The New York herald., 1876-11-12
WHAT IS LIFE?

To THE kpiroR rRE HERALD:-
Your valuable shcet-pro bono p1blico-looking on
all sides, favorng all in the procurcmsnt OF light, will
think aid me in reaching class Of sceptlcs who
sumo 10 believe nothing except they place iher
hands upon it. 1t seems 10 be laoor them TO
iyze thought, and thoy conclude that only tangible
things exist Having had a very interesting interview
with one Of that too numerous Glass; allow TO pub
lish an account Of Il in your columns On reading tho
ot reckless suicide in tho HERALD he remarked,
"What II life? sWhat il iory What's all this row
aoout" Sly answer vas that life WAS given for tho
greatest ana best OF purposes But he remarked.
"Tnai's ouiy q statement What do know about
III" IreDei, ''striol!y speaking really know
but little. In tho minds OF most men, nothing Yet
Paul says, Now know In part; bus thon lhereafter
we shall know even snown.'" But then again
be SAID, Thas but statement ,he promises OF which
for argrmcnt deny" "well. then my friend, a
simple statement which am enabled 10 make iron my
understanding 70 yours, and you 10 receive, IS some
proof that possess some intel;ectual metaphysical
powers. You'l concede tperhaps you do y that We
possess some Imagination. What is imagnauonf We
Will both, think, agree with Dugalc Stewart thai
the faculty of imagination is the great sprhg OF human
activity, and tne principal source oil human improve
ncn:- This iaculty, then t viii be admitted, IS I'M
provabc---can be trained addison construes the re-
suit oil training 10 be, something have added
OIr consciencss convince tnat the faculties OF
the mind--lhe imagination, the wil-can be trained 10
CONSCIOUS perception lar beyond that 10 which .hey
mad either once attained There IS therefore, IL viii
Ds admitted, CONSCIOUSNESS, spirit within US, 10
viii and 10 90; and We are conscousa1d know, as we'll
can know Thing not tangible, that these acul-
be trained 10 uettcr and greater cncrts,
and that ~1rogress training
We become conscious and know, IN part
that capable oi higher at,ainments. By anal
oey very Improvement to iesi and af
by know that wowil ascend higher;
IN ascending progress. and to which we can never
completely attain certainly We know that while we
are ascending we have not ataned We arc therefore
aspiring 10, reaching alter, admitting that thcrc
supreme Excellence, and that God Now,
naturally and inevitably AS We arrive at that concep
tioE by enlightened human reason, We enthrons God
IN minds all the higher attributes or love,
wisdom, power which pertain 10 me Great Am. We
doubtless admit from revelalonat any rate admit
from conceptions OF uis excellence that eman-
ate from dis lovirg Kindness Bat, IN pur-
suns Why we're we a.easd ror
iec. state o. oeins-prosrsssins upward. Ou.
best tLat 1t SHOULD be and We advance
theory II wo had been created perfect there would,
OF course have been nothing Tor acquire nothing
to .earp, advance to be made, no knowcdge 10 nt
by creating In our present imperfect state
oil being with liEi,tsd irso WILL yesting with the
power 10y our very impcr'cc,ien to wander from the
path vi recttude and made CONSCIOUS OF the possibility
OF our attaining more exalted mental state by ac-
knowledgng HIS power and :ovo and grace, we, by
experience become as It We're creators or knowi-
edge OF His goooncss HIS care, His atnery love and
beuefacIions Those that Gail upon Him Hc will
wise of, good thing will withhold from
them that lead good iic and these things He Will do
within us Of His good picasure. without this knowi-
cdgo OF HIS almighty power and love and grace,
and acquired ny us, we could ny no pcssl-
blity have had any evidence ot lis truth; We
would have been mere machines, vehcles 10
whom knowledge had been impaired IRON
another mind. But III the mode which have
tempted TO portray, enabling US by an experience 10
acquire tins Knowledge OF ourselves creating cur own
knowledge by our experience, we are immensely
exalted and lifted Tor hiGner state oil existence.
plain example, daiy occurring in courts OF JUSTICE
may aid IN exempllfying what have noted IN my con-
cluding remarks witness appears court confident
that ne possesses full knowledge Of tho then
before the court, and thai his evidence would be Of
value He takes the stand ana narrates The tacts
the case, when, io IT appears that all the superficial
knowledge which he possesses Is tEat which was
veyed nim narrated by another. mere hearsay and
not any evidence At ALL ana he OF course leaves the
stand entirely Improbable witness Such, OF
course, must ever be all knowledge compared With
that which have acquired by our experience Lilo
here therefore, state Of probation dttng us ior
hiohnr Ifu