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

done. 1t is the mount of our trans
tiguration and lifts the soul into con-
scious communion with God. 1t is
life eternal.
1t is almost the universal convic-
ton of mankind that the judgment
of conscience is the judgment of God.
OF course l mean conscience, and not
any perversion of it or any mistake
concerning it. We must distinguish
between conscience and mere feeling
passion. Many are impelled by
passion, the inner voice having long
since been silenced by the clamoring
of unholy desires, and imagine they
are needing the divine voice, when it
is simply an impulse from the pit OF
hell-the hell within themselves.
Guiteau. for instance, shot the Presi-
dent, and then declared that he was
divinely called to do the awful deed
for the good of his country. He was
indeed called, but by voice from the
lower regions. And such is the case
with all those who pursue wrong
course, or commit a crime to bring
about some good end. The end does
not sanctify such means. 1t is sim
ply passion, and not conscience nor
duty. Let all take heed.
Thus we see the great importance
of good conscience, not only in view
of any present pain or future penal
ty, but because of the effect of con-
science on character. A good con-
science imparts courage, genuine
heroism to the character. No man
can be manly man without clean
conscience. That was grand say
ing, Il would rather be right than
to be President "a saying too little
believed and practiced, I fear, among
our statesmen in these days of mere
office seeking. But on the other hand,
what moral towards, what groveling
| time-servers an evil conscience makes
of US ALL Upon the recollection of
their crime what pungent convictions
disturbed the repose of these other
wise good men! The rustic of leaf,
the passing of a shadow will startle
the mind of guilty sinner. The
sacred proverb is often illustrated:
"The wicked flee when no man pur-
sueth, but the righteous are bold as a
lion."
A tailor who was being burned by
order of King Henry Ii. of France,
it is said, fixed his eyes upon the
wretched monarch and would not
take them off. Although the guards
turned the body of their victim about,
first one way and then another, still
he turned his head in the direction
of the miserable king. At last the
king fled from the place, carrying
with him a vision of the martyrs
face, only to meet him again in the
higher judgment.
So on the part of these troubled
men. The face of Joseph, their
brother-that anguish-stricken face
still haunted them, and now the
real Joseph stood in their presence.
How full of conviction to these un-
happy men his every movement.
How piercing his eyes, The half
stern and yet loving eyes of their be-
trayed brother. would now seem to
penetrate to the very depths of their
being. At the time of its commission
they thought their scheme real sue
cess. They had disposed of one
whose very presence was menace to
their evil purposes. But they were
mistaken; their scheme was failure,
as all such schemes must be, for the
day of reckoning shall surely come.
1t is an old but eternal true saying:
"Be sure your sin will find you out"
find you as never failing detec-
tive, whether at home or aboad,
whether dead or alive-find you sure.
A noted French marshall, in the
reign of Henry H., gave to the world
splendid example of fidelity to con-
science. His name was found in a
royal patent as one entitled to his
share of the goods once belonging
to the prosecuted Huguenots. His
share was estimated to yield a re-
turn of twenty thousand crowns every
four months. Driving a dagger
though his own name on the list, he
exclaimed: For twenty thousand
crowns to incur the curses of null
titude of women and children who
must die in the poorhouse! This
would be to plunge ourselves into
perdition at cheap rate!" But there
are men today, and plenty of them,
who would consider such chance as
good bargain. And the great de-
mand of our times is for men who