Individuals.

Mr. C. P. Parker gave last evening the fourth lecture of his course on Natural Religion.

After some discussion of the way to know men, and the necessity of sympathetic friendship if we wish to understand them, he went on to maintain that society must not be allowed to crush individuals. The individual himself, however, is often full or conflicting desires and must choose between them. The moral law given by the nation is wisely obeyed unless we see clearly something better. Among the best things the thought of duty requires especial study. Duty, Necessity, and Pleasure must be contrasted as motives. Our duty always shows itself to us as the best thing, yet one which we have power to reject. There are many acts to which the sense of duty has no application, but where pleasure may be allowed free play. Moreover the same thing which duty would command is done better if we do it from love. But duty is needed to keep us true, till our loves are surely wise and strong. We shall do well to help out our sense of duty, by a vivid sense of the consequences of acts. Duty works order and beauty and seems allied to the supreme Reason. Duty can be rejected. An analysis of the act of rejection shows that while sometimes we are overpowered by passions, there are times when we hesitate and then fling our consent into the more foolish of two acts. For this evil choice we are responsible. The work of evil choice is destruction. ugliness and pain. In good choice the Supreme Reason seems to work in us. With evil choice, which is irrational, the Supreme Reason can have only warfare.