The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-04-17
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law-making power from the begin
ming. Man in his primeval state
was COMMANDED to take care of the
garden in which he was placed
with The privilege of eating it's
fruit for his reward. lie was also
commanded not to eat of the tree
in the midst of the garden. We
presume he was required to care
for It as he did the other trees but
he was not to touch the fruit there
of. For aught we know he did his
duty in keeping the garden. lie
was obedient in one respect. How
long he obeyed the mandate, "thou
shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree
of good and evil" we know not.
The presumption is, not great
while. But here was the trouble
with the primitive pair: "Thou
shalt not" 'Why not?" "What
hurt would it do to eat of that
fruitI" were, perhaps, the queries
of the innocent ones. That spirit,
questioning the right of authority
led, first one and then the other,
into open disobedience. II was
doubtless easier to do than not to
do.
This is true to-day. There is 3
spirit born In us which revolts at
tho law forbiding rs 10 do. The
most of Us would be good tried by
any other rule of conduct. But the
"thou shalt not" raises the Adam
and Eve at once. This manner of
disobedience manifests itself in the
child while on ITS mothers breast.
We can, as a rule, persuade our
children TO do, but it takes cline
upon line," not to say blow upon
blow, TO keer them from doing
what we forbid. Just say, "don't
do that" and our children fail,
somehow, to appreciate the COM
mand until they disobey. Here is
the ''irrepressible conflict" in the
life of every real boy. lie can do
with a will; but how not to do is
the trouble. So with men and wo-
men. 1t is much easier to keep q
commandment which says "do this
and i've" than it is to keep the one
which says Sin the day thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die"
y few days ago we were in a
school room. The drill was per-
feet. The little fellows moved
with alacrity to do everything re-
quired. Books, states, pencils and
readers were all handled in order.
Position was assumed at a word.
Everything ran smoothly. The
order was almost perfect, the
children doing just what the teach
er said do, doing everything heart.
lily. At length she got them into
good position, and gave orders for
them not to change until she re-
turned. AS soon as the door was
shut two thirds of them had
changed position, the good order
was banished, the quiet was bro.
ken, and the children, under the
mild but positive ''thou shalt not, >
were openly rebelIious. They re-
joice in the opportunity to disobeY.
They were not very bad children.
They did not act as they did out of
disrespect to the teacher, but only
to break the restraint. The fiat.
"thou shalt not was an intolerable
burden.
Here is the burden of law. 1t is
not in the duties imposed, but in
the restraints thrown around our
free wills, the compulsion. We so
like to disregard mandate which
forbids. We do SO oft times at the
risk of health, happiness, present
aid eternal welfare. The first pair
violated the law forbidding them
to cat of the fruit of the tree in the
midst OF the garden in the face of
death. Men violate the laws of
their being regardless of loathsome
disease and certain death. 1t takes
q penalty adequate to the trans =
gression to deter us from doing
what the law says we shall not do.
And penalties too often fail. We
arc too apt to risk consequences for
the sake of what wo suppose to be
sweet liberty. "Stolen waters are
sweet" is the old, lying proverb
which has ruined many a soul.
But here is the test of virtue.
Obedience, strict, uncompromisiug
obedience to every law of Heaven
is the qnintescence of virtue. The
obedience of creatures who are ca
pable and disposed to violate law,
to all Its requirements is almost, if
not quite, godlike. And here is
real liberty. The violator of law
makes himself a slaye to some
grovelling appetite or passion; but
the man who keeps law stands up
free from sin and death. He that
is free from sin is free indeed.
And here is the source of real hap
piness. The obedient one is the
victor; and victory always brings
its reward, unalloyed happiness.
Our Father knows what is best
for US. He made us free, gave us
the law, and allows us to choose the
freedom and happiness of obedi-
ence, or the slavery and condemns
ton of disobedience. Nothing
gives as so much faith in our own
manhood as the consciousness of
obedience to law.
The fact that we are free to do
wrong, but able and willing to do
right, If properly interpreted aud
acted upon, will restore us to pris-
tine strength, if not its innocency.
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