Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-09-10
sELF-pENIAL.

duty of s%elf-denial, yet a confusion Of
ideas as to what Is to be denied, and to
what extent often throws a vagueneSs
over the subject, that prevents self
from being brought into prac-
teal operation. 1t Is obvious that
this, like every other duty, has its
bounds, and those who would insist on
a complete denial Of every affection
aud desire demand a sacrifice, which, If
It were possible to make, could only
produce pernicious results. Human
nature Is composed Of various princi-
ciples, faculties and ~appetites, which
when properly balanced from a perfect
combination from which nothing can
b spared. No duty can ever require
the determination Of any natural de-
sire or the total remuneration Of any
faculty. AS In the body every men,
Der has its peculiar function, and Is
necessary to physical perfection, so In
the mind, every element Is in itself
useful and essential, and cannot be
crushed without deforming the entire
nature. The same duty that calls us
TO preserve and exercise all our facul-
ties, also requires Of us all that their
proper relations to each other shall be
maintained aud it is In this province
that the obligation Of self-denial comes
In to correct all discrepancies and to
bring the faculties into harmonious
working order. The noblest parts Of
our nature..do not call for restriction or
denial. The moral sense, or what we
term conscience, must reign supreme
II we would attain any true excellence.
An enlightened intellect and 4 sound
Judgment will doubtless guide and
Improve Its decisions, but from its final
mandates there can be no appeal.
This part Of self must never be denied.
Neither an we deny our reason, al
though We are sometimes required to
do 50 BY those who look at it super
ficially. This faculty lies at the
foundation Of all II real beliefs. 1t
"a the means by which we discover the
truth, just as the eye is the medium by
which the outer world is revealed. and
If we quench or subdue 1t we shut out
the truth as ef~fectually rs we exclude
the splendors Of the light from the
closed eye. 1t Is true that the reason
falls into many and gross errors, but 1t
Is reason itself, ere progressing, that
alone can reveal these errors and rec
tify Its own mistakes. 1t is capable Of
infinite Improvement, but it may never
be condemned or denied, rs its very
essence partakes Of the deepest princi-
pies Of truth and virtue. There are
other parts of our nature which, though
useful and necessary, cannot claim
such pre-eminence. The affections
and desires Of the mind, and the appe-
tites and passions Of the senses, need
wise control and frequent denial. They
do not, like conscience and reason,
carry within themselves their W rule.
There Is \ limit within which they are
essential to our best interests, but be-
You'd which they lead only to injury.
Even the affections Of the heart may,
uncontrolled, produce sad damage to
the nature. Benevolencc without q
firm sense Of Justice fails to be a virtue.
and all the various emotions, innocent
and often lovely IN themselves, will
only prove .beneticent when guided
and restrained. The appetites and
passions have a tendency to continued
growth by indulgence. The inventions
Of civilization are constantly producing
new stimulants to tempt the appetite,
and new luxuries to allure the senses.
II there Il no restraining influence
brought to bear on the senses, they
will speedily absorb the strength OF
the soul, and I'LL the rich soil Of the
heart with poisonous weeds. Thus the
desire for property, unchecked, will
increase with every success, and III
flame tie whole mind, till there IS
neither room nor strength left for no
bier aims. Tie love Of society or
amusement unrestrained, will produce
the idler /; the love Of ease, the slug
gard the love Of power, the tyrant ;
the love Of admiration, the sycophnnt;
and the love Of pleasure, the sensual
ist. Yet all these desires are In
themselves not only innocent, but
necessary to our welfare and happi-
ness, and when confined within
their proper limits, are estimable. 1t is
IN this sphere that self-denial bears so
important q part. Without 1t, the
beauty, order and harmony Of human
nature will be sacrificed. The degree
to which we ought to exercise this de-
NAL Of our lower natures Is n matter
demanding earnest thought. To pre-
serve the harmonious exercise OF all
the faculties; to cherish every desire
to Its rightful limit, and then firmly
resist It's further Entertainments, Is a
task worthy Of all our powers. The
main point ID to see that our conscience
and reason maintain the complete
ascendancy over all that is beneath
them. If their superiority is acknowl-
edged, and their authority upheld all
the other parts of our nature will fail
into their true positions and fulfill
their appointed purposes. But directly
the lower nature triumphs over the
higher, when the senses ceas to obey
the dictates Of reason, and the desires
arc INDUCED, In spite of the warnings
Of conscience, then order becomes SUD