158 
cedent or which must have an unseen one. If you will talk of 
“ antecedents ” at all here you must grant this unseen one and 
stop there. The will is an antecedent that m trae ^ loso P J 
has none to convert it in turn into a consequent. Here, then 
we must get beyond the material ; and when we aie fairly 
The immaferial L a real world of being, we soon see Hirn who 
not only lives, but who also gives life— who not only move 
himself "and moves others, but who S-es that wonderful 
capability of self-movement which alone is truly life, xo 
may calf that which has the capacity of ^lf-movement 
“ mind,” or you may hesitate to apply the word mind 
such a way as that it should be applied to even the low* of 
living things; but name it as you may it is a substance 
totally different from merely movable substances, .such ^as 
no capacity of self-movement whatever; and when we name 
this living being— what perhaps Professor Huxley, if he once 
saw itf would call the protoplasm of spirit, -we have the fie d 
in which to go forward investigating the true natural history 
of life from its lowest to its highest manifestations as thes 
are made known in Him who is the source of all 
21. Let the student of life be well aware that should he 
surrender the truth at that point at which self-moyeme^ 
begins, and allow the bald chemistry of unoelief to cheat him 
out of his faith in the unseen but real substance of spirit, he 
not soon repair his loss Even in ^ndies pure^iia uia 
he will proceed at a disadvantage never sufficiently to be 
deplored • and when we think of the inseparable connection 
that exists between the natural and moral, as well as between 
the natural and highest spiritual realities, he will 
Pronina in darkness where light is more precious than gold. 
On the other hand, let him hold fast to the truth which carries 
him up from that which is seen, by the most gentle > s P 
which the soul can tread, and he will Reasons 
explicable in the highest sense; he will see the lofoest reasons 
for moral goodness ; and, what is best of all, he will find the 
Father of mercies, and recognize the manifestation o 
Father in Immanuel. 
The Chaieman.-I think I may take it upon myself to express to Pro- 
fessor Kirk the satisfaction which we all feel at seeing him here among us 
(hear hear) ; and also our gratitude to him for those valuable papers of 
which have already appeared in our Journal of Transactions. We po 
none before. I must ask you to return thanks to Professor Kuk for wh 
he has already done for us, and especially for the valuable thoughtful, 
useful paper which he has read to us this evening. (Cheers.) 
