Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-06-21
SAFEGUARDS OF TIE WILL.
Felix Adler Points to tho Means of Di-
yerting II from Evil PURPOSES

EttA 70 tut Nltlnf VI III
verting II from Evil Purposes.
Every nook and corner of Chickcring
hall was occupied when Felix Adler rose
to deliver his lecture on 1.-The Struggle
Against Temptation. The audience
listened to Mr.. Adler with rapt attention
and at tho conclusion Of the address APP
plauded loudly.
After tho usual singing by the choir
Mr.. Adler said that human desire was at
the bottom of nearly all the good and
evil in the world; the desire for knowl-
edge fostered the pursuit OF science, the
desire for the beautiful had created the
arts, and virtue would be unknown if
there was not within mnn cropping for
moral harmony,
"There arc also within u.s." no con-
tinued, certain gross appetites and
cravings, and when these occupy the
field Of tho mind they crowd out the bet
ter thoughts and drown the soft, sweet
voice Of virtue. The voice Of duty hns
been called still and small, and to hear it
We must haye the faculty of shilling our
passions,
Certain natural desires are best dealt
with by satisfying them. particularly In
children, whose appetites arc only'sharp-
enod for pleasure when it is denied them.
Many children, denied what is perfectly
legitimate in youth, particularly the
sons q clergymen, go to excesses the
moment they gain their liberty.
ut is the normal rule to weaken de-
sires by satisfying them. but there are
certain desires which we cannot and
others which VIC must not crafty. No
desire is justified because 1t is natural, If
it interferes with higher considerations;
and all desire must be suppressed when
it does interfere with these considera-
tions. The object of desire has power
over us in proportion as its mental image
is sharply defined. Consequently. when
such desires do impress themselves upon
our mind. wo must at once turn our
thoughts In another direction.
Human will ID free let doubters say
the contrary, notwithstanding. This the
DRY to tho contrary Is tho outcome of OBJ
scuro metaphysics. We must, nevertbe-
less, understand tho limits in which we
arc free. Let no man believe that he
can harbor evil thoughts without being
tho worse for it. We are, however, free
to throw of these thoughts when they
enter, and in making this effort lies our
This throwing off must be
complete and immediate, else it only
leads to renewed moral degradation. We
must force our thoughts into new
channel when OWL ones assail us, but by
them we only mako tho de-
sire moro intense Jesus illustrates this
when no says Get thee behind me,
Satan
"By some II Is argued that this system
Ia oowardly and that wo should boldly
face evil II Is truo thnt wo ought to be
abie to faoo itr but i, Is also tI1le that
ve arc unable to do 80 successfully.
You hear q tho great social sin, the
moral filth Of which Is spread over
our city. How can men who have
mothers and sisters forget tho sanctlty of
women and preflt by this sin? Il Is do
iire that curses them and makes thoir
vision mrrov, and they Apologize for
themselves by saying that tho desire is
natural. We0hlings all, ever ready 10
appeal to nature. Let each man havo
task for himself throughout life, and
like Ulysses be will sail past the sirens
toward the shining goal
''The two great helps toward this end |
are the society OF good and true men,