Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-17
CONSCIENCE IS
THE VOICE Of GOD
Or. Smiley Says It 10 the Light
to Guide Us In the Dark
World.

communicated
The Christian Endeavor topic this
week Is discussed by Rev. u. Franklin
Smiley, Ixsstor Of West Presbyterian
church. His subject is "Conscience
teaching Il. quickening II, obeying IT.
Prov. 2o:27 Acts 4: 1920. DR.. Smiley
says:
conscience Is described as that fac
ulty which Is found In every soul and
which distinguishes the moral quality
In every thought and act, and passct,
judgment upon Il. Some one has called
It the sixth sense. for just as We dis
tinguish sounds tho ear and colcr
by the eyes, so by conscience wo dis.
tinguished sounds by the car~and color
tween right and wrong. But conscience
not only perccives the moral quail
~ I'm an act or thought, but IL passes
| Judgment upon them. II gays distinct
ly this Is right, or this IL wrong. Yea
morei CONSCIENCE not only assumes
the position IF n judge distinguished
right from wrong, but Il Is a. king also,
commanding us to follow the right
and shun the wrong. Here, then. We
have a faculty which sits as ruler
over all our powers, swaying his scep-
/ tlt us ltillN anu bDlutN dt l1f liilSnk-
| lest monarch OF earth.
Now whence came such strange
and powerful ruler7 II is called the
voice Of God. How much more salts
factory to our souls Is that explana-
ton than other speculative answers
from more learned, but less spirituai
minds.
1--WE are told that Conscience Is the
product OF circumstances acting on the
susceptibility TO pleasure and pain
SO say the masters OF the schools and
we comprehend them not. But when
J we arc told ttat conscience is the
voice OF God. we understand, for we
know God. And such an explanation
seems most reasonable. God who made
us And blessed us would hardly sen5
US into this darkensd world without q
' light TO guide us. Conscience is that
light; IL is the voice Of God beckon-
ing us 10 the goal for which we were
created.
But Peter speaks Of a. good con-
science, intimating that there is q
= conscience that is no. good---a con-
science that IL false and deceitful
: And so there is. The lamp may be sc
neglected az TO send forth a fickerine
uncertain light. The eye may be So
l abused as TO become utterly useless
: for the purpose for which il wa!
created. And just so with conscience
I God has given Il as q guide to ever
soul. But II we persist in disobeyinJ
it's voice and hiding it's light, the da!
will come when we shall not be troubl
ed more by its warning, until we hav
. fallen, and then .ts voice will b
!, heard again in taunt and torment.
a "But good conscience. In the tru
light OF God, leads MS into trues. Bu
we must bo sure II II good. A ma
NAV have q conscience which ia Meth
= er asleep nor dead and yet his con
{ science may lead him wrong. Say
k Of Tarrus thought he ought to d
many things contrary to Christ. TIL
Hindoo IS conscientious In his belio
that H. ought TO throw his child int
the Gangcs. And so today men d
much wrong for right and are con
!, scentious about IT, but II is preverte
3 conscience they have. Conscience lit
all the rest of our faculties depend
upon and draws much from its en-
vironment. 1t is 10 be educated Tx
n all other God given gifts, II we ar
I; TO profit by it. We must obey il
voice. go where it directs, follow wher
II leads, for TO obey 4 Is TO becom
more familiar with it. and the mof
:. readily recognize 1t when Il speak
Listen then for this still sna
= voice within YOU and obey its mar
!, dates. When il calls thou Shalt {
:. thou shalt not" think before yo
- act. for this Is the voice OF God
every soul"
Christian EndeavOr Notes.
Plans are being made for On el
y joyable occasion at the annual watC
= night service on December 81 10
held at olivet Presbyterian Churc
In addition a number OF societies a,
planning TO have their own wat,
night services. This showing of int
est portends well for the activities
Christian Hndeavor in 1922.
All Endeavors will note with il
serest the announcement that the ne
II State Executive Committee has a
ready gotten down to work, and tn
many of the new plans for the Sta
organization of Christian Endeav
are being worked out. We are all 81:
J. to know that Carroll NJ. Wright, WI
has been field secretary of Christi;
Ehdoavor for Maryland, has been e
gagged to devote a portion of his tin
each year 10 the work of Christi;
- Endeavor in Delaware. Having a Sta
CT secretary for a portion of the ye
al Is for a State as small as ours
l. accomplishment and now all Endea
~ orers should rally 70 the slinnort
+ our State organization, and do tn,
ls part toward the success Of their pr
III gram.