THE CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 4

THE CHURCHES.

;- "SIGNS OF THE TIMES." ;;.:•;; NEW. NAMES' ; FOR SIN., ; Jn St. John's- .Church last evening, Dr. Gibb delivered the second sermon of .the series, "The Signs .of the Times. 1 - , The,.theme, was,, "Now, Names . for an Old .Enemy.!' The old enemy was sin, the -now 'names .covered, the ;;'modern thories , of the , nature ■of sin—theories which the preacher regarded as, deeply significant and of unhappy, augury for the well-being and progress of ; the raco. After, setting, forth '%o chief words.-by sin' is described in Scripture; five new- names : were specified. ; It - was. pointed out that in each case.t'hey woiq the -offspring of a.-view of; the worldj Riid;of.man's place and;.function in tlio same which was- decidedly non-Chris-tian, •notwithstanding that jthe , theories claimed'the support; of. both science and philosophy.-" Sin/ it -was was.a misfortune, perhaps the least-objec-

tionable of. the new games given to the old enemy, yet misleading and falsei".'lt concealed, the responsibility of; the, sinner. . Sin,: they were again 'told, was a defect—%';mark- of 'imperfection belonging to the stage of moral Byolution: through Vriiich. man 'was 'now passing—a, defect-which could be .remedied by leligious'culture and, the progress of, civilisation. Akin:to. this wa's the , theory.that'sin, was simply the remnants in human _nature of ,the wild beasts from ' whom," according to the barest forni of evolution, we, were ''descended: 'Scientists spoke of -vestigial organs in the hunian body : like .the vermiform, appendix, which were 1 only a

Bource .of ; danger. It would appear there were ' vestigial elements in the .human soiil, -too. ;'once more; sin -was ; said ;tp be a bad environment. Tlio cause of the:ills.of humanity^were.not in- man .himself,, but .in his -'.surround-:'! iugs, and:,it was 'argued that" if the. surroundings or environment; were im- , proved, man himself would automatically, improve.; .Finally,';"sin was-said to' be disease. -There' were' varioiis <indica-1 tions-"that a,-school, was' arising that would regard siii even as- a. form, of phymcal disease, and,.by., and by' they might-'■ bo■.invited,.■'•'if.! .they 7. had' ,a' tendency;; say, to falsehood, to; go.: to the! medical .man ,! for . the drug , that would' deal with the part of the brain responsible?.f6r : untruth. For deeper moral maladies they, might invoke the aid;of surgery. "Tho preacher' said the close- relations of .body, and soul , were not to be forgotten, > but ho protested against the absnrdity of attempting to form , conclusions. , as •to 'man's normal moral, condition.on the basis;of utterly abnormal physical conditions, as" was but too often done. A perfect physical .organisation, pulses ■ that. temperately kept time, to healthful. music, might .be ;associated, t as'they very well:' knew, with a character utterly depraved. But it-,was usually.- as a moral,;; not : a. physical disease, that, sin was regarded— ;a. disease, curable-, by l "lofty' ideas .and humane:sentiments..-7 ■: ■ ; : '/' .;.-;

;.:r.:lt would be easy, said the preacher, .to; deal .with .each of .these 'sophistries '. ;'Dn,;its merits; ;to ; show,.-''for'- example, ■ that'-the theory that man's evil nature ;-;-was. : due to his•■ evil surroundings had _-,r been demonstrated to; be -utterly; false.'. ■rl.he very finest: environment, .it .might .'. ■ be :: shown,, .had not; ' failed to ;■;. produce; ideal, characters, -but 'the very.i • ;.'l«xers§.i;.But, .irfitead of dealing with'- ;, ;i eajd£dpf thenew cdmes-.in'ihis.'fashiairf proposed- to'..:shbw-'-their ;;■'' falsity, in the; light of .three "great , .. truths .that lie/behind every:, statement .;, : : ;of .the: Scripku-ea; on -the subject of, sin. - 'First : ( , ; These'., modern, Views ,bf Isinvig-.'-nored .God. , -..'•; 'of-Omar, Khayyam's dar- :. ing blasphemy which; made God wholly .•...responsible for man's.-sin. , .But.stop- ■.; ping sjbort of this;,; they,'.utterly: failed .: .to...recognise that sin wa3 lawlessness, ,'; an. offence;"against r the.'majesty, of 'the ;;;'. holiness of, Gpd,; rebellion .against.: Him '■/who is-our supreme ruler.'-:■;■ .These.theories;utterly failed ; ;;to. se|; forth man's responsibility for,,his ; .Eia,.'a truth which was.indeed.implicitly :;■ contained in that sin 1 was an "offence agairist.God. -The truth ; : of man's ;responsibility,:.,was. counter/ ■ ; signed .by '.the y .deopest ; experiences.- of all ..the' best specimens of ■ the human .'-... family. - The saints cry. had. ever-been, ; and; ever would be "Against Thee, Thee . only, have i-sinned.".A; ■:, : ■■■ {..:■:■■■ ; ■;;•;; ;...Third: .'The new; theories ,igr '.v : the stupendous and-.most .^o.lcmri ■ .fact: that sin was death—a death: from ";,. which God alone'could raise us through :.-.-;'; the-sinless Christ and His.death.. Sin '.I. , 'and death,,-the death of. the'soul, woro :-,\;enly parts orphases of jthe same thing. - : This : truth -was enforced : home by ".; various striking illustrations. , Sin,' said .'•"Dγ..' Gibbj sin - a .'misfortune, .a defect, .": aremnSnt of the .shark or tiger, a- bad : '- environment, a disease—how.the enemy ;.-■•. of. our souls must rejoice in the strong delusion; wherewith he has infected .the. ..- mind .and;.heart of so many in ;, generation ■" that they should believe a " ; '-j']ie:* ! A,'sign this '.of ,vmost , unhappy '■■■ ." ■ '■;■ ■':■.■.-":■■- "' '■■ : ■ _ ■ ~,'•; In conclusion, the truth was.pressed ;,■■'■ home-to the;hearts and consciences, of r; the hearers, and. ; the''acceptance, of Christ urged—Christ, who 'alone could .:■•-.. deliver the ..soul from ;the guilt, '..and .- ■' foulness, and power? of sin.: ;'.' ,"'■■,;,';