The Future

The harmony we observe in the vast domain of nature, in the regularity of the motion of the planetary system, producing tho vicissitudes of the seasons, day and night, summer and winter, the eclipse and other interestingastronomical olianges between the different bodies and partióles of matter in the inorganic kingdotn, and the certainty with which the organic laws devolope form, structure or organization in the vegetable anj animal kingdom, regulating all their different relations and dependencies and the adaptation of tissue to organ and organ to function, constitute that condition in the material univerae wbich is called - order. All tho changes and phenomena which result from tho causes governing the solar system, can be known with as much certainty before aa after they transpire, even for thousands of years. - But this is not allogether true in regard to the laws underlying the phyuiology of the human system, regulating growth and development, life and health ; for these conditions depend not only on the chemico-vital agencies, but they are ruodified by the exorcise of reason and judgement. The observance of the dynamio agencies acting on material conditions tend to preserve that harmony of funetion, of circulation, respiration, aud nutrition upon which the future safety and well being of the humau system depends. Those fundamental rules and principies designed to control and regúlate our social, moral, and intelloctual natures; our commercial, national, and inttrnational iutercouree; our civil and military relations, duties and obligations, are.still more precarious, being influeijoed by passion and caprice, heuce, the uncertainty of knowing or calculatiug any thing defiuitely in regard to their future condition or destiny. These relations are all mutable, liable to cbange and revolution aecording to the rule of policy set up, that of military necessity or of the public safety, with or without reason. Although the moral law is as immutable as that of attraction and repulsión, tho perverted reason of man often interiores and prevent its legitímate resulto ; it, however, can no more be violated with impunity, than the physical laws of our be'mg. Every iniraetion tends to disorder and to ruin our present happineas and future prospects ; incapacitating the intellect still more aud more for peuetrating the shadowy veil that seperates time from eternity. It is only iu proportion as these great antecedent, moral principies (that uuderlying our social duties and civil relations) are yenerated, defended and obeyed, iu their true essence aud spirit, that the union, pcace, happiuess, prosperity, iutellectuul illumination, and moral virtue of a people can be realized and enjoyed. It is only as those broad and controling principies are permitted to revolve in their legitímate sphere, that the tranquility of a nation can be perpetuated and their future relations, character and history be known. Iufidelity and apostacy to humaB ar.d divine laws; prejudice and fanaticism bring on individuals society or a nation intolerable difficulties and swift destruction. Thus, fanaticism is the hot-bed of strife - a fetter to moral improvoment and to a progressive civiliz tion blunting our per ception, perverting our reason on all the great questions relating to our present condition and future destiny. Observatioc, experieuce, and industry are essential to kuowledge aud success in the development of new facts in mathematics, and in the wide unexplored fields of soientific research and philosophical inquiry. Man possessing the highest order of moral and intellectual faculties is capable of vast improvement and pro gressivo elevation. Sti'l, the poiut of attainment has not been reached of breaking down the bouudary line which separatcs the present from the future. - This shonld be a check to his presumptiou, a rebuko to his prido aud ambition. That with all his boasted greatness, forecast and strength of niiud -at tue head of vast armies, as logicai statesmau and profouud diplomatists, or as distiuguished for the highest attainments of professional science and judicial wisdom, is at best ehort sihted and not capable of kuowing one single approaching human eveut. The chemist, with his furnace aud blow-pipe, his ciucible aud balance eau aualize and decompose substances ; can recombine elements into compouuds rusolve water by galvanism into hy drogen and oxygen, and by the electric spark reuuite these oleraents aud genérate water ; in defect. poièoD in the hnman tem ; tliu, explaining some of the greatest mysteries and most nteresting phenomena iu nature, pathology, and physiology. The philosopher may explain the laws of meehanios, of motion, attraction, repulsión, and gravitation. - The astronoirer, computing the magnitude of planeta, their distance and revolution ; and, with the aid of the telescope his assisted visión pouetratiug far into illimit.ble spaco, viewing innumerable worlds, (which to the naked eye were invisable,) as they perform ihcir grand circles in the immensiy of that space which has no conceivable limits, With all these attainments and distinguishing qualifications, nothing cao bc understood beyond the present moment ; nothing to explain (he problem of the great 'future before us. Human wisdom falls short of auy explanatiou of it. We gaze with silent admiration on the radient beams of suulight, in early morn, as the darkness of night gives war revealing the serene sky, the beautiful groves, and the carpet of green of summer, or the nipping frost and fleeey snow of winter. - These pleasing varieties of scenery so interestingly spread out before us íb a source oí instruotion and pleasaut contemplation, without opening up a fairer future ; ao we gain no glimering of lisrht from that great hereafter to which we are rapidly tending. Expectation alone sustains our anxious spirits, rendering life tolerable, and, however gratifying it may be to tbose who have set out on the precarious sea of life with eager hopes and ambitious aims even with the fairest and most encouraging prcspects of sucoess, to be able to read futurity it is, perhaps, wisely concealed from their view ; more or less uncertainty attends every humau enterprise from the beginning to the end of life. - The heavy venture which the disoiple of mammon inakea to-day, may turn out brilliantly, but, to morrow's investment may prove abortivo and produce a sea of trouble. Merchandising, stock trading, land or job speculationi are al! attended with more or less doubt and disapointment. The nearer any persou persues that line of policy which inost closely approximates the lins or rule, regulating the profeasion, trade, or business in which he is engaged, the greater will be the chances of success. Tbe raan who is well up to time, and to principie in business, will prosper ; while he who i groveling in the wake, grumbling and blundering along, vaoiliating like th weather-cock, with no settled purpose or principie of action, will fail in overy undortaking present or future. The whole range of our intellectual visión should not be confined to this brief opening of our existance. A higher and nobler range of thought should govern our mental aspirations and rcflections Tbe highest flights of intelligent maginatious, the boldest conceptions must stop short of " that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns," that untried ocean of futurity cannot be explored by mortal eye Nevertheless all are deeply interested, (the wise, the ignorant, the rich, and the poor,) in the great matters treasured up in that unknown abyss. The issuea of prosperity and adversity, pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery, life and death, are all safely registered in that obscure volume beyoud the confines of time. These grave considerations should eon stitute our earnest regard and solicitude. For who can kuow what a day may bring fort!}. The iufutuated clairvoyaut or spirit rapper stultifies himself by attcmpt ing to supersede God's law, which has concealed all the momentous concerns of the great future froui the human comprehension. But time will soou niake manifest our destiny. It is the great interpreter of the future, developing the good or the ill which is before us. How truc the words of Soloraon, " the race is not to the swift, nor the battlo to the strong." The approaching future has öoe ray of light, oue key to unlock its great mystery and that is the Bible. lts promises and revelations uever fail, all olse is blind and uncertain. Therefore, it is wisdom in man to improve the present, it is witluu the scope of his undurstanding, on it hangs every interest, present aud future, trustiug in this suro word of promise, that all tliings will work together for good to those who walk uprightly. W. S G.