Anonymous

“ We have said that man derives pleasure or disgust from the exercise of the sense of smell, and is greatly directed thereby what to choose and what to avoid; yet this sense harmonizes with those of sight, hearing, and more particularly of taste, to render this world delightful to us, if we use God's gifts aright. Has he not scattered the loveliest flowers in garden and meadow? Has he not created fruits that gratify alike the sight, the touch, the taste, and the smell? Has he not spread the beauties of nature around us? ”

“ It is obvious, that her means of perceiving external objects are the smell, the taste, and the touch. The touch is her chief reliance, and enables her to distinguish every object with which she has been familiar, sometimes by the aid of her lips and tongue; but her smell also is surprisingly acute, and often enables her to ascertain facts which are beyond the reach of other persons. Her countenance as she sits at work exhibits the strongest evidence of an active mind and a feeling heart, and thoughts and feelings seem to flit across it like the clouds in a summer sky. ”

“ But, as we have said, every distinct region has, in a general sense, its own flora and its own fauna. It is in tropical countries, beneath a fervid sun, that vegetation presents us with its utmost magnificence. There we see forests of evergreen trees, palms, and arborescent ferns—there bloom flowers of gorgeous hue, and luscious scent—there ripen fruits of most exquisite flavour, attractive both to the sight and the taste. ”

“ Is not the earth full of riches? Has not the Creator adapted it to our pleasures, as well as our necessities, and endowed us with every sense requisite for enjoyment? How delightful to the Christian—how doubly enjoyed by him is nature in all her phases, in all her manifestations, in all her variety! To him nothing is uninteresting, from the mightiest creature to the animalcule, from the cedar to the humble weed; and reflecting that knowledge stores his mind, and pleasure gladdens, refreshes, and animates him, through each respective medium ”

“ Like all the organs of our senses, the hands are the instrument of wickedness to sinful man; his sense of touch is the inlet of evil. How refined that sense in the adroit pickpocket, but to what an ill purpose is it devoted! How dexterous are the hands of the shoplifter, but to what a wretched course have they been trained! The hand grasps the pen; every stroke is guided by its delicate sense of touch; it obeys the mind ”

“ Think of an immortal soul imprisoned in such a rayless, silent tenement, debarred from all acquaintance with the world around, except as far as feeling may go, and taste and smell. But God often works in a mysterious way, and perhaps communicates light to the mind, when the visual orbs are sealed up in darkness, and the invitations of Christ cannot be heard from the lips of his pious minister—the good shepherd, who is commanded to care for the little ones of the fold. ”

“ What horrible phantasms terrify the unhappy sleeper labouring under night-mare! What strange things does the delirious sufferer mentally behold, and through what strange scenes, real to him, does he pass! We see, we converse, we laugh, we mourn, we feel pleasure and anguish, even in our dreams. These, then, are not optical but mental illusions—no figure is made upon the retina appealing to the mind, but the mind itself sees [81] things which are not, and is delighted or terrified by its own involuntary creations. ”

“ It can only be by the adjustment of muscles that the limbs are stiffened, the body firmly balanced and kept erect. There is no other source of knowledge but a sense of the degree of exertion in his muscular frame, by which a man can know the position of his body and limbs, while he has no point of vision to direct his efforts, or the contact of any external body. In truth, we stand by so fine an exercise of this power, and the muscles are, from habit, directed with so much precision and with an effort so slight, that we do not know how we stand. ”

“ To the eye speak the writings of antiquity, the accumulated wisdom of successive generations, the experience of sages, and those holy records which contain the oracles of God, the sacred truths, and the revelation of the purposes of the Almighty towards a fallen race. It is by language, as it appeals to the eye, that we commune with the mighty dead—that we receive into our minds the sublime ideas of a Milton, the learning of a Bacon, or the philosophy of a Newton. ”

“ Light is a stimulus both to the animal and vegetable worlds. It is when daylight breaks that "man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening;" it is when light breaks that the feathered songsters of the grove join in one chorus of—why may we not say so?—instinct-urged thanksgiving. O man, gifted with reason! O man, the heir of immortality! ”

“ The sincere and humble inquirer cherishes the impression while he seeks for further light on a subject so momentous; and he thus receives with absolute conviction the truth which beams upon him from the revelation of God, that the mysterious part of his being, which thinks, and wills, and reasons, shall, indeed, survive the wreck of its mortal tenement, and is destined for immortality."
How mysterious is the union between mind and matter! how little we know of ourselves! how shallow is our deepest philosophy! ”

“ It often happens—why so, we cannot say—that circumstances or events, long passed from the mind, present themselves suddenly to it with extreme vividness, and are thenceforth remembered; but oftener does it happen, that the sight of some object, or that a sound, a note, a tune, a word, recalls to the mind forgotten events, bygone circumstances, hopes passed away, pleasures long fled, feelings long quiescent. ”

“ It is some time before the infant sees distinctly, or forms any idea of size, proportion, or distance; long before it hears accurately, and understands a word of speech; longer still before it discriminates between musical notes; it is long before delicious odours are relished, and long before there is much distinction of flavour in food, for instinct directs the infant to its mother's breast, and for many a year sweet viands are chiefly acceptable. Habit, exercise, practice, then improve the power and acuteness of the senses, but simple feeling is blunted by habit and exercise. ”

“ The wisest of the heathens of Greece or Rome lived in doubt, entangled in the mazes of a vain system of philosophy; and though they might believe in a god, or in gods, deducing their arguments as to the existence of an all-powerful Being from the works of nature, and from that internal conviction which seems common to the human race—they knew nothing of His attributes, of his laws, of his requirements, of man's fallen nature, of the intrinsic sinfulness of the heart, of the means of grace, of a hope of glory. ”

“ In fact, they take him out of the pale of the brute creation, and isolate him amidst the living creatures by which he is surrounded. He is the only animal being who can form any idea of God and his attributes, of eternity, of virtue and vice, of justice and mercy; in his breast alone are implanted conscience, faith and hope, repentance and spiritual peace. Herein have we an argument, to prove that man is not made to begin and end his career on this world, beautiful as it is, and fitted to meet all his animal powers, senses, and enjoyments. ”

“ Blindness is a sad calamity; but when blindness and deafness meet in the same object, what a deplorable picture presents itself to every feeling heart! Blind, deaf, mute! Christian reader, reflect—by what means, by what process, shall access be gained to the undying mind? How can we, by human means, instil into the soul the glad tidings of salvation, demonstrate the corruptness of human nature, the necessity of a new birth, the efficacy of prayer, and the perfections of the triune Jehovah? ”

“ To this world all the senses of animals are expressly accommodated. If there were no air, there could be no organs of hearing—granting the existence of living beings without respiration. If there were no light, or the laws of light were otherwise than what they are, our eyes would be useless. Were our lower stratum of atmosphere always enveloped in a dense mist, obscuring the rays of the sun, the sphere of our vision and its accuracy would be greatly circumscribed—nay, sounds would fall more dully on our ears. ”

“ Where in creation can a similar anomaly be demonstrated? Every brute is gifted with vital functions and organization fitted to its destined mode of life, and with a kind and degree of mind (where this is needed) in exact accordance thereunto. Beyond this all is blank; indeed, the most wonderful works which brutes perform, and which in man would argue great thought and experience, are in them the result of instinct alone. The beautiful corals and zoophytes, which we so much admire, are instinct-built tenements. ”

“ Though language consists in a system of sounds uttered by the mouth, appealing through the sense of hearing to the mind, yet man has contrived to effect the same purpose through the eye, and hence is enabled to convey to others at a distance his thoughts, his observations, his wishes, and views—to transmit to posterity the results of his labours and researches, or the outpourings of his genius. ”

“ With respect to a knowledge of power, as regards ourselves personally, or as displayed by brutes, we cannot help thinking that much depends on an instinctive perception, added to, no doubt, by experience. All animals, from man downwards, apply their force according to their conformation; the horse kicks—the lion strikes with his terrible paw—the hyena seizes with his jaw—man uses his arms; but man also brings art to aid him in his bodily exertions. Hence the strongest man falls under the skill of the trained wrestler; but the contest of brutes is that of force. ”

“ The utmost extent of something like knowledge which the most intelligent and sagacious dog acquires, dies with it, and its successor has to learn all for itself. As for language, in the true meaning of the word, of what use would it be to brutes? Among the highest, as far as the necessity of communication extends, cries or modulations of tone and certain actions suffice to convey a distinct meaning; among the lowest, there is no necessity even for utterance, and there is no sense of hearing, nor even of vision. ”

“ With regard to ourselves, music (we need not enter into a learned explanation of what it is) operates far less upon the reasoning than the instinctive faculties of man. Tones, modulations, swellings, and cadences, though no words be sung, excite all the emotions of which our animal nature is capable. But when words are used—when music is married to immortal verse, and an appeal through language is also made to the mind, then, indeed, the effect is tremendous. A song shouted forth in the streets may overturn an empire. ”

“ A blind man may examine a statue with his hands, and pronounce upon its excellence; and this fact suggests to us an idea of sir Charles Bell, who says: "The knowledge of external bodies, as distinguished from ourselves, cannot be acquired until the organs of touch in the hand have become familiar with our own limbs. We cannot be supposed capable of exploring anything by the motion of the hand, or of judging of the form or tangible qualities of an object pressed against the skin, before we have a knowledge of our own body as distinguished from things external to us." ”

“ The darkness of the blind, such as instances like this sufficiently show, is but a physical darkness; they still possess a ready channel, through which the brightest beams of intellectual light may be freely poured: but the darkness of the deaf mute is a mental and moral darkness; and though he can gaze abroad upon creation, yet it is little more than [167] mere animal gratification that he feels; he looks not through nature up to nature's God, nor does he participate in that high communion which, through the sublimity of her visible language, she holds with the soul of an enlightened being. ”