Eternity [pp. 81]

THE UNDISCOVERED MINE.
By literature, then, it has been brought to pass
that men may live in the possession of all the com forts, ornaments, and luxuries of a high state of
civilization. But this is not all. It has been well
declared, that among the natural and inalienable
rights of man are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. In every age and every country ambi tious men have been found, who have been willing
to raise themselves to power and sway, by means of
the destruction of these inalienable rights of the
masses. And such men have been very generally
successful. The few have been masters of the
many. And why? Not because the few have been
corporeally stronger than the many, but because
they had master minds. Learning had given them
governmental insight, and diplomatic strategy, by
use of which they enslaved the minds of men; and
then it became a comparatively easy task to enslave
their bodies. It may be said, perhaps, that these
are facts,derogatory to learning. Not so. Such
evils result by reason of the ignorance of the
masses. For example, a learned and cunning tyrant seeks to enslave a nation. He carefully and
skillfully devises means and measures. He calls
to his assistance a chosen number, who are skillful
and wicked like himself, and who are willing to
become his instruments if they may share his triumphs. They operate upon the great mass of uninformed mind, until gradually his measures produce their desired fruits, and his object is accomplished. But if the knowledge possessed by the
tyrant were possessed by all, his plans would be
rightly understood. his purposes detected, and himself hurled down to shame and infamy. A universally enlightened people could not, as such, be enslaved-could not be defrauded of their rights.
True it is that a universally and equally enlightened nation never did, and never will exist. A
greater or less number will always, of necessity,
remain comparatively ignorant; and, until the spirit
of Christianity shall become all-pervading, the war
of might against right must continue. Still, however, learning may be greatly diffused, and its diffusion will tend to capacitate the masses to preserve inviolate their natural and inalienable rights.
It is the province of literature to furnish to the
mind useful and delightful material for its great
business of thinking; and by the use of this material, the mind is almost invariably refined, its ruggedness made smooth, and its partial smoothness
polished. To the rightly-constituted mind the coIntemplation of the beautiful-abstractly speakingproduces delight; but without the aid of literature
the elements of beauty, with which the universe is
rife, are seen in a comparatively disjointed and chaotic state. The useful and the practical-in the
good homely sense of those terms-ought never
to be overlooked. By the literary mind they are
not overlooked, but they stand perpetually interlinked with groupings of the beautiful. The elements of religion, as a practical thing, are faith,
love, and holiness. So it is found in the experience
VOL. IX.-6
of every true Christian. Viewed in the light of
literature, these distinguishing characteristics lose
nothing of their prominence, but forms of the eternally true, sublime, and lovely are so superadded
that religion becomes a thing of ineffable beauty.
Such it may be in this life; and still more and more
will its beauties become manifest throughout eternal ages.
This subject might be further pursued with profit.
Perhaps it may be further pursued at a future
time. Summing up, now, it is claimed to have
been shown, in this brief sketch, that it is the tendency of literature to yield to man much benefit
and much enjoyment, not only in this world, but
in the world to come. Such are its uses. May its
diffusion be speedy and unlimited!
THE UNDISCOVERED MINE.
BY A. HILL.
BROTHr-, within thy breast,
Conceal'd from mortal eye,
Thou hast a mine at rest,
Which idly now doth lie.
Go dig-and'neath the rubbish there,
Bright gems shall on thy vision glare.
The wealth it may reveal
Is matchless,'tis agreed;
The gems it may conceal
Are wonderful, indeed.
Go work-and like the stars of night,
They'll sparkle on thy ravished sight.
Thine eyes did ne'er behold
Such hidden wealth before;
More durable than gold,
It lasts for evermore.
Be quick, the earnest search to make Stretch forth thy hand, and then partake.
No ray of liquid light
Can with these gems compare,
So beautiful and bright So exquisitely rare.
Go seek, and thou shalt surely find
The treasures of a priceless mind.
Shame on thee! while content
In ignorance to lie!
Awake! arise! repent!
Go plume thy wings and fly!
Stand up! thy trailing pinions raise,
And soar, the remnant of thy days.
+ o
ETERNITY.
THE idols of my heart are crush'd,
And God hath claim'd the shrine:
Go, sing of earth, if earth be yours:
Eternity is mine!
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