The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-02

Sunday morning. at St. Matthews p
e. church, the rector, Rev d. w. How
ara. preached the fifth of his series OF
1enten sermons under the general head
"The struggle OF Life" the topic Of this
sermon being "The Failure of the strug-
gle. Sin" Next Sunday the last Of the
EerIes. "The End of the Struggle
Death, will be preached.
Mr.. Howard, in his discourse, said:
Struggle is the normal condition OF
the Christian life in this world, and the
failure of that struggle is sin. The
very word itself, both in the Hebrew
and Greek, has this as Its primary
meaning; both have. as their underlying
idea. "a missing of a mark" and so
present to us sin, us the failure of the
end OF lie, a detection from our aim.
the exact opposite to st. Pauls great
purpose, "thls one thing dol press
toward the mark for the prize" Sin is
the giving up the struggle, missing the
mark of our high calling, losing the
prize.
In our LORDS life we see no deviation,
no moral failure, no surrender of prin-
clpie, no striking frona the struggle. No,
IL only grows more intense and culmi-
mates in the supreme struggle Of the
passion. To-day is Passion Sunday, and
from the altar rings out the challenge,
as the gospel is read, (which OF you
convlnceth me OF sin?"
Christ had said previously. because
/ tell you the truth, We believe me not"
If I had spoken falsely, such is the ar
gument, you would have recognized
that which is kindred to yourselves,
but, because I tell you the truth" The
final opposition between Christ and the
devil lies in the opposition OF truth to
falsehood. And this opposition repeats
itself in the children OF the two spirit
ual heads. There must be that which
IS akin to truth in US, If we are to be-
lleve truth.
The contrast between and ye is
made here as sharp as possible.
But as for Me-" says Chris, "be-
cause / tell you the truth, We believe
me not" Falsehood in actor is sin.
Falsehood within must show itself.
From words then the appea, is made
to acts.
Sin is not mere error" as Erasmus
ana some others have urged. because
the word throughout the New Tesla
ment always means "contrariety to the
will Of God" While We cannot say that
by itself this passage is sufficient to de-
monstrate the siniessness OF Christ, 1t
reveals IL sublime depth in HIS trans
lucent consciousness that places him
unless he were the most deluded or self
sufficient Of human teachers-on a Diff
ferent position from all other divine
messengers.
Conscious of Defects.
In proportion as all other great moral
prophets have set their own standard
high, they have become conscious OF
their own defects; and from Moses to
st. Paul. from Augus,in to st. Francis.
the salntllest men have been the most
alive to their own departures from their
ideas of right The standard of Jesus
IS higher than that of any other, and
He apepars nevertheless absolutely
without need of repentance; above the
power OF temptation; beyond the range
OF conviction. True, the Jews brought
a charge of madness and folly upon
Him Immediately; but so far from con-
vinclng Him or mankind, they stand
forever covered with the shame of'thelr
own incompetence to comprehend His
message or Himself He being. then,
without sin, and assuming that he
stands in the eternal truth. and is the
absolute truth OF things. and that He
cannot from HIS moral purity deceive
or misinform them, and that HIS testl-
mony to Himself is final, sufficient, and
trustworthy, He asks, III say the
truth" without your having convicted
Me or sin, or brought any moral OBJ
Ilquity or offense against Me. why do
sc not beliave Me?"
The reason is in them rather than in
Him. The moral perfection OF Jesus as
the Goldman is absolutely necessary to
his character as Gods lamb" as the
only begot;en," "the Son." and as the
Judge" OF the human race. To account
for this sinless. perfect humanity, the
entire conception Of the divine nature
blended in indlssoluble union with His
own is found imperative with every
epoch OF Cnrists life.
At every development Of His official
character. In every new combination OF
circumstances, In conflict and sorrow,
when smarting from treachery. ard dy-
ing alone upon the cross, He is per
feet" He fuldlls the perfect form, He
reaches the standard OF divine humans
ty.
In considering the subject OF moral
evil, we encounter fact OF such wide
spread and deep Significance that It
much impress itself upon any real re-
ligion. Sin is n disturbing element, i
dlsorganizing force which breaks UP tho
original relationship OF love and conf
dence between God and man Chris
tianlty recognizes this universal ana
fundamental fact. and will not cndaayor
to gloss It over. or to explain It away.
or to assume that mans religious wants
can be really satisfied without looking
It boldly In the face, and providing
against It cure and an antliotc.