The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-07-13


horrid trade of war. He only surren-
dered a personal privilege. No tem-
porizing policy ruled His life. lie
could have lived and died in the warm
bosom of the worlds adoring love had
He been governed by the idea of not
giving social offence. He loved prin-
ciple more than praise, and lived a
pauper's life that He might die the
Prince of Peace. He wove the theoc-
racy of Judaism into the democracy
of Christianity, and established the
Republic OF a redeemed humanity.
The christian citizen is the only man
who can make judicious and generous
concessions to public sentiment with
out sacrificing a principle. And why?
The spirit and motive that sway true
souls are radically different from
those that sway the world.
Christ knew full well that tn"
paying of the Temple-tribute
W ould not compromise His
cause with the Mosaic institutes. Not
the men who make the greatest pa
rade OF their personal principles and
battle for what they call their person
al rights are the most magnanimou5
men, Noteworthy and trustworthy.
Nay, verify. The smallest souls in
morals are often the severest censorS.
Two principles are running this old
world-Law and Love. Two classes
OF persons make up the citizenship
of this earth-the Rebels and the 10y
alists. Laws are enacted for the reb-
els and by love the loyalists are gov
erned. Your temples of justice are
built on the granite rock of Sinaitic
law but your temples of mercy are
built on the rock-ribbed hill of Cal
vary's love. All law is fulfilled in
love. and all true love is ever loyal 20
what is expedient The law of force
rules the planets, the law of love
rules among freeman, the law of fear
among pagans, but the law of expedi-
ency reigns in the christian common
wealth. No legal edicts are needed
to guide and govern an honest life.
A Distinctive Difference
"All things are lawful for me, but
all things are not expedient," said a
divine thinker. Here you find an in
failable guide to moral conduct in
politics, in business, in the social life,
in christian life. We are called to
train ourselves to see more than the
merely good because law prescribes
it, but to see the every best because
love requires it. Any law against my
playing cards or attending a dance?
None whatever. If it is not unlawful
and is pleasant past-time why may
| not indulge in such worldly amuse-
ments? There are plenty OF real
pleasures untainted by sinful self-in
diligence, that do not lead to grosser
sins, and as a christian it is not eX
pedient to do some things. | should
not take advantage of my natural
liberties to do those things the best
ives condemn and which may cause
some weak life to sin. Mere eXpedi- |
ency is sufficient for right-mindod |
citizens. Laws, national or interna-
.ional. were not in the way of a war
With Mexico, igorant, impoverished,
Mexico, but was war eXpe-
lient? We have ten laws for the in
ancy of race-life, only two for the
guidance of the christia life, ten I'M
Ter law and two under love. Why?
The higher the life the less need Of
avs, the more it is sensitive to the
,roprieties and decencies of conduct.
shuns the very appear
nee of evil. Why? Let the Teacher
f the ages tell us why. Lest we
hould offend them" mo man liveth
nto himself" | am here for the
God of others, and so are you. Me
nd mine induced the Germans to
ght. Thee and thine saved an Am
rican fight in Mexico. Within the
calm of all law reigns the principle
f expediency that is the guardian of
ersonal integrity and the criterion
{ all righteous government Woo by
wing expediency, warn by legal en-
ctment, win by the enforcement of
wv in love, for the God of law is the
cd of love and rules in justice and I
i mercy among the persons and the /
atoms of men.
THE DEUTSCHLAND t