Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-10-29
BEDFORD. PA. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 49, 1858.
PROFANITY.
5EY J. D. WILLIAMSON.

IL is Unsuitable to look abroad through this
civilized and enlightened couoiry, and behold
how widely and how almost universal is the
prevnlcuce Of this sin. La the bells of depray
Try which 10 mar the face of this otherwise
beautiful earth, the uame OF God may be heard
minglieg 9sfh the obscene jest, the vulgar joke,
the riot Of debauchery, aud the swaager of in-
temperance. In the marts Of business il is ut
tered BY thaughtless tongues amid the chatter
lngs Of tfaIe aud the bargainngs Of avarice.--
In The faIsily aud social circle, in the solemn
hall OF legislation, aud the houses called seats
OF justice N tue presence of magistrates and
judges, in the warehouses aad workshop; yea,
everywhcEa save oaly in the pulpit, and somc-
times even there, the holy name of God Is used
with lightRess and irregerenee-sh showing that
It's mention aEakens no yeneration, aud conse-
quently isscldoln, if ever associated with the
idea of that all-gracious and oYer-present Be-
ing to wl9a il belongs.
Nor this practice the less siafnl because
it IS SO common. In all its forms and phases
it lndicases soul in which the first step in the
religious lite has not been taken. 1t speaks OF
heart hardened and constantly hardening;
soul which has no positive appreciation Of The
idea of fealty u duty to God, and which needs
but the accession and the temptation 10 steep it.
self in crimes OF darker dye Think not this
a mere cant Of the pulpit. Il is more than that
it is a solemn truth. do not say that such
au one must be an outbreakiug offender, or what
the world calls decidedly vicious man, so far
as his oetwarl acts are concerned; but do say
that the strongest barriers against the foods OF
iui1uity are ia his case broken down. lie may
pass aInoag his fellows for good mau iu the
main, having but one blemisi in his character
aud that may be thought a slight one, but the
truth is, il Is a worm at the root of the tree,
and thai tree cannot flourish till The worm is
removed lie may be good husband and lath-
er FROM the natural love he bears to his wife
and children; he may be good neighbor or
friend from natural kindness of heart; be may
be an llpaest nlaa in his dealings from the con-
yiction that honesty is The best policy; he may
be god theologian from the perceptions Of a
clear and discriminating intellect, and may
suPpUtV ise,s-s- s-~-a 4Le
general idea of their responsibility and useful
ness. All these things such man may do,
from one cause and another; but the fatal effect
is, he will do nothing from sense OF duty
nothing because his duty to God requires it
and yet this is the beginning of virtue.
How, indeed can the profaue IN Talk into
nurtv The admission Of thai word into his
vocabulary is an acknowledgment that there IS
something due from him TO his Creator and if
anything is due, surely commoa civil:ty and de-
cent respect for his name may be reekoned
among the debts. But if he refuses these, and
instead thereof uses Gcd'S name in Jest aud
dersion, aud in associations to which he would
not degrade the name OF fayorite servant,
much less that Of friend, how dare that man
talk OF duty
Besides all this the vice now under consid-
Grafton is SO destitute of an apology, SO utter
ly inexcusabe, that its causes can be traced to
nothing else than an obliqpity of moral vision,
or ebtuseness of perception, which cannot or
will not see the right, or which cares not for
the difference between the right anu wrong
II therefore indicates moral derravity, deeper
and more blameworthy than that which is ne
cessary to account for crimes which rank higher
in the catalogue of iniquity There is no con-
stituiioual infrmity, 10 hope OF gaiu, no rag
lug thirst or appetite claiming satisfaction, no
love of honor or praise, no strong temptation
moving man to baspheme the name of God,
that may be urged 10 extenuaton of the crime.
1t is but the free aud unsolicited outgush of q
spirit that loves the wrong fer its own sake aud
which wautonly insults the majesty of heaven,
without even the miserable apology Of pro-
vocation or a shadow of reason for doing so.