Telegram-herald., 1890-02-24
THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.
The Duty of Self Examination and
Soundness in Faith.
Charles Eaton, the Highly Successful
Lay.PastOr OF IT. Paul's Church,
breaches EiOquently.

breaches Eioquently.
At 1t. Paups Church, on Turner-st.,
the following sermon was preached
yesterday morning, by Layman Charles
Eaton. The large congregation as
sembled listened with wrapt attention.
second Cor, xvin 5.-"Examine your
selves whether We be in the faith; prove
yourselves"
We are reminded on this first sun
day in Lent, that the penitentlal sea-
son IS again upon us. The speaker
gave an interesting historical account
of the rise of the practice of Lenten
Observance, beginning with the forty
days temptation of Jesus, and follow
ing up the account to the action of the
Council of Nice, IN 325, \. d. He fol-
lowed up the historical account by set
ting forth u number of grounds, bib
llcal and national, upon which this IN
sutuuOn OF the church Is based.
Now We of today, said he, need all
this Christening, and We might. once Il
year, humble ourselves under the
mighty hand of God. OF course, we all
know that We ough, 10 have rcpcntcd
long ago, and we know that we ought
10 repent every dav. Repentance is a
condition OF the soul, and not a single
spasmOdlC act of an individual; and We
all know that 4 necessary condition of
the souls life should be maintained al
ways. Yet, in the life that now Is, We
know that a duty that IS pcrpe tual
one often needs special occasions upon
which 10 quicken our too often waning
interest n 1t. Hence 10 Is necessary to
do more than recognize our general
| obligations of repentance, and to make 4
yearly effort of extraordinary exertiOn
| 70 make our spiritual cOnQucStS more
I complete. To tins end, solf-Cxamina-
| ton Is the first prerequisite. No sue
/ cess was ever achieved without a
| knowledge of self. But the duty of
/ determination is neglected by reason
/ OF mans dislike of looking at las moral
/ photograph. In Our pride we form
\ false notions Of what We are,
and fal 70 see Ourselvc, as
\ others sec u. Now the church
\ brings Us face to face with ourselves,
/ and makes us learn to know ourselves.
1 Here is a season IN which we look back
upon ourselves and ask how we are
| getting on, not in pocket, but in charac-
! ter. Many busy people IN those rush
ing, busy times, ask how II is possible
| 20 spend 50 much time as is demanded.
But It is not time that Is demanded 20
! much rs heart. You viii not have to
| 20 far for ways To examine yourselves,
for the Bible is full OF pictures. Men
dO not read the Bible, because the Bible
does not always speak smooth things.
The sun does not iiattcr, neither does
| the Bible
Again. examine yourselves whether
| We bc in the faith. The walls of Clta-
! del need strengthening, very true, but
/ the water supply for the sOidlcry is even
! more important. % a man may have
I q form ot faith. bat no real, true life.
i lie may be- a great believer and vet no;
I "souud lon tho faith. Now vOu and !
/ want to arrive at perfect knowledge
/ of religious truth and moral truth. We
/ want to know Whatwe must believe and
/ what wc must do. We have rel g.0us
anal moral truth revealed 20 Us, truth
4 which God calls ON ust0belevo, and tno
I truth which Dr. calls ou u- to obey.
/ Who're and bow are We 20 hnd revealed
I ~. gIou- a.5 mrtl trItH' ! answer
/ hyfol.oWn- Che guidance of th. oWrCa.
f People wander tr0nl church to church
frNm sect t4seCt. saF.f What -truta
o1c says 10. ucre IS CHRIST. and au-
+ other. 10. there. t people pre- cons
fGscd and thrown Hut1 despair. and
think there IS no SNOW ug what IS trg q
Doubts arse. questions are asked. 0b-
leCtious raised Can they te.I us of z
f better rel gl0D. better CnurCh tlsu