The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-19

tracing it to it's .Adamic origin. Every
theology OF every church takes cogni-
zance OF SIN in bum.n nature that the in
dividual man did not commit. Iwonder
IL you all heard, that, aud understand
what L meant. Every church in this
town. and every church in Roanoke. and
every church in Virginia, and every
church in America, and every church in
the world, and every church In all gener-
atlons, every Christian church has taught
and does teach that there is a sin In the
human nature that the individual man
did not commit; that it was inherited,
lmpaied upon him by the fall Of man,
and this Is unriShteousness spoken of in
the text. 1t is always spoken of in the
singular number, whereas the sins which
man commits are spoken of in the
plural number. So man is u sinner in
t"o senses, a sinner by nature and sin
ner by practice. Now salvation TO be sal
walton. to be sufficient salvation, to be
salvation becominga divine Saviour, to
be salvation meeting the contingencies
or the case, fitting man for etei nal
glory, has got to save that man from both
kinds of sin, from the sin he did and
from the sin he did not, from the sin he
is guilty of and from the sin he is con
taminated with. And that is what our
text treats of. ''He Is faithful and Just
to forgive US our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.' Let me
show you that the Scriptures recognize
each of these kinds of sin. You will see
what | mean when 1 quote two texts of
Scripture: "The soul that sinneth, it
shall surely die" Now, there sinneth
stands for actual sins, for sins commit
ted, for sins that man does. "The soul
that sinne.h. it shall surely die" Now
the Scriptures also teach: "To be car
nally minded is death" Now, mark YOU,
there is not an act there is state, there
is condition. 1910 be. curnally minded
is death" So l want you to think, dear
brother, of man in his sinful state as e
Ing threatened with death from two quite
different standpOints. think can illus
trate 1t. Here is n man in the peniten-
tiary, who is under sentence of death,
having committed murder. He rs sen
fenced to be hung. Brother, imagine that
man as also being II hopeless consump.
tive, as victim of that fatal disease
Now there you will see him facing death
from two different directions; he is facing
death as the penalty of crime, he Is fac
ing death rs the consequence of his dis
ease 30, brother, this inbred sin of our
nature is not n matter to be tri He'd with
or lightly considered. 1t is Il matter to
be considered as of like importance no n
deadly hopeless disease. So let us look
ut this man. You cannot thinS of that
man as dying, though lie has that hack.
ing cough. hectic flush and all the other
symptoms OF the last stages of consump-
ton. We cannot think of that man rs
heing much interested about doctors He
is not much interested in any new cure
for consumption. His day is fixed The
10th of the following month he must be
hung. He is not worried about the dead ly
nature of his disease. The one thing that
engages him is the death sentence for hts
crime. think see him now, turning
every stone, busying himself in every di-
rectlon, employing the best possible Eat
tnrney, and with the aid of friends bring
ing all the influence possible TO bear On
the governor of the State, who can plye
him pardon,a Communication of sentence,
anything to escape death. Now let us
Imagine him successful. BY reason of
ms pitiful condition, the governors heart
has been touched, and he has not only
committed his sentence, but pardoned
him. The pardon is brought to the
prison, presented to him, and the man is
free from sentence of DEATH The sheriff
has no right to hang him and he goes out
now free man. What is the next thing?
He is reminded by that hacking cough,
he Is reminded by his general condition
that though he now has II legal right to
live, yet his life is threatened by reason
OF this disease. What then? Find n doc
Tor, ne says, some climate, some physi-
clan that can heal consumption He is
now interested about his disease and liza
bility to death from that standpoint.
Let us again imagine him successful.
lie finds specialist that has succeeded
IN curing the disease that thus threatens
MN, VINO heals him OF the deadly malady
we TOO arc under sentence, under Con
demnation. We have been sentenced to
the death penalty on account of our sins.
Not only so. but we have n carnal mind,
that inbred disease of sin that threatens
us with death anyhow. But what man
Is there who has this disease of sin, but
who is.-also under condemnaton that
bothers himself about getting cleansed
III ne wakenS to- night under the gospel,
ana turns to Christ. it is the advocate he
wants lt Is pardon he is after, and,
blessed he God, | have seen lawver's
sign out who takes up sucn cases as that.
ana heie is the way ii reads. :'If any man
SIN, we have an advocate with the Father.
'jesua Christ the righteous" Come, put
your case in this advocates hands, who,
blessed he the Father, the governor of the
universe. and glory to God, brings you n
pardon, forgives your sins, and you have
Alright to live. Now then, the man who
mas right to live, the Lord does not
threaten any more. Condemnation does
not rest on him any more. He is no more
guilty III the eyes of the law. He there
f'r', begins to give attention tn the enjoy
mtnt a;d impro vement of life. But here
IS this inward disease, this carnal mind.
Many have been startled by the first
s'mptoms-of the disease. Soon there are
other symptoms, bad temper. avarice
spring up Like n physical alment it
stlll grows. Now be has pains that re-
SUIT from this disease, and now he is rest