only believe it, and take it on trust: but the CHARACTER of the
ever-blessed Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost--we can know:
while by keeping the words of the Athanasian Creed carefully in
mind, we may be kept from many grievous and hurtful mistakes which
will hinder our knowing it. We can know that they are all good, for
such as the Father is such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
That goodness is their one and eternal substance, and majesty, and
glory, which we must not divide by fancying with some, that the
Father is good in one way and the Son in another. That their
goodness is eternal and unchangeable; for they themselves are
eternal, and have neither parts nor passions. That their goodness
is incomprehensible, that is, cannot be bounded or limited by time
or space, or by any notions or doctrines of ours, for they
themselves are incomprehensible, and able to do abundantly more than
we can ask or think.

This is our God, the God of the Bible, the God of the Church, the
God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ our Lord. And him we
can believe utterly, for we know that he is faithful and true; and
we know what THAT means, if there is any truth or faithfulness in
us. We know that he is just and righteous; and we know what THAT
means, if there is any justice and uprightness in ourselves. Him we
can trust utterly; to him we can take all our cares, all our
sorrows, all our doubts, all our sins, and pour them out to him,
because he is condescending; and we know what THAT means, if there
be any condescension and real high-mindedness in ourselves. We can
be certain too that he will hear us, just because he is so great, so
majestic, so glorious; because his greatness, and majesty, and glory
is a moral and spiritual greatness, which shows itself by stooping
to the meanest, by listening to the most foolish, helping the