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only sinful: while others in the same chain, are considered as acts of mere obedience; and are therefore absolutely, and only, virtuous or holy. In this manner, then, such men, as we call good men, or Christians, are alternately perfectly holy, and perfectly sinful. St. John, in his first epistle, fifth chapter, and eighteenth verse, says, We know, that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himself; and that wicked one toucheth him not. As this is said by the Spirit of God, it is true. But in what sense is it true? Certainly not in the absolute sense, that he who is born of God, does not.commit any sin: for the same apostle says, chapter i. 8, If we say, that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves; and the truth is not in us. In this sense only, then, is it true, viz. that he, who is born of God, does not become absolutely a sinner. Yet in the case supposed, every such person becomes absolutely a sinner. For many such ideas and exercises in the long chain, which extends through life are absolutely sinful, during their existence; and each of these, during its continuance, is the Man, for the time being. For according to this scheme, there is, during each such period, nothing else existing.

Thus, if the scheme be true, man in his best estate falls from grace, and rises to it again, alternately; becomes absolutely a saint, and absolutely a sinner; is perfectly an object of the divine abhorrence, and the divine complacency, by turns; in thousands and millions of instances. How this doctrine is to be reconciled with the declarations of the Scriptures on this subject, I shall leave to the abettors of the scheme to determine.

9thly. This scheme contradicts intuitive certainty.

So far as I know, it is agreed by all philosophers, and, if the subject were fairly proposed, would be by every man, that we are all intuitively certain of our own existence. But I am not more certain, that I exist, than that I act; that I perceive, think, speak, reason, choose, and carry my choice into execution. I am as intuitively certain, that a something, denoted by the word I or myself, is a cause of certain effects; an agent, performing certain actions; as I am of any possible proposition. These effects, I also intuitively know, would not exist, were there not such an agent, or cause. My actions are intuitively seen by me not to VOL. I.

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be effects of an extraneous cause, or of something beside myself. It is metaphysically true, and is seen by me with the highest possible certainty to be true, that the thoughts and volitions, which I call mine, are really mine; and are brought into existence by an active power, which I intuitively perceive myself continually to exercise. They are not the thoughts, or volitions, of another; but are certainly discerned by me to be mine alone.

Whether this account of the subject be not exactly just, I appeal to every individual, to determine for himself. The propriety of this appeal will be evident from the consideration, that there is no other possible mode of presenting this subject to the view of mankind: since, whatever any man can know concerning it, he can know only by recurring to what passes within himself. As the heart of man answers to the heart of man, just as the face answereth to the face in the water; I am warranted to conclude, that every other man, with respect to this subject, experiences just such views, as I experience; and possesses the same evidence, which I possess.

But if this evidence does not assure me, that I exist as an agent, an active cause, originally and spontaneously operating, it will, I think, be impossible for me to be assured, that there is any such agent. The highest evidence of causation, or efficiency; of the necessity of a cause to the existence of an effect, of the production of beings, and changes in being, as effects, and therefore of the necessity of an Original cause, to account for the existence and government of all things, is found by me in the consciousness of my own agency. The certainty, perceived by mere mental inspection, that the changes passing in my own mind are produced by my own active power, is a higher certainty, than that, with which I perceive any other changes to be accomplished by any other active power. All other certainty of the production of such changes is presented by sensitive experience, or derived from reasoning, founded on this experience. But it is clear, that sensitive experience furnishes evidence, of a kind always less certain and indubitable, than that, which is seen by mental inspection. If, then, we cannot rely on the fact, that we are such agents, when it is exhibited with the certainty of mental inspection; we shall be much less warranted to rely on the fact, that there are any other such agents; because it must always be

supported by evidence, in its own nature inferior, and in a less degree requiring, or warranting, our assent. The admission, therefore, of this scheme will directly, and fundamentally, weaken, if not destroy, the evidence, by which we prove the being of God. Besides, if we are not agents, or active causes, possessing active powers, by which we can originate certain changes in the state of things, but are mere chains of ideas and exercises, it will be difficult to assign a reason, why GoD is not, also, a mere chain of ideas and exercises. Every argument against the existence of man, as a substance, and agent, must, I think, lie with the same force against the fact, that GoD is a substance, and an agent. On the one hand, there is at least as little difficulty in supposing, that an Omnipotent agent may create a finite one, as that such an agent can be self-existent; and, on the other, that God can create finite agents and substances, as that he can create chains of ideas and exercises; mere attributes, existing separately, and independently of any subject.

The Scriptures every where exhibit man as an agent, such as I have described. St. Paul, speaking of himself, and his fellow-apostles, says, 2 Corinthians vi. 1, We then, as workers together with God, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. And again, 1 Corinthians iv. 15, For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus have I begotten you through the Gospel. In the first of these passages, the Apostle directly asserts, that he and his companions are workers together with God in the great business of promoting the salvation of men: In the second, that he has been an agent, or active instrument, that is, he has been active, in conjunction with the Spirit of God, in producing the regeneration of the Corinthians. As he spoke this by the inspiration of that Spirit, it cannot but be true; and true in that sense, in which it naturally strikes the minds of the great body of mankind; because it was written chiefly for them; and because they could understand the words to mean nothing else.

These specimens may serve as examples of thousands more, in which the same thing is declared, in substance, throughout the Scriptures. I know not, that there is any particular advantage in selecting these rather than any others. Every page of the Bible, almost, will furnish many, as expressive of the same thing, as

those which I have selected. But these are sufficient; and, if these will not be admitted, I presume no others will be. If the Apostles were workers together with God; then they were not merely passive. If St. Paul really begat the Corinthian Christians, in the spiritual sense; then he was not merely passive. He was not merely an effect; but, while he was formed by Creative power, and was in this sense an effect of that power; he was also formed an agent, a cause, possessed in its own nature of active power, capable of spontaneous exertion; of volitions which were its own; and of motivity, by which it could commence motions and actions in itself, and changes of many kinds in other beings. I have thus considered this subject at length, in the manner, in which it has appeared to my own view; and, if I mistake not, have shown, that the scheme, which I have opposed, is erroneous in itself, and is followed by consequences plainly and eminently absurd. Each member of my audience must now be left to decide for himself, whether the doctrine, contended against, be true or false, Scriptural or anti-scriptural; whether the soul of Man be a chain of ideas and exercises; each created for the moment, and then perishing for ever; a concatenation of mere events, in their nature fleeting and vanishing, and incapable of any permanent existence, even for an hour; or whether it is a spirit; a substance; a permanent being; the subject of a continued existence; an agent, possessed of active powers; capable of voluntarily originating important designs, and carrying them into execution; and thus becoming a worker together with God in the interesting purposes of his eternal kingdom. According to the latter of these schemes, the soul of man is one; created at one time; and continuing the same, as to its substance and nature, throughout eternity: according to the other, the soul, for the time being, is the idea, or exercise, existing at that time; commencing its existence with the existence of the idea, and perishing with it. Of course, instead of one soul, there are in each chain as many, as there are ideas and exercises in that chain: that is, millions literally innumerable. If this scheme can be seriously adopted, rationally understood, and satisfactorily realized, by any man; it must be done in a manner, which I confess myself unable to comprehend, and by a mind, possessed of views and reasonings, to which I can make no pretension.

SERMON XXV.

THE CHIEF END OF MAN.

1 CORINTHIANS X. 31.

Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all tøthe glory of God.

IN the three last discourses, I have considered the Creation, and Nature, of Man. The next subject, naturally offered to our view by a system of Theology, is The End, for which man was made. By this, I mean the principal purpose, which he is fitted to answer; the thing, which God hud principally in view in bringing Man into

existence.

The importance of this subject can need very little illustration. The question, For what end was Imade; or, what end are my existence and faculties designed to answer; is instinctively realized by every sober man to import all, that is of any real moment to himself.

In the text, we are required to do whatsoever we do to the glory of God. This precept I consider as disclosing to us the true end, for which we were made. In examining it, I shall attempt to show,

I. What it is to glorify God:

II. That this is constituted by Him the chief end of man: and, III. The Propriety of this divine constitution.

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