Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-08-25
DIR. BACON UPON SALVATION.

-
The Dlstinguished Norwich Divine
breaches a strong sermon From
the Pulpit OF United Church-Every
/. MAN is a sinner and Only Gods
Grace Can Save-The Dark Tendency
of the Time.
Rev. DR.. L. w. Bacon of Norwich oc-
cupied the pulpit of the United church
yesterday morning and preached strong,
interesting sermon upon Salvation. He
chose his text from the ideas of that por-
ton of the fifth chapter of Paul's Epistle
to the Romans, between the ninth and
seventeenth verses He spoke of the diff
Guilty of understanding many portions of
this epistle because of obscurities of style
and thought Yet, he continued, there are
priceless pearls to be found among this
mass of ENHANCEMENT. Above all there is
to be found sweeping condemnation of
the whole human race as guilty of sin. One
of the plain things of the epistle is that
mans sin is not the equal measure, but
the full, overlooking measure of Gods race.
The divine forgivness more than covers the
whole length of human sin. Here
are two things: Mans sin and
~ ~s~SSt NOAA y
understand ourselves in this matter. Fools
make a mock of sin, and we all take our
turn at that folly. 1t is only in our most
serious moods that we think of sin as an
infinite evil. Paul gives us here clearly to
understand that, vast and ponderous as it
is, the sin of the world is not infinite. 1t
is bounded on all sides by the infinite
ocean of Gods mercy. When we deal
with enormous magnitudes the mind must
first grasp small details. Think of your
own personal sins, your wrongs, your short
comings. Think of the worst thing you
ever did How wrong it was! How con-
| temptible it was! How damaging to your
| self! How mischievous to the heart
of God! 1t is in, your best
hour that it looks the darkest.
| Men are very much alike at this point, as
Paul declares that the world is guilty. Men
are not alone in their sins. AS Burke
| says, when a whole nation joins in a
wrong all cannot be indicted. There have
| to be amnesties. Each man adds his mite
| to that mass described by John the Baptist
as the sin of the world. But whether we
reason from sin to salvation or from saliva.
ton to sin, there is no thing which so goes
to mems hearts as divine offer of for
giveness, divine abolition of this great
| mass of sin.
1t is argued that Christ is nowhere
| spoken of in the Bible as the savior Of
mems souls. This is found only in the
hymn books and such. 1t is we, ourselves
who have done the SHINING and we mus
suffer for it, not some particular part o.
our body or mind. 1t is the man in all O
his manhood that must suffer for sin. 1
is said you can never be what you would
have been had you not gone wrong. Ism
it likely that most mems lives are marret
IL L L L L
done! This is a simple race. Virtu
lowers the oath rate. Our bodily nature
need Strengthening. Let a man wine
himself up day by day in evi
habits, and how can he burs
his way out of the filiament thus formed
The longer he goes the stranger holds hi
net work of evil. There have been man,
great men who were bad but they wer
not SO great as they had been wer
they good. The conscience may be per
verified till it calls evil good and good evil
What can be done with man whose con
science is thus blasted! This man in a
his manhood is a broken down man.
After all, making all allowances, you
case, as you stand before God, is a prett
serious case, isn't it! With the redemption
of the soul, it would seem, should ais
come the redemption of the body. Ca
all the wrath of God be stayed and stoppe
. and the desolation already wrough
the sin already accomplished-h
restoreds In other words can ma
: be saveds The healing power of natu1
, has been talked about. But the tone c
J thoughtful literature on the whole is nc
hopeful. The future does not take brigf
face. The nineteenth century gospel car
not be called very cheerful gospel. BIT
) it is the best gospel there is until we go
Z God for one. Is there really no escap,
Does the bond which holds myself to IN
sin and my sin to myself, be brokens Ca
: I get rid of my past selfs Can any powe
deliver me from my sins Listen to tt
prophesies of the ages. They promis
abundant salvation. Can you, in the fat
of these, ever be discourageds The.
thoughts are not our thoughts. They al
the works of a greater spirit than man ca
t understand. To them alone should "
8 turn when our own philosophy falls sho
| of true salvation.