The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-22

invent microscopes of criticism to find the
smallest cracks i'll other peoples armor. that
they may insert the poisoned daGgers OF
envy and malice. Thus. lack of faith in
fruit as other forms Of unbelief. Yet even
among Christian people there is to-day
very little real belief In any form OF provl-
ever they may believe about the world to
come. Indeed. many religious people seem
TO think that the best argument for a future
lie there must be another. where our sense
OF Justice shall be satisfied. Emerson, in
his famous essay on compensation. attacks
TINS view with great vigor and success. Like
all OF Emerson's work. this argument Is
more stimulating than satisfying. Indeed.
the mission of Emerson and Carlyle Is
food. to the mind. But Emerson succeeds
admirably in showing the shallowness OF
the popular religious conception. He shows
that the most casual glance beneath the sur
face of life reveals the fact of Nemesis
treading in the path of sin and scourgins
all transgressions with an unfaltering hand.
ltmerson's argument is too radical. He
leaves nothing for another world to do. And
this IS as much an extreme. position as that
do. The truth lies between. Justice is
working out It's sure and unavoidable re-
suits here and now. Yet the full and final
conclusions and tinalities, for the clear light
of eternity.
There are certain cases where re%tribution
L uIliillSltkablG allu ciedI, Neh W III eyes
of the thoughtless. The drunkard, for in
stance. bears his punishment stamped upon
him in unmistakable form: So does the
tramp. In fact. all forms of sin carried out
to their extreme indulgence and their sure
result bear their punishments for all to see.
The gambler arrives at despair and sui
eide. The libcrtine is devOured with loath-
some disease and reaches a madhouse. The
miscr kills himself by denying himself in
his Unsuitable greed the necessities OF ex-
istence. The man of unbridled temper meets
of last the mlr1arer'S doom at the hands
of OUTRAGED society. The thief comes at last
TO prison walls. The man whose political
stencil in the ~nostrils of the people and is
sooner or later cast out into outer dark
ness. In despotic countries rulers too base
meet at last the hand of the assassin. IN
all extreme cases even the most careless
eye can read the doom of heaven on quit.
It Is In the intermediate stages that punish.
seem to strut the stage of life secure and
often basking in popular admiration and ap-
plause.. ~ 49,. 20
man is only clever enough he can compro-
mise with evil and get its forbidden fruits
without being driven out OF paradise by the
angel of Justice with the flaming sword.
But this is a superficial view. There are
avengers that are unseen but real; In the
first place. the man who compromises with
e AND i It is an unpleasant thing to attempt to
live without your own approval. ineh sucl
a man does not have Gods approval; ana
II Is q SILL "
and live in Gods world without such ap-
prevail. -,,-. uar
seem to nave thoroughly lost every sense
Of their own or Gods disapproval. Self-loVe
is a very able lawyer. and can 01ten cor
vince us we are right against al the law
normal state Of most men who have SOLD
their moral birthright for q mess 81 the
worlds finest and most tooths3me potIase.
Conscience itself lies dead In the sepulchre
Of their heart. sold for thirty pieces OF
silver. and crucified to obtain popular favor
or power or position. What voice now snan
Judgment fails to see the truth OF punish
ment. How is the cruel Jewish mob pun
fshed that is too hard-hearted to feel any
punishment is that they always look IoI
pain as the form Of punishment that God
must %infict. If he inflicts any at all. Cniess
tai or material hell. they will not believe
in punishment. But the truth is that pain
is only the first stage In punishment, ana
is Intended ID as a wa warning =, E a anE tbe tender
conscience that feels remorse. The first
steps In sin find an angel In the pain 1or-
e Digging p rosne ;b by a ana es' w " nat the voice
of God will be hllshed, and he will fnd an
unobstructed path. But no more dreams OF
God will come to him .,, ana ne fronn run 1 ina
This is always the final punishment. not
pain. but deprivation. The visions, Of God
&c out OF a perSlStently evil HE. 1Ley Mna.y
departure is silent and InWeP psd but 1.-THE the OBJ
mans life worth while Is departed. As
long as the animal life !. n n9n. ana se ,hss viii Will
call them successful and crowd around to
admire and applauds; d. But But b when IT the de st1, n o1
immortal spirit will stand revealed to
heavenly eyes and h he y gentg l to be- but b,d Gn.y
forever from the sight Of the redeemed In
the vast cemetery Of etsrnity y,O where n forexer
covered by the unfading flowers Of pity and
regret spread over I'll, them hen fu ny ,n ,mmoI5a,
of God stand revealed. and painless depriva;;
ton be recognized i,o as It th COD f1ttl Tg s aHa n tral
" open to the real meaning and signiflcance
Of tho world i. God 'a. is WORKING s + bS out da MS s s%sfs
are growing OF dying here and now. But
only eyes Of s etera h1gse S,l' by see US i here true ths
throne Of Gcd is always set. and the Last
Judgment is now going on with inconceiV-