Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-24
BROTHER SWEENEY
On Christianity, Horse-Baeing and Gam
bling, a Very Singular Trinity-A
Sermon Preached Before
A Very Large Congregation at the
Christian Church, Linden Street.
On Sunday Last.

The Rev. D.. Sweeney preached before q
very large congregation last Sunday, taking
his text from the seventh chapter Of Romans.
He said: Our common observation, as well
as the holy scripture, afirms the "double
nature of things,n man himself included.
"All nature" eaid Balm, the mental philoso.
pher, sis deuble-fsced unity" And the state
ment is not far from the facts. What we
know Of thipgs has foundation in sensation
and Consciousness. What we know of the
outer and material man and his phys
trustworthiness of our senses. OUr
knowledge Of the inner and upper man
aud nober man is founded in the trust
vorthiness of human consciousness. The one
tells Of weight, form, color, taste and material
properties, while consciousness opens our
understanding of the upper world in human
nature. The world of thought, affection,
right, reason, veneration, Justice, will, and all
the properties of the higher man. We veri-
fly our impressions OF real things in
THE MATERIAL WORLD.
by three great tests OF verify.
FrSt.-By the concurrence of our common
observations and Impressions, we distinguish
between dreams and realities.
Secondly a common comparison, con-
trast and calculation.
TAird.-By the fact that all life and &C.
ton are based on the trustworthIness of our
senses.
And by the same ''lests" we verify the
spiritual and upper nature in man. By these
criteria we lay the foundations OF physical
science on the one hand, and men
tai and moral philosophy and
government and religion on the
other. The history Of our thoughts of
material and mental things is a very interest
ing study just here. Until in the sixteenth
century the world had not formulated its
philosophy of the foundations of thought.
Francis Bacon came and afterward Hobbies
and other, M sking "sensstion" the source of
all our knowledge. And, then, in the seven
teenth century came John Locke, little i'm
provement on his predecessors; but the basis
of his philosophy was in
SENSATION
| and reflection. Bacon, Hobbies and Locke
have been followed by Coadilac in France,
and Hartley and Priestly in England, estab-
fishing the philosophic school Of "sensa-
| tionalism," represented more modernly BY
John Stuart Mill, Msndsley, Balm and
others. They account only for the lower
realm Of our world. We have another school
of philosophy represented by Lsibnitz,
Dsscartes, Couzin, Heget, Emanuel Kant, Sir
| William Hamilton and others, who have
added TO the knowledge of the senses, the
knowledge of our consciousness: and
| iatuition OF the soul-world and
the heaven of human nature. These
schools of philosophy emphasize the
biblical doctrine of the "double nature .oi
man." affirmed by Paul in the seventh chap
ter of Romans, and throughout the New
| Testament. Now, take second position
in the sermon. The Bible teaches that the
spirit man" should rule the "snimal man
And hence, the "man of flesh and spirit
which the apostle afirms. The works o.
the "hesh" THAT is, when the flesh has it
own way), the holy scriptures teach us, ar,
"adultery, fornicstion, uncleanness, lascivi
business, wrath, strife, seditions, murders
drunkenness, revelings, and such like
They which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of Cod
But when the man of the higher life rule
we have the fruits of the spirit"-love, joy
peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness
meekness, soberness and
Human nature is something like our Senate
and Congress-the upper and lower house
The stormy debates of passions and appe
titles should be subject 10 the veto of reason
and conscience and the upper house of wise
forces. A man and horse can travel together
we'll enough while the man rides the hors.
and keeps him in subjection, but the anima
must not attempt to ride the man, fo
things will not move on SO we'll. AnC
thus Paul "lsbored TO keep his body
in subsection, lest, after having preached The
gospel to others, he himself should be
castaSay." The forces msrshaled on th,
upper plane of human nature must hold il
subsection the forces of the physical anc
| lower plane. This The Bible and Nature
and our common observation affirm. Thes,
reflections have prepared the way for MI
next position in this discourse. Every ayo
cation or pursuit or amusement in life tina
seeks to dethrone reBson and conscience anc
honor and elevate lawlessness and goddess
greed should be condemned. The spiri
must control the body. To reverse the ordel
disorganizss human nature.
God ordained labor in the constitution O.
THE WORLD PLAN.
He put man into the garden and told hin
| to dress and beautity it. Aud this Fat wen
forth before the "Fsll of Man." And the
political economy" of this nation aud tn,
law of our land recognizes the justice o
"equivalepts" A man must render al
equivalent for what he gets in ife-the quo
pro quo laid down by Blackstone in our com
mon law. Our recent races wers nothing
more than legalized gambipg-takiugS 500,
900 from our people and city and leaving NJ
Equivalent" Take gambling out of tn,
races and the business would stop like
time. piece struck by lightning. 1t is bust
ness that tends to drag down the law O
Equivalents" to break the law of labor, or
daihed of God, and the law of honesty tsugh
in the Bible. 1t tends to destroy the stabilit,
of ihings-to smile the soil with blight, de
grade the public conscience, blaspheme tn,
duty Of labor, chain the wheels OF moral ant
spiritual progress, and is an insult to tn
New Testament. 1t is a sin against tn
ballot. box and the oath of allegiance. 1t i
3 sin against the public peace and the corner
stone OF American progress. 1t is
STRIKE
in our midst for barbarism and agains
Christian civilization. 1t is sin which
grips the grspples of goddess greed anC
hooks of hell. And the Churches ant
Christian homes and Christian women, youn,
and old, should set their faces, Luminous
with fiery Indignation, against it. God ipsr
slyzs my arm at my side and my tongue il
the roof of my mouth when l turn tn
cowsrdly craven, afraid TO lift up my
voice against this behemoth, which
smothers conscience, murders the soul
and throttles the angel i'll human
breastsi Our Lord, my brethren, ha
said, "If any man will be my disciple, lie
him take up The cross, deny himself and fol
low me-" Deny himsslf'-not of resson
and conscience, and right and love OF homo
and the beautiful and innocent Amusement
but of all those unholy claims of passion
and appetite and dishoDor that are hurtfu
to the man on the higher plane of life. Tn
holy scriptures and the noblest experience
of life teach us to "deny ourselves of all 10
godliness and worldly lusts and live soberly
rghteou.ly and godly in this present world.
The love OF unholy living in this world
to be conquered By the lsve of a holy aut
heavenly ife. Whosoever would reform hi
way must be "on with the new love when
is off with the old"
UNHoLY PASSION
must be displaced with a holy love. MAJ
must gain 'the victory through Jesus Chris
our Lord" He must fall in love with Jesu,
Christ, and exchange eyes with heaven!
is the secret and philosophy of all reform a
ton. II elevates man above the plane G
the fiesh snd lower man, aud transfgure
and glori6es him on the hill-tops of tn
higher life. A holy love will displace a
unholy passion for gambling, or drinl
or lust, or goddess greed. Obi M
friends, the love of Jeeus Chris
and ali those principles for which he ooc
when be lived in our world, will lead 20
from beneath the dark clouds OF sin tina
hang low over your heads, will lea
you across the streams of life that ru
dark and muddy, will lead you out OF sou
slavery and Up TO the praises of Him VIII
broke the bonds of your captivity, and ieaC
you forth rejoicing, saved and free. You
outward man" and all that feeds and pan
pers it must perish and pass away to tn
grave and be forgotles. But your spirit an
upper man may be renewed day after day.
/, is a subject of everlasting
| PROGRESS