436 Inc rim; ano$amítpZaok." tion or Time, and fo it ishis Eternity. a. Or fpdce and extend ¡ion; by analogy to which it is his immenfity.And, Perration of power, wifdom and goodnefs, excitideth all imperfeftion, and in- cludeth that which to man is incomprehenlble, though cer- tainly known. This One God, is Three Perfons, the Father, the word (or Son,)and theSpirit (or Holy Ghoft,)whofe Properties are to Beget, to be Begotten, and to Proceed : The myftery is fullieft opened in Athanaflus's Creed : And we have no reafon to think it contradictoryor incredible, when the aforefaid Trinity of Principles (Life, underflanding and will,) in one Spiritual Virtue and 4-eve, is fo clear and fure in our own Souls, and fo in God. 2. TheRelations of God, refpe& his Creatures, I. In their Being, and fo he is, I. Fundamentally their C REATO R. 2. And thence their OWN ER. 2. Or in their well-being, and fo he is their BEN E FAC T OR, or the HI Caufe of all their good. 3. Or their Action, and fo he is, i. The MOVER, 2. The RULER, And 3. The END, Of every thing in its kind ; but of Man in a fpecial manner agree- able to his intelleaual Nature. But the moral Relations which we have here reafon practically to note, are all comprehended in the word (_F A THE R] which fgnifieth that he is funda- mentally our C RE AT OR; and thence, r. Our OWN'ER. 2. Our KU LE R. 3. Our moli AMIABLE GOOD. For a Father giveth being to his Child; and thence by nature the Child is his Own, and being uncapable of felf- gouernment,t is the Father who hash, T. That Authority, 2. Wifdom, 3. And Love, which make himmeet to be the Ruler : And nature teach- eth theChild to lovehis Father, as the caufe of his very being. But in this Taft confideration God is more than a Father,and is to be loved more than our (elves, and more for his own Goodnefs , which is his Amiablenefs, than for our felves. I had put theword [Friend-1 for the third Relation, as being moil fhort and full to the fenfe intended, but that it will be thought to found too familiarly; Though Abraham and Chrifls Difciples have that Title. The Attributeof Sod as our Owner is Abfolute, and as our Ruler he is fufl, in which his Truth , which is the fuflnefs of his fayings is included ; and as our Father or Friend he is doubly conf tiered, r. As Good tous ; and fo he is Gracious (or Lowing and Merciful.' 2. As Good inHind" and fo he is our Ultimate End, and the 'ltimate Object of our Love, where the Soul reft- eth in the perpetual at of loving him, and in feeling his love. And
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