mi :?J^v::. i ■ ■; / :' r* ' : ■ M if ' , ■^^>V^'^- r'.' f,' bIBUAR^ ,M im. 87 ^ its, ^.: -^ ' r^ j Ai BAWCROFTi ■-.V >♦ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/essaystheologicaOOdodarich ESSAYS, /^^ THEOLOGICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS REPRINTED FROM THE PRINCETON R E V O W'^c y SECOND SERIES. INCLUDING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE LATE REV. ALBERT B. DOD, D.D NEW YORK AND LONDON, WILEY AND PUTNAM. 1847. 'v.tT jmm nsT/fiiMi*'^ Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1847, by WILEY & PUTNAM, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. , CRAIGHKA.D, PRINTER, 112 FULTON STREET. PREFACE. This volume, like that which preceded it a year ago, though entirely composed of selections from the Princeton Review, is not made up by the Conductors of that valuable publication. It is with no common satisfaction that the collector of these tract* presents as many as seven from the pen of the late distinguished Professor Dod. They are the articles on Capital Punishment, Phreno- logy, the Vestiges of Creation, Analytical Geometry, and Oxford Architecture, together with the Reviews of Mr. Finney and Dr. Beecher. These Essays are the best extant testimonial to the genius and cultivation of their lamented author. The article on Hebrew Concordances is also a memorial of departed intellect ; being a production of the late Professor Nordheimer. Several of the remaining Essays in this volume awakened extraordi- nary interest at the time of their publication : among these may be named those on Slavery and Abolition, and that on the Baptist Translation of the Bible. The rapid sale of the former volume makes us secure in regard to that which is now offered. JVew York, April 15, 1847. # » aa A CONTENTS. ESSAT Pag9 IT I. TheBible, a Key to the Phenomena of the Natural World . 1 . II. God the End of all Things .... 15 III. Systems of Theology 33 • IV. On the Atonement 49 V. On Revivals of Religion . 76 VI. Dr. Beecher's Theology . 152 VII. The Doctrines of New England Churches 206 VIII. Christian Union ... 236 IX. The Division of the Presbyterian Church 259 . X. Slavery .... 282 . XI. Abolitionism . . . 313 XII. Capital Punishment . . . 343 . XIII. Phrenology .... 376 . XIV. Vestiges of Creation 411 . XV. Analytical Geometry 454 . XVI. Baptist Translation of the Bible 467 • XVII. The English Bible 503 •XVIII. Oxford Architecture . 527 . XIX. A Treatise on Expository Preaching . 536 - XX. Fiirst's Hebrew Concordance . 555 . XXI. The Historical Statements of the Koran 584 i ESSAY I. THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. PUBLISHED IN 1829. The stupendous fabric of the universe, part of which we see, and part of which we ourselves are, cannot but become an object of earnest contemplation to the inquisitive mind. The great majority of men, it is true, pass through life without reflection. Their intellectual powers are so little cultivated, and they are so much occupied with objects of sense, and in making provision for their immediate and pressing wants, that they never attempt to raise their minds to the contemplation of the wonderful works by which they are surrounded : but these objects, constantly beheld from infancy, excite no surprise, and seldom call forth a single reflection. There have always been, however, among nations enjoying any degree of civilization, men of minds more cul- tivated than the rest, and more disposed to investigate the causes of those phenomena which they continually beheld. These sages, when they looked upon the heavens and the earth, upon themselves and other organized and living beings, have been led to inquire. Whence all these things? Have they always existed, or have they been produced? To those who have been conversant with the truth all their lives, it may seem that it would have been an easy thing for any rational mind to ascend at once from the crea- ture to the invisible Creator ; but we cannot readily conceive of the perplexity and darkness which surround the intellect of men, whom no ray of divine revelation has visited. The reasonings of such men are also impeded and perverted by prejudices, and erroneous opinions imbibed from their forefathers ; and, not unfre- quently, pride and other evil passions influence speculative men to adopt extravagant opinions, for the sake of their paradoxical cha- racter, or because they are naturally grateful to the feelings of de- praved nature. It is, therefore, not an unaccountable fact, that men, unenlightened by divine revelation, should have fallen into so 1 2 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE many egregious errors respecting the origin of the world and its inhabitants. A considerable number of those called philosophers entertained the opinion, that the ujiiverse always existed as we now behold it. They observed that, from age to age, the heavenly bodies move on in their orbits, undisturbed and unchanged ; and that, on earth, the same changes of day and night, of winter and summer, of seed- time and harvest, succeed each other in regular order : and no other power being manifest to the senses but that which operates through all nature, they concluded that the universe existed without any cause of itself; and that it ever had existed, aiadever would exist, as it now appears. Some, however, observing in all things, as they imagined, a tendency to dissolution, and perceiving in our globe evidences of a former destruction, adopted the opinion, that the universe contained in itself the principles of its own dissolution and regeneration ; that, after running through a period of unknown and inconceivable duration, it falls into a chaotic state, in which catastrophe all organized bodies are destroyed, and return to their simplest ele- ments; but, from this chaos, by degrees, springs up a aew order of things, or a renewal of that which before existed ; and thus, while they conceived the universe to be eternal, they imagined that it is in a state of perpetual change, by a kind of circular pro- gression, which has neither beginning nor end- Others of those called philosophers, who seem to have paid a more minute attention to the curious structure of organized bodies, were of opinion that they must by some means have been formed or produced; but, not being able to rise to the conception of a Creator — or what is more probable, not liking to retain the idea of God in their minds — they invented the -hypothesis of the eternal existence of the elements of the universe, which they supposed to consist of atoms, or indivisible bodies of all manner of shapes, and in perpetual motion among each other. These atoms, possessing various affinities, came together in every conceivable form of organized bodies, until, by degrees, and in a long process of time, the universe assumed its present aspect, and vegetables and ani- mals of every species were produced by the fortuitous concourse of atoms. Such a hypothesis might seem too absurd to be seriously enter- tained by any rational mind, and yet we find among its abettors, men of high and cultivated intellect, among the ancients. It has, however, met with less favour among modern atheists than the fore- mentioned theories ; although, in point of absurdity, all sys- tems of atheism may be said to stand on a perfect level ; for no folly can be conceived greater than that which says, " there is no Ood." The idea of the necessity of a cause, wherever we observe what we must consider an effect, is so deeply seated in human nature, .4hat most men have professed themselves dissatisfied with any system PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. 3 which assigned no cause, or no better cause than chance or neces- sity, for the existence of all things. Many have been led, there- fore, to adopt the opinion, that the universe v^^as God, believing that whatever distinctness and variety there may seem to be in the world, there existed but one substance or being, of which the heavens and the earth, vegetables and animals, are only so many parts, or rather manifestations. This theory differs from the first mentioned in this important respect, that it recognises a great first cause, which is God ; but the difference, as to any useful end, is more in appearance than in reality ; for, according to this hypo- thesis, there is still nothing in existence besides the universe itself. There is no free, sovereign, independent being, whom we should worship or obey ; or in whom we can confide for help or safety. In fact it differs from blank atheism in nothing, except that it gives the name of God to the universe of creatures ; and thus we come to the horrible conclusion, that we and all other things are parts of God. Although this hypothesis had its advocates among the ancients, yet Benedict Spinoza has the credit of reducing it to a regular system, which he exhibited in the imposing form of mathematical demonstration. As this atheistical theory was published in an enlightened age, and in a Christian country, it might have been expected that it would attract but few admirers : and, indeed, the number of avowed disciples of Spinozism has been small ; yet the same system, new-modelled but not improved, has become a favourite with a large number of philosophers of the present day, on the continent of Europe, and especially in Germany, under the approjwiate name of Pantheism. And so great is the infatuation of some calling themselves Christians, that they have thought that this disguised atheism mi^ht be reconciled with Christianity. A system less absurd than any of the former was, that the world has an all-pervading, active, and intelligent soul, which moves and directs all the operations of nature, as the human soul moves and governs the body. Near akm to this, was the opinion that the planets and stars were all aniniated bodies, possessed of the power of moving them- selves, and of intelligence sufficient to guide and regulate their own motions. Many students of the physical sciences, in our times, seem to have adopted a theory similar to that which gives a soul to the world. They ascribe all effects to nature, and to the laws of nature. In all the remarkable contrivances and evidences of design, which abound in the animal and vegetable worlds, they see nothing but the plastic power of nature. The idea of a God, distinct from the world, and from whom nature derives all its powers, seems to have no place in their philosophy. But sometimes the doctrine of the soul of the world has been combined with that of one supreme God, as in the sublime but mystical theory of Plata 4 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE From what has been said it is evident that the human intellect is prone to wander from the truth ; and that reason is liable to be perverted, even in matters of the highest importance ; and in which the light of evidence seems to us to shine most clearly. A just and impartial consideration of the universe cannot fail to lead the sincere seeker of truth to the opinion, that there must exist a first great cause, powerful and intelligent, who has made the world for some particular end. As sound reason would con- strain us, if we should find a curiously contrived machine, evidently formed for a useful purpose, to ascribe it to an intelligent artificer, how can we refuse to ascribe the structure of the universe, in which the evidences of design are more numerous and more strik- ing, infinitely, than in any of the works of men, to a wise and powerful architect ? If a watch or steam-engine could not be formed by the accidental aggregation of particles, brought together by the winds or waves, can we suppose that such a structure as an organized animal body could be formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms ? There is in a small part of the human body, more pro- found wisdom in designing the texture and organization of the parts for the attainment of a particular end, than in all the curious mechanism of man's contrivance. And if we should even suppose (absurd as it is) that such an organized system could come into existence without design, how could we account for the wonderful adaptation of other things, existing in an entirely separate state, to the necessities and conveniences of the animal body ? Without light the eye would be useless, but when we examine the mecha- nism of this organ, and observe that it is constructed upon the most perfect principles of optics, can we for a moment hesitate to believe that the eye was formed by a designing agent, to receive, refract, and concentrate the rays of light, for the purposes of vision? The same adaptation is remarkable, between the air and the organ of hearing ; and between the air and the lungs : the same is also true, in regard to the stomach and the food which it so eagerly craves. In these, and a thousand other things, the evidences of design are as strong as they possibly can be. If we can resist these, no other proofs would answer any purpose in removing our incredu- lity. Reason, then, clearly indicates, that this universe is not God, but is the work of God, and that he must be a being of transcendent perfection. But having arrived at this conclusion, who would not wish to have his faith confirmed by some clear manifestation of this august Being ? If he exists and formed our bodies, and gave us our rational powers, surely he can find out ways by which he can make himself known to us. He cannot, indeed, render himself visible to our bodily eyes, because he is a spirit ; but he who indued man with the faculty of communicating with his fellows, by the use of speech, can speak to us in a language which we can understand. Now this very thing he has done, by divine revela- tion. By inspiring chosen individuals, and attesting their commu- PHENOMENA OP THE NATURAL WORLD. 9 nications, he has plainly informed us, not only that he exists, but that he is the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the universe ; that he is above all, and independent of all ; and that all things were produced by his own pleasure, and for his own glory. That which reason often missed, or mistook, and at best spelled out with hesitation, the voice of revelation declares with decisive authority. Reason may vaunt herself when the discovery is made, but she owes her clearest light and firmest convictions to the voice of inspiration. The Bible furnishes the full and satisfactory commentary on the book of nature. With the Bible in our hands, the heavens shine with redoubled lustre. The universe, which to the atheist is full of darkness and confusion, to the Christian is resplendent with light and glory. The first sentence in the Bible contains more to sa- tisfy the inquisitive mind than all the volumes of human specula- tion. " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Here, in a few words, is comprehended the most sublime of all truths — the production of a universe out of nothing, by the word of the Almighty. If God created the heavens and the earth, then he existed before they were brought forth, even from eternity ; for he who gives beginning to all other things, can have none himself. Before the world was, this august Being existed, independent and happy, in the plenitude of his own infinite perfections. This first word of written revelation teaches us, what reason in her boldest flights could never reach, namely, that the universe sprang from nothing : not from nothing as its cause, but from the incon- ceivable working of almighty power, where nothing existed, from which it could be made. None of the heathen sages ever believed such a creation possible. They universally received it as an axiom, that ex nihilo nihil fieri ; but here we learn, " That the worlds were framed by the word of God, and that the things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear." This stupendous work, of giving being to so great a multitude and variety of creatures, is often celebrated in the sublime strains of sacred poetry, and in the commanding eloquence of the inspired prophets. " Thus saith the Lord, that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it." " Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is." " He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion." " O Lord God, behold thou hast made the heavens and the earth, by thy great power." " The Lord which stretched forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him." The apostles tread in the footsteps of the prophets, in ascribing the creation of the universe to God alone, " The living God, which made the heavens and the earth, and all things therein." 6 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE " God that made the world and all things therein." " For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly- seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eter- nal power and Godhead." " He that built all things is God." With such declarations as these, coming from the mouth of God himself, how is the mind enlarged and elevated, in contemplating the heavens and the earth ! How grand, how beautiful, how wise, how harmonious is the universe, when viewed through the medium of divine revelation. " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work ; day unto day utter- eth speech, and night unto night teacheth knowledge." " O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth ! who hast set thy glory above the heavens." " When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man that thou art mindful of him ! And the son of man that thou visitest him ?" Without the book of revelation, the book of nature would be as a volume sealed ; but with this key we can open its wonderful pages, and receive instruction from every creature of God. But let us descend from the contemplation of the universe, to the consideration of some of its parts. Here are the race of man- kind, and multitudes of living creatures, in the earth, the air, and the water ; whence have they proceeded ? What can reason and philosophy answer ? Had man and the other animals a beginning, or were they from eternity I If the former, from what cause, and by what steps did they arrive at their present condition ? On no subject has philosophy betrayed her weakness more than in her speculations respecting the origin of the human race. It would be poorly worth our while to review the absurd theories of an^ cient and modern philosophers, which more resemble the dreams of the sick than the sober deductions of reason. One will give to the earth we know not what prolific power to produce men and animals ; another chooses to place man, in his origin on a level with the speechless brutes, from which condition he is supposed to arise by long and assiduous exertion ;. acquiring for himself the use of articulate and written language, and inventing, from time to time, all the arts which now minister to the comfort of civilized life. But such theories are too absurd for refutation. The idea of the production of animals or vegetables, by what was called equivocal generation, that is, without progenitors, or organized seeds and roots, has long since been exploded. Experiments the most decisive have demonstrated the falsehood of the notions en- tertained by the ancients, of the generation of animated beings from mere corruption. The men and animals, now on the earth, belong to a series reaching back to eternity ; or they were formed, and placed on our globe, by an almighty Being. Let us then, for a moment, look at the theory which assigns to man an existence without beginning. While the individuals die, the species is ina- PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. 7 mortal. If such a hypothesis does not do violence to common sense, it would be difficult to say what does. Each individual is dependent, and yet the whole series of individuals independent. The absurdity and contradiction of such a theory are concealed only by the darkness of eternity. By running back until we are overwhelmed with a subject which our minds cannot grasp, we are apt to lose sight of the unreasonableness of a supposition, which on a limited scale every one can clearly see. As if one should say, here is a chain suspended, consisting of a thousand links, each one depending on the next above it ; could such a chain of a thousand links remain suspended, without anything to sup- port it ? To such a problem every child would give the correct answer. The thing is manifestly impossible. Well, suppose the number of links be increased to a hundred million, could the chain support itself any better than when it consisted of a thousand, or even ten links ? Certainly not, would be the answer of every per- son of common sense ; and such a person would be apt to say, the more links there are in the chain, the more support does it require, seeing its tendency to fall will be in proportion to its weight. But then, suppose the links so increased, that our minds can no longer conceive of the number, will such an increase, however great it may be, render a support less necessary ? The answer ought to be as decisively as before, in the negative. We have seen that the increase of the number, while within the limits of our concep- tion, did not lessen the necessity for a supporting power ; and why should such an increase as goes far beyond our power of imagina- tion be supposed to have this effect ? The idea of a series of men without beginning, without any Creator to give them being, is one of the greatest absurdities which can be conceived. Besides, when we consider the number of men ; when we trace their history ; when we reflect upon their small advancement in the arts and sciences ; and how recent the most useful inventions are ; how can we, unless we renounce our reason, believe that mankind have existed on this globe from eternity ? The thing is impos- sible. The only reasonable hypothesis therefore is, that the hu- man race, together with the various species of animals and vege- tables, had a beginning ; and that they were created by a wise and omnipotent Being, by whose care and sustaining power they are still preserved. But man feels too little satisfied with his own reasonings to rest contented with such conclusions as he can himself deduce. He wishes to see the face, or hear the voice, of his great Creator. He wants an explicit declaration from the mouth of his Father in hea- ven, assuring him of the truth of his own reasonings ; and author- izing him to claim the relation of a creature, formed by the power and goodness of God. Such a desire of divine instruction is neither sinful nor unrea- sonable in creatures situated as we are. Who would not wish to know his own earthly father ? And who would like, on such & 8 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE subject, to be left to reasonings founded on abstract principles ? But how much more interesting is it for us to know our heavenly^- Father, to whom we owe our very being, with all its faculties and capacities? Now, this reasonable desire the great Creator has condescended to gratify. He has, in the revelation which is con- tained in the holy Scriptures, informed us, not only that he is our Maker, but has given us most particular information of the time and circumstances of man's creation. After the heavens and the earth, and beasts, fishes, and birds, were formed ; in short, after all things on earth were created, God, speaking in the glorious council of his own being, said, " Come, let us make man in our own image, and after our own likeness ; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth." " So God created man in his own image ; in the image of God created he him." " And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life : and man became a living soul." " And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make an help meet for him." " And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam ; and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man ; and Adam said, this is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh ; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man." We have somewhere met with an account of an infidel, more in- genious than wise, who proposed to put the Mosaic history to the test, by examining whether man was deficient of a rib in one of his sides. It would have been as reasonable to have examined whether every male descendant of Adam had the scar of the wound made in the side of the first man. If Adam had remained, all his life, destitute of the rib which was taken away, why should it be sup- posed that this defect should be transmitted to his posterity ? But he laboured under no such defect, for the opening made was closed up with flesh instead of that which was taken away. The rib was not taken on account of any difficulty to obtain materials, but to show that a man and his wife were one, and that a man should ever cherish his wife as his own flesh. The word here trans- lated rib, properly means, a side : for aught that appears, the whole side of the man might have been taken, to form the woman ; but this is a matter of no consequence. Infidels have been fond of turning this simple and beautiful his- tory of the formation of the first man and the first woman into ridicule ; but if man had a beginning, and was created by the Al- mighty, what account could be imagined more natural and reason- able than this ? Let the scoflfer produce his own hypothesis, and subject it to the test of examination — but he has none. He laughs at the Bible history, and at the same time has nothing to furnish as a substitute. But to men of sober minds, who wish to be acquainted PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. 9 with their own origin, this narrative is most satisfactory and in- structive. We know that man must have had a beginning, and consequently a Creator ; but reason could not inform us how, or in what circumstances, he commenced his existence : thaU there- fore, which we wish to know, and need to know, is distinctly re- vealed, and plainly recorded in the Bible. Man, instead of being from eternity, is of yesterday ; instead of springing, hke a mush- room, from the putrid earth, he came from the forming hand of the great Creator ; instead of being at first an ape or ourang outang, he was made in the likeness and after the similitude of God. The Bible, then, explains to us our own origin, and the origin of all creatures. It teaches that man was made out of the clay of the earth, but this clay was wrought into shape, and wonderfully and fearfully organized, by a divine hand. The physical history of man exhibits some very remarkable phenomena; among which none have attracted the attention of the inquisitive so much as the striking variety in the complexion, hair, size, and figure of the species in different countries. Of complexion we find every shade of colour from white to sooty black ; and of hair, from the silken or flaxen locks of the North of Europe, to the crisped and curled wool of the Guinea negro. In the formation and prominence of the nose, lips, and cheeks, there is also a re- markable difference in different nations. These striking and nu- merous varieties have led some philosophers to adopt the opinion, that mankind are not descended from one stock ; but that originally there must have been parents corresponding with the several classes of men. It is an obvious objection to this theory, that the several complexions of mankind are not distinctly marked, but run into each other by imperceptible shades ; so that if we suppose more species of men than one, we know not where to stop. If every considerable variety must be the foundation of a distinct species, we must adopt the hypothesis that, originally, God created a mul- titude of human beings of different complexions. It is also a fact unfavourable to this hypothesis, that there are striking varieties in complexion, hair, &c., among those known to have proceeded from one stock. In the same nation, some whole families or tribes are distinguished by fair hair and a ruddy com- plexion ; while others are equally remarkable for dark complexion, and black hair and eyes. These varieties in the same nation are known also to be transmitted from father to son, for many genera- tions. But we are unable to account for this variety ; and if such a difference may take place when the external circumstances are nearly similar, why may not the greater varieties of the human species be owing to the great difference of climate and other cir- cumstances of the nations of the earth ? Since a more accurate knowledge has been obtained of the nu- merous tribes inhabiting the islands of the great South Sea, some very interesting facts have been brought to light, respecting the origin of these insulated savages. The information collected by 10 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE Dr. Prichard, and published in his Physical History of Man, goes far to prove, that men who have at a reniote period sprung from the same stock, may so diverge from each other, in features, com- plexion, hair, &c., that they form distinct classes, and seem to be as widely apart from each other as almost any of the differing tribes of men. The identity of the origin of some of these islanders, whose appearance is so dissimilar, is ascertained by the radical sameness of their language ; and it is a thing unknown in the his- tory of savages to change their vernacular tougue. It is manifest, therefore, that there are natural causes in operation, whether we understand what they are or not, sufficient to produce all the vari- eties observed in the human species. The diversity of features and complexion in the Jews, who have long resided in widely different climates, and who it is known do not intermix with other people, affords a strong confirmation of the same truth. It is also as remarkable as it is obvious, that, for the most part, men of a certain complexion are found in a particular latitude, unless they have been recently removed from their own country. We do not find the black skin and crisped hair in high latitudes ; nor the fair complexion and light-coloured hair under the equator. From the first glance, therefore, it would seem that there is some connexion between climate and the complexion. Whether a difference of climate is sufficient of itself to account for these varieties, need not be determined. There may be other causes combined with this, some of which may be unknown to us. Ani- mals carried from the temperate regions, far ta the north, become white, and their fur becomes much thicker and warmer. The final cause of this change is manifest, and indicates the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator, but we know not how to ac- count for it. The fact is certain, but the process of nature by which it is brought about is concealed ; at least, it has not yet been discovered. Now, there may be, in the constitution of man, a principle which accommodates itself to different climates, for pur- poses equally important. Indeed it is a well known fact, that black people can endure a tropical sun much better than white men. The analogy derived from other animals and vegetables also forbids the multiplication of the human species. The changes produced in the different species of animals, which can live in climates widely different, are as great, and in some much greater, than in the human species. Take, for an example, the canine species. How great the difference between the large mastiff and the diminutive lap-dog ! These varieties in animals of the same species, extend not only to their size, colour, and shape, but in a very remarkable degree to their instincts. Seeing, then, that this is the common law of animal nature, why should we expect that the physical nature of man should be exempt from changes, induced by a diversity of climate ? And when we observe that the varieties of the human race have a manifest re- PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. 11 lation to the climate of the respective nations, the conclusion, upon all just principles of natural science, must be that the human spe- cies is one. In all cases where there is a difference of species, there is a marked difference in the internal structure of the body ; but among the different tribes of men, no such diversity has been observed as can be the foundation of a diversity of species. The most exact ana- tomical dissections have discovered no permanent parts or contriv- ances, in one nation, which are not found also in all others. They all have the same bones, the same joints, the same system of nerves, the same number, use and position of muscles, the same blood-vessels, glands, and digestive organs. Not only is the exter- nal appearance of the parts the same, but the interior texture and constituent particles composing the respective parts of the human body, are the same in the white man, as in the black, the olive, the red, or the yellow. It is scarcely necessary to observe, that all men have the same ex- ternal senses and the same bodily appetites, the same instincts, the same susceptibility of forming habits, and the same natural passions and desires. Those things in the constitution of man which have no resemblance in other species of animals, are found in all the nations of the earth. The risible faculty and the faculty of weeping, and especially the possession of articulate speech, all serve to prove the identity of the human species. And if from the body and its func- tions we ascend to the mind, here we find the same original faculties, in all the varieties of the human race. We observe in all, not only perception, consciousness, and memory, of which the inferior ani- mals seem to partake, but the power of reasoning ; the faculty of imagination ; the power of association and abstraction ; and what is more decisive still, the moral sense, of which there is no vestige in the brutes ; and the faculty of taste ; for all men perceive a dif- ference between right and wrong, and feel moral obligation ; and all men have some sense of beauty and deformity. Moreover, all men are capable of improvement, and those nations which are now the most learned and refined, were once among the most barba- rous of the human race. This perfect similarity in mind and body is sufficient to lead all impartial men to the conclusion, that the human race are all de- scended from one pair, and that the varieties are accidental ; — the effect of a variety of causes, all of which we are unable to explore. Some philosophers have, however, thought themselves justified in considering men of different species, not so much from the variety in their complexion and external appearance, as from the different degrees of flatness or rotundity in the skulls of different nations. On this ground, the learned Blumenbach has reduced the whole hu- man race to five classes or species. But in the first place, the exami- nation of human skulls has not been sufficiently extensive to furnish correct data for such a classification ; and in the next place, if the diflerence exists, it affords no philosophical reason for supposing an 12 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE original diversity of species. The causes which have operated other changes, may as easily have produced a difference in the mere form of a skull : and those who give credit to the discoveries of the craniologists, will find no difficulty in accounting for any varieties which are found in the skulls of men of different tribes. Some time since, a radical difference of intellect was insisted on, as a criterion to determine a difference of species : but since our acquaintance with the most degraded and stupid of the human race has become more accurate ; and especially, since we have witnessed the improvements of which these are capable, and the rapid advancement of some of them in knowledge and civilization, the whole ground of this opinion is taken away. There is another criterion of the identity of species, which by some naturaUsts has been considered decisive. It has been found, that although animals of different species may be made to propa- gate a mongrel breed, their offspring are for the most part barren, or are seldom known to propagate. But the various classes of men mingle as freely and propagate the species with as much facility as people of the same tribe. Of late, however, some doubt has been expressed respecting the correctness of the fact first stated, on which the whole argument rests. It is alleged that sufficient experiments have not been made on the subject of the natural want of fertility in mules and other hybrids ; and that, as far as experience goes, they are found to be fruitful in as many cases as they are barren. Leaving, therefore, the degree of barrenness in such animals in doubt, it is clear that no new species, capable of continuing itself by propagation, has been formed by the union of animals of different species, and that there exists a natural obstruc- tion, which does not exist in the case of men of the different classes. But why might not a number of pairs of the same species, or exactly similar in parts and powers, have been produced as well as one? To which we answer, that although the thing is possible, yet sound philosophy never resorts to such a supposition. Natu- ralists always go on the principle that more causes of the phenomena of nature than are sufficient, are not to be admitted ; and where every effect can as well be accounted for by supposing one origi- nal pair as by many, the hypothesis of more than one ought, on general principles, to be rejected. Having seen that reason itself leads us to believe that all the va- rious nations of men are derived from one stock, and form but one species, it cannot but add strong confirmation to our belief, that the sacred Scriptures clearly inform us, that when God created man upon the earth, he created them mnle and female ; — one man and one woman — from whom proceeded all the nations of the earth. The idea which some have entertained, that there were men be- fore Adam, is destitute of all shadow of proof. The apostle Paul, in his discourse before the Senate of Areopagus, explicitly declares, PHENOMENA OF THE NATURAL WORLD. 13 what reason and revelation unite in teaching to be the truth. " And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth." One word from the inspiration of God goes further to establish our minds in the belief of the truth, than volumes of arguments depending merely on the fallible reason of rtian. The Bible teaches us that every man of every tribe and of every colour, whether his skull be flat or prominent, is our brother, and has a claim upon us for all the kindness and beneficence which it is in our power to show him. The same God is the Father of us all ; and the same man is our common earthly father ; and w^e are all rapidly tending to the same judgment and to the same eter- nity. But if any should, after all, be of opinion that the diversity among men cannot be accounted for by natural causes, yet it does not follow that the Mosaic history is false, or that there are several species of men entirely distinct from each other. At some period of the history of man, for some special reason, the Governor of the universe may have given a distinctive colour to one or more fami- lies of the earth. And some believers in the Bible are so fully im- pressed with this idea, that they have undertaken to afhrm that we have an intimation of this very thing in the sacred history. While some, however, would refer the black colour of the skin to the mark set upon Cain (which is irreconcilable with the history of the deluge), others, with more probability, refer it to the curse upon Canaan, the son of Ham. As his posterity were doomed to be the servants of servants, it is thought that some peculiar mark was set upon them, which, it is presumed, was the dark colour of the skin and the crisped and woolly hair. And in confirmation of this opinion, they allege, that the black people are the descendants of Ham, and that they are the slaves of all the world, until this day.* While we are willing to admit, that for reasons unknown to us, God might have miraculously changed the complexion and fea- tures of a part of the human race ; we must think that the notion that the black colour was inflicted as a disgrace and a curse is a mere prejudice. Why should not the white colour be considered as a mark of God's displeasure? for no negro from the burning sands of Africa can appear more shocking to the inhabitants of northern regions, than the white man does to the people of the inte- rior of that continent. It seems, moreover, to be a prejudice without foundation, that the colour of the whites was that of the first man. Much the larger part of the inhabitants of the earth are of a complexion nearly midway between the two extremes. Is it not, therefore, much more probable that our first parents were red men, or of an olive or copper colour? This opinion derives some support from the name of the first man, for the radical signification of 14 THE BIBLE A KEY TO THE PHENOMENA, &C. Adam is red ; and if this be assumed as a fact, then it will be much easier to account for the various complexions of men from natural causes, than if we suppose that either white or black was the original complexion. But from what has been said it will be seen that no valid argu- ment against the truth of the Bible can be derived from the variety in the human species ; whether that variety can be accounted for by natural causes or not ESSAY II GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. PUBLISHED IN 1832. It is natural to inquire, whtle surveying tlie extended works of God, What is the ultimate end of this great and complicated system ? Some parts of it we can easily see were formed for others ; objects that are small and insignificant, for those that are greater and more important ; and, again, these for others greater and more important still. The pebble and the drop w^re made to constitute the mountain and the river ; and the mountains and the rivers to adorn and embellish the face of nature, and in a thousand ways to minister to the wants of those who dwell on the earth. The solid earth, with all its immense quantities of matter, its diversified surface, its fertile soil, its rapid motions, its elastic atmosphere, was evidently intended to be the habitable abode of men. The extended ocean, with all its mighty expanse and unmeasured depth of waters, while it is the grand reservoir of nature and the source of evapora- tion, perpetually enriching the earth with fertility and verdure, everywhere distributes its -watery treasures for the sustenance and benefit of the numerous tribes of animated and intelligent existence. If we extend our views to the solar system, or from the solar system to the starry heavens, in these trackless regions we behold an assemblage of resplendent orbs, spacious perhaps as the sun of our own system, and all subserving the interests of unnumbered worlds, not improbably invested, like our own, with intelligence and immor- tality. Matter, in all its variety and magnificence, we see, is made for mind, and one portion of this great and complicated system for another. What, then, is the ultimate end of ail things ? The lights of unaided reason are far from fitting us to solve this high problem ; and yet, so far as we are enabled to follow them, they conduct us to the same conclusion to which we are conducted by a super- natural revelation, when it so happily and explicitly instructs us, that " The Lord hath made all things for himself.'^ When we say that God acts for the purpose of displaying abroad 16 GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. the perfections of his nature before the intelligent creation — when we say that God made all things for himself, we mean, that his supreme end " is his own glory, or the most perfect gratification of his infinitely benevolent mind." The word glory ^ when appfied to God, sometimes denotes the inherent and full perfection of the divine nature, and sometimes the manifestation of the divine nature in creation, providence, and grace. There is a difference between the intrinsic and the manifested excellence of the Godhead. By his intrinsic excellence, is meant his essential perfections ; by his manifested excellence is meant his essential perfections, exhibited to himself and the created universe. There is a richness, a fulness of perfection which constitutes his essential glory ; and there is a diffusion, a resplendency in his perfections which, if I may so speak, reflects the Deity to himself and the universe ; which casts its light through all worlds, and constitutes his manifested glory. The chief excellence of God consists in his goodness. Infinite amiableness and beauty are treasured up in his perfections, because the basis of them is the most pure, permanent, universal, and perfect goodness. This is the glory of his nature. But the intrinsic, or essential goodness of God does not admit of increase or diminution. God cannot possess more essential goodness than he does possess ; and, therefore, cannot be made essentially more glorious than he is. When, therefore, we speak of God's being glorified, or of the ad- vancement and promotion of his glory, we speak of the augmenta- tion of his manifested excellence — of the expression, or gratification of his infinite goodness, in some of its forms and modifications. It is not incompatible with his immutability, that the exhibition he makes of his nature should be capable of continual growth and enlargement, and that his manifested excellence should receive fresh accessions, and be continually growing more extended and more refulgent. For all that we know, the manifested glory of God is susceptible of augmentation that is perpetually progressive. In the same proportion in which the scene opens, will the true character of God be unfolded, and his perfect goodness made known. And as the drama draws to a close, and the catastrophe of the mighty plot begins to be developed, at every step of this pro- gressive disclosure will the heart of God be acted out, the name of God magnified, the glory of God displayed abroad, and the divine goodness infinitely and for ever exalted and gratified. This is what we mean when we say, that the glory of God is the ultimate end of all his conduct, and that he made all things for himself. It was that he might manifest the perfections of his nature, and thus exalt and gratify his infinite goodness. This is God's ultimate end. This is the end to which all other ends are subordinate and subservient. Jehovah, the king of Israel, is " the first and the last ;" he is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending ;" the first cause and the last, or supreme end of all things. "Of him, and to him, and through him, are all things." " All things that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. 17 invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, principalities, and powers, all were created by him and for him. God himself often declares in his word, that he will do, or refrain from doing, " for his own sake," — for " his name's sake," — " for his praise," — " for his glory," — and, that " in all things he may be glorified." What means the sublime declaration in the Apocalypse ? " And the four beasts rest not day nor night, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things^ and for thy pleasure they are and were created /" Whom could God ultimately regard, in the creation of all things, except himself? Before the creation there was none otlier in ex- istence but God. The motives to create must, of necessity, be within himself Is it said, that future existence itself may be an end in proposing and causing it to exist ? Is it said, that the excellence of his work was an inducement to create ? But for what purpose did God propose happiness ? Did he act without a motive ? Or was it to express and gratify his own per- fect goodness ? Was it his love of happiness, his delight in happi- ness, that induced the purpose and the wish l The divine glory deserves the most regard. Not only must the infinite and eternal Creator have had some end in view in the crea- tion, but one that justifies the expressions of his omnipotence, and that is worthy of the greatest and best Being in the universe. We can conceive of many ends that might have presented themselves to his mind, but we can conceive of no supreme end short of him- self, without derogating from his perfect excellence. Universal creation is but a pomt compared with God. Language, and figures, and comparisons, are lost in the contemplation of his being and nature. The material and intellectual universe is but a faint adum- bration of what God himself is, and presents a mere shadow, an emblem of his infinite perfections. All nations, all worlds, are but a " drop of the bucket," compared with him, and no more than the small vapour to the immense ocean. Immeasurable glories and blessedness belong to Him who fills immensity. The glory of the infinite God, therefore, deserves the highest regard. And with reverence be it spoken, it became him to make this his design, as really it becomes him to give the preference to an archangel above an insect. The use which God actually makes of his creation, shows what end it was intended to answer. It subserves the end for which it was originally intended. And what do the Scriptures and facts declare this to be ? Obviously, not the happiness of all God's creatures ; for they are not all happy. Human misery stares us 2 18 GOD THE END OP ALL THINGS. in the face wherever we turn our eyes. In eternity .there are, and will be greater and deeper miseries than are found in time. So ^ that if the hnppiness of all God's creatures be the ultimate end of creation, most certainly the divine purpose is defeated. But facts and the Bible unite in declaring that the Use God makes of his universe is the promotion and advancement of his own glory. When we survey the works of creation, to what do we see them so really and so much subservient, as the glory of the Creator ? " All thy works praise theeJ* " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." If we survey the works of Providence, what do they illustrate so clearly, as the suprema- cy, wisdom, goodness, power, and presence of the Almighty and efficient Ruler ? What grand and deep impression do they pro- duce on the mind, if not this, that they are lull of God ? — that by them his name is " declared throughout all the earth" — and that through them men " may know that he is the Lord ?" It will not be doubted that the glory of God is the great end of the work of redemption. Angels, when they announced it, sang " Glory to God in the highest !" The Redeemer, when he achieved it, prayed, " Father, glorify thy name !" All its promises are " yea and amen to the glory of God, by Jesus Christ." The graces, and hopes, and joys it imparts to the saints, are to " make known the riches of his glory." And the final and triumphant song it inspires in the heavenly world, is "unto him be glory !" Not only is the glory of God the ultimate end of all his goodness and mercy to the saints, but of all his justice and indignation to the ungodly. *' The wrath of man shall praise the Lord." Allelujas to God and the Lamb shall ascend, when the smoke of the torments of the damned go up for ever and ever. And the close of this terrestrial scene shall de- clare and confirm the truth we are enforcing with a deep and memorable emphasis. A voice from heaven shall then be heard, saying, " It is done ; I am Alpha and Omega !" When the great design shall be consummated, and creation, providence, and re- demption shall have been brought to their final issue, and the Judge shall have pronounced the final sentence, then shall this redeeming God and King " deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and God shall be all in all : " and this surrender shall eternally proclaim to the universe, that " God made all things for himself" God shall be all in all. God shall be infinitely and for ever glorified. But it may not be amiss to occupy a few pages in vindicating THE CONDUCT OF GoD IN THUS MAKING HIMSELF HIS LAST END. There is nothing which the Scriptures represent as more essential to en- larged and consistent views of truth, as well as to the great in- terests of vital piety, than some just conceptions of this part of our subject. There is nothing of which God himself is so jealous, nothing he regards so deeply as his own glory. This he is im- mutably resolved to secure and advance, and by all means, and at every step of its development, to make men see. He " will not GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. 19 give his glory to another." His glory is, with him, a consideration of paramount influence, in every condition and circumstance, and in all worlds. It is second to nothing which the Infinite Mind itself has ever conceived. Holy beings in heaven and on earth have no larger wish, no greater desire, than to behold greater and brighter exhibitions of the divine excellence. It is of the highest importance in itself, that God should appear in the perfect exercise and exhibition of his divine excellence. The importance of this exhibition depends on the intrinsic and manifold perfections of the divine nature. If there were no excellence in the Deity, we should be far from considering it desirable that his true character should appear ; much less should we desire that the full and complete exhibition and gratification of it should be the ultimate end of all that he does. In itself considered, no matter how long, or how impenetrably, intrinsic turpitude of character lies concealed ; it is deformed and disgusting to look at ; it makes no one the better or happier for being familiar with it ; but the more fully, the more impressively intrinsic excellence is disclosed, the deeper is the conviction of its reality and loveliness, and the more sublime and beautiful the survey and inspection of its glories. Now, it is because God is infinitely great and good, that it is desirable to " see him as he is." That immensity and majesty, that power and wisdom, that supremacy and immutability, that pure, perfect, and universal goodness, which diffuse their energy into all the divine plans, and spread such beauty and glory over all the divine works and conduct, are in him excellences of the highest kind, and im- measurable in degree. We do not appreciate the exhibition of the divine excellence, because we have such low and grovelling thoughts of God. Were this immensely great and infinitely glo- rious Being always viewed as he is, did we see him to be " the first fair and the first good," were we always possessed of just and com- prehensive conceptions of his glory, we should entertain no doubt, that the reflection of this excellence, the progressive difllision of these concentrated rays, is the highest and best end which the Supreme Intelligence could propose to himself in all his works. The principle on which we affirm this, is inwoven with all our common sense and moral calculations. Every man regrets, and deems it an unhappiness, when a measure of mere human excel- lence is hid from the public eye. When virtue languishes in solitude, when genius withers in retirement, when the heavy hand of external discouragement or internal depression bears down the rising efforts of intellectual or moral greatness, what benevolent mind does not reflect upon such calamity with pain ? And if in proportion to the degree of excellence is the importance that it should be unfolded, beyond conception important is it that the matchless, manifold, infinite, and eternal excellence of the Diety should appear, and be displayed abroad in all its glory. If the king, eternal, immortal, and invisible, possesses, not the resem- blance and image, but " the living features" of perfection, who 20 GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. feels it not to be important that the light of his fair countenance should be lifted upon the universe he has made, and that every subject of his empire should be constrained to see, that " none in heaven can be compared unto the Lord, and none among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord ?" Not only is there in this disclosure ineffable loveliness and beauty, but there is equity both to himself and his creatures. If he is a holy God, and there is beauty in his holiness, then ought it to appear that he is holy and not sinful. If he is just, and there are beauties and amiableness in his justice, then is it desirable and important that his justice should appear, and be magnified : and that he should for ever be acquitted of the imputation of cruelty, caprice, and injustice. If he is wise, and powerful, and good, then is it infinitely desirable that these perfec- tions of his nature should be acted out, and he exalted and gratified ; and that no order of beings should ever call in question the wis- dom, eflicacy, or benevolence of his administrations. If he is gra- cious and merciful, then ought all men to see " what is the fellow- ship of the mystery which, from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known through the Church, his manifold glory." If he is supreme, then is it desirable that his supremacy should appear, and that all should know, that he " does his pleasure in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth." And if he is in every view a being of faultless, unequalled perfection, and that every intellectual and moral excellence adorns his nature, and are the habitation and glory of his throne, then is it of the highest im- portance that his unblemished glory should shine forth, and that nothing mar its unrivalled beauty. There was an emphasis in the inquiry of Moses, that sinks into the soul of every godly man and every bending seraph, " What will become of thy great name ?" We know that among fallen spirits, and in this world of ours that lieth in wickedness, the divine character has been subjected to the foulest stains, his government reproached, and his designs defamed ; and unless his excellence appear in cloudless glory, dissipating the obscurity in which it has been enveloped by the ignorance, mis- conception, and wickedness of creatures, the stain can never be wiped away. God must be glorified. Every supposed blemish must be removed by the exhibition of himself. Every murmur against him must die away. " Every mouth must be stopped." And nothing short of the actual development of the divine nature can attain this end. All that God is, and all that he does, must " come to the light," that it may be approved and applauded by ten thousand tongues, and ten thousand times ten thousand con- sciences, and that their approbation and their plaudits may be eternal. It is also through the bright exhibitions of his own glory, that the God of love designs to secure and perpetuate the perfect and progressive holiness of unnumbered multitudes of his creatures. GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS. SI Some of the creatures of God were created holy, and have main- tained their primeval integrity, and will maintain it for ever. Some were created holy, and fell from their primitive rectitude, and have given birth to a race of beings, fallen like themselves. Of these, a great multitude are recovered from their apostasy, and will continue steadfast in their obedience without end. And it is obvious to remark, that whether true holiness, or moral rectitude, is found among angels or men, it is advanced and perpetuated by the same nrueans. Wherever it is found, it consists in holy love, and prima- rily, in love to the adorable and ever blessed God. " Love is the fulfilling of the law." " He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." He that " loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love." Now it accords with the Scriptures, and all the experi- ence of good men that the love of God exists and is sustained through the knowledge of God. The Divine Spirit, is indeed, the immediate and only cause and author of this heavenly disposition ; but the knowledge of God is the great instrument of it. This is the aliment of all healthful moral existence. Wherever sinful beings are made holy, it is by becoming acquainted with God. When God renews the hearts of the sons of men, and sheds abroad his love in them, they are illumined from above, and enabled to discern the supreme excellence and glory of the divine character. " God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shines in their hearts, to give them the light of the knowledge of his glory ^ in the face of Jesus Christ." And wherever holy beings see and learn most of God they become most holy. Holy affections delight in nothing but a holy object, and the most holy affections delight in nothin