duration being one of its essential perfections, necessarily inheres in it and no substance can partially exist in any one of its own essential perfections. Therefore duration, as it measures the existence of all created beings, cannot measure the existence of the necessarily-existent Being, as it does theirs; neither can it comprehend that adorable Substance in which it inheres, as it does theirs; but with all its unceasing and unlimited progression, backward and forward, only shows more of the unlimited grandeur, majesty, and glory of that mysterious Essence, of which it is only one perfection.

20. This mysterious Substance cannot increase or decrease; neither can it move progressively in duration, like created beings, whether of matter or of mind; for then it would be temporary and eternal at the same time, which is a contradiction, and absolutely impossible. But it must be all duration, all eternity, all immensity, all immutability, all unceasing perfection, both natural and moral. In pursuing such greatness as this, the human soul, losing its way, must stop in its career, and look forward to the unlimited prospect that presents no boundary to the view, and admire, with reverence and adoration, what it will never be able to comprehend.

21. This eternal, immense, and immutable Substance must be immaterial, spiritual, intelligent, morally excellent, and everliving: this can

be demonstrated in the most satisfactory manner. If it were material, were created, had a beginning or an end, or ever ceased to live, it must be circumscribed by some bounds, however remote. It is no contradiction to affirm, that matter is finite: the human mind feels no reluctance in making the assertion; but it is the most absurd contradiction to say, that absolute, unceasing duration can be terminated, either with respect to the past or the future. And were it not altogether unnecessary, it could be fully demonstrated here, that this necessarily-existent Substance, of which absolute duration is an essential perfection, must be everliving and immortal.

22. According to every view of the foregoing reasoning, it evidently appears, that duration, as a necessary divine perfection, never had a beginning; and it is equally evident, it can never have an end; and being, in all respects, a positive and absolute perfection, it undeniably follows, that the immense, immaterial Substance in which it inheres, must also be without beginning, and without end, eternal and immutable: the source, if we may so speak, of eternity itself; the source of immensity; the source of all perfection, natural and moral; altogether unlimited, boundless, and incomprehensible; every way absolute; every way perfect; every way uniform; and unchangeably the same, from everlasting to everlasting.

23. From the whole chain of the foregoing reasoning, taken in connection, it evidently appears, that nothing contingent can be an essential perfection of this great, this glorious, and allperfect Substance. Whatever this incomprehensible Being is, in point of existence, that it is necessarily and essentially; and, therefore, all its perfections, whatever they are,--however numerous, however mysterious,-must be necessary and essential to its nature, and must absolutely and necessarily inhere in its essence.

CONCLUSION.

Now, surveying the whole foregoing reasoning, from first to last, it plainly appears, that duration, which we have supposed to be a perfection, and which we have traced so far, by the fairest and most conclusive reasoning and induction, as necessarily inhering in a Substance every way corresponding to it, in the most unlimited and extensive application, proves clearly the incomprehensibility both of itself, and of the Substance or Essence in which it inheres, and leads us, by the most cogent demonstration, to the conclusion, that this ineffable Substance, in which duration, as a necessary and essential perfection, inheres, must be what we call God;-the great, the eternal, the almighty, the all-perfect, the necessarilyexistent God; comprehending the whole divine essence and perfections in the spirituality, in

telligent, self-existent, and immortal nature of the Divine Being.

It is hoped, that the whole foregoing steps of reasoning are legitimate and unsophisticated.The repetitions which are unavoidable in demonstrative reasoning, will assist the plain reader; while the learned, knowing that they are necessary to perspicuity, will overlook their redundancies, and, passing the pleonasms, will directly follow the chain of proof. And it is presumed, with becoming submission, that the arguments taken in cumulo, fairly, cogently, and conclusively prove, a priori, from the nature of duration, the existence of the Divine Being.

For the satisfaction of the reader, and as a farther illustration of this mode of reasoning,-to shew how extensive this subject is, and how far it may be followed, with increasing perspicuity and demonstration,-we may argue another example taken from the nature of SPACE. And we presume to preface this example, by the observation, that every train of reasoning of this kind, founded upon existence, and argued, a priori, must, in spite of all ingenuity, be similar in its steps, and must be expressed in similar language, from the very nature of the subject.

Every example of this kind is like the radius of a circle, leading directly from the centre to the circumference in a strait line. The number of radii adds nothing to the strength of the reason

ing upon one, yet still the number, considered one by one, adds greatly to the strength of conviction, and shows that the same absolute certainty will infallibly hold good with respect to each individual radius; and it presents to the mind such a combination of truths, established so strongly upon infallible demonstration, as produces the most satisfactory conviction, and fills the mind with the most absolute certainty; dispelling every doubt, removing all hesitation, and fixing the whole rational powers in the most confidential and unshaken stability of belief.

Such is the mode of reasoning here followed; and so fair the conclusions already drawn, that full proof appears abundantly evident; so that it may appear superfluous to the reader to add any other example: the one already argued, being of itself sufficient. Yet we may add another; and he may peruse the whole, or, if he please, he may add new and similar proofs of the same doctrine from his own ingenuity; for many other examples might be added.*

* See Note A. on the preceding Proposition.