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hands, gets the blame when it is misdirected. But not to dwell overmuch 

 on this magnificent, but subject force, we ought, as it seems to me, to hold 

 that above the body and the mind, which consist, according to the best 

 philosophers, of three departments feelings, ideas, and desires there reigns 

 supreme a thing called the (free) will, and that that free will has the power in 

 the case of every human being of directing actual forces, whether physical 

 or psychical. It is a directing power and not a creative power resembling 

 the pointsman, who sees a railway engine hurrying along a line, and by the 

 simple movement of a lever, gives it that direction which secures the safety 

 of the train. And so all through the life of the human being this will of 

 ours (most free, when voluntarily subordinating itself to the higher Will of 

 the Creator) directs our course for good or evil, it being in accordance with 

 the way in which the will operates within us that we become good or 

 bad. From the earliest moment of conscious choice we are admitting or 

 excluding, fostering or destroying, good feelings or bad feelings, good ideas 

 or bad ideas, good desires or bad desires, and side by side exalting or 

 depressing the higher (psychical) or the lower (physical) natures, and in the 

 case of a Christian welcoming or driving away the Holy Spirit of God, or 

 the arch enemy. Thus from moment to moment we are weaving into that 

 nature and character, with which we started on our course, new threads, and 

 thus we by free will change the stream of our tendencies, and become what 

 we are heavenly, Christian, Godlike, or earthly, sensual, devilish. (Hear.) 

 Rev. W. D. GROUND. I thank you all very much for the kind attention 

 you have given to my paper. When I see the notes of this discussion, 

 I shall think them over and add what I may deem it best to say. But let 

 us all clearly understand that in this matter, although we need not accept 

 the philosophical doctrine of necessarianism, we ought, as devout Christians, 

 to accept the great doctrine of grace. I think the remarks made by 

 Mr. Enmore Jones may help us at least to an illustration of the matter. 

 He spoke of the inspiration, I cannot call it anything else, which occa- 

 sionally comes upon us. Now it seems to me that, in much the same way, 

 a power which we receive from above appears to come behind the will, when 

 we have placed the will in a right direction, which power acts like a breath 

 or afflatus, bearing us on towards divine thoughts and desires. This seems 

 to me the action of divine grace. But at the same time I think that the 

 assertion of man's need of such grace is consistent with the maintenance to 

 the fullest extent of the philosophical doctrine of the freedom of the will ; 

 and that it is impossible to deny this freedom of the will, and yet to defend 

 successfully man's moral responsibility. This is the great citadel we must 

 maintain at all cost. We must say that the sense implanted within us, 

 which tells us we are free and uncontrolled, is the deepest and truest part 

 of our being, and nothing else must be allowed to usurp its place. No 

 doubt there are intellectual difficulties in holding the theory of moral 

 liberty. For myself I accept heartily Hamilton's " Law of the Con- 

 ditioned," which, I hold, sweeps away all the difficulties, establishes reason 



