Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-10
ASLEEP IN SIN.
The Symptoms of This Dangerous Condi-
tion of the ~Soul-Elinsy rsxcesses.


The Symptoms of This Dangerous Condi-
ton of the ~Soul-Flinsy raxcesses.
The most serious Of the symptoms of
sin is the sleep of conscience which it
produces. This sleep is broken by
many incidents of life, even sometimes
by specially aggravated sins. Men are
surprised into wakefulness by their
misfortunes; it was so that tho prod
igal "came to himself" They are
rudcly walked ous Of their conscience
sleep by their own conduct. 1t may be
only a storm of unreasonable passion;
the very intensity Of Saul's anger
against Christians helped to prepare
the shock OF the binding light that
fclled the fierce prosecutor to the earth;
but. unhappi1y, the waking is nos al
ways to the full realization of the tsuth,
and the slumber soon begins again.
For the deep slu,abers of sin nothing
but binding 1lghtnings of law and
awful toreshowings OF the end seem to
be adequate to- arouse the sleepers.
Enc drowsiness> is rervasive, anlk it
often lasts on through all warnings but
those which shake the soul with fefr;
but there are many Young persons who
are still in the early stages Of this sseep
81 sin, and thei-s drowsiness may be.
overcome by Jealous. efforts to wage
them. There agsr q Sew plain faots
Wil5ch ought to- rouse such persons.
One is that the habit Of indifferencasto
religious duties g,cows pFpon them. The,
uaheeded call TO repentance is soon
scarcely heard. The neglect of divine
obligations becomes essy, almost nat
t;nal enough to- seem right. A false
standard of conduct is set up in the.
heart, and this standard gradually iA-
parts more and more &nom the Divine
lswz and at Iangthn Authorizes what
onoe the advancing sinner would have,
daspised and scorned to, do.
Surely, when one finds his conscisnce
hardening and becoming ~insensiple;
thsne is intelligent reasGrs for alarm. Ii
he is less susceptible tahrebukes of con
setence, he knows tits 10 because he
IS q better man, but because he is rass--
Zig into the deep ssnep of sin. All
Things relax in him. and around him.
10 is less offended. by gross sins. in,
obhaHs; he is lcss4conscioa1s of his own
SINS. A moments, reflection will CON
Tinee him thai he,is>losing the hast Of
concerning wrong and approving right
IN many things. He perfectly we'll
=AnoWs that it isnotb because he is wiser.
and is casting off fsuperstition. hEle.has
ne' wisdom that condemns innocence on.
prayer or devcut feelings; that approves
guilty conduct, ~prayerless LIVING and
indifference sorall spiritual things. Fa.
Knows, inceeds that ii Gan not be, wise.
20 i've lko q, polished beast. as. in
sensible to immortal, meanings N, life.as
II he had ne soul; and vet he is Iansin1
day by day into such a life. and ~
hears less and less distinctly the inus,.
voices thas call him to a higher liz.
RAISING in5o deeper Sleep, he oerceiyes
With 10 Aeon regret that hs. neither,
prays, %nosloves. Goa. o desires to, he
pure IN art;and liic. This pcocess Of
s~eli-blinding, of pSntting ous the av<,s
and killing: tic rc}jgious desires. i .
most alarming fact, if the moor so,,,s
that arc, u~ndcngGing it coi,ld; pat ho
stirred 70 look az it. If man ts,,oo
STOCK 1t himself, and finds thah he is
less offended by sin in others, less con.
sc1oussotlt III himself; that he cares
less FOR pure living, and. condopes lie
w 1au!ts with more ease. asd is mo,a
contant to be what he i, and less do,
slrous, to be better, this, st,ek-tal;nr
oushS'to rouse him out OF, his S1,,n,haS5
OF 9Onscssnce. 'ioei
ior IN truth 1T is am awf,a thing for q
sonl made in Gods image, and fanals
itls will and law, ts,be. GRADUALLY la7s'
Eng lhs@ anconcern about all the intt..
ests OF his immortality. Nor are amy. ~
the himsy excuses he na:akes GOOD 49,
~ MS own weakened sight. Does he
says; "God will not IDEAL hardly WITH
me"' Does he forget THAT he is net do
ing what ne plainly knows to be riobt
anu mat ne is Lot compelled to neclact
MS dutiesP Is it even to his 49,
proper use o. e1ercy to sin beca esc ses q
Is merciful? Is there no reytit of o h;a
conscience against %delibeyately recLan
nns maj God is too good ia enfSuao
avs! II he himself condemns hin,se1s
uail!!, 10 ne rational when Ae ooas W.
SHINING on the chance that Ged 's On
truth isthat all this libcralizina H.. Inc Inc
Wnlcnggoes on within a ma fall;no inv "
sne.s4eep Of sin is SO propostero,'sfS nn.o
ssssonahlo that the man who catohn.
nlnlsclt at it ought to see tlas Gin ~
teebling bis intellect az weli so s,i Is en-"
m ,ea,ng oplates to bis conscience. The
J man ID going to sleep> sjp has snr ane