The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-30
DAILY 10A YEAR
5CENrSA COPY.
WEEKLY ,i.25 AYEAR ,
CLOAKS THAT SIN D0NS.
REV. TALMAoE BREACHES A SER
MON AT WINFIELD, KAN.

This Various CARDS In Which the Ugly
Monster Masquerades In Society.
The Preacher Strips OF the Dis
Euisss and Reveals its Deformity to
the World - People Put on Their
Guard Against Self-delusion.
WINFIELD, KAN, June 29.-Dr Talmage
deals in his sermon to-day in characteristic
style with the various garbs in which sin
masquerades In modern society, and, in
stripping the monster of its DISCUSSES. he
aims not only to reveal its deformity to the
world. but TO put his hearers on their guard
against sef-deusion. His text is John XIV,
%; but now they have no cloak for tnslr
SIM"
Sin is always disguised. Decked, and
CLOSED and perfumed, and masked, it gains
admittance In places from which IL would
otherwise be repealed. AS silently as when
10 glided Into Eden and as plausiby as when
tt talked TO Christ at the top Of the temple,
IL now addresses men. Could people look
upon sin as it always is-an exhalation
from the pit, the putrefaction of infinite
capacities, the ghastly ,loathsome, Goldsmith
en- monster that uprooted Eden and killed
Christ, and would push the entire race 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 10
was the pleasure Of sitting upoa throne.
To men now, sin is laughter and permission
TO luxurious qualification. Jesus Christ In
my text suggests a fact which everybody
ought to know, and that Is that sin, TO hide
Its deformity and shame, Is accustomed to
wearing a cloak, and the Savior also sets
forth the truth that God can sec straight
| n~h Ill ,.nk ..xI
nesses. L want now TO speak OF several
kinds OF cloaks 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, IL you will
tarry little WHILE will show you five or
| six Of the patterns OF cloaks.
First, remark that there are those who,
being honored with official power, expec5
TO make that a successful cloak for their sin.
There is n sacredness in office. God HIM
self Is king, and all who hold authority in
| the world serve under him. That COM
| munity has committed a monstrous wrong
who has elevate d to this dignity persons UNI
| 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, land, when thy king Is a child and
| thy princes drink in the morning"
| While positions Of trust may be
who fill them, believe God
would have us respectful to the offices,
though we may have 10 admiration for
their occupants. Yet this dignity which
Office confers can be no apology for trans
| gression. Nebuchaduezzar, and Ahab, and
Herod. in the day Of Judgment. must stand
on the level with the herdsmen that kept
| cIrs md fha NJ
Pope. and king, aud president, and gov
ernor, must give an account to God, and be
| judged by the same law as that which
| judges the begger and the slave Sin Is ALI
| the more obnoxious when it Is imperial and
lordly You cannot make pride, or injus-
| tice, or cruelty sacred by giving it throne.
Belshazzar's decauters could not
keep the mysterious finger from writ-
ing on the wall. Ahab's sin literally hurled
| him from the throne to the dogs. The
| imperial vestments of wicked Jehoram
could not keep Jehus arrow from striking
through his heart. Jezebel's queenly pre-
tension could not save her from being
| thrown over the wall No barricade OF
thrones can arrest Gods justice in Its I'M
erring march. No splendor or thickness OF
official robes can be a sufficient cloak Of sin.
| Henry VII, Louis XIV, Catherine Of Rus
STA, Mary Of Engand-did their crowns
save themf 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.
| Again: Elegance Of manners cannot suc'
cessfully hide iniquity from the eye of God.
| That model, gentlemanly apostle, Paul,
| writes to US; BE courteous.n That man
| can neither be q respectable wording nor
consistent christian who LACKS good man
| ners. He is shut out from refined circles,
md ha nj nj 0ste,h m IA M
| entering the church. We cannot overlook
| that In a man which we could hardly excuse
| In bear. One OF the first effects of the
grace Of God upon an individual is TO make
| him gentleman. Gruffness, awkwardness
implacability, clannishness, are fruits OF the
devil; while gentleness and meekness are
| fruits of the spirit. But while these excel
| lences Of manner are so important, they
cannot hide any deformity of moral charac.
| ter. How often it Is that we find attract
| iveness OF person, suayity OF manners,
| gracefulness of conversation, gallantry Of
behavior thrown like wreaths upon mora
death. The flowers that grow upon the
scoria Of Vesuvius do not make 1t any less
Of volcano. The sepulchres in ChristI
time did not exhaust all the whitewash
| Some Of the biggest scoundrels have
| been the most fascinating.
there are any depending on outward
gracefulness and attractiveness OF demeanol
with any nope thaJ because Oh buab Zoo
will forgive the sin Of their soul, let me as.
sure them that the divine justice cannot be
satisfied with smiles and elegant gesticula.
ton. Christ looks deeper than the skin,
and such ragged cloak as the one in which
| you are trying to cover yourself will be no
hiding in the day Of his power. God will
not in the judgment ask how gracefully
you walked, nor how politely you bowed,
nor how sweetly you smiled, nor how inn
pressively you gestured. The deeds done liz
| the body will be the test, and not the rules
| of Lord Chesterfield
Again: Let me say that the mere profess
sion of religion is but a poor wrapping Of
naked soul. The Importance of making a
| public profession Of religion II the heart be
renewed cannot be exaggerated. Christ
positively and with the earnestness OF the
night before his crucifxion commanded it
But it is the result of christian character,
not the cause of it. Our church certificate
is poor title to heaven. We may have the
name and not the reality. There are those
who seem to throw themselves back
with complacency upon their public
confession Of Christ, although they
give no signs of renewal. IL Satar
can induce a man to build on such
rotten foundation as that, he has accom-
plished his object. We cannot imagine the
adherence with which God looks upon such
a procedure. What would be the feelings
of a shepherd if he saw a wolf in the same