The voice of conscience speaks in duty done; and without its
regulating and controlling influence, the brightest and greatest
intellect may be merely as a light that leads astray. Conscience
sets a man upon his feet, while his will holds him upright.
Conscience is the moral governor of the heart--the governor of
right action, of right thought, of right faith, of right life--
and only through its dominating influence can the noble and
upright character be fully developed.
The conscience, however, may speak never so loudly, but without
energetic will it may speak in vain. The will is free to choose
between the right course and the wrong one, but the choice is
nothing unless followed by immediate and decisive action. If the
sense of duty be strong, and the course of action clear, the
courageous will, upheld by the conscience, enables a man to
proceed on his course bravely, and to accomplish his purposes in
the face of all opposition and difficulty. And should failure be
the issue, there will remain at least this satisfaction, that it
has been in the cause of duty.
"Be and continue poor, young man," said Heinzelmann," while others
around you grow rich by fraud and disloyalty; be without place or
power while others beg their way upwards; bear the pain of
disappointed hopes, while others gain the accomplishment of theirs
by flattery; forego the gracious pressure of the hand, for which
others cringe and crawl.
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