The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-31
ToMPKINs AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Sermon by DR.. Clarke the Souls In
delible Record Of Sin-Life and Its
Self-AccusatiOn, the Judgm ent Day
That Is Within Us.
DIR. Clarke preached yesterday morning to
congregation that was somewhat diminished in
numbers from the ordinary attendance, cOnse-
quent, it was said on the presence OF the equnOc-
tial gale and the unwiingness of many OF the
regular attendants to brave the storm of wind.
The text selected was the sixth chapter OF the
prophecy of Micah and the sixth and seventh
verses-"Wherewth shall come before the Lord
and bow myself before the high God Shall come
before him with burnt-onerlngs, with calves of a
year Old? viii the Lord be pleased with thou
sands Of rams with ten thousands of rivers OF
oil ? Shall give my first born for my transgres-
siOns, the fruit of my body for the sin OF my soul ~
The preacher said that his subject would be
Accountability, or SelrAccusation, or the Judg-
ment Day that Was Within U.s." brief reference
to the mission of the prophet when these words
were spoken led the way to the main thought OF
the discourse, which was that the soul made its
own record OF conviction and OF accusation against
itself, and that when any one turned his mind in
ward, and cast up AS it were, the debtor and
creditor columns OF his life, he stood convinced OF
his moral and spiritual bankruptcy. There were
manifest evidences OF these mOnitons OF con.
science, awakened and developed as they were by
consciousness. They were as deeply engraven in
the nature Of man as the water-marks, the lines,
and the eagle were woven In the paper you pur-
chased at the statiOner's. The sun could not lade
those water-marks out; they were ingralned
part OF the fabric the manufacture, that nothing
but positive destruction could destroy. These
montiOns OF the conscience might lie dormant
there was a slumbering security in which the con-
science did not show itself; but like the fable to
Mount Etna, where 1t was said that at the base Of
the mount slept giant who, when he awOke,
turned himself over, and thus caused the periOdi-
cal vomiting forth from the volcano that destroyed
cities, so there came times In the history OF the
soul when this slumber OF itself was aroused and 1t
woke up to the reality OF its own possible destrac-
ton and ultimate eternal misery. Outside the
Word OF God there was analogy for this in the latent
powers OF nature, as shown IN electricity ana In
phosphorus. How many, too, were the illustra.
lions OF this in the gospel OF human nature
Adam and Eve had revealed unto them their
asserted itself in the remorse of SIN; King
David, when he heard the story of the eve
lamb and the dread saying, ''rhOu art the man ~
that inspired that wOndrOus ify-irst psalm. 1t
OF some great crime to awake this latent action OF
OF the soul. Dr. Johnson, who had written
so bountlfully OF virtue and whose life was
distinguished for its morality. desired when he was
cody man." who could point him to the
Lamb OF God. To the efficacy OF that
Lamb In the salvation OF his soul he
bore his dying testimony. Thus we were all our
should confront us-making for ourselves judg-
ment day. We might think that we could, as the
cOunterleiter thought he could bury his counterfeit
plate In the depths OF the Ocean-think that we
could bury deep ourselves, these accusers so that
they would never rise again. IL was delusiOn !;
there was always some FISHERMAN who would,
some day or another fish up from the depths OF the
ocean the proofs OF our deeply buried guilt That
which could ef1ectuaIly wash away the remem-
brance OF our guilt was our belief in God and our
loving trust and reverence Tor Him; living always
j0yIully faithfully and earnestly, because we were
living in the sight OF Him who was our eternal
friend.