The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-08
PULPIT AND PEW.
yEws EXTRACTS. OF INTEREST 70
CHURCH PEOPLE.

Humanity the supreme anu O'eis""oo" '"s
Theme for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
the Profound Conviction Of the Universal
Human Intelligence.
Humanity in its grand and awful amplitude
in its length and breadth-in all its rela-
tons to the past. the present and the future,
20 things seen and unseen, to the finite and
20 the infinite-is the theme Of themes, most
reconcile, mysterious and sublime; transcend
ing far the ASTRONOMERS, the geologies, the
physiologies, the zoologies, thereunto apper-
tanning. We have never seen anything so
wonderful, 80 mysterious. so awful, as man.
In the elements Of his constitution he is mi
crocosm-a world in minature-an abbreviated
system of the universe. In the truthful yet
awful and sublime conception of his being,
he is an embodiment Of all the essences OF
things. animate and inanimate, in unison with
an emanation Of divinity-a manifestation OF
which stirs within him, imparting to INN
sublime and awful personality, constituting
him terrestrial representative Of the Self
existent. who fills with varied life and beauty
the awful circles of time. space and eternity
himself the last, the greatest and the most
wonderful yoltion and operation Of the abso-
lutte and incomprebensible Dicty. The rcla-
tions of spirit TO the eternal future before us
present questions OF greater moment,
as intelligent beings, capable Of investigating
than any other Of which we can
conceive. Indeed, all real interests with such
beings are involved in such a question. In
the volume of inspiration this doctrine is, rs
we should expect, set with the greatest posi-
BILE distinctness before our minds. The indi,
vidual who confdes in the truth OF that sacred
record needs no other foundation on which 10
rest the question Of his own Immortality. The
examination of the truth of this doctrine, how
ever. pertains not merely W those who are
privileged with a knowledge of Inspiration.
This conviction may properly be presented as
the great phenomenon OF the race oil the uni
yersal human intelligence 1t belongs 10 PM
losophy TO investigate the grounds OF thus
universal conviction. What Is meant by the
distinction of our several faculties IS but
verbal difierence--is q mere convenience for
classifying the successive or simultaneous acts
of one and the same being. Ii is not my intel
lect that thinks but 1 think. II IS not my
will which erergizes. but act, and l am solely
responsible for the whole act throughout all
time. IL is not my nerves which are scnti-
emit but feel through them and compel
them as my ministers to do my bidding. il
ia not the eve that sees. nor the ear that
hears. but one indiyisiblc sprit-mysclf-
which is percipient through these organs. and
sums ND its own various activities in one act Of
coenition, and its successive states Of con-
seriousness in one remembrance. A vibration
of the nerve rs well as of the air or the ether,
NAV precede audible or visual sensation; but
the vibration is not the sensation, for it does
not like that, rise into CONSCIOUSNESS. The
vibration is phase or mode of motion and
extension, being inconceivabe without both;
but a state of consciousness absolutely refuses
20 include either. What is the shape, or size,
or velocity of love OF hate, OF bitterness or
sourness. of anxiety or benevolence. or alb
stract thought? We see at once that the ques-
ton is meaningless and absurd. The essen
tial oneness and identity of the thinking self
are ordinarily involved and presupposed in
the exercise of every function Of thought.
These curiously finished bodies OF ours inclose
soul, self-conscious personality, and
there is an inexpungable conviction of its
reality. Here science wells her face and bows
in reverence before the Almighty. Here we
have passed the boundaries by which physical
science is enclosed. We here reach the phe-
nomena 10 which the scalpel, the microscope.
and the chemical test have no relation. We
reach the life of circumstances. of the
personality, Of that in every man which he
calls |. and which is, in truth, the man HIM
self. The phenomena of mind are totally
different from and contradictory TO the phe-
nomena Of matter Hence mind is not pro-
perty mode or state Of matter. Hence the
death of the body does not necessarily in
volve the death Of the soul The conviction
of the truth of the Immortality of the soul is
coextensive with the race of man. Ii belongs
TO no age, TO no form of religion. to no nation,
10 no race of men, as a peculiarly. IL IL the
common element OF all religions, the common
conviction of the race. in all ages and
conditions. This conviction does not ex-
ist in the universal intelligence as the
result of logical deduction. 1t has precisely
the same claim 30 place among our intuitlye
convictions that the belief of our own exist
ence has. Like all other primary intutions,
this conviction is incapable of essential con-
firnation by any process of logical deduction.
In these facts we have the highest possible
evidence Of the truth of the doctrine under
consideration. What the universal intelli-
genee afirms, in view of certain facts, must
have foundation in these facts, or we must
assume that the intelligence itself is a lie; and
then TO reason on any subject becomes the
perfection of folly. Ii must be admitted that
wherever there is fundamental want Of SEN
tient existence there ls q corresponding
provision, and wherever there is funda-
mental adoption there is corresponding OBJ
feet or sphere of action. II we would deter
mine the destiny of any beng we must inyes-
tigale his powers and susceptibilities, and from
these learn what his real destiny is.Cumber-
land Presbyterian Review, for January