The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-26

covered by the deeds and mlsdeeds
of half a lifetime and were seemingly
forgotten, but during the temporary
suspension of her ordinary powers of
mind and reason, they appear again
on the record of her memory as Ia
tent attainment which could not be
effaced. And if memory is so reten-
tive here and now, even when the or
binary functions of mind are sus-
pended, what may be the power of an
awakened mind in the world of spirit
when it is freed from and untrameled
with the flesh? And if the mere
change of circumstances in the lives
of these criminal brothers, and after
so many years produce such sudden
and deep convictions, what shall be
the power of conviction for sins COM
mitted against God and one another
after the change of death and in
the court of the higher judgment?
II.
Then, memory having given her
faithful testimony, the second witness
is called-one, again, whose testimony
must be admitted. There is deep
silence in court. Who comes there2
The name of this witness is Con-
science. one that has been in evil
dence in every judgment scene in hui
man history, and cannot now be
dispensed with. Memory simply re-
calls the event. the deed, and con-
science feels and owns the guilt.
"Verily we are guilty" Herein we
have fine illustration of the saying
of a philosopher: MAN is built up
around a conscience" AS tooth is
built around the nerve, 80 is man
built around conscience; and when
the nerve of tooth is exposed how
painful it becomes. So with con-
science, and we cannot escape it. We
may escape human laws and penal
ties, but there is no escape from
guilty conscience; man cannot escape
from himself We may change the
position, as said the poet, but we keep
the pain. So true and faithful are
the accusations of conscience that
men have frequently given them
selves up to civil justice. They would
rather endure the penalties of a
broken law than the pains of
prompting conscience. A map, it is
said, few years ago, who had COM
mitted some crime, came all the way
from South America to his own coun-
try, and gave himself into the hands
of the civil authorities at Omaha,
Nebraska. And. without doubt, he
would find real satisfaction in 80
doing, notwithstanding the penalty
imposed by the civil authorities.
Confession is good for the soul.
Conscience may apparently slum-
Der, as in the case of these men, but
is not extinct; and in some change of
circumstances, as an unexpected af
Fiction, or perhaps in the presence of
death, its voice is again heard with
great and solemn enthusiastically,
we are guilty" Men tell us that in
sudden emergencies which nearly re-
suit in death the misdeeds of their
past lives loom up before an awakened
conscience with appalling power
loom up like panoramic view of
their whole past. And certainly we
have no sufficient reason for doubt
ing their testimony. 1t is the divine
call to Judgment and reformation
the trumpet call of gospel grace and
salvation.
Various names have been given to
conscience, as indicating it's function
or Office, all of which may or may not
be good, but may it not be rightly
called Gods Prime Minister in the
soul-kingdom9 Away down there in
Egypt, amid new and strange scenes
| far from those of earlier years, this
voice is heard and its mandates are
needed. So, in the far away land of
estranged affections, amid passions
and desires altogether foreign to the
Kingdom of God, heaven still has its
witness there Gods minister of
State speaks, and that, too, in lam
guage and also with authority, we'll
known to the soul-kingdom, and
which can only be ignored at the per-
il of the kingdom itself. Some tell us
that conscience is myth, supersti-
ton of the dark ages, relic of Ro-
manism, and SO on, but if SO it is un-
like all other myths and superstitions,
for as the ages move on and as
knowledge increases, its power and
authority are more plainly felt and
acknowledged.
Herein appears the dignity of con-
science. And no man is worthy the