NATURE AND DURATION OF THE SOUL. 



m 



every part is in a state of progression, and striving at something more 

 perfect than itself ; that the whole unfolds to us a beautiful scale of ascen- 

 sion : every division harmoniously playing into every other division, and, 

 with the nicest adjustment, preparing for its furtherance. The mineral 

 kingdom lays a foundation for the vegetable, the vegetable for the animal : 

 infancy for youth, youth for manhood, and manhood for the wisdom of 

 hoary hairs. We have hence strong ground, independently of that fur- 

 nished us by revelation, for concluding that the scene will not end here : 

 that we are but upon the threshold of a vast and incomprehensible scheme, 

 that will reach beyond the present world and run coeval with eternity. 

 The admirable Bishop of Durham, to whose writings I have already occa- 

 sionally adverted, pursues this argument with great force in his immortal 

 Analogy, and shows, with impressive perspicuity, the general coincidence 

 of design that runs throughout the natural and the moral government of 

 Providence, all equally leading to a future and more perfect state of things. 

 " The natural and moral constitution and government of the world," says 

 he, are so connected as to make up together but one scheme ; and it is 

 highly probable that the first is formed and carried on merely in subserviency 

 to the latter : as the vegetable is for the animal, and organized bodies for 

 minds. Every act, therefore, of divme justice and goodness may be sup- 

 posed to look much beyond itself, and its immediate object may have 

 some reference to other parts of God's moral administration and to a 

 genuine moral plan ; and every circumstance of this his moral government 

 may be adjusted beforehand, with a view to the whole of it.— It is hence 

 absurd, absurd to the degree of being ridiculous, if the subject were not 

 of so serious a kind, for men to think themselves secure in a vicious life ; 

 or even in that immoral thoughtlessness which far the greatest part of them 

 are fallen into."'^ 



LECTURE II. 



ON THE NATURE AND DURATION OF THE SOUL, AS EXPLAINED BY POPULAR 

 TRADITIONS, AND VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATIONS, 



We have entered upon a subject in which human wisdom or imagination 

 can afford us but very little aid ; and I have already observed, that I have 

 rather touched upon it, in order that, with suitable modesty, we may 

 know and acknowledge our own weakness, and apply to the only source 

 from which we can derive any real information concerning it, than to 

 support any hypothesis that can be deduced from either physical or meta- 

 physical investigations. " The science of abstruse learning," observes 

 Mr. Tucker, and no man was ever better qualified to give an opinion upon 

 it, when completely attaine.i, is like Achilles 's spear, that healed the 

 wounds it had made before. It casts no additional light upon the paths of 

 life, but disperses the clouds with which it had overspread them. It ad- 

 vances not the traveller one step in his journey, but conducts him back 

 again to the spot from whence he had wandered."! But if it do not 



^^^Analysis of Religion, Natural and Revealed, Part i. chap. vii. p. 148, 149. 165. Edif, 

 1 tiiight of Nature Porsned, chapter ttsh'v , , ' 



