Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-03-05
CHRISTIAN EHDEAVOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning March 9, 1918.

Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning March 9, 1918.
Topic.-Obeying conscience-I John III,
1924. "a leaderless meeting) Edited by
Rev. Sherman H Doyle. d. D.
In the twenty-first verse of this pas
sage the expression "our heart means
''the heart as the seat of conscience,
giving rise there to peace or to terror
according as 1t is at rest or In dis
quietude. The heart here is
the inward Judge of man" The pas
sage is therefore an appropriate selec-
ton for a study of the subject, obey
ing Conscience" Beloved, If our Icon
sciencel condemn us not. then have we
confidence toward God"
Conscience has been variously de-
fined: MANS conscience is the oracle
of God" Conscience Is Gods moni-
tor In the soul of MIN" Conscience
Is the reason employed about ques-
tons Of right and wrong and accom-
panied with sentiments of appreciation
and condemnation" 1T is the busi
ness Of conscience" says Archbishop
Leighton. Ito sit and examine and
Judge within, to hold courts in the
soul, and Ii Is of continual necessity
that 1t be So Conscience 10 a univer
sal possession
There is something within every
man, whether reared amid the refine
ment Of the highest civilization or
amid the darkness and iniquity OF
the lowest forms Of human life, that
q. rd%-hf und trhaf ia
wrong and urges him TO do the right
and shun the wrong and approves or
condemns his acts. When we think Of
this tremendous power Of conscience
as a Judge of our actions there should
be no question OF our attitude toward
1t. Conscience should be obeyed-
Conscience should be obeyed because
It is the voice of God. No matter how
we may define conscience, we must ad-
NIT that it is a divineiy implanted at
tribute of the human mind. hence the
duty of obeying It, for IT is our su-
preme duty to obey God. Obedience TO
God stands above every other duty.
No claims Of man can supersede the
claims of God, for 1--WE ought to obey
God rather than men" Fear God
and keep his commandments. This Is
the whole duty Of man" Conscience,
being the voice Of God. should there
fore be ebeyed-
Conscience should be obeyed be-
cause disebedience destroys its power
TO speak Alright One Of the saddest
facts about conscience is that II de-
stroyed it may be lulled to sleep. its
powers dwarfed and even practically
lost. 1t is the alarm clock of the soul,
but the alarm clock, If allowed to go
UNDECIDED. soon loses its power to
awaken and arouse. 1t might as well
not exist.
Persistence in evil despite the admo-
nihons of conscience produces similar
results. 1t ceases to speak until wrong
may seem right or at least be persisted
in with no voice of warning crying
out against it And what can be sad
der than a man with a deadened con-
science-a man doing evil and yet not
realizing that 1t is evil-and yet re-
sponsible!
Conscience obeyed becomes more en-
ightened and more effective; disobey-
ed 1t sleeps until in the providence Of
God it is aroused and produces a re-
gret and remorse that are like a con-
Stunning fire. Indeed, In the opinion Of
many, the punishment of the future
will consist in the remorse Of an
aroused conscience. Conscience should
be obeyed because obedience brings
peace and disobedience disquietude
and even terror
The approval or the condemnation
of conscience Is no light matter.
Nothing is more desirable than a clear
Conscience conscience void of Of
tense toward God and man. "If our
conscience condemns Us not we have
confidence toward God" But II 1t con-
dennis us we fear God, ourselves and
our fellow men. The remorse Of con-
science is often beyond human endur-
ance. To avoid such consequences we
should obey conscience.
Conscience should be enlightened by
the teachings Of Gods word. Con-
science is not infallible. Ii has been
corrupted by SIN. In the name Of con-
science the greatest sins and wrongs
have been committed. Paul even was
conscientious in prosecuting Chris
tans, thinking that he was doing the
viii Of God. But God is greater than
our conscience" He alone is infalli-
Bile, and in His word alone have we
infallible truth.