The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-02-14


Rev. DR.. Labaree, President Of Mid.
dlebury College, VT lcctutcd as an.
nounccd on Thursday evening last, be.
fore the Young Mems Literary Assoeia.
ton on the above important and inter
esting subject,to the highest satisfaction
Of an attentive audience.
The distinction derived to man from
his intellectual endowments and his duty
in their cultivation, was set forth with
apt and forcible illustrations. The ma
tural and ardent curiosity of the human
mind 10 kn0io, indicates the divine pur.
pose in mans creation that he should be.
come distinguished for intellectual at
tainmenis and cultivation. The prefer
ence for sound literature as against the
debasng influence of corrupting novels
was set forth with marked discrimina.
tion. 1.-THE "yellow.covered literature"
that figures among US as 8 cent drains
from the shades of mental dissipation
and moral debasement received no quar-
ter in this address Among all the
facilities for intellectual culture and for
the satisfaction Of a rational taste and
for the enlargement of the field of HUI
man knowledge and the scope of human
enquiry, the Bible is prominent. Leav.
ing out of view its character as the rev.
citation Of God and the fact that the sub
jects of its beauties were many of them
the incidents Of his special miraculous
providence, and that tho light of its in
tellectual power is intimately associated
with the divine light of its hallowed in
spration as compared with all other
human compositions the Bible in its
subjects, and the light it sheds around
them, is most worthy of the study of the
scholar, while, to the ignorant it it is the
most enliehtening and faithful of teach.
crs.
As we mark the enthusiasm of the ge-
ologist as he ranges over continents, as,
cends mountains. and explores the deep
valleys and caverns Of the earth. to note
and compare the state of its primitive
and postcrior formations as data on
which to base differences as to its produc-
tions, development and growth, and as
we read the speculations of his prcdccos-
sors. the Pagan philosophers, as to the
origin of the universe and tho produc.
tions of the earth and the stars. we
perceive mn intense philosophical interest
in questions as to the origin and history
Of the universe, while the conclusions so
drawn from tho light of nature, are va.
rious, conflicting and absurd The Bible
sets our enquiries at rest, in its simple
and truthful narrative. that I" in the be-
ginning God created the heavens and
the earth" Conceive of the universe
as originating in inftesinal monads OF
matter moro subtle than air filling the
depths Of nature, and at length c,mbi'
: ing and aggregating worlds and yielding
to afiuities for water or fire, that have
fourd their law ia the chemical compost
ton Of these different worlds to surround
them with atmosphercs of burning sky
or heavens like those that smiled Oh +.
den; or conceive of the incidents of the
pristine creation as you please. they are
all within the powers ofan infinite Cody
Does the scholar lo7c antiquity ?
Would he search out the history Of
primitive nations and Of remote ages ?
The Bible is the most ancient history ex
tant and it differs from all other ancient
history in its simple truthfu'pcss and its
entire freedom from mythology and ia
bic Moses wrote more than six hun
, drcd years before lIcrodotus. the father
Of Grccian History. was born; and il
his narrative he brings up the history oil
oldcn times and of the then ancicnt ma
tions from the very origin Of man Dc
we wonder as we look at the monuments
and relics. and fragments ana fossils o.
old antiquity Do VIC weary ourselvci
with painful corjcctures as We sean thu
marks of an ancient civilization in Thu
land , Would wo bring up before u
those lost nations aud the people in thei
primitive manners and life whose ashe
sumbcr beneath these monuments o
their tolls and their suferiugs? w,
have but to open the Billie and we hav
there the particular and detailed bio
graphy Of their prosenters, and in tn
life Of their fathers we have their art
and their civilization. their national al
finities and their personal characters
II we admire personal geographic;
we may read the life of Joseph as no
only interesting in its subject, but a
most successful in its discriminating de
velnpmcnts of his traits of personal char
acter We may also read the life @
Samuel and of Daniel, and the narrative
of the evangclists of the life and mnisi
ry of Christ.
Are national history and the civil il
siitutions of society the subject Of our O.
quirics We may read the constitution
Of the Hebrew state in the ordinances Q
Moses, and appreciate the foundations G
civil government and just laws in the ii
stitutes of the two tables consecratcd q
Mount Sinai We may review the &C
ministration of tho Judges and of tn
Kings, and follow the nation of 1srat
into It's cap,ivities Do we listen wit
, raptures to tho voice Of song? David
Tyre shall discourse sweet music fror
, the hills of Zion and the sacred passion
of a pure and hallowed piety shall fin
. expression in his notes Of praise, Isaia
shall rchearse the lofty visions of hi
l.. sublime proptecies-more sublime tina
, the Hottest conceptions of n Homer
, muse, and comprehending man and h
. relations with a scope and sphere iniu
tely broader aud higher than tho who
pagan's universe Of man and his divin
{ ties.
Does the art Of the orator attract OIL
. hearts7 Hear the prophets reprovin
. their kngs-let Paul repeat the defence
i of his faith and life as before Agrippa {
old-let Peter preach his pentecost'