The morning call., 1893-10-30
CALVARY CHURCH.
DR.. HemphiIl Talks of King
AhaZ, the Wicked.
SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE.
Lack of Parental Restraint a Great
Factor in the WrongdOing OF
the Young.

Rev. DR.. Hemphill's discourse on the
subject, "Why do good people have pad
children?" attracted even larger con-
gregation than usual TO Calvary Charch
last evening.
The sermon was especially directed 10
young men, and the scripture reading was
the twenty-eghth chapter OF the second
Book of Chronicles. which narrates
briefly the history of Ahaz, the wlckeu
Judean King. The portion taken Tor the
text was the twenty-secOnd verse. anu
in the time of his distress did he trespass
yet more against the Lord" Alter de-
scribing the sinfulness and utter depravity
of King Ahaz, DR.. Hemphill spoke OF MS
father, his grandfather and MS great
grandfather, who had all been gooo men
in their generations, and auerled now IL
was that man so descended should prove
so dreadful an example OF total depraVlty.
The first reason put forward was tne
law of heredity, which the speaker saio
is often intermittent
Diseases both physical and moral a1ten
skip generations and then appear WIN
increased yirulence when least expected
and Ahaz although his immediate ances-
tors were good and righteous men. had III
him some bad blood. he was IN INC lino
of David, who was very goou wnSh s 10 D,wn
good, but also at times very Dad. D1Wn
through Solomon and Jereboam the ilne
came. and then the wicked blood Oh AnaD
and Jezebel and Athallan was ihlpeteu
with it, and Ahaz in his sln!uiness was
ONLY reproducing the worst traits Oh tnose
VINO had gone before him. The sins oil the
parents arc visited on the children even
beyond the third and fourth generations"
In this connection DR.. Hemphlll ap-
pealed to all his young hearers to be very
careful how they formed matrimonial
alliances with ungodly families, since such
marriages would bring only evil to future
generations.
The second cause Of Ahaz' wickedness
was lack Of parental restraint. which is
now. as then, frightful source OF much
of the trouble and sin OF this world.
"Eli, Samuel. David and lothian all
were foolishly indalgent to their sons and
ruined them by over-indulgence, declared
the preacher, "and here in San Francisco
there are very many parents doing the
same thing, quieting their consciences
with the nonsensical saying, boys will be
boys and must SOW their Wild oats, never
seeming to think that as man sows so
shall he reap, and that they themselves
are helping to ruin, by their own weakness
and foolishness, the lives and souls OIL
their children"
Half-heartedness in religious matters On
the part of parents was also given as
reason for the sinfulness of their offspring.
Children who are brought up in strictly
Christian home rarely fail to become Chris
tianS themselves.
In speaking on this point DR.. Hemphil
warmly refuted the oft-advanced charge
concerning the general unworthlness Of
ministers sons, and brought uD statistics
to prove that in the great majority of
cases the contrary is the rule.
OF the exceptions he said they were gen.
orally noticeably bad because "the most
desperately wicked man we meet is the
one who has broken through line OF reli-
ginus example and precept. The best
things perverted become the worst re-
llglous education triumphed over becomes
a source of moral putrefaction. When the
Son Of God Is driven out devils take his
place. The most wicked men are those
who have trampled on Christian prvi-
leges, as, conversely, the most vlrtuous
men are those who have overcome the
most temptations. So it is that when the
sons of good men become bad they become
desperately so, because they are forcing
their way into hell over the prayers OF
godly parents"
In conclusion DR.. Hamphill said that as
AhaZ turned to the Syrian gods, and "they
were the ruin Of him." so the young men
of the present day were turning to the
modern gods of Observation-Disclosures
and dissipation of all kinds. which will
surely ''De the ruin" of them.
The career of Ahaz was described in
three words, "Earthy. Sensual. Devilish."
and these three words would apply to the
misspeDt lives of young men, who, having
been religiously brought up, were on the
downward road with perdition at the bot
tom.
An eloquent and impassioned appeal to
those among his hearers who were wan
dering away from the right path to return
thereto without delay and so live that they
may meet their godly fathers and mothers
sin house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens" ended a sermon which
was certainly one of the best so far given
of the young peoples series"
Baron Salvi. representative OF the
Italian Government. is in this country TO
make inquiries into the capacities of the