Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/122

 IO4 PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING

others and to become the supreme organizing principle of a personality. The emotional life always tends to centralize itself around one sentiment.

But is not such a character onesided? And is onesided- ness of character inevitable? This raises the question, which has most important significance, both theoretical and practical, is there any one sentiment which correlates in due proportion all sentiments which can be morally ap proved? If there be such a sentiment it would seem to be either the love for God or the love for humanity. But experience shows that the character dominated by the first tends to become absorbed in mystical contemplation and devotion, or in theological speculation and contention, ac cording to temperament; and that the energy of the char acter dominated by the second is expended in passionate lamentation over human woes, or in practical philanthropy, according to temperament. Both types of character are ex cellent, but both are onesided the very thing to be avoided. Neither the Jacob Boehmes nor the Abou ben Adhems are ideal characters. It is of striking significance that the supreme moral code of the ancient world embodied the two sentiments love for God and love for one s neighbour in two co-ordinate tables of the law. And it is of still greater significance that he who in the judgment of a major ity of the most advanced peoples of the modern world was the supreme religious and moral example of the race sum marized that ancient law in the two commandments : &quot; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind and soul and strength, and thy neighbour as thyself &quot; ; and embodied these two sentiments in perfect co-ordination in his char acter and conduct. It would seem, then, that the balanced and perfect type of human character is organized around these two great sentiments as co-ordinate.

If we closely examine these sentiments we shall see that they not only supplement but enrich one another. The first, alone, or when it absorbs into itself the emotional energy of a person, tends to take the form of an emotional

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