187 
ness of his Creator. His aspirations are still noble, but for 
some reason (inexplicable except by religion), the more 
noble his aspirations, the more cultivated his intellect, the 
more perfect his civilisation, — only so much the more splendid 
is his misery. To judge by the preparations of nations at 
the present moment, the highest ambition is to perfect the 
arts of destruction ; and yet at the suggestion of Philosophy 
we are called upon to bow down and worship Humanity ! If 
such be the teaching of the nineteenth century, I prefer 
that of a poet of the past, which presents in a condensed form 
the subject for this evening's consideration and the happy 
result of the teaching of Divine Philosophy. 
Then we are free. Then liberty like day 
Breaks on the soul, and by a flash from Heaven 
Fires all the faculties with glorious joy. 
A voice is heard, that mortal ears hear not, 
Till Thou hast touch’d them ; ’tis the voice of song — - 
A loud Hosannah sent from all Thy works, 
Which he that hears it with a shout repeats, 
And adds his rapture to the general praise. 
In that bless’d moment Nature, throwing wide 
Her veil opaque, discloses with a smile 
The Author of her beauties ; who retired 
Behind His own creation, works unseen 
By the impure, and hears His power denied. 
Thou art the source and centre of all minds . 
Their only point of rest, Eternal Word ! 
From thee departing, they are lost, and rove 
At random, without honour, hope, or peace. 
From Thee is all that soothes the life of man, 
His high endeavour, and his glad success, 
His strength to suffer, and His will to serve. 
But 0, thou bounteous Giver of all good, 
Thou art of all thy gifts Thyself the crown ; 
Give what Thou wilt, without Thee we are poor, 
And with Thee rich, take what Thou wilt away. 
APPENDIX A. 
This word, according to Gesenius, means u to create, to produce according 
toDe Sola, Lindenthal, and Raphael,* it means, in Genesis c. i., “to create, to 
produce something out of nothing and this view is confirmed by Genesis 
ii. 3, in which it stands in connexion with another verb nVKTj? which 
Gesenius says should be explained, “ he produced by making,” i.e. “ he 
made by producing something new.” “ The older commentators, — the 
Talmud, Aben Ezra, Abarbanel, R. Solomon ben Melech, &c., properly 
render nifcjq/?, to continue acting. God having created the universe and 
all that' it contains, t the production of something out of nothing ceased ; the 
ordinary laws of nature began to act, and the unceasing reproduction of 
something out of something commenced.” 
Sacred Scriptures, Genesis, p. 1. t Ibid. p. 5. 
