tament: e. g. Lev. 11: 44. 19: 2. 1 Thess. 4: 3, 7. 2 Cor. 7: 1. Heb. 12: 10, 14, sq. In the creation of the world, God must have designed to impart to every creature that degree of perfection and of well-being, of which it should be susceptible. For the attainment of this great end, he employs the most suitable means. This results inevitably from his wisdom; vid. § 24, I. Now since man is by far the noblest of all the living creatures who inhabit the earth, and possesses the most superior powers, especially of an intellectual kind, he must have been created by God for a more exalt=ed end, and with a higher destination, than that of other creatures. In consequence of the greater perfections with which he is endowed, he is capable of a higher degree of happiness, for the attainment of which he is incited to strive by the obligations arising from his moral nature.

1. The destination of man in this life, embraces the following particulars:

(a) Man possesses the right and the power to make use of the other creatures of the earth for his own advantage. He is Dominus in res creatas; Gen. 1: 26, sq. Ps. VIII. This right he possesses by virtue of the rational and moral nature which God has given him.

(b) As lord of the other creatures, man accomplishes the design of God, or his own destination, when together with his concern for his own welfare, he promotes in every possible way the comfort and welfare of all his fellow creatures, and especially the happiness of his fellow men, with whom, according to the design of God, he stands in the closest and most intimate relation; cf. Acts 17: 26. To this he is also obliged by the divine law, which, whether externally revealed, or written on his heart, requires him to love his neighbour as himself.

(c) God must have designed, in endowing man with such noble capacities and powers, that he should cultivate and exercise them all, and employ them for his own advantage, and that of his fellow creatures. The more diligently and actively, then, we employ the powers with which we are gifted by God, for the good of ourselves and others;—the more we seek to develope, cultivate, and by constant exercise, to strengthen our moral, and indeed our whole nature; the more conformably shall we live to the end for which we were made. Diligence, labor, and activity, are indispensably requisite to the fulfilment of our destination. Even the life of paradise is not

described by Moses, as idle and inactive. Man was there to be employed in "tilling the ground," Gen. 2: 5, 15. The improvement of all our powers and capacities is the end of our rational nature. And all the care and effort which we may now bestow upon the improvement of our powers, will prepare us richly for whatever we are to be, or to do hereafter. To cultivate and improve our whole nature, is the duty daily alloted us by God.

(d) But man should be especially attentive to the improvement of his higher nature, his spirit. Man alone of all the creatures on the earth, possesses the distinguishing excellence of a rational soul, and of freedom of will. This is all which gives his existence an absolute worth. This is that true inborn nobility, which essentially raises him above the rank of all his fellow creatures upon the earth. -By the proper use of his reason, and of all the higher powers of his spirit, man becomes capable of a happiness of which no other creature on the earth is capable. This higher happiness is founded upon the knowledge of truth and moral good; and especially upon religion, or the knowledge and reverential love of God, of which man alone is capable, and which is the most powerful means of promoting holiness; vid. Introduction, § 2, sq. Now it is a law of reason, and so the design and will of God, who has given us our reason, that the moral powers and faculties of our nature should be developed and strengthened by exercise. Consequently, to exercise these powers,-to do justly, and show mercy, in all the circumstances in which we are placed, is the way for us to discharge our present duty, and to testify our love to God. And every instance in which we neglect to improve the opportunities afforded us of exercising and improving our moral powers, is a failure in duty, which is always attended with hurtful consequences.

The Book of Ecclesiastes contains many excellent rules for the accomplishment of our destination upon the earth; most of them in the form of Proverbs; as 2: 24. 3: 12, sq. 5: 17. 9:9. They may be briefly expressed as follows: Man is happy and lives according to the end for which he was made, "when he wisely enjoys the present; when in the right way, he seeks for peacefulness of soul, cheerfulness, and serenity of mind;-when he fulfils his social duties; when he loves and serves God, and is active and diligent in the employment of his powers; remembering that he does not exist merely for himself, and for the sake of selfish enjoyment, but for the sake of benefiting others, as far as he is able."

was

2. The destination of man beyond the grave. That man not made for the present life alone, is a doctrine which, although by no means unknown before the time of Christ, had not as yet been clearly and distinctly revealed. But Christ and his apostles inculcated this encouraging and consoling truth with great earnestness, and made it the basis of all their exhortations; vid. 2 Cor. 4: 18. Phil. 3: 20. Col. 3: 1-4. It may be adopted as a first principle, that the right enjoyment and the proper use of the present life is the best preparation for happiness in the life to come; and, on the other hand, constant and earnest effort to prepare for happiness in the future world, is the best way to be happy here. Cf. 1 John 3: 2, sq.-In order that we may be prepared for future happiness, and capable of enjoying it, we must be holy. "Without holiness no

man can see the Lord," Heb. 12: 14. And the greater the advances we make in holiness, knowledge, and the practice of known truth, in the present life, the greater will be our happiness in the life There is, and must be, a close and unalterable connexion between our holiness here, and our happiness hereafter.

to come.

Note. From these observations, which we think just and scriptural, we conclude, that man is placed in the present life principally, indeed, to prepare for the next, but not solely for this purpose. And he, it must be allowed, fails of fulfilling the whole end of his being, who forgets the present, in the hope of the future; or who labors in such a way to prepare for the life to come, as to render himself inactive and useless in this. Future blessedness is only the continuation and perfection of that which begins here. And we must now begin to be active, holy, and happy, that we may continue to be so in a more perfect manner hereafter. The present is the time to sow ;-the harvest will come in the future world. He therefore who does not sow here, cannot expect to reap beyond the grave. It is a part of the end of our being, to be happy even in the present life; however inferior may be the happiness we can obtain here, to that which we hope for in heaven. Our life upon the earth is an end, as well as a means. And if we earnestly seek to do the will of God, the present life, even in itself considered, is not worthless; though its value is infinitely raised by the certainty of a future life.-In regard to the proper use of the time now allotted us, we have a pattern in the example of those pious men, who are recommended in the Bible for our imitation; and especially in the example of Jesus, which, even in this respect, is the most perfect of all. These hints on the destination of man, are carried out in Spalding's "Bestimmung des Menschen," Leipzig, 1794; and in the Essay of Töllner, "Ist das gegenwartige Leben nur eine Prüfungszeit?" in his "Theologishen Untersuchungen," Th. I. S. 402, f. Cicero in his Book "De finibus bonorum et malorum," states the theories of the various schools among the Greeks respecting the summum bonum, or the finis bonorum. Seneca calls the desti

nation of a thing, or of a man, finis naturæ suæ, suum cujusque (rei sive bominis) bonum. To attain or fulfil one's destiny, he calls, ad finem naturæ suæ pervenire, sive, attingere finem naturæ suæ, Ep. 76.

$52. Of the Mosaic account of the origin of the human race.

I. General remarks.

Most nations have some ancient traditions respecting the origin of the human race; which, however, differ widely from each other. Many of the heathen nations believed, that their forefathers, or the human race, sprung originally either from the earth, rocks, trees, eggs, teeth, or other inanimate things; or that they were produced by wild beasts; vid. the passages cited in Meiners' "Geschichte der Menschheit," S. 245. There were comparatively few of the ancient heathen nations, who supposed, that the human race, or particular nations, were derived from gods, heroes, or giants; and even these differed very much from one another in their accounts; some supposing that the first men were brought forth in the way of natural generation by these superior beings; and others, that they were only formed by the gods from some inanimate material, earth, stones, etc. and then endowed with life.

In the first and second chapters of Genesis, Moses has preserv ed the ancient traditions of the Hebrew nation with respect to the origin of man. These traditions are substantially the same with those of other Oriental nations; and they are uniformly followed by the other sacred writers. As here recorded by Moses, they breathe the very spirit of the ancient world; although they exhibit more truth, completeness, and connexion, than are found in the traditions and fables of other nations respecting the origin of our race. According to the Mosaic account, the whole human race is derived from one stock; as Paul expresses it, ἐξ ἑνὸς αἵματος πᾶν Ovos ávúлov, Acts 17: 26. The first man, Adam, was formed from the earth, Gen. II. and . Eccl. 12: 7. 1 Cor. 15: 47, 6 πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γῆς, χοϊκός. and from Adam, Gen. 2: 18, sq. Some modern investigators of nature have supposed, that the distinc

Eve was formed afterwards, 1 Cor. 11: 8, yuvn iš árdoos.

DESCENDED FROM ONE PAIR.

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tion found between the races of men cannot be accounted for on the supposition, that they all have proceeded from one stock. They have conjectured accordingly, that many different pairs of men were originally made. That climate, manner of life, means of subsistence, etc., could have produced all the variety which is perceived among the different races of men, is what they will not allow. But others affirm, that all the arguments adduced in support of this hypothesis are unsatisfactory; and contend with strong reasons for a contrary opinion. Among these is Forster; cf. his "Bemerkungen auf seinen Reise um die Welt," S. 226-254, Berlin, 1783. Also Kant, Ueber die verschiedenen Racen der Menschen, Königsberg, 1775, 4to. Blumenbach, De generis humani varietate nativa, Gottinga, 1776, Svo. Other nations besides the Hebrews have believed, that the human race descended from one original pair. Nor is it necessary to suppose, that they derived their belief on this point from the account of Moses. The supposition that the whole human race has descended from one pair, might naturally arise from various circumstances,—from the gradual peopling of countries round about,—from the old family tradition, that formerly the number of the human race was comparatively small,-and from the observation of the large and rapid increase of single families. Besides, these other nations might have derived much of what they believed respecting the origin of man, by direct oral tradition from the earliest times.

[Note. The question so much discussed among anthropologists respecting the different races of men, and their descent from one original pair, is of very considerable interest both to the theologian and the philanthropist.—It has an essential bearing upon the doctrines of inherited corruption, and of the atonement. But its most important bearing, is upon our duty to a very numerous race, who have long been excluded from the rights and privileges of fraternity in the human family. Lactantius has well said, (Div. Inst. V. 10) Si ab uno homine, quem Deus finxit, omnes orimur, certe CONSANGUINEI SUMUS; et ideo maximum scelus putandum est, odisse hominem VEL NOCENTEM. And this practical influence of the Christian doctrine of the consanguinity of all nations, may be seen in the extensive abolition of negro slavery by Christian nations. It deserves to be noticed that this scriptural doctrine, which is so connected with the highest interests of humanity, has been successfully vindicated on the ground of physiology against the ingenious and plausible attacks of those who make equal opposition to the Christian Scriptures and to African freedom. In addition to the works recommended by our author, we may mention that of H. F. Link, "Die Urwelt und das Alterthum," Berlin, 1821. There is one physiological argument, which, it would seem, must be conclusive against the sup