756 
AN ESSAY ON THE FUTURE EXISTENCE 
was the ultimate end for which the material system was created 1 
That the earth was impelled in its annual and diurnal course by the 
hand of Omnipotence— that it presented new beauties every open- 
ing spring, bringing forth the treasures of autumn, and displaying 
so many sublime and variegated landscapes — that the sun diffused 
its light, in all its regions — that the moon cheered the shades of 
night from one generation to another, during so many myriads of 
years , merely that the successive generations of animals might 
mingle in horrid warfare, and then sink for ever in the shades of 
annihilation. Yet, such a conclusion we are obliged to admit, if 
there is no future state in which these seeming disorders will be 
corrected, and the plan of the Divine Government more fully deve- 
loped. 
But we will extend this argument still farther. There is a gene- 
ral lesson arising from this geological inquiry, which breathes of 
immortality. If we could throw a glance over our globe, unravel its 
history, and trace it through all its gradations up to the present 
time — what are the conclusions we should arrive at ? Why, that 
from the period when the mighty and omnific voice first called 
light from the chambers of darkness, and sent our terraqueous 
planet to roll through a silvery-sheeted domain, there has been a 
constant progressive development of life. Each successive stra- 
tum of earth has proved how the original plan was kept in view, 
but steadily improved ; and when ages after ages had rolled on, 
and the days of its colossal and gigantic inhabitants were num- 
bered, then did the Almighty decree that our planet should be a 
home for starry spirits, fired with the glories of genius, and revel- 
ling in the bright landscapes where angels build their homes. 
But does the great design abruptly terminate here T Has the 
earth arrived at the ultimate stage of its existence T Have its 
inhabitants attained the utmost perfection of which they are capa- 
ble 1 Are there not further convulsions and still higher beings in 
contemplation 1 What ground have we for affirming that a more 
perfect animal may not, hereafter, be brought into existence — a 
creature more highly endowed, and suffering far less from the evils 
of imperfection under which our race now endures so much. No one 
can tell but that, as many of the former inhabitants of the globe 
which existed before the human race was created are now extinct 
tribes, so the human race itself may hereafter, like them, be only 
known by their fossil remains, and other beings found upon its sur- 
face as far excelling us in power and wisdom as we excel the 
mastodon and the megatherium ; and who, on contemplating our 
fossil remains, may then he as incredulous and as sceptical, with re- 
gard to our immortality, as many of our readers may possibly he 
of the immortality of brutes. 
