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to such evils. By this it is meant, that there are some impossibilities in the nature of things, which we cannot believe to be in the compass of Almighty power, because they are contradictions. Thus, that God could relieve from pain, when no pain had been felt; that he could create a thing, and yet perpetuate its non-existence; these, and various such assertions, are what no mind can believe to be within the limits of possibility. Some, therefore, would place the disorders of mind to the same cause, and urge, that it would be an impossibility to restrain minds from destroying the happiness of others, until they knew by experience, the evils of such a loss. That it would be impossible to make a mind fear pain to itself, or fear to inflict it on others, till some knowledge had been gained of what pain was; that it was as impossible for a mind to be influenced by fear of future evil to itself, or to others, which had never felt evil, as it is for a blind man to understand the beauty of colour, who had never experienced it.

They urge, therefore, that the evils attending this constitution of human mind, are necessary, because it is impossible, in the nature of things, that mind should be prepared for a course of eternal happiness, till in a state of probation and trial, it has formed habits of virtuous self-denial. But this opinion is met by facts revealed in Scripture, from which it appears, that minds have been so created, that they never have known either suffering or sin, and that these minds will be forever preserved in a state of increasing virtue and happiness. If, therefore, one class of minds have been thus constituted, it is proof that there was no impossibility in the nature of things, in so constituting those of the human race.

A second mode of removing difficulty from this subject has been, by the supposition of a pre-existent state of the human mind; by supposing that it originally was free from any bias to evil, and was perfectly benevolent in the exercise of all its powers. But that from unknown causes, it fell from a state of original purity, and was placed in this material world, as a

state of punishment, of purification, and of recovery. This opinion has been widely adopted, among a great variety of nations and religionists. It appears both from other histories, and from Scripture, that it was one among the traditions preserved by the Jews. In the account of the man blind from his birth, we recognize this tenet, when the Jews enquired of the Saviour, "Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" That is, was it for the sins of the parents or the son, in a previous state, that this severe punishment was inflicted. It appears that the early heathen philosophers, among whom was Socrates and Plato, held the same opinion. It appears that the Brahmins of India, retain the tradition, that man was once upright and pure, and is now suffering the consequences of a fall. The Celtic Druids, among our barbaric ancestors, also, maintained and perpetuated the same tradition.

It is an opinion also, which is discovered as existing and warmly maintained among the early Christian fathers. Among these Origen, who lived in the fourth century after Christ, was the most conspicuous, and wrote much to sustain his views on the subject, which at one time were widely adopted. He considered the formation of the material system, both the external world, and the bodies of men, as designed for the residence of spirits that once were holy, but were in this state of existence, to be punished for sins they had previously committed, and thus be purified and restored to virtue. He considered evils as suspended over us for our best good, to rectify and restrain evil habits and propensities. In this way, the sufferings of infant children were accounted for, which, so far as relates to those who never arrive at years of knowledge, on other suppositions, seem to suffer punishment as innocent and unoffending beings. This sentiment has been advanced, with various modifications, by a great variety persons. Bishop Butler, in his most admirable work, suggests the idea, that our present state may be the consequence of somewhat past, as the future state is the consequence of the present.

Many poetic and imaginative minds also, have often seemed disposed to run back in melancholy musings, to some period of peace and purity, forever lost, while faint remembrances steal over the mind, like the dying cadence of mournful music. Thus Wordsworth,

"Our birth is but a sleep,

And a forgetting of what we were."

And thus also our most popular female poet speaks of the effect of music in waking

"The dim remembrances, whose hues seem taken
From some bright former state, our own no more,
The sudden images of vanished things,

That o'er the spirit flash, we know not why,
Tones, from some broken harp's deserted strings,
Warm sunset hues, of summers, long gone by."

But such speculations, however satisfactory in their philosophy, or however fascinating in their wild and poetic associations, are met by the sober testimony of Divine Revelation, which, after all, is the only foundation upon which any satisfactory rest can be found. Without this, on such subjects, we know nothing, absolutely nothing, and its testimony is ever to be taken with perfect and unwavering confidence.Here, then, the theory of a pre-existent state receives its condemnation, for in the Written Record we find the full and clear account of the origin of our race,- -an account which forbids reliance on the dim light of tradition, or the vain speculations of poetry, or philosophy.

The last mode of obtaining satisfaction in the contemplation of this subject, seems the most natural and rational one, to creatures of a day, it attempting to scan the infinite purposes of Him, who is from eternity, and whose plans must be utterly beyond the grasp of such limited capacities as ours. This is founded on our utter ignorance. We know nothing of God, or of other beings, or of other worlds, but what he is

pleased to reveal. We know nothing of the nature of things, but what he is pleased to unfold in his works, and in his Word. We have no data for deciding whether God could, or could not, have done wiser, or better, for the creatures he has made, except what he is pleased to disclose. No human intellect can impeach the God of Heaven, for any want of care or attention to the necessities of his universal system, for we know not what these necessities are, nor how they could be best supplied. He has given us the assurance of his Word, that He is a Being of mercy and truth, of justice and love, and that he never willingly inflicts evil. In all the constitution, both of matter and mind, we can discern the most perfect and complete foundation for unceasing and eternal happiness to the human race. In the formation of mind, God has done all things well, and what we can discern of ill, is the consequence of a wilful perversion of a noble nature, by man himself.

We can conceive that a Being of perfect benevolence, and of boundless faculties, would be infinitely miserable, living in perpetual solitude and inactivity, with none to love, and none to bless. The Creator has called into glad existence, unnumbered holy and happy beings, and can forever continue to create and multiply the objects of his benevolent care. There is, indeed, one dim and sorrowful world, in his vast dominions, where his fairest work has been defaced. Yet there is one consideration even here, which silences every doubt, and hushes every murmur.

We know that no being would constitute a system of things involving needless sorrow to himself, when his own choice could avert the evil. No rational mind would ever mourn over griefs, which his own choice could instantly relieve, or would himself suffer, to alleviate what a simple command could remove.

But He who made us, has come down to sympathize with us, to mourn over our guilt, and weep over our woes. What

longing desires did he express for His ancient covenant race, "Oh that my people had hearkened to me, and Israel had walked in my ways." And again, as he wept over the ruined city of His choice, "Oh that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are forever hidden from thine eyes." And not only did He pity and mourn for others, but Himself became

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a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” and though no evil was found in Him, nor guile on His lips, yet He bore the heavy penalty of sin, and with amazing sorrow, and bitter agonies poured forth His soul even unto death.

Here is the firmest pillar of confidence, the sheet anchor of hope, as the mind ventures forth in sad speculations over a ruined and guilty world, where otherwise, amid darkness and storms, both confidence and hope might forever be lost.

CHAPTER XXIV.

MODE OF RESTORING A DISORDERED MIND.

The preceding articles have exhibited the nature of a well ordered mind, and have illustrated the position, that the mind of man is disordered. The most important enquiry then, which can gain the attention of our race, relates to the method by which this disarrangement can be remedied, and the mind restored to the regular and healthful operations of faculties, perverted to evil, but designed by the Creator solely for the production of happiness.

It has been shown, that a mind would be in perfect order, and would fulfil the design for which it is created, when it always chooses the greater good for itself, instead of yielding

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