The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-09
MADISON AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Sermon by the Rev. Mr.. ConikIing-Tho Cor.
tnIniy Of tho Eternal PmnisI,ment Of tho
WiciScd-The Awful Enormity of SIN.
At this fashionable place Of worship the Rev. Mr..
ConEling preached yesterday morning, an able
and powerful discourse on the certain and eternal
condemnation OF the wicked. He took for his text
the passage from Enthusiastically shall not be well
with the Wicked" There Il popular modern the
OILY. said he, that the destiny or the whole human
race Is towards eternal happiness. This seems to be
the general sentiment among the poets, pniloso.
pliers and thinkers OF the day 1t chiefly arises Oh
account OF the low estimate men place upon the
guilt OF sin. No mistake however, could DO more
fatal, and 1t has nothing whatever to rest upon in
the Book OF God. IL Is ruinous to the soul that be-
Leves IL, and 1t has done moro harm than any other
false doctrine ever promulgated In Christian coun
tries, indeed qucl In Inference to our Mood OF Sa
vl0ur Is the most alarmingiy fruitful source OF
spiritual death. How can that man desire to be
saved from sin who does not adequately feel that he
Is q sinner With human beings just so foolish as
this, however, our Land Is filled to.day-foosh crca-
lures who believe that all Will come right at last,
and who do not realize th1 they are on the
ROAD TO PERDrrION
Dut In the words OF our text, 'iG snail not be well
with the wicked.n Let us consider, then, the dan
ger and folly OF chcrishng low views OF sin. sin
Is any transgresson against want OF conformity
to the laws OF Cod; and sinners are the wicked
alluded to In the text-mcn who have broken or
from their allegiance 70 God. who have forfeited all
claims TO Ills favor, who have brought upon them
selves tho greatest owl that an undyng soul can
ever know. who have bowed their immortal spirits
to the only degradation they can ever suffer, who
have taken TO their bosoms the serpent whose pol
soned wounds no mortal remedy can cure, who
have fettcred their limbs with linked steel and given
the keys TO the devil, VINO have built around their
souls dungeon walls OF debasemcnt ana misery aud
who are lost 10 hope and heaven. To gain truthful
conception OF the awful character OF sin let us re-
member first, that all the evils Of this life Its
fruits SIN Is not July punished here; this Is not
the arena OF lina recoMpensc either Of the evl or
the good. Here, indeed, 1t sometimes happens that
the
BIGGEST RAsoALs AND THIEVES
are brilliantly successful S even in this life, sin
Is ba,eul and destroying thing. There mas never
pain aud plnlng and misery that human lives have
ever endured are the fruits OF sin. The record OF
human a suffering plague ana famine
sequences OF SIN. The same is true as to the moral
effects In this lite OF sin. Looking back at PAST
history We sec that our greatest and most poignant
emotions OF shame and remorse are the products Of
sin. Ana how much worse have these oeen Than
giesslons In ths life even then It Is
NOT WELL WITH TIE WICKED.
secondly, the aw!ulness OF the guilt OF sin Is
shown In the greatness OF the sacrifice made py God
TO deliver from It the fallen race of man. liz tue
be well With the wicked IN this world or the next
Let us take our stand at the cross OF Jesus
the only Son OF God, ana remember that the
one reason OF his suffering was thai He the Lord OF
Glory out OF the greatness Of His love, elected to
make reparation for the sins Of man. Where, then,
is The hope that lie will spare tho unrcpentant
sinner? The Dlooi-stained cross gives no promise
that God will play last and loose with IFS most
solemn words. II man wishes to persist in hold
Ing light views OF sln let him not visit Calvary.
Then, thirdly, the
10Y OF THE ANGELS
over repentant SINNER is another proof OF the
enormty Of sin. The angels are tue helps ana
guardians OF the upward. bound spirit, and we are
told that the season OF their greatest gladness Ii
when the child OF earth turns round anu takes the
path to heaven. At such seasons there are new
songs sung III heaven ana the seraphs praise God
IN loltler strains. Let us then look upon these
things as Established truths OF God Almighty: let us
settle II once Tor all that 1t will not and cannot be
great Judgment day, or In eternity. For how can IL
be well with
LOST SOUL
who has chosen as his eternal dwelling the awful
horror Of the blackneSs OF darkness foreverY The
preacher then recapitulatcd tue many privileges OF
his hearers in having been piousy nuttured, and
often told Of the need OF salvation said that FOR
such they, II they rejected Christ, in an especial
sense, there was no salvation. 1t is true that we
cannot see into the future world, but we have the
sure testimony OF the solemn word OF God lhat the
perfect Ollss Of the Righteous Is everlasting, and
That
TIE FEARFUL DOOM OF TIE WICKED
Is everlasting Also surely no minister Of God could
conceal that truth from his hearers, could be so
cowardly as to conceal that truth from immortal
souls whom IL concerned so deeply. The preacher
closed by an eloquent appeal to his congregation 10
avail themselves Of the privileges OF grace while 1t
was yet tlme