The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-21
shippers left to come and decorate at all May God
forgive us for our blindness and lead us to the
1iuhf
MADISON SQUARE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


The Dual Principle in Mans Nature
The. Struggle Within Him Caused by
Sin and It's Tendencies-The Character
and Destiny Determined by the Com
hict-spontaneous Piety the Ultimatu m
of Christian EnOrt-Scrmon by the Rev.
DR.. Darling, of Albany.
In the absence OF Dr. Adams, pastor OF the Mad-
son square Presby terian church, now enjoying his
Summer vacation In Connecticut his pulpit was
occupied yesterday morning, by the Rev. DR.. Oar
ling, OF the First Presbyterian church in Albany.
Alter the usual religious exercises the rev.
erend gentleman announced as his text
Psalms, KILL, 5:-"Why art thou cast down, nv
soul and why art thou disquieted In me
Hope thou In God, for l shall yet praise
Him for the help OF His countenance." He said =
These words present the extraordinary spectacle Of
q man demonstrating with his soul In reference to
its condition 1t would seem as though his self
was subdivided into two parts and the one under.
took to instruct the other. Else what does the
Psanist mean when he says "Why art thou cast
down. my soul ?" The question naturally sug-
gests ITSELF what ia lett when the soul Is tax en-
awayf Who Ii the person speaking who the
one spoken TOT To give an analytical answer is
impossible, there is such duality as the words
imply and yet nothing is more common than such
dialogues between the higher and lower nature Of
man. The speaker here alluded to many illustra-
lions OF this, IS recorded in the Holy Scriptures
and to be met with in our everyday life. De Quin-
ccy, in his confessions OF an opium eater furnishes
his better nature is striving TO break away from
the thral which binds him. This struggle is daily
TIE INCEPTION TO ALL SIN.
No man can enter upon wicked course OF lie
but there Is an uprising Of his better u.e, enter
merely Yielding, ny to the temptation which beses
him, but mutiny in the soul caused by the sins OF
commission or OF omission. All forms OF sin cause.
that the commands OF God appeal to the heart az
just and reasonable. We know that He has right
to our affections, and that without a compliance
with the divine benest, ''Give me thy hearth man
is stranger to peace and given over to misery.
These commands, when brought before us, bring
on q self conflict. On the one hand In an Incllna-
ton to sim on the other sense OF obligation; on
the one side passion, on the other reason; here
G9d there the word sn gprs ana Gnor ana eterTa
realize, If man had not been weakened by the TALL
this conflict would have been feeble and soon over,
as reason Is so much the stronger, but now the
contrary Is the case, and in the
GREAT CONFLICT OF DUALITY
the world Is uppermOst. The life OF the true
Christian has It's origin In sel!remonstrance, in a
consciousness OF sin accompanied by self-loathing
Nor Is the duality OF our Christian nature seen
greater less extent through all our career.
Paul has carried this duality to great extent In
ms Epistes az seen IN MS references s; 10 the old
only in recognition OF these two natures that we
can reconcile the contradictions In the Epstle or
Lohn, where he says. III we say we have no sin we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not In us.n
And again, "WhOso loveth God doth not commit
sn.n
The speaker then proceeded TO consider some OF
the special uses we should make OF this struggle,
anu FIRST OF those natures In which there is seem
ingiy no such duality. What Is their condition
without such sell.cOn1ict, what are mans pros
poets and hopes 7 He then proceeded to show that
10 IN rug "a a aeno Mas an
his character for good or evil in oil time
and throughout eternity. When the apostle speaks
OF those far gone In sin he refers to those having
no feeling no inwardncss, no two natures in one.
This Is the contamination OF human depravity.
As FIRST before death from freezing is realized de.
liciOus sensation Of rest when all desire to strug
gle Is over. SO the CONDITION Of peace in the heart
oil the wicked IL an equally
SURE PRECURSOR OF DISSOLUTION.
The work OF the spirit would seem to be wrought
within us by stimulating those principles In our
nature which protest against sin, and these ceas.
ing to work. the spirit has left US. lie argued that
the reverse OF this Ia peculiar to the Christian,
and that inward rest to tine good man Is evidence
practice OF love to God and obedience to His laws
goodness tends to natural habit We may ne
s sr becomes the second '' So tie dSrlsSns
work eventually becomes an easy thing to him.
Referring again to Paul. he said, In his earlier ex-
perence we find constant evidences OF these con-
nicts, but in later years we hear nothing OF him;
the tone Is that OF exuant victory since mis- whole
nature had entered on the way OF righteousness.
lie exclaims, ~ have fought the good fight and
there Is hencefOrth laid up for me crown or lfc."
Herein we find gage to measure our characters
and the direction IN which they are tending. A
suggestion to sin starts the conflict. What Is the
issue Did you commit the sin III the suggestion
usually ends in sin then your character is going
down, and, as in yielding to sin is seen the evl-
dence OF retrograding, SO can the Christian find In
his steadfastnes, certain evidence OF progress.
In conclusion, he referred to that delightful time
certain to be realized by every true Christian when
pety shall he spontaneous and the heart filed
with Christ, shall cease the struggle now going on
in It's nature.