NATURE. Sometimes, the whole system of created beings; all the works of God; fometimes, this vifible univerfe: fometimes, the external world, as diftinguished from the intellectual and moral: fometimes, the ordinary progrefs of things, as diftinguished from more uncommon and extraordinary occurrences: fometimes, that which is attainable by the ordinary exercife of human faculties, without any fingular advantages or extraordinary communications: fometimes, the peculiar constitution of fome certain fpecies of beings: fometimes, the particular qualities, difpofition, turn, or character of an individual; whether this be good or bad, the immediate refult of original conftitution, or the effect of habit.

Now. The state of an eternal, unchangeable, prefcient, and omniprefent being, in refpect of duration, or of the changes in the views and circumstances of his creatures. Such is the comprehenfion of his mind, that to him all things are in fome fenfe prefent.

PEACE, in the Jewish language, fignifies every fpecies of profperity, both temporal and fpiritual; all good things.

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PERFECTION.

PERFECTION. Integrity; pure, unblemished ftate; ftate of maturity; comparative excellence; progrefs towards it, improvement.

PORTION. Poffeffion, condition, fhare, allotment of divine providence: fometimes, chofen happiness. When God is faid to be the portion of any one, the meaning is, that fuch a perfon efteems and pursues the favor, the likeness, and the prefence of God, as his fupreme felicity.

PRESENCE OF GOD. The fphere of his obfervation and action: the scenes in which we are beheld by him; thofe in which he is beheld by us the difcoveries of God: the manifeftation of his grace and favor, fometimes of his rejection and displeasure: the place where his friendship, his acceptance, or compaffion is displayed: the means by which thefe are expreft: God himfelf. Such, in the language of fcripture, is the meaning of this term and the countenance, the fight, the face of God, and fome other fimilar phrafes, bear a like import. To hide the face from is, fometimes, not to fee: fometimes, to withhold fome real or fuppofed expreffions of favor.

PROPHESY.

PROPHESY. To foretel futurities: to praise God to declare the will of God: to explain the word of God: to preach: to teach.

TO RAISE, TO RAISE UP, fometimes fignify to caufe to exift, either abfolutely, or in certain characters and circumftances: fometimes to reftore, or exalt, to a higher and better state.

REDEMPTION. Deliverance from bondage by ranfom; from any evil, by any means: deliverance, by the preaching of the gospel, whether perfonally by Chrift, or by his apostles, from that state of darkness and corruption into which the world was at that time funk: deliverance from the bondage of ignorance, error, vice, difcomfort, fear, &c. See SALVATION.

REGENERATION. Reftoration; renovation; favorable revolution; new, better, improved ftate, whether natural, civil, or moral; whether of individuals or bodies of men. See RENEW, SON OF GOD..

TO REMOVE SIN. To forgive that which is forfaken, and favor the fincere endeavour to avoid it in time to come.

TO RENEW. Connected with spirit, mind, foul, fignifies, in the language of fcripture, to correct, to restore, to recover or deliver from what is wrong; and alfo to improve, to carry towards perfection what is right. See REGENERATION.

RIGHTEOUSNESS. Univerfal rectitude of cha racter: ftrict juftice: fidelity: truth: fometimes equity fometimes goodness, mercy, grace, benignity, kindness, liberality.

TO RISE, TO RISE AGAIN. To be raised, to be reftored, or exalted, to a better state.

SAINTS. Holy ones: angels; inhabitants of heaven: Chriftians; holy in a natural fenfe, that is to fay, feparated, diftinguished by the unmerited favor of God from and above others; holy in a moral fenfe, eminently good, of a character correfpondent to their distinguishing privileges and advantages.

SALVATION. Deliverance, prefervation; in the language of fcripture, it often fignifies deliverance of Jews and Heathens from the difadvantages of the difpenfations under which they lived: from the burdens of the Mofaic law; from fuperfti

tion, idolatry, ignorance, fin, fear, doubt; by the gospel of Chrift. It fometimes fignifies God, the author of falvation: Chrift, the minifter of falvation: The gospel also, the instrument of falvation. See REDEMPTION.

TO SANCTIFY. To appropriate to God or to his fervice to pronounce holy to separate from what is common, from fin, from finners: to purify to esteem, respect, reverence, honor as holy and excellent.

TO SEE GOD. To know God; to enjoy him: to be bleft with eminent degrees of divine knowledge or favor. To fee God's face; to Jee God face to face; to be admitted to a more perfect participation of the knowledge and favor of God.

TO SEEK GOD, TO SEEK HIS FACE. To feek the favor and friendship of God; to implore his guidance, mercy, bleffing; to endeavour, by the proper means, and in the way he has appointed, to obtain them.

SIN. To be made fin; to be judicially condemned, whether legally and righteously, or not; to be treated as a finner; to be hardly thought