mory, of intellect, of imagination, of habit, of affection, and of moral conduct. The active, the intelligent, the amiable and useful, the pious and benevolent human being, becomes a lifeless, senseless, motionless mass of clay. Of this awful change our knowledge at present is incomplete. What is death? How is it produced? How are the vital powers extinguished; and what is the state of being which immediately succeeds? Is the vital principle totally lost; or does it continue to subsist in some new and untried state of existence ? And if extinct, is it possible that it should be kindled again? Is there any reason to expect a renovation of life? any faint hope that, in the revolution of ages, even though at some very distant period, there may be a restoration to percipient, active, happy existence? Ah! when shall spring visit the mouldering urn? Ah! when shall it dawn on the night of the grave? These are questions to which the light of reason and philosophy, and the voice of nature can give no clear and satisfactory answer. And, if, upon these interesting and momentous subjects we entertain any rational and cheerful hope, we are wholly indebted for it to the gospel of Christ, which hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light. SERMON II. IMPERFECTION OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. PART THE SECOND. 1 COR. xiii. 9. For we know in part. In illustrating this declaration of the apostle, which, though not gratifying to human vanity, asserts a fact which can be denied by none, and is most readily acknowledged by those who excel most in wisdom and in science; it has been observed in a former discourse, that human knowledge is limited both in its extent and in its degree, that the objects of knowledge are comparatively few, and that we are but imperfectly acquainted with the few things which fall under our notice. In our enlargement upon the latter topic it was remarked, that our conceptions of the nature and attributes of God are very limited-that we know but little of the works of nature, and of the phenomena and laws of the external world-also, that our knowledge of the constitution of human nature is very obscure, and that man is a mystery to himself. I add, 4. That we are in a state of great ignorance with respect to mankind in general, and to those with whom we associate in particular. We are very imperfectly acquainted with the natural history of man. The question has been warmly agitated, whether the human race are descended from one original pair, or whether there may not be different and distinct species of human beings, as of other animals which inhabit the terraqueous globe and whether the differences so obvious to the senses in the form, the colour, the intellect, and the temper of the different nations of mankind, are to be attributed to an original difference in the constitution of nature, or to a diversity of climate, of diet, of education and habit, and of their political and moral state. Of the civil history of mankind little can be known with certainty. Of the ancient history of nations it has been observed, satirically indeed, but not altogether without foundation, that it is rather the record of what men have agreed to believe, than of real facts. The records of the Hebrew nation are probably those which have been preserved with the greatest fidelity: yet the earlier part of Jewish history, like that of other ancient nations, is so involved in allegory and fable, that it is not always easy to discriminate the truth. Of the majority of nations, even of those which are most civilized, and have been the longest so, the origin is involved in obscurity inextricable, and the date of genuine and credible history has been computed by some judicious persons as not extending further back than to a series of two thousand years. We hear, indeed, of histories of eastern nations of much earlier date, but till such histories are produced, and laid open to public inspection, and till they are subjected to the severe test of critical inquiry, a wise man will suspend his faith in |