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of havoc. It enlarges his desires as hell, and multiplies the means of their gratification. It widens the scope of his influence, and renders him a most dangerous element in the church or the world.

These observations in regard to the effects of truth, known, but rejected, coupled with the admitted principle that truth is the proper and only aliment of the soul, prove conclusively the immutable connection between perceiving and embracing it, for they show that these both are essential conditions (and for ought that appears, they are the only conditions) of its becoming the aliment of the moral being. Light and love, therefore, are not only related, but most sacredly and inviolably related.

2. The correlation of light and love is, moreover, deducible from the known correlation of the intelligence and will, to which they respectively pertain. We say the known correlation, for we are not aware that any thinking, sane mind ever called in question the mutual relation of the intelligence and will. To do so would be absurd, since they are but co-ordinate faculties of the rational soul. They may doubtless be contemplated separately-so may virtue and happiness, so may any correlatives. They may even be in a hostile attitude the will resisting and rejecting the convictions of the intelligence, and obstinately maintaining this opposition forever. Yet they are none the less related faculties. Of course light and love, which are but the native spheres of these faculties, must be related-no less so because they are capable of being violently sundered, no less so because they very often are, in the disordered state of this world, found as wide asunder as the poles, or, if together, mixed in deadly strife.

II. Our second inquiry is, what are the correlations of light and love?

They are not arbitrary nor changeable. They are fixed in the nature of things, and immutable. They are adjusted in order to certain high ends-the accomplishment of which is the fulfilment of the commission of light and love. Any correlation that will not subserve these ends is fundamentally wrong. What now are the ends? They are two-the highest virtue and well-being of the soul, and the permanent consecration of its powers to the service of benevolence and the glory of God. To these ends (which will be recognized as the final causes of all rational existences) light and love stand related as means; and be it observed they are not only a means, but the means—the only means to the ends. What is their

operation? The highest virtue and well-being of the soul consist in its perfect conformity to truth; and when the soul is thus conformed, the consecration of its powers to benevolence and God certainly follows. As has been seen, truth perceived is light, which resides in the intelligence, that light embraced is love, whose abode is the heart. Light and love constitute the harmony of the intelligence and will, and this constitutes the harmony of the entire being with truth. Truth is seen, loved and enjoyed-enjoyed we say, for the sensibility never rejects what the will receives. Truth is embraced as the food of the mind, its life, its portion. It becomes the law of the soul's action, the centre of its attraction, the sun of its sphere. The highest virtue and well-being of the soul are consequently secured. Its moral activities too are enlisted to the utmost extent of their capacities. The individual lives for the universe. Loving truth, he loves being, God supremely, man impartially. Nor is his love an idle love. "To do good and to communicate he forgets not. All around rolls the tide of his benefactions. Upward rises the incense of his devout affections. Nor is this wonderful. He possesses all the requisites for unwearied effort in well-doing-he has light and love. He can not be otherwise than active, indefatigable, self-denying. As long as light shines and love reigns within him, the wide world will feel his prayers, and realize in a thousand ways the fruits of his labors. Marvel not if he sacrifices property, forsakes kindred, bids adieu to native land, and presses, in his quest of souls, beyond the farthest missionary foot-print-marvel not! He has light and love! Angels have no more to project or sustain their sublime flights of mercy. He has light and love-God has in kind no more to gird the arm of his power, to heave the ocean of his benevolence, or to stir the yearnings of his infinite compas

sion.

What, now, do these reflections teach us in regard to the inquiry-what are the correlations of light and love? They teach that truth-which is the universal substratum of virtue, happiness and usefulness-first enters the intelligence, there diffusing light. Thus far truth, but no farther. She can say "Let there be light"-and light is. But she can not speak love into existence. That depends ultimately upon the will. If it chooses to yield conformity to the revelations of truth we then have light and love united in the new-born soul. What, now, are their correlations? The answer will be easy. Light comes first in the order of time, and comes to

waken love. Till it has done this, and so brought the being into harmony with truth-the grand ultimate end-its mission is unaccomplished. Till this is effected it is a disturber and a tormenter in the breast; it brings 'not peace, but a sword.' It tends mightily, however, to induce love, by setting before the mind the highest motives to yield conformity to its requirements. Even the distress which it diffuses in the soul, and the strife which it wakes there, because of the opposition of a selfish will, tend, under the direction of the Holy Ghost, to ef fectuate the desired conformity. When finally, love is secured, light immediately unites with it, and they make their abode in the soul, maintaining there a fellowship fraught with unspeakable blessedness to the heaven-born being. From this representation it appears, that while light is first in time, love is first in importance, that light is in order to love, that it derives its value from its tendency to beget love, and also from its being essential to the existence of love, that though light can not directly of itself create or impart a particle of happiness to its possessor, or through him to others, but rather works death, yet it is invaluable as the condition of love-the only thing which can impart bliss or diffuse good. Light is the food of love; love is the life of the soul. Thus far we have contemplated the relation of light to the commencement of love in the soul, and we have seen that it is the relation of a means to an end. But the necessity of light does not stop with the dawn of love. Having brought love into being, truth must not abandon it, as the ostrich her young. She must now, by gentle and timely impartations of light, nourish its infancy. She must supply it "with the sincere milk of the word, that it may grow thereby." In a word, progressive light is indispensable to progressive love. This relation is changeless, it continues through time and enters eternity, where light and love know no separation.

Such we believe to be the true correlations of light and love. Any other theory, differing essentially from this, is false. Consider a theory which would invert the order of relation, which would make love subordinate to light, prior in development, and inferior in importance, deriving all its value from its efficacy in facilitating the acquisition and dissemination of light. Such a theory would be absurd in philosophy, and powerless in effect, save for evil. It begins with making love chronologically antecedent to light, which is absurd and impossible, as impossible as that vision should precede natural light. It then makes love the servant, and light the sc,vėreign,

which is tantamount to dethroning the will, and crowning the intelligence, an act of treason in the empire of metaphysics, and it consummates its folly by making light, instead of love, the immediate source of well-being to its possessor-a doctrine which, were it true, would convert the world of perdition into a paradise of God.

Having now explained the relative positions of light and love, and shown particularly the relations of the former to the latter, let a word suffice in reference to the relations of love to light. Though love is the end, yet it does not get all and give back nothing in return. By appropriating and assimilating the light already received, it ensures new accessions. Having tasted that the truth is precious, it longs for it as the hungry man for food. It seeks it every where and at all times. It stimulates the acquisitive and opens wide the receptive powers of the mind. It energizes the intelligence and electrifies the sensibility. It sets the whole being athirst for light. Light, light, light, is the cry. Its incessant prayer is "Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." The Author of Wisdom heareth the earnest supplication, and in view of the faithful improvement of light received, is well pleased to bestow more, even according to his own promise"To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance, but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

Such are the wonderful correlations of light and love. What an exquisite arrangement! Angels contemplate it and are ravished with delight. God beholds it, and smiles with ineffable complacency. Light and love! Light inspiring love, and love drawing light. Beautiful pair! Did not Solomon have these in mind when he breathed forth his Song of songs? Is it not down-leaping light, glittering and flashing adown the sky to enter the human soul, that is spoken of, and is not enraptured love the speaker, in that passionate outburst -"The voice of my beloved! behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills?"

But one other observation is needed on this part of the subject, and it relates to the proportion which Light bears to Love in the union which subsists between them. An invariable law requires that love should be as light received. It must never be allowed to fall below it, and it can never rise above it. Love is required according to what a man hath not according to what he hath not. Here again we discover an admirable feature in the correlation of these principles. At

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first Truth emits a feeble ray, that ray falls upon the opening intelligence and there is light. That light wins the heart, -and there is love. But how faint are both! Soon Truth sends another ray, causing a slight accession of light and a corresponding increase of love. Truth continues her bestowments with a liberal hand, cautious only lest she give too much at once--more than the will may bear, and thus produce a rupture between light and love. A thousand rich and glorious revelations she has to make to the new born soul, but her language is that of Incarnate Truth, when with a world of light pent up in his heart, he said to his weak disciples,-"I have many things to say unto, you but ye cannot bear them now." At any one of the above mentioned steps the harmony of the will and intelligence, so sweetly begun, may by an act of the former be abruptly broken, and love proceed no farther along the brightning-track of light. But after this alliance has been long maintained and strengthened by oft repeated trials, when the will is confirmed, when the 'heart is fixed,' when the feelings and propensities are all subdued, even as a child that is weaned of its mother, and the entire being is brought into an established conformity to the truth-when the love becomes such that " many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it;" when it can use the strong language of the song of songs, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine," -O then what unutterable revelations, what floods of light and glory will Truth roll in upon the soul as it catches it “ up to the third heaven."

We are now prepared to draw out certain principles, and these, in pursuance of our proposed plan, we shall subsequently apply to the religious and reformatory movements of our times.

. 1. And first: light disjoined from love, has no good influence as an evangelizing or reformatory principle. Introduced into a selfish mind, or diffused through a selfish community, it is an element of discord; it engenders "envying and strife, confusion and every evil work." It is itself, as James declares, "earthly, sensual and devilish." It tends to corruption rather than to reformation. It may induce the semblance of reform -it may whitewash the sepulchre, but it can do no more. The stream can not rise above the fountain. A man of loveless light may indeed propagate that loveless light; but will that bless mankind? A fanatic himself (for loveless light is the very essence of fanaticism) will breathe a fanatical spirit wherever he moves. Alas! what moral pestilence and

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