is analysis of the principles which constitute the moral feelings
indicates the farther division of our inquiry in the following manner:--

I. The Desires,--the Affections,--and Self-love.

II. The Will.

III. The Moral Principle, or Conscience.

IV. The moral relation of man towards the
Deity.

These constitute what may be called the active principles of man, or
those which are calculated to decide his conduct as a moral and
responsible being. In connexion with them, there is another class of
feelings, which may be called passive or connecting emotions. They exert
a considerable influence of a secondary kind; but, in an Essay which is
meant to be essentially practical, it perhaps will not be necessary to
do more than enumerate them in such a manner as to point out their
relation to the active principles.

When an object presents qualities on account of which we wish to obtain
it, we feel _desire_. If we have reason to think that it is within our
reach, we experience _hope_; and the effect of this is to encourage us
in our exertions. If we arrive at such a conviction as leaves no doubt
of the attainment, this is _confidence_, one of the forms of that state
of mind which we call _faith_. If we see no prospect of attaining it,
we give way to _despair_,--and this leads us to abandon all exertion for
the attainment. When we obtain the object we experience _pleasure_ or
_joy_; if we are disappointed, we feel _regret_. If, again, we have the
prospect of some evil which threatens us, we experience _fear_, and are
thereby excited to exertions for averting it. If we succeed in doing so,
we experience _joy_; if not, we feel _sorrow_. If the evil seem
unavoidable, we again give way to _despair_, and are thus led to
relinquish all attempts to avert it.--Similar emotions attend on the
affections. When we experience an affection, we _desire_ to be able to
act upon it. When we see a prospect of doing so, we _hope_; if there
seem to be none, we _despair_ of accomplishing our object. When we have
acted upon a benevolent affection, or according to the dictates of the
moral principle, we experience _self-approbation_; when the contrary, we
feel _remorse_. When either a desire or an affection has acquired an
undue influence, so as to carry us forward in a manner disproportioned
to its real and proper tendencies, it becomes a _passion_.

PART I.

OF THE DESIRES, THE AFFECTIONS, AND SELF-LOVE.

SECT. I.

THE DESIRES.