Page:The History of Liberty.djvu/6

 pass the one third of his allotted pilgrimage in feeble infancy—and unproductive childhood and youth, before he can enter upon the field of his moral and intellectual agency; and there perhaps be cut down in the first hour of his efforts—and all the fond wishes, hopes and prayers of parents—, the bright expectations of friends—and the brilliant treasures of science and philosophy gathered from many a field, the toil of many a year all quenched, and extinct in a moment; whilst the most ignoble of the animal tribes reach their maturity in a few months?

Or who can tell why so many ages of accumulating ignorance, crime and we were suffered to roll over the earth before the star of Bethlehem arose to scatter the thick darkness that sin and death had hung around the world—, and after a lapse of 1800 years how much of that darkness, sin and crime still remains? And who can tell why the progress of Liberty, dear to heaven as Christianity, should have been so slow among the nations of the earth? The causes of all these things which perplex the good and confound the wise, are alike hid, from the knowledge of angels and of men, wrapt up in the inscrutia [sic]ble councils of Him, whose thoughts are not our thoughts—and who giveth no account of himself to his servants. What a field for reflection is here! but man was made for action as well as reflection—and it is wisdom to act where reflection is useless and vain.

But how much does it cost to establish clearly and firmly one single important truth? What but the Arithmetic of heaven can cast up the mighty sum! And oh what eye but the eye of omniscience can see how much of blood and tears, how much of suffering and misery each and every truth has caused in its advancement to its ultimate consummation before it could bless men and nations!

And thus from the time God said “Let there be light” has knowledge warred with ignorance—, truth fought with error, and Liberty with despotism—and the world has been, still is, and yet shall be unknown ages to come—the great battle field on which these antagonistic forces are marshalled in ceaseless hostility against each other—; with no peace, no truce, no compromise; for man is the prize for which they contend;—and we know in part the value of that prize from the importance God has attached to it in the communications of his Revelation, and in the scheme for our Redemption—but we shall know more perfectly the worth of that prize when the final victory of truth over error is won—; and when Liberty has broken forever the last chain of despotism over the human heart and mind; and man shall stand forth in his