New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-28
Nsm7lurk DAILY Gibn,rs
NEW PUBLIC4I IO4NG.

God a, manifested 10 His WORKS" 10 be delivered
before The Brooklyn institute in accordance with
| the win Of the late Mr.. Augustus Graham. In
selecting the constitution Of the human soul as az
illustration of the divine Projections Or. Storrs has
departed from the beaten path Of writers natural
theology. The rich materials which are suggested
By the subject have hitherto been treated only Incl
dentaly by standard authors, with the exception Of
DR.. Chalmers, in bis elaborate bat confused and
superficial Brdgewater Treatise. In the hands Of
Dr. storrs, they are copiousy developed, skillfauy
adapted to the purposes Of popular instruction. and
placed in striking light BY his singular fertility
and beauty of illustration. To a great extent he
has conquered the disadvantage OF oral discourse,
as the vehicle Of philosOphc discussion, and, al
though INDUCING in brilliincy of rhetoric which
has no natural harmony with the theme, he rarely
if ever sacrifices precision Of thought and ygor Of
analysis for .he sake Of popular effect.
Assuming the existence Of one Eternal and ln-
finite Being and bis nseparable connection with the
work Of creation the author proceeds to set forth
the divine character as exhibited in the intellectual
and moral construction Of man. The primary view
conscious life, giving significance and value to every
member Of our complex frame, and passing into
every variety Of manifestation according to the im
pulses Of it's own inherent activity. In successive
lectures, il is then considered as endowed with
faculties for knowledge, for virtue FLOR benefcent
operation, for happiness, and for immortal pro.
gress These topics are fully unfolded in the light
Of pure spiritual philosophy, which recognizes
the ideal nature of the noblest characteristic
of his beng, the distinctive line which separates
him from the mere animal, and the seal of his pos
sble destiny to an endless career in truth and
beauty and goodness.
As specimen of the exuberant but impressive
manner Of the author, we copy portion of his re.
marks on the faculty of language, from bis lecture
on the capacities of the soul for benefcent action
Take Language for example, and the literatures
which il forms. These are among mans chieiest In
struments and yet familiar that We hardly renern
ber Until is shown 10 Us, how marvellous they are
The power Of language OF embOdying thought in ar
tcuste speech and then Of presenting 1t through writ
ten terms-n respect of its earliest anu sushest deve
oPment has mystery IN IT; IKE everything ing else e,se
tact. II s quite impossible with any Analysis, to in
srpret fully the growth Of any tongue We can only
SAY that the soul produces it, by process 80 instant
the work Ii has sometimes been imagined that the
srms AT the grammatical forms Of language were an
immediate gift by supernatural revelation, from GOO
II man, This clearly IL not sufficient explanations
for evtn if time il would eclarcise but one language
and that the original the snguage OF Eden and the
languages Of the race, now split and splntered into
such diverse dialects. would remain to be accounted
for - -
The truth rather may be thus stated: That God has
20 formed the human soul that by It's constitution
struggles toward speech It cannot rest until attain.
that and it comes at last IN the natural deveoPemen
of its innate force to realize aud erect this Vehicle OF
thought. At first, undoubtedly certain sounds were
appropriated to indicate certain sensible OBJECTS and
to distinguish them from others; a. char, or
bench horse or tree; the moon IN the sky or the
water on the be- ach. These sounds are arbitrary
having esoterc illnesses to their objects, yet they
become permanently associated with them. Then
internal states represented by such SOUNDS, USED
fguratiyey, as we say with uperinduced
and secondary significance The positions OF
such objects toward each other and toward the
speaker demand and secure certain tcrns 10 express
them And gradually, from these their relations and
inter action as perceived by the eye aad represented
in sound there grow up all forms OF grammatical ar
raDgement until the language is prepared continuously
10 nrocced with the further development and cutya
ton of n people, toward entire completeness. IL comes
at last to furnish equivalent for every object ascer-
tanned TO exist in nature or in thought to furnish rep
rcentatives Of the relations OF these, ana OF all Tue
modes in which they limit or Influence each other.
So smple and obvious-the power being first given
of making wave of the air carry thought OF chang
ing its motion with the uersnce OF ideas-ls the pro-
cess of the formation of any most flashed and powerful
tongue, the development OF which declares ana meas
ures n civilization aud the relics OF which remain
through the ages outlasting temples and perpeuaing
thought Bat how marvellous this essential faculty
Nhsi light does it shed on the Wisdom that lanned
on the XII dly and infinite Power that framed our mys-
terious constitution and that made the earth, which
stands around u.s. such mirror OF the SOUL suggesting
TO it the elements of Misrepresentation NO brute has
any such power of language Some tribes OF ahIas
have the faculty OF designating by particular SOUNDS
particular objects All animals almost have the power
of emitting some sound from some organ, associated
u.usy with fear OF with pleasure. But none mas thl5
faculty of intellectual expression. No one can afax
names 10 things, and then abstract 'he reaohs .hee
sustain and apply them TO the expression anu Illustrate
| by them the mutual relations OF spiritual forces,
whether as connected in the series OF experience or III
logical cstenaton. Herein is the very oulnot OF
| God revt sled 10 our structure! Herein is ms WIS
dom preparing the soul Tor work not physical only,
but spiritual; work transcendent in ns nature and
wonderfully searching and farresching IN lis influence
Compare the golden orioe, swinging III the sunshine
and filing the house with flashing melodies, win the
infant meaning in his yet inaticulae speech, That
lies beneath The bird was made for enjoyment hrst
for work subordina sicily The infsnt was created for
an enjoyment 10 be realized through fervent operation
Tie bird has beauty that reflects the very beauty OF
| the mind which created him. The CLOSE upon
his breast and the brilliance on his wings, were
| put there by Gods psncil. His gushing song
| vsrbles a tribute TO Him who gave him power
| TO sirg But the child has struggling capacity
within him. as much grancer than this, as the spul9a
and Divine are always grander than the physical lie
| hath in his being the germs Of Speech. And speech
can rel res the most dec ate feeling II set forth
| the iglies pr Ct IS Of thousht Ii eau furnish an
image Tor al that is conceived. 1t take up aud
inter- ref the very thoughts of the Infinite ransatn
them into Iapgusse for the immortsls to hear. God
| himself hath put eminent honor upon speech; using il
as the vehicle of bis highest spations; creating the
worlds we are told, "by word In it the regal soul
1 I =.