groans of anguish have been heard from one end of heaven to the other, and from the apostasy to the present hour.

In the natural world, what a host of enemies to man are arrayed by famine and disease, the storm, the earthquake, and the volcano. Even his breath, his food, his pleasure, are all means of his destruction.

Where Men are

Where is his purity, justice, truth and good-will? Where his piety, his morning praise, his evening incense? his converse with God, his familiarity with angels? now the family of Adam; but how different a family from that which has been described. Were the great ancestor of mankind to rise from the dead, and cast his eyes over this earth; what a race of children would he behold. Accompany him in your imagination to the retreats of drunkenness, gluttony, and pollution. Could he believe that the wretches, burrowed in these foul recesses, sprang from him, who once offered up the worship of paradise? Enter with him into a hall of justice, and see him ponder in silent amazement the terrible exhibitions of fraud and falsehood, private injustice and personal cruelty. Behold him mark with a failing eye the lowering gloom of the gibbet, the horrid recesses of the gaol, and the felon crimes which they were destined to reward. Follow him to the throne of tyranny, and see his bosom heave with emotions unutterable, while he watches the devastation of human happiness and human hope, accomplished by the ironhand of power; man, blasted and withered by its touch, and the fiend himself rioting on sorrow, tears and death. Finally, adventure with him to the field of battle; and see him tremble and faint at the shouts and groans, at the sight of immeasurable fury, carnage, and woe. How would his heart rend asunder with agony; how would his eyes weep blood, at such a view of this miserable world. At the remembrance, that both the authors and the subjects of these sufferings were his own offspring. Where would he now find his Eden, his virtue, his immortality?

3. How desirable would it be to regain the blessings originally bestowed on man.

The paradisiacal state has been an object of high estimation to all men. Our first parents were wise, virtuous, and happy. They were at peace with God, enjoyed his presence, and re

They were

ceived continually communications of his favour. companions of angels; and shared their conversation, their friendship, and their joys. Alike were they free from pain, sickness, sorrow and death; safe from fear and hatred, injus tice and cruelty; and superior to meanness, sloth, intemperance and pollution. They were also immortal; were destined to dwell in a perpetual Eden, were surrounded always by beauty, life, and fragrance; and were employed only in knowing, loving and enjoying. To regain all these things, would indeed be a consummation devoutly to be wished.' But God has offered them all to us; has commanded, has besought us to receive them; and has given his Son to die, that we might obtain the glorious possession. We may therefore regain the blessings of that paradise, the loss of which we so deeply lament, and the splendour of which is at times the delightful theme of our contemplation, and the most fascinating ornament of descriptive song.

The best of its blessings we may in a great measure regain, even here. Sin blasted all the bloom and beauty of the primitive state, and changed the garden of God into a desolate wilderness. This happy place was formed to be the residence of virtue; and virtue can again call forth all its glories, even on the face of this dreary world. "Godliness has the promise

of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come.' The piety, truth, and benevolence which adorned our first parents, would again call down similar blessings from heaven. What a world would this become, if such were again the disposition of man. How transporting a deliverance, to be freed from all the sins and sufferings of this melancholy state; and to enjoy, wherever we roved, an approving conscience, serenity of soul, an unspotted life, kindness interchanged with all men, universal peace, mild and equitable government, and the pure, constant, and delightful worship of the Infinite Benefactor. To escape from our present melancholy, stormy, bloody world, to such a state, would be to quit, for a palace of splendour and delight, the gloom of a vault hung round with midnight, and peopled with corpses; a bedlam, where the eye of phrenzy flashed, the tongue vibrated with malice, and chains clanked in dreadful concert to rage and blasphemy; a dungeon haunted with crimes, teeming with curses, filled with fiends in the human shape, and opening its doors only to the gibbet and the grave.

4. How glorious does the Redeemer appear in the contemplation of this subject.

Christ formed our first parents, endowed them with unspotted holiness, and invested them with immortal life. Christ planted Eden for their possession, and placed them in the enjoyment of all its felicity. Christ gave them the dominion of this lower world, and entitled them to the company of the heavenly host. All these blessings they lost by their apostasy: and with their apostasy, the loss also has descended to their posterity. To restore our ruined race to the enjoyment of these blessings, Christ, with infinite compassion, left his own glory, lived in our world a frail suffering man, and died a death of shame and agony.

He

He who created paradise at first, can create it again. who gave immortal life and youth; he who communicated spiritual knowledge, refined affections, and spotless holiness to our first parents, can communicate them to us. By creating them at first, he has proved that he is able; by becoming incarnate, living and dying for our sakes, he has proved that he is willing.

For this end he has assumed the government of all things. In his Father's house,' he has told us, are many mansions.' To that happy residence he has gone before, to prepare a place for us.' Nay, he has declared that he will create new heavens and a new earth,' for the reception of those who trust in him, and love his appearing.' In this new world, be has assured us there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain: for all these former evil things shall then have passed away.' In this happy region, the righteousness,' which the paradise below the sun was destined to reward, will dwell for ever.' There the tree of life blossoms; and bears anew; and there immortality flows again in the pure river of the water of life.' There the sun no more goes down; neither does the moon withdraw itself; for Jehovah is the everlasting light' of his children, and their God their glory.' From that delightful world the Redeemer cries, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me.' Oh that every heart present may answer, Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.'

SERMON XXIII.

THE SOUL NOT MATERIAL.

AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.

GENESIS II. 7.

In my last discourse, I considered the creation of man under these two heads;-The character of the Creator; and, The nature of the being which was created.

Under the latter head I observed that man, the being which was created, was composed of two entirely distinct parts, commonly termed the body and the soul. Of the latter I also observed, that it was a simple, uncompounded, immaterial substance being in this respect, as well as in others, made in the image, or after the likeness of God. This assertion I

regard as being the amount of that which is contained in the text. I am well aware that the text itself has been variously construed. Instead however of considering these different constructions, I shall attempt to settle the true meaning, by appealing directly to an interpreter whose opinions will not be disputed. The Apostle Paul quotes this passage in the following manner: For thus it is written, the first man, Adam,' FYEDETO ELS Luxen (wσav, was made or became a living soul.' This quotation determines, in my view absolutely, that the text is accurately rendered into our language by the translators.

The doctrine which I consider as contained in the text has also been abundantly disputed. Three entirely different opinions have been formed on this subject.

The first is that which I have already advanced; viz. that man is an immaterial substance, an intelligent, voluntary being; the subject of attributes, the author of actions, and destined to immortality.

The second is, that man is a material, thinking, voluntary being; differing in nothing, but his modification and its effects, from other material substances. Some of those who hold this scheme believe him immortal, while others limit his existence to the present world.

The third is, that man is neither of these, but a mere succession or chain, as the abettors of it express themselves, of ideas and exercises.

That something is true with regard to this subject must be admitted, and that all these schemes cannot be true. I would willingly have avoided the discussion of a subject so metaphysical; but when I observe the importance which it has assumed in modern times, and especially when I see theological doctrines of very high import derived from the two last of these schemes as their proper consequences, I feel myself obliged to give the subject a place in this system of dis

courses.

In the discussion upon which I am entering, I shall pursue the following plan: viz. I shall attempt to disprove the two last of these doctrines; and, in that way, to establish the first. One of the three is undoubtedly true. If the two last are false, the first is of course true.

I. Then, I assert that the soul is not material.

It will be necessary, in order to exhibit the truth of this proposition in the most convincing light, to prove the falsehood of the opposite doctrine, in all the forms in which it has been maintained. This therefore I shall attempt.

1. Atoms in their original state do not think.

Our senses give us the amplest evidence of this fact; so ample, that no man ever disbelieved it who was not an ideot or a maniac. At the same time, the proposition admits of a direct demonstration. Thought is in its nature perfectly simple and indivisible. But if each atom were a thinking