The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-10-10

mind, because he pleads for his brother.
Were 1t necessary to refute such q line
Of argument 1t would be enough to
say:
i. That he only asks a boon for others
when he finds 1t is useless to try to get
one for himself.
2. That his desire that his brothers
should not join him in the place OF tor
'ment was natural, even for a selfish
man Why should he wish to have
their upbraldirgs added to the tor
ments OF his own conscience?
3. Suppose even that the request was
made simply for the brothers sake,
how does that prove any change in the
state Of his mind? He was never &C
cused Of having had malicious feelings
toward his brothers, so that this does
not Show any Improvement. He had
probably always had a good-natured
desire that his brothers should be well
off II It did not cost him much. He
may even have been personally attach
ed to one or other OF these five brothers.
Why not? The sort OF men who live
for sense and time, and allow poor beg
CARS to lie neglected ut their gate, are
tust the men who would like 20 see the
members Of their own family eating and
drinking heartily around their table.
How can he give evidence OF growing
better when he only shows a feeling
which he was never accused OF having
wanted. Those who would bring such
an argument as this have never really
looked over the edge Of the gulf where
the faithlesS and impenitent are lying.
It is an unwtse line they are pursuing.
We know what counsellor Of our nature
Il was who first said to humanity:
Thou shalt not surely die" But the
feature OF the description we will look
is that contained in the words, son,
Remember"
Now, these words suggest three
things: First, that memory is to be an
instrument OF punishment; second, that
memory is very effective instrument
of punishment; and, third, the peculiar
sting OF memory.
Memory. then, Is to be an instrument
oH punishment. This IL q terrible truth.
II is really far more terrible to say that
we Shall be punished by memory thln IL
il to say that we shall be punished Dy
fire. The more we know OF Cod the more
wecome to see that the implements with
which he works lie for the most part
very near to His hand. He makes out
az ourselves the instrument by which
to scourge us. Gods future whip and
sting Is simcthing which is growing
up within us, which is part OF ourselves.
| We shall be punished, not by being
made something very different from
what we are, but by remaining so very
much what We are.
Memory is what binds together our
| whole Hfe. II is a string on which nll
our thoughts, our feelings, our actions,
our present, our past are strung. Oh
| rather Il Is chain OF great many
| links, which, link by link, u1ldtes what
am now with all have passed through
ind thought and wished since l was
child.
Now we have n feeling about death
mai Il Is a cutting OF this string-a
brealcIng Of this chain. IL certainly
looks IKE It. 1t looks ms lf the current
rad been interrupted, the connection
Ot TSe arcIents said that the fates cut
tbe thread OF life. They said that the
waters OF death are waters OF forget
| rnIness. in which the past In buried
Christ. on the other hand, speaks oil
Inc current OF thought in the future
connecting itself with the present, as Il
there had been no break at all. we
snail be what we arc, only with differ
onco ami the difference Is that Tho
sncctator Is turned. He IS no longci
i1okinr around or looking forward, h,
Is IooEing back. Once life was u great
suace in frort. through which he cou,t
go al pleasure, touching. altering, modi'
Tying.
through gate. and. turning, finds Il
closed he looks in through Iron bar,
ON an enclosure which IL no longer oper
No. MIN TO touch or modify In any way
Hc presses himself aglinst the bars II
win, Life was once his gnrIlen; II #
now Only retrospect raf!cd OIL. a pan