The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-08-14

IL Keeps the world from Dreadfai<
UnhoIy Excesses.

The world needs the fear of God the
fear of His righteous Judgments 70
keep the world from intolerable license
We who are theists and Christians need
God for the protection OF our own moral
character and not for the protection
of society. Without Him we do not
know into what worthless lives or into
what sins and crimes we might fall.
For we look upon bad life as in itself
the worst disaster that can befall a
man; not merely or chiefly because OF
the suffering that man endures for
II in this life or the next, but because
wickedness and all sclflshness Is in IT
self only bad. IL not only leads TO bad,
but IL Is bad even when, as often is the
case. II leads its agent to success and
happiness. The happiness is only a
snowy, luxurious fungus, growing out
Of rot. Against this worse evil we know.
that we need all the protection which
the threatenings as well as the prom
Uses of God can provide us.
There may be men who have reached
such sublimated heights OF philosophy
and whose study OF the world has car
ried them SO far above the flesh that
they do not need ever TO remind them
selves whether purity and virtue will
bring happiness or misery. Perhaps
there arethose who recognize our moral
instincts as u long-inherited experience
OF the race and are willing TO accept and
follow this race experience even when
IL leads them to their destruction, as so
many noble men have preferred death
10 dishonor. Neither men nor animals
follow their "inherited memory" as we
have learned to call instinct, when they
see Il will kill them. Yet we will not
deny that there may be some philoso-
piers with whom fealty TO the inherited
experience of the rnce--if that is the
proper scientific term for conscience
may be quite potent, who have a more
than Christian reverence fo- their an
cestors. and who can be controlled by
what they have inherited nom them
rather than by their own pains and
pleasures. But II is not so with us, and
we are sure II IL not 80 with the world
| generally. We fear II their philosophy
should prevail that while ethics might
exist as possible science II would hard
" seem OF much practical use TO Guilt
vate IL.
For we know that men are controlled
by their hopes and fears; hopes and
fears for the immediate or the distant
future. II regard for the distant flu
ture Is eliminated we believe they would
be controlled by regard for the future
OF the day or the morrow. We know
| that men work not because work is n
duty and therefore a pleasure. but be-
cause they hope TO get comfort and es-
cape discomfort by IL. Efforts TO avoid
sin convince us that II Is decided help
20 remember that God sees ms. and that
| He will reward or punish. We thank
Him every day for Me revolution OF His
| righteous Judgment, because il nerves
us In the contest against the evil that
Is in us. We want all the help we can
get; and IL this motive of q present and
rewarding God were taken away we do
not know into what evil we might fall.
When we have most forgotten Him we
have most yielded TO the temptations of
the flesh. We want 10 conquer, and,
therefore, we want Godto be feared.
But II God should be taken away from
us, and IL life is but an accident, what
have we to hope or fear beyond this
life? IL our existence is but a bubble.
why not let IL be as gaudy as IL may?
II will make no difference to-morrow;
let us eat and drink, Ike the swine Of
Epicurus' herd, for tomorrow we die.
II there be no tomorrow TO MS, then
let us enjoy to-day. The experience of
the race may tell us that theft, or adul-
terry, or falsehood. is unlucky; but per-
sonal observation proves that IL IN often
lucky. Andwhy shouldnot we seize the
pleasures that offer themselves and
trust 20 concealment or strength 10
avoid the evils of which the experience
OF the race mightwarn us? We fear our
philosophy might not stand the strain
Of such temptation. Paul's philosophy
was no better, and he was n saint. IF
Christ be not risen," said he, ''let us
eat and drink. for tomorrow we die"
We know what society has been when
the restraints OF religion were thrown
of, and we shudder at the prospect.
Therefore we want, because we know
we need, the terrors OF the Lord and Of
His retributions-such rctributions ms
we know do not come In this world
The world needs more than inherited
experience, more than any mere moral
sense: II needs n God who wields the
thunders of the law.--N. Y. Tndepend-
emit.
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