LIFE AND DEATH.

LECTURE I.

THE EDENIC DISPENSATION.

GENESIS ii. 7.

"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."

Ir may reasonably be presumed, apart from any overweening sense of one's own personal claims upon public attention, that, in announcing a series of discourses on the " Theology of the Bible,"* some inquisitiveness may have been excited in the minds of those who feel any interest in the truth; and, perhaps, a state of mind has been antecedently produced, which is rather curious and disquiet than devoutly reflective and calm, and which may, in consequence, disturb that consciousness of interested fellowship in which I desire we should come, at the present time, to the oracle of truth.

It is a great attainment, and evinces a noble independence, when a mind will, in the spirit of earnest devotion and inquiry, look the truth humbly but

* These lectures were originally delivered under the title of the "Theology of the Bible," to young men in Lodge Street Chapel, Bristol, in the months of February and March, 1849.

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steadily in the face; and, without anticipations and pre-judgments, go whithersoever it is directed. It often happens, that the calm and independent current of our thoughts, in the investigation of truth, is interrupted by a foresight of the conclusion which we are about to reach,-a conclusion which, because opposed to our previous belief, is, on this account, anxiously avoided. The inquirer, thus taken by surprise, is injuriously checked by his prejudices; and, unless accustomed to independent thought, and urged on by the irrepressible thirst after truth, forecloses abruptly the prosecution of the inquiry.

It were too much to presume that, in a mixed assembly like the present, none should be mentally circumstanced as I have supposed: I hope, however, notwithstanding this forestalling tendency, that I may be permitted to lead the way in these interesting inquiries, in which I shall endeavour from the Bible to show, that the popular religious teaching gives an incorrect representation of the fall of man, and as a consequence, does not accurately represent his redemption by Christ. The scriptures, I have been led to believe, exhibit the fall of man as a more intelligible and complete ruin, and the redemption by Christ as a more rational and blessed recovery, than is commonly taught. My endeavour will be to indicate the teaching of the Bible on the important subject of human immortality, with the view of proving that this doctrine, as professed by the modern Christian church, is a tradition of the old speculative philosophy of the heathen sages, which is nowhere recognized in, but is most repugnant to the word of God.

But this is an undertaking which will probably be considered by many as unnecessary as it is presumptuous. Is it possible, some may ask, that the Christian church can have nurtured in her bosom such mischievous and distracting errors, and that

through a long series of ages they should not have been discovered, and that it remains for us in the nineteenth century to go back to first principles, and revise the basis of our holy faith? Even so. If all impartial history assures us, that very early in the Christian era the seeds of serious errors were sown in the bosom of the church,-and if the progress of that history exhibits, in its many controversies, the germination and too successful growth of these errors, is it not rather probable that the lateness of the period in which we live, instead of putting us beyond their reach, has afforded a longer time for their destructive maturity, and that now may be the harvest-time of many early errors, and we may in reality be feeding upon their fruit? If the living and true vine" be closely pressed upon by the forest trees of old errors, is it improbable that the "branches" of "the true vine" shall put forth their tendrils to these deceitful props, and by seeking other supports, be unconsciously dishonouring the parent. stock? Let not then the supposition of a necessary doctrinal perfection prejudice the mind in the prosecution of this inquiry. No less authority than Douglas thus wrote on the rise of error in the primitive church :- "The early Christians were by no means aware of the extent of their danger when they enumerated only the heresies and the heretics, that were without the church. The same errors were also spreading within. Those who were vehement and determined in their errors, naturally separated themselves from others, and distinguished themselves by a peculiar name, while the many, through whose minds the same erroneous notions of philosophy or superstition. were vaguely floating, remained included in the bosom of the church. As the multitude of believers increased, the number of crude and mistaken opinions they brought with them were multiplied also; and the study of the scriptures, the only cure for these evils, was either

neglected, or pursued upon visionary principles. While the doctors of the church were refuting heretics, they were often cherishing in their own writing the seeds of future heresies; and the tone of feeling and the mode of thinking among Christians was rapidly receding from the standard of scripture and the oracles of truth."*

In this and the following discourses, I desire to adhere closely to the word of God,-to take this word as the infallible instructor in all the matters of our religious faith and practice. It is not with human opinions, whether right or wrong, that I desire to have to do,-although these must, of necessity, be occasionally referred to, but with the plain and authoritative teachings of God. To this I have endeavoured to bring my own mind, from the conscious insufficiency and unsatisfactory character of much which I had been taught to believe was the revelation of God, but which I am constrained to regard as but the doctrines and commandments of men.

Mr. Noel, in his work on "The Union of the Church with the State," well observes, that since the doctrine of Christ "has been preached, men can no longer receive the creed of their fathers or of their country without investigation; but each one is bound to search after truth, to receive it, to maintain it, and to promulgate it in the world, in opposition to all error, however venerable or popular. Our Lord predicted, that this novel exercise of conscience in matters of religion, this independent inquiry, and resolute profession, would disturb society everywhere to its very foundations. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword;' to which may be added another declaration of our Lord, I am come to send fire on the earth.' And while this is the predicted effect of making conscience of our creed, the obligation to do so is no less obvious: "Let every man be fully * Errors Regarding Religion, pp. 58-9. See also pp. 82-3.

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