The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-17
ToMPK1Hs AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

TOMPKINS AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CaUROH
Sermon by DIR. Clarke ON Paul's Sermon
ON Mars H1ll-What Ia Meant by True
Aepentsnce-The sad Effects of .
Christless Repenta nce-Ns Man Able to
Truly Repent without tho New Tesla
ment.
The congregation OF the above church goes on
steadily increasing ana the nucleus Of q live church
seems to be forming into large dimensions under
the care Of the popular pastor. Yesterday morning
every pew was occupied ana the small gallery was
filed with children with the recently-organized
Sunday school. DR.. Clarke continued his discourse.
yesterday morning, OF the previous Sunday. on the
subject OF the visit of st. Paul to Athens. He Sc
lected for his text Acts xviii, 3O-"And
the times OF this ignorance God winked
at; but now c0mmandeth he all men every
where to repent" He prelaced his sermon by
stating that q young man who had been one OF
the congregation last Sunday morning had said ON
leaving the church that ne was not surprised that
Paul was unsuccessful in bringing the Athenans to
knowledge OF the only true God, seeing that they
had already $4,000 gods to worship. DR.. Clarke
said he was glad to know that that remark had
been made, because 1t showed that the young man
had listened to the sermon, and 1t also showed that
the young mans thought was pointing in the right
direction. The Doctor, however, IN reply to that
remark, said that the point OF the preaching OF
sibility consequent upon the preaching OF the Cos
pei. The Athenian, wOrshipping one or many OF
the
THIRTY THOUSAND GODS
before Paul preached to him, was one person. but
the Athenian idOatOr who heard Paul's statement
OF Gospel truth was quite another person. and
under quite different degree OF responsibility
when the truth had been made apparent to him
and the ignorant worship OF the ldOlatOr made
manifest to that Athenian mind. The same truth
was equally applicable to-day to modern Christians
under the fierce light OF Gospel privileges. The
times OF the ignorance OF heather d0latry God had
Winked at. but after they had been called every.
where to repent there was hencefOrth new re-
SpOnsibtlity that could never De overlooked, and
which pat their past ignorance far away. What,
Well, 1t took two things to make true repent
ance-feeling and action, or q sincere sorrow for
sin and resOlute fOrsaking Of that sin. True
repentance must work against the commission Of
were very common. OF this examples were found
in the incidents in the life OF Judas and OF Saul the
King. They manifested = specOus repentance.
1t was quite true that the true penitent would
sin again. Genuine repentance was warfare with
sin, o strife that must have its conflicts ending
continued even after the defeat the victory was
certain OF attainment. 1t was important in that
connection to say that without the New Testament
no man could have truly repented. How sad were
the many manifestations OF Christless repent
ance-a repentance that did not acknowledge Christ
and the work that He had wrought for the sinner
In the work OF ceasing to do evil and learning to
do well. This salvation by Christ il that which
by God. The sermon was closed by earnest, prac-
tical exhOrtatiOns in this direction and by the
mark OF st. Augustine, BE sure that you repent
the day before you de-"