Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-06-12

When our Lord spoke the words OF thl'
text, He was not making announcement
of some new and untried law, but ht
sought thereby TO teach IA principle as OLD
AZ time itself. 1t was IA principle oil lie
and one that we do well to heed. That
principle or law is that, everything that
is worth while that we have must be paid
for, Gwen to the uttermost farthing."
We have here made use of the ternl,-
law, and it may be well at the very be-
ginning to define the term; just what do
we mean by the term law? In the ordl-
nary acceptation OF the term we under
stand it to mean: the enactment OF GER
tain statutes or rules governing society,
or regulating the conduct of persons in
their relations one with another. We have
municipal law, which governs the city or
smaller community; we have the State
law, which embraces larger sphere, and
the international law, which governs ma
tions in their relations to each other.
Now, in addition to all these, we have
certain laws governing society which are
only recognized as having come into use
as matter OF custom or what the Eng
lish call "Lex non scripta." And while
they are unwritten, they are none the
less effective, and carry with them a PEN
atty for violation which is even in many
cases surer in their execution than the
written statutes.
But all of these laws are of mans Gre
ating, and are subject to the will OF their
creator. They may by him be abridged,
eyaded, or annulled. Even the famous
law of the Modes and Persian, (which
changeth not, was still subject to their
creator, for when King Ahasuerus wished
to evade the consequence OF one OF these
famous drcrees, in order that he please
his beautiful Queen Esther, and recogniz-
ing the fact that he could change the law,
he issued another decree, that the Jews
might be allowed to have armies and the
right to defennd themselves against those
who would destroy them at the command
Of the great king. Thus we see that in
extreme emergencies man has power to
evade the penalties Of the most immut-
able laws that he has ever created.
But the sense in which We use the term
here may not be law in its literal inter-
probation, but it is in common use at least
in an allegorical sense. But what we here
refer to in literal sense is what scientists
call "a recognized system Of sequence
or relations" Now these laws are not of
mans creating, hence are not subject to
mans will, but they eminate from high
empower; they are Of Gods creating. In
them is the very Philosophy Of life, and
there is no means of escaping their pro-
Visions. And our only hope lies in &C.
curing knowledge of them that we may
have the power to meet their mandates.
knowledge is power" 1t may be and
sften is latent, its power may not be used,
Int the steam in the boiler is none the
lss powerful because the engineer doesn't
open the valve in order that its force
night be applied to the machinery,-the
aeam lie still the power that revolves the
!, great wheels, and the fact that it is pent
ID and unused is the fault Of the engineer
and not OF the steam. Therefore let us
strive to gain what knowledge we can,
for without it we become the plaything
d every superstition, the tool Of every de-
signing person, the victim of every injus-
tee, q vacillating creature blown hither
and thither by every wind Of doctrine;
without stability Of purpose, powerless to
plan and carry out any course OF life.
1t then behooves us to bend every nerve
70 the requirement OF knowledge, and let
- remember once for all that We haven't
. moment to lose. A great race is set be-
fore us, and, when we have strained every
nerve, when we have spent our lives in
the pursuit Of knowledge, we can scratch
only the surface of the great store of
knowledge Of the universe.
But one thing we should learn first,
and this is the teaching Of the text: that
il We seek higher position than the one
ve now occupy that that position brings
With it higher responsibilities, besides it
entails sacrifice in order to discharge that
responsibility.
These two disciples came to the Master
certain thing. Their request
Vas the expression Of a lofty ambition.
''Grant that we may be permitted to sit,
NE one on thy right hand and the other
n thy left, when thou comest into thy |
.lory." But the Lord knew that they had
not counted the cost of such a PROPOSE
ion. He therefore reminds them that if |
hey desire to be great that they must /
psepare to pay great price; if they would
10 like their Master they must drink Of
he Masters cup, they must partake of
he Masters baptism. And let us notice
mt here that the ambition was not con-
1emned. On the contrary rather think
he words tend to commend the ambition.
For ambition has been the great principle
hat has directed and forced onward and
upwards the great progress of the world.
{ il this principle that has moved men
n oil ages to seek the unknown; it was
hs that led Columbus to believe that
here was more beyond, and with no
hart save his ambition and his dreams,