Year: 1861

jdotciiiHiiIuS CCFCiCpLiSuso WIZ w ihauO III


this world or another, when the vast maya
zine OF tho ughts within US shall be uDscatd


And who can avoid the inquiry, what kind


OF thoughts he is daily pouring into this


store house ..
The capacity Of the human mind for


knowledge, is another Of its wonderful pow
ers. BY etery accession OF knowledge is


that capacity enlarged; nor have the limits
Of that expansion ever been reached, or i'm
|agined. Indeed, the nature OF the mind


leads US to the conclusion that there are no


limits. And it has already been shown, that


whatever knowledge the mind acquires, it


can never lose What magnificent concep-


ton, to attempt to follow the7mind along the


path Of its immortal existence, and to see it
forever drinking in the stream OF knowledge


wheraby it constantly accumulates strength,
and has the sphere Of its capacity enlarged,
yet remaining eternally Infinitely inferior to
that of the Deity Yet vho can conceive
Of The vass amount Of knowledge it vii u!-
timately attain, or its more than angelic IN
telIectua mighte


No less wonderful is a mans capacity for
happiness. Here, too, we find no limits but
infuity. The happy emotions of to day only
quality the soul for stronger emotions to-mor-
row, provided all the strings of the delicate
are in tune. Nor is the increase
in an arithmctical, but in geometrical ratio.
Who shall set limits to the expanding series,
OR who will doubt but God can fiji to over
flowing the most enlarged capacity through
eternal ages ?


Alike unlimited is mans capacity for mis-
cry. II this world his sufferings sometimes
rise to fearful height. Nor can VIC discov.
er, in the nature of the mind, any reason
why an increase Of Knowledge should not
add u proportlonatc intensity of suffering.
VINO can tell what fountains If misery may
be broken up or when, i'll the round Of cter-
nal ages, the angry biIlows Shall cease to roll
over the soul that has broken loose from the
great Jaw Of rcctitude and happiness? O., it
Is not strange that an inspired writer should
declare that man is not only aronde, ,tuhy 6ut
fearful q made /! His unlimited capacity for
misery, is surely most fearful trait in his
constitution.


Not less fearful is tie supremacy that is
given to conscience in his moral nature, e,pe.
;lally when We recolIect With what unbeud-


ing severity she applies her scorpion lash up.
Oh the soul that has fallen under her dis.
pleasures. Yet no less promptly does her
approving voice cheer the soul that is strug-
ylug along the straight and narrow path Of
iuty, and bring down into the heart the
spirit Of heaven. la short, to the mastery
u the conscience every one must sooner or
ater submit. Rightly has it been called
Gods vicegcrent in the soul F.; and though it
De part OF ourselves, we can as easily ami
lllate the soul, as escape from Its dominion.
And when We think how terrible are its in
1rctions sometimes upon the guilty, and rec
,llcct our unlimited capacity for misery, we
cannot but inquire with soicitude, whether its
does not extend to another world;
md though an affirmative answer may shock
he ear OF guilt, it will make the heart OF
'irtue beat high with delightful anlicipations.


Even this slight reference to some of the
,owcrs of the human soul, shows that it is a
maze Of wonders. What is there in the bold
st flights of imagination to compare with it
Here, tlen, the ingenious mind can find
enough to feed its strongest love of the new


md the wonderful, without the aid of ro-
nance