The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-06

Ine uep,e ahsnees. SO acute often are
shaan hidden sufferings of mon suddenly
sS,e,sSscted In crime, as to persuade some into
the belief that remorse exhausts the penalty
due to sin. and the misdeeds Of tho world are
avenged in the miseries of the world
The contrary Ia true. The good are those
who have the clearest perception OF right ana
wrong, and who weep and mourn over theil
sinner becomes by q certain law OF SIN naro-
ened and incapable of mental remorse. lie Is
past feeling or. us it is expressed In Scrptule,
his conscience Is scared with q hot IRON. ne
ceases to experience the penalty OF SIN Us nv
increases the number and enornity o. nus %
lenses. But is it to be concluded that InS t
God should punish with heavy stripes n,,. '' at
deviation from duty, and that the gfoSser ao.s
of matured wickednesS a. sho n.,t l;,,,i,o
without punishment. Is the lirst nsplng
oath of childhood not to be uttered without
trembling and pain, and Is the coarse pro,
family and other vices OF hoary age 10 senu .
no pang into futurityf conscience nus . Ge.n
s,,gpended but in It's suspension was tneie
no prophetic omen that the earlier pasiii
attendant upon sin was the precursor a., y
deeper and more poignant d u,sV
gnawing sensation OF worm Gh1g 10 hoF 'i,nnr,
afterwards chilled into torpor by tne sllht, :
neglect and scorn Of all remonstrance, Dug
oniy to renew its activity when the inward
senses of the soul-if may SO express Lille
exposed and naked beneath its Iangs aLu a
means of grace there are none, TO purify the
soul and to make IL meet Tor N, me
Inheritance of the saints in light. The
moment the sinner falls asleep In death,
the soul is more awake than ever to recall lost
opportunities, and to rehearse, It's own
wretehedness and woe SO little force Is
there In the objection that the nature OF ~
tmre punishment Is inconsistent with the
constitution of % spiritual being.
Eu,1ally fallaciolls Is the objection which q
yitiated theology is urging against the ex-
istence of Satan. II we listen to these teach-
ers 1t is incumbent upon us no longer TO De,
iieve In on evil spirit, amidst darkness ana
woe, subsisting upon his hatred Oh goo, anu NJ
the thought of making others partakerS Q,
misery. Only the personality OF the Evi,
One and his legions Is derided; not the evil
itself. which is too palpable and defiant TO
be disputed. Error and wickeuness G mha
mischief is all the same, whether the
cause which produces it Is from within or
without, or from both. Personal or imper-
sonal, there Is an unseen power when Is
strong to make men lawless and disobedlent.
DENY the notion of Satanic agency Ii you Will !;
there ID not single passion 81 our nature,
which becoming intensified, will not become
a tyrant power, and fling its serpent coils
around a man 50 that his slrenSth + wen we.
nigh gone At times, his mind will be haunt
ed with gorgeous and hideous .spectres, as
when the brain is heated with strong drink,
until the air around his chamber, Is neoped
with devils tormenting him With pam ana
anguish indescrbable. Why this cruel hall J.
einntion This man did not make himself
he IL not responsible for tho faculties which
tempt him to his fall, for the appetltes
which seduce him to state OF aus
viii, n brothers blood What thenP The
honest seeptic 10 obliged to answer that thest
andowments are lodged within him, for ms
good. il held in abeyance-for his misery, |
they gain the mastery ana make mar nun one,
the same law holds good OF corrupt assoGla
tions which are external to tho man, vino pc
comes the unfortunate victim OF Their lnllu
ence. They are allowed to tempt b;d nm t liz ana da
struction. With this fact in view, the agency
of evil spirits is not so abhorrent to reason a.
to become q subject for mockery. Inc transi
tion from the visible to the invisible IN sd .a u
lion ia rational. and the other Irrational. crue
and Incredible An evil and seductive splri
Il not myth any more than seductive ap
petite of seductive companion Of our ilesi
and blood.
To he TEMPTED of the devil is not degrading
to our nature, that we should struggle agains
the doctrine. 1t deepens rather the sympath.
Of angels and men, and allows large room TO
charity toward each other. For Ii man b.
the instigator OF all the damning crimes ant
atrocities which darken our world, II they ar.
perpetrated by men unassisted by the devil
we must conclude our own nature to b.
totally depraved and demoniacal; we do no
rid ourselves Of demons, but only claim
elusion, than which nothing Is NOR,
terrible, that our race Is the most wicked
degraded and malignant race OF beings 10 TN
universe? Are you content to make this ac
cusation II so, Christianity IS not responssl
bic for it: it liz not Christian doctrine. Be
tween the two belief and unbelief, the hardes
accusers of mankind are not believers.
TO be tempted of the devil is not to be sub
iect to power which is Irresistible, which Il
another objection In the way of this doctrine
Satan is busy to eircumvent and destroy, but
he ID not ignorant that to be utterly destroyed
and miserable the sinner musthave the stln'
of deep reproach, the aching consciousness
that his ruin has been his own act, and no
another's The whole design of his temp
to '-e cover their souls with the sham
OF remorse. But remorse and sell
accusation were impossible, If temptatio
ID SO strong as to be irresistible. There Is n
blame can attach to the sinners conduct, 10
there is no power to enable him to 40 RICH
Satan would not attempt IL he could, to fore
the human will to the commission OF evll, le
yate the sinners doom like this reflection
that power was given him to resist u
temptation, and the promise was given hi
of victory. ,,.,,,
aside by his own lusts and enticed. 1t Is Il
evil passions of men concurrlng with III
Temptation which invites its approach an
makes 1t potential. Satan watches the natur
seeks to bring under his power. Of Juda
It is expressly written that he had alread
eounseed with the chief priests .has to betrs
tered into him. to stimulate him to the exec
Hon te5ea Of This his task. The same is affirmed Of
anias. that avarice had already prevail
with him to keep back part OF the price OF T =
land. before Satan had access to him, TO ma
him lie to the Holy Ghost The world aboun
in resources so to tempt the weak and yiciou1
pleasure for the y9 9hs rshe ns
n rno Nc NJ revenge for the malicious. Sat-
makes It his study to bring them togeth'
and viii never suffer an evil inclination to
pire e for want of opportunity to contest
strength. ID, .. aos,o :
power Of that cruel and malicious spirit, ' Wht
personality involves the fate OF the :, Bible i.s
well as of humanity. To dispute thls tru
Is to endanger the whole Gospel NO su
cruel falsehood would have been impos
upon the faith of Christians. Jesus was