The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-06-29
MORALS OF SENECA
A Philosophy Helpful 10
the Business" Of
Happiness.

PEACE OF CoNsCIESCE.-A good
conscience is she testimony OF good
life, and the reward Of it. This il is
that iortities the mind against for
tune, when u man has gotten the
mastery Of his passions. placed his
treasure and security within himself,
learned to be content wish his condi-
tion, and that death is no evil in it.
self, but only the end OF man. Every
man has q Judge and witness with
In himself Of all good and III that he
does, which inspires us with great
thoughts. and administers to US
wholesome counsels. To see q man
fearless In dangers, untainted with
lusts, happy in adversely, composed
in tumult and laughing at all those
things which are generally either GOV.
etsd or ieared-all men must scknowl'
edge that this can be nothing else
but "a beam Of divinity thstintiuences
a mortal body. A great, a good and
q right mind IL o kind OF divinity
lodged In hesh; Is came from heaven
and TO heaven 1t must return, and 1t
is = kind Of heavenly felicity which q
pure and virtuous mind enjoys, In
some degree, even upon earth; where
AS, temples OF honor are but empty
names, which probably owe their be-
ginning either to ambition or to vio-
lence. | am strangely transported
with the thoughts Of eternity; nay,
with the belief OF it, for | have a pro-
found veneration for the opinions OF
great men, especially when they prom.
Use things so much to my satisfac'
ton, for they do promise them,
though they do not prove them. In
the question OF the immortality OF the
soul, it goes very far with me, a gen
eral consent 80 the opinion OF a
future reward and punishment, which
meditation raises me to the con
tempt OF this lite, in hopes OF bet
ter. But still, though we know that
we have a soul, yet what the soul is
how, and from whence, we are utter
ly ignorant. This only we under
stand, that all the good and i'll we de
Is under the dominion OF the mind
that q clear conscience states us IL
an inviolable peace, and that thu
greatest blessing in nature is that
which every honest man may betow
upon himself The body is but the
clog and prisoner of the mind, tossed
up and down, and prosecuted with
punishments, violences and diseases
but the mind itself is sacred and eter
nal, and exempt from the danger Of
all actual impression.
CONSCIENCE As MANS JUDGE Pro
yidsd that we look to our consciences
regardless OF opinion; let me deserve
well though | hear i'll. The common
people take stomach and audacity
for the marks OF magnanimity and
honor, and II man be soft and mod
est they look upon him as an easy
flop, but when they come once to oh.
serve the dignity OF his mind in the
equality and firmness OF his actions
and that bis external quiet is found
ed upon an internal peace, the very
same people have him in esteem and
admiration, for there 10 no man but
approves OF virtue, though but few
pursue It. We see where 1t is, but VI
dare not venture to come at 1t; Ant
the reason is, We overvalue that which
We must quit to obtain it. goot
conscience fears no Witnesses, but {
guilty conscience lie solicitous, ever
In solitude. II we do nothing bu
what is honest, let all the world know
it; but II otherwise, what does 4
signify to have nobody else know 1t
90 long as know it myself? Mlser
able IL he that Sights that witness
Welcomes, 1t 10 true, may escap'
the law, but not the conscience, for {
private conviction lie the first and tb'
greatest punishment Of offenders, 81
that sin plaques itself, and the fear o
vengeance pursues even those tina
escape the stroke OF it,. 1t were To-
good men that iniquity may 90 easil!
evsde the law, the Judge and the exc
Z cution, II nature had not set up tor
msnts and gibbets in the conscience
Of transgressors. He that ID guilt.
lives In perpetual terror, and while b
Axpecte to be punished be punishe