The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-29
FIFTH AV. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE CONSUMING CHARACTER on sIN-sEaMoN

BIZ RIv. JOHN HALL, D. D.
Tho Rev. DR.. John Hall preached ON the consuming
nature OF wckedness and selected hts text from tho
prophecy OF lsaian, TX, 18-"For wickedness burnett
~ the hre Il shall devour the briers and and
shall kindls the ihickcs Of the forest, they
shall mount up like the lifting up OF smoko.n Tho
chapter from which this text takon had been read
by DR.. Hall the Scripture lesson. ana In
ing MS sermon he said:--We may take tho opening
words as expressive Of tho sentiment OF these
two verses:-"For wickedness busneth as .
hre" Tho same obligation 10 do right
rests upon rested upon Gods fsvored people,
Jews, 10 whom these words were addressed. W. nave
more iisn.; we nave greater pr =, We have
mighty. aud stronger reasons 70 bind as TO the Lord
than ever thoy had We have ooldness OF 10
God conceived OF ny the jews Our transgrcssons
may be we'll supposed 10 DO moro aggrAvatitg than
thcirs God has not changed the way IN which He
those words a. warning 10 us to be afraid OF sin IN
every form We ought not 10 miss the stgn ncanco OF
nrs'' The arst thing that strikes ABOUT Ore is
spread Of the evi. There Is the Same character
stic about tho spreading OF w,ckcdasss !, mat
Ter OF little consequence whore wickedpcss begins.
II may begin IN the lower, tho middle or the higher
classes, but wherever begins IL our duty 10 light
against u everywhere, saiu the preacher.
ACTIVITY liz AATEKiAL THINGS.
noticed IN Great Brtalu how activc they were In
osr cocrno "cVs nav. nosn "a. u
gems oil Now York a. 10 inc contnuan OF is CON-
merce when threatened by railroad arrangements
that They thought thoy could not c0ntroi When We
IRE threatened W contagious disease how actve We
are resist us entrance in our mtdstt All those
thngs are righ butIs 70 desirable that men should
be equally awe 10 their moral Interests IL h true
only 50 TO certain lengths In restraining moral
evils In politics u 10 true that The people may 10
governed too much, but just because there Is limit
to dong what wc can ought we 10 Ue active Ia
arousing the agency OF conscience Bad books,
bad sunday amusoments (aud II 10 difhculs
10 conceive OF any, Sunday amusements tnat are
not bad), bad men, bad women ana bad associations
principal tor the spread Of evil great
cities ike this We Can oaly limit them BY law 10 .
certain extent But there ought 10 90 no limit 10
the zeal and fidelity with winch we should wurn evil
doors. There 70 another figure that ought not 20
overlook IL 10 tho nature oil IRE to consume. IL
wastes, Il burns up that wnch u takes hold o. II 10
the OF to destroy tho sinner This In not
tnins that happens fortuitously He VINO has Axed
OF Inngs mas nxed it that u will thus do.
ledge a man possesses whether tho wicked
ness no commlts viii spread and acstroy HIM
not Nor zoos u mako Inc slightest aiiicrence
tnat should y aDle TO say mat III did not
desire or expect bring TINS evil about" Tho burn-
Ing and the spreading tins evil take place n
standing Acr recurring 10 tnc sad condition oi So
cety, shown Ia the daily newspapers by narratives
tho consequent iathcss rustcenip, IN tho
degrading stories Of household lilo The terrible
counts OF urdcrs Dr. Hall urged hearers resist
the Deg nnings OF evil, aud quoted the Two inquiries
from tho Provorbs--"Can nan take IRE into hts
bosom aud his clothes not bo burnedf Can man
walk upon Goals oil ire and his flesh not be burned ~
lilo concluded by pointin. out that all this cvdoing
did NOS end hcreit went with hereafter, sal d
that tbs only remedy tor IL was Tho acceptance Of
Christ through the indcnce oil tho Holy spirit