Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-03-24
March "a, 1884.
Self Deception.

SELF O0C0pC1OHs
sermon Preached In the Third Church by
Rev, W. HI. Butrfck-MOst Mem StFaDG-
ers 10 Their Own Character.
Rev W. II. Butrick of the First Baptist
church, preached IN the Third church yester-
dav afternoon. His text was from LIST John,
i: 8. 'Ie we say we have no sin we deceive
ourselves and the truth Ia not in u.s." His
subject was ''Self Deception" Following
is q synopsis of the discourse:
First, the text prompts me to say few
words about self-decsption in general. Most
men are strangers to their own characters.
The man about whom we know the least is
the man under our own jacket. We know
him; we clothe him, feed him, entertain him,
pity him, comfort him. We make him the
subject of every conversation and the object
of our tenderest solicitations, but we don't
know him. This,habit ofself- deception finds
frequent illustrations. Mystics speak against
mysticism, gossips impale gossips on their
spiteful tongues, and often it is the case that
so. called higher life Christians reveal much
that belongs to the lower sphere.
A second thought in the text is this ; self
deception is sinful This thought is contain
ed in the meaning of the word deceive" as
used in the text. To deceive others Is to
mislead, to lead astray, to wrong. 70 de-
csivs ourselves is to wander, to go astray, to
wrong ourselves Our Lord uses the same
Greek word when he likens the sinner to
wandering sheep. So also James uses this
word when he says. eff any among you DO
err from the truth and one convert him, let
him know that he who con vertet sinner,
etc."
The world also holds men accountable for
self deception. 1t may pity the victim, but
it never excuses or justifes him.
We recognize the sin of deceiving others.
We ought also to recognize the sin of leading
ourselves astray.
This leads me to notice what the text says
about self-dsception respecting our own sim
fitness. 'It we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves" But, we ask, will any
man say, II am free from sin?" Net in
words, perhaps, but in action men do praoti-
cally claim this. They grant that great
contest is going on in the world between
good and evil but the war is in the South,
or in France or Germany, in China or South
Africa. Their weak neighbor needs to Sign
a temperance pledge, but not they. discipline
amiability of my children renders it unnsces-
sary. Some men are doubtless injured by
the theatre; their passions are inGamed, their
consciences debanched, their imagination
grossly stimulated, their views of life made
feverish and unnatural; but l am exempt
from such influences!
The law of gravity makes no exception in
my favor when step from the giddy height.
The law of sin and death is alike memorable.
Be not deceived. Neither natures laws nor
Gods laws are Knocked. for whatsoever q man
soweth that shall he also reap.
Finally, a few words regarding self
undeception as to sin. If I am deceiving
myself how may 1 be undeceived? ''Know
thyself" was motto of heather philosophers.
| 1t lies at the root of all right living. To
| this question some will reply that knowl-
edge of the Christian doctrine of
| sin will undeceive US. There can be no
| question that this is fundamental doctrine
of Christianity. The difficulty is that a
knowledge of the doctrine of sin does not
| always result in appreciation of personal
sinfulness. The blindest men about the fact
of sin are often those who know most about
sin as theory. cit is darkest under the
candle" Not long since was in the Peabody
museum. 1t was interesting and profitable
TO study the various reptiles as they are
there preserved and exhibited. But he who
walks about one room will become conscious
of something overhead, which il
nothing LEI. less s than ...aa;, al. esso ora
with outstretched arms seems ready to re.
ceive all corners. It teaches a lesson. We
walk about and look at sin in glass cases
and preserved in church creeds and orthodox
sermons, for what are our various bodies OF
divinity but museums where sin is exposed
| in its various aspects? We go in and about
| upod the prevalence of vice and the certainty
of retribution, but we are in Satan's museum
and he is there with outstretched arms to
receive many of us who come to him with
the fullest possible knowledge of
the theory of sin. The power
of sin is not measured by church creeds
and theological definitions. How then shall
| we know its power? I answer, by try ing to
| correct some one sin of our daily life. There
has been great activity in the Green to-day.
We have not known it, but a wonderful
power is at work there now. 1 refer to the
sap which will soon cause the leaves to
sprout Gould we measure the power that
causes the sap to ascend in those trees, we
should find it enormous. It is said that an
| instrument has been invented which shows
that power to be SO great as to be almost be-
yond credit. Now suppose we apply such a
gauge to our habit of speaking i'll of people.
Will it not register an enormous pressure
Or apply it to the habit of tobacco or tea or
coffee.
In SO doing you have discovered not sin,
but the power of sin. These faults sins
of ours are no more the essence of sin than
the occasional flow of lava from Vesuvius is
the molten center of the earth. Sin is a
mighty pow er, disease with which all are
inoculated and which demands for its over
throw more than the exercise of human will,
more than the united effort of human society;
| it requires the arm of Almighty God. Verses
eight and ten of this chapter are nearly iden-
| teal in thought and expression. Between
| ia q mi W
fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
our sins and to cleanse from all I'M
righteousness" What is this confessionf A
confession of specific faults? No. 1t is a
confession of unrighteousness, that sin me
there dwelleth no good thing" We have no
| adequate conception of sin until We recognize
| it rs the ruling principle of our lives. We
make no adequate confession of sin till we
say, Lord am powerless to do righteous
ness, to whom shall I go but unto thee.
A few weeks ago beautiful vessel left
Boston harbor. 1t had every equipment; a
powerful engine, proud captain, happy
company of passengers. They sought the
broad ocean and the sunny South. They
never reached their destination. You know
the rest-the captain ''slept while he skirted
the resfs.''
God has placed you in command of but
one vessel. It is infinitely more beautiful
and more thoroughly equipped than the
proudest vessel that plows the ocean. Its
cargo, the human soul, is more precious than
the gold of Ophir. The voyage is along the
| three score years and ten of this present
life and then the broad ocean of eternity.
Shall We '.sleep while We skirt the reefs?"
God holds us responsible for this vessel
whose rightful destiny ia the sunny peace OF
the divine presence, and if by our own SELF
deception we founder on the devils bridge, u
We are only to blame ind eternity alone
can measure the consequences.
|
Liquidating a Church Debt.
The George street NJ f. Church Wapt