9. In the plenitude of health, and with a seemingly remote prospect of the great catastrophe of life, the courage of disbelievers may be tolerably firm; and even as the last hour draws on, they may seem but little moved: and, for the same reason that a school-boy whistles, in passing through a grave-yard, may maintain an appearance of their usual jocularity. But, they must be subject to occasional misgivings, in their earliest and best days; and these misgivings are not likely to be fewer, or more faint, as the shadows of the evening of life gather around them, and their sun is about to set. And, accordingly, on whatever principle it may be attempted to account for the fact, it does so happen, that a very considerable change takes place in the minds of many of them, when it appears pretty certain, that their extrema dies-their last day-has arrived. Few attain to such a pitch of hardihood, as to be able to repress every rising fear, when it is indubitable, that pulsation is about to cease: few are known to recommend their sentiments in death, as their best and most valued legacy to their surviving relatives and friends: few are heard to exult, on the margin of life, in prospect of the awful gulf of annihilation into which they are soon to sink few die as that arch-infidel, Hume, died. And we appeal to every man of sense and decency, whether idle jests are not quite out of place, and do not indicate a criminal degree of vanity and levity, where the solemn event of dissolution is at hand, even viewing it as only the loss of being.

The most affecting statements that ever met our eyes are those, which exhibit the death-bed scenes of persons, who lived denying the Author of their existence, and rejecting the provision which he has made for human salvation. And the stinging remorse, self-reproaches, bitter wailings, and appalling forebodings of these persons, arose not less, in some cases, from the evil which they had occasioned to others, than from the evil

which they had brought upon themselves. And, indeed, we can hardly conceive a cause of deeper and more heart-rending misery, than for a man-aroused, at length, to the folly and criminality of his conduct-to reflect, in the last hour of his earthly existence, that, although he die, the ruinous effects of his opinions and practices upon his family, or his friends, will never die, but pass with them into another state of being, and sink them lower than the grave!

THEISM GIVES NO RATIONAL ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF ALL THINGS.

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1. COULD we conceive the case of a man who had come into existence, in maturity; and, without the ordinary stages of progressive advancement from infancy to youth, and from youth to manhood-found himself in the possession of strong intellectual faculties, brought, at once, into exercise on the visible creation; and, consequently, admitting him to an extensive and profound acquaintance with its various phenomena; it would prove exceedingly interesting to learn his sentiments, as to the points at issue between theists and atheists.

This person might be held, for a time, in mute astonishment, or in silent admiration, at the objects of his contemplation ;-he might be driven to endless expedients to solve the problem of the universe ;—many of his guesses might be exceedingly ludicrous, and much confusion and uncertainty might run through his ideas : but, he would hardly settle down in absolute atheism; he would hardly infer eternity for so much contrivance; accident for so much beautiful and unvarying order; self-production for forms of existence so numerous and various; and the absence of benevolent purpose from the astonishing provision for all creatures, according to their respective natures and capacities. It would be difficult, indeed, to say how far he would succeed, in

decyphering the characters of Divinity impressed on the entire creation, and discerning the Supreme First Cause in the sensible manifestations of his glory everywhere beheld; but, it is almost certain, he would conclude, that an Intelligent Power resided somewhere; and although invisible, operated universally. This immense conclusion once attained, other conclusions would be easy, explanations would successively arise, and thousands of difficulties would vanish.

2. When an avowed atheist is requested to reconcile what he professes to believe, or rather, to disbelieve, with what he beholds, in what endless mazes of conjecture is he lost! to what subterfuges is he driven !— what contradictions are necessary in the attempt, to sustain his contradictious theory, and to impart a semblance of probability to notions, which are as unphilosophical as they are impious! Changes are immediately and incessantly rung on the phrases "eternity of matter" -"casual existence". "endless series "-" a principle of Nature" and so forth; phrases which assume every thing and prove nothing; and which pass current, only while employed as vague generalities. We have sometimes been astonished at the apparent self-satisfaction, not to mention the impudent dogmatism, with which certain pseudo-philosophers reiterate these terms; as if assumptions were facts, and vain words convincing arguments. Some latitude, perhaps, must be conceded to persons, who hold opinions contrary to all the world besides, for the truth of which they cannot adduce the shadow of real a proof; and who undertake, as to several points, to prove a pure negative.

The opinion which makes matter eternal is only an old fancy revived. Our modern atheists, who hold this opinion, may accredit themselves as the authors of an original conception; but their originality is plagiarism, and they are pretenders. It is, however, of no importince with whom arose the notion, or by whom it has

been promulgated, for it is utterly untenable. It may be difficult, or impossible, to disprove the eternity of matter, as an abstract question, by any process of reasoning, or induction of facts; it is a subject with which our feeble faculties would attempt in vain to grapple. But, where is found a semblance of proof, that matter has been eternal? The notion is absolutely destitute of proof; i it is a mere guess. But, whatever may be conjectured, or predicated, of masses of unorganized and inert matter, in this respect, cannot apply to matter as beheld in myriads of instances throughout the creation, without the previous assumption, which involves, according to all analogy, an impossibility, that contrivance can exist without a contriver; order, without arrangement; adaptation, without adapting power; an effect, without a cause :-nay, that an effect exceeds its pretended cause, to an inconceivable extent.

That something must have been eternal is evident, or nothing could ever have been. This, the theist and the atheist alike believe. But, then, what was this something? This is the point in dispute. Was it an Almighty Intelligence, or was it insensate matter? The religious man maintains the former, and accounts for all the known phenomena of Nature; the irreligious man the latter, and explains nothing. Which, for example, is more probable?-which approves itself most to our common sense?—that an eternal mind produced matter, or that eternal matter produced mind? bAn atheist asks, How could an eternal mind produce or modify matter? We have always felt the impotency and futility of this objection. First, it supposes a limitation to omnipotence and secondly, it insinuates that mind can have no power over matter that matter only can act upon matter-which is contrary to experience, Ignorance and presumption are the stumbling-block here. What infinite existence is, we are utterly incompetent to conceive. Infinity, applied to any thing