The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-05
BE YOURSELF.
EVERY TUB ON IT'S OWN BOTTOM.
Do What You Think is Right.
Nem York Herald.

know that there is nothing unclean
Of itself: but to him that esteemeth |
ANYTHING to lie unclean. to him 1t Is
unclean.-ROmans xiv: IL.
We have here very broad and I'M
portant principle of action. st. Paul
applies the principle to only lew
things. but there is no reason why we
may not apply it to many things.
The Apostle says that some men es-
TEEN one day above another, while
others regard the day alike. He fur
Their saws that many regard certain ar
ticles of food unclean, while others en-
terrain different opinion. Neither OF
these classes, he declares, is justified in
condemning the other for following
their convictions. No one man can be
the Judge for all the rest. Each must
he "fully persuaded in his own mind,
and then do what he thinks is right.
Paul carries his principle SO far as to
assert that if given course is entirely
innocent in itself, still if you think it
IS wrong, that settles the matter for you
and YOU commit sin in following 1t.
You are to do what you yourself
think is right, not what other people
tell you is right.
You are to exercise your own best
Judgment when deciding what is harm
full or innocent, and God will reckon
with YOU on that basis.
If YOU have been endowed with reas-
oning faculties and with a moral nature
you are by their exercise to erect a
standard for yourself and to create an
ideal which it shall be your purpose to
attain. When you have made the
standard you are to act in accordance
with it, and when you have made your
ideal you are to keep it in view with
eyes that are loyal and steadfast.
In single word, st. Paul would
have you be yourself even though you
become unlike everybody else.
You are not to be as a drop of water
in bucket of water, undistlnguishable
from the general mass, but rather as
one grain of sand on seashore of sand
or as one lcadcn shot in a bagful of shot
in close relations with every other
grain OF sand or every other shot, but
still maintaining an individuality OF
your own, which cannot be lost and with
which YOU refuse to part.
This is only another way of saying
that in the providence Of God there il
no such thing as a crowd to be trcate(
as Il who.e. but He wishes you to &c
tain your REGULARITY under all circum
stances, and will attend to your specia
needs in special way.
You arc to begin by being your sim
pie self YOU are to continue by think
ing for yourself and hammering out con
yictions which are your personal prop
erty You are to end by acting for your
self. Then wnen you get to HEAVIER
there will he only two questions for 70,
to answer-Did YOU have Il clear am
distinct idea of what YOU ought to do
and, Did you do what you thought yo,
ought to do?
Suppose we apply this rule to SOM
of the ordinary matters Of daily life
There is in the community an almos
violent difference of opinion on til,
subject OF theatres, and of dancing, AM
of riding for pleasure OH a Sunday at
ternoon.
Now it is generally admitted tina
none of these things is wrong in itself
and yet a majority of the clergy frowl
with almost equal disfavor on them all
And since the clergy are thoughtful
folk, and make it their business to ex
anime orr pleasures from mora
standpoint, and are not to be suspected
of personal motives, their opinion
should have due weight. Not conclu
sive weight because they cannot stan'
in our stead at the bar and shield u
from the consequences of not followin,
our own convictions. If they could
the affair would assume an entirely dill
ferent aspect. If we could feel tina
they are authorized to tell us what t
RI o,,I ,,-ho+ Not 10 H. a..