Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-25
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
"The Importance and Worth of Noble
COnsciousnessn

"Tlle Importance and Worth of a Noble
Consciousness.n
The Rev. DR.. Dana, at The morning ser
vice yesterday, delivered very interesting
discourse, of which the following is an alb
stract:
Acts 2s-1: Il have lived in all good conscience
before God until this day.
What grander confession after all can man
make than this? What noble bearing it here
gives the apostle, as be stands prisoner at the
bar, planting himself on the moral integrity
OF his life, and drawing from that inner his
tory which the world could not read affrms
his consciousness of o noble intent. This was
| a signal hour in st. James career, and if he
been guilesa, pervaded by lofty purpose, it
surely 10 worth our while to look into the mat
| ter and see if we are not missing that which
may be more to US than all else,
| viz. noble consciousness. In times like this
what lesson SO needful for us to learn as
before our own consciences. Ifone thing more
than another impresses us in the character of
the early disciples, it is their bold declaration
OF possessing q conscience void of offense, and
that therefore 1t 1nattered little to them that
they were Judged by mans judgment, since
they knew they were approved by God. There
is no resisting this appeal they make to their
own conscious integrity, and the sense they
had of being right and true. Careful as we
train ourselves to be about our conduct. studi-
GUS as we are to seem right before men, we
lose sight OF that which must 60 be-
fore al appearance, that is actual
being. In these days it is not more attention
to the exterralities of our life that is called for
but for more regard for our inward bearing
for what we are in cur own consciences, and in
the eight of God Before the fear of this
world, we need to place the reproaches Of GU,
| own hearts, for self-condemnation is harder to
bear than any criticism of those unfriendly
We can do without the friendship of men, hu,
we cannot live and be happy without an approx
ing conscience. Pascal, in one Of his thoughts
puts it thus, 'We have such q grand idea o.
the soul OF man, that we cannot endure to b.
desplsed by it, or even not to be esteemed by it
It's the life we live in ourselves, our secret anc
real character that constitutes our happiness
and personal influence. So the apostle, looking
back upon his past, was able to report, that b,
E had ever acted from tho highest motives, ane
1t wsa therefore small matter to him to b.
called into judgment by kings or courts, whe1
acquitted before that inner tribunal where frs
we are obliged to be Judged with RELENTLESS
G severity.
I. Consider first the nature and scope 0
: consciousness; wherein it differs from memor
o and diherentiates man from the brute. Thin
what it supplies to poet and painter, and no,
: 1t exalts the bearing of every man possessed Q
c a noble purpose
parable to fine and lofty consciousness7 Til
Is i distinguishes the magnanimous from the mea
= man, the polemic animated by zeal for genert
+ notorlety and success and the devoted chril
e tian, whose arguments are loving deeds, an
whose persuasive is his guileless. helpful lif,
8. How this noble consciousness produce
70 patience and courage. 1t ereatens every b,
man life, and gives us an errand that is divin
in Its effects on men.
Fourth--And this consciousness Christianit
q prooures for us. It commends every one of il
t. doctrines and duties to us, showing us that j
TT the living and believing to which it summon
RS us is found areally pure and exalted spirit.
. ID Christianity in the form Of a personal exp
&c rience which builds over the ruins of sin ia
ss structures. 1t fills the mind with ideals ar
longings that supply the staple of mob
ge achievement. When our gaze is onward Il
1o report that comes to the Christian-hearted
NJ us is one that irradiates the face, and betoke
T, the consultations which feed the souls pea
Sc and keep alive the fires Of its holy zeal. Hapl
o. my friends are you, if able to affirm with II
ty courageous and lofty-souled apostle, "We ha;
~ lived in all good conscience before God'' $