Page:God Manifest.djvu/101

Rh watchful Providence, a thousand good affections, truthful thoughts, sincere and noble feelings, and pure and generous aspirations, which serve to nourish and sustain the soul, while it is passing into manhood, and entering on the stern realities, harassing cares, and often degrading influences, of life in the world. How many can trace their deliverance, under strong temptations and amongst contaminating associations in afterlife, to the influence of early and chaste affection—the preserving and purifying power of innocent youthful love? Who, then, shall despise those states of feeling, or look upon them as of trifling moment? And if such be their power over the spirit, and their influence on man's destiny, to whom can we ascribe their existence but to Him, who is man's Saviour as well as Creator, and who is ever watching to make use of every available means to bring us on our way to heaven, and thus to accomplish the great end for which we are created?

But it is not merely for the sake of temporary delight, nor solely for its casual purifying influences, that the deep passion of Love is implanted in the human heart. It performs perhaps greater uses in the economy of human existence than any other affection or sentiment whatever. It is the great means of continuing, chastely and holily, the human race itself; it is the basis of all family ties, and thus of all the purest social affections: it is the very soul of society. What would societies, what would nations be, unless the members and citizens composing them had homes,—had each his dear and private home,—where are garnered up and cherished all the good affections, pure thoughts, and innocent delights, out of which, as from