by Mons. John S. Vaughan
And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth;
and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
Who am I? What is my history? To whom do I belong? Such are the questions that every one should put to himself from time to time. What is man? He is an animal. Undoubtedly. He is as truly an animal as the beasts that range through the forests, or as the birds whose voices fill the summer air with song. Like them, he is compacted of bones, and muscles, and nerves, and sinews, and flesh and blood. Like them he is dependent upon the five great senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Like the lowest and most loathsome brute on earth, he draws the air into his lungs through his nostrils, and stands as much in need as they of food and drink, and of warmth, and fresh air, and rest and sleep.
In spite of paints and powders, of ointments, and cosmetics of all kinds; in spite of the poudres d’amour, and eaux de toilette, and every other mixture and concoction by which man’s inventive faculty panders to vanity, his poor old body is as subject as theirs to the wasting and destroying influences of Time. Yes: like the body of the horse or the mule, the most refined, delicate, and graceful human organism of the daintiest and the fairest maiden must, at last, grow old, decay, and fall to pieces, and be flung again, back to the earth from whence it was originally drawn.
In short, the more we consider the point, the more clearly shines forth the truth that man is indeed an animal. But is he nothing more? Ah! That is a far more interesting question. Let us dwell upon this point for a few moments.
When duly considered, we find Man to be an exceedingly remarkable being. He is a little universe in himself, and possesses something in common with all that is. He has existence, and form, and extension, and a local habitation and a name in common with earth, air, and sea; he has the faculty of growth and development in common with every living beast; and lastly, he has intelligence, reason, a free will, and a spiritual existence, in common with the very angels of God.
This is where we touch upon man’s true dignity and worth. Half corporal, half spiritual, he forms the connecting link between the two great creations: the visible and the invisible. If his feet rest upon the dirt, if his body is chained to matter, his mind soars up into the more ethereal regions of thought and contemplation, and communes with all that exists — with angel and saint, yes, even with the Infinite God Himself. Man is above and superior to his present surroundings, and he is conscious of it. Yes, just as a captive lion paws the earth within the bars of its cage, sensitive of, and galled by the restraints of its captivity, so man chafes while bound within the prison of the flesh. Why does the noble beast of the forest fret and grieve and refuse to be comforted as it paces up and down behind those iron bars? Why? Because it was fashioned not for confinement but for liberty. Because its leonine nature — that nature which you cannot change — was made to roam at large through the wide expanse of the desert and the forest; to wander at will beneath the free and open star-lit heavens — his own master. Now it is a slave. A fit image, indeed, is this of the soul of man.
The soul is made so much greater than its present and immediate surroundings; so long as it dwells in this world it feels ever cramped, coffined and confined. It longs to shake itself free from the trammels of earth, from the bondage of the flesh, which the Holy Spirit affirms is a weight upon the soul. Why? Because the soul of man is not so much a creature of earth as of Heaven; is not a terrestrial so much as a celestial thing.
When God made man, He took clay and formed his body indeed of the slime of the earth; but when He formed his soul, He took neither earth, nor air, nor water, nor any other material, but formed it directly Himself, with His own breath. Listen to the inspired writer: And the Lord God formed man (i.e. his body) of the slime of the earth; and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2:7)
Man is above and superior to his present surroundings, …and he is conscious of it.
The soul is as different from the body
it occupies, as the man is different from the house he lives in.
The soul is as different from the body it occupies as the man is different from the house he lives in. The body is but the earthly vesture, the house of clay, destined to crumble and fall to pieces, but the soul is not compounded of matter, but is simple, spiritual, and immortal. When the body crumbles into dust, the soul lives on. Its very powers and capacities sufficiently indicate its eternal end and destiny. Its aspirations extend above the things of earth, its longings and desires outstrip the limits of all time. It stretches forth into the eternal future, and refuses to be satisfied either with the present or with the finite. Gaze down deep into the center of the human heart. What mighty passions fill and sway it. How it throbs with unsatisfied desires. What is the explanation? Why will it not rest? Why so troubles, so agitated, so ill-contented?
Ah! It chafes and struggles as the lion in its cage, because it is made for something better, and grander, and sublime, implanted within every human heart an insatiable longing for two things: for Truth and for Happiness, answering to its twofold faculties of intellect and will. What is this? It is nothing else than the hunger of the soul for God, the supreme Truth and the source of all happiness. All men feel this hunger, all are conscious of it, but what many have yet to learn is that God alone can satiate it, gratify it, and fully and completely content it. Hence, men in their folly seek to allay this hunger, and to fill themselves with temporal things. They seek happiness in riches, possessions money, and spend their lives in pursuit of empty shadows, but only to find such things unsatisfying and delusive; or they think to find it in honor, renown, fame, high station, and in dignities and decorations; but instead of happiness they find disappointment, delusion, bitterness, envy, hatred, distrust, jealousy, and heart-burnings.
Others again, spurred on by the same irrepressible impulse, plunge into a very vortex of pleasure and dissipation. Every sensual delight, every animal instinct, they gratify, and look for happiness in drunkenness, and gluttony, and impurity, and the indulgence of the lusts of this flesh. But instead of peace they find torment; instead of happiness, despair, disgust, horror, and utter wretchedness — driving them oftentimes to suicide. Why? Why does man fret and fume and pine?
Look at the cow in the meadows, peacefully chewing their cud; what a picture of sweet content do they offer us! Or contemplate the industrious bee covered with pollen, and bustling about like a dusty miller from flower to flower, and filling the summer air with a drowsy hum of such sweet content; why! every bird and beast and insect evinces satisfaction with its lot. Yes, every living being, save only man. Why should he, the monarch of the earth, the lord of the visible creation, be the sole exception? Why should man alone carry in his breast a heart of stone? Why should he alone wear a look of sadness? Why should human eyes be the only eyes to weep; and human hearts the only hearts to bleed? Why? The reason is plain; evident; unmistakable; and lies on the surface. The brute beast was made for earth, and for earth alone. Give it what it is made for, give it earth; and you give it rest.
Man was not made for earth; give him earth, yea, give him a thousand earths, and you give him nothing. No! with that he will never be content. God has made all things in number, weight, and measure. He has proportioned every creature to the end He has destined for it. Since He is infinitely wise, it necessarily follows that if He makes certain creatures for a mere temporal purpose, as He has undoubtedly made the beasts that perish, then temporal things will satisfy them. But if He makes other creatures for eternal things, then the temporal may indeed distract, divert, amuse, and interest them for a while, but can never fully satisfy. God has created man for Himself. Of all destinies, man’s is the highest and most sublime that it is possible for us to conceive. He is made to possess and to enjoy the Infinite and Eternal God in Heaven forever and ever. If this is his end, then it is absolutely necessary that he should be endowed with a capacity and a faculty equal to the purpose.
Man was not made for earth; give him earth… give him a thousand earths, and you will give him nothing. … With that he will never be content.
Now it is a self-evident proposition that a mind destined to possess and enjoy God, and with a capacity to do so, can never be satisfied with less than God. What are creatures as compared with Him? What is the whole universe, visible and invisible, in comparison? Nothing! Nay, we cannot institute a comparison. Between God and the noblest of His creatures no comparison is so much as possible; no comparison is so much as even conceivable. If the soul of man has been fashioned with a view to its enjoying God, how can that which is not merely less, but infinitely less than God, make it happy? He must be simple indeed, who fancies that a soul, made for Heaven, is going to accept earth as a substitute. It is too absurd! No! That which is made for the eternal will never be put off with the temporal; that which is made to possess and enjoy the Creator will never find rest in the creature. No! Do what you will, go where you will, seek what you will, your heart will never, and can never, find its true happiness outside God. “Man,” exclaims the great Saint Augustine, “was made for God, and he can never rest till he rests in God alone.” Who, then, am I?
Let each one once again put the query to himself. Who am I? Oh! I am not merely a creature of God, as every finite being in existence must be. I am more than that; far more. I am a child of God; an heir to an eternal throne; a being fashioned to the image and likeness of the Infinite and Uncreated Beauty. A brother of Jesus Christ; a soul redeemed by His Blood, and sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. The Eternal Father is my Father also! Oh! what untold joys, what transcendent delight, what pleasures and privileges await me in my celestial Home above. What! Is not every human being somewhat of an angel in disguise?
Look at the migrant picker, bent under the burning sun; look at the rough, miner, toiling in the very bowels of the earth. Is there anything God-like, heavenly, or divine about such as these? Externally, perhaps not; but unless they have defiled themselves by actual sin, and stained their baptismal robes, they are, in God’s eyes, surpassing fair; and who cares about others’ eyes? All the beauty of the King’s daughter is within. Indeed, supernatural beauty always lies hidden; but sometimes it lies hidden beneath a very humble, even a squalid and repulsive, exterior; yes, like your precious pearl in your oyster! Awake! Arouse yourselves to a sense of your own dignity and personal worth. If you are destined for Heaven, then do not degrade yourselves by living as though you were made for earth alone.
If you are of royal blood, children of a King, yea, of the very King of kings, of the real and everlasting King, then conduct yourselves as such. Live up to your high calling; realize what is owing to your position. Scorn to do an ignoble deed! Tread underfoot every shameful passion. Hate the false. Love the true. Detest lust, and deceit and double dealing, and gird your soul with purity and honesty. Not in a spirit of pride; not in haughtiness and conceit; but in all humility wend your way along the tortuous paths of life in love and faith, and hope and simplicity of heart, and then you will really find at last, peace, contentment, and true joy for, since we are made for God, “we shall be satisfied, and more than satisfied, when His glory shall appear.”
Seek what you will, your heart will never, and can never,
find its true happiness outside God.