Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-10-31
all g0rts of 6ooa 8Ga0ing.
Wise and Beautiful Words from a Sermon
by Henry Ward Beeoher,

Why these desires for Immortality
why these vague and nameless longings
why these yearnings Tor which no words
have ever yet been framed for the souls
uttering, why are we so possessed and
j.. dominated by these nobler aspirations,
if man is of necessity this creature that
forever wastes and perishes? We shud-
der at the thought of our tTansientness.
We affirm, therefore, as it we're to
confirm ourselves in these higher views,
mans superiority over the animal king
dom, and glory in it. But, alas how
much is the race superior to animals
If you count all the gTowths Of eiviliza-
/ ton for centuries, man is greatly superi
or to the animal but if you look at the
race itself, how much are the hordes of
Africa superior to the gorillas and
monkeys that swarm the forests Of that
continent? How much are the myriads
of China'worth, who might die in body,
and not one invention be lost, nor one
thought be extinguished, nor one moral
purpose pulsate less in the world ? What
a condition of the world is that in which,
if you should destroy half its population,
there would not be missed one treasure,
one impulse, or one aspiration =?
And when we come to look more mar
rowly into the sources of life, whatever
may be true of the possible, a man S
glory above the animal kingdom is a
glory which he may attain, but which
largely he does not attain.
We boast of mans freedom and are
fond Of asserting plenary choice ana
power. That man is free in certain
sense we can concede but he is free as
a bird is free within the bounds Of his
cage, having freedom to fly between wire
and wire, lattice and lattice, and no more.
We are not free to do what we please to
walk on the water. Are you able to do
it? Please to handle FIRE. Are you able
to do it? You are free to move in ODE
dicnce to law and that is all. You are
free as regards the intellect in its sphere.
There is a law Of growth and develop
ment by which we know from one thing
to another. Choose, now, to know from
intuition the mathematical science choose
to pierce in any direction physical know
ledge intuitively, and see If You are free
to know just as you piease to know
Drudgery, Ioug-conGnued, patient delr-.
ing, is tie price Of all knowledge
Are you free in the realm Of affection ?
Are you not held down by certain mar
row bounds and prescriptions =? You are
free to obey immutabie laws. Within
tie sphere Of that obedience you have
potency; but in any such large sense as
men are accustomed to think. we are not
free. We are creatures Of destiny, Of
decree that is, Of law--for that which
the old philosopher called destiny, the
medieval philosopher called decree, and
the modern philosopher calls law.
Why do you want power? Why DO
you want to control men Go sit, on a
summers day, by an ant-heap, and scrapc
your ants together. Marshal them, and
IN them first this way, and then that,
and call yourself the supreme sovereign
Of the pismire, and glory init, and crown
yourself, and look with complaisance! /!
And what is it ali worth ? What are
YOU, after all? How much Is there OF
YOU D.? What are you, who control ma
iorities in the community What are
you that merely have power over feeble
ness, over unrefection? He that has
influence, not because he sought it, but
Just as he has length, because God gave
it to him; as he has avoirdupois weight,
lust because it is there, and not because
culture or skill brought it to the scale
he that has power, and loves it for no
other reason thau that by il he may stand
as a cod among men, ever blessing them
with better thoughts, wiser counsels,
sweeter love, a purer life, and higher
ideals he that walks among men, not
to tread them down, not to work them up
for his own purposes, and not to spin the
thread of his prosperity from the fleece
that they bear, but as Cod the Eternal
Father, walks, forever giving, leading,
but never taking, because to
give is more ll.ssed than to receive-he
that has this higher notion of power,
touches the divine circle of experience.
But that pride of life, that lust of power,
that leads man to seek influence and to
WELD it everywhere for his own interest,
without regard to the interests of others,
is never satisfying, because the remuner-
alton that it brings Is not permanent but
is stamped with the declaration of God,
" 1t passeth away" No man can build,
be he ever so powerful, a fortress that
shall deliver him from thatineYitabIe de-
cay that lies in it.
Look at men that are strong only in
material elements. How their strength.
at the point of time when most they need
it, is weakest? What is mans wealth
to him when he is racked and tormented
with aches and pains? Many a rich man
would give his piles of gold for one
nights sleep. And when the hearty
peasent, that does not know what pain
is, and that sleeps soundly, passes his
house, he is querulous and complaining,
and says, All he is lucky, and I am
unfortunate. All his treasure is not
able to insure him the enjoyment of
health. Nay, money stands to him in
lieu of health, since he sacrificed health
for the sake obtaining money.
There was a day in which there came
a lone woman and poured ointment upon
the head, and with her tears washed the
feet. Of a wandering and despised man.
Philosophers in the world were swarm