The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-04
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A STRONG DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
MANS CONDITION. COOS REMEDY"
An Address Delivered NJ the Miidmsy
Conference by sir Robert Anderson. X.
q. H., LL.D.-The Spiritual Helpless
ness and Hopeiessness OF Man.

! Remedy" was delivered at the Mildmay
! Conference by Sir Robert Andenon, X. &.
b, LII. ID.
/ The special subject assigned TO me is
/ 'The Spiritual Helplessuess OF Man by
I Nature, and the New Birth From Above" /"
j am not here to defend the dogrnas that
theology has based upon this truth. What
concerns US is the truth itself. i say this
with emphasis, because OF what - pass
ing around Us.
gard TO all the great doctrines OF faith.
The age OF creeds is passed. In days Of
chvalry, when men 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 viii
publicly, and in the most sols1n way,
pledge their belief In every Christian
truth in order To gain office In our
churches; and as soon az they secure the
prestige and pay which Office affords, they
use the pulpits 10 attack the very truths
they are pledged and subsidized 10 defend
This being so, let us abandon the out
works Of our 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 depravlty, nor of the contro-
versies respecting IT which preceded the
settlement Of our creeds. But on this
platform ] will recognize no authority save
an open Bible. My reason for saying this
is because here, as on many other ques-
tlons, the opponents Of the truth owe their
vantage ground 20 what ~ called Chris
tian doctrine on the subject. For the
doctrine - inconsistent with facts, where
as between truth and fact conflict rs I'M
possible.
a natural man. j. G.. man who has
not experienced the new birth. and who
has not the SPIRIT OF God, may live a
life Of the highest morality and rectitude.
Scripture testihes that IN these qualities
the Apostle Paul made no advance after
his conversion. 1t n no answer TO this
20 say that IN his unconverted days he
came under the external influences Of d.
vine truth. The fact remains that they
were unconveited days and that with
such an environment ne was able to main
tain such life of parity and piety and
zeal albeit he was spiritually dead IN sins.
lie took TO religion as another man might
take TO pleasure, or TO study, or to trade,
or 10 drink But IN this, as he himself
declares, he was only following his natural
bent-"the desires OF the flesh and Of the
mind"
Neither is II an objection that such
case is exceptional. What man has done
men may do. IL the Fall made 1t impos
sble for men TO live pure and upright
lives, IN would be unjust IN God to Judge
them for their vices.
There are two great standards or prin-
ciples of divine judgment. With those
who hear the Gospel, the consequences OF
acccpting OF rejecting Christ are final and
irreyersble. As for the rest, men viii be
judged by the law Of their being, whether
rs stamped on heart or conscience, or as
formulated in express commands at SINAI.
THE NATURAL MAN.
The first three chapters of Romans claim
notice here. The first chapter describes
the condition m which the mass of the
heathcu world was sunk even In days
when the de Of human progress and cul-
ture was AZ the food, and when, more
over, the great religious cults of classic
Paganism held up standard OF lie "a
high az any that apostate Christendom
prcsents-cults of which one at least had
such spiritual vitallts' that three centuries
afterwards u bad fair 10 suppiant Chris
tianity as the religion U am not speak
ing of the true Christianity of the true
Church of Cob maintained Its ascend
ancy, ~ was first by penal laws of ex-
trcme severity, and second by adopting
the chief Characteristic rites and errors
OF the Paganism which IT thus prosecuted.
These things need stating If we are to
understand Alright the closing words Of
the first chapter Of Romans. The vile
practices OF the hcathen world Were not
due to ignorance. They knew that their
deeds were evil. They knew the iudg-
mcnt OF God, that they who praCtlced such
things were worthy OF death, and yet they
practiced them.
But the care of Saul of Tarsus was
wholly different. II what men call con
science were the albiter of human con
duet: If that were right which man
honestly believed 20 be right, his was
perfect hic. A. judged by any and every
human standard, Saul Of Tdrsus was
pattern saint hut rs judged by God he
was a pattern sinner. And If you read
the middle verses OF Romans 3 intelligent
ly. this IS the lesson You viii learn from
them: Il ~ Gods estimate of the life
of the natural man al his best-the life Of
the upright, NOUS, jealous jew under law.
For that which Is highly esteemed among
men - abOmluaton ia the sight of God.
The story is told of the first Duke OF
Cambridge, that when, IN the reading OF
the DeCalOCuc. the Seventh Commandment
was reached instead of the orthodox re-
spouSe, he answered. IN an aside, that was
plainly audible, Il never did that Bet
here was a man who could make like
DccaloguC AS touching the righteous
ness that is IN The law, blameless' Such
was hs rround boast.
Nou viii say, perhaps. that this only
proves that he was utterly blind and dead.
But that Is precisely what ! am insisting
on; that 50 far ~ { from the truth that
human nature ~ hopelcssiy corrupt and
depravcd, "a men Judge of corruption and
depravlty, that natural man may live a
life that would put TO shame half the
saints IN the calendar. BY course of un-
Christian asCetiClsm and severe penances
for furnishing the body these calendar
saints attained TO what men deem saint
ship. But to tins man saintship was az
natural as sln was 10 many of the saints
OF the calendar.
One of the tests which people hold to be
final is that man shall do his best"
What more can possibly be expected of
himy Tins man lid has hest" and his
best was record that has never been
beaten What purity OF life was his
What picty! What burning zeal' What
seli.sacriheinS devotion 10 what he be
liev,d tn he the cause of Cod But looking
back uron Il all, he writes Who was be.
fore a blasphcmer" And what a bias
phemcrl
And So. when hc comes under the Divine
searchhght. he declares himself the chief
OF sinners. Scanning the long line Of all
the sinners of the race, he takes his place
at their head, ''oi whom | am the first. i"
IL these wcrc not the words OF an IN
spircd Apostle IN an inspired epistle, We
might suspect sNaggcration. Aud yet they
on.y express the well recognized principle
that privilege increases responsibility and
responsibility dccpens guilt OF course he
knew no better. But that only made his
Csse the worse. for II ever there was
man who ought 10 nave known better u
was he And 90 he takes his place as
..'ehisf Of sinners" And he hunbly adds
81 obtained mercy
And he repeats the. For nc was twice
mercled. IL - not Gods way to pu;
h!ssphomcrs into the ministry. And so, as