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heart sickens at the thought of being laid under the necessity of making these remarks. But as Providence has placed me where such heretical doctrines are inculcated, your preservation from them, requires that plainness which is painful to my feelings. In pursuing the argument,

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It may be further observed, that St. Paul, who was a man of great natural abilities-a consummate scholar, and inspired of God, believed fully in the immortality of the soul, and in its separate existence from the body. It was on this ground he said to the Philippians; "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.-I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Phil. 1. 21-24. In another epistle he says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.-Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord-for we walk by faith, not by sight; we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5. 1-6. In his epistle to the Hebrews, he speaks of "the spirits of just men made perfect." Heb. 12. 23. St. Paul, therefore, was not initiated into the Priestleyan philosophy, concerning the entire materiality of man, and his complete mortality between death and the resurrection. This depth in science was not fathomed in the age of inspiration! The sun of philosophy had not risen then

above the moral horizon, so as to dispel the mist of inspiration, and illuminate the human mind!

It seems that the apostle Peter, was in the same darkness, in which his brother Paul was involved; for he says to the churches, "I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by way of remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me." 2. Pet. 1. 13, 14. The harmony of these apostles, on the immortality of the soul, is great; and their expressions about it are so clear, that no comment is necessary.

The account which St. John gives of the glorified sculs of the ancient martyrs, is an additional testimony to the doctrine in question. I shall rest the argument on what has been said, being fully satisfied, that the candid enquirer must be convinced. This sublime and interesting subject will be improved in the next discourse. May God bless the word of eternal truth.

NN

AMEN.

SERMON XXI.

ECLESIASTES XII. 7.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

In the former discourse, on these words, the object was to support and illustrate this proposition; namely, THAT MEN POSSESS AN IMMATERIAL AND IMMORTAL SOUL, DISTINCT FROM THE BODY.

It has been very clearly shown, that the soul of man is capable of existing separately from the body; and that it can exist in union with it, forming a complex person. On philosophical principles, we have seen, that there is as much, if not more, evidence in favor of this doctrine, than can be exhibited in defence of the opposite theory: and that in the word of God, the subject is completely settled. There is no room, therefore, to doubt, unless our minds are prepared to reject all revealed religion. Such a fatal stand is not yet, I sincerely hope, taken by any one of this respectable congregation.

In conformity to a previous promise, I must now close the subject with an

IMPROVEMENT.

I. If it has been proved that we possess immaterial and immortal souls, we must have a more exalted idea of man,

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL SUPPORTED, &c. 288 than we can have on the theory of his entire materiality. According to that, we are nothing but earth; and of course we must be altogether sensual in our affections. Nor can we be consistently blamed for not soaring in our thoughts above the level of our own nature and origin. The system of materialism, lays man very low; much lower, perhaps, than the brutal creation. It can hardly be thought that mere matter would be capable of their operation and sagacity. It cannot be easily doubted, but that they possess an immaterial spirit, as well as man. It is thought by some, that it is immortal; and that the beasts will have a place assigned to them in another world, suited to their natures and capacities. But, perhaps, this is vibrating to the opposite extreme of materialism; and it may be equally incorrect. Neither of these theories appear to have the countenance of the Scriptures, which are our only guide on the subjects in question. He who formed the spirits of beasts, may annihilate them, whenever the purpose for which they were formed is answered. This seems to be the meaning of these inspired words, "Who knoweththe spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth." Eccl. 3. 21. The human soul possesses rationality, and, therefore, it is an accountable spirit. Hence JEHOVAH saith, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18. 4. Neither the threatenings of future punishment, nor the promises of glory to come, have any relation to the brutal creation-they have nothing to hope or fear after death. The case is very different with man. No scheme of doctrine which he may adopt, can wholly deliver his mind from the alarming anticipation of future misery for a sinful life. This is a strong evidence of his immortality and responsibility to God. The Scriptures invariably inculcate the doctrine of the soul's separate ex istence of its being the most noble part of our nature.

When God formed the body of Adam, there was neither animal motion, nor the higher operations of intelligence, until He "breathed into him the breath of life;" and then it is expressly announced, that "man became a living soul." The separate existence of the soul is a momentous consideration; and, therefore, the ancients in affirming any thing, did it with that solemn saying, " As thy soul liveth." David, in apprizing Jonathan of the murderous intentions of Saul, his father, sanctions his declaration with these solemn words, "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death." When the king of Judah swore unto Jeremiah, that he would not deliver him into the hands of the princes who sought his life, the oath is worded in this impressive manner-" As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hands of these men who seek thy life." When Darius came to the lion's den, into which Daniel had been cast, enquiring whether he was alive, that holy man replied, "O king, live forever!" This must have been an impertinent desire, if men cease to have any consciousness after death, until the resurrection. The import of Daniel's saying, is this, undoubtedly; "O king, let thine happiness never cease;" but that must have been a fruitless wish, unless his soul was immortal.

The distinction between the soul and the body-the immortality and superior dignity of the spirit to the tabernacle of clay, are very clearly mentioned by our Lord, in Matth. 10. 28. In that passage, He saith, "Fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." There is no need of saying any thing on the impertinence of this saying, on the scheme of materialism. Alas! for those who advocate it; they are al

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