the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, that they should know
them in the distinction of their persons as well as in the unity of
the Godhead, seems to us as plain as that a Trinity exists. All
admit that we must know and have fellowship with Jesus Christ
as a Person. It is impossible to recognize him in his offices with-
out recognizing the Father who appointed him to his work, and
whose glory he came to vindicate and declare. All admit that a
supernatural illumination is required, in order that we may discern
the beauty and loveliness of the Saviour, and yet how can this il-
lumination be imparted without some impressions of its source?
There is certainly nothing absurd in the supposition that one
person may converse with another. If the Father is a person, he
can converse with man, if the Son is a person, he can converse
with
man, if the Holy Ghost is a person, he can converse with
man. But conversation implies a consciousness of the personal
existence in the mind of each party, of the other. There can be
no such thing as communion with the Holy Ghost without feel-
ing him to be a person. Without it, there may be influences ex-
erted, and effects produced by him, but this is very different from
fellowship. We do not hesitate, therefore, to record our firm con-
viction of the truth of the fundamental principle which these
views are designed to illustrate. The exercises seem to us to be
sound, consistent and scriptural. We commend the book to the
attention of our readers, and those who have not attained to such
exalted experiences of grace, we would affectionately exhort to
give all diligence to make their calling and election sure.
secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. No spirit is more
dangerous than that of Festus, which brands with the stigma of
enthusiasm or madness the very words of truth and soberness.
Such is the deplorable skepticism, especially among those who
claim to be more intelligent than their neighbours, upon the
whole subject of Divine manifestations, that many are afraid to
expect them, others despise them, and multitudes, like the disci-
ples of the Baptist at Ephesus, have hardly heard that there be a
Holy Ghost. For our own part, we much prefer a little extrava-
gance, anything, indeed, which shall indicate the warmth and ac-
tivity of life, to that frozen, ice-bound stiffness, which, in the mise-

The

rable solecism of mortals, is denominated propriety. Far better to be crazy with Paul than staid and sober with Festus.

2. The Premium Essay on the Characteristics and Laws of Prophetic Symbols. By the Rev. EDWARD WINTHROP, A. M., Rector of St. Paul's Church, Norwalk, Ohio. New York: Published by FRANKLIN KNIGHT, 140 Nassau Street. 1854.

This book has been put into our hands too late to receive the attention it deserves. In the year 1851, a circular was issued by the Editor of the Literary and Theological Journal, at New York, proposing three premiums, one of four, one of two, and another of one hundred dollars, to be awarded to the authors of the best Dissertations on the subject embraced in this Essay. The persons selected to pronounce upon the Essays, were Bishop McIlvaine, Dr. McGill, and Dr. Forsyth. But one premium was awarded, and that to the author of the Dissertation before us. The circumstances under which his book is published give rise to a presumption of merit. The subject is full of interest, and though we are not prepared to adopt the results, which in the hands of Mr. Lord, the laws of symbols have been made to yield, we cannot but admit, that he has thrown much light upon the interpretation of the prophecies. He has given us an instrument of incalculable importance. His speculations upon symbols and the figured language of the Scriptures, constitute a most valuable contribution to the department of Hermeneutics.

NUMBER II.

OCTOBER, MDCCCLIV.

ARTICLE I.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY, NOT THEORETICAL OR SPECULATIVE, BUT PRACTICAL IN ITS NATURE, AND FUNDAMENTAL IN ITS IMPORTANCE.

In our previous article on the doctrine of the Trinity, we laid it down that this was a question plainly above and beyond the capacity and limits of the human mind, and altogether incomprehensible, undiscoverable, and indeterminable, by the human reason. It is purely a question of revelation; and the only proper inquiry respecting it is, whether, how far, and for what purposes, it is revealed. To say it is impossible for God to exist as a Trinity in Unity, is, therefore, contrary to reason; which has no premises from whence to conclude one way or the other: and to say, that the doctrine of the Trinity is contradictory, is to contradict the very term Trinity itself, which affirms that in God there is a unity of such an infinite and unfathomable nature, as to admit and require a trinity, and a trinity which can only coexist in a unity.

"When," says Milton, whom Unitarians so proudly and yet so deceitfully appeal to as a Unitarian, in the posthumous work on Christian Doctrine attributed to him,* "when we speak of knowing God, it must be understood with reference to the imperfect comprehension. of man; for to know God as he really is, far transcends the powers of man's thoughts, much more of his percep

*Vol. i., page 19, Treatise on Christian Doctrine, supposing this to beMilton's. VOL. VIII.-No. 2.

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