The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-04

we fear. but still there is very great use
in every Christian saying: .Follow
the compass" You have the compass
within you. 1t is named conscience.
Do not abuse it; do not dull its sensi-
tiveness; do not defect it with the iron
of self-interest. Leave it free to az.
swer to the electric current of the
Spirit of God, and then folloW it. You
need no other guide. Oh, there is a
rare satisfaction in following out these
great principles. They are as good
away from home as at home. They
will be as good in the twentieth GEN.
fury rs in the nineteenth.
There is the Gospel rule and it says:
"Are you doubtful about a course Of
conduct? Then shun it. Does con-
science condemn ever so little? Then
beware Are you not quite sure that
you are right? Then stop! Stop right
here, until you are sure! Leave the
pleasure unta.ted, until your doubts are
set at rest. Have YOU suspicion, ever
so small, that you are wrong? The
Christian viii give heed to that suspicion.
And then if q Christian, following his
tender conscience, seeking to know the
mind of Christ, striving earnestly to do
right. pronounces that right for himself
which consider wrong tor myself, my
mouth is shut as far as he is concerned.
l should not dare to denounce him. To
his own Master he standeth or falleth.
In just this way by appealing to every
mans conscience, by allowing each one
to stand upon his own feet, and shape
his own course, does God govern the
moral universe. He might have made
all sin impossible. but he did not He
might have fenced in every wrong act
with fence so high and with pickets so
sharp that no one would ever have got
ten over into the forbidden Enclosure;
but he did not. He might have withered
every hand that was stretched out to
steal. and paralyzed every tongue that
prOfaned His name, and palsied the lips
that framed q lie, and made the penalty
of every sin so severe and certain that
it would never again have been COM
mitted: but not so has His infinite wis
dom chosen to govern the world. He
has allowed it to be possible and
easy to sin; He has not barred up
the by-paths which lead to de-
struction, so that no one can get
over the fence: but He has placed
within every one monitor. He has
given to every one sensitive compass
needle. ana he says: Follow that"
Only thus is character formed. If it
were impossible for US to do wrong, it
would be Il very weak and fabby sort
of goodness that would be ours. The
innocence of baby is not the virtue of
a man, and the only way for us to de-
velop this strong, virule virtue in our
selves or others is to follow out Gods
plan. .'Do right because it is right;
follow conscience wherever it leads,
and be very careful that in the slight
est thing which we allow we do not
condemn ourselves"
This, then, we believe. is the Chris
tan law of amusements. Enter into
those which conscience heartily and
fully approves. Refrain from those
concerning which tender conscience
raises the slightest question, because it
is terrible thing to scar or blunt the
conscience. 1t would be wicked
thing maliciously to put out one of our
bodily eyes. 1t is worse a thousand
times to put out the eyes Of the soul, so
that it cannot see the difference between
right and wrong. 1t would be wicked
thing to mutilate the bodily ear, so that
no sweet sounds could ever enter there.
1t is worse q thousand times to mutilate
the ear of the soul so that it can never
hear the voice of God. When, by in
dulginG in doubtful amusements, we
diSObey conscience and refuse her man.
dates, we dull and quench our moral
sight and hearing. and make our souls
forever blind and deaf. -G0lGsen Rule.