Year: 1860

THE GREAT ENIGMA.


Man is a puzzle to himself From the
beginning he seems to have had much
clearer conception of the nature and des-
tiny Of everything else in the universe,
than of his own. "What is man that
Thou art mindful of him?" exclaimed
the inspired writer. And "what Is MANI"
repeats the philosopher.


The great enigma Of mankind is man


And still, therefore,


The proper study of mankind is man.
He is conscious of the possession of
powers and faculties which exalt him
immeasurably above the brutes that per-
ish. Although, in his organic nature,
closely related to all below, he feels in
some mysterious way, allied to all that is
above. While tracing his origin back
to the very dust of the earth, he is con-
scious of endowments which place him
at the head of all created things; and he
is ever stirred with soul Inspirations which
reached onward to the highest heaven
But why thus formed and fashioned?
from whence derived? and whittier tend
ing? are problems which still exercise
and perplex the profoundest thinkers of
the age.


Every individual is aware of propen-
sites inherent in his organization, clam
oring for qualification They are impul-
ses which he cannot resist His thoug ghts
are compelled to seek and his hands are
moved to take hold of the objects which
the passions demand He must indulge
them or be miserable. Yet the very
means which satisfy them for the moment
are often among the causes of his future
suffering Evil is in the world. Go
where he may, do what he will, all the
good he can find comes to him more or
less mingled with evil. The bodily
wants and the mental powers are contin-
ually coming in conflict. Passion and
propensity are frequently warning with
the judgment and the conscience. He
finds one law in his members, and an
other law in his spirit. He seems to
himself to be living, acting, moving
heterogenity


Other creatures are not so. They find
in their lower instincts infallible and har-
monious rules of conduct. They all
work out their destiny in the appointed
way. But man finds in his higher intel
lect source of innumerable mistakes.
He reasons on all subjects, and errs in
many. His observations are often de-
ceptive, his reflections fallacious, and his
conclusions false; and thus his superior
nature becomes the very source of his
mistakes and his errors. And paradox
ical as the statement may seem, it is new
ertheless true, and the very freedom with
which he is endowed, makes him a nee
essary slave to thousand falsities, while
the very elements of restless and endless
progression, which SO distinguishes him
in the scale of being, leads him into
many vices and crimes.


What, then IS evil? Is it an entity or
is it mere relation? Is it an eternal
principle in the universe, or is it tenn
porary condition? This is problem on
which the mightiest minds of the world
have expended their energies for ages,
and which they still confess themselves
unable to solve The nature and origin
Of evil is still regarded as "a profound
and terrible mystery" Many a deep
thinker, after devoting lifetime to the
investigation of the subject, unavailingly,
has come to the conclusion that it is en-
tirely without the pale of human COM
prehension.


Is there no key by which this mystery
may be unlocked? For all practical pur-
poses we think it may be found in the
simple idea of use and abuse. Man is
destined to be educated. He must be
taught his proper relations to all else that
exists in the universe. This is the aim
and end of all experience, Of all dis
cipline, of all punishment, of all life. =
This is the process of education. He
may use all the things in the universe,
and gain knowledge and happiness
He may abuse them, and find error and
misery. Good or evil is to him accord
ing the uses or abuses of the world in
which he dwells. Misery or punish
ment is not avindictive infiction because
of his misdeeds, but, the corrective to
restrain his wanderings and guide him
in the way he should go. Punishment
is his preserver. Evil is his friend. So
long as he goes astray he will need its
kindly chastenings, and he will surely
have them. When he walks uprightly,
when he truly appreciates his relations
to other objects and other creatures,
when he uses all things and abuses
nothing, evil, which is not an arbitrary
tyrant, but necessary consequence of
misuse, will cease to trouble-to befriend
him. And then will the most per-
picking problem of his existence be
solved, the nature of evil explained, the
benevolence Of punishment justified,
the progress and final triumph Of
humanity secured,


"And Gods eternal government approved"
When is Man Rich EnoughF