The record-union., 1897-03-08
A SUNDAY SERMON ON LENT,
Delivered Yesterday by Rev. ". S.
HOSkinSOn.
"Neither Be PartakerS OF Other
Mems Sins''-U Timothy
W, 22.)

At the morning services at the Eng
lish Lutheran Church on Sixteenth
street, Rev w. S. Hoskinson preached
a Lenten sermon from the above text.
He said:
Two meanings are taken of this
verse, or the part Lay hands on no
man suddenly" One is that in setting
apart men for the Gospel ministry,
done by the laying on of hands, great
care should be exercised that only
worthy persons be chosen. First make
sure that men are called of God to it
and fitted for it. Or it may mean those
once confessing Christ but who have
grown cold and turned away from Him;
when they return and would be brought
back into the fold it would mean be not
over hasty; see that there is true re-
pentance before laying on them hands
of restoration.
In either Interpretation the connec-
tion between the laying on of hands
and the closing words is very close:
Neither be partakers of other men S
sins" When men would go into the
ministry or enter the church of Christ,
be very careful and look to the moral
fitness of men. See that they are Of
worthy character, lest you become par
takers of their sins and responsible for
their conduct. Young Timothy is here
taught by Paul that he could easily
load himself with the sins of other
men, and he is urged to act so that he
may not be guilty of other mems sins.
And this is the truth the verse brings
home to our hearts. We learn that any
hapOT0a cyl1i1fxr hafnY-a Of
other mems sins. Timothy could be-
come thus guilty and so can we. Hence
beware lest you incur partnership in
other mems guilt. Partakers in sins
then we may be. In those which we
may but do not prevent. This is true
all through life. Suppose a murder were
to be committed in Sacramento tonight
and I knew of it and had it in my
power to prevent it, but by careIessness
or Indifference I did not; why, all this
town would hold me as guilty of the
act. And the laws would hold me ac-
cessOry to the act. Or if some great
theft or arson We're to be committed
and 1 could prevent but did not, the
city and the law could hold me as par
taker of the crime. Now, this holds
true of other offenses-the public con-
science would hold me responsible.
Neglect or failure to prevent crime
makes me partaker of the crime. And
this takes a wider and more far-reach-
ing application.
COD holds everyone guilty for wrong
doing-not only for what he himself
commits, but for what others commit,
but which he might have prevented by
word or example. Any parent who
has not tried his best to train his child
properly, allowing the child to grow up
with bad character and bad habits that
he might have prevented by proper
authority and correctives, has become
partner in that childs sins. When on
later IN years that boy or girl becomes
guilty of crimes against the society, or
city, or State, that parent is largely
guilty for these crimes. A right dis
charge of a parents duty at the right
time would have prevented it all.
p Then, too, a, protector and defender
OF the law who has in his power to
restrain and does not; a citizen who by
his ballot might elect moral men to
places Of trust, but by his neglect does
not; the Christian who by his persua-
slons and efforts might get men to for
sake evil and turn to God. and vet.
who neglects to do anything to lead
them this way, becomes partakers of
the sins Of other men Every officer
Of the law who sees that law violated.
but does nothing to prevent the viola
ton, becomes partner in law breaking.
And, indeed. it looks like men holding
places of trust in our city, have been
and are to-day partners in gambling
and in breaking the laws of our city
and State, and are abetors to crime and
immortality. The principle is a we'll
tested and sound one. All that we
might in any way prevent, but fail to
prevent, we are guilty of and should
be held responsible for
Also those sins which we should con-
denim but do not. Here the Bible gives
Us an illustration in point. It is that
of ELI. God looked upon him as a par
taker Of the sins of His sons. because
when they made themselves vile He
restrained them not" He looked too
lenientiy on their bad conduct and did
not rebuke them as earnestly and per
sistenuy as he should have done. They
became notoriously vile and wicked
and this kind 90 Ienient father for
his weakness became guilty of their
sins.
So Paul himself regarded the princi-