BERM. *IL] THE SCALE, OF BLESSEDNESS. t21 mands our judgment into silence, and our whole souls into wonder and adoration. Thus we have traced the streams of happiness that Row amongst the creatures in endless variety, to their original and. eternal fountain, God himself Ile is the all-sufficient spring of blessedness, as well as of being, to all the intellectual worlds ; and he is everlastingly self- sufficient for his own being and blessedness. But are not we told in scripture, that God delights in. the works of his hands, that he takes pleasure in his saints, that he rejoices in Zion, and rests in his love to his church ; that Jesus Christ, even as man Mediator, is the beloved of his soul, in whom he is well-pleased ?. Yes, surely, this is one. way, whereby he represents his own divine satisfactons in our language, and after the manner of ,men. But we must not imagine that he ever goes out of himself, and.descends to .creatures, as though. he needed any thing from them, who are all before him as nothing, and less than nothing, and vanity. It is from his own wisdom, power, and goodness, as they appear in all his works, that his delight anises ; and it is in these glories of his nature, and in the gracious purposes of his will, as they are manifested' in his works, that the saints and angels, and all the happy ranks of being, find their highest satisfaction. It is in the contemplation of God, and in the exercises and sensations of divine love, that all * This discourse was delivered about twenty years ago, and the reader will observe somewarmer efforts of imagination than riper years would in- dulge on a theme so sublime and abstruse. Since I have searched more studiously into this mystery oflate, I have learned more of my own igno- rance: so that when I speak of these unsearchables, I abate much of my younger assurance; nor do my later thoughts venture so far into the parti- cular modes of explaining this sacred distinction in the godhead. There appears to me good to doubt, whether there can' be three distinct and different principles of consciousness, and three distinct and different wills in the one God, the one infinite Spirit. I was afraid to assert it in this sermon heretofore, and I am more afraid to assert it now. Reason and scripture join to teach me, that there can be but, one God,' and this God is a Spirit. 'What distinctions may be in this one Spirit, I know not: Yet,. since I am fully established in the belief of the Deity of the blessed Three, though I know,not the manner of explication, I dare let this discourse appear now in the world, as being a7reeable só far to my Present sentiments on this subject. A larger and more particular account of mymost maturethoughts on the doctrine of ti-:a holy Trinity, may be seen in the last sermon of my third volume. See Seraaon xliv of this edit. dpril
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