The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
CULTIVATION OF WILL.
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS ON AN IMPoR'
TANT SUBJECT.
Address Delivered by Rev. w. NJ.
Grier, ID. D., on the Night OF the
2Ist of August. 1859. before the
Teachers Association in Due West.

mission.
Infinite forces without his consent. lie Is not
Wholly a creature OF circumstances. He can
master difficulties, he can lace 9estinS' III
this lies the grandeur anu glory OF oeins.
There is no mental power which has engag'
ed so earnestly The attention of the profouna'
est thinkers Of every age as that OF the Will
Its nature, its relation to other menGai pow
crs it's mode OF operation and especiaily ltS
freedom and its connection with theology, Ill
these q uestlons have been the subject OF pro-
trncted and labOrious investigations. PaSan.
ism and Christianity alike have entered tne
field and their mightiest champions nave
wrcstled with its great problems. Striking
down to the very depths of human conscious
ness, taking hold of al lsoul.eXpeilencss these
problems have ever come TO the 'front.' ana
challenged q solution. some OF tne,n , nav
uble to our intelligence at least in It's present
state. ~ ,. H.,
preliminary TO any satisfactory suggestion as
10 the cultivation OF the Will. The most
prominent perhaps Of these are, what is the
Will and its relation to the other powers?
The Will is the minds power OF making
itself what shall be sought after, aimed at and
iabored for. Writers on this subject, using
different terms, refer 10 various graues %.
VIII. rs spontaneous CHOICE, "lminanenC en- I I
preference" and governing purpose" In the
iirst of these you have those affections and
desires which are neither produced by Voll-
iions nor do they terminate IN Voiltiohs.
They are rather habits and tendencies OF Tue
soul, which, however, possess moral chaTac-
Ter and which are approved or condemned MS
Such. In the second the 'immanent prefer
ence" there is clear distinct CHOICE. q prefer
ence of one thing above another, put clrcun-
stances may prsrent its outward Manifesto;
tion 1t may lie Of u character so criminal
and disrepurable that we hesitate TO expose II
10 the public eye, and even II IL be even so
proper and commendable 1t may want suit
able opportunity to express itself In action.
MANY IL preference like this takes us seat IN
the heart and there abldes hiding its shame,
or looking for time and opportunity 10 declare
itself. such preferences anecL ueeP,S anu per
and wisest of all moral teachers has tolu US
that las man thinketh IN his heart SO IS me- .
The governing purpose" Is deveIopt@nenI men ol
these Two, s.spontaneouS choice and "imma,
nent preference" and takes on the outward
form. It subordinates to itself all transient
choices and volitions. 1t directs and Shapes
all our plans and becomes the hlgnesI anu
fullest expression of character. suppose, FOR
example that we have chosen the vocation OF
teacher as our lite-work-that we nave dellD,
eratey devoted ourselves 10 It's high ana
grand responsibilities. There may be delays
in entering upon it. crosS-purposes may inter-
vene, obligation to parents, pecunlhIy eIhou "a.
rassments, but even In these distractions the
settled purpose will assert itself. IL Will color
our thought, il will haunt our dreams, IL VIII
direct our reading, IL will create our Ideals
and finally 1t will claim its sovereignty ana
receive its crown and sceptre. Ihls perHa
nent heart and fixed state OF MIND marks our
Individuality and separates us from our
neighbor in moral feature, just as the express
sion of the face makes easy Of recognition the
hundreds we meet Oh the crowded thorouSn-
fare. Just according TO the character OF tnis
governing purpose we are strong IN virtue,
Brave and courageous for truth, self denying
and helpful to others or, on the other nanu,
selfish, unscrupulous, proud, indolent ana
useless 1t must be borne In minu, tnen, lnat
the viii is the man. 1t is the intallible test
of character because 1t is the full and final
expression Of thought and feeling: we may
be cheated by appearances ana PROFESSIONS.
These may prove but green leaves on q barren
tree but they are only leaves. When we see
the fruit we know and without mistake
whether II be good or a corrupt Tree. a Inis
suggests the relation OF the Will 10 tne otner
powers. We have Just stated that IT was the
final expression OF thought and feeling. The
recognized and almost universally accepted
divisions of Mental Philosophy or Psychoio-
gy are. Thinking, Feeling and Willing. A IA;
mi liar illustration Is given as follows: read
some story of distress. My thoughts are en-
gagged about it, the place, the persons, the eS.
perience all come up before me; htnE.
Not only so. but am moved Dy the "ant
emotions are stirred. my sympathies enlisted.
TferL. Still again l resolve to aid In the re-
lief of those whose case has SO touched my
heart. This last Is willing. Plainly lnen,
thought and feeling precede volition-precede
as a condition OF 1t and subordinate to II.
These previous meutal states may not always
be distinctly perceived. The whole process
may be so rapid that we shall fail to notlce
the several steps involved in the conclusion,
hut all voluntary action includes these three
menlal operations. Now the pertinency and
practical value Of this TO the matter In hand
Is. that all effort TO reach the will must recog-
nize these facts. 1t can be approached in no
other way. must know and feel before
will. l.,
piled in the cultivation OF the will.
n implipS the GUIDANCE ilDQ SOntTOl o.
reason rather than impulse. Man is Great
ure OF impulse as well as the brute. Ihese
impulses relate To his whole nature, physlcal
intellectual and moral. He has appetltes
which clamor for qualification irrespective OF
consequences. II he hunger or thirst the dis
position Is at once 10 eat ana drink. IL rs on
y when Reason under authority rom the eA
ecutive faculty comes In and calmly sits IN
Judgment That Impulse yields anu retreats
There are what we Gull noble impulses
which we feel 1t an honor to recngGtHe ano
obey. They offer relief to much that is dark
and forbidding In our fallen humanity. Ihey
are traces of that divinity which sonnet ines
stirs within us; Il memory of past glory
which may become Prophecy @ OF m ,tase feel tbai
those who act even from these impulses, now
ever generous and noble. do not furnish the
best type of manhood. They may win our
admiration but they do not inspire our CONN.,
dence We are suspicious of their lead dershll
and demand as our guide the steady, balanced
Judgment rather than capricious impulse
There are times. we confess, when we can
sympathiZc with that enthusiasm so self-fOr
getfui so buoyant and magnetic, which scorns
The grave suggestions of prudence, which
filings To the wind the cautions OF experience
and rushes upon some blatant, God-delyins
Goliath with only It's sling and fine smooth
stones; but the very rarity of such emerSen
ces, and not infrequently the disastrous issue
Of such efforts warn US against the supremacy
Of principle Of action so very wayward, sc
| "A in TFnn =
samson. 1t may smite the Philistines With q
fearful destruction, but II may bury In the
same grave the hea ven-appointed aeliverer o.
Israel. The cultivation OF the will. then, IN
wolves restraint-rigid, vigilant self-govern
ment. This Is the highest form of govern
ment. 1t is the best. the ripest product of the
home. the school and the State. Those Whc
have attained are no longer under nae ,h humaI 1a1 n
was not made for Il righteous man but for the
lawless and disobedient. 1t comes only
through long process OF education. Every
teacher takes part in that education. He Will
sadly mistake the nature and obligation o
ms great work if he do not labor for hlghel
| results than knowledge OF books.-li he &c
not impress upon his pupils the great lessons
of obedience to law, subjectiOn to rightful au
| thority and the necessity of surrendernS per
Sonal wishes and preferences for the good o.
others. Surely this lesson is one which Amer
lean society needs to learn anew. Our perlls
lie Oh the side OF excessive liberty; we cher
ish morbid sensitireness to every appear.
ance of interference with the supposed per
Sonal rights. A traveller In New England
came across q Yankee STRIPPING summing him
self on the fence while u score Of hogs were
literally ploughing the potato patch just al
his back. "Ny dear boy" says the traveller
but guess they are our hogs" but they
will eat up that whole crop of POTATOES in les'
than an hour" well, 1 guess them's our Ia
ters too.' This was n typical American
youth. Our national history, our nationa
traditions, our national holidays, our litera
ture, the speeches OF our great men are al
| saturated with the praises Of liberty. Every
fnnrtb of 1nly witnesses its ulOrificatiOn He