HOMILETICS. Yer. 7.-Tl.e.first man. I. MADE FROM TllE DUST. This does not imply that in the C'omposition of humanity there is nothing but particles cf dust, or "molecules. of 111attcr." Simply it designs to state that the point of departure in man's creation was tl,c soil ont of which all other living creatures were produced; that, so to speak, man \l'llS coustructed from beneath upwards, the Divine Artificer proceeding with his c:reation in the same ascending scale of activity that had been observed in the pro- ductio!l of the rest of the universe-first the material body, and then the immaterial soul ; and that, so far as the former is concerned, man is wholly and solely of the earth, eartl1y,-an assertion which the researches of chemistry and physiology abtmdantly confirm,-the elements of organised bodies being the same as those which constitute tl1e inorganic world, Yiz., carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, lime, iron, sulphur, and phosphorus. The statement is fitted to impress man with thoughts-1. Of his lowly orir,£n. While the Scripture in general labours to imbue his mind with correct ideas of liis obscure nati.ity, comparing him to a wind, to a vapour, to a flower, to the bcusts, to a worm, tLe sentiment of Moses takes him lower yet for his birthplace- tu the dust of the ground, above wb.ic-h the wind blows, from which the vapours rise, un which tlie flowers bloom, across wl1ich the beasts roam, out of which the worm c:rceps. 2. Of his rssential frailty. Being composed of little particles of dust, l,el<l tog-etl,er by wl!at science calls "organisation,'' but Holy Writ designates the pcwcr of Goel, it requires but the loosening of God's band, as it were, for the frame- work of his body, so wondrously fashioned, so delicately carved, so finely articulated., so firmly knit, to resolve itself into a heap of dust. 3. Of his.final destiny. Every mundane thing returns tu tlie place whence it proceeded (Eccles. i. 5, 7). The ,·F.pours dirnb into the sky, but descend again upon the hills, and seek the plains. TbP flowers bloom, but, after dispensing their fragrance, shed their leaves upon the e,1rth. The young lions, that, as it were, are sprung from the Roil, find a grave at Lrnt wit!,in ti,eir forest dens. As it is with the flowers and the beasts, so i8 it also ,vitl1 man. ".All are of tl:e dll6t, and all turn to dust again" (Eccles. iii. 18, 20; Job x. 9; Ps. ciii. 14). LessctnS :-1. Humility of spirit (Job iv. HI; l's. cxliv. 3, 4; Isa. Ii. 1). 11 Iluly living" (Taylor,§ iv. 9). 2. Care for the body-protecting its frailty from injury (Levit. xix. 28) mid its materiality from mastery (Rom. xii. 1; 1 Cor. vi. 13; 1 'l'hcsa. iv. 4). 3. Preparation for death (Ps. :xxxix. 4; xc. 12). II. :FASHIONED nY THE HAND OF Gon. Made from the dust, tl,e first man ncillier sprung from the slime of mailer, ac~ording to naturalis.1~1 (oi aur6x6ovEc), nor_ ~as evolncl from the rii 1ra11 of palltbernm, but was spee1hcally formed by D1vme creative power. Tliis marked tl:e first degree of rn:m's superiority over other living creatures. Deriving existence, equally with man, from the creative power of Gud, it is not said of them that they were "formed" by God. Let this remind man-1. Of the Divine ori.gin of tlte body. If the physical structures cif the lower organisms display ~uch admirable propo1tione and striking ada,ptatione, o~ to evince tl,e oc-tk:1 of D;vine iutdligence, UJuch more may a Crentor'a 11,mil ue rcrogniscd IJJt. II, 4-7,] 'l'HE BOOK OF GF.NESifl. 43
in tho form nnd symmetry, proportion and adjustment of the 111,mnn body. An examination of the hand, eye, or bruin, of the muscular or nervous RyHterns, in- stinctively uwakens the devout feelings of the Psalmist: "I will pr1,ise Thee, 0 Lorri ; for I am fearfully nnd wonderfully made" (Ps. cxxxix. 14). 2. Of the Divine estimate of the body. Shown by the personal care &n<l attention which God devotrrl to its construction, since he designed it to be the noblest of his W 1Jrks, the shrine of an immortal spirit, a prophecy and type of the body of his Son, in the fulness of the times to be prepared by another special act of creation (Ps. xl. 6; Heh. x. 8). '!'his estimate he has in many ways confirmed: by abundantly and generously sustaining it, although a partner in the spirit's sin (Gen. i. ·29; ix. 3); guarding its life with the strictest and severest penalties (Gen. ix. 5, 6); taking it into union with hhnself, in the person of his Son (Heh. ii. 6) ; redeeming it, as well as the soul it enshrines, through his Son's blood (Rom. viii. 21, 23); and constituting it, as well as the imnrnterial spirit, a partaker of resurrection glory (1 Cor. xv. 42). Learn-I. The trne nobility of man's descent, and the duty of walking wortl,y of it. 2. The high value of the body, and the consequent obligation of neither dishonouring nor abusing it. III. ANIMA'l'ED DY 'l'HE DREA'l'II OF LIFE. The second degree of man's superiority to the lower animals. Like them, a living soul, his life is dill:erent from theirs- 1. In its nature. Theirs was a portion of that common life principle which God has been pleased to communicate to matter; his a direct affiatus from the personality of God. 2. Jn its impartation. Theirs was bestowed directly and immediately by tliP- fiat of omnipotence ; his conveyed into his material framework by a special Divine operation. 3. In its effect. Theirs constituted them "living souls;,, his conferred on him personality. 'fheirs made them creatures having life; his caused him to become a spirit having life. Theirs left them wholly mortal; his trar,sformed him into an immortal (Eccles. iii. 21 ). Let man_consider-1. That his bony is a temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Co,. vi. 19). 2. That hie spirit is the creation and the gift of God (Eccles. xii. 7 ; Isa. llii. lG; Zech. xii. 1). 3. That with both it becomes him to glorify his Di\"ine Creator (1 Cor. vi. 20). HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 4-1.-Man tlie living soul. 1. Life is a Divine bestowment. 2. Dust which is Divinely inspired is no long-er mere dust; the true life is neither grovelling on the earth, nor so much away from the earth as to be no longer the life of a living soul. 3. The creature who id last formed, and for whum all other things wait arnl nre prepared, is made to be the interpreter of all, and the glory of God in them.-R