The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-02
CLOAKS FOR SIN.
Some of the CARDS in Which the
WI Monster Maequerades.
Professions OF Morality and Nero Sound.
ness OF Religious Belief Can Not
Hide Our Iniquity from God-Dr.
TaImage breaches to the
People OF Winfield, Kan.

RArbs in which sin masquerades in
modern society, and, in stripping the
monster of its DISCUSSES, ho aimed not
only TO reveal its deformity to the
world, but to put his hearers on their
guard against self-delusion. His text
%As John XIV. %; "But now they have
no cloak for their sin" Following is
Ae sermon.
Sin is always disguised. Decked and
giossed, and perfumed, and masked, II
gains admittance In places from which
II would otherwise be repelled. As
silently as when 1t glided into Eden and
se pleasantly as when 1t talked TO Christ
at the top Of the temple, itnow addresses
men. Could people look upon sin as
II Nslways is-an exhslation from the pit,
the putrefaction Of infinite capacities,
The ghastly, loathsome, God-smitten
monster that uprooted Eden and killed
Christ, would push the entire race into
darkness and pain-the internal charm
would be broken. Before our first par.
ents transgressed, sin appeared to them
the sweetness Of fruit and the becoming
% gods. To Absalom II was the pleas.
ure Of sitting upon throne. To men
now, sin is laughter, and permiS
sion TO luxurious qualification. Jesus
Christ In my text suggests fact which
everybody ought to know, and that Is
that sin, to hide its deformity and
shame, is accustomed to wearing q
cloak, and the Saviour also sets forth
: the truth that God can see straight
through all such wrappings and thick.
nesses. / want now TO speak Of several
kinds Of cloaks with which men expect
to cover up their iniquities, for the fash
ION In regard to these garments Is con.
stantly changing, and every day beholds
some new style OF wearing them, and,
II you will tarry little while, / will
show you five or six Of the patterns Of
Sloaks.
First / remark tha, there are those,
who being honored with official power,
expect to make that 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
monstrous wrong who has elevated to
this dignity persons unqualified either
BY their ignorance or their immortality.
Nations who elevate to posts Of authori-
~ 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 positions Of trust may be dis.
graced by the character Of those who fill
them, believe God would have us re-
spectful TO the Offices, though we may
have no admiration for their occupants.
$ Yet this dignity, which Office confers,
can be no apology for transgression.
(Nebuchadnezzar, 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 Galilee. 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 Ia
all the more obnoxious when II is i'm
perial and lordly. You can not make
pride or injustice, or cruelty sacred by
giving It a throne. Belshazzer's decan
ters could not keep the mysterious
finger from writing on the wall. Ahab':
sin literally hurled him from the throne
TO the dogs. The imperial vestments oi
wicked Jehoram could not keep Jehu'i
arrow from striking through his heart
Jezebel's queenly pretension could moi
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 the Eighth, Louis the Fifteenth
Catharine Of Russia, Mary Of England
-did their crowns save them9 Nc
ruler ever sat so high that the King Of
Kings was not above him. All victori
shall bow before Him who on the white
horse goeth forth conquering and Il
conquer.
Again: Elegance OF name RS can MOI
successfully hide iniquity from the ey,
Of God. That model, gentlemanlJ
apostle, Paul, writes to US: "Be court
eous." That man can neither be {
respectable worldling nor consistent
Christian who lacks good manners. II,
is shut out from refined circles, and h,
certainly ought TO be hindered from
entering the church. We can not over
look that In man which we coult
hardly excuse In o bear. One OF th,
first effects OF the grace Of God upon al
individual is to make him q gentleman
Gruffness, awkwarkness, implacability
clannishness, are fruits OF the devil
while gentleness and meekness ar,
fruits Of the spirit But while thes,
excellences Of manner are so important
they can not hide any deformity O
moral character. How often 1t is tha
we find attractiveness Of person, suavity
OF manners, gracefulrsess Of converse
tion, gallantry OF behavior thrown lik,
wreaths upon moral death. The flowers
! that grow upon the scori@ Of Vesuviul
do not make 1t any less of volcano
The sepulchers In Christs time did no
exhaust all the whitewash. Some o
the biggest scoundrels have been th,
most fascinating. II there are any dc
pending on outward graeefulness, ant
attractiveness Of deineanor with any
hope that because Of that God will for
give the sin Of their soul, let me assur,
them that the divine justice can not b
satisfied with smiles and elegant gos
ticulation. Christ looks deeper thai
the skin, and such 4 ragged cloak as tn,
ono in which you are trying 70 cove
yoursolf will be no hiding in the "a,