The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-06-01

:. WE have only to look back to the scene
IN wnsch our Savior prophecies the desertion
OF ms disciples, in the hour of his degrade
ttoti and condemnation, and mark the bold
sho confident assertion of Peter, "t that
enough all shall be offended because of thee.
yet Will never be offended" and then the
assertion still more confident, though
should die with thee, vet will ( not DENY
1nee, to realize in all its baseness. that dc.
nlai which Peter, irritated beyond endurance
oy frequent taunts, felt called upon to seal
with the still greater crime of protanily. 1t
Is enough to make the Christians heart
weep, when he thinks of the weakness of
feter. II Is enough to make him cry out,
as ne meditates upon the inability of moral
purpose, unstrengthcncd by divine faith, to
resist the temptations of life, "who is suffi-
cient for these things 2" know that the
soul Of that disciple was weak at best. /
know how hard il must be, for even the
most confident in their moral strength to
stand up against the sneers, and SCOTS, and
taunts OF others ! know the inability of
moral weakness to assume tho courage of
moral strength, when attacked by tempta-
uon. instead of making me confident, it
makes me distrust myself Who of us has
not had his own heart filled with sorrow and
alstrust when thinking of his weakness 3
we can sympathize then with that denying
discipie, IN that trying hour of his tempta-
non; Tor TO acknowledge Jesus then, when
every avenue OF escape was closed against
him-when seorn and contempt, if not per-
sonai danger. threatened his friends,-when
douot, FAINT perhaps at first, but afterwards
gaming strength, Til IL assumed the appear
ance OF certainty, that the Christ couid not
N wnnlh L..
for his own beneft--wben the future looked
very dark to them, ,,huRg with the thick clouds
of despair, and there seemed no hope to
acknowledge Gisciplesbip- then, would have
required o moral strength sterner and more
sustaining than any one Of the dis.iples then
possessed. We can sympathize with the
weak disciple in his deniat--for il il but the
voice Of Our own experience that teaches us
how weak We are, even when most confident
IN our strength But with his PROFANITY we
cannot sympathize or, il By our own, we
do sympatize with it, by our moral sense of
right we should not. And this leads me,
leaving the story Of Peters denial, 60 the
consideration of tho subject suggested by
tho text, viz; Profanity; lis origin, its bad
faste, as si,yt,Iness, and iLs eoneeqttences,
Tits Origin.
IL would be paying but poor compliment
to your Intelligence, as we'll as to your NOR
nl sense, did ], for one moment, suppose you
ignorant Of the nature Of profanity. There
Is no nian who has realizing sense of the
dignity of human nature unsalied by sin
OF the near relationship man bears To God,
aud especially of the sacTedness thai attachcs
iisen 70 His Nome In the minds of oil his
,nttillgent creatures. and % ffis Fore In the
hcsfle Of Hli his grateful children, bat will
Ham'..at once and without question, the i'm
morality, 70 ,iss comparatively 4 llpht term
OF abat itfesesenco for sacred fhipss which
prompts e the sse Of language irs6lyino RI
reverence towards Him who & known lo &.
ss The Creatcs Of worlds, and the Father So
oP!riss And yet believing ,his, conseafir,
70 it at All times wheE passion 4 eoci NJ
tho temper unaggraysted. man Is fniitv.- =
6uiiiN DID ! ssyy Yea moro thsn dot5: Z.
guilty. beforo God and his o'Tu eoasl