The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-22
FOURTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN eHrRcn

| FOURTH AVENUE PRESDYTERIkN CHCRCH.
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| The Unreleniing War of the Flesh Against
tho spirit and the Victory Of the LATTER
by Gods Grace-Sermon by Rev. Howard
Crosby, ID. u.
A good,y congregation gathered yesterday morn
| NC IN the Fourth avenue Presbyterian church. A
| beautiful custom prevails here, as also In some
other Presbyterian churches, OF opening the SER
vices by singing The Doxology. after which short
| prayer followed and then hymn was sung. The
| Ten Commandments and the q IN chapter OF Gala
tlans were next read, and then longer prayer was
| offered up. Another hymn sung and then came the
sermon, based upon Galatians ", 1S:-"l'ut ii We
be led OF the spirit ye are not under the law
Every man. he said, was aware Of two separate
forces struggling for the mastery within him. The
uncultured Indian declares, almost In the language
Of Paul. that the bad man in him urges HIM to
60 and kill his nelghbor and take his money,
but the good man In MIN tells him 1t Is wrong and
he stops. The apostle advises that put of the old
man with his deeds, and put on the new man.
which, after God, Is created in righteousness and
true holiness. II we had not this free choice VIC
should not DC moral creatures; We should have had
no more freedom than the trees OF the forest, which
grow because they cannot do anything else. If we
probe every heart we shall see in each
KINGDOM wARRIsa AGAINST ITSELF.
Let US now consider the cause Of this conflict ana
its cure
Every system OF religion before Christianity failed,
because they did not recognize their nrs postu-
late that man Is O sinner. The faith OF mankind has
always more or less acknowledged this, though
their philosophy might deny it, because their faith
Is the ougrowth OF religious Impressions. Hence
the religion OF the world has always been better
than its philosophy. And Hindoo to-day has a
better idea OF his relation to God than a Boston
philosopher. The entrance OF sin has COM
PEELED TO choose between good and
evil, instead or between two goods,
as might have been the without 1t. Sin having
taken possession OF race shifts the scene, and
brings evil fully before ia with fatal example
The knowledge or good and evil we inherit from
Adam and any debate OF choice between he
two IL fun OF danger. For the flesh lnsieth against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and these
are contrary the one to the other. Here the choice
or evil IS called the nesh lt Is when this earthly
life absorbs all attention. The renewed nature
Is described the spirit and IN the contest be-
tween these two man IL thwarted on all sides. lie
wants TO do evil put good Will not let him. These
are contrary the one TO the other. The spirit OF
the story OF God's grace. Had there been no such
manifestation OF divine love EVIL would have had Its
own way. Iiut the man would then be at peace.
There are discordant elements enough In evil 10
keep men at war with them elves Society without
God is state OF atomic rcpulsion. The choice Of
EVIL Is OF itself emDarkIng In war because the
family OF evil IS not ike the family OF good.
II lads TO an unholy strife. While there Is a
struggle between Gods spirit and the flesh in man
there is hope tnat the spirit will conquer. But
while Gods spirit enters every heart It may not re-
conscience while sin has possession OF the heart.
The Il sought after by God, who wants to make
him Ills child, and the testimony OF the conscience
is good because IL is OF God II has 10 he after the
manner Of warming, his thoughts the meanwhile
accusing OF else excusing one another. God Is thus
acting with the sinner as lie was with Moses the
mount or with Israel IN the wilderness. Love, In
order to save must strike cruel blows and the
ma
and rolled and bruised TO save his life. The soul In
sin must be thus influenced by Gods SPIRIT in the
conscience or 1t viii sleep It's deadly Sleep Ii may
not ike 10 be disturbed at present, but IL
win Afterwards look back and thank God
liverance. In debate between a choice OF va
goods the character OF the struggle is lost; but
When IN struggle between s, goSa and evil the sonl
There Is desperate wrestling OF the affections and
passions with one another when conscience has
been put W death My spirit saith God, shall not
always strive with man. IL is a mistake to suppose
that Tho who has sti1ed conscience Is ut peace
lie may nave no rcmorsc vi conscience for SIM but
DEEPER UNREST AND rIERcER WAR,
ana Is constantly harassed by cashings OF evil
within hun, though without a conscience to lead
him out into rest And there is no escape for him
but in the pursuit u one object, to which all his
powers and energies are bent. Happily for society
Euch characters are rare.
Now. what is the cure for this state OF the soul 2
The text says that II We are led by tue Spirit
Spirit 70 command the conscience-the marrying OF
Of or COD from whose love i las ever G been IN
revolt. The condition or the awakened soul was de-
scrfbed ana now III this condition u Ia no longer
under the law. Before there was nothing betwee1 il
and law, and the man was bruised AMI beaten AZ he
went along but now he Is guided clear OF tho law.
The child may be bruised and weary climbing over
hills and bitches AMI streams, but n his father
him he Will not DC. Even 40, IL we are born OF
the Spirit,
GOD OUR FATHER CARRIES Us.
The Spirit guides and takes care OF the law, and
conscience, which Ia the laws agent, has no more
fort that Is conquered mas more need 10 be bonn
ba,ded. Being justified by faith we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus CHRIST There Is no
more fear Of conscience. and there Is perfect free
dom from law. God does not guide his child by law,
but by love. But has love 10 law? on, yes it has.
But III the first case law means the hand OF the po-
ltceman on your shouder-in this IL Is the magnet
sequently against us, but he works III us and hence
with Ii Ia the constant surprise OF every heart
at peace with God, and whose conscience Is not
sleeping or dead but active as ever tat 1t Is not
struggling ana warning rs before. The kingdom
within no onger divided against ITSELF This glo-
rious peace Of the soul Is
THE RESULT OF YIELDING TO COD.
The commander who would surrender a city
silence the camorous clique within. IL is cheat
ing logic and deadly deusion which would pur-
chase peace by bribery. The peace purchased by
Minahem with a few sheckels OF gold was but tenn
porary, and led to greaer contests; but the forty
years OF peace secured by Gideon was the result OF
courage and OF strife. This peace OF the soul Will
never come OF Itself. must be the result OF light.
ing. We must give our hearts to God. BE bold and
those passions which war against the soul will sunk
back into their holes Addressing himself pontedly
10 the mpentent the Doctor remarked, In closing
There are two alternatives before you VIII you have
the Spirit TO dwell IN your hearts will 20. drive
him away from your The present residence OF the
spirit In your conscience Is a marx OF Gods kind
dealing toward you aud that love speaks to you 10.