Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-01-09
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Il {. 4 ooNDUGTHD BY I'll
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
forlgInal,j
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.

to be supposed that we know more of God than
we do of anything else OF the things which
come under our daily observation, the. things
which are discernible by our senses, We know
comparatively nothing. What, then, can we
know of him whom no eye has ever seen
Nothing certainly, except what he has been
pleased to reveal of himself in his word and
works. 'If," says the Saviour, 81 have told
you of earthly things and We believe not, how
shall We believe if I tell you ofheavenly things?''
If there are mysteries about those things
which we have always seen, may we not expect
to find mysteries connected with the existence
and nature of him whom we can not see:
Having satisfied ourselves that there lis a
God, the next step in our progress should be
to inquire what are the attributes Of God.
BY the word attribute, is meant that which re-
sides in thing so as to be inseparable from
that thing. When we say that form and di-
visibility are attributes Of nlatter,f WEI mean
that form and divisibiity are essential proper
ties of matter. In other words, we mean that
matter cannotexist without having some shape
and being divsible. In the same way, when
we speak of the attributes Of God, we mean
those properties which are inseparable from his
being. The ATTRIBUTES of God are spirituality,
immensity, eternity, mchangeableness, wis
dom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and
truth. They are susceptible of two-fold clas-
sifcation First, we may arrange chem under
the heads of natural and moral. The natural
attributes of God are his spirituality, his i'm
lnensity, his wisdom and his power. The NOR
al attributes of God are his holiness, his JUS
tice, his goodness and his truth. .." ii. .''
This classification seems to be correct, but
there is some ambiguity eoaiected with the
word natural, which may lead us astray. 1t is
possible for being to be possessed, at least, to
some extent, Of spiritually immensity, wisdom
and power, and yet be destitute of any moral
properties. The, devil is a spirit, has great
cunning g-if not 'wisdoTn-exercises a fearful
power, and possesses something that, at least,
resembles ubiquity Still, he is emphatically
immoral. We are not to suppose that these
natural attributes Of God exist, in any sense,
separate from his moral attributes.
The other classification is into communicable
and incon,nunicable.. The communicable at
tributes Of God are being, wisdom, power, ho-
illness, justice, goodness and truth. The M
communicable attributes of God are infinity,
eternity and 9nchangeableness, OF as they are
sometimes stated, self-existence, unity OF es-
sence, immutablity, eternity and immensely.
The communicable attributes are seven in
number, while the incommunicabe are only
three; or, if we adopt the last specification,
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are, in limited sense, the attributes of some
or all creatures. Thus it may be said that
being is all attribute of all creatures, whilst
wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and
truth, are partially possessed by men and an
gels. The incomn,,cdble attributes of God
are so called because they are possessed, in no
degree, whatever. by any creature. God only
is infinite, eternal and Interchangeable. Every
creature is limited to a particular place had
beginning and is the subject of constant mu-
tatiOn.
When we speak of the communicable attrib-
utes of God being possessed by creatures, we
must be careful to distinguish between the
manner and degree in which they are possessed
by God, and that in which they are possessed
by creatures. In God these attributes inhe-
rently exist but they have simply been be-
slowed upon those creatures in which they are
found In creatures they are only the gifts of
God In the one case they are, strictly speak
ing, attributes in the other only accidents sus-
pended, absolutely, upon the will of the donor.
1t is not impossible to conceive of existence
being withdrawn, from any and all creatures,
and thus permitting all creation to drop back
into state of non-existence. We do not say
that such will ever be the case. The only
thing, however, to prevent such an issue, is the
will of him who communicated being to all
things. We may say that God is, because
being is al attribute of God; but Mhen we
say that any creature is, all that we can mean
is that being has been communicated to it and
it is by accident and not by necessity. 1t is
manifest that wisdom, power, holiness, justice,
goodness and truth, as they are found in crea-
lures, are rather accidents than attributes,
from the fact that some creatures do not pos
sess them at all and all those which do pos
sess them, it is only in a limited degree, and
they are constantly liable to be deprived of
them. There is 10 active power in rocks and
mountains; neither is there any wisdom in
them. Power, as it exists in any creature,
may become weakness; wisdom may become
folly holiness may become pollution justice
may be lost :; and mrighteousness take it's
place. Goodness may be driven out of the hui
man soul, and malice take up its, abode there !;
truth and verify may be throttled by!vile false
hood. From this we may safely infer that
that resemblance which man originally bore
to God, consisted in the wisdom, power, hOli-
hess, justice, goodness and truth which God
bestowed upon him.
Of angels-the highest order of creatures of
which we have any information may re-
peat what has been said concerning man.
These creatures originally were what God
made them, and they possessed only what God
gave them.
ADvERsITY,-Iti is good that we have some
times some troubles and crosses for they Of
ten make a man enter into himself, and con-
slider that he is here in Punishment, and ought
not to place his trust in any worldly thing.
1t is good that we he sometimes contradict
ed, and that men think i'll or inadequately of
us ; and this although we do and intend well.
These things help often to the attaining of
humility, and defend us from vain glory; for
then we are more inclined to seek God for our
inward witness, when outwardly we be coll
temned by men, and when there is no credit
given unto us.
And therefore man should settle himself
SO fully in God that he need not to seek many
comforts Of men.
When good man is afflicted, tempted, or
troubled with evil thoughts, then he under
standeth better the great need he hath Of God,
without whom he perceived he can do nothing