LETTER XIII.

MY DEAR SIR,

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The difficulty which you present in your last letter, is one which I suppose has met every man being, that has contemplated his religious obligations, and turned his attention to the Bible. That we should be required to obey our Creator, is a proposition so reasonable and so natural, that it seems almost a self evident duty. And when God is revealed to us, both in the works of nature, and by his word, as possessed of every attribute that can awaken admiration, reverence, and love, it seems also natural and reasonable that the affections should be required; not only as appropriate to our relations to God, but as the only method of securing ready and cheerful obedience to his laws.

But when this point is reached, and we attempt the fulfilment of this duty, then the difficulties you urge stare us full in the face, and many minds, dismayed and discouraged by what seem insuper

able difficulties, turn away to indifference, forgetfulness, and hopeless worldliness.

I am sure God does not require anything of us but what we have full ability to perform, and I think I see a way of obviating the difficulties you urge.

It is true, we have not the direct control of our affections, so that by a mere act of volition, we can love and hate, just as we can, by an act of our will, either shut or open our eyes. If we love a friend, we cannot, by a mere act of choice, cease to feel this affection. If we are indifferent, or dislike a person, we can no more, by any act of volition, change these feelings into love. And I do not suppose that the divine law demands any such attempts. But though we have not the control of our emotions, by direct acts of volition, we have an indirect control of them, which is quite as powerful, for which we are held accountable, and to which the requisitions of the Bible are directed.

I think I can illustrate my views of the subject by a familiar example. A husband is united to a virtuous and amiable wife, whom he has tenderly loved. But a course of extravagance and vice has estranged him from her; he knows that she has ceased to respect and love him; he is reproved by her superior virtues, and irritated by his conscience in her presence. He treats her so unworthily, that all affection ceases on both sides. He learns to think only of her faults, and depreciates or forgets her excellencies, and has lost all desire for her society, and all feelings of affection. Now

suppose he were admonished of his wicked course, and expressed a wish to alter; he would be directed, in the first place, to "love his wife;" suppose he should plead that he had not the control of his emotions, that he did not love his wife, and choosing to do so would not produce love; and then he comes to you to relieve him from this difficulty. You would direct him to use the appropriate means of awakening affection. You would tell him to make up his mind to forsake his dissolute companions; to reform his life; to return to his wife, and make suitable acknowledgments; to commence all the practical duties of a kind and attentive husband; to take all those methods that would be most likely to regain the respect and affection of his wife and to awaken his own regard for her; and you would assure him that if he did take this course, inasmuch as his wife was excellent and lovely, it would inevitably result in the return of her affection to him, and the renewal of his own affection for her. And every man of common sense would approve your advice, and be certain of its successful results, if it were followed. Here, then, you perceive the manner in which a man has the control of his affections toward a fellow being.

Now I suppose we have the control of our affection, as it respects our Maker, to an equal extent, and that we are to exercise it by similar methods. The husband is not to awaken his affection to his wife by sitting down and thinking of her, and trying by an act of volition to make love spring up in his heart. He makes up his mind in

the first place to use all appropriate means, and while he follows this course, affection springs up to his bosom. So the alien from the heavenly Parent, when "he comes to himself," says, "I will arise and go to my father." He puts himself in the way of duty; he turns his mind to think upon the folly of his ways; he repents, and resolves to do no more so wickedly; he studies the works and the word of his Maker; he daily seeks to commune with him; he consecrates his time, property and influence, to his service, and in this course of obedience, emotions of affection soon glow in his bosom, and cheer and invigorate all his efforts.

Now love, in the language of the Bible, means the same as it does every where else. It includes not merely the simple emotions of affection, but all the thousand words and actions that are proofs of love. The man then begins to love, who makes up his mind to obey, and commences the course of obedience; for obedience forms a part of love, as much as the emotions. When we see a son anxiously striving to meet all the wishes and wants of a parent, seeking his society, defending his good name, promoting his interests, and devoted to his will, we say such a son loves his father most devotedly, though we have no other evidence of his feelings. Another son disobeys and disregards his father's requirements, crosses his plans, neglects his interests, avoids his society, and disregards his requests. Suppose we could look into his heart, and perceive that it was sometimes visited with emo

tions of complacency and affection; still we should say he did not love his father, and bring his conduct as the proof.

Another case might be supposed, of a son who, from the cold dictates of duty, and with the fear of a slave, performed all the external duties of affection, while in his heart he feared and disliked the parent who controled him. These actions might deceive us; but if the father could read the heart of his child, his services would not be received as proofs of love. In all these cases, there is a deficiency, so that love would not be said to exist till it was supplied. Love, then, includes both emotions and corresponding actions.

But as the existence of strong feelings of affection, always does produce actions to correspond, it often occurs that the emotions are spoken of as the principle, and the actions as the fruits. At other times, the actions that are prompted by affection, are called by the name of love; as for example, "This is the love of God, that ye keep my commandments." As if a father should say to his son, "your love is shown by your obedience to my wishes;" or, "obedience is love."

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It seems to me, therefore, that the control of our emotions is within our power, and though we cannot control them by direct volition, as men control the movement of their limbs, we have an indirect control that is as efficient, and as properly a subject of divine legislation, as external actions. In regard to your second objection, the diffi