The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-04-24
THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.

The loftiest theme which can engage the
attention of the mind of man is the Whence,
and the Why, and the Whittier of human life.
To its contemplation thoughtful minds have,
during all ages of the world, given themselves
and the best energies Of their lives, and the
results of their labors live in the philosophy,
the theology, and the sociology of the present
age, which stands forth rs the exponent of all
the truth, the beauty, and the goodness, rs
well as of all the falsehood, deformity. and
vice, which has been developed by the thought
of all the previous ages of humanity. And
the impcrfesions of their labors are visible in
the imrerfrctions of their results. AT no pre-.
vious time in The history of the world wns
there such confusion of philosophical, theo-
logical, and social systems as now, not be-
cause the labors of those who have toiled
over The problem Of life have been unproduc-
tive Of good, but because the results they
have obtained are all unsatisiying, unequal to
The wants us well us to the progress Of the
human mind. And why thus unsatisfying .
Because the master minds of all ages, from
Thales, the first Greek sage, to Auguste
Conlte. the ablest of modern philosophers,
have ever attempted to accomplish too much
m tnat they have endeavored to do for hu.
manity what each thoughtful! mind can alone
accomplish for itself. After long years of
thoughtful toll, almost every great mind
which has considered the WIence, and the
Why, and the Whhher of human life, has
confidently asserted that il has solved this
enigma Of ages, and it has made this assertion
because ii has accomplished for Itself ,ohot ii
ua'niy sought to accomplish for humanity.-
Thought makes man earnest, and the loftier
the theme of thought the more exalted, the
more heroic d"es man become Hence lhey
who have contemplated this loftipst of themes
nave slowly developed themselves into earn.
est, exalted, heroic men, strong in thought,
perfect in desire, blamrless in life, and calm,
Composed, and happy in death. And herein
consists The solution Of the problem Of life! No
higher result than this can be attained by
human thought, and it is the consolation of
humanity, that what is thus attainnbe by the
philosopher is equally within the reach of the
hunb est dwellcr upon earth who feels within
him the restless yearnngs of deaihless
soul. II is equally an act of heroism in the
peasant as in the philosopher to sit down
calmly before the grand realities of life, and
contemplate them one by one as they pass
before him in all their awful grandeur, and
then slowly and laboriously strive to interpret
the mystery which sits enshroudcd on the
brow of each Ay, it does require the spirit
of the hero, and he who thus contempates,
thus strives to interpret, must grow daily
more selfreverent, more God revering, even
though his labor lead him TO skeptirism, and
his thought reveals TO him no higher divini-
ty than life.
Men have erred in that they supposed that
the problem of life was to be solved by the
nnaided efforts of thought. Thought never
has, and never can, solve the enigma. From
the constitution Of the human mind faith is as
native to it as thought ITSELF and when
thought has beggared itself in the lofty labor,
It sinks down into the weakness of despair, or
learns to lean upon the oulstrelched arm of
faith, and thus TO stand in the presence Of
mysteries whose woeful bearing was weak
We trust too much to intellect, too little to
the higher faculties Of our being. We put
asunder what God has joined together, aud
then wonder sat the house hold jar within"
let us then rather turn ourselves to the earn.
est cont mplation of the duties, the trials, the
joys, and the SORROWS of life, knowing that
the earnest soul may find perfection in accorn-
pIished duty; may find strength in every trial
noby and Chrstianly endured; NAV find an
earnest of better things - come in the joys,
and nm incitemrnt TO loItier purposes and
holicr aims in the sorrows which elevate, en-.
noble, and purify the thoughtful, reverent,
progressive mind. And how glorious a re-
ward of faith does this beget! To know, to
knoo that eternity rectifes the errors of time,
that the imprrfections of the present will find
an end in whole orbed perfection, soon OF
late, in liie's long to morrow! II is tn
thought that gives life its value, that sur
rounds it with the halo of immortal hope, and
satisfies the soul with the weakness and the
folly of to-day. II is this thought, this faith,
that robs death of its sting, and demands Of
the grave, aWhere is thy viciory?" This
thought, this faith, is mans highest, hottest
savior, since it lends him to solve the great
enigma Of time, by offering to his Maker the
prayer, the praise, ard the adoratcn Of n
vel. ordered life.
So let me think So let me pray, and
praise, and worship!
New YoRK, April l5.-Stephen p. Hear
dcnbrooke, policeman, was murdered last
nipht by two burglars whom he had arrested
while robbng. The mnrdercrs escaped.
tg- Will m Hartner was lately convicted
in Greene county, Ohio, Of maicousy killing
horse, and sentenced to twenty days i'm
prsonment in the county Jail, to pay fine Of