Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-09
COMMUNICATED
The source and End Of Science


All science, or Knowledge, properly belongs
unto God alone, because being derived from
Him, He must needs be its continual and sole
proprietor. But God has given, and continu-
ally gives, science unto man, and therefore man
may, in Que sense, be called its proprietor, as
receiving it from God. Nevertheless, God
gives science to map, not for individual benefit
only, but Tor public use, and therefore science,
according TO this view, Is the property of the
public, and Dot of the individual who possesses
it, only SO far as be applies to the public good
for which it was given. For such is the nature
of all the gifts Of heaven to mao, that being
designed for general use, their excellence per.
ishes and is totally lost to the unhappy posses
sor, whatsoever he seeks to appropriate them
10 himself, and by soriid set-!ove, to apply
them to the promotion Of his own glory rather
than to the general welfare This truth is
awfully Illustrated and confirmed by the sen
tence denounced on the Improbable servant in
the Gospel, where it is said Take from him
the talent and give unto him that hath ten
talent" = Matt XIV: 2S. For the unpro6t table
servant is he who hides his Lord S talent iu the
earth OF his own seltishness instead of regard
log 1t as the appointed instrument of promot-
ing the benefit of his fellow creatures, and ad
ding to the stock of general happiness The
politician, therefore, who wraps up his political
science in the napkin of his own selfish pur
poses, whcD he ought rather to devote il to his
coun,ry's science the philosopher, who studies
the mysteries OF nature, to indulge his OVID
vanity, more than to enrich the world with
philosophical discovery the scholar, who prides
himself 10 the pedautry Of learning, and is un-
nI uh,pt Re han, f. RI ,bo h,
ologlan. who spcculalcs on abstruse articles OF
faith with greater ardor and scrupuIou<uess
than he maintains the laws of charity, and the
universal extension fits heavenly influence
all these are alike unwise, because by the sell
fish misappllcatlon of their respective sciences,
they draw down upon their own heads the
thunder Of the tremendous sentence, Take
from him he talent, and give it to him that
hath ten talents. Woe, then to the man, who
Socvcr he be, who regards sci"uce-that valuable
gift of heaven-as bestowed for The qualification
OF his own pride, avarlce, or ambition, saying
thus with Pharaoh Of old My river is nine,
and have made ii for myself = Eek. xxx: g.
For the mo:e eagerly lie seeks thus to adorn
himself In the lrapplngs of his own faucied
talents, the more certainly he will dives him
self OF all It's real use, benefit and excellence,
until there BE- left uOne remaining But blessed
DC the man, whoever lie be, wo regards all
his science as the property of God and of his
fellow men, aud applies it accordingly in pro-
noting the glory OF God, the good of society,"
aud the general interest Of mankind For,
while the selfish and the Sordid, in seeking the
life OF science, lose it, he, on the contrary, 10
losing, gains it, bee use, sacrificing it on the
altar OF The divine mercy Of that adorable Being
who gave II, and conSecrating it thus 10 the
sublime ends of public benefit, for which it was
given, he never fails to receive it back again,
trucitied and multiplied by its connection with
the ountaln Of life, of wisdom and CT blessing.
ScIe1 zee, or knowledge, perverted from its prop
or end, may be compared to the subtle serpent
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which
is ever tempting man to eat of the forbidden
fruit, aud thus to banish himself from Paradise,
and turo his back on the Tree Of Life. But
science, directed to its proper end, may be com.
pared to an angelic being, commissioned By the
Lord to take man by the hand and Conduct him
through all the entrlcacles and pers of the
wilderness Of this world, back again 10 Para
disc, to eat again of the Tree of Life, and to live
forever in an eternal and blessed conjunction
with Jesus Christ, His Word, Hi, Lille and
Kingdom. Z. S****
heeley, the motor map, has placed on ex-
hi 10 Ill.