The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-07-09
THE CARDS OF SIN.
DR.. TALMAcE's DISCOURSE AT WIN
FIELD, KANSAS.

How Sis MasQuerades in Different Dis
il Committed.
Dr.. Talmage in his sermon at Win
field, Kansas, took for his text, John
1922: But now they have no cloak
for their sin." "
Sin is always disguised. Decked,
and CLOSED, and perfumed, and
masked, it gains admittance in places
from which It would otherwise be re-
PEELED. As silently as when it gGded
to Christ at the top Of the temple. 1t
now addresses men. Could people
look upon sin as it always is-an eS-
halation from the pit, the putrefaction
of infinite capacities, the ghastly,
loathsome, God-smitten monster that
uprooted Eden and killed Christ, and
would push the entire race into dark
ness and pain-the Internal charm
would be bnoken. Before our first
parents trangressed, sin appeared to
them the sweetness of fruit and the
becoming as gods To Absalom it
was the pleasure OF sitting upon a
throne. To men now, sinis laughter,
and permission to luxurious gratlhca-
ton. Jesus Christ IN my text sug-
eests a fact which everybody ought
to know, and that is that sin, to hide
its deformity and shame, IS accus-
toned to wearing a cloak; and the
Saviour also sent forth the truth that
God can see straight through all such
wrappirgs and thicknesses. I want
now to speak of several kinds OF
cloaks with which men expect to
cover up their iniquities, for the fash
ion in regard to these garments Is
constantly changing, and every day
beholds some new style Of wearing
them, and, if you viii ta1ry a little
while, I will show you five or SIX OF
the patterns Of cloaks.
First. I Iremark that there are those,
who being honored with official pow
er. expect to make that successful
cloak for their sin. There is a
sacredness in Office. God Himself is
king, and all who hold authority IN
the world serve under Him. That
community has committed a mon
strous wrong whohas elevated to this
dignity persons unqualified either by
their Ignorance OF their immortality.
Nations who elevate to posts OF au-
Gnority those not qualified to I'LL
them will feel the reaction. Solomon
expressed this thought when he said:
sWoe unto thee, 0 land, when thy
King is q child and thy princes drink
in the morning" While positions OF
trust may be dsgraced by the char
acter of those who Eli them, I believe
God would have US respectful to the
Offices, though we may have no ad-
miration for their occupants. Yet
this dignity, which Office confers, can
be no apology for transgresslon:
Nebuchadnezzar, and Ahab, and
Herod, in the day of Judgment, must
stand on the level with the herdsmen
that kept Their focks, and the fisher
men of Gailee. 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 heggar and the slave. Sin is all
the more obnoxious when it is mpe-
rial and lordly. You cannot make
pride, or injustice, OF cruelty sacred
by giving it throne. Belshazzars
decanters could not keep the myste-
rious finger from writing on the wall.
Ahsb's sin literally hurled him from
the throne to the dogs. The imperial
yestments of wicked Jehoram could
not keep Jehu's arrow from striking
through his heart Jezebels qSss st
pretension could not save
being thrown over thss |s5SS
ricade Of throgss
= STns save them?
No ruler ever sat so high that the
King of kings was not above him. AL
yictors shall bow before Him who on
the horse goeth forth conquering and
to conquer.
Again. Elegance of manners con-
not successfully hide iniquity from
the eye of God. That model, gentle
manly apostle, Paul, writes to US:
aBe courteous" That man can
never be respectable wording nor
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