conscience becomes insensibly educated to a high standard. The lessons of the Bible as expounded in religious assemblies, in schools and in families; the ethical teachings of our laws and literature; of our daily intercourse with others and our own experience, leave little to be sought in the way of instruction, except amongst the very poor and destitute classes. Still, some men are gifted with a keener sense of right and wrong than others.

The second function, moral approbation or inclination, is not so generally depraved as some imagine. Most men approve right rather than wrong; would rather do right than wrong, if other motives did not intervene. A A pure love of evil is not an innate sentiment of the human heart. Men do evil not for the love of evil, but because seduced by appetites and passions. Wealth, power, sensual pleasure often present strong temptation to adopt devious ways for their attainment.

And here comes in the proper office of the will, the third function of the moral faculty. It is not so much for lack of knowledge of what is right, nor of appreciation of the right, that men do wrong; but the great source of evil-doing lies in the will. The will is not strong enough to resist temptation; to wrestle with the appetites and passions. Here is the weak point of human nature-the strength of the passions and the feebleness of the will to resist them. With the strongest desire to do right, with even a love of the right, the will often weakens before temptation, like wax before fire, and straightway wrong is committed, followed by sorrow and remorse of conscience.

The great problem, therefore, for every one to solve

is, how to subdue his passions and strengthen his will to act rightly. The two things, though mutually concerned in the formation of the moral character, are not reciprocal. A strong will may co-exist with fierce passions, and keep them in subjection, but the true Christian soldier will guard well both sides of the fort. He will endeavor to subdue his passions, and, at the same time, to strengthen his will power.

The power of the will is very different in different persons by natural constitution. The will is as much a natural faculty in each individual as memory or imagination or any other innate power, in which men differ as much as they do in stature and features. Hence, if the will is naturally weak, or inclined to weakness, it requires great and continued attention and habitual effort to bring it to a condition of permanent improvement in strength and firmness. Lax measures will never succeed. The least indulgence of weakness throws all back again to be recovered by repeating the same painful efforts as before. In this respect a naturally weak will is like drunkenness, which, when it has once subdued a man to its bondage, cannot be thrown off by fitful efforts at reformation; but must be utterly crushed out and destroyed by a firm and persistent rejection of every solicitation and approach.

An indispensable means of fortifying the will is the adoption of fixed principles of action, to be adhered to without swerving; principles based on truth and right. Anything that for an instant solicits, or even suggests, a departure from these principles should be instantly repelled without allowing the indulgence of

a thought that it can be entertained for a moment. The importance of having settled in one's mind a system of fixed principles of conduct cannot be overestimated.

PRECEPT AND EXAMPLE.

1. In morals, precept is nothing, example is everything. A really good and noble character once clearly discerned in its living active force, is a better incentive to virtue than all homilies. But as such a vision is not often vouchsafed; as men do not thus ordinarily reveal themselves to others; the nearest approach to the same thing is the daily and hourly life and conduct of such a person; by which, as by letters and signs, the true character is gradually revealed and made known, imprinting itself, like a portrait, upon the minds and hearts of others.

2. In human life opportunity is everything. Success depends upon opportunity. Acquirements, learning, aptitude, practical ability, greatness, depend on opportunity. A library placed away in a dark or cold room, or on inaccessible shelves, will benefit a man or his family but little. But if ranged around the family rooms, where all is cheerful and pleasant, where the family live, and within reach of the hand, it will become a rich treasure and an indispensable luxury.

The best legal talents, without opportunity for their exercise, will rust and decay; without opportunity for their display, they will disgust their

possessor. Life consists in hope, and a consciousness of being of some use in the world. Without these it is a living death. Without opportunity, hope and joy are strangers to the yearning soul.

3. The active employment of the faculties alone can make us useful or happy. Hence it is that adversity is a rich soil which ever produces fruitful results in character and ability. It puts a young man upon his mettle, brings out what is excellent and good in him, and makes him a really great and noble character. But prosperity is attended with ease and indolence as inseparably as the shadow follows the sun. Thus it happens that our greatest and best men, as well as our most wealthy and successful, are constantly springing up from the lower or middle classes of society. Thus it also happens that troublous times in the history of a nation almost invariably produce examples of great talent and heroism. And nothing, on the other hand, is more sure to sap the foundations of national strength than habits of luxury and ease indulged in by its young men. Every American, as a matter of honor and just pride, ought to have a calling-a something to do; and he ought conscientiously to follow it, not only on account of the example, but on his own accont.

4. Those who place religion in the belief of certain theological dogmas mistake its true character. Christ placed it in love to God and man. John held these to be inseparable. "If a man say he loves God and hateth his brother, he is a liar." James declared that pure religion is this, to visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction and to keep himself from the world. Paul said, "There are three things, faith, hope and charity, and the greatest of these is charity."

5. The Greek expression for human perfection, To Kalov, is full of deep meaning. To say and to do just what is proper on every occasion of life is indeed perfection, if not greatness. It implies being equal to every occasion, and meeting it accordingly. If this is not true greatness, what is? He who is competent to the age and country in which he lives; silent when silence is proper; eloquent, when eloquence is needed; energetic in action, when action is required; always accomplishing, always meeting the demands of the time; is either the truly great man, or better than a great man.

6. It is the duty and should be the pride of every American to have an honest and useful calling, and to pursue it. I care not what it is; be it honorable and faithfully pursued. This is necessary to the interest of the Commonwealth, and to the happiness and virtue of the individual. It should also be necessary to the entré of society. Elegant loungers should be as coldly received as tipplers and gamblers. But whilst this is our beau-ideal of a healthy social life, it is perhaps too much to expect of ordinary human nature.

EXAMPLE.

An act of kindness to another does more to produce a kind feeling on his part than the finest lesson in words. Kindness produces kindness; sympathy, sympathy; anger, anger; and every emotion felt and exhibited is met responsively by corresponding emotions in others. This is the sentiment which the Jewish