The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-05-16
For the Elk Advocate.
CATHOLIC CHRIsTIANITY--N0. S.

Since that infinitely powerful, wise,
and holy Being, who made us and pre-
serves Us, is our moral Governor and
Judge, it becomes us to inquire with all
seriousness and candor, how we may Sc.
cure the good which He is able TO bes
stow, and avoid the evil which he is
able to inhict. For when this short and
uncertain life is ended, we must enter
an eternal state of retribution, and our
behavior in this world will determine
our condition in the next, All ques
tions of merely temporal concern are OF
no account in comparison to the inquiry
how we may approve ourselves to God,
and secure that tul,ess Of jog which can
be found only in His presence--those
moNoyed pleasures which are at his
right hand torevermore.
But, here we are met by very sad
and surprising fact. Man is not only
estrayed from God, bnt is unwilling to
become reconeiled to Him. This fact
we may observe every day. The reason
Of it we find declared in the scriptures
Where God had created man in his own
likeness, he gave him one commando
very easy one-that he would not cat of
the tree that stood in the midst Of the.
garden, upon pain of death, while he
might eat freely Of all the rest. We
understand that if our first parents had
obcyed this command, they would have
been immortal, and their posterity also !;
but when they ate OF the forbidden tree,
they and their children became subject
to death, " BY one man sin entered into
this world, and death by sin; and SO
death passed upon all men in whom (or
for tao all have sinned." Romans 5,
liz. "By a man came death, -" in
Adam all die. lCor. 10, 2l, 22.'The
human race fell in that first transgress-
ion and so every individual, descend
ing naturally from Adam, is born with a
depraved villa sinful heart. This de-
uravitv of the will, or heart, is t0tat !
there is no moral goodness left Jas st.
1 Augustine observes, g." Nothing is ours
but SIM DaAnd the Apostle confesscs,
j" For | know that there dwelleth not in
me. that is in my flesh, that which is
God" Roms Z, 49, "That which is
born of the flesh, is flesh and that
which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit
John 3 6. Sorthat all mankind, unit
bora of the Spirit" are at heart The
enemies of God ; having not particle
of true love for Him whom they ouga
to love with all the heart, and soul, anC
mind and strength. This innate, sin
full depravity of the heart " which w
all inherit from Adam, is the oriyiad
sin from which, asan evil loot, spring al
D our actual sins-the evil thoughts, word
and deeds, from which no one can clain
! to be entirely free These corrup
fruits show that the tree is corrupt
The uniform developments Of huma
{ nature for six thousand years afford tn
: slight confirmation of the Scripture dot
a trine concerning sin.
Ifl 1t is indeed sad to be compelled
: take such a view Of human nature bl
: who would wish to find comfortiu lie
J. Sooner or later the truth will out, and
is is best to meet it at once, aud shape OF
n future conduct accordingly. If mt
is afflicted with mortal disease, whiC
u may very soon, and must sometime, pro
a the only prudent way is to confess the tlut
[, and seek aid from the physician, while
; is possible for the disease TO be arrest
is and the patient restored TO health. Let
m tnen acknowledge our sinful and lost co
y" dition by nature, and inquire with all S
Of briefly and earnestness, whether there
II. any possible way Of escape from it-whet
er lost sinners may be saved.
ID @. C..
I'd F.