Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-08-19
&eading fur the $abbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
fOrlgInal.]
GODS ATTRIBUTES.

GUUS AIIhlbUIESs
BY attribute we understand property which
is inherently in person or thing, and is essen
tial to the existence Of that person or thing.
Thus we say form is an attribute of matter,
because we cannot conceive Of matter existing
without some form. Whatevei is necessary to
the existence of a person or thing, is an attrib-
ute of that person or thing. It is manifest
that the attributes of matter are not the same
as those of mind. It is the difference of at
tributes that enables us to distinguish between
mind and matter. Some of the attributes of
mind are the same, in some respects, as the at
tributes of matter; but both mind and matter
have peculiar attributes
Mind has no form, one of the attributes Of
matter and matter is destitute of the power
to think, one of the attributes of mind. It
will also appear on moments reflection, that
a maker has some attributes which the thing
made does not possess. God being the maker
Of all things, has some attributes which are
possessed by none of his creatures. All the
creatures of God possess, to a limited extent,
some of his attributes but there is inherent
ly in God some essential properties which are
found in none of the creatures Of his hands.
The attributes Of God are, WITH at least
seeming propriety, divided into communicable
and incommunicable attributes Under the
first division may be mentioned knowledge,
goodness and justice. The incommunicable
attributes of God are "self- existence -SssuU-
Lutte eternity immensity- and aa4dd-iim -iimmutability. :"
Knowledge s5 goodness and justice are said to
/ be communicable attributes Of God, because
he has bestowed these inherent properties upon
some of his creatures. Thus, angels and men
possess some knowledge, and there is in their
natures something that at least resembles good
ness and justice. Of no creature, however,
can it be said that it is selfexistent or that it
never had a beginning, or that it is without
limit, or that it is immutable. The want of
these communicable attributes is the peculiar
characteristics of all creatures of every order.
| Angels, which are pure spirits, as well as the
most insignificant worm, had beginning
Their existence may reach forward through an
eternity to come, but it does not extend back
ward through an eternity past Neither can
it be said of any creature that it is either
self-existent, or created itself. The definition
of the word creature forbids this. Whatever
was created had beginning and creator.
Neither can any creature be everywhere pres
ent at the same time. There is certain place
where it is, and from every other place it is
absent. Mutability is one of the characteristic
les of everything irf the universe, except God
himself lie alone is from all mutation free.
One of the noticeable features of the attrib-
utes of God is that they are all perfect. The
attributes of all creatures are defective. What
ever greatness may belong to any creature it is
still finite and imperfect. God is infinite and
incomprehensible. A creature may be pos
sessed of every attribute which is necessary to
render it capable of enjoying all the blessings
and dischargng all the duties Of it's station.
This, however, falls far short of absolute per-
fection. Some of Gods creatures know some
things, but only in part. God knows all things
perfectly. His knowledge extends from a
never-beginning eternity through an eternity
which will never come to All end With all
creatures there is past, present and future
but with God it is and always has been and al
ways will be an eternal present. With God a
thousand years are as one day, and one day as
thousand years.
It is the perfection of Gods attributes that
exalts him far above the conceptions of men
OF angels. The eternity Of God is sufficient of
itself to incite, in the breast of every intelli-
gent creature in the universe, the profoundest
reverence. No wonder the Seraphim cover
themselves with their wings and cry unto each
other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. :"
The evidences of Gods Omnipotence are eve
rywhere Everything is under his control.
God is king. He reigns over all things. Be-
fore him his willing subjects reverently bow
and those who rebel against him tremble and
quake when his ire is kindled but a little.