The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-07-11
SIN UNMASKED.
DR.. Talmage breaches in His
Usually Mastcrly Manner
Out West.
And Points Out to Kansas Sin.
ners the Way that Leads
to Salvation.

Sin is always disguised. Dccked, and
CLOSED, and psrfumcd, and masked, it gains
admittancc in places from which it would
otherwise be repelled. As silently as when
it glided into Eden and as plnusibly as when
it talked to Christ ut the top of the temple,
it now addresses men. Could people look
upon sin as it is-nn exhalution from the pit,
the putre:action OF infinite cupacitics, the
ghastly, loathsome, Godsmitten monster
that uprooted Eden md killed Christ, and
would push the entire race into darkness and
pain-the Internal charm would be brok en-
Before our first parents trnnssressrd. sn ap-
peared to them the sweetness of fruit and tile
becoming as gods. To Absalom it was the
pleasure of sitting upon "a throne. To men
urious qualification. Jesus Christ in my
text suggests fact which everybody ought
to know, and that il that sin, 10 hiileits do
formity and shame, is accustomed to wear
ing clouk, md the Savior also sets forth the
truth that God Gun see straight through all
such wrappings und thicknesses. i want
now to speak OF several kinds of cOuks with
which men expect to cover uptheir ni1uiti T.,
for tho fashion In regnrd to these garments 4
are constantly changing, and every duy be-.
holds some new style of wearing them, and,
fyou will tarry a little whilc l will show
you five or six oi the patterns OF cloaks
First, remark that there are those, who
UctuH uOuOTGI Wltu power, pNpntt 10
make that a successful cloak for their ain.
There Is u sncredness in Office God Himself
is king, and oil who told authority in tho
world serve under Him. That community
has committed monstrous wrong who has
elevated to this dignity persons unqualified
either in their ignorance or their immortality
Nations who elevate to posts oi authority
those not qualified to fll them will feel the
reaction. Solomon expressed this thought
when he said: woo unto thee, o land, when
thy king is child and thy princes drink in
tho morning." While positions of trust
may DO disgracej by the character of those
who fill them, believe God would have us
respectful to the offices, though we have no
elimination for their occupants. Yet this
apology for transgression. Nebuchndnczzar
and Ahab and Herod, in the day ofjudg
ment, must stand ON thu level with tho
hertlnmen that kept their fiocks, md tho
fishermen of Galilee. Pope aud king and
governor must give an account to God.
and be judged by the sanic law us that which
Judges the beggar and the slave. Sin i. all
the more obnoxious when it is imperial and
lordly. You cannot make priie or injustice
or cruelty sacred by giving it u throne. l.el,
sllnzzara decantcr's could not keep the mys.
terious finger from writing ON the wall.
Ahnh's sin literally hurled him from the
throne to the dogs The imperial vest ments
of wicked Jehoram coul.l not keep Jrl,u's ar
row from striking through his heart, .Jeze-
bells quecn!y protcnsion could not snvr her
from being TIN own over the wall. No bnrri-
cale Of thrones can arrest Gods Justice in its
unerring march. No splsndor or thickness of
official robes can be n sufficient rloak of siii,
Henry Will, Louis Nv, Catherine ofltussiu,
Mary Of Englami-,ii,l their crowns save
them? No ruler ever sat NO high that the
King of kings was not above him. All vie
tors shall bow before him who ON tho white
horsegoetl forth conIuering andito conquer
Again: Elegance of manners cannot sue
ccasiully hide iniquity from the eye OF God
That model, gent'emnnly npustie Paul
writes to us: "l'e courteous" That man
can neither lie IL respectable wording nor n
consistent Christian who lacks good manners
He il shut out from refined circles. and he
certuinly ought to be hindrrcd from entering
the church. We cannot overlook that in a
man which we could hardly excuse in u hear.
One of the first effects ot the grace of God
upon I'M individual is to make him gentle
man. Gruffness, nwkwnrlnrss. implncabili.
ty, clnnnshneas, are fruits of the DEVIL while
gcntlcness md meekliess are fruits of the
Spirit. But while these excellcnces Of man.
ncr are no important, they cannot hide any
defOrmity OF moral character. How often it
is that We find attractivrncss of person,
suavty Of manners, grnce,ulne of conver.
sutton, gallnntry OF behavior thrown like
wrenths upon moral death. The flowers
that grow upon the scorr of vesuvius do
not make it any less of u volcano. The sep.
ulchres in Christ's time did not exhaust all
the whtewnsh. Some o! til" biggest scoull-
dres have been the most fascinating lfthcre
are nny depending on outward grnceulncss,
and attructiveness of demrunor with my
hope that because OF that God will forgive
the sn OF their soul, let me assure
them that the divine justice cunnnt be suits.
fled with smiles and elegant gcs,icuIntions.
Christ looks deeper than the skin. and such
ragged cloak us the one in which you arc
trying to cover yourself will be no hiding in
tho day OF His power. God will not in tlt
judgment ask how gracefully you walked,
por how politely you bowed, nor how sweet.
gestured. The deeds dors in the body will
be the test, and not the rules of Lord Chcs.
terficld.
Agnin: Lot me say That the mere profcs
sion OF religion is but poor wrapping OF n
naked soul. Tho importance of making n
public profession of religion if the heart bo
renewed. cannot he exaggerated. Christ
positively and with the enrnestneSs of the
night bcforo his crucifxion commanded it..
But it is the result of Christian character.
not the cause 0f it. Our church certificate
is IL poor title TO heaven. We may have the
name and not the reality. There are those
who seem to throw themselves bnck with
cOmplacency upon their public confession OF
Christ although they give no signs Of renew
al II Satan Gun induce u mnn to build on
such rotten foundation rs that. he has ac-
complahed his object. We cannot imagine
the nbhorrence with which God looks upon
such procedure. What would be the ceilings
of u shepherd II he saw wolf in the same
fold with his focks, however quiet he might
he sawlonc wearing the appointed uniform
who nevertheless: really belonged to the
opposing host. Thus must tho heavenly
Shepherd look upon those Who though they
are not his sheep, have climbed up some 9th
er way, and thus must the Lord OF hosts
look upon those who pretend TO be soldiers
oi lie cross when they ars his armed enemies
II any of you find yourselves deficient in the
great tests of Christian character. do not,
beg Of you, look upon your profession OF
religion as anything consolatory. If you
have taken your present position from Il
view that you have Of Chris, aud your need
ofIIm. rejoice with JOY unspeakablc and full
glory and clap your hands for glndness;
but il you find yourself with nothing but the
name OF life. while dead in tiespasses and
sins,S arouse before the door is shut. That
gilded profession-the world may not be able
tOsee through it. but in the day of divine
reckoning it will be found that you have no
cloak for your sin.
Furthermore: Outward morality will be
uo SVNeIlHS ioT tut UluutH lHUluUy OF IU0
spirit. The Gospel Of Christ makes no as
sault upon good works. They arens beauti-
ful in God 3 eye M in ours. Punctualty, truth
fulness. alnsgiviDg, affection and many 9TH
er excrllencics o! lie that might be mentioned
will always be admired OF God and man. but
We take the position that good works can
not be the ground of our salvation. What
we do right cannot pay for what We do wrong
Admit that you have all those trait Of char
ncter which give merely worldly respectable
ty and influence, you must mt the same time
nowledge that during the course of your
life you have done many things you ought
not to have done. How are these difficult
matters to he settled? All, my friends, We
must have an atonement. No Christ. no
salvation. The grent Re,,eemer comes in
and says.. II will pay your rindebtednesa." So
that which was dark enough before, is bright
enongh now. The stripes that we deserve are
fallen upon Christ On hisscourged and bleed
Ing shoulders He carries us up over the noun.
tain of our sins and the hills four iniquities
Christ's good works accepted are sufficient
for us but they who reject them. depending
upon their own, must perish Traits
OF character that mny make us influential on
Garth will not necessarily open to us the
gate of heaven. The plank that will be
strong enough for house floor would not
do for ships hulk Mere morality might
be enough here. but cannot take you through
has announced for all nges, 81 am the way,
the truth and the life, him that cometh unto
me will in no wise cast out" But pitiable
in the day OF accounts will be the condition
Of that man. though he may have given nll
his estates to benevolent purposes and pass:
ed his life in the visiting OF the distressed and
done much to excite the admiration of tho
good and the great. il he have no intimate
relation to Jesus Christ. There is pride
and dep!ravity in his soul that he Inns never