64 



ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. 



It is a verity of the highest* order, and one that admits of no ques- 

 tion, that every department of God's creation take a deep and 

 thrilling interest in the concernments of human destiny. Magnifi- 

 cent as are the arrangements of nature, splendid the combinations of 

 scenery that fonns the glowing panorama around ; yet it all fades 

 into cloud and crumbles into dust, when contrasted with the respon- 

 sibililies and awardments of moral and intellectual existence. Take 

 even the youngest infant in your anns, and ponder over it in deep 

 and solemn reflection; you feel as if you were present at some 

 dramatic exhibition of great interest, in silence awaiting the rising 

 of the curtain, in anxiety to witness its mighty action — its stiiTing 

 incidents — its gi*eat catastrophe, — to deduce its lofty moral, what 

 shall we behold ? a human spirit dedicated to God, and the love and 

 service of his fellow mortals, rising higher and higher in the realms 

 of benevolence and duty, until fixed an unfading flower at God's 

 right hand for ever; or shall we behold the converse a life of selfish- 

 ness and sin, leading to a final heritage of shame aud everlasting 

 contempt. What have we here — poet, patriot, or parricide ? shall he 

 sink into disgrace — into oblivion — into shame ? shall he rise into 

 eminence, soar into fame, or rise into glory ? By the immortality of 

 the soul, we mean that immortality is its natural state, that the soul 

 cannot die. Splendid aphorism, transcendent verity, it gilds virtu- 

 ous and humble poverty, however lowly with, a beautiful halo. It is 

 the fringe of light on the edge of the darkened cloud that tells us of 

 the sweet and lovely region of light beyond. We deduce this great 

 fact from the law of metaphysics, and from the voice of revelation. 

 We know that thought has a real existence as well as matter. Intel- 

 lect impresses, controls, and moulds matter into agencies, which it 

 subjects to its will in accordance with the laws of reason. 



The steam engine, which is in fact a new element in nature, was 

 originally but an idea in the mind of Watt. 1 1 is now the noble ex- 

 hibition of power in every department of manufacture; it is the great 

 creator of commercial dispatch, the great producer of national wealth. 



