The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-24
The PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
TIE REV. A. H. c. MORSE.
Subject: Powerful Promises.

Brooklyn. n. Y.-Sunday morning, in
Strong Place Baptist Church. the pas
tor. the Rev 4. H. G. Morse. had as
bis subject. powerful Promises" The
text Was from II Peter ia: "Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises; that by these we
might be partakerS of the divine ma
t1re, having escaped the corruption
which is in the world through lust
Mr.. Morse said:
At any rate the Bible is frank. 1t
says the plaineSt things about mans
Sin. But it also holds before him a
wonderful hope. To-day he is mired in
corruption. Tomorrow he may have
escaped from this and become like
God. The whole gospel is found in
these few words.
We have here statement OF the fact
of sin and its origin. The fact is ''cor
ruption' and the origin through lust"
l know that there are worldly wise
men who Sneer ut the third chapter of
Genesis. But this have noticed. that
they are uniformly unable to give us a
simpler solution of the mystery Of evil.
Somewhere and at some time the race
must have sinned. The stream of life
has been poisoned, and this must have
taken place at its fountain head. for
We cannot find any divisions which Go
not have the entire characteristics of
the whole. The Bible says the event
took place in the first man. before a
single son WAS born. and he lusted af-
ter something which was forbidden to
him, and that by his disobedience he
fell from 4 primal innocency. and
lurched the race, and entailed condi-
tion of corruption. And that we have
aggravated this calamity by repeating
sin and deepening the ruin.
But am not so much concerned TO-
day about the origin of the condition.
We can leave that with a single word.
But there are certain facts that cannot
be brushed aside. \ man may QueS-
ton the story as it is written in Scrip
ture. but he cannot deny it. for it does
not come within the region of denial.
Neither can he deny the story as it is
reproduced in life to-day. Have YOU
never plucked forbidden fruit: Have
you never lusted for pleasure which
has been distinctly forbidden? And as
a consequence of tranSgreSsion. have
you never experienced Il repulsive sick
ness and an intolerable leathing, so
that you have known what is the
meaning of this phrase. the corrun-
ton which is in the world through
lust:" Do you not know anything at
all of the lashings of remorse?
Let me ask YOU another question.
How does it happen that the heart is
so constantly running down. Why
must it be repeatedly wound up and
fastened with ratchets? Why do we
have to make and renew resolves. and
lash the will to the 'sticking piace:'
Why is it that 4 man never hackSlideS
into holiness: Why cannot we take off
the brakes and find ourselves gliding
into the highest moral living? Every
thing. We are told, tends to move in
the line Of least resistance. Do VIC
find that we are drifting toward char
lty and holiness and benevolance and
virtue? Nay. but to all Of us these
graces are the fruit OF serious toll.
They are magnificent possessions. more
precious than gold and sparkling gems.
but they are gotten only by struggle
and privatien and self-denial. And
that word ''selfdenial" contains foS-
sill history Of primal sin. 1t tells us of
an evi! self that must be constantly de-
MED, because its desires are wrong.
But whence this evil self, and whence
these wrong desires?
But let us come a little closer 10 this
subject. Let me hint ut the things that
we cannot spread before the public.
our secret thoughts and faults which
are hidden. The thoughts that creep
into the heart and nestle there. Can
you tell me whence they come? Tell
me. for instance, whence ce:le the envy
and jealousy and malice and evil de-
sire, and the lust for gold that makes
the thief, and the thirst for blood
which crimsons the hand of murder?
Do you not think these things arise in
human life as malaria and pestilence
from Geath-dealing bog? Do they
not bespeak what this Scripture calls
q corruption which is in the world
through luSt:' l suppose that the an
gels before the throne ef God would
shirk from having their thoughts pro-
claimed with the trumpet of Gabriel.
I know that Jesus has torn open His
heart and flung out challenge which
10 man can accept. (which Of you
convinceth Me of sin?'' said He. But
we cannot do that We hide our
thoughts and cover Our faults with
crimson blush. and walk among our
nearest. friends with a coward's step.
But what has befallen man: If God
made him innocent-and nobody ques-
tons this-something must have hap
pened to corrupt his thoughts and
make them so black that he stands in
dread of the day for which all other
days were made when this hidden his
tory shall be revealed.
There is something pathetic in mans
attempts to assert his worth. We
speak. for instance, of the Majesty ot
conscience" ard the Dignity Of hu-
man nature and of the Brotherhood
of God" and the brotherhood of
man. as if these terms were true and
meaningful. Take the first of these
and see what comfort there is in it.
1.-The majesty Of conscience."' But do
you not know that conscience almost
always speaks iii judgment: 1t seems
to have lost its authority to command
if it ever possessed that authority. 1t
oopDot insist ,,no,, ohoSianca b,,t ooD