The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-22


Unchristinn-rhe Acts Most LIKELY 10
Sena . Man to jain Are Not Necessarily
Those Most Likely 90 I.-nd Hi-a In HELL
The Rev. Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst preached
yesterday morning 10 congregation that almost
filled the Madison Square Presbyterian Church.
Ills text was from the Gospel OF Matthew. 2ist
chapter and 9lst verses
"Vcrily, verify, say unto you, that the pub
Hcsns and the harlots 20 into the Kingdom Of
God before YOU"
Dir. Pnrkhurst's sermon in full was as follows:
This Is one OF those expressions OF our Lord,
become so familiar to us by frequent reading,
that we have ceased TO appreciate It's appalling
audacity. we wish It were possible to witness
the effect that these quoted words would pro-
duce upon community were they to be all
dressed to intcllgences that had not been made
calous by their constant repetition away back
from the time when as children we began first
70 hear them. Tho circumstance which lends
special meaning to these startling words OF our
Lord is the fact that they were spoken in the
hearing Of and indeed that they were addressed
To, the most eminently respectable element in
tho community that IL to say, lie talking
TO the chief priests and the elders.
when we hear him saying to the ethical
aristocrats Of the people and to the religious no
billty that they had longer road to travel be-
fore they could he entered into the kingdom OF
no longer wonder that they crucined Him; our
only amazement Is that they were long about
IL. The more cordially and unreservedly we
give ourselves up to our Lords meanings and In
tcntions the more thoroughly we become con-
WINGED of his intense radlcnlsm. Radcalism s
not word that probably would find great deal
of favor with the majority Of congrega-
tlon made up as this congregation Is,
but radcalism is the only word that will
speak the thought | am trying to utter;
only let us understand Ivy radicalism al
ways not a hesdstrong and insane abandon
ment Of the ground proper to be covered
by intelligence and reason. but rather the push
ing OF intelligence and reason 10 the very ut
most of their possibilities and getting clear
down to the roots of the matter. That Is what
radicalism means-roots. 1t is in that sense
that Jesus Christ was the most inconsiderate
and aggressive radical that ever stirred society |
tntoirrepressiblc revolution.
Verify, ] say unto you that the publicans
Ind the harlots go into the kingdom of God be- |
tore you. For John came unto you in the way
Of righteousness. and 20 believed him not; but
the publicans and tho harlots believed him;
and yc, when We had seen 1t, repented
not afterwards, that ye might believe |
him. 1t Is necessary to complete our |
text by this addition of the verse fol- |
lowing in order that may be left sus- |
pecting that what known as social outcasts |
were dealt with by Christ in such tender con- |
sideratlon out of any Indifference on his part to
the sinfulness of the life which they had been
leading. He does not say that the class here
spoken Of win easy entrance into the kingdom
of heaven because there Is nothing inherently
criminal In their habits and pursuits. but be-
cause they submitted themselves to the doc
trine of righteousness preached by John the
baptist They entered the heavenly kingdom
easily. because they renowned the unheayenl-
ness of their own way of living.
1T In precisely this way also that he
treated the adulterOus woman whose story Is
told In the eighth chapter Of st. Johns gospel.
lie infiicts no harsh word upon her but tells
her nevertheless that her sin has got to stop;
and the necessary Inference from the narrative
Is that when he speaks those gracious words,
Neither do l condemn thee he means 10 say
that the reason he does not condemn her is that
he expects that hor sin is going to stop. The
story OF all our Lords dealings with sinners
leaves upon the mind the invarable impression, |
II only the story be read sympathetically and
earnestly. that he always felt kindly toward the
transGressor, but could have no tenderness Of
regard toward the trarsgression. There Is no
safe and successful dealing with sin Of any kind
save as that distinction Is appreciated and made
"A continual factor in our feelings and efforts.
Now society has way of scaling crimes and
sins that IL is pretty difficult to find any war
rant for in the Holy Word; and good deal of it
comes from the difficulty which men experience
in keeping distinct things which essentially
different, and from confusing things which are
essentially distinct, One reason why we regard
certain crimes as more wicked than others ia be-
cause the State Furnishes them more severely;
but that is no safe criterion of their wickedness,
inasmuch ns what the State Furnishes a crime for
Is not its slnfuncss. but its harmfulnesc to soci-
ETY.: and II grades its punishments according to
the degree Of that hurmfulness That Is
why 1t Furnishes forgery and counterfeit
ing, for instance, with more extr.me pen
inaiity OF crime Is according To the degree In
sinfnlncss of a Sin Is according 10 the degree IN
which that SIN IL an expression of the sinner's |
indifference or antagorism 20 the Will Of God
innd man In isii are not nees' Esariiy the acts
"ADother unwsrranted class Of estimatos
comes also from the fact that We put weight |
= totally different weight OF estimate upon the
sins that We do not commit but that others
Ways have an indulgent side, not only
for lis own thieyery, but for the thieyerv
dispos,d %. have the sin Of adultery handled
with caValieTly consideration. You can very
mau's lie aud habits by observing the iaxity or
strenuousness Of his feelings and opinions touch
up for discussion or treatment. And II his SEN
timenls anu Judgments are lax II is not necessa- 1
cause lie has been - habituatud 10 some certain
sin that the corresponding set of moral seHsi- !
bililies has become dul'cd ard deadened.
we feel keenly the wickcdness OF sins that !
Il Is neither our habit nor our disposition
nit. OurTectitude Is concentrated at particular :
POINTS along the ethical rectlineaT. Our moral |
t.y j. bunChed, and the lunches separated 4
by long and numerous intervals OF indifference
and self-sllowance. Considerable Of the same G
Is also due to education. The home makes itself /
very powerfully felt in this way. We never re- I
cover from the impressions that in this respect
were miuie upoa u by parental preeept and in @
huence. Opinions and tendencies win set in 4
the days % our childhood that il not likely 10 | q
he neutrHlized and overcome by influences that '
operate upon US later. Il
There are likewise drifts Of sentiment cur | Y
rent In society that tell upon Individual iudg- b
lnents with the power OF an almost irresistible /
tyranny. One iiaRrapt instance OF that | will |
only suggest by reminding YOU Of what you a
know 50 well, that there are certain offences ! a
which IL committed by sex are tolerated, 4
but which IL committed by the other sex mean n
social ostracism That particular matter is one il