Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-24
CONSCIENCE.
The Kindest Thing God Ever
Did for Mankind.
Sermon Delivered By Row. f. II. untchcr.
Pastor orthe First baptist Church, sum
day Night Tex, Peter. III: Io-The
Subjcc. Discussed.

Rev. f. b. Hatcher. pastor of the
First Baptist Church. preached Sun
day night on Conscience" taking for
his text the 18th verse Of the third
chapter of First Peter. He said:
One of the kiudest things that God
ever did for man was to give him
conscience. Without it man would he
Ike ship without a captain. 1t is the
chief faculty that distinguishes him
from the brute creation. Some men
seem not TO appreciate this priceless
possession. but they rather maitreat
and outrage 1t. and sometimes seek to
destroy il.
|. Let us determine first what we
mean by conscience. II each one in
tn'S congregation were asked TO write
upon slip OF paper his definition of
conscience nineteen persons out Of
every twenty would probably write
that conscience was that something in
us that tells us what is right and what
is wrong. But IL you Will consider
| carefully the matter you will perceive
that strictly speaking conscience does
no such thing. Our Judgment tells us
What Is right and wrong, and not some
|
science. Wrong actions are those
which break the law of God and right
ones are those which are in accord with
| TINS divine law. How. then, do we tell
whether 4 certain action will break
Gods law. b. thinking about II just
as we decide whether an action Will
| break n law OF health. or of finance, or
| of society We find the law of God
written in the Bible and also some OF
the laws written in our own hearts. and
we are to consider closely to see whether
| our actions violate any of these laws
Here is n man invited to so fishing on
Sunday. He finds in the Bible the COM
! mand 10 remember the Sabbath day
ana keep it holy. Now he must decide
whether this indulgence would break
| the divine command. How does he de-
! eide this question? BY n special facul-
". conscience? No; he thinks about
1t and decides it with his thinking
power. What then is the work of con-
| science? answer that conscience is
| That faculty or voice in Ills that tells us
not to do what our judgment has told
| us would violate Il law OF right. Con-
science also tells us To do that which
| Is according To the divine laws. Let
| that man with the invitation to the
| sunday fishing party consider the mat
| ter carefully and come tn the clear con :
| clusion that such an indulgence would
| break one of Gods commands. The
| very moment his judgment reaches
that verdict something in him says:
Don't do it! Don't do it.' That voice
| Is conscience. 1t is that feeling in us
! against doing what is wrong and in IA =
| vor of doing the right. II is a feeling
| of oughtnesS, which exists in every per-
son. No one can be invited to perform
an action which his judgment perceives
would break n law of right without
having the feeling that he ought not
to do it. This feeling is conscience.
But conscience not only forbids doing
what violates the right, but 1t stands
over us to See whether We obey its COM
mands, and, if we disobey, it Furnishes
| us for it. On the other hand it praises
| and rewards us if we obey its orders.
U.-What is the authority has con-
science? Has it the right to command
our lives? We have many voices in
our being calling us in different direc-
tions-the voice of appetite, and of pas
sion. of ambition. of covetousness. and
then the voice of conscience. Must We.
always obey conscience? Yes; because
III certain sense conscience is the
voice OF God within us. and the man
who is willing deliberately to violate
the voice of conscience would just as
willingly violate the voice of Cod
Ssi1frrr- ..I4e+- about those
tons, evidently wrong, but which are
performed by people under the impress
sion that they are right, and, therefore,
done with good conscience? How
about Saul of Tarsus, who prosecuted
Christianity with good conscience"
| answer that Paul did wrong, not i'm
following his conscience; that he was
compelled to do. IF not that. then
what? His sin lay in not examining
more carefully before hand whether
this religion which he was prosecuting
might not after all be the true religion.
In other words a man must never do
that which his conscience declares to
be wrong.
III.-Consider next the power of con-
science for it is indeed the mightiest
part of man. 1t may prove II person 8
best friend or his worst enemy. 1t
may fill his life with light and power.
or it may transform his life into
wretchedness and remorse. Who can
estimate the value of good con-
science? 1t nerves the arm, emboldens
the heart, clears the brain, enobles the
being and makes hero of the per-
SON What more splendid sight than
that of Il person standing amid the bill
lows of temptation and worldly allure
ments, yea confronted by the persecu-
tons and curses of others and yet
calm and strong in the approval of his
conscience. But. on the other hand.
what is more irresistible than an ac-
cusing conscience? 1t is tyrant. IL
has no heart, but follows and smites
its victim with remorseless cruelty and
vengeance. No money can bride it,.
No power can hush its voice. 1t will
wither the heart. paralyze the daily ac-
tions. blight the health and torture
ones Ife. Many man goes through
life dashed at every step by the scourSe
OF his outraged conscience.
IV.-But now the most important
question: What is our duty to our
cnnscinnce2 Our duty is two fold.