In paragraph seventeen of Divinity School Address, Emerson touches on a topic we have constantly covered throughout this class and throughout our lives. The idea of self-dependence and the benefits that come with it. In the beginning this paragraph, Emerson praises God for allowing him to be intelligent and strong willed in his life. He then introduces his main point of the passage which is, we cannot expect God to come to us and save us, but rather we need to go to him ourselves in order to grow and find happiness in our life. This made apparent through his strong attitude towards the end of the paragraph when he writes “It is a low benefit to give me something; it is a high benefit to enable me to do somewhat of myself.” Emerson also raises the point that finding God in our lives is not made possible through some sort of overwhelming miracle, but rather through simple means such as beautiful sentiments and natural goodness shared with one another.
Emerson portrays his message in a very interesting way. Rather than stating his beliefs in a manner that makes it clear these are his beliefs, he states them as if these are absolute truths. In doing this, he uses a superior tone in stating his message. He uses this tone while seemingly scoffing at the idea of conversion when he says, “To aim to convert a man by miracles, is a profanation of the soul. A true conversion, a true Christ, is now, as always, to be made, by the reception of beautiful sentiments.” He actually attacks the idea of miracles being reason for conversion, stating they taint the soul rather than purify it. This aggressive tone is shocking considering his audience is of those devoting their life to God and his miraculous works. Emerson ends this paragraph by once again returning to his authoritative, know it all, tone when he states “The time is coming when all men will see, that the gift of God to the soul is not a vaunting, overpowering, excluding sanctity, but a sweet, natural goodness, a goodness like thine and mine, and that so invites thine and mine to be and to grow.” Emerson’s message here is made to be powerful and straightforward due to the style he uses here.
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