The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-04
AT HOUSTON CHURCHES
COOL WEATHER Asp Fisr con.
GREGArIoNs.
highly Interesting ana Instruct,x.
Discourse by Rev. William naync
Lenseii-ri,e f.orrs supper on
served ut Other Churches.

sun shone brightly and the air was 50
crisp and bracing that many who ordInar-
lily consider II a task, no doubt. 10 re-,
ready and 90 10 church were in their
places and looked smiling and happy when
the Services began.
At the First Presbyterian church tha
pestor chose as hts subject for The morn.
ing sermon a text from Isainh lxlv.s-
And ne all do fade as a leaf.r In dis
cussion OF this subject be said.
lesson taught IN this Scripture, otherwise
absent Of mind and not conscious Of my
movements, ran my head into a bunch
of leaves held TO an overhanying branch
by the last fibre OF fnilng life. Tho bunch
loosened and fell apart to my feet. AS
the crisp leaves cracked under my ponder
Gus tread, ! felt the force OF the prophets
words, And we shall fade as a Leaf The
impressiveness OF every moral warning is
deepened whenever the symbol that en-
folds IL is opened before our eyes. Emit
nently true is this OF the symbol chosen TO
teach us this day lesson we are all too
apt TO forget.
The earth is being covered every day by
falling leaves and every time we 60 20 our
labor the voice OF their instruction rises
into our souls. We put It aside and go on,
needless OF the warning because the same
thing happens to us every AUTUMN. Fa-
milinrity has diminished the significance
OF the lesson.
AS the warm blood tngles in our veins
and the forces OF life feel new power In
the bracing air OF early winter we are
half inclined 70 resent the proposition
that we 40 ali fade and fall away like
nutumn leaves. Full of new strength now,
after the heat and lassltude of Summer,
we feel as IL we could 80 on forever. But
we can not go on forever, and we are wise
TO heed the lesson taught us In the famil-
inr forms OF fading and falling leaves.
For we come not here to while away 4
pleasant hour, or to quiet our conscience
by devoting a. part Of Gods holy day 70
Ills worship that we may get Quit OF its
stines, II we dawdie and waste the re
mainder OF the time God has set apart
and consecrated TO our spiritual Improve,
to Continue the i51Ttle against the evil
within us and without us, md TO bestir our
moral energies 10 due dligence IN the
race that Is set BEFORE US. IN selectlng
this fine saying Of the old prophet for my
text have not been influenced by q rhe
torlcal. but by 2 moral purpose: ana
ask your attention TO the instruction
which It can be made 70 disclose anu en-
The prophet must have meant to teach
either or both OF two very important
things.
one is that the hot breath ~ sin wlthersi
n man as surely and completely as the
frasts of winter wither the leaves OF the
trees. u{
though the certain result liz neither always
nor commonly realized at once. The frst
evil deed does not demolish and utterly De
stroy ones neral vitality. No more does
the earliest chin OF autumn cover the
earth with frost-bitten leaves. We may be
aimiy conscious of having sinned against
our better selves In the first wrong we do,
rtaa a
have passed we do not recognize any
marked dinlinution OF moral power. YET,
L we could properly estimate, the enec,
deed we would find the lustre of our inno-
cence somewhat paler, even after the ear
Hest sins Of our liyes,
fallen leaves after the first frost, could we
examine carefully, < with intelligence
enough 10 detect very slight defects, we
you'd find, l doubt not that the sheen OF
he leaves was furnished.
But most clearly do we see the efect
Produced upon the fading foliage by sever
Il frosts, In whose chill tho forests haye
;hlvered. and we know what Will be the
md So most clearly do VIC understand |
hat sin gradually undermtnes the moral |
the process OF decay begins, |
md though the work OF destruction may |
% slow. It is most sure. We meyer hest
ate to acknowledge the whitening power /
fsvil whenever we see one With wrecked I
ind ruined manhood who has persiatsntiy /
IN his evil appetites. We see that the /
nan was drawn away by MS own lnst, I
md enticed" We Krow. that the lust, |
when it hath conserved, beareth SIN; and
ne sin when IL is full grown bringeth /
,orth death" The man killed by sin Is 1
40 longer cognlzable as a child Of Gcs,-s
rhe faded image of the Creator Is too pale /
'or even divine recognition, This is one
II the two lessons the prophet must have
meant to teach.
Tho other Is this: The Inevitably inlet
ef,, al cd a
nan an the constant frosts kin the leaves
il the trees. Not merely sin, but also the
,enalty kills. Isaiah and the religious
eachors OF his time looked upon the sur
IS the natural result Of the SIN itseli. as
/ was punishment inflicted because OF
in Suffering TO- them was more q pssn as,i3
rarlly inflicted punishment " the snaps
4 suffering upon all sinners, Thus he ud
or the most part In the world % cons 4
mus you see that the future world, az the
ocality and sphere OF the final adjustment 4
Il all the inequalities or this Woriu, plSeyeu
very important part IN emphasizing tnese
warnings and making them more impress
Ne indeed, the tone Of nearly al the
rophets Indicates that when they saw p
prosperous kt-I.- npurishng IKE q greer
az tree" they had no iittle satisfaction
i anticipating the punishment that await,
Il him when The Just hand Of Goa shOull
courge HIM The sinner wppld curl anu
rinlsie 70 the material fres OF pnysira
M ms itttt1 tuii eAttt Aft'4-
nd de in the breath OF winter. "A
However understood ard separated the
ne from the other IN times past, these
syo lessons are really one lesson.
We have begun TO understand that wnat
. called the punishment 81 SIN Is sen
nfiicfed sufferng--ia thu inevitable out
rowfh and result OF ain itSelf-an1 y y
al arbitrarily inflicted by the Ruler o.
aen. There is then no proper analoEy
etweea a law Of this kind and the law {
I the land Hanging u the penalty ior
1urder ia our common law. y n a q e
Iuct and not analogous nunisnnlent m
icfed ~ N ncuaity for crime SUFFERING
~. vi, IN ths government OF God Is mot q
enalfv IN thaf sense. inflicted IN the maj
diudicafions OF the court OF heaven. y &
. onnseduence, rather than ponhity O. !
iointed law and IL Is natural ana an
Joyous consequence, -. ...,,,,s ,he | .
4 man ties one end Of rope afounn M !
NH nnd fhc other end arounu ms nfrr J
NJ inmps out upon the air lie ~ nnnsen
III DE snrie, bat he Is hanHenr moi ~ y
enaitv for q onime, hui as cnnHequence
4 1,ioIefed Law He hangs himself ne !
oes the thing that Inevitably results u
ang.f1g II Is IN this sense tliai inc ~
MD of wrong doing Is punishment vne
w Is natural It's movement oI Q piece, ''S !
regular and ineriiphie
'rhe sinner. ty dlFobeying the laws y
giit the laws 81 moral being, heaps upon i.
lmaelf the suffering that y inevitably
on seduent upon such dleobedlence, Ihus :