Chapter III (3)

This perception is termed by sir Charles Bell the "muscular sense." He thus illustrates his idea: "When a blind man, or a man with his eyes shut, stands upright, neither leaning upon nor touching aught, by what means is it that he maintains the erect position? The symmetry of his body is not the cause. The statue of the finest proportions must be soldered to its pedestal, or the wind will cast it down. How is it, then, that a man sustains the perpendicular posture, or inclines in a due degree towards the winds that blow upon him? It is obvious, that he has a sense by which he knows the inclination of his body, and that he has a ready aptitude to adjust it, and to correct any deviation from the perpendicular. What sense, then, is this? for he touches nothing, and sees nothing; there is no organ of sense hitherto observed which can serve him, or in any degree aid him. Is it not that sense, which is exhibited so early in the infant in the fear of falling? Is it not the full development of that property which was early shown in the struggle of the infant, while it lay in the nurse's arms? It can only be by the adjustment of muscles that the limbs are stiffened, the body firmly balanced and kept erect. There is no other source of knowledge but a sense of the degree of exertion in his muscular frame, by which a man can know the position of his body and limbs, while he has no point of vision to direct his efforts, or the contact of any external body. In truth, we stand by so fine an exercise of this power, and the muscles are, from habit, directed with so much precision and with an effort so slight, that we do not know how we stand. But if we attempt to walk on a narrow ledge, or stand in a situation where we are in danger of falling, or rest on one foot, we become then subject to apprehension; the actions of the muscles are, as it were, magnified, and demonstrative of the degree in which they are excited.

"We are sensible of the position of our limbs; we know that the arms hang by the sides, or that they are raised and held out, although we touch nothing and see nothing. It must be a property internal to the frame by which we thus know the position of the members of our body; and what can it be but a consciousness of the degree of action, and of the adjustment of the muscles? At one time, I entertained a doubt whether this proceeded from a knowledge of the condition of the muscles, or from a consciousness of the degree of effort which was directed to them in volition. It was with a view to elucidate this that I made the observations which terminated in the discovery that every muscle had two nerves; one for sensation, and one to convey the mandate of the will, and direct its action. I had reasoned in this manner: we awake with a knowledge of the position of our limbs; this cannot be from a recollection of the action which placed them where they are; it must, therefore, be a consciousness of their present condition. When a person in these circumstances moves, he has a determined object, and he must be conscious of a previous condition before he can desire a change, or direct a movement."

In walking, riding, swimming, and other bodily exercises; in writing, playing on the piano, or any other instrument of music, the muscular sense is called into activity, and co-operates with the senses of sight, touch, etc. Muscular exertion is in itself pleasurable, when not pushed too far; and, indeed, the healthy condition, both of the body and mind, results from muscular exertion, and the alternations of activity and repose. The appointment of man, after the fall, to a life of labour, was a judgment tempered by mercy. Man is not destined to lead a life of sloth or supineness, but, urged on by his natural wants, he cultivates the ground, he tames the wild beast of the forest or mountain, he builds houses, he constructs ships, he clothes himself with fabrics, he surrounds himself with the comforts, the decencies, the luxuries of life, and in every work which his hands find to do his muscular sense is in requisition; it is this sense which appreciates resistance, which enables us to balance our bodies, to move with gracefulness, to run, to walk, to leap, to throw the shuttle with precision, or wield the hammer with skill. It is improved by education; the child learns first to walk, and then to run and leap, and in due time to know its own strength, and also the best mode of employing that strength, without reflecting upon the laws of mechanics, or any philosophic theories. It is evident, then, that we have "a perception of the condition of the muscles previous to the exercise of the will," and that with respect to the hand, "it is not more the freedom of its action which constitutes its perfection, than the knowledge which we have of these motions, and our consequent ability to direct it with the utmost precision."

That the lower animals are endowed with this muscular sense cannot be doubted. It enables the tiger to spring with accuracy upon his prey, the cat upon the mouse, the greyhound in pursuit of the hare when to make the fatal snap, and the horse to leap the fence, which his eye tells him is within his power; it teaches the loris to creep upon its victim, as slowly but as surely as the hand on the clock-face traverses the dial-plate, and attains the given number; it is immediately connected with instinct, and man, when he steps aside to avoid a threatened stroke, or raises his arm to parry a blow, puts the muscular sense into exercise.

The muscular sense is, to use a homely expression, an every-day working sense; touch and sight are its prime supporters, and to these in turn it lends its aid. Nevertheless, to a certain degree it is independent of them; the infant seeks the breast as it were by an instinctive impulse, or applies the coral to its mouth; and in the dark as well as in the light, we transmit our food directly and precisely to the organs of mastication and deglutition, without thinking upon the manner in which the varied actions are performed, or even transiently noting them. We _will_ to perform an act within our power of achievement, and by the complicated action of muscles, nerves, vessels, and bones, we accomplish our object, at the same time, perchance, we know not the origin and insertion of a single muscle, the direction of a single nerve, the course of a single artery.

The muscular sense is, in fact, in perpetual exercise; it is intimately connected with self-consciousness, for we feel that we corporeally exist, that other bodies exist around us, that they resist us, that they lead us to calculate our own powers, nor will all the arguments of the school of Berkeley convince us that we exist only in idea. When Dr. Johnson stamped upon the ground to disprove Berkeley's idea, he was right.

So much for the senses with which we are endowed, and the information which the mind receives through their respective channels. They teach us all that we know concerning the qualities of matter, and they subserve many of our enjoyments--they are essential to our comfort, our activity, our usefulness; but we gain through their medium no abstract truths, no determinate principles. These are elaborated in the mind itself by its own self-analysis; but, then, they do not teach us our own position as it respects time and eternity. The wisest of the heathens of Greece or Rome lived in doubt, entangled in the mazes of a vain system of philosophy; and though they might believe in a god, or in gods, deducing their arguments as to the existence of an all-powerful Being from the works of nature, and from that internal conviction which seems common to the human race--they knew nothing of His attributes, of his laws, of his requirements, of man's fallen nature, of the intrinsic sinfulness of the heart, of the means of grace, of a hope of glory. They could write noble poems, deep philosophic treatises, histories of empires, narratives of events, details of characters, descriptions of works of art; they could carve statues of matchless perfection, and build temples of surpassing splendour. They displayed an intellectual pre-eminence, which still sheds a lustre over the civilized world. Who by searching can find out God? Unless God graciously reveals himself to us, a true knowledge of him in our fallen state is impossible; the capabilities of our minds are, after all, but limited; and though, through reflection on the evidences of our senses, we may come to the conclusion that there is an omnipotent Power, we remain in ignorance as to what that Power is, and as to our relationship thereunto. Hence, then, the necessity of information beyond what the mind can gain through the senses, or by its own reflex operations; we are conscious of our position as respects the lower animals, and we have natural longings after and hopes of immortality; the soul whispers to itself, _Non omnis moriar_, I shall not all die; but here, were it not for revelation--a revelation from God, we should be left in darkness.

God gave a revelation of his will to Adam; our first parents transgressed, but then in mercy a promise was given, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. God gave a further revelation of his will to Moses, with promises and commands, and elected from among the nations a peculiar people, of whom from the line of Jesse after the flesh should arise the Messiah; in Him are all the promises and prophecies centred, and through him the great revelation of God's purposes of mercy to a fallen world was ordained to be published. The Messiah came; He of whom Isaiah prophesied; the despised and rejected of men--God manifest in the flesh. The prophet's words were verified, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."[23]

[23] Isa. liii. 5.

This is the Christian revelation, which, while it shows us our lost and sinful nature, our utter unworthiness, and the insufficiency of good works for salvation--whilst it humbles our pride, and self-sufficiency, and teaches that our place before God is in the dust, yet it speaks of joy and peace, for it points out what is all-important, the mode of redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, our adoption as heirs of the kingdom of heaven. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."[24] God reveals himself in his works as a God of wisdom and power; but here he discovers himself as a God of truth, justice, and mercy. He reveals himself as the triune Jehovah, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, one God for evermore; and he gives us a revelation of the plan of salvation. And what is this plan? it is one by which justice and mercy are reconciled. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" of sins. The Son of God, according to the Divine promise, took upon himself our human nature, dwelt upon earth, sinless, and offered himself up as a sacrifice for sin on Calvary. He "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."[25]

[24] 1 John iv. 9.

[25] Philippians ii. 6-11.

Of the sacrifice of Christ, the crowning sacrifice, those of the Mosaic ritual were types or emblems. By his sacrifice the claims of the law were satisfied. What is required of us? Belief in the atonement. "Jesus said unto Martha, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."[26] A true, living, justifying faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and renews the heart of the genuine believer. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be;" but when the mind is enlightened by grace Divine, the awfulness of sin is perceived and deeply felt, true repentance is awakened, love and gratitude to God for every mercy are excited, and the soul is warmed with adoration. Then does the converted man become prayerful and watchful; then is he zealous in God's cause, and anxious for the conversion of those that live in the darkness of ignorance, and travel along the broad road that leadeth to destruction. Then will he be patient and trustful under trials and affliction, and justify God's dealings with man.

[26] John xi. 25, 26.

Such are the truths revealed by God himself, which through nothing but direct revelation could have enlightened, cheered, animated, and guided the human affections and will. Man, as an immortal being, has not been left to himself. True it is, that there are many nations still in darkness, and some in the most degraded ignorance. To ask why this is so, is to ask the reasons which determine God in his purposes; we see as in a glass darkly, and the deep things of God are hidden from our eyes; but we are assured that the time will come when all nations shall know the Lord, and Christ shall reign in fulness of glory. Let us be thankful if our trust is in Christ, if he is in us the hope of glory, for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

We have sufficiently shown the necessity of a revelation to man relative to things essential to his eternal interest, but of which he could gain no knowledge by his own mental exertions. We know by internal conviction that we are immortal beings; but unguided by revelation, we shall look forward to the future with anxiety, with a sort of vague apprehension, but revelation dispels anxiety, and fills us with all "joy and peace in believing."

Dr. Abercrombie, in his work on the Intellectual Powers, says: "There is thus, in the consciousness of every man, a deep impression of continued existence. The casuist may reason against it till he bewilder himself in his own sophistries; but a voice within gives the lie to his vain speculations, and pleads with authority for a life which is to come. The sincere and humble inquirer cherishes the impression while he seeks for further light on a subject so momentous; and he thus receives with absolute conviction the truth which beams upon him from the revelation of God, that the mysterious part of his being, which thinks, and wills, and reasons, shall, indeed, survive the wreck of its mortal tenement, and is destined for immortality."

How mysterious is the union between mind and matter! how little we know of ourselves! how shallow is our deepest philosophy! We know that the mind is that part of our being which thinks and wills, reasons and remembers, but we know nothing of it except from these functions. "By means of the corporeal senses it holds intercourse with the things of the external world, and receives impressions from them, but of this connexion also we know nothing but the facts; when we attempt to speculate upon its nature and cause, we wander at once from the path of philosophical inquiry into conjectures, which are as far beyond the proper sphere as they are beyond the reach of human faculties. The object of true science on such a subject, therefore, is simply to investigate the facts or relations of phenomena, respecting the operations of mind itself, and the intercourse which it carries on with the external world."

In a philosophic point of view, all our knowledge of the world around us is referable to the operations of the mind on the impressions conveyed to it through the senses, that is, perception. Nevertheless, in point of fact, the knowledge which is acquired by an individual through perception and mental agency, as reflection, memory, etc., is but a small part of what he possesses; it is to the perception and mental labour of others that he owes the great mass of knowledge he is gifted with. Generation after generation has contributed to accumulate a store of facts, a treasury of thoughts and reflections, to which succeeding generations have added, leaving them as a legacy to generations yet to come, who will contribute in their turn to the stock, and bequeath the treasure to their successors. Thus are we enriched by the labour of others, and not altogether by our own experience.

Herein is a wide hiatus between man and the most sagacious of brutes. The brute gains all from personal experience; no generation can build upon the foundation left by a preceding generation--but man can; and it is no objection to allege, that some races remain in a savage state for ages; they possess the power, the capability, the mental constitution, which the brute does not. Besides, they do improve under favourable circumstances. What were the Anglo-Saxon marauders, our own ancestors? Savages. Is England now a savage country? What were the Celtic British in Cæsar's time? Savages. Were they savages when the Romans had held possession of the island for three hundred years? No; they had adopted the arts, the manners, the civilization of their conquerors. How this very fact of the capability of man to give and receive knowledge demonstrates his superiority in creation! It is true that the human intellect is limited, and that there are mysteries into which he cannot penetrate; nor is it needful for his welfare, his improvement, his happiness, his hopes of a joyful immortality, that he should be able to do so. Let him rely on the oracles of God. Mysteries, indeed, surround him. How fluently does he talk about matter, yet he knows nothing about it, excepting what he gains through his senses; and this knowledge is limited to certain qualities, which may be termed primary and secondary. The primary qualities of material bodies are in themselves essentials, namely, solidity and extension. We cannot conceive of matter, without an involvement of these two properties. The secondary qualities of matter are colour, texture, temperature, smell, taste, etc., properties which differ in different bodies, and which are fluctuating, changeable, uncertain. Of these, and other properties of matter, as motion, sound, lightness, or heaviness, etc., our senses are the external tests, though mind is, in reality, the discriminator.

"Our first knowledge of the existence and properties of the material world is evidently of a complex nature. It seems to arise from the combined action of several senses, conveying to us the general notion of certain essences, which are solid and extended, or possessed of those properties which characterize material things. Without this general knowledge previously acquired, our various senses, acting individually, could convey to us no definite notion of the properties of external things. A smell, that is a mere odour, for example, might be perceived by us, but would convey nothing more than the sensation simply. It could not communicate the impression of this being a property of an external body, until we had previously acquired a knowledge of the existence of that body, and had come by observation to associate the sensation with the body from which it proceeds. The same holds true of the other senses, and we are thus led at the very first step of our inquiries to a complicated process of mind, without which our mere sensations could convey to us no definite knowledge."[27]

[27] Abercrombie.

Here, then, we conclude. Let us give thanks and praise to that God who has made us what we are--instruments of countless strings, all in harmony, the music of which reaches the soul, and in the secret recesses of the mind is there analyzed, reflected upon, compared, and stored up as knowledge. We feel, we see, we hear, we smell, we taste, we resist; we are assured of our own individuality; we are conscious of our own existence, and we know that all around is external to our own individuality. That sense of individuality is in the mind, and we have within us the assurance of immortality. Let us look to Him, who is the Saviour from an immortality of despair, that at the day of judgment we may be found clothed in his robe of righteousness, the garment of salvation.