Year: 1860

by which will touch a lnUu feeling, by
which will irradiate mans dwelling;"
and be paints a picture that breaches to
men, comforts the sick; gives hope TO the
dropping heart, sheds light upon the dark
ened soul. Copyists are not artists, any
more than dog is an artist, iecIuse he
draws little baby in wagon behind him!
1t is he that makes mechanical art the
servant of power ,hat is t'ic artist.


In every profession, everything man
touches ur docs is an instrument. Hnd not
an end. There are no ends iIi mis- world.
Everything is in a scale. Ii is the genius
of the world that everything shall take
hold on something in the futurr. we
hear u great deal of ado made about an
undue restlessucss, or want of content
ment, i'll men. There is fable of q man
who was offered great price if he would
find person that was contcnted, and who
went around the world for that purpose.
Now there is sense in which a man,
looking on the present in the light of the
future, and taking his whole being into
the account, may be coptented with his
lot: that is Christian contentment. But
what philosophers want is that man
shall be contented in just the state he is
in. But tell you, if man has come to
that point where he is content, he ought
be put in his coffin for a coutented live
man is sham If man has come to
that state in which he says, 81 do not
want to know any more, or do any more,
or be any more" he is in state in which
he ought to be changed into mummy |!
Of ali hidcous things Imummies are the
most hideous; and of mummics, those are
the lAost hideous that are running about
the streets and talking! would rather
see the old Egyptian ccremcnts, than those
men that arc content with what they are,
and do not want to be any morcl The
thing which ministers and mOrnliSts gen.
orally are stigmatiZing rs human intirm-
i:y, | mark as the element of God i'll
man.


1t il not in accordance with the Divine
economy that we should be content in this
world. We are so created that our higher
faculties are never satisfied. Love for ever
says, ''More love-" Power for ever says,
"Give me higher power" knowledge
never feels itself to be knowing, but al
ways asks for more knowledge. What is
there in skill that does not conceive of
greater skill2 What man in his attain
ments does not sec steps like those of Jn-
cob's ladder, whose foot was on the
ground, and whose summit was angel
crowned in the heavens2 God has made
the human mind so that it is always seek
ing the future, as plant in the dark strug-
giles toward til. least ray of light. 1t is
the nature of man to go outward and up
ward Aspiration is the law of his being.


Hence we are never to deem this life. or
anv part of it, completed thing. The
whole world, and all its history; human
society, and all its treasures; individual
life, and every part of it; all pursuits; ey-
cry stage; every result-these are only
steps leading to other steps. We are all
of US in world that marches, and calls TO
march. Life moves on n circle, endless
Nations and Kingdoms move on. Men
move aud march, and we must keep step,
and for ever move and march, We are
strangers and pilgrims. We are not set
tied. We never shall be in this world
Nothing is finished here. Every step is II
preparation for the next; and that for the
next. he whole of this life is one grand
march toward life indeed, and life in ear
nest!