The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-08
RAlMENT, RICHES AND RUIN
ABLE SERMON BIT REV. DIR, PHIL
LIPS LAST ETENING.

80" gu VI Achon Ever the Greatest Sin of
-Woridliness a Vital Disease
Moral Laws Cannot be Violated with
Impunity.
At the Church of the Redeemer, last
evening, Rev, DR.. Phillips preached an
able discourse on "Raiment, Riches and
Ruin'" summary of which is given be-
low. The text was:
joshua VII, 81: when l saw among
the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle,
ana TWO hundred shekels of silver, and
a sodge of gold of fifty shekels weight,
then l coveted them and took them"
This Is the tardy. fear-lnspired con-
iesslon of Achan 1t is also the key to
the dramatic incident which occurred
In connection with the defeat Of Israel
at All.
We are not concerned tonight to
determine the exact quality Of the
mans sin, nor to institute comparison
between his sin and it's punishment.
The supposed disproportion between
the two has afforded much merriment
to certain class of critics; let them
have it for what it is worth This
much needs to be remembered: A gem
eral order had been issued which bore
direct relation to the safety and sue
cess of Israel Obedience to that order
was the condition of prosperity. The
order was Everything in captured Je-
richo not destroyed must be devoted
to the uses of the national religious es-
tablishment.'
Joshua had taken especial pains to
avoid misunderstanding upon this
point, and Achan sets up no plea Of ig-
norance. He simply puts his own greed
before the welfare of the community.
His offence affected the whole people.
There is so intimate a relation between
the members of community that the
act Of one affects ALL The man who
violates the laws made for the protec-
tion of society cannot stand alone;
aside from the expense to which the
rest of the community is put in detect
ing and Furnishing him, he lowers the
average moral tone, devitalizes the at
mosphere, and put the peace and pros
perity of all in jeopardy. "A lewd man,
says Bishop Hall, is a pernicious Great
ure. That he damns his own soul is
the least part of his mischief He COM
monty draws vengeance upon a thou
sand, either by the desert of his sin,
or by the Infection A. large part of
society's right to punish lies in it's OBJ
legation to secure it's own safety. In
judging the conduct of individuals their
relation to the community must always
be taken into account. The direct per-
sonal teaching of this story Is two
fold l. Laws made and adjusted to
secure our moral safety and success
cannot be violated with impunity. No
one will deny that there are such laws
invariable in their action as physical
laws. 1t is not our business now-if it
ever is-to explain the moral order of
the universe why these laws bear so
close a relation to human prosperity
and the development Of the race. The
fact is the stubborn important thing.
The laws Of honesty, Of purity, of jus
tice to say nothing of the finer princi-
Piles of reverence, mercy, unself1shness,
service, stand guard over the happi-
ness Of man; they must be respected.
Their violation makes a flaw in the
web Of life;@it may not appear in the
weaving, but will later The ancients
used to say when this flaw was dis
covered. Here is special divine retri-
button so the writerof this story said.
1t was God, but He was working
through laws as invariable as the
movements of his planets. Be not de-
ceived; God is not Knocked. Outraged
physical nature doesn't forget; out
ragged moral nature doesn't forget; God
doesn't forget; His fatherhood doesn't
make him invertebrate, unmindful Of
the demands of the moral order of the
universe Break the laws on which
moral prosperity depends, and you and
others will suffer moral deterioration
and defeat
80 This man Achan fell, as most
Others fall, through lust Of the things
which can only be obtained by violat-
ing these laws. In other words, he
valued these things more than the
well-being of society; he was essential
1y a selfish man. The garment with its
rich embroideries, the wedge of yellow
gold. were there before him. The law
had no representative but his own con-
science. and that was fast being 81
fenced by the arrogant voice Of greed.
The process is very simple; the reason
ing is very easy and plausible. The
devil never has much trouble with the
man who wants to get rich In hurry,
or who 1usts after anything on the 9TH
er side Of the line; he always makes
him believe that the end justifies the
means, and that ends the controversy
at once.
1--WE need school in which we will
learn to call things by their right
names, as we need mirror in which
self-complacent sinners profoundly in
love with their own exteriors, can see
their souls. The glib multiplication of
euphemisms is one of the plantations
of modern society. Be honest with
yourself, whatever the temptation
play no tricks with your own mind by
trying to persuade yourself that evil is
good If you can only get it rechristened
and blessed with a text; that wrong
is made right by circumstances. Men
who are being tempted are not compe-
tent to judge of circumstances; they
usually give their desires the benefit OF
the doubt.
"Achanism is beyond question the
great sin Of mana weak or wilful vio-
lation of laws which guard the moral
order for the sake of personal gain. The
nature Of this sin is shown in the fact