or degrading, and would aseribe to
himself no personal attribute which
he would not willingly have ascribed
to him by his creatures. Let us DC
convinced that those have acquired the
truest apprehension Of the nature o
God who submit their understand
ings to his word: iuasmuch as he ha'
accommodated his word to their un
derstandings, and has shown what hi