The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-07-04
DISGUISED SIN.
Dr.. Talmsge on the Many Cloaks
That Cover Sin.
omeiAl Power Often Used to Hide Evil LIv-
inE-OutwArd Morality No Covering
For InIquity-sIn In High
Places.

winfield (kan-) Chautauqua Assembly
Rev. t. Dewitt Talmage dealt with the
many DISCUSSES in which sin masquer-
AIDES in modern society. His text was
John, XIV. 20: He said:
Sin is always disguised Decked, and
CLOSED, and perfumed, and masked, it
gains admittance in places from which
1t would otherwise be repelled- As
silently as when it glided into Eden and
as plausibly as when it talked to Christ
at the top of the temple, it now ad-
dresses men Could people look upon
sin as IL always is-an exhalation from
the pit, the qualification of infinite ca
pacities, the CHASTITY, loathsome, God
smitten monster that uprooted Eden and
killed Christ, and would push the entire
rice into darkness and pain-the internal
charm would be broken Before our first
parents transgressed 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 sin is laughter. and per-
mission % luxurious qualification
Jesus Christ in my text suggests n fact
that everybody ought 10 know, and that
Is that sin, to hide its deformity and
shame, Is accustomed to wearing cloak,
oL4 hAC N't&NAOuE also sets lOTLn the truth
that God can see straight through all
such wrappings and thicknesses- want
now to speak of several kinds of cloalxs
with which men expect TO cover up their
iniquities, for the fashion in regard TO
these garments is constantly changing,
and every day beholds some new style
Of wearing them. and If you will tarry
little while 1 will show you five or six
NJ the N Of 81
First, remark that those who, being
honored with official power, expect to
make that a successful cloak for their
SIN There is 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 who has elevated to this
dignity persons unqualified either by
their ignorance or their immortality.
Nations who elevate to posts of author
ity 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 a child
and thy Princes drink in the morning."
While positions OF trust may be dis
graced by the character OF those who
fill them, believe God would have us
ACoRNSbAAA " bAC OnAICnt VIC Llal
. have no admiration for their occupants.
Yet this dignity. which office confers,
can be no apology for transgres-
sion Nebuchadnezzar, and Ahab, and
Herod, in the day of Judgment, must
stand on the level with the
herdsmen that kept their fiocks, and
the fishermen of Galilee Pope, and
King, and President, and Governor,
r-fu - II L.,
judged by the same law as that which
judges the beggar and the slave. Sin
is all the more obnoxious when it is i'm
perial and lordly. You can not make
pride. or injustice, or cruelty sacred by
giving IL a throne. Belshazzar's de-
canters could not keep the mysterious
finger from writing on the wall. Ahab's
sin literally hurled him from the throne
TO the dogs The imperial vestments OF
wicked Jehoram could not keep Jehu's
arrow from striking through his heart
Jezebel's queenly retension could not
save her from being thrown over the
wall. No barricade or thrones can ar
rest Gods Justice in it's unerring march.
No splendor or thickness of official
robes can be sufficient cloak of sin.
Henry VIII, Louis Nv, 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 be
fore Him who on the white horse goett
forth conquering and to conquer.
Again: Elegance of manners can no
successfully hide iniquity from the eye
of God. That model gentlemanly
apostle, Paul, writes to us: "Be cour
teous." That man can neither be a re
spectacle wording nor a consisten
Christian who lacks good manners. He
is shut out from refined circles, and hi
certainly ought to be hindered from en-
tering the church. We can not over
look that In a man which we could hard
ly excuse in a bear. One of the first eff
fects of the grace of God upon an indi
vidual Is to make him n gentleman
Gruffness, awkwardness implacability
clannishness. are faults of the devil
while gentleness and meekness ar,
fruits of the Spirit But while thes'
excellences OF manner are so importan
they can not hide any deformity o
moral character. How often IL is tina
we find attractivenesso Of person, suavit,
of manners. gracefulness of converse
ton, gallantry of behavior thrown like
wreaths upon moral death. The flower
that grow upon the scorie of Vesuviul
do not make IL any the less OF a volcano
The sepulchers in Christ's time did no
exhaust all the whitewash. Some OF tn,
biggest scoundrels have been the mos
fascinating. IL there are any depend
ing on outward gracefulness and at
Effectiveness of dcmeanOr with any hops
that because of that God will forgive
the sin of their soul, let me assur'
them that Divine justice can not be sat
isfied with smiles and elegant gesticula
ton Christ looks deeper than the Skin
and such ragged cloak as the one II
which you are trying TO cover yourself
will be no hiding in the day of Hi
power. God will not in the judgmen
ask how gracefully you walked, nor hov
politely you bowed, nor how sweet,
you smiled, nor how impressively yol
gestured- Tho deeds done in tho bod,
will be the test and not the rules o
Lord Chesterfield.
Again: Let me say that the mere pro
fession OF religion is a poor wrapping
for soul The Importance of making
q public profession of religion If thu
heart be renewed can not be exagger
ated. Christ positively and with thu
earnestness of the night before hi
crucifixion commanded it. But it is tn,
result of Christian character, not the
cause of it Our church certificate is
poor title to Heaven. We may have tn
name and not the reality. There ar
those who seem to throw themselve
back with complacency upon their pub
lie confession of Christ. although thel
give no signs of renewal. IL Satan car
induce man to build on such a rotteI
foundation as that, he has accomplishe,
his object We can not Imagine the alb