all the works of art, crumble into ruins, yet the moral deeds CHAPTER XVI. HISTORY. HAVING acquired some knowledge of geography, the mind naturally seeks for information respecting the living and moral agents, who have inhabited the earth since the period of its creation. There are two methods of studying history; first, by commencing with the earliest periods of society, and descending to the present time; and second, by an inverse, or ascending, order. Which of these methods is that of Nature? Does the child feel most interested in hearing accounts of what befell his grandparents, or in learning the fortunes of Alexander or Cæsar? We know that he will take a deeper interest in the history of his own ancestors, and of events which have had an important influence upon his own circumstances in life. Proceeding, then, upon this view of the operations of the mind, we would recommend, that the beginner should commence with the history of his own age and country. It would be desirable, that every child should first be presented with the history of his own town, then of his own State, and after that, of the whole United Republic. The descending method is agreeable to the order of time; indeed, when a pupil commences with his own age and country, he should subsequently pursue this course, in which can be taken a more philosophical view of the connection between causes and their corresponding effects. The term history is derived from the Latin word historia, and literally signifies a relation of facts; thus we term that science, which considers facts with respect to the objects of the different kingdoms of Nature, animal, vegetable, and mineral, natural history. We are now to confine our attention to ciril history, or that branch, which presents us with a record of the characters and actions of mankind. Cicero defines civil history, to be, “the testimony of time, the light of truth, the messenger of antiquity, and the school of life." History is a word of extensive application; but when used to signify a particular branch of education, it has relation to the origin, progress, and decline, of nations; to the distinguished individuals who have exerted an influence upon the public welfare; and to the progress of literature, science, and arts. History is, indeed, something more than a knowledge of facts; it leads to a consideration of those principles in human nature, which give their origin to the various forms of society, from which spring the institutions, laws, and usages, of man, in his rudest, as well as most polished, state. History teaches the principles on which nations are founded, and points out the means of improvement, as well as the causes of their depravity and decline. But it is the mind, matured and practised to judge of causes by effects, that must consider history philosophical aspect; by the young pupil, it must be chiefly viewed in relation to events. Civil history is either sacred, or profane. Sacred history is that which is contained in the Bible. To this holy volume, we are indebted, for our knowledge of the origin of our planet. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." When was this beginning? This is a fearful and overwhelming question, carrying the mind back to that period, when the Deity existed, alone, in the majesty of his own glory, and the vast conception of His Infinite Mind had not yet become manifest in material creations. But matter must have had a beginning; it could not have created itself;-God must have existed forever, for He is the first cause of all things, and there is none greater than Himself. Nothing can be brought into existence, without a cause; what, then, could have created God? We see, that, should we attempt to go further, and find some power which could have created the Deity, we must go another step, and ask how that power came to exist, and thus we might go on, ad infinitum ;* not in any manner removing the difficulty, but multiplying mysteries at every proposition. This is what the pagans did, in their mythology. For, although they called Jupiter the father of gods and men, they accounted for his existence, by saying that he was the son of Saturn; Saturn was the son of Heaven and Earth, and they were the children of Chaos. How Chaos, or matter in an unformed state, came into existence, the pagans, in their wisdom, did not attempt to explain. But let us turn, from the childish absurdities of heathenism, to the light of revelation. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." God, then, has existed from eternity. "He is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning of days, or end of time." Here, I would ask you, for a moment, to consider the language of the sacred history. Was this beginning, the period when our earth began to take its present form? This is the belief of many, especially with those who are little * To infinity-without end. acquainted with geological facts, and who have not paid strict attention to the import of the language. The opinion of others is, that the "beginning," was that eventful period, when the elements of all the matter, which now exists in the universe, were brought into existence. Respecting what took place after this august beginning of material existence, except as relates to our earth, the sacred writings do not inform us. The history of other worlds is not known to us; nor for how many centuries of ages they might have been going on to perfection, before the Almighty thought proper to shape, into its present form, the matter which composes our globe. It seems probable, that, between the fact recorded in the first verse of Genesis, and that in the succeeding verse, a vast interval of time had elapsed. But the sacred historian leaves that period, as not relating to man, and hastens to speak of the earth. This, he says, was without form," and it was “void,” (or a chaotic mass,)" and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." It appears, that this formless mass was in a fluid state; and geology furnishes abundant evidence to prove, that, from such a state, our globe must gradually have become consolidated. 66 The Spirit, or power of God, now operating upon this chaotic mass, from darkness produced light, and a series of changes, at length, brought the earth into a habitable state. Man was then formed, not of matter newly created for that purpose; but his body was made of the dust of the earth, and animated by the breath of the Almighty. In the history, we are now examining, we thus learn the production of our earth, and the origin of the human race. We find Adam and his companion, placed in the delightful garden of Eden, favored with the company of angels, and personal communion with God, Himself. But, yielding to temptation, our first parents disobeyed the commands of their Maker, and thus "brought death into the world, and all our wo." Here, we see the origin of evil; a subject, about which metaphysicians have philosophical aspect; by the young pupil, it must be chiefly viewed in relation to events. Civil history is either sacred, or profane. Sacred history is that which is contained in the Bible. To this holy volume, we are indebted, for our knowledge of the origin of our planet. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." When was this beginning? This is a fearful and overwhelming question, carrying the mind back to that period, when the Deity existed, alone, in the majesty of his own glory, and the vast conception of His Infinite Mind had not yet become. manifest in material creations. But matter must have had a beginning; it could not have created itself;-God must have existed forever, for He is the first cause of all things, and there is none greater than Himself. Nothing can be brought into existence, without a cause; what, then, could have created God? We see, that, should we attempt to go further, and find some power which could have created the Deity, we must go another step, and ask how that power came to exist, and thus we might go on, ad infinitum ;* not in any manner removing the difficulty, but multiplying mysteries at every proposition. This is what the pagans did, in their mythology. For, although they called Jupiter the father of gods and men, they accounted for his existence, by saying that he was the son of Saturn; Saturn was the son of Heaven and Earth, and they were the children of Chaos. How Chaos, or matter in an unformed state, came into existence, the pagans, in their wisdom, did not attempt to explain. But let us turn, from the childish absurdities of heathenism, to the light of revelation. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." God, then, has existed from eternity. "He is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning of days, or end of time." Here, I would ask you, for a moment, to consider the language of the sacred history. Was this beginning, the period when our earth began to take its present form? This is the belief of many, especially with those who are little * To infinity-without end. |