Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-10-11

| Nc1ANS "iIIl IN lIllI fhn
act which removed the soul of VIM
Sheffield to another world was NOT his
own.
Man is held responsible by laws both
human and divine only for those deeds
done in freedom and according to rea.
son. The same law allows that when
the reason is dethroned, freedom and
responsibility depart along with it. and
the man does, he knows not what.
The man who i'm a moment of passion
and without malice prepense takes the
life of another is not regarded as crimi-
nal in the highest degree. The law
spares his life and allows hope for re-
pentance.
How much more should human char
ity cOndOno the act of him who i'm a
moment of dependency or of intense
physical suffering takes his own life. 1t
is true, he violates the great command
Thou shalt not KILL" vet he DESTROYS
not that which is another mans, but
that which is his own and his creators,
and to that creator alone is he RESPONSE
BILE. Again, when one is oppressed by
want or is overwhelmed with sorrow
shame or remOrse, voluntarily casts
down the burden of life, as no longer
supportable, the act however deliberate
is pitied by humanity rather than con-
demned, but when one who is sur
rounded by earthly abundance, with
| family ties unbroken and faithful
friends about him, who can look back
upon a long and useful life, who has
been kind to the poor, helpful to the
deserving, has contributed generously
to every good and charitable cause, who
is beloved by all, when the hands of
SO apparently uncalled for, the convic-
ton comes straight home to every mind
that he was not himself, and hence that
the deed was not his own. What was
it then Cyou will say?) What force was
1t which so rudely stOrmed and took
the citadel of his life? An answer to
this question involves in part the solu-
ton, the enigma of human life. In
common thought we often imagine our
selves to be alone, and according to ap-
pearances we so speak, whereas in fact
there is no such thing as a mans being
alone.
Every human being 1--WE are told in
those doctrines lately revealed by the
Lord out of heaven, and by means of
His wOrd) is attended constantly by
spirits both good and evil, these being
always with him, at least two of each
sort.
For wise purposes the man is uncon-
scious of the presence of these inhabi-
tants of another world, for he must, to
himself, appear to act and speak as of
himself. Yet in truth, he thinks no
thought, utters no word, and performs
no deed, except through these unseen
and constant companions. Of these
the good or angelic spirits suggest every
good thought and prompt every good
action, while the evil and Internal at
tendants urge him on to every sin. The
first are ever seeking to win the soul to
goodness and truth and to eternal life.
The latter as constantly endeavOr to
instill the evil and the false, to bring
the man to their own unhappy condi-
tion by infiicting the blight of eternal
death.
By the power of an all-wise and all
merciful providence man is kept in
equilibrium between these two Oppos-
ing forces, and either of them he is free
to choose.
That influence which he in freedom
makes his own through life by choice
moulds his character for heaven or for
hell for character is formed by habit.
by affection and by choice of daily life.
1t is this character so formed that de-
cides his fate when he comes into
another life, and no arbitrary decree of
divine power as some suppose. Now
as reason would teach, and as all re-
vealed religion would assure us, that a |
oh ofn ri s,,n 1>,, i
in utter disregard Of the letter or the
spirit of Gods most holy command
ments, cannot be changed by any act of
mere lip confession or apparent repent
and at the last. So we must also be-
lieve that a character for uprightness |
and integrity built up by a long life of |
obedience to laws, human and divine,
cannot be destroyed in moment bv |
the utmost malignity of its spiritual
foes, however, these for the time NAV
seem to triumph over it. Here, then, |
dear friends, let us rest our hope and
faith in the ultimate safety and happi-
ness of our departed brother, that the
unfortunate act which has ushered him
before his time into the presence of his
maker was not his own, but must be
attributed to the aid and wicked spirits
who, owing to the accident of his phv-
sical condition, temporarily obtained
the mastery over him; q mastery alto
gether foreign to his previous life and
conduct as hope to show.
At the same time let us not fail to read
a lesson in that which has befallen him,
and as in his loss or decline to take to
the warning which has so
sadly come upon us.
He, in that sphere where he now sees
the nothingness of earthly things and
The reality of those which are eternal,
would not have us acquit him of ali ,
blame. Doubtless had he or had any 1
)ne who has come to an end like his,
resisted from the first rightly and pray |
erfully the promptings of his spiritual |
enemies, or had he manfully and in the
beginning abstained from the use of
hat pernicious drug which may be re- |
sarded as the cause of all his sufferings, ,
md into which as into congeniai t
plane his spiritual foes acted, they would {
lot have been permitted by his heav- ,
enly Father to quench the lamp of rea- ,
son, and to suddenly as they did to turn {
lis own hand against his bodily life. {
Let us all who feel, or shall ever feel. ,
such unholy promptings, take this war
ling to heart, and arm ourselves against
hem with the Psalmist's prayer: 20 {
Lord consider mine enemies for thew ,
ire many and they hate me with a cru
j hatred"
Having now said so much concerning {
leath in general, and in eXtenuation Of ,
he manner in which our friend met his
,Wn, let me direct yOur attention for q