Double Work of Obligation. 263 



comprehending power, is to gather knowledge from 

 every source open to it, to enable it to furnish the 

 right conditions, so that every act, which Obligation 

 demands shall be towards the great end which it 

 constantly impels us to seek. If knowledge were 

 perfect, so that the exact relation of every act to the 

 great end of life, were fully understood, the machin- 

 ery would be perfect, as we have said. But there 

 is great ignorance of the relation of acts to results, 

 and of results to the chief end of life. If the whole 

 work of obligation, as a means to this end, were 

 simply to impel to acts in view of perceived rela- 

 tions, it is evident that a man might remain in ig- 

 norance, and still obey the voice of Obligation, 

 while constantly working against the supreme end 

 which she commands him to seek. Obligation 

 might be constantly commanding him to do specific 

 acts, contrary to her original and generic command, 

 as though a father who had commanded his son to 

 raise wheat, should then command him to sow the 

 seed on ground unfit for that kind of grain, or to 

 sow in midsummer, or to parch the seed before 

 sowing. 



" Plainly, if man were left with a constitution like 

 this, the worst consequences would follow practical- 

 ly, and 'Reason would never justify the Creator in 

 giving such a constitution to any being. 



But now we find Obligation doing another work, 

 which has a tendency to correct this defect, so that 

 its work can be justified by Reason. While it acts, 

 in view of relations discovered by the comprehend- 

 ing power, and of results which that power declares 



