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

when he allows himself, from any cause
for there is no cause that can justify him
in it in the irreverent use Of Gods Holv
| Name
The rice Of Profanity-for l can call it
by no lighter name-the lrrevcrent use of
and shocking familiarity with the name of
God, and also of his son Jesus Christ, finds
It's origin in that conscious want of truthful
ness in speaker which leads him to call on
The All-Seeing One to witness the lie, and
oy his silcrce in not manifesting his wrath
NJ once upon the sinner, to consent to the
SIN He calls on Him who is all truth, to
witness the lie. The frequency with which
the name Of God is thus used, necessarily
and naturally weakens the reverence for the
being and the name Of God, which, in the
human heart, is the strongest guard against
sin, since 1t tends to destroy that filial love
and reverence which alone cnn bind the hu-
man heart, with cords Of loving tenderness,
TO the Being who has placed him in world
full OF beauties, and surrounded him with
myriad of voices vocal with lis praise. This
light use of Gods name springs also from
want of self-rcspcct in the person who uses
it. Am l not right! / ask you candidly-
you who habituate yourself to these irrcvcr-
ent expressions-whcther you have and en-
JOY that sense of sclf-rcspect-lhat manly,
ennobling and sustaining consciousness of
moral rectitude which preserves the purity
and consequent peace Of your soul, and which
alone can enable you to face your fellow
men worthy OF their esteem, and your God
with confidence that He will bless you.
ll-lts bad taste.
Profanity besides being n vice. condemned
alike by every divine law, as well as by the
innate moral sense of every one who is, at
heart, christian, is in exceeding bad taste
to every Liam, woman and child of any re-
tinement of thought and feeling. He who
allows himself in the indulgence of this hab-
it, would do well to think Of this Nothing
so plainly marks the man-his refinement,
or his want of it, as the habitual expression
of his thoughts and feelings. You can need
no more convincing proof of the gentleman,
to say nothing of the christian, than the ab-
sencc of profanity in his conversation. do
not speak thus without thought When ]
! hear protanc oath uttered either in care
! lessness or with prcmeditation, am panied
more than this am shocked, disgusted.-
! Not only my religious feelings, but my sense
of propricty, my love for the beautiful re-
ceiv,s n wound which my spirit does not
, speedily recover from. am panied for the
man that uttcrs it. | cannot drive the pain
fu! impression from my mind that he is eth
er exceedingly thoughtless, or exceedingly
vile. And when | hear, as | sometimes
do hear, profane oath uttered in the pres
encc OF woman, whose religious sentiment.
| whose moral scnsibilitiPs, and whose deli
cate sympathy with all things beautiful and
pure, every obligation Of our being obligcs
us to preserve sacred, d,-whosc whole eXis
| tence is devoted to our well-being and our
lovc,-whose spirit is so beautiful in its de-
| votion that it would seem "a if the atmos.
pherc she brcathcd wns rcdolent with hu.
manizing influences, ! cannot but feel that
the man who utters it, is very far lost to
every sense of deccncy; while she. in whose
presence the oath is uttered, receives n
wound in her holiest sensibilities which
must, in time, blunt those delicate discrimi-
nations between virtue and vice, which are
peculiarly the distinguishing traits of her
character. Consider, for moment, the har-
mony in all beautiful things, whether made
by the Creators hands or BY mans. In vir.
tue, too, there is harmony, rs in beauty
And all these are marred or defnced, by that
irreverent use of holy names and sacred
things which profanity manifests. And can
man justify himself in this perncious habit
either in thoughtlessness or in wickedness
when no good can come from il, but only
harm, and harm continually?
IH--Its sinfulness.
After what has already been said, sure.
ly need not speak much upon the sinfulnes.
OF this habit When you think Of Il calm.
ly, and would hope there are times wher
, you do think of 1t and seriously too, you
cannot regard it in any other light than n.
sinful. l know there are moments of pas
sion and yexing haste, and utter thoughtless
/ ness OF what You are doing, when urged, as
1t were, out of Your better judgement, by
the force Of circumstances. you may not be
aware Of what you are doing, or saying. ]
can sympathize with you when such mo.
ments come. But kno,c, that even then
you must have lost your usual good sense
If you allow yourself in It. What good
/ comesit! Docs the untoward circumstanc,
/ become less untoward? Does the hot pas
T sion become less yiolent-the yexipp hast,
: less urgent--docs your angry temper be
/ come less angry-do the violent surpes o
0 passion settle down into peaceful calm o
: subdued quietness, by an oath! If so, ant
G grant that these are often the motives tc
| profanity, cannot you learn to control your
G self without calling on the name of God, 81
D profanely and impiously, 10 aid YOU?
1 need mott feel that need not try to con
+ vince you Of the sinfulncss Of this habit, fo
FL would hope that now that your attention
is kindly turned to it, yOu will admit it n
I
, moral sense has become so calou by tn,
1 frequent wear Of this vice upon it that yor
can see no sinfulness in any sin, and no yir
: tue in any holiness.
WITS consequences.
And now would ask you seriously ia
look at the consequences of this pernicous
hnbit, and to ace il yon are willing for the
sake of thoughtless qualification, to jeo.
Pardizc yonr interest in these things Fol-
as certain "a your existence, these conse.
Quences which am about to name will be
not only tho natural, but the inevitable re.
suit of yOnr indulgence. will present that
! first which may be supposed tn have an in.
} tiuence upon minds wholly worldly, and YET
} ! would hope, for your own sake, that YOU
, have higher motives Of action, else should
, despair of n reformation which, to be perfect
} and entire, must have its Impulse and its
, vitality deep in the affections, and guided
) by that moral sense which alone marks the
man.
The first consequence, then, which would
, name, is loss Of The esieem Of those ,ciose good