Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-07-05
fHE TALMAGE SERMON.
The Brooklyn Divine breaches on
'Cloaks for Sin"
The Various CARDS In Which SIN Ma.
querades I'm Modern Society.


IL glided into Eden, and as plausibly "a when
u talked to Christ at the top of the temple,
it now addresses men. Could people LOOK
upon sin as it always is-an exhafation from
the pit, the putrefacton of infinite capaci
ties. the CHASTITY, loathsome, God smitten
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 be-
coming as gods. To Absalom it was the
pleasure of sitting upon throne To men
now sin is laughter and permission to luxur-
ious qualification. Jesus Christ in my text
suggestsa fact which everybody ought to
know, and that is that sin, to hide its de-
formity and shame, is accustomed TO wear
ing cloak; and the Saviour also sets forth
the truth that God can see straight through
all such wrappings and thicknesses. want
now TO speak of several kinds of cloaks with
which men expect TO cover up their iniqui-
tics, for the fashion in regard to these gar
mentS is constantly changing, and every day
beholds some new style of wearing them and
if 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 expect to
make that successful cloak for their sin
is King, and I'LL who hold authority in the
world serve under Him. That community
has committed a monstrous wrong who has
elevated 10 this dignity persons unqualified
either by their ignorance or their immoral
lty- Nations whoelevate to posts of author
lily those not qualified to fill 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 lfsin fIa ,frarrf
positions of trust may be disgraced by
the character of those who fill them, [
believe God would have us respectful to the
Offices though we may have no admiration
for their occupants. Yet this dignity which
office confers can be no apology for trans
erosion. Nebuchadnezzar and Ahab and
Hcrod in the day of judgment must stand on
the level with the herdsmen that kept their
nocks and the fishermen of Galilee. Pope
and King. and President and Governor must
give an account to God and be judged By the
game 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 sacred by
giving it throne. Belshazzar's decanters
could not keep tho 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
COuiu Hot Keep JeHu s arrow from SUTlkiIlS
through his heart. Jezebels queenly pre-
tension could not save her from being
thrown over the wall. No barricade Of
throne can arrest Gods justice in its un-
crring march. No splendor or thickness
of official robes can be a sufficient cloak of
sin. Henry VIII, Louis XIV, 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.
Again, elegance of manners cannot sue
ccssfully hide iniquity from the eye Of God.
That model, gentlemanly apostle, Paul,
writes to us: "Be courteous" That man
can neither be a respectable wording nor
a consistent Christian who lacks good
manners. He is shut out from refined cir
cles aud he certainly ought to be hindered
from entering the church. We cannot over
look that in man which we could
hardly excuse in a bear. One of the first
effects of the grace of God upon an indi-
vittUal is to make him a gentleman. Gruff-
ness, awkwardnesS, inplacablitY, clanish-
ness are fruits Of tue dovil, while gentle
ness and meekness are fruits of the Spirit
But while these excellences of manner
are so important they cannot hide any
6eformity of moral character. How often
is it that We find attractiveness Of person,
suavity of manners, gracefulness Of
conversation, gaIlantry of behavior
thrown like wreaths upon moral death.
The flowers that grow upon the scori@ Of
NesuvIus do not make it any less of vol
cano. The sepulchers in Christ's time did
not exhaust all the whitewash. Some of the
biggest scoundrels have been the most fas-
cinating. If there are any depending on out
ward gracefulness and attractiveness Of de-
lneanor, 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 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 impressively you
gcstured. The deeds done in the body will
be the test, aud not the rules Of Lord Ches-
terrified.
Again, let me say that the mere profession
of religion is but a poor wrapping of a naked
soul. The Importance of making 9, public
profession OF religion if tho heart be re-
newcl cannot he cxa -geratel. Christ most
lively and with the earnestness of the night
n9iofe HIS cruclitxion commanded it. But it
Is the result of Christian character, not the
tNti7S ~ IT, Oui CHURCH tefGilicltb is a door
tue To heaven. We may have the name and
not the reality. There are those who seem
10 throw themselves back with complacency
upon their public confession of Christ a.
though they give no signs OF renewal. IL
satan can induce man to build on such a
lotten foundation as that he has accom-
pl3hed his object. We cannot imagine the
Adherence with which God looks upon such
procedure. What would be the feelings of
hN rr,lF II,
samc fold with his flocks, however
quiet he might seem to lie or gen
sral 1t among his troops ne saw one
wearing the appointed uniform who ncger-
theless really belonged to the opposing host?
Thus must the heavenly shepherd look upon
those who, though they are not His sheep,
have climbed up some other way, and thus
must the Lord of hosts look upon those who
pretend to be soldiers Of the cross while they
are His armed enemies. IL any of Won fad
yourself deficient in the great tests Of Chris
tian character, do not, | beg of you, look
upon your profession of religion as anything
If you have taken your pres
ent position from a view that you have
OF Christ and your need of Him, rejoice with
JOY unspeakable and full of glory and clap
your hands for gladness; but if you find
yourself with nothing but the name of life,
while dead in trespas5eS and sins, arouse be-
fore the door is shut. That gilded profess
world may not be able to 500
through it, but in the day of divine reckon
ing it will be found that you have no cloak
for your sin.
Furthermore outward morality will ba
no covering for the hidden iniquity OF the
Spirit. The God of Christ makes no assault
upon good works. They are as beautiful in
Gods eye as in ours. Punctuality, truthful
ness, almsgiving, affection and many other
excellences of life that might be mentioned
will always be admired of God and man. but
we take the position that good works cannot
he the ground of our salvation. What we do
right cannot pay for what we do wrong.
Admit that you have all those traits of
character which give merely worldly re-
gpectability and influence, you must at the
same time acknowledge that during the
course of your life you have done maHy
things you ought not to have done. How
arc the difficult matters to DO settlel3 Alb,
my friends VIC must have an atoncment.
No Christ, no salvation. The grolt Re-
deemer comes III and says: 81 will pay your
So that which was dark
enough before is bright enough now. Tho
stripes that we deserve are fallen upon Christ.
On His scourged and bleoding shoulders He
carries us up over the mountain Of oar sins
and the hills Of our iniquities. Christ's good
works accepted are sufficient for us, bat they
who reject them, depending upon their own.
must perish. Traits Of character that may
make US influential on earth will not necessari-
~ open to us the gate OF heaven. Thcplanlz tllat
will be strong enough for house floor would
not 90 for a ships hulk, Mere morality
might be enough here, but cannot take You
through DEATHS storm into heavens harbor
Christ has announced for all ages: II am tho
way, the truth and the life; him that coneth
unto Me l will i'll no wise cast out" But
nil ia fiea.- Of
condition of that man, though he may have
given all his estate to benevolent par
poses, and passed his life in the visiting of
the distressed, and done much to excite the
admiration of the good and the great, IL he
have no Intimate relation to Jesus Christ.