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float at the greatest distance in outer darkness. This may be thought to be contradicted by what is said in Scripture of the heavenly paradise; but if what is here advanced be the mere conjecture of science, we are to remember that revelation is always clothed in images adapted to human prejudices. But all we are in reality concerned about is, the certainty of a future state; and in this, science and revelation join hand in hand.

20. "What do you mean by the perfection of the Deity?"

The concentrated reflection of all his attributes, which is not so visible when we examine them one by one; for this is like dissecting an animal to examine each limb separately. But if this perfection reflected from all his works so abounds in the effects, it must be equally exuberant in the cause. If we call it perfection to be without fault, then the Deity is perfect in every sense in which we can view him; or, he is perfection itself-and all the perfection in created things is only his shadow or reflected image.

21.

66 What do you mean by the Holiness of the

Deity?"

Holiness, as applied to the Deity, is that attribute which signifies the perfect freedom of his essence from corruption and unsoundness of parts; and therefore he is infinitely holy. Man's body is

the reverse. It contains within it the seeds of corruption. It must be dissolved. But this mortal will put on immortality. The seed however of this change must be sown here in holiness of life; and then, hereafter all the corruption or unholiness of God's accepted will be purged out from the eternal presence, and they will be, through the divine agency of the Mediator, as if it had never been. While those who refused to be cleansed will be expelled beyond the present glory of the Deity, and may take their stations in outer darkness, as naturally as foam rises to the surface of an agitated stream.

CHAPTER II.

THE CREATION.

1. "What is natural philosophy ?”

Natural philosophy has for its object, causes and effects, and the laws of nature. Its province is substance or matter and its attributes; and in its researches, whether in chemistry, manual experiment, or observation in natural history, it looks through nature up to nature's God.

"How do you distinguish between natural philosophy and the abstract sciences ?"

These are busied in language, arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and so forth: being such as depend upon memory and thought-upon reasons and their conclusions.

"In what age of the world did natural philosophy originate?"

Its principles must have employed the reasoning faculties of mankind from the very creation. The vain cosmogonies of the heathen world were the produce of its speculations upon the religious creed. But their theology soon left both nature and reason behind, and became a tissue of ab surdities. And no truth is more certain than this,

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-that errors in religion are inimical to natural truth, insomuch that the philosophy of the heathens was as absurd as their theology.

"But were all the heathen world in this darkness of natural science?"

A few highly talented individuals, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, had a glimpse of the true light of nature; and spoke of the attributes of a Great First Cause, maintaining that virtue and vice were a something more than the will of a number of imaginary deities, whose personal example with respect to morality, would have been a disgrace to human nature. But still, if they saw the absurdity of the popular creed, their theology was so interwoven with all their notions of the energies of nature, that it was beyond both their power and their daring to separate the one from the other.

"What effect had the doctrine of these great men on succeeding ages with respect to the progress of natural science?"

The dogmas of Aristotle bound it in fetters of adamant; which were not broken till our immortal countrymen burst them asunder; and it is remarkable that the fetters at the same time fell from true religion.

"Who were the regenerators of this science?"

Bacon shewed that common sense and experience must be the basis of all science. Newton demonstrated the mechanical laws of matter on the large scale on mathematical principles. Boyle led the way by chemical experiment to the true knowledge of nature in her elementary operations. Locke rescued mental philosophy from the trashy science of ontology. These, as stars of the first magnitude, along with others of various splendour, form a bright constellation in our hemisphere, and they were no less brilliant for their stedfast faith in the true religion.

"Since you say the heathen philosophy and theology were inseparably blended together, they must have had some features common to both as the bond of union-which do you consider the most prominent ?"

Belief in a future state of rewards and punishments; than which nothing could be more firmly relied on by all the various tribes and nations of mankind, wherever dispersed over the face of the whole earth.

"What advantage in a religious point of view do you expect from the rapid progress of natural philosophy?"

That it will every day add strength to the evidence of the revelation of the Bible, being no other than the will of Him who is the Author of nature;

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