The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-04-04

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appropriating Gods mercies. misusing
their sacred privileges. and woefutly
neglecting His house. His worship, and
what was still worse. dishonoring Tim
in many ways. one of which our text
calls attention to.
Gods controversy here Is not that
men should honor their fathers or tear
their masters less. nor that they
should have less virtues in any or
every relation of life, but that ID dis
tributlng these writes He should not
be sighted or made the only exeep-
ton. To the human heart II Is a
subtle temptation to substitute the
many virtues It exercises toward
others for its direct duties and obliga-
lions toward God. 1t says. "On the
whole I'm doing pretty well. | some
times get angry and swear; but then.
l am perfectly honest. Ii Is true that
/ work on Sunday, when l am particu-
larly busy but, on the other hand. /
give a good deal TO the poor and I
never was drunk in my life" Thus 1t
averages matters with the Lord and
p~ersuades itself that God will accept
the substitute. But this is just what
onr text emphatieally dlselaims:
The discharge of III responsibility
in every other relation In life not only
does not lessen Gods demand for prop
er regard toward Him, but intensifies
it. He will not be honored or served
by proxy. No indirect attention will
satisfy Him. Doing ones duty TO
everyone else does not discharge ones
obligations before God. This is a very
fascinating. but nevertheless fatal de-
fusion into which many are falling
these days.
Deep conviction of sin is becoming
rare, and increasingly so, as the age
advances. Sin is no longer yiewe42n
the light of Gods awful holiness a 4
coming short In Cur personal relation to
Himself or obedience to His expre8red
will. Character preaching is subsfIfuk
ed for Christ preaching, though CT -
no the same as the other, neveF 6as
been and meyer will be, for the SIZE
but sufficient reason that p~reak&@Rgz
Christ is scriptural and leads f4i5
generation. while character prear4{ng
is unscriptural and. more often than
not, ends with a miserable substitute
for regeneration. namely. reformation.
On this account 1t is not only diff
cult but well nigh impossible to com
vince men that the very virtues of
which they are so proud can, and
often do, constitute a great insult TO
God.
It is generally conceded that the In
corrigible, the desperately wicked.
and such are a disgrace 70 mankind, a
blot on the fair escutcheOn of man
hood and womanhood. The dreadful
words of Revelation 2S 8 are felt to
be reasonable. But that the apparent
ly good, the loving, the %virtuous and
the benevolent of mankind should be
bound together in the same bundle
with the disreputable of society mere
ly because they do not savinglv rely on
the Lord Jesus Christ and do not give
Him His proper regard seems incom-
~prehensible. Why cannot these human
virtues stand In the place of loyalty
and allegiance TO Christ?
Let us suppose we have all these
tender affections and excellent virtues
that men are so proud Of. Does Dol
that very fact make more heinous the
dreadful slight we give God? Is not
He made the only exception, the only
parent ~dishonored, the only master
wronged? If men were incapable OF
doing their duty in the other relation
ships of life. God would not expect
them TO do right toward Him. IF We
were blind ye should have no sin, bur
now We say we see, therefore your sin
remaineth." 1t is a fearful thing
when our virtues turn upon US and
condemn US. Every reasonable man
knows the value Of being and doing
right, and far be ii from me to despise
a single virtue in anyone. Indeed. if
I had the power I would be glad TO
confer more. Nevertheless to possess
them and exercise them In every other
respect except toward God makes this
sin of neglect in~exeusable.
II you have thus been treating the
Lord Jesus Christ. cease the practice
and give Him His rightful place ID
your thoughts and affections. Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesars.
and TO God the things that are Gods
Mark 12:l7.