The Young Lady's Counsellor by Daniel Wise

SELF-CULTUKE. 195
The deceit of the princess merits the same reply,
and proves that her will was not completely subiected
to the control of an enlightened conscience.
Here, then, you discover the
nature of your great
and difficult work. And is it not a high and worthy
task to place God and right on the throne of the
soul ? Will you not engage in it with all the vigor
of your spirit — with all the might of your nature ?
If you say " I will," then suffer me to add, that you
must diligently enlighten your conscience by the
study of God's law, and strengthen your will by constant
efforts, in the daily av ts of life, to subordinate
the feelings to its decisions. You must never permit
a feeling, even if harmless, to grow into a controlling
impulse ; for just in proportion as impulses strengthen,
the will is weakened and overborne. Hence the
impulses must be habitually restrained by the commands
of the will.
To illustrate
my meaning; suppose yourself sailing
in a boat. A sudden flaw of the wind causes
ner to lurch, so that the gunwale is almost submerged.
You feel an in-ipulse arising from youi