Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-06-30

caIIOn Jesus CnflSC IN my C0XG Sug-
gests fact which everybody ought to
know, and that is that sin, to hide it's
defOrmity and shame, is accustomed to
wearing a cloak; and the Saviour also
sets forth the truth that God can see
straight through all such wrappings and
thicknesses. l want now to speak of
several kinds of cloaks with which
men expect to cover up their iniqui-
ties, 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 a
little while I will show you five or six
of the patterns of cloaks.
THE CLOAK OF POWER.
First, | remark that there are those
who, being honored with official power,
expect to make that u successful cloak
for their sins. There is a sacredness in
Office. God himself is king, and all
who hold authority in the world serve
under him. That community has com
mitted a monstrous wrong who has ele-
waited to this dignity persons unquali-
fed either by their ignorance or their
immortality. Nations who elevate to
posts of authority those not qualified
to fill them will feel the reaction. Sol
ONION expressed this thought when he
said: Woe unto thee, 0 land, when
thy king is a child and thy princes
drink in the morning" While positions
of trust may be disgraced by the char
acter of those who fill them, [ believe
God would have us respectful to the
offices though we may have no admira-
ton for their occupants. Yet this dig
nifty which office confers can be no
apology for transgression. Nebuchad-
nezzar and Ahab and Herod in the day
of judgment must stand on the level
with the herdsmen that kept their
flocks and the fishermen of Galilee
Pope and king and president and gov
ernOr must give an account to God, and
be judged by the same law as that
which judges the beggar and the slave.
Sin is all the more obnoxious when it
is imperial and lordly. You cannot
make pride or injustice or cruelty sa-
cred by giving it throne.
Belshazzar's decanters 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 strik-
ing through his heart. Jezebers
queenly pretension could not save her
from being thrown over the wall. No
barricade of thrones can arrest Gods
justice in its unerring march. No
splendor or thickness of official robes
can be u 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 before him
who on the white horse goeth forth
cOnquering and to conquer.
POLTENESS DOESN'T HIDE SIN FROM
GOD.
Again, elegance of manners cannot
successfully hide iniquity from the eye
of God. That model, gentlemanly
apostle, Paul, writes to us: 'FBe cour-
teous" That man can neither be
respectable wording nor consistent
Christian who lacks good manners
He is shut out from refined circles and
he certainly ought to be hindered from
entering the church. We cannot over
look 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 a gentle
man Gruffness, awkwardness, implac-
ability. clannishness are fruits of the
devil. while gentleness and meekness
are fruits of the Spirit. But while these
eXcellenceS of manner are so important
they cannot hide any deformity of
moral character How often it is that
we find attractiveness of person. suavi-
ty of manners, gracefulness of CONVEX
sation, gallantry of behavior thrown
like wreaths upon moral death.
The flowers that grow upon the
scoriae of Vesuvius do not make it any
less of a volcano. The sepulchres in
Christ's time did not exhaust all the
whitewash. Some of the biggest scoun-
dreIs have been the most fascinating.
If there are any depending on outward
and attractiveness of de-
with any hope that because Of
that God will forgive the sin of their
soul, let me assure them that the divine
Justice cannot be satisfied with smiles
and elegant gesticulation. Christ looks
deeper than the skin, and such ragged
cloak as the one in which you are try
ing to cover yourself will be no hiding
in the day of his power. God will not
in the judgment ask how gracefully you
nor how politely you bowed,
nor how sweetly you smiled, nor how
you gestured. The deeds
done in the body will be the test, and
not the rules of Lord Chesterfield.
DOES NOT MAKE A MAN
GOOD.
Again, let me say that the mere pro-
fession of religion is but poor wrap
ping of a naked soul The importance
of making a public profession of relg-
ion if the heart be renewed cannot be
Christ positively and
with the earnestness of the night be-
fore his crucifixion commanded it. But
it is the result of the Christian charac-
ter, 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 compla-
cency upon their public confession OF
Christ, although they give no signs OF