The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-09-04
CLOAKs FOR SIN.
Sermon by Rev. r. Dewitt Tai.
mage at Winfield, Kas.
Outward Morality. Elegance of Manners.
the Cloak Of Office, All Used to
Cover an Alarming Degree
Of Moral Depravfty.

The following discourse upon the char
A:-eTistics of the times was delivered by
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, during his
Western trip, at Winfield, Kas., from the
text:
But now they have no cloak for their sin.
John XIV, o.
Sin is always disguised. Decked and
CLOSED, and perfumed, and masked, it
gains admittance in places from which
it would otherwise be repeled. AS ST.
lently as when it glided into Eden, and
as plausibly as when it talked to Christ
at the top of the temple, it now adj
dresses men. Could people look upon
sin as it always is-an exha-
lation from the pit, the putrefac-
tion of infinite capacities, the CHASTITY,
loathsome, God-smitten ronster that
uprooted Eden and killed Christ and
would push the entire race into dark
ness and pain-the internal charm
would be broken. Before our parents
transgressed sin appeared to them the
sweetness of fruit and the becoming
as gods. To Absalom it was the
pleasure of sitting upon throne.
TO men now sin is laugh
ter, and permission to luxurious graft
fieation. Jesus Christ in my text sug-
gests fact which every body ought to
know, and that is that sin, to hide its
deformity and shame, is accustomed to
wearing a cloak, and the Saviour also
sets forth the truth that God
can see straight through all
such wrappings and thicknesses- 1
want now to speak of several
kinds of cloaks with which men expect
to cover up their iniquities, for tbs
fashion in regard to these garments is
constantly changing, and every day be-
holds some new style of wearing them,
will show you five or six of the pat
terms of the cloaks.
First. I remark that there are those
who, being honored with official power.
expect to make that a 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 COM
mitted a monstrous wrong which has
elevated to this dignity persons I'M
qualified either by their ignorance or
their immortality. Nations who elevate
to posts of authority those not qualified
to fill them will feel the reaction
Solomon expressed this thought when
he said: "Woe unto thee, o, land, when
thy King is child and thy Princes
drink in the morning." While posi-
0f L. l.
the character of those who fill them, l
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 transgression. Nebuchad-
nezzar, 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 Cali
lee. 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
can not make 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 Ah4b's sin liter
ally hurried him from the throne to
the dogs The imperial vestments OF
wicked Jehoram could not keep Jehu's
arrow from striking through his heart.
JezebePs queenly pretension could not
save her from being thrown over the
wall. No barricade of thrones can ar.
rest Gods justice in its unerring march.
No splendor or thickness of official
robes can be sufficient cloak of sin.
Henry VIII, Louis XIV, Catherine OF
Russia, Mary of England-did their
crowns save them? No ruler ever sal
SO high that the King of Kings was no
above him. All victors shall bow be
fore Him who on the white horse goetl
forth conquering and to conquer.
Again: Elegance of ma nners can not
successfully hide iniquity from the eye
of God. That model gentlemanly apos-
tie, Paul, writes to us: ''Be courteous. ~
That man can neither be respectable
wording nor consistent Christian
who lacks good manners. He is shu-
out from refined circles, and he certain
~ ought to be hindered from entering
the church. We can not overlook tina
in man which we could hardly excuse
in bear. One of the first effect of the
grace of God upon an individual is t.
make him gentleman. Gruffness
awkwardness, implacability, clan
nishness, are fruits of the devil
while gentleness and me eknes
are fruits of the Spirit. But whiI,
these excelences of manner are so i'm
portant, they can not hide any deform
ity of moral character How often it il
that we find attractiveness of person
sauvity of manners, gracefulness O
conversation, gallantry of behavior
thrown like wraths upon moral death
The flowers that grow upon the scoris
OF Vesuvius do not make it any less o
volcano. The sepulchers in Christi
time did not exhaust all the whitewash
Some of the biggest scoundrels have
been the most fascinating. If there arc
any depending on outward grace
fulness and attractiveness of demeanoI
with any hope that because of that Coz
will forgive the sin of their soul, let m,