The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1873-12-06

tho olo, HOT Jne UenCuICJlOn OF tne Otn6r.
1t Is all "blessed is he" and "cursed is
he." 1t is a real want, and the one
who can suggest word to meet thi.
case will be benefactor to all pub
lie speakers. Specially when the doc
trine of the out and out equality of the
sexes is In q fair way to triumph, 1t is
wrong, through little defect of langu-
age, to put sleight perhaps on the best
and most intelligent part of every au-
dlence.
But prononns are also a neglected
part of speech. In the theories of Ian
guage, sometimes one and then another
has been claimed as the original part of
speech. One prefers the case of the in
terjection and another of the noun one
Of the verb and another of the article !;
but the prOnoun, as far as we know, has
never had an advocate for this place of
prominence. The tenacity with which
1t holds its place in language is wonder
full. AS to proportions, small and in
significant, why has it not long since
been crowded out of the language. So
far from this, it has asseraed its rights,
and maintained its position with pecu-
liar strength and courage. The obvious
reason is, the propoun is the represen-
tative of our personality. We are slow
to part with any thing which has a
strong hold on our nature. Through
all the changes of language, where the in
undatiOn Of French words came upon
us after the battle of Hastings, or in
that flood of Latinisms which DR.. John.
son and his followers let loose upon our
tongue, the pronoun held its place al
most unchanged. We have French
words oil art and fashion, Greek terms
of science, and Latin terms in all de-
partments and in all the parts of speech,
but every prOnOun is distinctly Saxon.
When the victorious Norman, in the
11th century, imposed on England the
yoke of Norman manners, and laws,
and thousands of Norman words, it
never succeeded in fixing among the
Saxons, even for year, the use Of the
French pronoun. The verb, and the
adverb, and the interjection might be
r'rench, but the Saxon pronoun was too
sacred and too thoroughly domesticated
to be surrendered even for an hour.
Our common notion as to the utility of
the pronoun Is entirely inadequate. In
our conceptions, 1t is simply convent
ence. 1t Is device te prevent the tire
some repetition of the leading word, 1t
never rises to the dignity of the noun
or the verb, yet this is not the only use
OF these small words. Scores of passages
might be quoted to show that they serve
the higher purpose of emphasis. What
intense personality the pronoun gives to
those passages in the early part of God S
Word. When God wishes to reveal
himself as the God OF each separate
soul, or the independent self.existent
Jehovah when Moses asks what name
should be giveE when inquiry should be
made as to his authority for the message,
the answer is striking 7" am that
am. Thus shalt thou say unto the chill
dren of Israel, am hath sent me unto
you" No equivalent could make the
announcement so emphatic as the mode
OF statement in reference to the eternity
and power of Jesus Christ 81 am HE
that liveth and was Dead" &c. In
Deuteronomy, God claims his supremacy
and his sovereignty in language that
makes us feel his power and his person.
ality: 81, even !, am he, and there is
no God with me. l kill and L make
alive l wound and l heal" And
without that prOnOuu how could the
prophet have thrown q sharper arrow
in the heart of the guilty David the
very word must have SO awakened the
sense, that ii seems the blood would
curdle around the heart In fear ''Thou
art the man." 1t Is like pointing the
finger of condemnation in his very face.
In short, II these pronOuns should be
taken from Gods Word, it would be
quite q different revelation. These
simple words make Him a personal,
listening, loving God. No God that is
hid away in heartless laws, or prisoned
in Pantheistlc Ice, but the friendly God
of each separate soul now, as OF the
elders and prOphets-of Johnand James,
of Peter and Simon, of Mary Magdalen
and Jairus' daughter. He is the God of
these houses, and streets, and schools.
The Christians God is reality-nO
reality on earth so real.
How these pronouns individualize the
great thought of personal obligation,
- ouu biouI anu biiCO bitub bhC bhlhB
home to each man, and woman, and
child. With these ever-recurrng words
shaming us and warning us, no man
can hide himself in the public. He who
reads here cannot shirk the solemn call
made to each soul in any general good.
The work is for each. Repent is for
each. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
GCd" is for each. "Take up the cross
and come after me" Is for each. 81
have message from God for thee"
William Humbolt says "These are
not the mere substitutes of the names of
the persons for whom they stand, but
involve the personality of the speaker
and the persons spoken to, and the re-
lation between them. Is the word
which man has In common with God,
the eternal, self-existing am. Thou
is the word with which God and con-
science speak TO man, the word with
which man speaks and communes with
God and his neighbor. All other words
without these two would belong to
things. and thou are inseparable from
personality, and best0w personality on
whatever they are applied to. They are
the two primary elements and conditions
of oil pnaaoh xn,hfoh fnupli..S a anaa lya,