PREFACE.

I. NO subject upon which the human mind can

turn, is more excellent in its own kind, more exalted and important than the doctrine of the Trinity. In itself it has every thing that can arrest the attention, awaken the imagination, and attract the judgment and reason. It is profound, mysterious, highly metaphysical, and scientific, and every way momentous and interesting. It has for its object the great First Cause, the Creator of the universe, the moral Governor of heaven and earth, the self-existent and allperfect Jehovah. What human capacity can do justice to a subject, in all its parts so great and transcending?

With respect to the human race, it is the only real foundation of natural and revealed religion; of all truly virtuous doctrine and practice; of all hopes of a future glorious immortality: the foundation of the glorious and interesting plan of redemption; of all the ordinances of the church in every period of the world. A subject every

way so interesting, claims the most profound attention, the most patient investigation, the most unwearied research, the most careful meditation and study. And to contribute assistance to this great pursuit, the following Essay is chiefly intended. The writer trusts he is fully aware of the very deep and serious nature of the subject, and also of the many difficulties attending it, and desires to be humble, and fully sensible of his own defects; and wishes, with becoming diffidence, only to cast in his mite for the illustration of the deepest of all subjects, and for the advancement of the glory of that uncreated Being of whom it treats..

II. The difficulties which the student of the doctrine has to encounter, are both numerous and considerable; yet they ought to be surmounted by every effort possible: and by patience, labour, and time, they may, in a certain degree.

The abstract and metaphysical nature of it renders it hard to those who are not accustomed to the severity of thinking closely. This is what makes it so unpopular, and puts it beyond the reach of the superficial thinker.

The doctrine of the human mind is placed last in the course of academical studies, because it

requires the greatest efforts to pursue it with success. And some of the difficulties attending it are the following:-The vast number and the rapid succession of the operations of the mind, make it very difficult to give due attention to them. As the flashes of the lightning passing before the eye, with a rapidity and flight so quick, that the judgment and reason cannot lay hold of them, and they even escape the memory; so the succession of thought in the mind, far surpassing the rapidity of objects before the eye, makes it almost impossible, without long practice, patience, and perseverance, for the mind it-, self to catch its own thoughts, or to detain them when it has laid hold of them. No succession conceivable can be swifter than that of thought: thought can transport itself through the solar system, with a celerity far surpassing the lightning. He who tries to retain the same thought in his mind for one single moment only, will perceive the force and truth of this statement. In the study of the mind, we go directly contrary to those habits which we have acquired in the early part of life, and which are strongly confirmed by long practice, before we are able to attempt this study. And after we do enter

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upon it, it is a considerable time before we are able to get clear of our early habits of attending only to external objects.

Besides, the very nature of the operations of the mind, leads to attend to other objects than itself. All our sensations are only natural signs, and lead the attention directly to the thing signified. All the perceptive powers do the same; and, what is equally remarkable, all the active powers operate in the very same way. And thus "the mind, like the eye, while it while it surveys all the surrounding objects, takes no notice of itself;" so that when we attempt to turn the mind to any of its own thoughts, that thought instantly escapes, unless by great labour, and thorough acquaintance with the subject, we have learned to detain it. And still farther, it is not enough that we are able to give attention to the thought, and detain the idea; but it is necessary that we be able to distinguish our thoughts, and analyze our ideas, according to their subtle and minute differences and distinctions; and also to analyze complex operations into their simple constituent parts.

And besides all this, it is only since the days of Dr. Reid, that the inductive system of reason.

ing and argumentation was introduced into metaphysics and moral philosophy, and the ideal system which so long prevailed, was laid aside. For though it had been suggested long before by Lord Bacon, yet it had never been fully adopted.

III. With all these difficulties the student of the Trinity has to contend; and must get acquainted with the knowledge of the human mind before he can possibly undertake the study of the Divine Being, with the least hope of success. In addition to the foregoing, there are other great difficulties which must be overcome; and these are-to distinguish between scientific and natural knowledge; to rise from every created object, whether of matter or mind, and ascend to the Creator of all. The surrounding objects of matter so entangle us, that we cannot get free; and the more fugitive objects of created mind, bewilder us in our ascent to the grand primitive Source of all. And this Source, so overwhelming in all its perfections, amazes, while it surpasses created intellect.

The church is at a great loss for the want of a society established for the express purpose of illustrating the doctrine of the Trinity. The