A LESSON FROM THE LEGAL PROFESSION.
By A. S. Hutchins
A GENTLEMAN of the legal profession was once called upon for counsel by certain parties respecting the legality of some business transactions under consideration, liable to be subjected to the test of statutory laws of another State. With pen in hand he readily commenced to draft a document for the occasion. When a few strokes of the pen had been made, he laid it aside, remarking, "I will not produce an article to be submitted to the test of the statute laws of a State of which I know nothing." It seems that the verdict of every candid mind must be that if this gentleman regarded the interests and rights of the parties in question, he acted a wise and honest part. We then thought of the law of God, that royal law, by which "every work," with "every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," will be tested in the Judgment of the great day. And we were led to reflect, Are ministers of the gospel, and teachers of the word of God, as careful to preach and teach in harmony with the law of the Lord? In this case a few hundred dollars were at stake. But with the higher law, the perfect law, eternal interests are involved. Says James, "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." Rather than mislead souls inquiring the way to Zion, by teaching a change, or the abolition of the law of the Most High, how much better to so speak, and so do, that it may be said of us, "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity." Oh! that the mind of the blessed Saviour might be within us, by which we might proclaim, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart."