The Yale expositor., 1897-07-02

ing to you. You are to save your client
regardless of the torment. the suffer-
ing. the destruction of others. You are
TO know but one man in the world
your client. You are to save him
though you should bring your country
into confusion. At all hazards you
must save your client" So says Lord
Brougham. But no right-minded law
yer could adopt that sentiment. On the
other extreme, Cicero will come to you
and say: "You. must never plead the
cause of a bad man." forgetful OF the
fact that the greatest villain on earth
ought to have fair trial and that an
attorney cannot be judge and advocate
at the same time. 1t was grand when
Lord Erskine sacrificed his attorney
generalship for the sake of defending
Thomas Paine in his publication of his
book called 1.-THE Rights of Man."
while, at the same time, he. the advo-
cate, abhorred Thomas Paine's ire
ligious sentiments. Between these two
opposite theories of what is right, what
shall the attorney do? God alone can
direct him. To that chancery he must
be appellant, and he will get an an
swer in an hour. Blessed is that at
torney between whose Office and the
throne of God there is perpetual, rev.
erential, and prayerful communication.
That attorney will never make an jr-
reparable mistake. True to the habits
of your profession, you say: cite us
some authority on the subject" Well
| quote to you the decision of the SUI
preme court Of heaven: IF any lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth
to all men literally, and upbraideth
not. and 1t shall be given him."
There are two or three forms OF
temptation to which the legal profess
sion is especially subject. The first Of
all is scepticism. Controversy is the
lifetime business of that occupation.
Controversy may be incidental or acci-
dental with us; but with you it is per-
petual. You get so used TO pushing the
sharp question "Why?" and making
unaided reason superior to the emo
tions, that the religion of Jesus Christ,
which is a simple matter of faith, and
above human reason, although not con-
trary to II. has but little chance with
some OF you. A brilliant orator wrote
a book, on the first page of which he
announced this sentiment: AN hon.
est God is the noblest work of man.
Scepticism is the mightiest temptation
of the legal profession, and that man
who can stand in that profession, re-
sisting all solicitations to infidelity
and can be as brave as George Briggs
of Massachusetts. who stepped from the
gubernatorial chair to the missionary
convention, to plead the cause OF dy-
ing race; then on his way home from
the convention, on cold day, took on
his warm cloak and threw IL over the
shoulders of a thinly clad missionary
saying: Take that and wear 1t, 1t VIII
do you more good than it will me-" or
like Judge John Mclean, who can steI
from the supreme court room OF the
United States on to the anniversary
platform of the American Sunday
School Union, its most powerful ora
tor-deserves congratulations and en-
comium. Oh, men of the legal profes
sion, let me beg of you to quit asking
questions in regard to religion, and be
gin believing. The mighty men of you
profession, Story, and Kent. and Mans
) field. became Christians, not through
their heads, but through their hearts
..Except We become as little child. "
shall in no wise enter the kingdom o
God" II you do not become Chris
tian. oh. man of the legal profession
| until you can reason this whole thinj
: out in regard to God and Christ au'
the immortality of the soul, you viii
: never become a Christian al all. Onl,
, believe Bring Zenas the LAWYER"
: Another mighty temptation for tn
legal profession is Sabbath breaking
: The trial has been going on for ten
fifteen days. The evidence is all In
( II is Saturday night. The judges CAV
Of fails on the desk, and he says
5 "Crier. adjourn the court until re
[ o'clock Monday morning" On Monda
= morning the counsellor is TO sum u
4 the case. Thousands of dollars. yes
e the reputation and life of his ellen
| NAV depend upon the success OF hi
b nIea How will he spend the interven
= ing Sunday? There is not one lawye
5 ont of a hundred that can withstan
= the temptation to break the Lords da
: | under Sucl ClTCuIlSldnCSS. anu yet,
he does. he hurts his own soul. Wha
|, my brother, you cannot do befor
| twelve O'Clock Saturday night. or aftc
twelve o'clock Sunday night. God doe
not want you to do at all. Beside
@ that. you want the twenty-four hour
r of Sabbath rest to give you that elet
r trical and magnetic force which will
g worth more to you before the jury tina
II all the elaboration of your case on I'll
d sacred day. My intimate and lamente
i friend, the late Judge Nelson, in h
e interesting "reminiscences of Ruff
J. Choate, says that during the last cas-
II that gentleman tried in New York, II
f" court adjourned from Friday unit
,. Monday, on account Of the illness
d Mr.. Choate; but the chronicler sa,
e that on the intervening SABBATH he sa
e Mr.. Choate in the old Brick Church
o listening to the Rev. DR.. Gardin'
IT Spring. do not know whether, {
IT the following day, Rufus Choate VIC
re his cause or lost 1t; but do know tn
Ie his Sabbatic rest did not do him an
= harm. Every lawyer is entitled to OF
N DAVIS rest out of seven If he surrel