The Portland daily press., 1871-04-18
DAILY PRESS,
PORTLAND
$50 r,,r,
$50 TUESDAY, APRIL 1s, 1871.
A SERMON

| Preached ON Fast Day, April 18Th.
| BYJ.J. oARRUTHERs, D. D.,
Pastor of the Second Parish.
REV. j. j. CARRUTHERs, D. d. Dear Sir
Having listened to your sermon delivered or
Fast Day with gre at pleasure and profit, and
believing that by its perusal others would be
benefited, we respectfully request copy Of
the same for publications:
=. W. Larrabee, j. Maxwell,
y. w. GODDARD, Edward Oxnard,
James M. Palmer, Horace HI. Kicker,
Gwynn, john T. Walton,
Te0 BROCK, John w. Newman,
ii. II, Hobbs, w. T. Brown.
Portland, April IA, 1871.
10 .. w. Larrabee, Judge Goddard. Rev.
| James M. Palmer, and others: Gentlemen =
very readily comply with your request, and
without transcription or alteratIon-for which
have no time-transmit the sermon lust as il
was delivered. May it instrumentallv do
some goodl Yours most respectfully,
j. j. CARRUTHRRs.
Portland, April 15, 1871
PSALM 103I0 He hath not dealt wih us af.
Ter our SINS nor reaoarded US according to, our
transgressions. = =
Ihls annual fast was doubtless designed bv
the pilgrim and puritan fathers of New Eng.
land, to be day of humiliation before God.
Gould they have foreseen that, by a large por-
ton OF their posterity, this design would be
overlooked, and the day practically regarded
SIMPLY as holidays season OF relaxation
mum tho cares u liSe--ahd, In many instances
OF even more than usual ungodliness, we
may well conceive how deep would have been
their sorrow, and how their hearts would
have been stirred within them, in view of the
dshonor thus cast on God, and the despite In
which His goodness would be held by their de-
generate descendants. There is strong ten
dency in human natures to such degeneracy,
and the periodical recurrence of such DAYS as
this, will do little of itself to check or to i'm
| pede the downward course of individual, So
cial or national transgression. Ii even divine
institutions, positively ordained, and fenced
round by every form and method of precept,
prohibition and penalty are found to be, in
themselves, wholly inefficient either as the
antidote or cure OF personal or public sins. it
is not to be expected that human ordinance
can prevent or heal any of the moral mala-
dies that offiict society. The most that can
be expected of it is that it will furnish suit
able occasion for reviewing the near or dis
tant past-for recalling evils that might have
provoked and brought down the just judg-
ments Of Holy God-and contrasting those
evils with the ceaseless and unmeasured be-
nificence of Him who has not only not dealt
with US after our sins nor rewarded us accord
ing to our transgressions ;but has annually, dai-
ly and hourly loaded Us with the gifts Of His
providence and grace. This day Of professed
humiliation will be best observed by such a
review Of past and present sins and short
comings as, by the grace of God, may deepen
our sense of guilt and enhance oar estimate
Of the forbearance and long suffering OF Him
whose anger is indeed so slow to rise, SO read ,
to abate, but who will in each case OF indivd-
ual and public transgressi0n, eventually and
plentifully reward the evil-doer. Timely re-
pentance and reformation can alone avert the
lingering but certain judgments of His wrath.
On the obvious principle that social, public
and national iniquity is Just the aggregates
and sum of individual offences, it seems rea-
sonable and proper that in any attempted
enumeration OF evils to be deplored, and of
sins to be confessed, due prominence and
precedence should be given to those which
personal consciousness recalls as worthy of di-
vine rebuke, and as magnifying, by contrast,
the generous forbearance of a righteous and
holy God.
The retrospect OF a whole year will supply
the habitually devout and earnest Christian
with abundant material and motives for self.
humiliation. Both are readily found in the
Eextremely limited progress made in the
growth of Christian virtue, and in those dis
tinctive characteristics of regenerated nature,
by which the power of godliness is most di-
rectly and distinctly manifested. Are we not,
dear brethren,-and ought we not to be pain
fully conscious Of the tardy, if at all percepti-
BILE advance which, during the last twelve
months, we have made in personal holiness OIL
heart and life? Can we think, with aueht o
selFapproval and c0mplacency, of the closet
the family altar, the sanctuary, the seasons
set apart for divine worship, and the means
and opportunities afforded us for growth in
grace, in holy living, and in useful and self
denying efforts for tie good of others? Can
these be thought of without suggesting rea-
SONS numerous and weighty for unfsigned
abasement in the sight of God? May there not
have been, have there not been, real, unques-
| tionable, and well remembered infractions oil
that good and Just and holy law, which
though we are saved by grace through faith
| is yet the recognized and acknowledged rule
OF lite to such as desire to walk so as to
please God? Have no evil tempers got the
occasional mastery over the required meek
ness and gentleness of Christ? Have not un-
satisfactory excuses been readily admitted for
neglecting the weiehtier matters of the law
judgment, mercy, and fidelity? Have there
been no occasions, in the course OF the by
gone year, when certain injunctions and pro-
hibitions of Gods word-had they been re-
called-would have strangely contrasted with
| the positions occupied, the practices counte-
| nanced, the preferences given by such as call
Jesus Lord, and prolessedly bow in reverent
and willing subsection to his authority
Have companions and associates-constaut
or casual-always taken knowledge Of
us that we have been with Je-
sus? Has no occasion been given
to the enemies of Christ to blaspheme
His holy name, and to speak in reproachfu
terms Of religion-which failed to contro
the passions and purposes and habitual free
dom.of such as we professedly subject to Hi
WHY Must not determination and th'
careful survey of the recent past, sugges
| more than sufficient cause, on such a day a,
this, for deepest self humiliationP Let Us
| then search our own hearts, scrutinize oul
| own interior and outward history, aud bring
ing these to the light of truth, see what in
| ourselves demandi serious contrition-candid
confession and resolute amendment.
Whilst personal short comings and
transgressions should always occupy the fore
ground of every representation of the evil ma
ture and just deserts of sin, we cannot and
ought not, even If we would, be oblivious ol
the moral evils which tenter so largely into
the daily lives of the community amongst
whom We dwell. For the existence and prev
alence OF these evils, it is altogether impossi.
BILE for us to throw off all responsibility. With
a municipal and national government like
ours, based on the principle that the people
are the source of power, that all public of
fees are in their gift, and all the occupants OF
these offices are dependent on popurar suf
frage and support, we cannot absolve our.
selves from blame, if evils which existing
laws were designed to counteract, are found
| nevertheless, to extensively prevail.
Can any one doubt, that to the non-execu-
tion of salutary laws intended to restrain ant
control the sale and promiscuous use of in
toxicating liquors-is owing much of that dis
sipation which is so extensively sapping tn
very foundations Of our social well being an,
consigning SO many.of our youth to premat ur
physical decay in this world, and to perdtior
in the next? Is there no direct and positive er
couragement given to the vice OF drunk en-
ness-the fruitful parent of so many others
by licenses for places of entertainment and O
gambling, which, it is well known, could moi
be supported without the tacit permission to
connect with them the sale of the liquid frt
that is burning up the best mental material o
our rising population? Are we-c,tizens
electors and voters-blameless, if, withou
censure, or rebuke. or the most shadowy form
of apprehension, we suffer those avenues II
death and hell, to continue open, and easil,
accessible to our unwary youth, and if, yea
after year, We suffer the stream of poison ant
pollution-fed byj so many fountains an,
rivulets of, patronized iniquity-to flow dow
our streets, and sweep away the choicest an,
nOblest of our sons? Shall we always hea
the reproach of legislating against what j
practically fostered, cherished, clung to, a
though it were absolutely necessary to ou