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 benevo lence, 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 frenzy 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.

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

Christ formed our first Parents, endued 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 apostacy; and, with their apostacy, 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, who created Paradise at first, can create it again. He, 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, He 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 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.

GENESIS ii. 7.-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

IN my last discourse, I considered the creation of man, under

these two heads:

1st. The character of the Creator; and,

2dly. 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 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, EYEVETO εis tuxny woav, 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 discourses.

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.

1st. 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 idiot, 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 being, millions of thoughts would exist in such a compound of them, as man.

2dly. Atoms do not think in any Aggregate, or under any Organization.

(1st.) That a mere Accumulation of atoms cannot think, unless the original atoms were possessed of thought, is self-evident. If they do not think, when separate, we are intuitively certain, that mere juxta-position cannot give them the power of thought.

(2dly.) Atoms cannot derive thought from any Relative Position. Suppose one atom placed above, beneath, or on either side of another: it is intuitively certain, that, if they did not think before they were thus posited, neither of these positions, nor any other, can have the least influence towards producing thought in either of them. What is thus true of two, is equally true of every supposable number.

3dly. Matter cannot derive thought from Attenuation.

The attenuation of matter is made up wholly of the distance and the minuteness, of its particles. That distance has no influence on this subject, has been already shown. That the minuteness of the corpuscles has no influence on it, is clear from this fact: that the original atoms, which have been proved to be unpossessed of thought, are the most minute divisions of matter, which are possible. That the distance and minuteness compounded, do not influence it, is certain, because, if thought depends on neither of these, it cannot depend on both united: for nothing, repeated ever so often, is still nothing. It is also evident to our senses from the facts, that air, heat, and light, approximate no nearer to thought, than stones, lead, or earth. When, therefore, men speak of the soul as a material substance, eminently refined, tenuous, subtile, or

etherial, they speak without meaning: for all these are still the descriptions of mere attenuations of matter, or matter attenuated; and it is clearly certain, that no attenuation of matter can have the least efficacy towards enabling it to think.

4thly. Thought cannot be the result of the Chymical properties of

matter.

It is not inherent in any of the elements, which chymistry has hitherto discovered. All these are mere collections of Atoms; and are, therefore, absolutely incogitative: no one of their attributes having the least resemblance to thought.

It cannot be the result of their operations. The elements of matter operate by their powers, or attributes. These powers, by whatever names they are called, and however diversified in their operations, are only two; attraction and repulsion. But it is certain, that the only influence, which these powers can have on corpuscles, must be originally contained in the powers themselves. But nothing is more certain, than that there is no resemblance to thought, either in the operation of drawing one particle of matter to another, or in that of forcing one particle of matter from another; nor in the capacity of thus drawing, or being drawn, nor in that of thus repelling, or being repelled. But, if the powers themselves, and the particles in which they inhere, possess no resemblance of thought, they can never communicate thought to each other. What they have not, they cannot give.

Further, the only possible results of chymical attraction and repulsion, arise solely from motion, relative position, condensation, and attenuation. But it has already been shown, that neither of the three last can have the least influence towards enabling matter to think. Every result of chymical powers and operations, hitherto explained, has been satisfactorily explained to be the effect of attraction and repulsion; nor is there the least reason to believe, that there is any other chymical power.

5thly. Thought is not the result of Motion.

Motion is a change of place, or relative position; or a continued succession of such changes. It has been already shown, that no relative position can have any possible influence towards the production of thought; and that particles, if not originally cogitative, cannot become so by any possible relative position; nor by any distance from each other, whether greater or less. Of course, it is certain, that no change of position, which is nothing but the mere assumption of a new position, or a variation of distance, and, therefore, that no succession of such changes, can have any influence: for motion is nothing but this succession of changes. Accordingly, a cannon ball approximates no nearer to thought by moving at the rate of four hundred and twenty miles an hour, than when lodged in the chamber of a cannon: the air when moving with the swiftness of sound, than when at rest: the electrical fluid, or the rays of light, than brass, marble, or dust.