ry of past experiences, carried by the higher locomotive powers
into new surroundings, brought face to face with new emergencies
outside of the range of its old instincts, it is compelled to try
some experiments of its own. It begins to modify these instincts,
and in time altogether does away with many of them. It has risen a
little above its old abject slavery to the appetites, it is slowly
throwing off the bondage to heredity. New emotions or motives have
arisen appealing directly to the individual will. The heir has been
long enough under guardians and regents, it assumes the government
and can rightly say, "L'etat, c'est moi."

But a greater problem confronts it; can it rise above self? The
animal often seems absolutely selfish. Can the unselfish be
developed out of the selfish? This seems at first sight impossible.
And the first lessons are so easy, the first steps so short, that we
do not notice them. Reproduction comes to the aid of mind. The
young are born more and more immature. They begin to receive the
care of the parent. The love of the parent for the young is at first
short lived and feeble. But it is the genuine article, and, like the
mustard-seed planted in good soil, must grow. It strengthens and
deepens. Soon it begins to widen also. Social life, very rude and
imperfect, appears. And the members of this social group support,
help, and defend one another. And doing for one another and helping
each other, however slightly and imperfectly, strengthens their
affection for one another. The animal is still selfish, so is man
frequently, but it is in a fair way to become unselfish, and this is
all we can reasonably expect of it.

For these are vast revolutions from reflex action to instinct, and
from instinct to the reign of the individual will, and from appetite
to selfishness on the ground of higher motives, and from immediate
gratification to prudential considerations. And the crowning change
of all is from selfishness to love. And each one of them takes time.
Remember that the Old Testament history is the record of how God
taught one little people that there is but one God, Jehovah. Think
of the struggles, defeats, and captivities which the Israelites had
to undergo before they learned this lesson, and even then only a
fraction of the people ever learned it at all. As the prophet
foretold, so it came to pass. Though Israel was as the sand by the
sea-shore, but a remnant was saved.

But while we seek to