Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-03-29
Duties.

well as 10 lne church 1.-THE tomlll
and mankind in general. The Saviour
commands us to "render to Caesar
The things that are Caesars and t,
God the things that are Gods
Government is divine; the State i:
God minister to regulate the tenn
poral affairs of the human race, tc
protect the good and punish the Grim.
lanai. Law and order are of God.
They prevail in Heaven and are tc
prevail also on earth. There is nc
power that is in government but OF
God" The powers that be are ordain-
ed of God. whomsoever. therefore,
that resisteth the power shall receive
to themselves damnatiup"' Anarchy
and lawlessness of any kind are OF
the devil. He is the originator OF
disobedicnce and lawlessness. The OBJ
ject of the state is to preserve order,
peace and justice among men. to con.
firm to each of the citizens those
rights which belong to them, and to
resist his libery in those things which
concern, not only his own welfare but
that of his fellow man. Certain inal-
ienable rights God has given us as
individuals-life, liberty, the pursuit
of happiness. the right to acquire
and hold property, and freedom tc
worship God according to the dictates
fof our conscience. These rights as
individuals, as we'll as our rights as
members of the church, for the law
abiding government is minister OF
Good. For the evil doer it is an aven.
ger to execute wrath. We should
do nothing to hindre the operation oil
its law, but in every way endeavor t.
have them carried out. We should,
by our speech and behavior. foster 6
spirit of respect for law and order.
Lynching and similar methods of TAX
ing the law into our own hands, is
lawlessness and disob edience. Those
who resort to them try to punish one
crime by committing another. God s
law is higher. If a government,
should command anything which is
contrary to Gods law it would, ir
tina particular respect, cease TO be
his minister, and lose its claim upon
our obedience awe must obey God
rather than man." Thus the three
men spoken of in the Book of Daniel
refused to worship the golden image
of NebuchadneZzar and chose rather
to be cast into the fiery furnace.
Thus Daniel refused to stop praying
to God at the command of the same
king and preferred to be cast into the
den of lions, and Luther at the diet
of worms refused to obey the COM
mard of the Emperor. Every voter
should remember his share of respon-
sibility in securing righteous govern
'ment. and cast his vote according to
the dictates of his conscience. He
should take his religion with him to
the polls, as we'll as into every
other avenue of life, and he should
use his suffrage for the furtherance
of truth and Righteousness. We
sh ould not grow weary in we'll doing,
while we hold by faith the assurance
that God in mercy forgives us all oul
sins. We should never permit oursel.
YES to think that it is not necessary
to do all in our power to live right.
eously. We dare not live in sin. II
we do we forfeit the grace of God
We are received into his grace by
true repentance and we continue ir
that grace by a constant and daily re,
peutence. Speaking is a glorious anG
divine privilege but imposes cor
responding responsibility. 1t is a
blessing or curse according to the
use that is made of it. We may, by 6
word, give~pleasure or pain, console
or distress. help or discourage, siren
CITIZEN or weaken, build up in the
faith or tempt and lead into sin. We
should, therefore, never be rash il
speaking, but be careful not to talk
too much, not to speak in unkindness
and not to utter what is untrue A
word once spoken. abides long afte
the sound of it's utterance has dieC
away. Its memory often fingers il
the mind and even if the word be for
gotten the effect which it produced
remains and exerts an influence TO
good or evil upon the person VIII
heard it, and through him upon other
for ali time, and all eternity. This il
true of all speech, whether oral
written or printed. On the day o
judgment our words will justify O
condemn us; for what we say is a
index of what we are. "Out of tn
abundance of the heart the mout
speaketh.
W. B. DILLON.
Abbs Valley, Va.