MAN IS THE HIGHEST, THE MOST ABSOLUTE, AND THE , • , C
MOST EXCELLENT OF THINGS CREATED ^ "^
I. When Pittacus^^ of old gave to the world his saying "Know thyself," the sentiment was received by the wise with so much approval, that, in order to impress it on the people, they declared that it had fallen from heaven, and caused it to be written in golden letters on the temple of the Delphic Apollo, where great assemblies of men used to collect. Their action was prudent and wise ; but their statement was false. It was, however, in the interests of truth, and is of great importance to us.
2. For what is the voice from heaven that resounds in the Scriptures but "Know thyself, O man, and know Me." Me the source of eternity, of wisdom and of grace ; thyself, My creation. My likeness. My delight.
3. For I have destined thee to be the companion of My eternity ; for thy use I designed the heaven, the earth and all that in them is ; to thee alone I gave all those things in conjunction, which to the rest of creation I gave but singly, namely. Existence, Vitality, Sense, and Reason. I have made thee to have dominion over the works of My hands. I have placed all things under thy feet, sheep and oxen and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, and I have crowned thee with glory and with honour (Psalm viii.) To thee, finally, lest anything should be lacking, I have given Myself in personal
1 78 THE GREA T DIDA CTIC
communion, joining My nature to thine for eternity, and in this distinguishing thee from all created things, visible and invisible. For what creature in heaven or in earth can boast that God was manifest in his flesh and was seen of angels (i Tim. iii. 16), not, forsooth, that they might only see and marvel at Him whom they desired to see (i Peter i. 12), but that they might adore God made manifest in the flesh, the son of God and of man (Hebrews i. 6; John i. 51 ; Matthew iv. 11). Know therefore that thou art the corner-stone and epitome of my works, the representative of God among them, the crown of My glory. 4. Would that this were inscribed, not on the doors of temples, not on the title-pages of books, not on the tongues, ears, and eyes of all men, but on their hearts ! Would that this could be done to all who undertake the task of educating men, that they might learn to appreciate the dignity of the task and of their own excellence, and might bring all means to bear on the perfect realisation of their divinity !
THE ULTIMATE END OF MAN IS BEYOND THIS LIFE
I. Reason itself dictates that such a perfect creature is destined to a higher end than all other creatures, that of being united with God, the culmination of all perfection, glory, and happiness, and of enjoying with Him absolute glory and happiness for ever.
2. Now although this is clear from Scripture, and we stedfastly believe that it is the truth, it will be no loss of time if we lightly touch on the various ways in which God has indicated that our destination lies beyond this life.
3. First, in the creation itself ; for He did not simply command man to exist, as He did the rest of His creatures ; but, after solemn consideration, He formed a body for him with His own fingers and breathed the soul into it from Himself.
4. Our nature shows that this life is not sufficient for us. For here we live a threefold life, the vegetative, the animal, and the intellectual or spiritual. Of these the action of the first is confined to the body, the second can extend itself to objects by the operation of the senses and of movement, while the third is able to exist separately, as is evident in the case of angels. So that, as it is evident that this, the last stage of life, is greatly overshadowed and hindered in us by the two former, it follows of necessity that there will be a future state in which it may be brought to perfection.
I So THE GREAT DIDACTIC
5. All our actions and affections in this life show that we do not attain our ultimate end here, but that everything connected with us, as well as we ourselves, has another destination. For whatever we are, do, think, speak, contrive, acquire, or possess, contains a principle of gradation, and, though we mount perpetually and attain higher grades, we still continue to advance and never reach the highest.
For in the beginning a man is nothing, and has been non-existent from eternity. It is from his mother's womb that he takes his origin. What then is a man in the beginning ? Nothing but an unformed mass endowed with vitality. This soon assumes the outlines of a human body, but has, as yet, neither sense nor movement.
Later on it begins to move and by a natural process bursts forth into the world. Gradually the eyes, ears, and other organs of sense appear. In course of time the internal senses develope and the child perceives that he sees, hears, and feels. Then the intellect comes into existence by cognising the differences between objects ; while, finally, the will assumes the office of a guiding principle by displaying desire for certain objects and aversion for others.
6. But in all these individual points of progress we find nothing but succession. For the intelligence that underlies matter makes itself seen by degrees, like a ray of dawn shining through the darkness of night, and, as long as life remains, there is a continual access of light, unless a man become utterly brutish. Thus our actions are at first weak, unformed and confused ; then the virtues of the mind unfold themselves proportionately to the forces of the body, so that as long as we live (unless the greatest lethargy take possession of us and bury us alive) we are continually exercising our faculties.
In a worthy mind all these functions tend to a higher development, nor can we find any end of the things that we desire or wish to accomplish.
7. In whatever direction a man turns he may perceive
MAN'S END IS BEYOND THIS LIFE i8i
this experimentally. If any have an excessive desire for riches he will not find anything that can satisfy his greed, though he possess the whole world ; as was evident in the case of Alexander. If any burn with desire for honour he will not be able to rest though the whole world adore him.