Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-11-03
THE NATURAL MAN
Strong Sunday Sermon Entitled: mans
Condition; Gods Remedy
Delivered at the MiIdmay Conference BY S'f
Robert Anderson, K. 6. B., L. l.. ID.

LONDON, ENGLAND.--The following a.
dress, entitled, Mans Condition, Gods
Remedy" was delivered at the Mildmay
Conference by Sir Robert Anderson, *. &,
b., LII. d.
The special subject assigned to me is
"The Spiritual Ilclpiessness of Man by
Nature. and the New Birth From Above. "
am not here TO defend the dogmas that
theology has based upon this truth. What
concerns lis is the truth itself, | say this
with emphasis, because OF what Is pass
ing around us.
And this should be our position in re-
gard to all the great doctrines of faith.
The age of creeds is passed. In days of
chvalry, when mcu had respect for truth
and honor, creeds shut out those who
could not honestly accept them. But now
they avail nothing to protect the gold
against thieves and robbers Men will
publicly, and in the most ,oiemn way,
pledge their belief in every Christian
truth in order to gain office in our
churches; and as soon as they secure the
prestige and pay which office affords, they
use the pulpits to attack the very truths
they are pledged and subsidized to defend
This being so, let lis abandon the out
works of olIr crecdS. and, falling back
upon the Bible, stand four-square in its
/ defense.
In this spirit approach my subject.
am not ignorant OF what theology teaches
about human depraNlty, nor OF the contro
versles respecting 1t winch preceded the
settlement OF our creeds. but on this
platform Wl'l recognize no au'holity sSve
an open bip'e' MY reason loi slN .'B an''
Is because mere as on many other ques'
tions ,.,c opponents OF the truth owe their
vantage ground to what is called Chris.
tan doctrine ON the s"n]ece' ror the
doctrine Is lnconNlsten' win iaCts, where
as between 'f0lh ana lact cohiliCt 'S I'M
possible.
a latural man T. g. u mIn WY mas
not cNpeilt'ctu .nc new ~ ~ VI, n "'I i,a "'o
lie lie Of ,hr hiphcst morality and rectitude.
Sr,;riurn tr.f;i;,s thot in these qualities
Ihr Nuo.tIr Paul made no advance after
his conversion II i no answer TO this
tn say that N his unconycrted DAYS he
ramc under thc external influences of dl-
y,nr trn,h The fact remains that they
were unconverted davs. and that with
such an environment he was able to main.
tam snch , Efn of nurity and piety and
yeai albeit he was spiritually dead in sins.
Ue tool, 70 religion AS another man might
talc ,n nlc,Sure or to studv. or to trade,
or to drink But in this as he himself
declares hc was only following his natural
bent-"tbr desire, of the flesh and of the
,;,J "
Nc,,her i II an obicci;ou that such a
,asc is cycnpfional What man has done
mon r,,y d. # the Fan made it Imuos.
.,hic ,nr mon +, live purc and nprIvh!
i've. IN would he unjust IN God to nudge
,Lan, fnr tl,c;, y;ces
Thcrr are two great standards or prn.
,;,'lrs ol d,ynr 'mdgncnt With those
whn boar the Go,prI thc con.cauen ,cs ot
orrrnt,rc ~, ,eiert,pr CHRIST arc final and
,rrevnrs;hIe A. for The rest men will I've
;ud,ed hy tbo la,r nf Their being whether
~ st,,,ncd IN brort nr CONSCIENCE. or a,
iormul,tcd ~ n>uress commands at Sinai.
,',t,, >,r,-pI Man
'Hr' ~ MAI ,AN'
The first three chapters OF Romans cam
notice here. The ulSt chapter dcNcTine'
the condition IN when the mas" OF the
hcathen world was >nnh even IN day
when the tide OF human progress ana cut
ture was at the Hood md when, more
over, the great religious cults ol classic
PaganlSm held up standard OF NE as
high as any that ap4Ntate 'hr'"tehdpin
presents cults oi when one Al least had
such spiritual vitality that three centuries
afterwards 1t bld ittr to nuppIdnt 'hll1'
tianlty as the religion Il am not speak
ing OF the true Christianity "i the true
huICh of cod maintained ITS ascend
ancy, 1t was first by pend! laws "l rN-
tremc severity, and second ny adopting
the chief Characteristic rites and errors
ef the PaganiSm which It thus pcr-ccuted.
These things need stating Il we are to
understand arighJ the closing words 81
the first chapter OF Romans. the vie
practices ol the heathcu world were not
due to ignorance. They knew that their
deeds were evil. They knew III" ndg-
mept of God, that they who pIactced >uTh
things were worthy OF death, and set they
praciccd them.
But the case Of saul of Tar-U- was
wholly different. II what men call con
science were the aiblter OF human con
duct; il that were right which man
honestly believed to bc right, his was a
perfect life A. judged by any aud every
human standard, Saul OF larsu- was
pattern saint, but aa judged by God ne
was IA pattern sinner. And II you read
the middle verses of Romans intelligent.
", this is tine lesson you will learn from
them: 1t is God 5 estimate Of the life
of the natural man at his best-the lie Of
the upright, pious, Jealous jew under law.
"For that which is highly esteemed among
men is abomination in the sight oi God
The story is told OF the first Duke of
Cambridge, that when, in the reading of
the Decalooue, the Seventh Commandment
was reached, instead of the orthodox re
sponse. he answered, in an aside, that vas
plainlv auciib!c, Il never did that" But
here was man who could make u like
response to every commandment IN the
Dccaloguo AS touching the righteous.
ness that is in thr law, blamelcss. such
was his pround boast.
You viii say. perhaps. that this only
nroyes that he was utterly blind and dead
Rut that is preriseN what | am INSISTING
on: that 50 far is it from the truth that
human nature i. hopelcsslv corrupt and
denrayed AZ men iudce of rorruption and
depravitv that A natiIral man NAV live 4
liz Thai would mt to shame half the
SAINTS in the calendar, Bv a course Of m
Cbristian nscet;rism and severe ponancrs
for ,.nun;shing thr body " those calendar
saints attained to what men deem saint.