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Page 15
_Suez Canal_.--There is an all-absorbing topic now before the public,
and it is one that brings strikingly before us the thirst for
communication of both body and mind to and from distant parts of our
globe. It is one of deep importance to all who take an interest in the
advancement of science--I mean the Suez Canal. The Red Sea cannot but be
familiar to us all--a sea of the most profound interest, for there did
the mighty Jehovah work one of His most stupendous miracles, when He
brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, and at the same time
destroyed Pharaoh and all his host. But in how different a manner did
the Lord work! By a word He caused the waters to go back, leaving a wall
on the right hand and on the left, so that the people of Israel went
through on dry land. This was not all. Were not His chosen people
accompanied by a pillar of fire to give light in the night season, and a
cloud of thick darkness to prevent the Egyptians coming near them during
the day? Does not this show that His mercy is over all His works? For
after He had brought out His people with joy, and His chosen with
gladness, He overthrew their enemies in the sea--in the same place where
He had performed such wonders for the preservation of His people.
Often has the spot been crossed by our steamers; and though some may,
and I trust do, bring to mind the stupendous miracle, yet it, like many
other thing's, is regarded as a matter gone by. Here now we have the Red
Sea brought under our notice in a most striking manner, and one that
leads us not only to feel the greatness of the power of man over
material things, but I trust it may also lead us to see our littleness
when compared with Him who made us. We, that is the nations which
brought about this great canal, have had to spend years and vast sums of
money to carry out the end aimed at, and under the Divine aid it has
been brought to a successful termination. But see what God did! Did the
Almighty consult engineers, or take soundings and levels, or ask the
laws of Nature if He could or would succeed? Nay,--one word was enough.
He spake, and that was sufficient--the waters stood up in a heap. We,
however, have succeeded in bringing the Red Sea and the Mediterranean
into connection with each other--an achievement that strongly shows the
determination of man. It is a boon, indeed, to the commerce of this
country, and I hope also of many others, as by enabling ships to pass
through, the transhipment of cargo is now done away with, and the
distance to the other side of the globe reduced to its minimum.
Engineers may truly be proud of the day that brought this great and
noble work to a completion; and I trust they will thank the Lord who
hath crowned their strenuous efforts with success.
_Books_.--Having got thus far as regards the conveyance of the body, we
must now turn to the communication of the mind, and the thoughts of one
individual as conveyed to another, and this leads one to speak of books.
What are they but the means of communication of the thoughts of great
men, and a distribution of those thoughts for the benefit of their
fellows, by bringing before them matters of interest in the history of
our own country and that of others. The great object to be looked to is
the selection of our books--the variety is now so great; and I grieve to
say (and I think I am right) that the sensational works of the present
day have a tendency to lead the mind into a train of thought that is
flippant and unsteady, and I would warn young people against them. When
we look to such works as those of Sir Walter Scott, Macaulay, and many
others of the same kind, we find food for the mind, the benefit of which
cannot be over-estimated.
_Printing_.--The spread of knowledge through the world is indeed a boon
which cannot be too highly extolled; but the thoughts of man could not
thus have been circulated had it not been for the printing-press. See
what science and art have done for us in this most perfect and beautiful
machine! When we go only to one example, the "Times" newspaper, and
consider the amount of information it circulates each day through the
world, it strikes one forcibly what man has been allowed and enabled to
do for the benefit of himself and his fellow-men. What we have brought
the printing-press to, is shown in 20,000 copies of the "Times" being
thrown off in one hour, and the advantage it has been to the advancement
of literature in our now being able to buy such works as those of Sir
Walter Scott for sixpence a volume.
Having gone so far, I must not detain you for more than a brief period.
You have had such an able and interesting course of lectures given by
men of high talent, that little remains for me except to close this
course with congratulation to the Association in being able to procure
those individuals to give their valuable time to this desirable object;
for what in life is more interesting than the imparting the knowledge we
may possess to others who desire to acquire it, seeing that there is no
way in which moral and social intercourse is more advanced and
developed. Still, before closing, I must ask for a short time to go into
one or two other subjects. And first, I will take one of the greatest
importance to the commerce of this country, and one that has shown what
the mind has done for communicating the thoughts of one person to
another at far distant places--I refer to the telegraph. The land is
not only covered with wires, but even the vast depths of the great ocean
are made to minister to our requirements. The world, we may say, is
encircled with ropes, and instant communication has been the result.
What has achieved these great results but the mind of man applied to
science! And see in what a multitude of ways this application of mind
has been made to work! What does it bring into play? Why, we have mining
to produce the metal to make the wire; we have the furnace, hammers, and
wire-drawing machines to produce the wire from the raw material. We have
the forest then to go to for gutta-percha, for land poles, and for tar
to preserve the cables. We have the farmer for our hemp. We have the
chemist, we have the electrician, we have the steamer, and a great
number of other requisites before the silent but unerring voice of the
needle brings the thoughts of one man in America to another in this town
in an instant of time. Accidents and mistakes will occur in the
best-regulated works of all kinds, but I hope not often. One as to the
telegraph I must tell that happened during the Indian Mutiny. The
message meant to say that "The general won't act, and the troops have no
head." The transformation was curious, namely, "The general won't eat,
and the troops have cut off his head." If men would only consider well
this grand achievement, they would be led indeed to say and feel, with
all humility and thankfulness, that God has truly given him dominion
over the works of His hands, and has put all things in subjection under
his feet.
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