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erceive the same or any cognate facts; they agree  upon a word as symbol; and hence we have such words as TREE;  STAR; LOVE; HONOUR; or DEATH; hence also we have this word  RIGHT; which; like the others; we all understand; most of us  understand differently; and none can express succinctly  otherwise。  Yet even on the straitest view; we can make some  steps towards comprehension of our own superior thoughts。   For it is an incredible and most bewildering fact that a man;  through life; is on variable terms with himself; he is aware  of tiffs and reconciliations; the intimacy is at times almost  suspended; at times it is renewed again with joy。  As we said  before; his inner self or soul appears to him by successive  revelations; and is frequently obscured。  It is from a study  of these alternations that we can alone hope to discover;  even dimly; what seems right and what seems wrong to this  veiled prophet of ourself。

All that is in the man in the larger sense; what we call  impression as well as what we call intuition; so far as my  argument looks; we must accept。  It is not wrong to desire  food; or exercise; or beautiful surroundings; or the love of  sex; or interest which is the food of the mind。  All these  are craved; all these should be craved; to none of these in  itself does the soul demur; where there comes an undeniable  want; we recognise a demand of nature。  Yet we know that  these natural demands may be superseded; for the demands  which are common to mankind make but a shadowy consideration  in comparison to the demands of the individual soul。  Food is  almost the first prerequisite; and yet a high character will  go without food to the ruin and death of the body rather than  gain it in a manner which the spirit disavows。  Pascal laid  aside mathematics; Origen doctored his body with a knife;  every day some one is thus mortifying his dearest interests  and desires; and; in Christ's words; entering maim into the  Kingdom of Heaven。  This is to supersede the lesser and less  harmonious affections by renunciation; and though by this  ascetic path we may get to heaven; we cannot get thither a  whole and perfect man。  But there is another way; to  supersede them by reconciliation; in which the soul and all  the faculties and senses pursue a common route and share in  one desire。  Thus; man is tormented by a very imperious  physical desire; it spoils his rest; it is not to be denied;  the doctors will tell you; not I; how it is a physical need;  like the want of food or slumber。  In the satisfaction of  this desire; as it first appears; the soul sparingly takes  part; nay; it oft unsparingly regrets and disapproves the  satisfaction。  But let the man learn to love a woman as far  as he is capable of love; and for this random affection of  the body there is substituted a steady determination; a  consent of all his powers and faculties; which supersedes;  adopts; and commands the other。  The desire survives;  strengthened; perhaps; but taught obedience and changed in  scope and character。  Life is no longer a tale of betrayals  and regrets; for the man now lives as a whole; his  consciousness now moves on uninterrupted like a river;  through all the extremes and ups and downs of passion; he  remains approvingly conscious of himself。

Now to me; this seems a type of that rightness which the soul  demands。  It demands that we shall not live alternately with  our opposing tendencies in continual see…saw of passion and  disgust; but seek some path on which the tendencies shall no  longer oppose; but serve each other to a common end。  It  demands that we shall not pursue broken ends; but great and  comprehensive purposes; in which soul and body may unite like  notes in a harmonious chord。  That were indeed a way of peace  and pleasure; that were indeed a heaven upon earth。  It does  not demand; however; or; to speak in measure; it does not  demand of me; that I should starve my appetites for no  purpose under heaven but as a purpose in itself; or; in a  weak despair; pluck out the eye that I have not yet learned  to guide and enjoy with wisdom。  The soul demands unity of  purpose; not the dismemberment of man; it seeks to roll up  all his strength and sweetness; all his passion and wisdom;  into one; and make of him a perfect man exulting in  perfection。  To conclude ascetically is to give up; and not  to solve; the problem。  The ascetic and the creeping hog;  although they are at different poles; have equally failed in  life。  The one has sacrificed his crew; the other brings back  his seamen in a cock…boat; and has lost the ship。  I believe  there are not many sea…captains who would plume themselves on  either result as a success。

But if it is righteousness thus to fuse together our divisive  impulses and march with one mind through life; there is  plainly one thing more unrighteous than all others; and one  declension which is irretrievable and draws on the rest。  And  this is to lose consciousness of oneself。  In the best of  times; it is but by flashes; when our whole nature is clear;  strong and conscious; and events conspire to leave us free;  that we enjoy communion with our soul。  At the worst; we are  so fallen and passive that we may say shortly we have none。   An arctic torpor seizes upon men。  Although built of nerves;  and set adrift in a stimulating world; they develop a  tendency to go bodily to sleep; consciousness becomes  engrossed among the reflex and mechanical parts of life; and  soon loses both the will and power to look higher  considerations in the face。  This is ruin; this is the last  failure in life; this is temporal damnation; damnation on the  spot and without the form of judgment。  'What shall it profit  a man if he gain the whole world and LOSE HIMSELF?'

It is to keep a man awake; to keep him alive to his own soul  and its fixed design of righteousness; that the better part  of moral and religious education is directed; not only that  of words and doctors; but the sharp ferule of calamity under  which we are all God's scholars till we die。  If; as  teachers; we are to say anything to the purpose; we must say  what will remind the pupil of his soul; we must speak that  soul's dialect; we must talk of life and conduct as his soul  would have him think of them。  If; from some conformity  between us and the pupil; or perhaps among all men; we do in  truth speak in such a dialect and express such views; beyond  question we shall touch in him a spring; beyond question he  will recognise the dialect as one that he himself has spoken  in his better hours; beyond question he will cry; 'I had  forgotten; but now I remember; I too have eyes; and I had  forgot to use them!  I too have a soul of my own; arrogantly  upright; and to that I will listen and conform。'  In short;  say to him anything that he has once thought; or been upon  the point of thinking; or show him any view of life that he  has once clearly seen; or been upon the point of clearly  seeing; and you have done your part and may leave him to  complete the education for himself。

Now; the view taught at the present time seems to me to want  greatness; and the dialect in which alone it can be  intelligibly uttered is not the dialect of my soul。  It is a  sort of postponement of life; nothing quite is; but something  different is to be; we are to keep our eyes upon the indirect  from the cradle to the grave。  We are to regulate our conduct  not by desire; but by a politic eye upon the future; and to  value acts as they will bring us money or good opinion; as  they will bring us; in one word; PROFIT。  We must be what is  called respectable; and offend no one by our carriage; it  will not do to make oneself conspicuous … who knows? even in  virtue? says the Christian parent!  And we must be what is  called prudent and make money; not only because it is  pleasant to have money; but because that also is a part of  respectability; and we cannot hope to be received in society  without decent possessions。  Received in society! as if that  were the kingdom of heaven!  There is dear Mr。 So…and…so; …  look at him! … so much respected … so much looked up to …  quite the Christian merchant!  And we must cut our conduct as  strictly as possible after the pattern of Mr。 So…and…so; and  lay our whole lives to make money and be strictly decent。   Besides these holy injunctions; which form by far the greater  part of a youth's training in our Christian homes; there are  at least two other doctrines。  We are to live just now as  well as we can; but scrape at last into heaven; where we  shall be good。  We are to worry through the week in a lay;  disreputable way; but; to make matters square; live a  different life on Sunday。

The train of thought we have been following gives us a key to  all these positions; without stepping aside to justify them  on their own ground。  It is because we have been disgusted  fifty times with physical squalls; and fifty times torn  between conflicting impulses; that we teach people this  indirect and tactical procedure in life; and to judge by  remote consequences instead of the immediate face of things。   The very desire to act as our own souls would have us;  coupled with a pathetic disbelief in ourselves; moves us to  follow

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