Buthospitalitymustbeforservice,andnotforshow,oritpullsdownthehost。Thebravesoulratesitselftoohightovalueitselfbythesplendorofitstableanddraperies。Itgiveswhatithath,andallithath,butitsownmajestycanlendabettergracetobannocksandfairwaterthanbelongtocityfeasts。
Thetemperanceoftheheroproceedsfromthesamewishtodonodishonortotheworthinesshehas。Buthelovesitforitselegancy,notforitsausterity。Itseemsnotworthhiswhiletobesolemn,anddenouncewithbitternessflesh-eatingorwine-drinking,theuseoftobacco,oropium,ortea,orsilk,orgold。Agreatmanscarcelyknowshowhedines,howhedresses;butwithoutrailingorprecision,hislivingisnaturalandpoetic。JohnEliot,theIndianApostle,drankwater,andsaidofwine,——“Itisanoble,generousliquor,andweshouldbehumblythankfulforit,but,asIremember,waterwasmadebeforeit。“BetterstillisthetemperanceofKingDavid,whopouredoutonthegrounduntotheLordthewaterwhichthreeofhiswarriorshadbroughthimtodrink,attheperiloftheirlives。
ItistoldofBrutus,thatwhenhefellonhissword,afterthebattleofPhilippi,hequotedalineofEuripides,——“Ovirtue!I
havefollowedtheethroughlife,andIfindtheeatlastbutashade。“Idoubtnottheheroisslanderedbythisreport。Theheroicsouldoesnotsellitsjusticeanditsnobleness。Itdoesnotasktodinenicely,andtosleepwarm。Theessenceofgreatnessistheperceptionthatvirtueisenough。Povertyisitsornament。Itdoesnotneedplenty,andcanverywellabideitsloss。
Butthatwhichtakesmyfancymost,intheheroicclass,isthegood-humorandhilaritytheyexhibit。Itisaheighttowhichcommondutycanverywellattain,tosufferandtodarewithsolemnity。Buttheseraresoulssetopinion,success,andlife,atsocheaparate,thattheywillnotsoothetheirenemiesbypetitions,ortheshowofsorrow,butweartheirownhabitualgreatness。Scipio,chargedwithpeculation,refusestodohimselfsogreatadisgraceastowaitforjustification,thoughhehadthescrollofhisaccountsinhishands,buttearsittopiecesbeforethetribunes。Socrates\'scondemnationofhimselftobemaintainedinallhonorinthePrytaneum,duringhislife,andSirThomasMore\'splayfulnessatthescaffold,areofthesamestrain。InBeaumontandFletcher\'s“SeaVoyage,“Julettatellsthestoutcaptainandhiscompany,——
_Jul_。Why,slaves,\'tisinourpowertohangye。
_Master_。Verylikely,\'Tisinourpowers,then,tobehanged,andscornye。“
Theserepliesaresoundandwhole。Sportisthebloomandglowofaperfecthealth。Thegreatwillnotcondescendtotakeanythingseriously;allmustbeasgayasthesongofacanary,thoughitwerethebuildingofcities,ortheeradicationofoldandfoolishchurchesandnations,whichhavecumberedtheearthlongthousandsofyears。Simpleheartsputallthehistoryandcustomsofthisworldbehindthem,andplaytheirowngameininnocentdefianceoftheBlue-Lawsoftheworld;andsuchwouldappear,couldweseethehumanraceassembledinvision,likelittlechildrenfrolickingtogether;
though,totheeyesofmankindatlarge,theywearastatelyandsolemngarbofworksandinfluences。
Theinterestthesefinestorieshaveforus,thepowerofaromanceovertheboywhograspstheforbiddenbookunderhisbenchatschool,ourdelightinthehero,isthemainfacttoourpurpose。
Allthesegreatandtranscendentpropertiesareours。IfwedilateinbeholdingtheGreekenergy,theRomanpride,itisthatwearealreadydomesticatingthesamesentiment。Letusfindroomforthisgreatguestinoursmallhouses。Thefirststepofworthinesswillbetodisabuseusofoursuperstitiousassociationswithplacesandtimes,withnumberandsize。Whyshouldthesewords,Athenian,Roman,Asia,andEngland,sotingleintheear?Wheretheheartis,therethemuses,therethegodssojourn,andnotinanygeographyoffame。Massachusetts,ConnecticutRiver,andBostonBay,youthinkpaltryplaces,andtheearlovesnamesofforeignandclassictopography。Buthereweare;and,ifwewilltarryalittle,wemaycometolearnthathereisbest。Seetoit,only,thatthyselfishere;——andartandnature,hopeandfate,friends,angels,andtheSupremeBeing,shallnotbeabsentfromthechamberwherethousittest。Epaminondas,braveandaffectionate,doesnotseemtoustoneedOlympustodieupon,northeSyriansunshine。Heliesverywellwhereheis。TheJerseyswerehandsomegroundenoughforWashingtontotread,andLondonstreetsforthefeetofMilton。Agreatmanmakeshisclimategenialintheimaginationofmen,anditsairthebelovedelementofalldelicatespirits。Thatcountryisthefairest,whichisinhabitedbythenoblestminds。ThepictureswhichfilltheimaginationinreadingtheactionsofPericles,Xenophon,Columbus,Bayard,Sidney,Hampden,teachushowneedlesslymeanourlifeis,thatwe,bythedepthofourliving,shoulddeckitwithmorethanregalornationalsplendor,andactonprinciplesthatshouldinterestmanandnatureinthelengthofourdays。
Wehaveseenorheardofmanyextraordinaryyoungmen,whoneverripened,orwhoseperformanceinactuallifewasnotextraordinary。Whenweseetheirairandmien,whenwehearthemspeakofsociety,ofbooks,ofreligion,weadmiretheirsuperiority,theyseemtothrowcontemptonourentirepolityandsocialstate;
theirsisthetoneofayouthfulgiant,whoissenttoworkrevolutions。Buttheyenteranactiveprofession,andtheformingColossusshrinkstothecommonsizeofman。Themagictheyusedwastheidealtendencies,whichalwaysmaketheActualridiculous;butthetoughworldhaditsrevengethemomenttheyputtheirhorsesofthesuntoploughinitsfurrow。Theyfoundnoexampleandnocompanion,andtheirheartfainted。Whatthen?Thelessontheygaveintheirfirstaspirationsisyettrue;andabettervalorandapurertruthshallonedayorganizetheirbelief。Orwhyshouldawomanlikenherselftoanyhistoricalwoman,andthink,becauseSappho,orSevigne,orDeStael,orthecloisteredsoulswhohavehadgeniusandcultivation,donotsatisfytheimaginationandthesereneThemis,nonecan,——certainlynotshe。Whynot?Shehasanewandunattemptedproblemtosolve,perchancethatofthehappiestnaturethateverbloomed。Letthemaiden,witherectsoul,walkserenelyonherway,acceptthehintofeachnewexperience,searchinturnalltheobjectsthatsolicithereye,thatshemaylearnthepowerandthecharmofhernew-bornbeing,whichisthekindlingofanewdawnintherecessesofspace。Thefairgirl,whorepelsinterferencebyadecidedandproudchoiceofinfluences,socarelessofpleasing,sowilfulandlofty,inspireseverybeholderwithsomewhatofherownnobleness。Thesilentheartencouragesher;Ofriend,neverstrikesailtoafear!Comeintoportgreatly,orsailwithGodtheseas。
Notinvainyoulive,foreverypassingeyeischeeredandrefinedbythevision。
Thecharacteristicofheroismisitspersistency。Allmenhavewanderingimpulses,fits,andstartsofgenerosity。Butwhenyouhavechosenyourpart,abidebyit,anddonotweaklytrytoreconcileyourselfwiththeworld。Theheroiccannotbethecommon,northecommontheheroic。Yetwehavetheweaknesstoexpectthesympathyofpeopleinthoseactionswhoseexcellenceisthattheyoutrunsympathy,andappealtoatardyjustice。Ifyouwouldserveyourbrother,becauseitisfitforyoutoservehim,donottakebackyourwordswhenyoufindthatprudentpeopledonotcommendyou。
Adheretoyourownact,andcongratulateyourselfifyouhavedonesomethingstrangeandextravagant,andbrokenthemonotonyofadecorousage。ItwasahighcounselthatIonceheardgiventoayoungperson,——“Alwaysdowhatyouareafraidtodo。“Asimple,manlycharacterneednevermakeanapology,butshouldregarditspastactionwiththecalmnessofPhocion,whenheadmittedthattheeventofthebattlewashappy,yetdidnotregrethisdissuasionfromthebattle。
Thereisnoweaknessorexposureforwhichwecannotfindconsolationinthethought,——thisisapartofmyconstitution,partofmyrelationandofficetomyfellow-creature。HasnaturecovenantedwithmethatIshouldneverappeartodisadvantage,nevermakearidiculousfigure?Letusbegenerousofourdignity,aswellasofourmoney。Greatnessonceandforeverhasdonewithopinion。
Wetellourcharities,notbecausewewishtobepraisedforthem,notbecausewethinktheyhavegreatmerit,butforourjustification。Itisacapitalblunder;asyoudiscover,whenanothermanreciteshischarities。
Tospeakthetruth,evenwithsomeausterity,tolivewithsomerigoroftemperance,orsomeextremesofgenerosity,seemstobeanasceticismwhichcommongood-naturewouldappointtothosewhoareateaseandinplenty,insignthattheyfeelabrotherhoodwiththegreatmultitudeofsufferingmen。Andnotonlyneedwebreatheandexercisethesoulbyassumingthepenaltiesofabstinence,ofdebt,ofsolitude,ofunpopularity,butitbehoovesthewisemantolookwithaboldeyeintothoserarerdangerswhichsometimesinvademen,andtofamiliarizehimselfwithdisgustingformsofdisease,withsoundsofexecration,andthevisionofviolentdeath。
Timesofheroismaregenerallytimesofterror,butthedaynevershinesinwhichthiselementmaynotwork。Thecircumstancesofman,wesay,arehistoricallysomewhatbetterinthiscountry,andatthishour,thanperhapseverbefore。Morefreedomexistsforculture。Itwillnotnowrunagainstanaxeatthefirststepoutofthebeatentrackofopinion。Butwhosoisheroicwillalwaysfindcrisestotryhisedge。Humanvirtuedemandsherchampionsandmartyrs,andthetrialofpersecutionalwaysproceeds。ItisbuttheotherdaythatthebraveLovejoygavehisbreasttothebulletsofamob,fortherightsoffreespeechandopinion,anddiedwhenitwasbetternottolive。
Iseenotanyroadofperfectpeacewhichamancanwalk,butafterthecounselofhisownbosom。Lethimquittoomuchassociation,lethimgohomemuch,andstablishhimselfinthosecoursesheapproves。Theunremittingretentionofsimpleandhighsentimentsinobscuredutiesishardeningthecharactertothattemperwhichwillworkwithhonor,ifneedbe,inthetumult,oronthescaffold。Whateveroutrageshavehappenedtomenmaybefallamanagain;andveryeasilyinarepublic,ifthereappearanysignsofadecayofreligion。Coarseslander,fire,tarandfeathers,andthegibbet,theyouthmayfreelybringhometohismind,andwithwhatsweetnessoftemperhecan,andinquirehowfasthecanfixhissenseofduty,bravingsuchpenalties,wheneveritmaypleasethenextnewspaperandasufficientnumberofhisneighbourstopronouncehisopinionsincendiary。
Itmaycalmtheapprehensionofcalamityinthemostsusceptiblehearttoseehowquickaboundnaturehassettotheutmostinflictionofmalice。Werapidlyapproachabrinkoverwhichnoenemycanfollowus。
“Letthemrave:
Thouartquietinthygrave。“
Inthegloomofourignoranceofwhatshallbe,inthehourwhenwearedeaftothehighervoices,whodoesnotenvythosewhohaveseensafelytoanendtheirmanfulendeavour?Whothatseesthemeannessofourpolitics,butinlycongratulatesWashingtonthatheislongalreadywrappedinhisshroud,andforeversafe;thathewaslaidsweetinhisgrave,thehopeofhumanitynotyetsubjugatedinhim?Whodoesnotsometimesenvythegoodandbrave,whoarenomoretosufferfromthetumultsofthenaturalworld,andawaitwithcuriouscomplacencythespeedytermofhisownconversationwithfinitenature?Andyetthelovethatwillbeannihilatedsoonerthantreacheroushasalreadymadedeathimpossible,andaffirmsitselfnomortal,butanativeofthedeepsofabsoluteandinextinguishablebeing。
THEOVER-SOUL
“Butsoulsthatofhisowngoodlifepartake,Helovesashisownself;dearashiseyeTheyaretoHim:He\'llneverthemforsake:
Whentheyshalldie,thenGodhimselfshalldie:
Theylive,theyliveinblesteternity。“
_HenryMore_
Spaceisample,eastandwest,Buttwocannotgoabreast,Cannottravelinittwo:
YondermasterfulcuckooCrowdseveryeggoutofthenest,Quickordead,exceptitsown;
Aspellislaidonsodandstone,NightandDay\'vebeentamperedwith,EveryqualityandpithSurchargedandsultrywithapowerThatworksitswillonageandhour。
ESSAYIX_TheOver-Soul_
Thereisadifferencebetweenoneandanotherhouroflife,intheirauthorityandsubsequenteffect。Ourfaithcomesinmoments;
ourviceishabitual。Yetthereisadepthinthosebriefmomentswhichconstrainsustoascribemorerealitytothemthantoallotherexperiences。Forthisreason,theargumentwhichisalwaysforthcomingtosilencethosewhoconceiveextraordinaryhopesofman,namely,theappealtoexperience,isforeverinvalidandvain。Wegiveupthepasttotheobjector,andyetwehope。Hemustexplainthishope。Wegrantthathumanlifeismean;buthowdidwefindoutthatitwasmean?Whatisthegroundofthisuneasinessofours;ofthisolddiscontent?Whatistheuniversalsenseofwantandignorance,butthefineinuendobywhichthesoulmakesitsenormousclaim?Whydomenfeelthatthenaturalhistoryofmanhasneverbeenwritten,butheisalwaysleavingbehindwhatyouhavesaidofhim,anditbecomesold,andbooksofmetaphysicsworthless?Thephilosophyofsixthousandyearshasnotsearchedthechambersandmagazinesofthesoul。Initsexperimentstherehasalwaysremained,inthelastanalysis,aresiduumitcouldnotresolve。Manisastreamwhosesourceishidden。Ourbeingisdescendingintousfromweknownotwhence。Themostexactcalculatorhasnopresciencethatsomewhatincalculablemaynotbalktheverynextmoment。IamconstrainedeverymomenttoacknowledgeahigheroriginforeventsthanthewillIcallmine。
Aswithevents,soisitwiththoughts。WhenIwatchthatflowingriver,which,outofregionsIseenot,poursforaseasonitsstreamsintome,IseethatIamapensioner;notacause,butasurprisedspectatorofthisetherealwater;thatIdesireandlookup,andputmyselfintheattitudeofreception,butfromsomealienenergythevisionscome。
TheSupremeCriticontheerrorsofthepastandthepresent,andtheonlyprophetofthatwhichmustbe,isthatgreatnatureinwhichwerest,astheearthliesinthesoftarmsoftheatmosphere;
thatUnity,thatOver-soul,withinwhicheveryman\'sparticularbeingiscontainedandmadeonewithallother;thatcommonheart,ofwhichallsincereconversationistheworship,towhichallrightactionissubmission;thatoverpoweringrealitywhichconfutesourtricksandtalents,andconstrainseveryonetopassforwhatheis,andtospeakfromhischaracter,andnotfromhistongue,andwhichevermoretendstopassintoourthoughtandhand,andbecomewisdom,andvirtue,andpower,andbeauty。Weliveinsuccession,indivision,inparts,inparticles。Meantimewithinmanisthesoulofthewhole;thewisesilence;theuniversalbeauty,towhicheverypartandparticleisequallyrelated;theeternalONE。Andthisdeeppowerinwhichweexist,andwhosebeatitudeisallaccessibletous,isnotonlyself-sufficingandperfectineveryhour,buttheactofseeingandthethingseen,theseerandthespectacle,thesubjectandtheobject,areone。Weseetheworldpiecebypiece,asthesun,themoon,theanimal,thetree;butthewhole,ofwhichthesearetheshiningparts,isthesoul。OnlybythevisionofthatWisdomcanthehoroscopeoftheagesberead,andbyfallingbackonourbetterthoughts,byyieldingtothespiritofprophecywhichisinnateineveryman,wecanknowwhatitsaith。Everyman\'swords,whospeaksfromthatlife,mustsoundvaintothosewhodonotdwellinthesamethoughtontheirownpart。Idarenotspeakforit。Mywordsdonotcarryitsaugustsense;theyfallshortandcold。Onlyitselfcaninspirewhomitwill,andbehold!theirspeechshallbelyrical,andsweet,anduniversalastherisingofthewind。YetI
desire,evenbyprofanewords,ifImaynotusesacred,toindicatetheheavenofthisdeity,andtoreportwhathintsIhavecollectedofthetranscendentsimplicityandenergyoftheHighestLaw。
Ifweconsiderwhathappensinconversation,inreveries,inremorse,intimesofpassion,insurprises,intheinstructionsofdreams,whereinoftenweseeourselvesinmasquerade,——thedrolldisguisesonlymagnifyingandenhancingarealelement,andforcingitonourdistinctnotice,——weshallcatchmanyhintsthatwillbroadenandlightenintoknowledgeofthesecretofnature。Allgoestoshowthatthesoulinmanisnotanorgan,butanimatesandexercisesalltheorgans;isnotafunction,likethepowerofmemory,ofcalculation,ofcomparison,butusestheseashandsandfeet;isnotafaculty,butalight;isnottheintellectorthewill,butthemasteroftheintellectandthewill;isthebackgroundofourbeing,inwhichtheylie,——animmensitynotpossessedandthatcannotbepossessed。Fromwithinorfrombehind,alightshinesthroughusuponthings,andmakesusawarethatwearenothing,butthelightisall。Amanisthefasadeofatemplewhereinallwisdomandallgoodabide。Whatwecommonlycallman,theeating,drinking,planting,countingman,doesnot,asweknowhim,representhimself,butmisrepresentshimself。Himwedonotrespect,butthesoul,whoseorganheis,wouldheletitappearthroughhisaction,wouldmakeourkneesbend。Whenitbreathesthroughhisintellect,itisgenius;whenitbreathesthroughhiswill,itisvirtue;whenitflowsthroughhisaffection,itislove。Andtheblindnessoftheintellectbegins,whenitwouldbesomethingofitself。Theweaknessofthewillbegins,whentheindividualwouldbesomethingofhimself。Allreformaims,insomeoneparticular,toletthesoulhaveitswaythroughus;inotherwords,toengageustoobey。
Ofthispurenatureeverymanisatsometimesensible。
Languagecannotpaintitwithhiscolors。Itistoosubtile。Itisundefinable,unmeasurable,butweknowthatitpervadesandcontainsus。Weknowthatallspiritualbeingisinman。Awiseoldproverbsays,“Godcomestoseeuswithoutbell“;thatis,asthereisnoscreenorceilingbetweenourheadsandtheinfiniteheavens,soistherenobarorwallinthesoulwhereman,theeffect,ceases,andGod,thecause,begins。Thewallsaretakenaway。Welieopenononesidetothedeepsofspiritualnature,totheattributesofGod。
Justiceweseeandknow,Love,Freedom,Power。Thesenaturesnomanevergotabove,buttheytoweroverus,andmostinthemomentwhenourintereststemptustowoundthem。
Thesovereigntyofthisnaturewhereofwespeakismadeknownbyitsindependencyofthoselimitationswhichcircumscribeusoneveryhand。Thesoulcircumscribesallthings。AsIhavesaid,itcontradictsallexperience。Inlikemanneritabolishestimeandspace。Theinfluenceofthesenseshas,inmostmen,overpoweredthemindtothatdegree,thatthewallsoftimeandspacehavecometolookrealandinsurmountable;andtospeakwithlevityoftheselimitsis,intheworld,thesignofinsanity。Yettimeandspacearebutinversemeasuresoftheforceofthesoul。Thespiritsportswithtime,——
“Cancrowdeternityintoanhour,Orstretchanhourtoeternity。“
Weareoftenmadetofeelthatthereisanotheryouthandagethanthatwhichismeasuredfromtheyearofournaturalbirth。Somethoughtsalwaysfindusyoung,andkeepusso。Suchathoughtistheloveoftheuniversalandeternalbeauty。Everymanpartsfromthatcontemplationwiththefeelingthatitratherbelongstoagesthantomortallife。Theleastactivityoftheintellectualpowersredeemsusinadegreefromtheconditionsoftime。Insickness,inlanguor,giveusastrainofpoetry,oraprofoundsentence,andwearerefreshed;orproduceavolumeofPlato,orShakspeare,orremindusoftheirnames,andinstantlywecomeintoafeelingoflongevity。
Seehowthedeep,divinethoughtreducescenturies,andmillenniums,andmakesitselfpresentthroughallages。IstheteachingofChristlesseffectivenowthanitwaswhenfirsthismouthwasopened?Theemphasisoffactsandpersonsinmythoughthasnothingtodowithtime。Andso,always,thesoul\'sscaleisone;thescaleofthesensesandtheunderstandingisanother。Beforetherevelationsofthesoul,Time,Space,andNatureshrinkaway。Incommonspeech,wereferallthingstotime,aswehabituallyrefertheimmenselysunderedstarstooneconcavesphere。AndsowesaythattheJudgmentisdistantornear,thattheMillenniumapproaches,thatadayofcertainpolitical,moral,socialreformsisathand,andthelike,whenwemean,that,inthenatureofthings,oneofthefactswecontemplateisexternalandfugitive,andtheotherispermanentandconnatewiththesoul。Thethingswenowesteemfixedshall,onebyone,detachthemselves,likeripefruit,fromourexperience,andfall。Thewindshallblowthemnoneknowswhither。Thelandscape,thefigures,Boston,London,arefactsasfugitiveasanyinstitutionpast,oranywhiffofmistorsmoke,andsoissociety,andsoistheworld。Thesoullookethsteadilyforwards,creatingaworldbeforeher,leavingworldsbehindher。Shehasnodates,norrites,norpersons,norspecialties,normen。Thesoulknowsonlythesoul;thewebofeventsistheflowingrobeinwhichsheisclothed。
Afteritsownlawandnotbyarithmeticistherateofitsprogresstobecomputed。Thesoul\'sadvancesarenotmadebygradation,suchascanberepresentedbymotioninastraightline;
butratherbyascensionofstate,suchascanberepresentedbymetamorphosis,——fromtheeggtotheworm,fromthewormtothefly。
Thegrowthsofgeniusareofacertain_total_character,thatdoesnotadvancetheelectindividualfirstoverJohn,thenAdam,thenRichard,andgivetoeachthepainofdiscoveredinferiority,butbyeverythroeofgrowththemanexpandstherewhereheworks,passing,ateachpulsation,classes,populations,ofmen。Witheachdivineimpulsethemindrendsthethinrindsofthevisibleandfinite,andcomesoutintoeternity,andinspiresandexpiresitsair。Itconverseswithtruthsthathavealwaysbeenspokenintheworld,andbecomesconsciousofaclosersympathywithZenoandArrian,thanwithpersonsinthehouse。
Thisisthelawofmoralandofmentalgain。Thesimpleriseasbyspecificlevity,notintoaparticularvirtue,butintotheregionofallthevirtues。Theyareinthespiritwhichcontainsthemall。Thesoulrequirespurity,butpurityisnotit;requiresjustice,butjusticeisnotthat;requiresbeneficence,butissomewhatbetter;sothatthereisakindofdescentandaccommodationfeltwhenweleavespeakingofmoralnature,tourgeavirtuewhichitenjoins。Tothewell-bornchild,allthevirtuesarenatural,andnotpainfullyacquired。Speaktohisheart,andthemanbecomessuddenlyvirtuous。
Withinthesamesentimentisthegermofintellectualgrowth,whichobeysthesamelaw。Thosewhoarecapableofhumility,ofjustice,oflove,ofaspiration,standalreadyonaplatformthatcommandsthesciencesandarts,speechandpoetry,actionandgrace。
Forwhosodwellsinthismoralbeatitudealreadyanticipatesthosespecialpowerswhichmenprizesohighly。Theloverhasnotalent,noskill,whichpassesforquitenothingwithhisenamouredmaiden,howeverlittleshemaypossessofrelatedfaculty;andtheheartwhichabandonsitselftotheSupremeMindfindsitselfrelatedtoallitsworks,andwilltravelaroyalroadtoparticularknowledgesandpowers。Inascendingtothisprimaryandaboriginalsentiment,wehavecomefromourremotestationonthecircumferenceinstantaneouslytothecentreoftheworld,where,asintheclosetofGod,weseecauses,andanticipatetheuniverse,whichisbutasloweffect。
Onemodeofthedivineteachingistheincarnationofthespiritinaform,——informs,likemyown。Iliveinsociety;withpersonswhoanswertothoughtsinmyownmind,orexpressacertainobediencetothegreatinstinctstowhichIlive。Iseeitspresencetothem。Iamcertifiedofacommonnature;andtheseothersouls,theseseparatedselves,drawmeasnothingelsecan。Theystirinmethenewemotionswecallpassion;oflove,hatred,fear,admiration,pity;thencecomesconversation,competition,persuasion,cities,andwar。Personsaresupplementarytotheprimaryteachingofthesoul。
Inyouthwearemadforpersons。Childhoodandyouthseealltheworldinthem。Butthelargerexperienceofmandiscoverstheidenticalnatureappearingthroughthemall。Personsthemselvesacquaintuswiththeimpersonal。Inallconversationbetweentwopersons,tacitreferenceismade,astoathirdparty,toacommonnature。Thatthirdpartyorcommonnatureisnotsocial;itisimpersonal;isGod。Andsoingroupswheredebateisearnest,andespeciallyonhighquestions,thecompanybecomeawarethatthethoughtrisestoanequallevelinallbosoms,thatallhaveaspiritualpropertyinwhatwassaid,aswellasthesayer。Theyallbecomewiserthantheywere。Itarchesoverthemlikeatemple,thisunityofthought,inwhicheveryheartbeatswithnoblersenseofpowerandduty,andthinksandactswithunusualsolemnity。Allareconsciousofattainingtoahigherself-possession。Itshinesforall。Thereisacertainwisdomofhumanitywhichiscommontothegreatestmenwiththelowest,andwhichourordinaryeducationoftenlaborstosilenceandobstruct。Themindisone,andthebestminds,wholovetruthforitsownsake,thinkmuchlessofpropertyintruth。Theyacceptitthankfullyeverywhere,anddonotlabelorstampitwithanyman\'sname,foritistheirslongbeforehand,andfrometernity。Thelearnedandthestudiousofthoughthavenomonopolyofwisdom。Theirviolenceofdirectioninsomedegreedisqualifiesthemtothinktruly。Weowemanyvaluableobservationstopeoplewhoarenotveryacuteorprofound,andwhosaythethingwithouteffort,whichwewantandhavelongbeenhuntinginvain。
Theactionofthesoulisoftenerinthatwhichisfeltandleftunsaid,thaninthatwhichissaidinanyconversation。Itbroodsovereverysociety,andtheyunconsciouslyseekforitineachother。
Weknowbetterthanwedo。Wedonotyetpossessourselves,andweknowatthesametimethatwearemuchmore。Ifeelthesametruthhowofteninmytrivialconversationwithmyneighbours,thatsomewhathigherineachofusoverlooksthisby-play,andJovenodstoJovefrombehindeachofus。
Mendescendtomeet。Intheirhabitualandmeanservicetotheworld,forwhichtheyforsaketheirnativenobleness,theyresemblethoseArabiansheiks,whodwellinmeanhouses,andaffectanexternalpoverty,toescapetherapacityofthePacha,andreservealltheirdisplayofwealthfortheirinteriorandguardedretirements。
Asitispresentinallpersons,soitisineveryperiodoflife。Itisadultalreadyintheinfantman。Inmydealingwithmychild,myLatinandGreek,myaccomplishmentsandmymoneysteadmenothing;butasmuchsoulasIhaveavails。IfIamwilful,hesetshiswillagainstmine,oneforone,andleavesme,ifIplease,thedegradationofbeatinghimbymysuperiorityofstrength。ButifI
renouncemywill,andactforthesoul,settingthatupasumpirebetweenustwo,outofhisyoungeyeslooksthesamesoul;hereveresandloveswithme。
Thesoulistheperceiverandrevealeroftruth。Weknowtruthwhenweseeit,letskepticandscoffersaywhattheychoose。
Foolishpeopleaskyou,whenyouhavespokenwhattheydonotwishtohear,`Howdoyouknowitistruth,andnotanerrorofyourown?\'Weknowtruthwhenweseeit,fromopinion,asweknowwhenweareawakethatweareawake。ItwasagrandsentenceofEmanuelSwedenborg,whichwouldaloneindicatethegreatnessofthatman\'sperception,——
“Itisnoproofofaman\'sunderstandingtobeabletoconfirmwhateverhepleases;buttobeabletodiscernthatwhatistrueistrue,andthatwhatisfalseisfalse,thisisthemarkandcharacterofintelligence。“InthebookIread,thegoodthoughtreturnstome,aseverytruthwill,theimageofthewholesoul。TothebadthoughtwhichIfindinit,thesamesoulbecomesadiscerning,separatingsword,andlopsitaway。Wearewiserthanweknow。Ifwewillnotinterferewithourthought,butwillactentirely,orseehowthethingstandsinGod,weknowtheparticularthing,andeverything,andeveryman。FortheMakerofallthingsandallpersonsstandsbehindus,andcastshisdreadomnisciencethroughusoverthings。
Butbeyondthisrecognitionofitsowninparticularpassagesoftheindividual\'sexperience,italsorevealstruth。Andhereweshouldseektoreinforceourselvesbyitsverypresence,andtospeakwithaworthier,loftierstrainofthatadvent。Forthesoul\'scommunicationoftruthisthehighesteventinnature,sinceitthendoesnotgivesomewhatfromitself,butitgivesitself,orpassesintoandbecomesthatmanwhomitenlightens;or,inproportiontothattruthhereceives,ittakeshimtoitself。
Wedistinguishtheannouncementsofthesoul,itsmanifestationsofitsownnature,bytheterm_Revelation_。Thesearealwaysattendedbytheemotionofthesublime。ForthiscommunicationisaninfluxoftheDivinemindintoourmind。Itisanebboftheindividualrivuletbeforetheflowingsurgesoftheseaoflife。Everydistinctapprehensionofthiscentralcommandmentagitatesmenwithaweanddelight。Athrillpassesthroughallmenatthereceptionofnewtruth,orattheperformanceofagreataction,whichcomesoutoftheheartofnature。Inthesecommunications,thepowertoseeisnotseparatedfromthewilltodo,buttheinsightproceedsfromobedience,andtheobedienceproceedsfromajoyfulperception。Everymomentwhentheindividualfeelshimselfinvadedbyitismemorable。Bythenecessityofourconstitution,acertainenthusiasmattendstheindividual\'sconsciousnessofthatdivinepresence。Thecharacteranddurationofthisenthusiasmvarieswiththestateoftheindividual,fromanecstasyandtranceandpropheticinspiration,——whichisitsrarerappearance,——tothefaintestglowofvirtuousemotion,inwhichformitwarms,likeourhouseholdfires,allthefamiliesandassociationsofmen,andmakessocietypossible。Acertaintendencytoinsanityhasalwaysattendedtheopeningofthereligioussenseinmen,asiftheyhadbeen“blastedwithexcessoflight。“ThetrancesofSocrates,the“union“ofPlotinus,thevisionofPorphyry,theconversionofPaul,theauroraofBehmen,theconvulsionsofGeorgeFoxandhisQuakers,theilluminationofSwedenborg,areofthiskind。Whatwasinthecaseoftheseremarkablepersonsaravishmenthas,ininnumerableinstancesincommonlife,beenexhibitedinlessstrikingmanner。Everywherethehistoryofreligionbetraysatendencytoenthusiasm。TheraptureoftheMoravianandQuietist;
theopeningoftheinternalsenseoftheWord,inthelanguageoftheNewJerusalemChurch;the_revival_oftheCalvinisticchurches;the_experiences_oftheMethodists,arevaryingformsofthatshudderofaweanddelightwithwhichtheindividualsoulalwaysmingleswiththeuniversalsoul。
Thenatureoftheserevelationsisthesame;theyareperceptionsoftheabsolutelaw。Theyaresolutionsofthesoul\'sownquestions。Theydonotanswerthequestionswhichtheunderstandingasks。Thesoulanswersneverbywords,butbythethingitselfthatisinquiredafter。
Revelationisthedisclosureofthesoul。Thepopularnotionofarevelationis,thatitisatellingoffortunes。Inpastoraclesofthesoul,theunderstandingseekstofindanswerstosensualquestions,andundertakestotellfromGodhowlongmenshallexist,whattheirhandsshalldo,andwhoshallbetheircompany,addingnames,anddates,andplaces。Butwemustpicknolocks。Wemustcheckthislowcuriosity。Ananswerinwordsisdelusive;itisreallynoanswertothequestionsyouask。Donotrequireadescriptionofthecountriestowardswhichyousail。Thedescriptiondoesnotdescribethemtoyou,andto-morrowyouarrivethere,andknowthembyinhabitingthem。Menaskconcerningtheimmortalityofthesoul,theemploymentsofheaven,thestateofthesinner,andsoforth。TheyevendreamthatJesushasleftrepliestopreciselytheseinterrogatories。Neveramomentdidthatsublimespiritspeakintheir_patois_。Totruth,justice,love,theattributesofthesoul,theideaofimmutablenessisessentiallyassociated。Jesus,livinginthesemoralsentiments,heedlessofsensualfortunes,heedingonlythemanifestationsofthese,nevermadetheseparationoftheideaofdurationfromtheessenceoftheseattributes,norutteredasyllableconcerningthedurationofthesoul。Itwaslefttohisdisciplestoseverdurationfromthemoralelements,andtoteachtheimmortalityofthesoulasadoctrine,andmaintainitbyevidences。Themomentthedoctrineoftheimmortalityisseparatelytaught,manisalreadyfallen。Intheflowingoflove,intheadorationofhumility,thereisnoquestionofcontinuance。Noinspiredmaneverasksthisquestion,orcondescendstotheseevidences。Forthesoulistruetoitself,andthemaninwhomitisshedabroadcannotwanderfromthepresent,whichisinfinite,toafuturewhichwouldbefinite。
Thesequestionswhichwelusttoaskaboutthefutureareaconfessionofsin。Godhasnoanswerforthem。Noanswerinwordscanreplytoaquestionofthings。Itisnotinanarbitrary“decreeofGod,“butinthenatureofman,thataveilshutsdownonthefactsofto-morrow;forthesoulwillnothaveusreadanyothercipherthanthatofcauseandeffect。Bythisveil,whichcurtainsevents,itinstructsthechildrenofmentoliveinto-day。Theonlymodeofobtainingananswertothesequestionsofthesensesistoforegoalllowcuriosity,and,acceptingthetideofbeingwhichfloatsusintothesecretofnature,workandlive,workandlive,andallunawarestheadvancingsoulhasbuiltandforgedforitselfanewcondition,andthequestionandtheanswerareone。
Bythesamefire,vital,consecrating,celestial,whichburnsuntilitshalldissolveallthingsintothewavesandsurgesofanoceanoflight,weseeandknoweachother,andwhatspiriteachisof。Whocantellthegroundsofhisknowledgeofthecharacteroftheseveralindividualsinhiscircleoffriends?Noman。Yettheiractsandwordsdonotdisappointhim。Inthatman,thoughheknewnoillofhim,heputnotrust。Inthatother,thoughtheyhadseldommet,authenticsignshadyetpassed,tosignifythathemightbetrustedasonewhohadaninterestinhisowncharacter。Weknoweachotherverywell,——whichofushasbeenjusttohimself,andwhetherthatwhichweteachorbeholdisonlyanaspiration,orisourhonesteffortalso。
Wearealldiscernersofspirits。Thatdiagnosisliesaloftinourlifeorunconsciouspower。Theintercourseofsociety,——itstrade,itsreligion,itsfriendships,itsquarrels,——isonewide,judicialinvestigationofcharacter。Infullcourt,orinsmallcommittee,orconfrontedfacetoface,accuserandaccused,menofferthemselvestobejudged。Againsttheirwilltheyexhibitthosedecisivetriflesbywhichcharacterisread。Butwhojudges?andwhat?Notourunderstanding。Wedonotreadthembylearningorcraft。No;thewisdomofthewisemanconsistsherein,thathedoesnotjudgethem;heletsthemjudgethemselves,andmerelyreadsandrecordstheirownverdict。
Byvirtueofthisinevitablenature,privatewillisoverpowered,and,maugreoureffortsorourimperfections,yourgeniuswillspeakfromyou,andminefromme。Thatwhichweare,weshallteach,notvoluntarily,butinvoluntarily。Thoughtscomeintoourmindsbyavenueswhichweneverleftopen,andthoughtsgooutofourmindsthroughavenueswhichwenevervoluntarilyopened。
Characterteachesoverourhead。Theinfallibleindexoftrueprogressisfoundinthetonethemantakes。Neitherhisage,norhisbreeding,norcompany,norbooks,noractions,nortalents,noralltogether,canhinderhimfrombeingdeferentialtoahigherspiritthanhisown。IfhehavenotfoundhishomeinGod,hismanners,hisformsofspeech,theturnofhissentences,thebuild,shallIsay,ofallhisopinions,willinvoluntarilyconfessit,lethimbraveitouthowhewill。Ifhehavefoundhiscentre,theDeitywillshinethroughhim,throughallthedisguisesofignorance,ofungenialtemperament,ofunfavorablecircumstance。Thetoneofseekingisone,andthetoneofhavingisanother。
Thegreatdistinctionbetweenteacherssacredorliterary,——
betweenpoetslikeHerbert,andpoetslikePope,——betweenphilosopherslikeSpinoza,Kant,andColeridge,andphilosopherslikeLocke,Paley,Mackintosh,andStewart,——betweenmenoftheworld,whoarereckonedaccomplishedtalkers,andhereandthereaferventmystic,prophesying,halfinsaneundertheinfinitudeofhisthought,——is,thatoneclassspeak_fromwithin_,orfromexperience,aspartiesandpossessorsofthefact;andtheotherclass,_fromwithout_,asspectatorsmerely,orperhapsasacquaintedwiththefactontheevidenceofthirdpersons。Itisofnousetopreachtomefromwithout。Icandothattooeasilymyself。Jesusspeaksalwaysfromwithin,andinadegreethattranscendsallothers。Inthatisthemiracle。Ibelievebeforehandthatitoughtsotobe。
Allmenstandcontinuallyintheexpectationoftheappearanceofsuchateacher。Butifamandonotspeakfromwithintheveil,wherethewordisonewiththatittellsof,lethimlowlyconfessit。
ThesameOmniscienceflowsintotheintellect,andmakeswhatwecallgenius。Muchofthewisdomoftheworldisnotwisdom,andthemostilluminatedclassofmenarenodoubtsuperiortoliteraryfame,andarenotwriters。Amongthemultitudeofscholarsandauthors,wefeelnohallowingpresence;wearesensibleofaknackandskillratherthanofinspiration;theyhavealight,andknownotwhenceitcomes,andcallittheirown;theirtalentissomeexaggeratedfaculty,someovergrownmember,sothattheirstrengthisadisease。Intheseinstancestheintellectualgiftsdonotmaketheimpressionofvirtue,butalmostofvice;andwefeelthataman\'stalentsstandinthewayofhisadvancementintruth。Butgeniusisreligious。Itisalargerimbibingofthecommonheart。Itisnotanomalous,butmorelike,andnotlesslikeothermen。Thereis,inallgreatpoets,awisdomofhumanitywhichissuperiortoanytalentstheyexercise。Theauthor,thewit,thepartisan,thefinegentleman,doesnottakeplaceoftheman。HumanityshinesinHomer,inChaucer,inSpenser,inShakspeare,inMilton。Theyarecontentwithtruth。Theyusethepositivedegree。Theyseemfrigidandphlegmatictothosewhohavebeenspicedwiththefranticpassionandviolentcoloringofinferior,butpopularwriters。Fortheyarepoetsbythefreecoursewhichtheyallowtotheinformingsoul,whichthroughtheireyesbeholdsagain,andblessesthethingswhichithathmade。Thesoulissuperiortoitsknowledge;wiserthananyofitsworks。Thegreatpoetmakesusfeelourownwealth,andthenwethinklessofhiscompositions。Hisbestcommunicationtoourmindistoteachustodespiseallhehasdone。Shakspearecarriesustosuchaloftystrainofintelligentactivity,astosuggestawealthwhichbeggarshisown;andwethenfeelthatthesplendidworkswhichhehascreated,andwhichinotherhoursweextolasasortofself-existentpoetry,takenostrongerholdofrealnaturethantheshadowofapassingtravellerontherock。TheinspirationwhichuttereditselfinHamletandLearcouldutterthingsasgoodfromdaytoday,forever。Why,then,shouldImakeaccountofHamletandLear,asifwehadnotthesoulfromwhichtheyfellassyllablesfromthetongue?
Thisenergydoesnotdescendintoindividuallifeonanyotherconditionthanentirepossession。Itcomestothelowlyandsimple;
itcomestowhomsoeverwillputoffwhatisforeignandproud;itcomesasinsight;itcomesasserenityandgrandeur。Whenweseethosewhomitinhabits,weareapprizedofnewdegreesofgreatness。
Fromthatinspirationthemancomesbackwithachangedtone。Hedoesnottalkwithmenwithaneyetotheiropinion。Hetriesthem。
Itrequiresofustobeplainandtrue。Thevaintravellerattemptstoembellishhislifebyquotingmylord,andtheprince,andthecountess,whothussaidordidto_him。_Theambitiousvulgarshowyoutheirspoons,andbrooches,andrings,andpreservetheircardsandcompliments。Themorecultivated,intheiraccountoftheirownexperience,culloutthepleasing,poeticcircumstance,——thevisittoRome,themanofgeniustheysaw,thebrilliantfriendtheyknow;
stillfurtheron,perhaps,thegorgeouslandscape,themountainlights,themountainthoughts,theyenjoyedyesterday,——andsoseektothrowaromanticcolorovertheirlife。ButthesoulthatascendstoworshipthegreatGodisplainandtrue;hasnorose-color,nofinefriends,nochivalry,noadventures;doesnotwantadmiration;
dwellsinthehourthatnowis,intheearnestexperienceofthecommonday,——byreasonofthepresentmomentandthemeretriflehavingbecomeporoustothought,andbibulousoftheseaoflight。
Conversewithamindthatisgrandlysimple,andliteraturelookslikeword-catching。Thesimplestutterancesareworthiesttobewritten,yetaretheysocheap,andsothingsofcourse,that,intheinfiniterichesofthesoul,itislikegatheringafewpebblesofftheground,orbottlingalittleairinaphial,whenthewholeearthandthewholeatmosphereareours。Nothingcanpassthere,ormakeyouoneofthecircle,butthecastingasideyourtrappings,anddealingmantomaninnakedtruth,plainconfession,andomniscientaffirmation。
Soulssuchasthesetreatyouasgodswould;walkasgodsintheearth,acceptingwithoutanyadmirationyourwit,yourbounty,yourvirtueeven,——sayratheryouractofduty,foryourvirtuetheyownastheirproperblood,royalasthemselves,andover-royal,andthefatherofthegods。Butwhatrebuketheirplainfraternalbearingcastsonthemutualflatterywithwhichauthorssolaceeachotherandwoundthemselves!Theseflatternot。IdonotwonderthatthesemengotoseeCromwell,andChristina,andCharlestheSecond,andJamestheFirst,andtheGrandTurk。Fortheyare,intheirownelevation,thefellowsofkings,andmustfeeltheserviletoneofconversationintheworld。Theymustalwaysbeagodsendtoprinces,fortheyconfrontthem,akingtoaking,withoutduckingorconcession,andgiveahighnaturetherefreshmentandsatisfactionofresistance,ofplainhumanity,ofevencompanionship,andofnewideas。Theyleavethemwiserandsuperiormen。Soulslikethesemakeusfeelthatsincerityismoreexcellentthanflattery。Dealsoplainlywithmanandwoman,astoconstraintheutmostsincerity,anddestroyallhopeoftriflingwithyou。Itisthehighestcomplimentyoucanpay。Their“highestpraising,“saidMilton,“isnotflattery,andtheirplainestadviceisakindofpraising。“
IneffableistheunionofmanandGodineveryactofthesoul。
Thesimplestperson,whoinhisintegrityworshipsGod,becomesGod;
yetforeverandevertheinfluxofthisbetteranduniversalselfisnewandunsearchable。Itinspiresaweandastonishment。Howdear,howsoothingtoman,arisestheideaofGod,peoplingthelonelyplace,effacingthescarsofourmistakesanddisappointments!Whenwehavebrokenourgodoftradition,andceasedfromourgodofrhetoric,thenmayGodfiretheheartwithhispresence。Itisthedoublingoftheheartitself,nay,theinfiniteenlargementoftheheartwithapowerofgrowthtoanewinfinityoneveryside。Itinspiresinmananinfallibletrust。Hehasnottheconviction,butthesight,thatthebestisthetrue,andmayinthatthoughteasilydismissallparticularuncertaintiesandfears,andadjourntothesurerevelationoftime,thesolutionofhisprivateriddles。Heissurethathiswelfareisdeartotheheartofbeing。Inthepresenceoflawtohismind,heisoverflowedwithareliancesouniversal,thatitsweepsawayallcherishedhopesandthemoststableprojectsofmortalconditioninitsflood。Hebelievesthathecannotescapefromhisgood。Thethingsthatarereallyfortheegravitatetothee。Youarerunningtoseekyourfriend。Letyourfeetrun,butyourmindneednot。Ifyoudonotfindhim,willyounotacquiescethatitisbestyoushouldnotfindhim?forthereisapower,which,asitisinyou,isinhimalso,andcouldthereforeverywellbringyoutogether,ifitwereforthebest。Youarepreparingwitheagernesstogoandrenderaservicetowhichyourtalentandyourtasteinviteyou,theloveofmenandthehopeoffame。Hasitnotoccurredtoyou,thatyouhavenorighttogo,unlessyouareequallywillingtobepreventedfromgoing?O,believe,asthoulivest,thateverysoundthatisspokenovertheroundworld,whichthououghtesttohear,willvibrateonthineear!Everyproverb,everybook,everybywordthatbelongstotheeforaidorcomfort,shallsurelycomehomethroughopenorwindingpassages。Everyfriendwhomnotthyfantasticwill,butthegreatandtenderheartintheecraveth,shalllocktheeinhisembrace。Andthis,becausetheheartintheeistheheartofall;notavalve,notawall,notanintersectionisthereanywhereinnature,butonebloodrollsuninterruptedlyanendlesscirculationthroughallmen,asthewateroftheglobeisallonesea,and,trulyseen,itstideisone。
Letman,then,learntherevelationofallnatureandallthoughttohisheart;this,namely;thattheHighestdwellswithhim;
thatthesourcesofnatureareinhisownmind,ifthesentimentofdutyisthere。ButifhewouldknowwhatthegreatGodspeaketh,hemust`gointohisclosetandshutthedoor,\'asJesussaid。Godwillnotmakehimselfmanifesttocowards。Hemustgreatlylistentohimself,withdrawinghimselffromalltheaccentsofothermen\'sdevotion。Eventheirprayersarehurtfultohim,untilhehavemadehisown。Ourreligionvulgarlystandsonnumbersofbelievers。
Whenevertheappealismade——nomatterhowindirectly——tonumbers,proclamationisthenandtheremade,thatreligionisnot。
HethatfindsGodasweet,envelopingthoughttohimnevercountshiscompany。WhenIsitinthatpresence,whoshalldaretocomein?
WhenIrestinperfecthumility,whenIburnwithpurelove,whatcanCalvinorSwedenborgsay?
Itmakesnodifferencewhethertheappealistonumbersortoone。Thefaiththatstandsonauthorityisnotfaith。Therelianceonauthoritymeasuresthedeclineofreligion,thewithdrawalofthesoul。ThepositionmenhavegiventoJesus,nowformanycenturiesofhistory,isapositionofauthority。Itcharacterizesthemselves。
Itcannotaltertheeternalfacts。Greatisthesoul,andplain。Itisnoflatterer,itisnofollower;itneverappealsfromitself。Itbelievesinitself。Beforetheimmensepossibilitiesofman,allmereexperience,allpastbiography,howeverspotlessandsainted,shrinksaway。Beforethatheavenwhichourpresentimentsforeshowus,wecannoteasilypraiseanyformoflifewehaveseenorreadof。
Wenotonlyaffirmthatwehavefewgreatmen,but,absolutelyspeaking,thatwehavenone;thatwehavenohistory,norecordofanycharacterormodeofliving,thatentirelycontentsus。Thesaintsanddemigodswhomhistoryworshipsweareconstrainedtoacceptwithagrainofallowance。Thoughinourlonelyhourswedrawanewstrengthoutoftheirmemory,yet,pressedonourattention,astheyarebythethoughtlessandcustomary,theyfatigueandinvade。
Thesoulgivesitself,alone,original,andpure,totheLonely,Original,andPure,who,onthatcondition,gladlyinhabits,leads,andspeaksthroughit。Thenisitglad,young,andnimble。Itisnotwise,butitseesthroughallthings。Itisnotcalledreligious,butitisinnocent。Itcallsthelightitsown,andfeelsthatthegrassgrowsandthestonefallsbyalawinferiorto,anddependenton,itsnature。Behold,itsaith,Iambornintothegreat,theuniversalmind。I,theimperfect,adoremyownPerfect。
Iamsomehowreceptiveofthegreatsoul,andtherebyIdooverlookthesunandthestars,andfeelthemtobethefairaccidentsandeffectswhichchangeandpass。Moreandmorethesurgesofeverlastingnatureenterintome,andIbecomepublicandhumaninmyregardsandactions。SocomeItoliveinthoughts,andactwithenergies,whichareimmortal。Thusreveringthesoul,andlearning,astheancientsaid,that“itsbeautyisimmense,“manwillcometoseethattheworldistheperennialmiraclewhichthesoulworketh,andbelessastonishedatparticularwonders;hewilllearnthatthereisnoprofanehistory;thatallhistoryissacred;thattheuniverseisrepresentedinanatom,inamomentoftime。Hewillweavenolongeraspottedlifeofshredsandpatches,buthewilllivewithadivineunity。Hewillceasefromwhatisbaseandfrivolousinhislife,andbecontentwithallplacesandwithanyservicehecanrender。HewillcalmlyfrontthemorrowinthenegligencyofthattrustwhichcarriesGodwithit,andsohathalreadythewholefutureinthebottomoftheheart。
CIRCLES
Naturecentresintoballs,Andherproudephemerals,Fasttosurfaceandoutside,Scantheprofileofthesphere;
Knewtheywhatthatsignified,Anewgenesiswerehere。
ESSAYX_Circles_
Theeyeisthefirstcircle;thehorizonwhichitformsisthesecond;andthroughoutnaturethisprimaryfigureisrepeatedwithoutend。Itisthehighestembleminthecipheroftheworld。St。
AugustinedescribedthenatureofGodasacirclewhosecentrewaseverywhere,anditscircumferencenowhere。Weareallourlifetimereadingthecopioussenseofthisfirstofforms。Onemoralwehavealreadydeduced,inconsideringthecircularorcompensatorycharacterofeveryhumanaction。Anotheranalogyweshallnowtrace;
thateveryactionadmitsofbeingoutdone。Ourlifeisanapprenticeshiptothetruth,thataroundeverycircleanothercanbedrawn;thatthereisnoendinnature,buteveryendisabeginning;
thatthereisalwaysanotherdawnrisenonmid-noon,andundereverydeepalowerdeepopens。
Thisfact,asfarasitsymbolizesthemoralfactoftheUnattainable,theflyingPerfect,aroundwhichthehandsofmancannevermeet,atoncetheinspirerandthecondemnerofeverysuccess,mayconvenientlyserveustoconnectmanyillustrationsofhumanpowerineverydepartment。
Therearenofixturesinnature。Theuniverseisfluidandvolatile。Permanenceisbutawordofdegrees。OurglobeseenbyGodisatransparentlaw,notamassoffacts。Thelawdissolvesthefactandholdsitfluid。Ourcultureisthepredominanceofanideawhichdrawsafteritthistrainofcitiesandinstitutions。Letusriseintoanotheridea:theywilldisappear。TheGreeksculptureisallmeltedaway,asifithadbeenstatuesofice;hereandthereasolitaryfigureorfragmentremaining,asweseeflecksandscrapsofsnowleftincolddellsandmountainclefts,inJuneandJuly。Forthegeniusthatcreateditcreatesnowsomewhatelse。TheGreekletterslastalittlelonger,butarealreadypassingunderthesamesentence,andtumblingintotheinevitablepitwhichthecreationofnewthoughtopensforallthatisold。Thenewcontinentsarebuiltoutoftheruinsofanoldplanet;thenewracesfedoutofthedecompositionoftheforegoing。Newartsdestroytheold。Seetheinvestmentofcapitalinaqueductsmadeuselessbyhydraulics;
fortifications,bygunpowder;roadsandcanals,byrailways;sails,bysteam;steambyelectricity。
Youadmirethistowerofgranite,weatheringthehurtsofsomanyages。Yetalittlewavinghandbuiltthishugewall,andthatwhichbuildsisbetterthanthatwhichisbuilt。Thehandthatbuiltcantoppleitdownmuchfaster。Betterthanthehand,andnimbler,wastheinvisiblethoughtwhichwroughtthroughit;andthusever,behindthecoarseeffect,isafinecause,which,beingnarrowlyseen,isitselftheeffectofafinercause。Everythinglookspermanentuntilitssecretisknown。Arichestateappearstowomenafirmandlastingfact;toamerchant,oneeasilycreatedoutofanymaterials,andeasilylost。Anorchard,goodtillage,goodgrounds,seemafixture,likeagoldmine,orariver,toacitizen;buttoalargefarmer,notmuchmorefixedthanthestateofthecrop。Naturelooksprovokinglystableandsecular,butithasacauselikealltherest;andwhenonceIcomprehendthat,willthesefieldsstretchsoimmovablywide,theseleaveshangsoindividuallyconsiderable?
Permanenceisawordofdegrees。Everythingismedial。Moonsarenomoreboundstospiritualpowerthanbat-balls。
Thekeytoeverymanishisthought。Sturdyanddefyingthoughhelook,hehasahelmwhichheobeys,whichistheideaafterwhichallhisfactsareclassified。Hecanonlybereformedbyshowinghimanewideawhichcommandshisown。Thelifeofmanisaself-evolvingcircle,which,fromaringimperceptiblysmall,rushesonallsidesoutwardstonewandlargercircles,andthatwithoutend。Theextenttowhichthisgenerationofcircles,wheelwithoutwheel,willgo,dependsontheforceortruthoftheindividualsoul。
Foritistheinerteffortofeachthought,havingformeditselfintoacircularwaveofcircumstance,——as,forinstance,anempire,rulesofanart,alocalusage,areligiousrite,——toheapitselfonthatridge,andtosolidifyandheminthelife。Butifthesoulisquickandstrong,itburstsoverthatboundaryonallsides,andexpandsanotherorbitonthegreatdeep,whichalsorunsupintoahighwave,withattemptagaintostopandtobind。Buttheheartrefusestobeimprisoned;initsfirstandnarrowestpulses,italreadytendsoutwardwithavastforce,andtoimmenseandinnumerableexpansions。
Everyultimatefactisonlythefirstofanewseries。Everygenerallawonlyaparticularfactofsomemoregenerallawpresentlytodiscloseitself。Thereisnooutside,noinclosingwall,nocircumferencetous。Themanfinisheshisstory,——howgood!howfinal!howitputsanewfaceonallthings!Hefillsthesky。Lo!
ontheothersiderisesalsoaman,anddrawsacirclearoundthecirclewehadjustpronouncedtheoutlineofthesphere。Thenalreadyisourfirstspeakernotman,butonlyafirstspeaker。Hisonlyredressisforthwithtodrawacircleoutsideofhisantagonist。
Andsomendobythemselves。Theresultofto-day,whichhauntsthemindandcannotbeescaped,willpresentlybeabridgedintoaword,andtheprinciplethatseemedtoexplainnaturewillitselfbeincludedasoneexampleofaboldergeneralization。Inthethoughtofto-morrowthereisapowertoupheaveallthycreed,allthecreeds,alltheliteratures,ofthenations,andmarshaltheetoaheavenwhichnoepicdreamhasyetdepicted。Everymanisnotsomuchaworkmanintheworld,asheisasuggestionofthatheshouldbe。Menwalkaspropheciesofthenextage。
Stepbystepwescalethismysteriousladder:thestepsareactions;thenewprospectispower。Everyseveralresultisthreatenedandjudgedbythatwhichfollows。Everyoneseemstobecontradictedbythenew;itisonlylimitedbythenew。Thenewstatementisalwayshatedbytheold,and,tothosedwellingintheold,comeslikeanabyssofskepticism。Buttheeyesoongetswontedtoit,fortheeyeanditareeffectsofonecause;thenitsinnocencyandbenefitappear,andpresently,allitsenergyspent,itpalesanddwindlesbeforetherevelationofthenewhour。
Fearnotthenewgeneralization。Doesthefactlookcrassandmaterial,threateningtodegradethytheoryofspirit?Resistitnot;itgoestorefineandraisethytheoryofmatterjustasmuch。
Therearenofixturestomen,ifweappealtoconsciousness。
Everymansupposeshimselfnottobefullyunderstood;andifthereisanytruthinhim,ifherestsatlastonthedivinesoul,Iseenothowitcanbeotherwise。Thelastchamber,thelastcloset,hemustfeel,wasneveropened;thereisalwaysaresiduumunknown,unanalyzable。Thatis,everymanbelievesthathehasagreaterpossibility。
Ourmoodsdonotbelieveineachother。To-dayIamfullofthoughts,andcanwritewhatIplease。IseenoreasonwhyIshouldnothavethesamethought,thesamepowerofexpression,to-morrow。
WhatIwrite,whilstIwriteit,seemsthemostnaturalthingintheworld;butyesterdayIsawadrearyvacuityinthisdirectioninwhichnowIseesomuch;andamonthhence,Idoubtnot,Ishallwonderwhohewasthatwrotesomanycontinuouspages。Alasforthisinfirmfaith,thiswillnotstrenuous,thisvastebbofavastflow!
IamGodinnature;Iamaweedbythewall。
Thecontinualefforttoraisehimselfabovehimself,toworkapitchabovehislastheight,betraysitselfinaman\'srelations。Wethirstforapprobation,yetcannotforgivetheapprover。Thesweetofnatureislove;yet,ifIhaveafriend,Iamtormentedbymyimperfections。Theloveofmeaccusestheotherparty。Ifhewerehighenoughtoslightme,thencouldIlovehim,andrisebymyaffectiontonewheights。Aman\'sgrowthisseeninthesuccessivechoirsofhisfriends。Foreveryfriendwhomhelosesfortruth,hegainsabetter。Ithought,asIwalkedinthewoodsandmusedonmyfriends,whyshouldIplaywiththemthisgameofidolatry?Iknowandseetoowell,whennotvoluntarilyblind,thespeedylimitsofpersonscalledhighandworthy。Rich,noble,andgreattheyarebytheliberalityofourspeech,buttruthissad。OblessedSpirit,whomIforsakeforthese,theyarenotthou!Everypersonalconsiderationthatweallowcostsusheavenlystate。Wesellthethronesofangelsforashortandturbulentpleasure。
Howoftenmustwelearnthislesson?Menceasetointerestuswhenwefindtheirlimitations。Theonlysinislimitation。Assoonasyouoncecomeupwithaman\'slimitations,itisalloverwithhim。Hashetalents?hasheenterprise?hasheknowledge?itbootsnot。Infinitelyalluringandattractivewashetoyouyesterday,agreathope,aseatoswimin;now,youhavefoundhisshores,founditapond,andyoucarenotifyouneverseeitagain。
Eachnewstepwetakeinthoughtreconcilestwentyseeminglydiscordantfacts,asexpressionsofonelaw。AristotleandPlatoarereckonedtherespectiveheadsoftwoschools。AwisemanwillseethatAristotlePlatonizes。Bygoingonestepfartherbackinthought,discordantopinionsarereconciled,bybeingseentobetwoextremesofoneprinciple,andwecannevergosofarbackastoprecludeastillhighervision。
BewarewhenthegreatGodletslooseathinkeronthisplanet。
Thenallthingsareatrisk。Itisaswhenaconflagrationhasbrokenoutinagreatcity,andnomanknowswhatissafe,orwhereitwillend。Thereisnotapieceofscience,butitsflankmaybeturnedto-morrow;thereisnotanyliteraryreputation,nottheso-calledeternalnamesoffame,thatmaynotberevisedandcondemned。Theveryhopesofman,thethoughtsofhisheart,thereligionofnations,themannersandmoralsofmankind,areallatthemercyofanewgeneralization。Generalizationisalwaysanewinfluxofthedivinityintothemind。Hencethethrillthatattendsit。
Valorconsistsinthepowerofself-recovery,sothatamancannothavehisflankturned,cannotbeout-generalled,butputhimwhereyouwill,hestands。Thiscanonlybebyhispreferringtruthtohispastapprehensionoftruth;andhisalertacceptanceofit,fromwhateverquarter;theintrepidconvictionthathislaws,hisrelationstosociety,hisChristianity,hisworld,mayatanytimebesupersededanddecease。
Therearedegreesinidealism。Welearnfirsttoplaywithitacademically,asthemagnetwasonceatoy。Thenweseeintheheydayofyouthandpoetrythatitmaybetrue,thatitistrueingleamsandfragments。Then,itscountenancewaxessternandgrand,andweseethatitmustbetrue。Itnowshowsitselfethicalandpractical。WelearnthatGodISthatheisinme;andthatallthingsareshadowsofhim。TheidealismofBerkeleyisonlyacrudestatementoftheidealismofJesus,andthatagainisacrudestatementofthefact,thatallnatureistherapideffluxofgoodnessexecutingandorganizingitself。Muchmoreobviouslyishistoryandthestateoftheworldatanyonetimedirectlydependentontheintellectualclassificationthenexistinginthemindsofmen。
Thethingswhicharedeartomenatthishouraresoonaccountoftheideaswhichhaveemergedontheirmentalhorizon,andwhichcausethepresentorderofthingsasatreebearsitsapples。Anewdegreeofculturewouldinstantlyrevolutionizetheentiresystemofhumanpursuits。
Conversationisagameofcircles。Inconversationwepluckupthe_termini_whichboundthecommonofsilenceoneveryside。ThepartiesarenottobejudgedbythespirittheypartakeandevenexpressunderthisPentecost。To-morrowtheywillhaverecededfromthishigh-watermark。To-morrowyoushallfindthemstoopingundertheoldpack-saddles。Yetletusenjoytheclovenflamewhilstitglowsonourwalls。Wheneachnewspeakerstrikesanewlight,emancipatesusfromtheoppressionofthelastspeaker,tooppressuswiththegreatnessandexclusivenessofhisownthought,thenyieldsustoanotherredeemer,weseemtorecoverourrights,tobecomemen。
O,whattruthsprofoundandexecutableonlyinagesandorbsaresupposedintheannouncementofeverytruth!Incommonhours,societysitscoldandstatuesque。Weallstandwaiting,empty,——
knowing,possibly,thatwecanbefull,surroundedbymightysymbolswhicharenotsymbolstous,butproseandtrivialtoys。Thencomeththegod,andconvertsthestatuesintofierymen,andbyaflashofhiseyeburnsuptheveilwhichshroudedallthings,andthemeaningoftheveryfurniture,ofcupandsaucer,ofchairandclockandtester,ismanifest。Thefactswhichloomedsolargeinthefogsofyesterday,——property,climate,breeding,personalbeauty,andthelike,havestrangelychangedtheirproportions。Allthatwereckonedsettledshakesandrattles;andliteratures,cities,climates,religions,leavetheirfoundations,anddancebeforeoureyes。Andyethereagainseetheswiftcircumspection!Goodasisdiscourse,silenceisbetter,andshamesit。Thelengthofthediscourseindicatesthedistanceofthoughtbetwixtthespeakerandthehearer。
Iftheywereataperfectunderstandinginanypart,nowordswouldbenecessarythereon。Ifatoneinallparts,nowordswouldbesuffered。
Literatureisapointoutsideofourhodiernalcircle,throughwhichanewonemaybedescribed。Theuseofliteratureistoaffordusaplatformwhencewemaycommandaviewofourpresentlife,apurchasebywhichwemaymoveit。Wefillourselveswithancientlearning,installourselvesthebestwecaninGreek,inPunic,inRomanhouses,onlythatwemaywiselierseeFrench,English,andAmericanhousesandmodesofliving。Inlikemanner,weseeliteraturebestfromthemidstofwildnature,orfromthedinofaffairs,orfromahighreligion。Thefieldcannotbewellseenfromwithinthefield。Theastronomermusthavehisdiameteroftheearth\'sorbitasabasetofindtheparallaxofanystar。
Thereforewevaluethepoet。Alltheargumentandallthewisdomisnotintheencyclopaedia,orthetreatiseonmetaphysics,ortheBodyofDivinity,butinthesonnetortheplay。InmydailyworkIinclinetorepeatmyoldsteps,anddonotbelieveinremedialforce,inthepowerofchangeandreform。ButsomePetrarchorAriosto,filledwiththenewwineofhisimagination,writesmeanodeorabriskromance,fullofdaringthoughtandaction。Hesmitesandarousesmewithhisshrilltones,breaksupmywholechainofhabits,andIopenmyeyeonmyownpossibilities。Heclapswingstothesidesofallthesolidoldlumberoftheworld,andIamcapableoncemoreofchoosingastraightpathintheoryandpractice。
Wehavethesameneedtocommandaviewofthereligionoftheworld。WecanneverseeChristianityfromthecatechism:——fromthepastures,fromaboatinthepond,fromamidstthesongsofwood-birds,wepossiblymay。Cleansedbytheelementallightandwind,steepedintheseaofbeautifulformswhichthefieldoffersus,wemaychancetocastarightglancebackuponbiography。
Christianityisrightlydeartothebestofmankind;yetwasthereneverayoungphilosopherwhosebreedinghadfallenintotheChristianchurch,bywhomthatbravetextofPaul\'swasnotspeciallyprized:——“ThenshallalsotheSonbesubjectuntoHimwhoputallthingsunderhim,thatGodmaybeallinall。“Lettheclaimsandvirtuesofpersonsbeneversogreatandwelcome,theinstinctofmanpresseseagerlyonwardtotheimpersonalandillimitable,andgladlyarmsitselfagainstthedogmatismofbigotswiththisgenerouswordoutofthebookitself。
Thenaturalworldmaybeconceivedofasasystemofconcentriccircles,andwenowandthendetectinnatureslightdislocations,whichapprizeusthatthissurfaceonwhichwenowstandisnotfixed,butsliding。Thesemanifoldtenaciousqualities,thischemistryandvegetation,thesemetalsandanimals,whichseemtostandtherefortheirownsake,aremeansandmethodsonly,——arewordsofGod,andasfugitiveasotherwords。Hasthenaturalistorchemistlearnedhiscraft,whohasexploredthegravityofatomsandtheelectiveaffinities,whohasnotyetdiscernedthedeeperlawwhereofthisisonlyapartialorapproximatestatement,namely,thatlikedrawstolike;andthatthegoodswhichbelongtoyougravitatetoyou,andneednotbepursuedwithpainsandcost?Yetisthatstatementapproximatealso,andnotfinal。Omnipresenceisahigherfact。Notthroughsubtle,subterraneanchannelsneedfriendandfactbedrawntotheircounterpart,but,rightlyconsidered,thesethingsproceedfromtheeternalgenerationofthesoul。Causeandeffectaretwosidesofonefact。
Thesamelawofeternalprocessionrangesallthatwecallthevirtues,andextinguisheseachinthelightofabetter。Thegreatmanwillnotbeprudentinthepopularsense;allhisprudencewillbesomuchdeductionfromhisgrandeur。Butitbehooveseachtosee,whenhesacrificesprudence,towhatgodhedevotesit;iftoeaseandpleasure,hehadbetterbeprudentstill;iftoagreattrust,hecanwellsparehismuleandpannierswhohasawingedchariotinstead。Geoffreydrawsonhisbootstogothroughthewoods,thathisfeetmaybesaferfromthebiteofsnakes;Aaronneverthinksofsuchaperil。Inmanyyearsneitherisharmedbysuchanaccident。
Yetitseemstome,that,witheveryprecautionyoutakeagainstsuchanevil,youputyourselfintothepoweroftheevil。Isupposethatthehighestprudenceisthelowestprudence。Isthistoosuddenarushingfromthecentretothevergeofourorbit?Thinkhowmanytimesweshallfallbackintopitifulcalculationsbeforewetakeupourrestinthegreatsentiment,ormakethevergeofto-daythenewcentre。Besides,yourbravestsentimentisfamiliartothehumblestmen。Thepoorandthelowhavetheirwayofexpressingthelastfactsofphilosophyaswellasyou。“Blessedbenothing,“and“theworsethingsare,thebettertheyare,“areproverbswhichexpressthetranscendentalismofcommonlife。
Oneman\'sjusticeisanother\'sinjustice;oneman\'sbeauty,another\'sugliness;oneman\'swisdom,another\'sfolly;asonebeholdsthesameobjectsfromahigherpoint。Onemanthinksjusticeconsistsinpayingdebts,andhasnomeasureinhisabhorrenceofanotherwhoisveryremissinthisduty,andmakesthecreditorwaittediously。Butthatsecondmanhashisownwayoflookingatthings;
askshimselfwhichdebtmustIpayfirst,thedebttotherich,orthedebttothepoor?thedebtofmoney,orthedebtofthoughttomankind,ofgeniustonature?Foryou,Obroker!thereisnootherprinciplebutarithmetic。Forme,commerceisoftrivialimport;
love,faith,truthofcharacter,theaspirationofman,thesearesacred;norcanIdetachoneduty,likeyou,fromallotherduties,andconcentratemyforcesmechanicallyonthepaymentofmoneys。Letmeliveonward;youshallfindthat,thoughslower,theprogressofmycharacterwillliquidateallthesedebtswithoutinjusticetohigherclaims。Ifamanshoulddedicatehimselftothepaymentofnotes,wouldnotthisbeinjustice?Doesheowenodebtbutmoney?
Andareallclaimsonhimtobepostponedtoalandlord\'sorabanker\'s?
Thereisnovirtuewhichisfinal;allareinitial。Thevirtuesofsocietyarevicesofthesaint。Theterrorofreformisthediscoverythatwemustcastawayourvirtues,orwhatwehavealwaysesteemedsuch,intothesamepitthathasconsumedourgrosservices。
“Forgivehiscrimes,forgivehisvirtuestoo,Thosesmallerfaults,halfconvertstotheright。“
Itisthehighestpowerofdivinemomentsthattheyabolishourcontritionsalso。Iaccusemyselfofslothandunprofitablenessdaybyday;butwhenthesewavesofGodflowintome,Inolongerreckonlosttime。Inolongerpoorlycomputemypossibleachievementbywhatremainstomeofthemonthortheyear;forthesemomentsconferasortofomnipresenceandomnipotencewhichasksnothingofduration,butseesthattheenergyofthemindiscommensuratewiththeworktobedone,withouttime。
Andthus,Ocircularphilosopher,Ihearsomereaderexclaim,youhavearrivedatafinePyrrhonism,atanequivalenceandindifferencyofallactions,andwouldfainteachusthat,_ifwearetrue_,forsooth,ourcrimesmaybelivelystonesoutofwhichweshallconstructthetempleofthetrueGod!
Iamnotcarefultojustifymyself。IownIamgladdenedbyseeingthepredominanceofthesaccharineprinciplethroughoutvegetablenature,andnotlessbybeholdinginmoralsthatunrestrainedinundationoftheprincipleofgoodintoeverychinkandholethatselfishnesshasleftopen,yea,intoselfishnessandsinitself;sothatnoevilispure,norhellitselfwithoutitsextremesatisfactions。ButlestIshouldmisleadanywhenIhavemyownheadandobeymywhims,letmeremindthereaderthatIamonlyanexperimenter。DonotsettheleastvalueonwhatIdo,ortheleastdiscreditonwhatIdonot,asifIpretendedtosettleanythingastrueorfalse。Iunsettleallthings。Nofactsaretomesacred;
noneareprofane;Isimplyexperiment,anendlessseeker,withnoPastatmyback。