Telegram-herald., 1890-06-30

sisst ESxssz whs Lssss GSd.
WrSFgELs. Ran, June &. DIR Tslmage
deals "a hSS ssrsaon today IA characteristics
style ssEa tAe szro2s garbs IA which sln
na1squer2Ses ia modern socletF, ard ia
stripping The monster q is clsgulsss be
aims act Only 20 reveal - estormily ~ TIE
weird. bat 10 put his hearers on rkeir
guard against SELF delusioa. HIS tezl l.
John II, -. But now they have 10 clozk
for their siL.
Sin IS always disguised. Dscksd and
CLOSED and peTfuned and masked il
gains adGittaace IL places from which il
would otbeTwi ise Be rePeiied- As silestly
Is when IL giided into Eden, ana as plz.lsi-
bly, ~ when il talked 70 Christ z. the top
Of the temple, u now addresses men. Could
people look upon sin IS il always is an
exh2laticn from the pit, the pSlrefaction
or i-nnlte capacities, the CHASTITY. loath-
some, God smitJen monster that QprOoted
Eden and killed Christ, and would push
the entire race into darkness Snd Pain--lhe
internal charm would be broken. Before
our first parents tracsgresced, sin appeared
% them the sweetness OF fruit and the be
coming as gods. To Absalom il was the
pleasure Of sitting uVOn throne. TO men
now sin ls laughter and permission 10
luxurious grat.hcation. Jesus Christ ia
my text suggests a fact which eyeryb body
ought 10 know, and that is that sin, 20
hide its deIormity and shame, IS sceus-
TONED 70 wearing . cloak; and the Saviour
also sets forts the truth that God can see
straight through all such Wrappings and
thieknesses. | want now TO SPEAK OF seg-
eral kinds Of oloaks with which men ex-
pect 70 cover up their iniquities, for the
fashion IN regard 70 these garments is con
stantly changing, and every day beholds
some new style OF wearing them, and II
you will tarry little while l viii show
you i've or six OF the patterns of cloaks.
EARTHLY POWER Is OF No AVAIL.
First, ] remark that there are these who,
being honored with Official power, expect
20 make that a successful cloak for their
sin. There is sacrodness in Office. God
himself is king, and all who hold authority
IN the world serve under him. That com
.nunity has committed monstrous wrong
who has elevated 10 this dignity persons
unqualified either by their ignorance or
their immortality. Nations who elevate TO
posts Of authority those not qualified 70 Ill
them Will feel the reaction. Solomon ex-
pressed this thought when he said: "Woe
unto thee, o land, when thy king is a child
and thy princes drink in the morning"
While positions OF trust may be disgraced
by the character of those who I'LL them, |
bRlieve God would have us respectful 10
the offices, though we may have no admi-
ration for their occupants. Yet this dig
nifty which Office confers can be no apology
for transgression. NebuchadneZzar and
Ahab and Herod in the day of judgment
must stand on the level with the herdsmen
that kept their focks and the fishermen
of Galilee. Pope and king and president
and governor must give an account to
God, and be judged by the same law as
that which judges the beggar and the
slave. Sin is all the more obnoxious when
it is imperial and lordly. You cannot make
I, pride or injustice or cruelty sacred by
giving it a throne. Belshazzar's decanters
could not keep the mysterious finger from
writing on the wall. Ahab's sin literally
hurled him from the throne 70 the dogs
The imperial vestments of wicked Jehoram
could not keep Jehu's arrow from striking
through his heart Jezebel's queenly PIE
tension could not save her from being
thrown over the wall No barricade Of
thrones can arrest Gods justice in its un-
erring march. No splendor or thickness
of Official robes can be q sufficient cloak OF
sin. Henry VIII. Louis XIV, Catharine of
Russia, Mary of England-did their crowns
save them? No ruler ever sat so high that
the King of kings was not above him. All
victors shall bow before him who on the
white horse goeth forth conquering and to
conquer
GOOD MANNERS CAN'T HIDE INIQUITY.
Again, elegance of manners cannot sue
ccssfully hide iniquity from the eyeo of God
That model, gentlemanly apostle, Paul,
writes 20 US: "Be courteous" That man
can neither be respectable wording nor
q consistent Christian who Lacks good
manners. He is shut out from refined cir
| cles, and he certainly ought to be hindered
from entering the church. We cannot
overlook that in a man which we could
hardly excuse in a bear One Of the first
effects Of the grace OF God upon an indi-
! vidual is 70 make him q gentleman. GrufT-
! ness, awkwardness. iaplacability, clan
nishness are fruits of the devil. while
/ gentleness and meekness are fruits Of the
| Spirit. But while these excellences OF
manner are so important they cannot hide
any deformity of moral character. How
often is it that we find attractiveness of
person suavity of manners, graceful.ess
Of conversation, gallantry Of behavior
thrown Ike wreaths upon moral death
/ The flowers that grow uaon the scorie Of
Vesuvius DO not make It any less Of n vol
cano. The sepuiehers in Christ's time did
not exhaust all tie whitewash Some Of
the biggest scoundrels have been the most
| fascinating IL thare are any depending
on outward graccfalnsss and attractive
ness Of demeaaor, with any hope that be-
cause Of that God will forgive the sin Of
their soul, let me assure them that the di-
vine justice cannot be satisfied with smiles
and elegant gcs,iculatfOn. Christ looks
| deeper than the skin. aud such a ragged
/ cloak as the one in which you are trying TO
/ cover yourself will be no hiding in the day
7 of his power. God will not in the judg
ment ask how gracefully you walked, nor
/ how politely You bowed, nor how sweetiy =
/ you smiled. nor how impressively you
I gestuv5 The deeds done IL the body win
7 be tho tsst, and not the rules OF Lord Ches-
I terGcld
I HEART AND MOUTH BOTE MUSr rFOFEss
1 Again. let me sag that the mere profes-
I sion cf religion is but poo- wrapping of a
F naked soul The importance Of making q
public profession 81 reNg gion If ths heart
+ be renewed cannot BE- exaggerated. Christ
I positively and With the esrnestuess q the
7 hight before his cruci6xioa commanded IL.
But it is THE result of Christian charsctsr.
/ not the cause u It, Our church certificate
I j. a poor title 20 heaven Ns may have
I the name aud not the reality There are
Z those who seem 60 throw themselves back
( with complacency upon their public c01-
I fsssion CT Christ although they give no
/ signs q renewal II Sc6an can induce a
I maa 90 bald on such rotton foundstion