New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-28
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 49, 1850

edness. w feel the almost GthHHtsS II sIA VI WIG
soul which We address,
II is scarcely needful to show-lt IS almost nu'
initiating tc be obliged to argue-that the exist
ence Of this faculty is recognised in the Scriptures
Paul recognised it, when he wrote thus TO TIE
Romans a For when the GentIles, which pave
not the Law the Law, that is written on stone,
which Moses gayel, DO by nature the things con-
tanned in the law. these having not the Law are
n Law unto themselves w hich show the work
Of the Law written in their hearts II their late-
nor and spiritual being their CONSCIENCE also
bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing OF else excusing one another.
He recog nised the same power again, when ne
smoke Of hmselfto the Corinthians as no. hand
ling the word OF God deceitfuly, buy commencing
himself to every man Conscience in the sight OF
God" The Savior recognised 1t, when he simply
turned his eye upon Peter, after Peter denial OF
him; and the Apostle teit It, when p" he Went out,
aud wept bitterly Christ recognised it. also
when he put his charge Of substantial adultery
against the Pharisees " And they being convict
ed by their own Conscience which made itself
heard over the violence of passion and the stub
borpnes of pride went ont, one by one Through
out the Scriptures the recognltions and ustra
tions of this power occur. They would not other
wise have been true to mans structure.
How characteristic is that record oil the first
transgressors, that when they heard the voice OF
the Lord God in the garden, they were afraid
and hid themselves The consciousness OF Guilt
had unnerved the will How clearly comes be-
fore us the remorse Of the brothers of Joseph,
through the beautiful aptness OF the Oriental
narrative "They said one to another, we are
verify guilty concerning our brother in that we
the anguish of his soul when he besought
and we would not hear twas years after the
act 10 voice from the skies had broken upon
them recalling their guilt The sense OF 1t was
within. 1t came out instantly at the presence Of
adversely; and therefore said they is this dis
tress come upon us. So Pharaoh felt, after all
his hardening of his heart when he not only sent
forth Gods people to avert his judgments, but
said unto Moses and Aaron have sinned this
time The Lord is righteous, and and my
people are wicked. So David felt when the
prophet of God rebuked him So Judas himself felt,
when he went out and hanged himself, under the
ntoerable burden OF the consciousness Of Guilt.
1t would occupy hours to enumerate the instances
in which the Scriptures respond, incidentally or
directly, to this Power in man. They show 1t az
monitor. They show it as an ayenger. They
show it ineradcable by any force OF the will.
They show it restraining from wrong, and impel[
ing to Duty. They show it, when violated, the
source Of terrible seltreproach; the center OF
pain too deep, almost, to be endured in which is
the prophecy of Retrbuton and Judgment. They
show it as the Power to which God chiefly ap-
peals. They reskon it as wellnigh the last re-
suit OF persistent wickedness-the sign of the
Death to which sin tends-when 1t can be said OF
8 man that being un lust he knoweth no shame;
that his " Conscience is scared with a hot iron.
And in all this the Scriptures but respond TO
mans Consciousness; and by recognising and
meeting the powers that are In Us, demonstrate
their origin with Him who made US.
There is then, this principle of Conscience,
Sense OF Right Power that responds to the
principles of Gods Law, imbedded in Man, as an
element Of his being 1t is universal principle;
implanted in every man az the start OF his exls-
tence, and which he cannot Obllterate, however
he may wish it. Though he sin to the last, and
remorselessly on the Earth it will master him
again in the scenes OF the Future.-Itis princi-
pie that is nativey impelled toward Rectitude;
to decide tremendously with the Law gifts Author
The heart is not so mpelled the desires; the
sensbility to enjoyment. But the Conscience is
1t is in agreement, by its constitution, with Right
and Justice and therefore God appeals to it with
His Law. If in any case it decides wrongly, it is
because it has been systematically mlsused, or IS
warped by the appeal of great advantage. 1t
does not often decide wrongly. Men who differ
on everything else, will almost always agree on
what is right, in itself 1t is principle sus
ceptibie of such culture and development that
with this, it shall certainly decide Alright Being in
formed by the Truth, ana exalted and enlightened
by the Spirit OF God, coming into communion with
Him, its Author and receiving Of the impulses
which He will give it, it may speak with entire
authority and business 1t ia the fault of the
structed and trained 1t is the only principle that
can decide for Man what Equity requires OF him,
where the specific declaration of God is wanting.
No other man, no company can decide It.. his
sense OF personal accountabeness and peril MS
knowledge of the destinies which are pending
upon his decision his instructive conviction OF the
fitness of things, and the impulses that are IN
him as deepa life-orbid him to rest on anothers
decision He cannot be satisfied to give over to
another he knows that he cannot give over to
another this inmost responsibility He lays aside
the crown of his manhood, if he attempts to do IT.
In the exercise of this spiritual Power, then,
Man must decide when the Law which God has
given him is in conflict with the requirement OF
the State. Not BY his Desire, say again, is this
to be discovered not by his sensbility to mere
present suffering not by his perception OF proba-
Bile advantages not by his understanding, as
simply considering the connections OF action out
by the Conscience-that noble and spiritual lacui-
ty, in which is the image OF God bis author;
which is the vital and permanent pillar standing
OF the desires to which God appeals with his
Truth and His Law; into whose hand II dlsobey-
ed he puts the terrible scourge OF Remorse. de
must not decide impetuousy and rashly under
the influence, too much, OF excited emotion he
must not decide without taking counsel OF the
Judgment aud reckoning the relations that shal
circulate from the action He must seek the ad-
vice of the wise and the disinterested; though ne
must not accept their opinion as authority. He
must consult the preservation OF all interests that
are valuable, and the promotion OF those that are
intrinsically worthy though ne must not YieIu
Right to mere outward Advantage. He must
study to free himself from the influence of Pas
sion from the gudngs OF prejudice, or Of PRIDE
or OF ambition from all the alurements OF seli,in-
terest and of profit He must study Gods word,
and investigate it patiently; endeavoring to gather
its lessons into the heart. he must seek to De,
come partaker of the spirit and sharer of the light
that are treasured in Christ and through union
with him to feel as he feels. He must go up to
God, in prayer for His guidance, and seek iliumi'
nation from the Spirit Of Holiness and enter, SO
far as he can, the atmosphere of Heaven, and OF
the Equity that is there de mus. 0Fng 15 up 5 5ee