The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1919-02-21
SELFISHNESS Is
ORIGIN OF SIN
SAYS PREACHER
Preacher Astles of Presbyterian
Church Makes Strong Point In
Sermon Last Sunday.
SECOND OF SERIES
OF SELECT SERMONS
"sin Is Willfully Choosing Deliberate
Disobedience" He Declares In
Bringing Out Point.

without respect to heredity or
environment, sin is willful choosing,
deliberate disobedience," declared
Mr.. Astles at the Presbyterian church
on Sunday morning, in one of series
of sermons that: he is delivering on
sin.
"Sin in Action" the title of last
Sunday mornings address followed
the sermon of the Sunday before,
"The Origin of Sin," which he gave
as selfishness, depicting that every
sin originated from some form of sell
fishnegs.
In speaking of sin in action, Mr..
Astles said that the beginning of
sin, temptation, started from doubt,
that when we, like Eve, began to
question Gods standards and to
doubt if He meant what He said, that
lit was only a step toward sin.
Temptation comes through the
Senses" said he. "The senses stin-
ulate the soul. They have to do with
the will power, with the inner man.
With the socalled higher or refined
sins, it is the same. The senses af-
fected, suggest to the soul that this
or that is desired, is expedient, and
like Eve, we begin to think it ought
to be. There is no question but that
sin first assails us through the sem
ses.
Association increases temptation
to degree more intense, more firm
and more alluring. Eve looking on
the fruit saw it was good to eat. 1t
being pleasant to her eye, the thought
came that it was made to eat. The
same is true in life. Just so we Jus
tify' our sins"
"You rarely find man, be he rob-
Der, outlaw, cut-throat, or what-not,
but who in some manner justifies his
SINS" continued Mr.. Astles.
Temptation is always attractive.
Pleasing to the senses Sin is not
ugly until the repentant heart asks
forgiveness. Temptation appeals to
the intellect, but reaches through a
sense of perception that grows in
beauty, and it always grows into il
Elimination, it hides the ugly, eating
its way to the will until the soul is
ready to commit the act.
Association may as well be used
against as for temptation. Eve could
have dwelt upon Gods goodness and
loving kindness.
THE better a life, the more that
life has to draw from to counteraci
suggestion.
Sin is willful choosing. Eve com.
mitted the sin. Satan didn't do 1t for
her. There is nothing in the uni
verse stronger than the human will
The very devils in hell shake at the
mighty mo-
In discussing the effect of environ.
ment on sin, the speaker pointed oui
that from the slums had come SOME
of the worlds choicest characters
He said that regardless of condition.
man sins because he wills to sin
That no man is sinner but he who
chooses to sin.
He showed how that sin is a growth
and how it follows the laws of hab
1.-THE first sin being inevitably fol
lowed by sense Of guilt until re
| peated sin sears the conscience ant
only the blistering heat of remors,
remains.
| Sin damns man and withers al
within him that is noble,' said Mr.
Astles in conclusion. 'vThe yer,
langels could not combat it. 1t tool
part Of the God-head, Jesus Chris
| Himself, that the power of sin Nigh
be shadowed. 1t is only by lookin
| to the cross that sin is killed, that on
1may find the path which leads ava
From, ci;,