The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-02-20
SERMON ON THE CONSCIENCE.
THEME OF DISCOURSE DELV-
Erred SUNDAY MORNING BY
REV. MORTON GREGORY.
In the Loss of Conscience Is Matter
of Great Importance
To All.

Sunday morning at the Christian
the pulpit and delivered a discourse
on the subject The Conscience" He
took as his text, Take heed therefore
that the light Which is in thee be not
darkness" Luke 1925. In part 'he
said:
ITO address an audience upon the
subject of the conscience is a diff
cult thing to do without dealing in
technicalities and in definitions. For
that reason one is liable to the charge
of dryness. Not only so, but one can
not say anything that is original.
Every phase of the subject has been
discussed time and again. 1t will be
our purpose to use only a definition
or two and to lay no claim, to original
meaning of the word light as used in
the text 1t certainly does not refer
daylight Nor does it refer to that
which fills the room in the evening
when we touch a match to yonder
gas jet. By light, as it is here used,
is meant those principles or rules by
which one is able to determine as to
the right or wrong of things, accurate
ly and truly. These rules all have to
do with the conscience. BY the con-
science We mean that faculty of mind
or soul which determines the right or
wrong of thing in the light of these
rules.
Each man has a conscience. But
having a conscience, it does not follow
that ne has the best light to guide it.
think you will bear me out that one
may have a faculty and not use that
faculty to the best advantage. Fac
ulties like all other things may be
used illigitimately as well as legiti-
mately. For instance each of you have
a mind, but it by no means follows
that each of you are able to use that
mind properly in every way. Most
men have eyes but some are unable
to see correctly. Just in this sense
has every man a conscience, but not
all know how to use it properly. In
deed it cannot be so used unless GER
tain rules are observed. To illustrate
from the eyes again: 1t is a rule that
both eyes must be fixed in reference to
an object to be viewed, whereupon
each eye reports an impression upon
it's own retina, of the same object.
The mind then interprets and gets a
correct impression, for the eyes have
worked according to rule. But now
suppose that each eye shall fix at a
upon each retina there shall be re-
ported different impression. Neither
the reason is that we have been doing
just what the cross-eyed person does
following wrong principles of seeing.
Cor take the case of the lungs. They
are constituted to work according to
well defined principles. They must
breathe air. But now let them under
take to displace air with water and
the result is death. These illustra-
lions have the purpose to show that
each thing in nature mas a purpose
and laws governing it's use and if
wrongly used fails to work properly.
If the conscience shall work under
wrong principles the judgments are
false. Take heed therefore that the
light which is within you be not dark
ness
But the matter is of greater i'm
portance than, have yet shown. Let
us imagine it possible for us to use
our eyes in such a way, contrary TO
the known laws Of tt r use, and thus
lose our eye sight We should no
longer be able to see. Then suppose
the ears should be used in such a way
as to destroy their use. What a ter
rible thing this would be, especially if
done after having been warned The
beauties of the world are gone. Har-
mony no longer exists. We should be
at the mercy of all kinds of danger.
Any one could rob or murder us. But
certainly you would call such a ca
lamity light as compared to the loss
of tine power to rightly judge between
the right and the wrong. For what is
not such one liable to suffer. Hap
piness, home, peace, heaven are lost
And SO say to you this is a matter
of great Importance.
But even this would be of little
| importance if it never happened, or
even if it were of infrequent occur
| renee. 1t does occur. 1t occurs daily.