reference to the highest capabilities of his earthly creatures -to make "our very being's being a contradiction!" We have thus glanced at some of these natural intimations of a future life. Whatever may be their entire value, we may perhaps get a better idea of this value, by supposing the effect of their absence. How would it be, apart from the light of Scripture, or even with it, if facts different and opposed to those brought forward existed, in the world around us? Suppose, for instance, that undoubted physical annihilations were constantly occurring to our knowledge? That the belief of man recognized no hereafter and that nature's teachings had all been accepted and understood as pointing to annihilation? Suppose that this idea of a future life if held, were held most firmly by the vicious, that its tendency was to encourage present viciousness, and to produce expectation of future excess, that it was dreaded by the virtuous as a continuance of their trials and sufferings? Suppose again, we saw no inequality of present condition to present desert, or that vice, on the whole, was more productive of welfare than virtue? Suppose, again, that there was no capability of looking forward to a future life, of preparing for it, no sense of its fitness, of outrage at the thought of annihilation, no progression of the individual or the race; that the mind and body, in all cases, sank together, and by simultaneous movements? What a difference would there be in favor of the annihilationist! If such existing facts would give force to his argument, certainly the present undeniable existence of opposite facts gives no less force to one of an opposite character. It is certainly enough to set men to work, to lead them to enter upon a serious investigation, to welcome the authoritative dictate of inspired revelation. But we may be told "that the argument is not a demonstration;""we are not perfectly satisfied." Perhaps not. But are we perfectly certain that the fault is in the facts, or in any portion of the argument? There are some minds which in this present sphere of being, can never be made to comprehend the force of the clearest demonstration, such, for instance, as is afforded in the higher mathematics. Others, again, who excel in these departments, are greatly defective in their capability of appreciating the conclusiveness of a train of moral reason ing. May not this suggest an idea in regard to some of those arguments, which the human mind has taken up, in different ages, wrought on them for a time, become discouraged, and yet could not and can not give them up altogether? Des Cartes' "cogito ergo sum," and Anselm's and Clarke's a priori demonstrations, are not perfectly satisfactory. Certain points upon which these authors place great stress, have little or no force to the popular mind. But has any man, who thoughtfully put himself down, or rather endeavored to brace himself up, to the serious work of fully taking in what these arguments involved, then ventured flippantly to dismiss them, with the assertion of their utter baselessness? We do not believe it. Perhaps if we could elevate ourselves to the purer atmosphere in which these men moved, and could see stretching around us the broader horizon which met their sight, we should see a force in portions of their arguments of which now we have no conception. And so in regard to this fact of immortality. Man needs a satisfactory and authoritative revelation of it, for that revelation has been given, and God does nothing in vain. As man is, the natural argument may partially disturb or comfort him, but can not control his conduct. How would it be if man were free from the disturbing influences of sin, of passion, and of appetite? Elevate him still higher to the position. of the unfallen archangel, and how would it be then? Might not, then, every link be seen clear, and bright, fully formed and interlocked with its fellow? The only feeling experienced being that of surprise and amazement that such demonstration had not been previously seen, that it does not enforce conviction upon the most blinded and unwilling, Let us wait patiently, yet hopefully. A few more days, and the great mystery will have been cleared up forever. Thus far, we will say, nature speaks. There is one practical inference, however she may be understood. If her voice obscurely and imperfectly, yet really and truly, points to another world, in doing this, it points to any and all other information that may be offered in regard to the same great fact. And it creates an obligation on our part, to examine all such information, and if it be founded upon truth, to follow it. The highest light of nature, here as every where else, is only a higher rev elation of our need of light supernatural. If the natural argument be of any value, great or small, it merely hands us over to Scripture; it does not at all supersede Scripture. And not less direct is this inference upon the opposite supposition; that nature's utterance is without meaning, or unintelligible. Be it so, for argument's sake. And, therefore, as there is no voice nor light here, look more anxiously elsewhere; to that voice which comes from heaven, that light which shines above the noon-day sun. If nature's highest revelations do not supersede those of Scripture, still less will nature's silence and ignorance. Upon either of these suppositions, the practical inference is the same; turn to the supernaturally revealed light of life. Follow the instructions and in the footsteps of Him "who brought life and immortality to light in the Gospel." ART. II.-PROVERBS. On the Lessons of Proverbs. By the Rev. R. C. TRENCH, D.D. THE proverbs of a nation may be called its witty wisdom. They are thoughts worn into smooth and shining forms by the friction of many minds, as pebbles upon the shore are shaped and polished by the wash of waves. They would well repay elaborate study for their wisdom, and they richly reward a superficial examination by their brilliancy and wit. It is not easy to define a proverb, because it is so much like other similar forms of speech which have their distinctive names. In the interesting work of Dean Trench, the attempt is made with all that nice power of discrimination and analysis which is displayed in his work on the Parables. Aided by his abors in both these productions, but differing from him in some not unimportant particulars, we venture to propose the following definitions of the proverb and of some kindred forms of speech. A proverb may be defined to be, "a pointed saying which has received the sanction of many minds." After this general definition—and none less general that we can construct will escape the charge of borrowing something from other forms of speech-we may proceed to show how it specifically differs from other sayings to which the same general definition may be given. It is usually a single short sentence. It is thrown into a form which makes it easily carried in the memory. It is accepted and repeated by a large number of persons. It circulates more among the middle and the lower, than among the upper classes. It is often found lingering amid rural and secluded society, after it has died out from more active and progressive populations. It is often figurative, and in the form of rhyme or alliteration. It differs from the epigram in that the latter is in verse and may be more amplified. Yet there could scarcely be a better general definition of the proverb than Martial has given of the epigram: "Three things must epigrams, like bees, have all, All these are found in the verses written by a Dr. Clark of the last century. The words domus ultima were inscribed on the vault belonging to the Duke of Richmond, in the Cathedral of Chichester. The epigram is rather large in body, but it has a corresponding amount of honey, in the truth quoted from St. Paul, and an answering sharpness of sting in the concluding line: "Did he who thus inscribed the wall, Other words, carelessly used in common speech as synonymous with proverbs, have distinctively different meanings. Axioms are, what proverbs are not, self-evident and ultimate truths. The distinction between maxims and proverbs is less wide, and more difficult to discern and state. Maxims, being more frequently rather rules for the guidance of conduct in particular cases-such as law, politics, or social life-than like proverbs, truths and rules applicable to all conditions, have not, like the latter, an universal application. "Make hay while the sun shines," is a proverb applicable to all men in all spheres ; while the shrewd maxim of Machiavelli, "In war no enterprise is so easy to you as one the enemy thinks impossible," is capable of much less limited use. An aphorism is a speculative principle; whereas a proverb is eminently practical. 'Sayings” and apothegms are weighty sentences of individuals, which are referred to their authors; whereas a witty definition of a proverb is, that it has no author. The paradoxical definition conveys the just idea, that it is not the original and exclusive wisdom of any one mind, but the result of the sagacity, observation, and experience of many minds, whoever may have embodied that result in felicitous and portable phraseology. In view of these distinctions, it is believed that the definition of a proverb previously given will be found sufficiently accurate and precise for practical purposes. It is a pointed saying which has received the sanction of many minds. In these pointed sayings we may discern many of the peculiarities of national character. It is indeed true that nothing more distinctly proves the essential oneness of the human race, than a comparison of the proverbs of various nations. At the same time it will be seen that there are, along with a general resemblance, specific differences which arise from peculiar national characteristics. Every class in every nation will be represented in its proverbs-the good and evil, the selfish and the generous, the wise and foolish, the witty and the dull, the grumbler and the optimist-but each will express itself in the forms that are appropriate to its national life. The wild imagination and portentous exaggeration of the Orientalist; the vivacity and wit of the Frenchman; the gravity and introspection of the German; the soft and snake-like gliding of the Italian's thought and speech; the sonorous and exaggerated dignity of the Spaniard; the calm, practical, and solid mind of the Englishman; all these will appear in their characteristic proverbs. Probably there is no nation which uses proverbs so little as our own. Unquestionably there is no civilized people who have so few that have originated with itself. Dr. Franklin |