The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-01-31
THE PULPIT.
MIR. JOSEPH COOK
FINAL PERMANENCE OF MORAL
CHARACTER.

into free permanent dissimilarity of feeling
with God, or fail to attain a predominant
desire to be holy. [I
If he does this, it remains scientifically
certain that even omnipotence and omnis-
cience cannot force upon such character
blessedness. There can be no b.essedness
without holiness; and there can be no holi-
ness without a supreme hate of what God
hates. 1t is possible that man may so dis
arrange his nature as not to attain perma-
nent and predominant desire to be holy.
II is the wisdom of all science never to
skip difficulties. know that many consci-
entious and learned persons have asked
themselves the question the disciples once
asked our Lord "Are there few that be
saved:'' He answered that inquiry very
distinctly ''Yes, there are few Does
science answer in the same way?
What are some of the more important
natural laws which enable us to estimate
scientifically the possible extent of the
natural penalties Of sin.
I. Under irreversible natural loW, sun pro-
duces judicial blindness.
Tell me whether these six propositions are
not all scientifically demonstrate
l. Truth possessed but not obeyed be.
comes unwelcome.
2. 1t is therefore shut out of the volun-
tary activities of memory and reflection. as
it gives pain.
3. The passions it should check grow,
therefore, stronger.
4. The moral emotions it should feed grow
weaker.
). An Unbalanced state of the soul thus
arises and tends to become llabitual.
6. That Unbalanced state renders the soul
blind to the truths most needed to rectify
its condition.
A man sins against light boldly. 70 the
divine II ought he answers, II will not =
to the divine ''thou SHALT or ''thou ought
esr'; he replies, 81 will not.' The conse-
1uenoe instantly is that he ceases to be at
peace with himself; and light, instead OF
becoming q blessing, is to him an accusa-
ton. The slant javelin OF truth that was
intended to penetrate him with rapture, fills
him now with torture. If we give ourselves
to an exact study of the souls pains and
pleasures, there is in man no greater bliss
than conscience can afford, and no greater
pain than i. can inA;ct. In this stage Of eN-
istence the highest bliss comes from similar
lily of feeling with God, and the highest
pain from dissimilarty of feeling with him.
The greatest pains and pleasures, therefore.
are set over as ainst our greatest duties, and
SO Gods desire that we should agree with
him is shown by our living under the points
of all these penalties and blisses. But light
having become an accuser, man turns away
from it. Then the virtues which that light
ought to quicken are allowed to languish.
The vices which that light ought to repress
grow more vigorous. Repeated acts of sin
result in Il continued state of dissimilarity OF
feeling with God. That state is an effect,
but it becomes cause. According to New
England theology, sin exists only in acts of
choice; but the newest school of that theol0-
gy need have no war with the Oldest, for the
former recognizes as fully as the latter can,
that the state of dissimilarity of feeling with
God is the source of the evil acts of choice.
That state OF the disposition is the copious
fountain OF sin, ard as such is properly call
ed depravity. This state, continuing, be-
comes habit; then that habit, continuing
long, becomes chronic. and so the result is
an Unbalanced growth of the character
ANALoGIEs FOUND IN NATURE.
When hung my hammock up last sum
mer on the shores of Lake George, noticed
that the trees nearest the light at the edge
OF the forest had larger branches than those
in the interior OF tae wood; and that the
same tree would throw out long branch
toward the light, and a short one toward
obscurity in the interior of the forest. Just
so a man grows toward the light to which
he turns. According to the direction in
which lie turns with his supreme affection
he grows; and as he grows he balances ;
and under the irreversible natural law OF
moral gravitation-as fixed, as scientific a
certainty in the universe as the law of ply
steal gravitation-as he balances so he falls
and according to science, after tree has
fallen under that law, the PROSTATE trunk
continues to be under the law, and there
fore, as it falls so it lies.
Under moral gravitation no less surely
than under physical, every free object that
falls out OF the sky strikes on its heavier
side. They showed me at Amhert the other
day meteorite that dropped out Of the
azure, and it struck on which side? OF
course on its heavier. As the stream runs.
50 it, wears its channel; as it wears its chan
mel. SO it runs. All the mytlologes of the
globe recognize this fearful law of judicial
blindness.
You say that after death you are to have
more illumination, and that therefore you
will reform beyond the grave. How do you
know that you will see greater illumination,
even if you are in the presence of it? How
do you know that You will love 1t, even if
you do see it: There can be no blessedness
without holiness; there can be no holiness
without 4 free, affectionate acknowledge
iACiiU Va NCA 40 INiiiss,. VI u ouptCmC iufC VI
What he loves and hate of what he hates.
Are You likely to obtain these soon under
the law of judicial blindness? You will
have what YOU like; but do you like the
light: You have mOre and more iiumina-
ton now rs the years pass Do you see it !:
DO you love iu: There are two questions
about this greater light beyond the grave
first, will you sec it? second, will you like
it? Unless you have authority in the name
OF science for answering both these ques-
tions in the affirmative, you have no right
in tie name of science to rely on a mere
possibility, on a guess, and take your leap
into the Unseen, depending on a riddle. /,
for one, will not do this for myself; and |
will not teach others to do so. tls{l
Shakespeare has not left us in doubt at
all on this theme, for he says:
Bat when we in our viciousness grow hard,
..... the wise gods seal our eyes:
Iu our own slime drop our clear judgments, make
us sss So 5ssf -gs tff5
Adore our errors laugh at u.s. while we strut
To our confusion
Antony and Cleopatra, Act ill.,, Scene IL.
t,orlv1a uuotoc 0rf of tho Koran Sforv az