our own times, raised up many an opponent to the deductions which are continually being drawn from observations carefully made and recorded, seems to have arisen from the want of a comprehensive view of the scheme of the Scriptures, the manifest object of which, viewed as a whole, is to lay down a rule of faith and morals binding on man in all his relations to God and his neighbour, but, at the same time, leaving him at perfect liberty to inquire. after and attain whatever knowledge he may desire and be able to arrive at, not incompatible with those relations. Hence, though the inspired writers, and even our Saviour himself, frequently illustrate the doctrines they mean to enforce by allusions to matters familiar to the minds of those to whom they were addressed, yet the whole tenor of their discourses shews that these illustrations form no portion of the doctrine propounded, and that the truth or error of the popular notions concerning them are as fully open to investigation as any other indifferent subject. Thus, for example, the Jews having adopted the notion that diseases were the effect of evil demons taking possession of the patient, the Evangelists, in relating the miracles performed by our Lord, seem to use "healed the sick," and "cast out the devil," as convertible terms; yet though the same diseases still exist, no one now-a-day dreams of attributing them to demoniacal possession.

One most important point, however, as that on

which the whole fabric of Christianity rests, is constantly insisted on throughout the New Testament, namely, the resurrection of the body. Our Lord, whether refuting the false notions of the Sadducees, or reproving and correcting the gross views of the Pharisees, and St. Paul, when arguing with Gentile converts, or heathen philosophers, urge this doctrine in contradiction to the commonly prevailing belief in the separate existence of an immaterial soul. Indeed, our Saviour himself expressly tells his disciples that his own resurrection, the restoration of his body to life, on the third day after his death, was to be the test of the truth or falsehood of the religion he had taught them.

Secondly, as to the senses in which the words spirit and spiritual are used in the Scriptures. As, however, the words now, xn, soul; and

T

,רוח

πνευμα, TVEUμa, spirit, when applied to man, so frequently occur as convertible terms, both in the Old and New Testament, and as in the beginning of Chap. III. (to which the reader is referred) most of the senses in which the former word is made use of, many of which are equally applicable to the latter, are noticed, it will only be necessary in this place to observe, that the terms spirit and spiritual are generally used throughout the New Testament to indicate the moral and rational faculties of man, in contradistinction to his mere animal properties, though they occasionally occur as denoting the vital

principle, &c. (Luke viii. 55.) And to quote an example or two.

John iv. 21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Here in one passage the same word is applied both to God and man, Christ evidently indicating that as God had created man in his own image, had endowed him with reason, and given him freedom of will, so under the Christian dispensation he would be required to serve his Maker, not by the mere performance of the ritual practices of the Mosaic law, but with the whole force of those moral and intellectual powers by which he was assimilated to him.

Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

In this and the succeeding verses the apostle contrasts the effects of the indulgence of the animal appetites with that frame of mind which is attained by a due subjection of them to the rational and moral powers; "flesh" signifying

the

one, and "spirit" the other.

5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

And states the result of each mode of life.

13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye

hrough the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The word body here being used synonymously with flesh.

Gal. v. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

ye

17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Here again is another exhortation of the apostle to restrain the passions by the exercise of reason and through the assistance of religion; and immediately afterward he goes on to enumerate the opposite results from an indulgence of, or a restraint on, the passions.

19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

:

21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Passages of similar import are scattered over the whole of the New Testament*, but these I deem sufficient to prove the truth of my argu

ment.

* Vide Rom. vii.; 1 Cor. ii. 11 to 15; v. 3 to 5; vi. 19, 20; vii. 34; ix. 11; xiv. 12 to 16; Gal. vi. 1, 8; Heb. iv. 12; xii. 9, &c.

One sense of the word Spirit (necessarily peculiar to the New Testament) is, where it is used to denote faith in Christ, in opposition to a reliance on the Mosaic ritual observances.

Gal. iii. 2. This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3. Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

See also 2 Cor. iii. 6 to 9; Gal. iv, 29; Phil. iii. 3 to 11.

The quotations from the text will be taken from such of the Evangelists as seem to give the most complete account of the transactions which come under consideration, with references to parallel passages of the others, and a quotation from them, if necessary, to make the narration complete.

The passages in the Gospels relating to this subject may be classed under three heads: 1st. Our Saviour's discourses and parables; 2d. His prophecies concerning his own death and resurrection; and 3d. The narrative of the fulfilment of those predictions, and of the events which succeeded it. The miracles do not seem to afford any argument connected with the subject, unless the raising of Jairus's daughter be thought to do so, which I shall therefore examine.