THE
PROTOPLAST
THE FIRST MATTER.
"IN THE BEGINNING - GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE
EABTH."Genesis 1.1.
IN the few and simple words which head this Paper, the
Spirit of the Lord has spoken to us of the Protoplast of Matter; they form the
opening sentence of Divine Revelation, and instruct us concerning the first
production of " the things which are made." Before the period to which they
refer, Jehovah was alone, in the essential, uncreated essence of his Deity;
but, according to his almighty fiat, a visible and tangible universe appeared
before Him, in its glory; and we are henceforth to know Him as a manifested
God.
The expression, "heaven," is not to he understood as meaning the
firmament, as in verse 8 of the same chapter; or even our own solar system; but
the whole material creation of God. The "heavens and all the host of them" is
the expression elsewhere used.
As the grand starting-point for our future
considerations, the question suggests itself,—What is Matter? And yet who
can give the answer?
Nothing is more difficult than to give a true
definition of this word, on which so many learned pens have written; so many
eloquent tongues have discoursed.
We know Matter only as the antithesis of
another essence, which divides with it the universe,—that of Spirit. We,
who in the essentiality and truth of our being, are spiritual, are cognisant of
a thing which is not our own essence; a thing which has properties and powers,
totally unlike the qualities and attributes pertaining to our own existence. We
look upon it as a thing apart from us, and we call it Matter. As a lower
essence, it is perceived by us; as an inferior essence, it is governed by
us.
As a passivity, it is, at present, the means of communication between
spiritual activities, and the medium of mental manifestations. It is with us,
and yet not of us! it is observed by us, and yet not understood by us! it is
connected with us, and yet not essential to us!
We may say, without
hesitation, Matter is never conscious of its own existence; it cannot think,
hate, love, will, or remember. And these negative ideas of Matter are very
important, more so than they may at first appear; for they help us greatly in
forming true conceptions of this strange essence; so unlike that of which our
own being is composed, and yet so intimately linked with it. We may speak of
the extension, the divisibility, and the impenetrability of Matter; and of its
relative connexion with space; but this is rather to describe its properties,
than to define its nature; and although, in the earnestness of thought, we seek
for some satisfactory and comprehensive expression of a great idea, we find
ourselves baffled: and when we remember where curious speculations on this
subject led our own Berkeley, and some philosophers of the German school, we
may well acknowledge that Matter is as incomprehensible as the Divine Author of
its existence.
There have been various theories on the constitution of
Matter. The Atomic hypothesis is the one which has been, I think, most
generally received. According to this view, Matter is supposed to consist of an
immense number of solid particles, of a definite (though most minute) size and
figure, held apart by space, containing in themselves centres of certain forces
which radiate to infinity; and reciprocally influencing each other by the
action and reaction of their powers.
Supposing this theory to be true, I
think we may believe that motion, and not rest, is the universal law of Matter;
that, instead of the axiom of the old philosophers being correct, that Matter
loves rest, we should rather say, that every atom of Matter is necessarily in
ceaseless motion; and that its place in the universe is governed, at any given
moment, by the resultant of all the forces acting upon it, whether these be
gravity, heat, light, electricity, or other modifications of physical energy.
I have ventured to introduce this remark here, because I think it will be
found to bear upon many points of philosophy which will come before us in these
Papers. Although the Atomic theory appears in our day to be the prevailing one;
it has been variously modified, according to the views of different philosophic
minds. Some have supposed the atoms to have geometrical forms; some have
thought them to be spheres or spheroids, more or less oblate; some have
believed them to possess a true polarity,—to be, as it were, minute
magnets, having foci of power, and not centres. I feel as if I could not
refrain from alluding here to that sublime conception, as to the possible
constitution of Matter; given in a paper by Professor Faraday, in the
"Philosophical Magazine," for 1844, and to which I refer my readers. This view
(if I understand it rightly) supposes Matter to be everywhere continuous,
without break or interruption, pervading all space, and filling it with its
substance; while dispersed throughout this extension of Matter are points which
act as centres of forces, in the manner in which, according to the old theory,
the solid particles are supposed to act; only that, being simple points of
power, not impenetrable atoms, they are capable of coalescing under certain
circumstances; their position and combinations, of course, constituting at
every moment, the varying characteristics of Matter.
Upon this view,
however, it is not at once easy to understand, how the centralization of power
should exist at all. So long as we have the idea of a solid particle, distinct
from surrounding space, we can imagine it acting as a centre of power; but upon
the supposition that there is no Atomic division of Matter, we lose our ideal
cause for the effect of which we speak, and it seems difficult to account for
the presence of centres of force in one otherwise homogeneous mass of
Matter.
I am not aware whether the view to which I have thus briefly alluded
will be ultimately confided in, either by its Author, or by other philosophers.
Beautiful as theories may appear, they often fail to give permanent
satisfaction to the mind. I think it is Dr. Whewell who has compared hypothesis
to the scaffolding which is raised while a building is in progress,—to be
taken down when the edifice is complete.
Of natural knowledge we may say,
as of spiritual knowledge,— "When that which is perfect is come, that
which is in part shall be done away."
There are inquiries of great interest
which are intimately connected with our subject; they relate to the essential
SAMENESS of MATTER, and to the INDESTRUCTIBILITY and Future ETERNITY of MATTER.
Let us look at these points; and first, the Sameness of MATTER.
The
great error of the old philosophy consisted in classing compound bodies as
elementary substances. For instance, calling earth, air, fire, and water, the
four grand elements of nature. When the composition of air and water became
known, the discovery gave birth to a growing impression on the minds of our
scientific men, that many other substances, hitherto considered simple, were,
in truth, compound bodies; and multiplied experiments were made in the hope of
proving this.
The result was the conviction, that at least great part of
the material world (the vegetable and animal kingdoms included) is composed of
the four substances,—oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon, in various
arrangements and proportions. All this tended to the establishment of the
doctrine of the essential Sameness of Matter; which, with a prophetic eye,
Boyle had, so early as the beginning of the seventeenth century, partially seen
and set forth in his "Origin of Forms."
I cannot help pausing a moment to
touch upon the fact, that, again and again, the greatest discoveries of a
future day are first dimly seen and faintly and imperfectly outlined forth, by
the penetrating genius of some great master mind, which is daring enough to
overstep and go beyond the approved philosophy of his time. This was the case
with Galileo, Boyle, and others; and it requires no small effort of moral
courage thus to start a new theory, with all its necessary imperfections and
difficulties. We often hear a censure cast on philosophical guesses; and yet
all our most glorious and well-established theories of natural things were
guesses once: the most perfected system of philosophy is founded on the dark
hints and conjectural speculations of the men of a former day. They, with their
penetrating power of intellect, threw out their first crude, undigested
notions, of what might possibly be truth! and it has been the work of
successive generations to establish the actual facts. They gave the clue, and
others have followed it into the labyrinth. What if some of these guesses prove
wrong? The spirit of investigation is the very life of science. Take this away,
and all is gone.
But to return,—Boyle had even in his day advanced,
with many errors and imperfections, this Doctrine of the Sameness of Matter;
and every step in modern science seems to confirm this part of his views.
Indeed, the grand aim of the philosophy of this day is to comprehend the unity
and the simplicity of nature; in other words, the essential sameness of the
various forms; and the oneness of the various powers of Matter.
Is it not
to the contemplation of this latter point that the wonderful, gigantic mind of
Professor Faraday has been gently and cautiously, but most irresistibly,
leading the minds of those who sit at his feet in science? It formed the
subject of the brilliant lectures of 1847, and continues to be the object of
his present investigations.
I will quote his own words, printed some time
back:—
"I have long held an opinion, almost amounting to conviction,
that the various forms under which the forces of Matter are made manifest have
one common origin."—Experimental Researches, 19th Series.
A strong
hope now exists in the minds of many, that ere long the radiant powers of heat
and light will, with electricity and chemical affinity, be traced by our
philosophers to their common source, and resolved into one mighty agency. The
nature of the different modifications of that agency will then be better
understood.
I cannot myself resist the feeling that many of those
substances (about sixty in number, I believe,) which are now considered
elementary, may probably be found hereafter to. be really compound, and that,
in truth, our whole globe may be composed of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and
carbon, in various proportions and states of existence. For, as Dr. Ayres
justly defines it,—"By an elementary body, we understand a substance which
we are incapable, by any means at our disposal, to separate into distinct
substances."
The discovery of Berzelius, leading to a suspicion of the
metallic nature of hydrogen and nitrogen, greatly confirms this view; for
certain proportions and combinations of these substances may give the
distinguishing characteristics to the large class of the metallic bodies.
But, then, an objector will say, 'We should not be a step further advanced
towards the doctrine of the Sameness of Matter, if even this were true; for
there must be two elementary bodies at least to compose a compound body; and if
we were to find only two elements, such as oxygen and hydrogen, one must be
different from the other.'
The solution of all this difficulty seems to lie
in the molecular constitution of these elementary substances; or, in fact, in
the figure of the ultimate atoms which compose them.
This, after all, may
be the only true distinction between oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and
carbon,—the different form and size of the moleeules.
No one professes
to understand exactly what happens in the chemical combination of two distinct
atoms : how, for instance, an atom of hydrogen, of atomic weight 1, does
combine with an atom of oxygen, of atomic weight 8, to form an atom of water of
atomic weight 9; or how, again, a compound atom of carbonic acid can combine
with a compound atom of lime to form carbonate of lime. In the combination the
figure must necessarily change. An atom of water cannot be the same in form as
the atom of either the hydrogen or oxygen, and so on; the figure is continually
changed almost to infinity.
Beautiful is the speculation which philosophers
have thrown out respecting molecular structure,—that we may take the
primitive form of the crystal as a type of the form of the ultimate molecules
of the body.
We must, however, feel very much in the dark respecting the
form of these atomic particles, which are far too small to be recognised as
such by our senses. Could we discern what takes place amongst these ultimate
molecules, we should have far clearer views on the subject of Matter than we
have. But surely it is a glorious thought, that amidst all the infinite variety
and beauty of the substances with which God has surrounded his creature man,
the Matter may be the same in all cases; and the only difference existing may
be from the form, chemical affinity, and arrangement of its molecules.
Even
taking the number of elementary substances, as given by modern chemists (about
50 or 60), we must still admire the simplicity of the work of God, when we
consider that, from comparatively so few elements, there should appear such a
never-ending variety in the combinations of Matter presented to our view in
this beautiful world. How wonderful is even the effect of a different state of
the same molecules, as in the case of ice, water, and steam! We believe that
when ice passes into the state of water, the particles (or, some would say,
their centres of force) are only driven farther from each other ; and that in
the change from water to steam they are still farther separated; and yet how
varied is the character of these different states of the same molecules! The
chemist has the power, as we know, of bringing about these various
states;—of changing one into the other; but he has not the power of
altering the figure of any molecule in an elementary substance, or its chemical
attractions. He cannot change an atom of hydrogen into an atom of oxygen,
although he may use their affinities for each other, and combine them into an
atom of water: and it is this unchangeableness of molecular structure and
chemical affinity, which has preserved the characteristics of the forms of
Matter to this day.
Were it not so, one substance might be transmuted into
another; and it was exactly the oversight of this, which led Boyle to hold the
transmutation, as well as the sameness of Matter, as he says: "Since bodies,
having but one common Matter, can be differenced but by accidents, ... I see
not why, at least among inanimate bodies, by the intervention of some very
small addition or subtraction of Matter (which yet, in most cases, will not be
needed), and of an orderly series of alterations, disposing, by degrees, the
matter to be transmuted, almost of anything, may at length be made
anything."—Origin of Forms.
Those who heard the beautiful lectures of
Professor Faraday of last season (1847), will remember the striking words, in
which he spoke of the unchangeableness of chemical affinity. "This," he said,
"is the reason why all things remain as they were at the beginning of the
creation; this is why Matter continues unalterable in its character, that,
according to the Word of God, ' seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer
and winter, day and night," fail not. This is the reason why the dreams of the
alchemists, who thought they could turn everything into gold, were never
realized! They believed they had power to transmute substances, and they could
have transmuted them, but for this unchangeableness of chemical affinity. This
it is which has preserved Matter as it came from Him who created it, and will
preserve it, until He sees fit to recall the law, and to alter the properties,
with which He has been pleased to invest his work."
On a mental review
of the preceding pages, I have been led to fear that I have rested too much on
the Atomic theory, as if it were a positive certainty, instead of a
philosophical hypothesis. With the fullest acknowledgment of its difficulties,
I cannot see that these are greater, or so great, as those which attach to any
other theory, with which I am acquainted.
I think, after endeavouring to
follow other views, the mind returns to the hypothesis of the Atomic
constitution of Matter, as the most simple and beautiful of those which are
entertained in the present day.
I fear I have trusted too much to this
persuasion. I ought to have remembered, that the Atomic theory, though
generally, is not universally adopted, and that great names have been attached
to antagonistic views. I hope I may be forgiven this error.
If I may be
allowed to make a suggestion to those who believe in the continuity of Matter,
1 would say, that the sameness of Matter is surely involved in that theory;
for, if I understand it aright, the relative position of centres of force, and
the arrangement of their powers about them, must, according to that view,
constitute all the distinctiveness in Matter. And although I have said, that,
at present, my own mind most readily follows the Atomic hypothesis, I feel
daily more fearful of giving, in my ignorance, expression to that
acknowledgment. I do so with great deference. The more one thinks of the
constitution of Matter, the deeper appear the mysteries connected with it; and
the wonderful discoveries which are every year breaking in with fresh light
upon us, tend to make a supended judgment the wisest in those most versed in
science. How much, then,—how very much more does it become the minds of
those who are but students in these subjects!
Let us proceed to consider
the INDESTRUCTIBILITY, and Future ETERNITY of MATTER. That its essence is
indestructible by any power of man is indisputable: the chemist can change the
combinations of Matter; but he cannot annihilate a particle of it. Whether God
will ever destroy any portion of His own work is indeed another question. He
who from nothingness brought forth Matter, can give it back to nothingness.
There is nothing impossible in the thought, that God, having created some
portions of this material universe for a certain end, may, when that purpose is
accomplished, recall their existence. Much has been said, however, and I think
ably said, by those who believe He will not do this, in defence of their
opinion; and I am only anxious to remind my readers, that this view, probable
as it may be, is not fully established by Scripture testimony.
On the contrary, we are not left in doubt, with regard to
the Future ETERNITY OF MATTER. This is a different point. Whether any portion
of God's material creation will cease to exist is one thing; whether any
portion of it will eternally continue, is another; and to this inquiry the Word
of God returns a decisive answer. We know that the human body of Christ will be
eternal;—that the risen bodies of saints will be eternal;—that the
new heavens and the new earth will be eternal. How wonderful is this thought!
We stand, so to speak, between two eternities! Looking back upon the past, we
see pure, uncreated, self-sufficient, self-existent, spiritual essence of
Jehovah: looking forward to the future, we see a revealed God, surrounded by
myriads of intelligent creatures, rejoicing in a material universe before Him.
Is there not a deep and glorious mystery in those words of Christ?—"Except
a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit." Even the Eternal and perfect Son of God would
not be alone, He hath taken a Bride of earth; and when we look upwards to those
glorious worlds, whose light now cheers us from their far distance, it is a
gladdening thought, that there is not one lowly, poverty-girt, suffering child
of the Redeemed, whose rich inheritance is not cast there.
When an eternity
of glory sets in upon us, how small will seem the splendour of God's brightest
works here! Now we only see a veiled, diminished glory; it is, as when we stand
and look upon an outspread landscape on a summer's day, and a cloud passes over
it, casting a shadow upon its loveliness; the cloud of sin is now passing over
this once beauteous earth, and throwing it into its deep shade; but when He
that sitteth upon the throne shall say, "Behold, I make all things new," we
shall have lights without gloomy shadows, flowers without thorns, fruits
without poisons, meetings without partings, joys without sorrows.
Perhaps
nothing more prominently stands forth in our conceptions of eternity, than that
there will be an end of change, now so characteristic of all created things.
There will be no decay, which we now feel in our own frames every day we live;
and which we see in all around us, even in the earth itself, which " waxeth
old, and is ready to vanish away,"—"It is kept in store, reserved unto
fire." The great conflagration of the earth will not, I think, involve
annihilation, any more than the destruction by water in the days of Noah but
the matter of the present earth, being purified from its dross, by the fire of
God, will come forth in brightness, as the New earth, which, with the new
heavens, as seen by John in vision, will be the final and eternal inheritance
of the redeemed.
I cannot help observing here, the confusion which has
arisen in prophetic views, from not seeing the distinction between the new
heavens and new earth which appertain to the Millennial Kingdom; and those
which are to constitute the everlasting possession of the redeemed Church, when
Christ shall have given up His kingdom to God, even the Father. In Isaiah Ixv.,
we have the description of the first of these; in Revelation xxi. and xxii., of
the latter. That they are not identical is evident; for, after the first
resurrection and reign of saints, the "Sea shall give up its dead " for the
general judgment; and in the description of the new heavens and the new earth
which John saw, it is said, " There was no more sea." That which Isaiah
mentions, in which Christ's Millennial Kingdom is to be set up, is indeed the
type, the shadow of the other: like other portions of God's Word, the Prophet's
description hath the "double to that which is." (Job xi. 6.) But while we
recognise the Type, let us not forget the Antitype. How diiferent are
they:—in the former we have the restoration of the Jews as a
nation,—the division of their land according to the Tribes,—the
restored glory of Jerusalem as a city. (See Ezekiel xlvii. and xlviii., and
Isaiah Ixv. and Ixvi.) The restoration of the length of natural life. It shall
be greater than it was immediately after the fall, for "A child shall die a
hundred years old." The restoration of the glory and happiness of the brute
creation. " The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat
straw like the bullock." (Isaiah Ixv. 25.) The Temple of Ezekiel. It is
remarkable that Isaiah Ixvi. opens with the words, " Thus saith the Lord:
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye
build unto me? and where is the place of my rest ? " So exactly similar to
those used by Solomon, at the dedication of the first temple!
The
manifestation of Christ sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling over the
house of David.
The salvation of the Jews. "A nation shall be
born at once." (Isaiah Ixvi. 8,9.) The gathered fulness of the Gentile Church
brought in. The preaching of the Word of Life to heathen nations. "Out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Verse 19,
and Isaiah ii. 3.) The going up of the nations to worship at Jerusalem. (Isaiah
Ixvi. 20, and Zech. xiv. 16, 17.) The re-institution of Sacrifice, and the
Levitical Priesthood. (Isaiah Ixvi. 21; see also the latter part of Ezekiel.)
This state is also marked by the duration of time—still regulated by the
revolution of those heavenly bodies, which were given "for signs and seasons,
for days and years." "They shall go up from one new moon to another." (Isaiah
Ixvi. 23.)
Now let us turn to the distinguishing characteristics of the new
heaven and earth revealed to John; and we shall see the striking difference
which exists. These are to succeed the general judgment. In this dispensation
there is to be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. (Revelation
xxi. 4.) No temple. (Verse 22.) No sun, no moon. (Verse 23.) Consequently no
night. No time.— "There shall be time no longer." No curse. (Rev. xxii.
3.) The throne of God and the Lamb shall be in the midst of the New Jerusalem ;
not the throne of David, for Christ shall have given up this His kingdom unto
the Father.
Surely, even this short glance at Scripture evidence, must
convince a candid inquirer into these things, that we have two distinct states
described, as the new heavens and new earth; the one but a faint, though most
glorious out-shadowing of the other.
Thus have we been led from the
consideration of that "Beginning," when God created the heaven and the earth,
up to a contemplation of that final condition of His material creation, when,
all his purposes being fulfilled, He shall rest in His love towards man.
In a Paper upon the first creation of Matter, I cannot
omit to notice how beautifully emblematic is the language of the Holy Ghost in
His narration of it; and how we have in the first two verses of Genesis, as it
were mirrored forth, God's new creation in the souls of the redeemed. They
contain an exact description of the Spirit's work in the souls of men. When God
called into existence the natural creation, it was a perfect work, no fault, no
flaw was in it; "it was very good." As it is beautifully expressed in the
apocryphal book of Esdras—"Thou spakest from the beginning of the
creation, and saidst thus: Let heaven and earth be made, and Thy word was a
perfect work."
But it is said, "The earth was without form, and void."
Wonderful representation of one that is born of God, in the days of his trouble
of soul for sin. The creative, almighty power of God has gone forth upon him,
and this new creation is a perfect work. "That which is born of the Spirit is
spirit;" the new, the divine nature communicated unto him, has no flaw or
imperfection, it is "very good." But how completely is this wondrous work of
God without form to him : he cannot tell what the Lord is doing with him;
whether He is dealing with him for destruction or mercy. There is a change in
him; a strange mysterious power is in his soul; but of its nature he has no
idea. There is no revelation of Christ as a Saviour, no spirit of adoption, no
standing complete before the Father in the righteousness of His Son. "No form"
is written upon his faith, although it is the great faith which credits the
record of God's law against sin. "No form" is written upon his hope, although
it is the blessed hope that maketh not ashamed—the supporting expectation
that some day mercy will be found, and forgiveness with God. "No form" is
written upon his prayer, although it is a groaning of the spirit that cannot be
uttered—a pouring out of the soul in tears unto God. Moreover, this new
creation is "void." How completely descriptive is that word emptiness: there is
an aching void within the heart, which nothing short of the fulness of God can
fill. If a worldly man before this change, he goes again into the scenes, where
he pursued his former occupations, and finds nothing to interest him. "Void" is
written on the walls of his counting-house, or his chambers, or his laboratory;
his heart says, 'What are money, fame, or science to me now ?' By the domestic
hearth, or in places of public amusement, he reads the same word traced before
him. If a religious man before this change, he goes again perhaps the same
round of lifeless services as heretofore; attends societies and prayer
meetings, hears sermons, and reads books; but all is vain ; the void is felt in
all things, for God is not m them, and his soul thirsteth or Him, yea, for that
living God. Truly, indeed, the condemning presence of God is with him, and so
far he can enter into the meaning of the 139th Psalm. He feels that the
Searcher of hearts has laid His hand upon him; if he climbs up into the
heavenly heights of gospel mysteries, God's election of sinners torments him,
for he thinks he is not chosen; if he goes down to the depths of hell, and
reads of that Tophet that was ordained of old, he sees God's justice sending
him there for ever; if he looks for peace in the darkness of the night, there
is none for him; and when he awakes from his troubled sleep, he is still with
an avenging God.
As it was said of the physical creation, "Darkness is upon
the face of the deep." Truly, darkness is upon all these depths of soul, these
billows of the wrath of God; the man can say with David, "Deep calleth unto
deep at the noise of thy waterspouts, all thy waves have gone over me;" or,
with Jonah, "The waters compassed me about, the depths closed me round about."
"The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Yes, the Spirit of God
moveth upon the face of these troubled waters of sin and guilt, discovering the
depths thereof; but though, as that mighty wind sweeps over the face of the
deep, the sound thereof is heard by the sinner, he cannot tell whence it
cometh, or whither it goeth. Ah! how often does the thought come into his mind,
'What will be the end of all this ?—What will be the issue of this state
?' We know what the end really proves. It is exactly that which is described in
the record of creation.
God says, "Let there be light, and there is light;"
and the new creation stands forth revealed, seen in its perfect beauty. Christ,
the Sun of righteousness, shines in glory on the Spirit's work, revealing the
sinner's justification, redemption, adoption into the family of God ; and in
that flood of light, his soul tastes a joy with which the stranger
intermeddleth as little, as with the sorrow that preceded it. It is possible
that this Paper may fall into the hands of one, in whose soul darkness still
reigns over the work of God. If so, I would say to thee, as surely as God
commanded the natural light to shine out of darkness, so will He shine into thy
soul, to give the light of the knowledge of Christ: when His decree goes forth,
the shadows shall flee before the power of the Creator's Word, and an unending
light will shed its glory over thee. It will not be henceforth all sunshine;
the evening and the morning shall mark all thy days on earth; but to thee, and
to every one upon whom the true light has shined, this unfailing Word of God is
spoken :—"The Lord shall be thy everlasting light, and thy God thy glory."
In the conclusion of this first Paper, I will take one
short cursory view of the various circumstances under which we know, have
known, and shall know, Matter.
First. We see it in the simplest form of the
mineral, invested with physical powers, and regulated by physical laws.
Secondly. We see it in the more mysterious form of the vegetable, invested with
organic powers, and regulated by some unseen, undiscovered, organic laws.
Thirdly. We see it connected with the immaterial conscious principle, or
the "Soul of life," in the animal.
Fourthly. We see it connected with that
immortal emanation from God, that "Living soul," which was given to man in
creation, when he Was made the image of God.
Fifthly. We see it united to
that spirit, which is breathed of God into the regenerate man, of which it is
said, " That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit;" and which, with the soul
and body, constitutes the perfect being of an heir of glory.
Sixthly. We
have known it used by angelic spirits in their manifestations to man: in their
case it is probably assumed at will, and at the command of Him whom they serve.
Seventhly. We have known it abused by evil spirits, who make it, as in the
case of the Serpent, the instrument of temptation to man.
Eighthly. We have
known it assumed by the eternal Son, the second Person in the Godhead, in his
revelations to man ; in wondrous anticipation of that time when He should take
flesh into an eternal union with himself: although the human body, which He now
wears, had no existence until it was prepared of God, and born of woman.
Ninthly. We have known it adopted by the eternal Spirit, the third Person
in the Godhead, as the means of his manifestations to men, when He took the
form of a dove, or that of the cloven tongues.
Tenthly. We know, and shall
know it to all eternity, as it exists in mysterious union with the Divine
nature and human soul of the incarnate Saviour, the Christ of God.
Lastly.
We shall know it for ever in the wondrous form of the spiritual,
resurrection-bodies of the saints, which they shall wear when they awake in the
image of their Lord, subject no more to disease and death; and which shall be
completely fitted for the use, not the incumbrance, of the intelligences united
to them.
Even from the slight glance of Matter which we have taken, surely we may say, How mysterious it is, in its nature, and in its union with spiritual essences. How wonderful it is as the work of Him, who speaks and it is done, who commandeth and it cometh to pass. Often do we pause in the study of it, and with fainting hearts shrink back, because every step in knowledge shows us how little we understand of even this lowest kingdom of our God: but, nevertheless, in the midst of every difficulty, and every discouragement, we return again to our contemplation and investigation of the mighty subject; for, truly, whether in creation, in providence, or in grace, " The works of the Lord are great, sought out of those who have pleasure therein."
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