Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-05
THE FALL OF ADAM.
Rev. Il. A. Hoys's Sermons to Young

Rev. Il. A. Hoys's Sermons to Youu
Men.
Rev. T. A. Hoyt, of the First Presbyt
rian Church, delivered the second of b
series Of sermons to young men Sunda
evening last, taking for his text the 20,
verse of the LIST chapter Of Genesis: An
| God said, Let us make man In our imag
after our likeness. Also the It'll verse (
the I'd chapter of Genesis: And the Lor
God formed man of the dust Of the groun
and breathed into ibis nostrils the breath {
life; and man became living soul.
ain the beginning God created th
heavens and the earth" First b
created light. THE existence Of ligt
precedes, therefore, the existence Of tn
sun, which is to US the gres
foundation of light, yet hgh
itself was made on the first day, while th
sun was not created until the fourth day
Then be created the armament; then b
separated the waters from the dry land
ard caused to spring up the plants AM
herbs and trees of the ea-th. Then b
made the SUD, and moon, and stars--thos
gorgeous watch fires of the universe. Thel
he made the winged fowl of the air; the fin
ny tribes of the deep; then the cattle aut
the beasts of the field, and every creepin.
thing on the earth. Then there was sol
eun pause. The course of nature was ar
rested. The hush of expectancy filed al
creation. A greater work was to be Fer
formed. The God-head is rep
resented to US as being in sol
emn and awful consultation. Their
the words came to us, "Let us make mar
in our own image and after our likeness
The stage was ready. and low the chic
actor appears on the scene. When God
made the light be said: "Lst there be
light" and there was light. Everything
was evoked from nothing by the power oil
bis commanding voice. But man was moi
created out of nothing, as all else was.
God made man Of the dust of the ground.
lie took the earth, and out Of that he made
the body Of man, thus linking him forever
to the earth upon which be trod, thus be-
ginning the everlasting refrain, "Dust thou
art and unto dust shals thou return" He
becomes akin to the beasts He says to the
earth, "Thou art my mother and 10 the
worm, ''Thou art my sister," When his
body has decayed into the earth, it has but
fallen into the embrace of his mother. His
body was made of the dust of the ground,
but how was his soul made? "God breathsd
into his soul the breath of life, and man be.
came living SOUL" And this soul Of ours
is thus made the offspring OF God, and in
some sense an emanation from His great
spirit-a ray of light from the eternal sun;
the very breath of God breathed into this
mould of clay. While, therefore, he is
linked, On the one hand, 10 everything
that is beneath him, he is skin
20 everything that is above him.
date relations sustained by Adam to every
God himself and to posterity;
mans soul being thus made the inspiration
Of God, has life; as we teach our children
Il have soul that will never de-"
We hear much talk in these days about
'the dignity OF human nature gospel of
which seems to supplant, in the
minds Of some, the gospel of Christ; that if
nan could only be emancipated from bond
lge of various kinds, he would be the very
lower of dignity. Man is king, but be is
discrowned king. He reminds US of old
Leah, turned out Of home, wandering
n the woods, bareheaded, without food
md without raiment. He was once King
but now none so poor as to do him rev.
renee. Mans subjects are al fighting
gainst him. The beasts Geyour him. The
cry iDsects-the miserable insects torment
i'm. He was once a King, and q noble
ling he was, for be was made in the image
f God-the tsxt tells Us, the "vsry likeness
4 God" One of the great attributes of
ehovah is that He knows all things; there
J nothing which escapes His observation.
low in his finite nature, man had mind |
D krolc. Some Of you are students, and |
on know how you labor and toll to fix in
our mind that which you wish to retain |
here. Some of you are in business, |
I'D you know the practical details |
life Cypress and disturb you. Adam |
ad no such troubles. What he knew, he |
new BY intuition. He was created right
BUS, and he had no fear of God. He had
o reproach Of conscience. The Judgment |
God was in his favor. You have seen
,me beautiful lake rejecting the image of
le sun. 1t is but CLASSY pool of water,
nd without the light, it is dark and dis
al thing; but the sun shines upon it, md
gives back from its glowing surface the
Try image of that sun. So the soul of
dam reflected, in intense glow, the very
mage of his Maker. Il.
Adam was on familiar terms with God,
no came down and held fellowship
it'll him IS man holds feilowshid
it'll his friend. God seems to us veg far
way, TO Adam he was very near-si0e by
le with him. He could look into Gods
ce without fear, without shame, without
sense of guilt or reproach. He had the
ivilege OF communing with God. To
me of you, my friends, this term "hold.
g communion with God" may sound
was cnce travelling, when
me to spot covered with fields of way
9 grass, with trees, with flowers and
RIBS. On the other side of the road was
desert waste-s bowling wilderness,
hat made the difference? The one side
Is open and exposed To the full rays of the
u, while the other side was in darkness
gloom. So it seems to you. In the dark
81 Of alienation from God you live. BY
me means you are turned around and the
n of Gods love shines upon your hear;
is viVi6ed and begins to bring forth fruit.
Adam is the natural head Of the human
nily. He is the father of US all. He is
Q illustrious progenitor of race whose
sning millions have extended over many
INJURIES and will coutinue to extend
rough all coming time-S racs which
0Ves with grand sweeping march across
IS earth, from time to eternity. q
Adam fell. He violated the covenant t
God. He plunged himself aud ali his q
sterity into ruin. They were covered [
th sin and guilt; exposed to death itself. q
lis is our condition tonight the children t
earth exposed to everlasting death
tering upon the brink of The grave.
cry few days we are called together to I
ry to the grave the remains of some of L
r departed friends and neighbors. AS
r bodies are dropping, dropping into the t
we, so our souls are trembling, trembling
the very brink of perditioD. Why should
speak OF such things as these? 1t v
because there is . way of escape. With Ii
, Adam, thee would have been no "
rist; without the fall, there would have S
N no redemption. Yoa are lost and
ned, but may be saYed, That is what
) church is for; that is what this Bible is
that is what Christ is for-that you
y escape from the ruin 10 which you are =
olyed by the fall Of Adam. Will you
ept the salvation which Christ offers -
i you remain under this condemnation,
'osed to all these miseries-will you re-
in under the wrath and curse II
Almighty God, when you are 9