revelation has shadowed out the future state, carrying the thoughts as far as we can from the mere figure, to what would, in a higher sense, best correspond to it. In such an exercise, the particular character of the individual's mind his taste, his less or greater abstraction in thinking, will and very properly may, have a leading influence. Many pious minds may love to imagine something very considerably in analogy with the present order of existence,—only greatly raised and refined, but never losing sight of the parallel; and this will, no doubt, greatly contribute to a distinctness of ideas; an analogous order of senses-and as adapted to them, beautiful and sublime scenes, enchanting music of sounds, &c.

With others the wish will be to go as far away from resemblance as is possible without going into absolute and impalpable abstraction, into an unrealizable vacuity. And this, we think, is strongly warranted by what is said of the nature of the body which shall be constituted at the resurrection, and by the consideration of its immortality. Something widely, immensely different from all that belongs to it now, is surely implied by the assertion that it is to be like "the glorious body" of the Mediator. What can we imagine of that body? Far, very far, surely, from any close analogy with this earthly structure. Consider it too, as capable of rising to "meet the Lord in the air." Consider, again, that pointed contrast, rather than any parallel, which the apostle exhibits in his account of it, a body raised in "glory," in "power," in "incorruption,"-and, to crown all, a "spiritual" body. He displays this body in lofty triumph over the present body. The description gives the full impression of something, not only immensely different, but specifically and essentially different. And then consider the strange, the mysterious circumstance of its immortality. A bodily structure immortal!-adapted to live for ever and

ever.

Here we are carried away out of all conceivable analogy, as by the whirlwind that took Elijah away.

In this its immortality, we are not to suppose the operation of a perpetual miracle,-but,-that it will be naturally immortal, by the same essential law as the soul is so; that it will not have, either in its material consistence or its vital organization, any inherent principle of decay. But how confounded is all intellect or fancy, in the attempt to conceive of such a body,-or of its senses, parts, or vital action. And if we attempt to imagine a material scenery, and order of elements, corresponding in quality to such a body, how lost are we again! Yet such a representation calls upon us, not to forbear thinking on the mysterious subject, but to aim at thinking sublimely.

But after all, and amidst all, our efforts to conceive of the mode of the future existence, it will be well to occupy our contemplations much upon the grand general elements of the future felicity :-holiness-charity-wisdom-power -immortality-enjoyment of the Divine presence and be

nignity.

And finally, let no curiosity of high speculation beguile us, for a moment, out of recollection of the one mighty difference, of the two grand opposites,-in the future state, the condition of the redeemed and purified, and the unbelieving and unrighteous.

VOL. II.

LECTURE LXIX.

THE CHRISTIAN IDEA OF THE PERFECTIBILITY OF MAN.

1 CORINTHIANS Xiii. 10.

"When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

ONE of the general ideas naturally arising at the repetition of such worlds would be, that FUTURITY is the greatness of man, and that hereafter is the grand scene for the attaininent of the fulness of his existence. When depressed and mortified by a conscious littleness of being, yet feeling emotions and intimations which seem to signify that he should not be little, he may look to futurity and exclaim, "I shall be great yonder!" When feeling how little belongs to him, how diminutive and poor his sphere of possession here, he may say, "The immense futurity is mine! I may be content to be poor awhile in the prospect of that!" If here obscure and even despised, he may reflect, "Well, it is not here that I expect, or want, to verify my importance." If forcibly admonished of the brevity of life, the thought may arise, "Well, the sooner my entrance on a life that shall have no end."

It

Another thing we may observe upon the words is, that it is most gratifying to see the divine revelation connecting the attribute, the condition of perfection, on any terms, in any sense, at any future period, with human nature. would be gratifying if this were but intimated as a mere possibility;-it is most emphatically so, to see it expressed as an assurance-a promise. Think of man, the combina

tion of all defects! Let any conceivable excellence be named, and the very mention of it is, in effect, a reproach to him, as not having it, or having it in but a very deficient measure. Whoever does possess the most of any one of them, is deeply lamenting to perceive how partial, how miserably little, the amount is, compared with even far less than perfection. Looking at man, we seem to see a vast collection of little beginnings,-attempts,-failures; like a plantation on a bleak and blasted heath. And the progress in whatever is valuable and noble, whether in individuals or communities, is so miserably difficult and slow. So that "the perfectibility of man," in the sense in which that phrase has been employed, stands justly ridiculed as one of the follies of philosophic romance. Then how delightful is it to see revelation itself, pronouncing as possible, and predicting as to come, something "perfect" in the condition.

of man.

Next observe, that this prediction of something "perfect" to come, relates to knowledge. This is somewhat surprising. It seems much more easy to conceive of perfection in another state attained or conferred, in any of what may be called the moral attributes, than in knowledge, even in any moderate and comparative sense. For instance ;-perfect rectitude of the actuating principle, the motives ;-perfect reverence of the Supreme Being;-a perfect spirit of obedience; perfect "charity;"-or, to say all in one, perfect holiness. These are things of a more simple and absolute nature; qualities to be created and fixed within the being itself;-simply a rectification of its own constitution and habitude, which we can conceive effected by a single act of the Divine Power. But knowledge is not a state of the dispositions of the intelligent being,-not an intrinsic quality of its nature; but an intellectual relation which it has with other things, with any thing, with all things, which can come

within the sphere of its apprehension. The scope of this relation has no necessary limit;-but is quite indefinite; and may be amplified through every successive period of duration. All things in the stupendous totality of existence, and even in possibility, are subjects for knowledge. To hear, then, from the voice of divine truth, a prediction for men, of perfection in knowledge, in any, the most limited, accommodated sense, is very marvellous. It is a sublime prospect, contemplated under the most limited sense of the terms which display it to us.

Let us attempt, for a few moments, to realize to our imagination such a state of knowledge as our text would imply.

The lowest point we can take, in the first place, is the exclusion of error;—or, in other words, that all opinion will be truth. The intellect must be perfectly rectified in its mode of perception and action; and the objects on which it is employed undeceptively presented to it. So that, if the manner of apprehending be intuition, the objects will be made clearly self-evident. Or, if there be an exercise like reasoning, the evidence will be explicit, and the reasoning process infallible; so that every thing admitted as knowledge shall be absolutely such. It could not but be in the heavenly state, a painful, a melancholy thing, for the spirit, after exulting in the reception of a portion of knowledge, to find out that it had been imposed on and deluded;-to be beset at each progressive stage, with the suspicion that the apparent advance is perhaps to be trodden back again, as just so far wrong. So far, then, the knowledge will be "perfect," that nothing delusive and erroneous will be included in what is taken for knowledge.

Again; we may conceive its perfection in this sensenamely, that it will be perfectly adequate to the infallible