Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-07-23
Gdnarp
From the ". \. Observer.
Feeling and Duty.

cause unless We have more feeling We are in a
co'u state and we must wake up, if we would have
any enjoyment in religion and do any good
He then offered prayer in which he endeavorad
to follow the spirit of mis- exhortation There was
manifest effort to produce in his mind a high
state of excitement by an act of will The tones
of feeling were assumed but forms of expression
adapted to express strong feeling was wanting
This was felt by all present. OF the effect it is
not necessary to speak. 1t may be remarked that
no one was disposed to charge the brother with
| hypocrisy. He was not affecting to possess that
which he did not possess. lie was striving to
awaken the feeling which he was persuaded ought
to exist.
Another followed in the same strain of remark.
There are very few, said he, " very few among rs,
who enjoy religion. And man who hasn't any
feeling can't be said to have any religion. A
man can't be warm without feeling warm Re
ligion consists in feeling, and if man has no feel
ing, he has no religion. There used to be such a
thing as enjoying religion, and then men could do
something to promote religion ia others. As our
brother has just said, if We hare no feeling, We
cannot please God. We must get ont of the state
we are in. We must have hearts warmed if
we would enjoy religion.
No remarks of diff rent charaIer from those
recorded were made by any one The meeting was
dismissed, and those present with exception re-
paired to their homes.
| A young man of great conscientiousness, who
had recently made profession of religion, repair
ed to the dwelling of the pastor
| GYnn hava haap ~ tf,a ~ ,.,o- p,a.4.n,r
the pastor.
IL have" was the reply.
Was it an interesting meeting ?"
d" The brethren seemed to feel that we ought to
awake out of sleep
81 am glad to hear that there are any signs of
awaking'
Il came for you to tell me what to do / see
my duty, but do not know how am to perform
| it."
al shall be glad to give you any assistance in my
| power. On what point you in darkness?' ?''
d" | do not see how am to get the requisite feel
ing for any religious duty. know that can do
nothing acceptable to God while am in a state of
eoldness and insensibility. know l must have
feeling, but my feelings not under the control
of my will. I cannot produce feeling by willing
to do so.
"Of course not that would be contrary to the
law of feeling
What am to do then ? II surely cannot be
my duty to stand still and do nothing till my feel
ings are IOused by some power external to myself
Certainly not. But it is plain to me that you
have a wrong idea of the state of mind necessary
to the performance of duty You think high
state of excitement is necessary state of ex-
citement which the mind could not long endure,
and which would unfit the mind for duty"
q Is it possible for US to engage in religious du-
ties without feeling.
at depends on the definition which we give to
the word feeling. As said just now the defni-
tion which you give to it is state of high excite
ment. | suppose We can engage in many religious
duties, when we not in state of excitement
nay, l suppose there are many religious duties to
whose performance state of excitement would lie
hostile"
| " For example? p
Well, it is often the duty of Mr. Alton, the
accountant, to adjust very difficult accounts. which
! require calm and collected state of mind A
high state of excitement in regard to any subject
or arising from any cause, would incapacitate him
] lOI Iic performance VI iudL uuJy-
But you would not place adjusting accounts
among religious duties ?"
Why nOt?"
| Because-"
All our duties, my youug friend, are due to
God. You owe a man money is it not Gods will
that you pay it?'
Undoubtedly .....
Is it not Gods will that an accountant should
keep his books accurately.
| Yes"
Wei, then 1t is duty which he owes to God
1t IS religious duty. The Apostle said that re-
ligiOus duties embraced all the actions of life He
said. whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever We
do do 1t all to the glory of God" Now take your
duties as they meet you and see how much feeling
IS necessary to their proper performance 1t will
| De your duty to rise in the morning at the usual
| hour, aud not waste time in bed How much feel
ing must you have in order to enable you TO per-
form that duty ?"
al must have desire to do nv duty"
Very true and simple desire to do your du-
ty-tO please God, is all the feeling necessary for
the performance of that duty. And what is true
of that is true of a large portion of our duties
! We need simple and an earnest desire to do right
High excitement and violent impulses are not need
| ed" .....
| perceive the truth Of your remarks in reIa-
ton to ordinary duties bat is not the case i ff.r
ent with respect to duties which are more strictly
| religious. such as prayer. praise and eXhorta lOH:
Take the case of prayer. You are about To
pray for an increase Of zeal Do you not really
desire such an increase ?"
Most certainly do
hat is prayer but the expression Of our de
sires? If the desire be real and earnest no extnr-
baton of mind is necessary in order to acceptable
prayer"
Is it not duty to love God intan' e'y and to
feel deep interest in The welfare Of our fellow
man p
Yes"
How am I to get those feelings
By contemplating the objects adapted to ava
ken them and prayer for the Influences of the Holy
Spirit. Our feelings, as you remarked sometime
since not under the direct control of our wills
Emotions of gratitude and love cannot be excited
by direct acts Of will, but we can will to contem-
plate such truths as are adapted to awaken graft
tude and love. The difficulty you have felt is one
that has embarrassed many youthful minds just
remember that religion consists not in bursts Of
feeling and seasons Of excitement, bnt in living by
faith, in doing our duty. We have nothing on
earth to do but duty. Whatever we do Is to be
done in accordance with the will of Gods to be
done consc;entiously, not impulsivey." at
Is IL not our duty to live in the enjoyment OF