"And

what reason and revelation unite in teaching to be the truth. hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth." One word from the inspiration of God goes further to establish our minds in the belief of the truth, than volumes of arguments depending merely on the fallible reason of

man.

The Bible teaches us that every man of every tribe and of every colour, whether his skull be flat or prominent, is our brother, and has a claim upon us for all the kindness and beneficence which it is in our power to show him. The same God is the Father of us all; and the same man is our common earthly father; and we are all rapidly tending to the same judgment and to the same eternity.

But if any should, after all, be of opinion that the diversity among men cannot be accounted for by natural causes, yet it does not follow that the Mosaic history is false, or that there are several species of men entirely distinct from each other. At some period of the history of man, for some special reason, the Governor of the universe may have given a distinctive colour to one or more families of the earth. And some believers in the Bible are so fully impressed with this idea, that they have undertaken to affirm that we have an intimation of this very thing in the sacred history. While some, however, would refer the black colour of the skin to the mark set upon Cain (which is irreconcilable with the history of the deluge), others, with more probability, refer it to the curse upon Canaan, the son of Ham. As his posterity were doomed to be the servants of servants, it is thought that some peculiar mark was set upon them, which, it is presumed, was the dark colour of the skin and the crisped and woolly hair. And in confirmation of this opinion, they allege, that the black people are the descendants of Ham, and that they are the slaves of all the world, until this day.

While we are willing to admit, that for reasons unknown to us, God might have miraculously changed the complexion and features of a part of the human race; we must think that the notion that the black colour was inflicted as a disgrace and a curse is a mere prejudice. Why should not the white colour be considered as a mark of God's displeasure? for no negro from the burning sands of Africa can appear more shocking to the inhabitants of northern regions, than the white man does to the people of the interior of that continent.

It seems, moreover, to be a prejudice without foundation, that the colour of the whites was that of the first man. Much the larger part of the inhabitants of the earth are of a complexion nearly midway between the two extremes. Is it not, therefore, much more probable that our first parents were red men, or of an olive or copper colour? This opinion derives some support from the name of the first man, for the radical signification of

Adam is red; and if this be assumed as a fact, then it will be much easier to account for the various complexions of men from natural causes, than if we suppose that either white or black was the original complexion.

But from what has been said it will be seen that no valid argument against the truth of the Bible can be derived from the variety in the human species; whether that variety can be accounted for by natural causes or not.

ESSAY II.

GOD THE END OF ALL THINGS.

PUBLISHED IN 1832.

Ir is natural to inquire, while surveying the extended works of God, What is the ultimate end of this great and complicated system? Some parts of it we can easily see were formed for others; objects that are small and insignificant, for those that are greater and more important; and, again, these for others greater and more important still. The pebble and the drop were made to constitute the mountain and the river; and the mountains and the rivers to adorn and embellish the face of nature, and in a thousand ways to minister to the wants of those who dwell on the earth. The solid earth, with all its immense quantities of matter, its diversified surface, its fertile soil, its rapid motions, its elastic atmosphere, was evidently intended to be the habitable abode of men. The extended ocean, with all its mighty expanse and unmeasured depth of waters, while it is the grand reservoir of nature and the source of evaporation, perpetually enriching the earth with fertility and verdure, everywhere distributes its watery treasures for the sustenance and benefit of the numerous tribes of animated and intelligent existence. If we extend our views to the solar system, or from the solar system to the starry heavens, in these trackless regions we behold an assemblage of resplendent orbs, spacious perhaps as the sun of our own system, and all subserving the interests of unnumbered worlds, not improbably invested, like our own, with intelligence and immortality. Matter, in all its variety and magnificence, we see, is made for mind, and one portion of this great and complicated system for another.

What, then, is the ultimate end of all things? The lights of unaided reason are far from fitting us to solve this high problem; and yet, so far as we are enabled to follow them, they conduct us to the same conclusion to which we are conducted by a supernatural revelation, when it so happily and explicitly instructs us, that "The Lord hath made all things for himself."

When we say that God acts for the purpose of displaying abroad

the perfections of his nature before the intelligent creation-when we say that God made all things for himself, we mean, that his supreme end" is his own glory, or the most perfect gratification of his infinitely benevolent mind." The word glory, when applied to God, sometimes denotes the inherent and full perfection of the divine nature, and sometimes the manifestation of the divine nature in creation, providence, and grace. There is a difference between the intrinsic and the manifested excellence of the Godhead. By his intrinsic excellence, is meant his essential perfections; by his manifested excellence is meant his essential perfections, exhibited to himself and the created universe. There is a richness, a fulness of perfection which constitutes his essential glory; and there is a diffusion, a resplendency in his perfections which, if I may so speak, reflects the Deity to himself and the universe; which casts its light through all worlds, and constitutes his manifested glory. The chief excellence of God consists in his goodness. Infinite amiableness and beauty are treasured up in his perfections, because the basis of them is the most pure, permanent, universal, and perfect goodness.

This is the glory of his nature. But the intrinsic, or essential goodness of God does not admit of increase or diminution. God cannot possess more essential goodness than he does possess; and, therefore, cannot be made essentially more glorious than he is. When, therefore, we speak of God's being glorified, or of the advancement and promotion of his glory, we speak of the augmentation of his manifested excellence of the expression, or gratification of his infinite goodness, in some of its forms and modifications. It is not incompatible with his immutability, that the exhibition he makes of his nature should be capable of continual growth and enlargement, and that his manifested excellence should receive fresh accessions, and be continually growing more extended and more refulgent. For all that we know, the manifested glory of God is susceptible of augmentation that is perpetually progressive. In the same proportion in which the scene opens, will the true character of God be unfolded, and his perfect goodness made known. And as the drama draws to a close, and the catastrophe of the mighty plot begins to be developed, at every step of this progressive disclosure will the heart of God be acted out, the name of God magnified, the glory of God displayed abroad, and the divine goodness infinitely and for ever exalted and gratified. This is what we mean when we say, that the glory of God is the ultimate end of all his conduct, and that he made all things for himself. It was that he might manifest the perfections of his nature, and thus exalt and gratify his infinite goodness.

This is God's ultimate end. This is the end to which all other ends are subordinate and subservient. Jehovah, the king of Israel, is "the first and the last ;" he is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending;" the first cause and the last, or supreme end of all things. "Of him, and to him, and through him, are all things." "All things that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and

invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, principalities, and powers, all were created by him and for him. God himself often declares in his word, that he will do, or refrain from doing, "for his own sake," for "his name's sake,"-" for his praise,"-" for his glory," and, that " in all things he may be glorified." What means the sublime declaration in the Apocalypse? "And the four beasts rest not day nor night, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those

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beasts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for THY PLEASURE they are and were created!”

Whom could God ultimately regard, in the creation of all things, except himself? Before the creation there was none other in existence but God. The motives to create must, of necessity, be within himself. Is it said, that future existence itself may be an end in proposing and causing it to exist? Is it said, that the excellence of his work was an inducement to create ?

But for what purpose did God propose happiness? Did he act without a motive? Or was it to express and gratify his own perfect goodness? Was it his love of happiness, his delight in happiness, that induced the purpose and the wish?

We

The divine glory deserves the most regard. Not only must the infinite and eternal Creator have had some end in view in the creation, but one that justifies the expressions of his omnipotence, and that is worthy of the greatest and best Being in the universe. can conceive of many ends that might have presented themselves to his mind, but we can conceive of no supreme end short of himself, without derogating from his perfect excellence. Universal creation is but a point compared with God. Language, and figures, and comparisons, are lost in the contemplation of his being and nature. The material and intellectual universe is but a faint adumbration of what God himself is, and presents a mere shadow, an emblem of his infinite perfections. All nations, all worlds, are but a" drop of the bucket," compared with him, and no more than the small vapour to the immense ocean. Immeasurable glories and blessedness belong to Him who fills immensity. The glory of the infinite God, therefore, deserves the highest regard. And with reverence be it spoken, it became him to make this his design, as really it becomes him to give the preference to an archangel above an insect.

The use which God actually makes of his creation, shows what end it was intended to answer. It subserves the end for which it was originally intended. And what do the Scriptures and facts declare this to be? Obviously, not the happiness of all God's creatures; for they are not all happy. Human misery stares us