Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-07-02

G Neither will he approve of sin in others
nor knowingly so act on any occasion tha
, his appreciation shall be fairly implied
Here is fixed point in sound morals, an
equally in sanctifed consciences, that n
expediency ought to disturb. Itwere bet
, ter to witness the world in blaze, to bea
any amount of reproach, and even to die
: than either to do or approve what is con
, trary to the law of God No act that i
essentially criminal, can be placed in suci
relations that expediency will ever justif.
it. 1t is not to be done on any pretence
Sin is never ezpedient There is nothing
worse than sin. A man had better die ;
thousand deaths, than to be guilty of sin
Again, where the moral character of an
act is in debate, the mind not being cleal
whether it is lawful or not-a very com
mon case-there We may and ought to
consider tendencies, for the purpose Of in
formation. Take the case of dancing,
about which there is some difference of
opinion and practice among Christians
Now if it can be shown, as we think it
can be, that this practice on the whole
tends to evil, being far more likely to en-
tail evil consequences than good, then this
fact is source of light, and is to be used in
our estimate of the practice. So also in
the case of rum-sclling; ifit can be shown
that this business leads directly to pau
perism, wretchedncss and crime, then it is
rs clear as the light of day that no man
ought to be engaged in it. Here the con-
science receives light from consequences.
The business is manifestly immoral, as
shown by its tendencies. The practice of
slavery is equally amenable to this mode
ofjudgment. If it were granted that no
explicit law of God condemns it, and that
its immortality might be doubtful upon a
direct inspection of man still, if it can
be shown that the practice involves in its
train long list of distressing and deplo-
rable evils, then it ought to be abandoned.
1t is condemned by its own fruits. So
also when We attempt to benefit cur fellow
men, to carry out the divine injunction of
doing good to all as we have opportunity,
we are necessarily thrown back upon a
question of fact to be settled by experience:
What is the particular mode of action, in
its tendencies best adapted to this purpose?
The truth is, We must use the doctrine of
consequences to some extent, in order to
decide questions of duty. We must en-
ploy the light of experience to aid US in
determining what is duty, where God has
not decided it in express words. Itwould
be great folly as well as weakness, to re-
ject this principle.
Once more, where there is no known law
Of God either forbidding or requiring an
act, there its expediency is the whole
question. To this the apostle refers when
he says, " AN things are lawful for me,
but all things are not expedient" He had
in view the question of eating meat that
had been offered to idols His doctrine is,
that in itself considered there is no sin in
eating, and 40 sin in not eating yet, the
act may be so related to the conscience of
another as to be highly inexpedicnt. Hence
Paul would not cat such meat, lest he
might prove an offence to his brother. The
cases are numerous, where this kind of
expediency must form the guide of the
mind. If specific thing, which We are
not required to do, and can, therefore, in
nocently forbear, is placed in such relation
to others as to be inexpedient, then the
plain dictate of common sense is to omit
it. Where expediency is the whole and
only question, then do that which is most
expedient. In this we are able to see no
violation of the rules that ought to govern
a good conscience.
We arc quite aware that the doctrine of
expediency is liable to great abuses. Some
denouncc it, as in all possible cases, proof
of a criminal selfshncss, while others
practically recognize hardly any other rule
If the one class furnish the hasty, impetu-
Gus, and indiscrcet actors-thc men of
doubtful wisdom-iti is not to be forgotten
that in the other we find the trimmers and
compromisers, ready on all occasions to
sell themselves for mess of pottaee, hav-
ing way of making almost anything right
when necessary to suit their selfshness.
If in the one We sometimes see rampant and
raving radicalism, in the other VIC quite as
often observe consciences as flexible as
piece of Indian rubber. Expediency is
like fre-a very good thing in its place
out of its place it is not good. 1t is del
icate and difficult doctrine to apply, SO as
to enlighten without corrupting the con-
furnish moral guidance with
out sanctifying sin. Under the dominion
Of sclfshness it almost always goes wrong,