The Winchester weekly appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-08-02
THE FUTURE OF MENsD.

VFHE FUTURE OF MINED.
Near six thousand years ago, infant
mind received its first impressions of a
boundless universe. She stood surround.
ed by unknown creations. What thought
she then of the mighty mass? A guilty
exile, driven from Paradise, man viewed
his new home. As he heightened his
gaze over the extending plain, naught but
strange mysteries met his bewildered eye
No fair angel stopped to him with whis.
pers of strength sufficient for his day. He
was fallen. The low murmurings Of the
crystal waters were dark words to his un.
taught ear. Earth's forests, as zephyr
plays amidst, whistlmg his rich song,
brings to him incomprehcnsible music
He turns, lists wstMlly, but in that pure
melody hears no welcome. The magnif.
cent mountain in the distance, as it rails.
cs its towering head to the azure of heav.
en- in its grandeur, brought to his thoughts
tyranny. From its greatness loomed
shadows of Underlined danger. We i'm.
aginc his infant blood ran chill to his
heart, and dcspair's dark mantle fell heavy
upon his gloomy soul. And it would
seem that, crushed by the sting Of his
conscience, by the thought Of an angry
God, aud a compassionless universe, he
would minglo again with the "gtound
from whence he was taken" But they
do not thus unite. Affinity cannot thus
minglc their clements. There was a
breathing into the nostrils Of man, after
the dust was fashioned, which prevented
such a union. Man was not matter
alone. One element arose for which
earth had no likeness. Asparkle OF hcav.
en-born Immortality still lighted his eye.
He held ncver.dyng mind which, though
weak and fallen, still sued and struggled
for its brhright Of joyous life. When
first yielding to the almost silent gasp
ings of this Pickering spark Of royalty, as
man arose with voluntary courage, and
mind stepped forward, 0, how beholding
nature reioiced. That trembling football
was taken up by ready breeze--smilng
echo caught the sound, and from hill to
hill proclaimed that man was returning
to God-that he had gained one victory
over the wasting despoler. For with
reason he feels sure of his victim as long
as he can keep him lettercd in ignorance.
| Ignorance, his surest armor--under its
darkcning influence man in his torpor
falls with scarcely an effort for life. Now
he had overcome--he had started upward
Nature turned her grateful eye to heaven,
and breathed her silent thanks. That
dormant spark--the timid life that start
ed back at The woodlands breathing har.
mony; trembled at the sounding sea, and
shrank from the gaze Of a serene sky, that
beheld him through fleecy clouds.
This was mind before she entered the
vast field of investigation; the victorious
field of conquests. Ask her prospects
then. She does not behold in the future
herself wreathed in flowers from the
mount of Truth, quenching her Unsuitable
thirst with Pierian draughts, drinking of
the cxhaustless food deeper and still deep.
er. Nay, she knows not her powers.-
Their action reveals their existence The
narrow spot encirclng man, which
necessity called upon him to explore, was
the battle-ground upon which man gain.
ed the first victory over reigning dark.
ness. She dared not over.reach tho mi.
crocosm ofthe senses. She looked down.
ward and thought not but that earth was
an interminable plain just asst appeared.
She looked around, saw nothing and con.
sequently to her there was no air. Turn.
ing her eye upward, she saw twinkling
stars fixed in the Opaque concave to il.
lume the night. There we see the begin.
ing Of the boosted learning Of the present
age. There was laid the corner stone Of
the mighty temple which is the glory Of
the nineteenth century.
Almost every age has contributed por.
lion TO this .ipp'ndou. work. Aud each