Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-11-22

! lllIT>. dIli, w.
! From Nc Christians, ScholarS 0Hd Farmer S
NagG-im.
! EXTRACTS FROM AN ORDINATION SERMON, BY
TrE REVEREND DR.. JOHN WirNERSPOON.
TIE CHARGE.
Sir.-As you are now ordained a minis
ter OF Christ. and have received The charge
! of this congregation, | hope You will bear
with me a little, while offer YOU a few ad-
vices as to the discharge of your important
trust. And, cannot help beginning by
congratuating yon on the unanimous call
Won have received from the people. How
ever tcspiscA BY some. count it Il most
happy circumstance both for yol and
them. 1t introduces YOU with great advm-
;agc. Ii gives YOU fair and impartial
hearing, aud, if YOU do not preserve their
; esteem aud love, it will probably be, iii a
Gra: measure, owing to yourself.
must frs ofaII besccch Won, in the most
earnest manner, to be Strict and frequent, in
! cnquiring mo the truth and realty of relI-
: zion in Your own souI. Personal religion
T is Tie foundation ofalI relative duiicS.-Ihey
! can scarccl y be performed in any to!crabie
measure Without i. IL is equal " necessary
/ to your usefulness, and to your comfort. 1t
is difficult thing, and it is a dreadful thing,
/ to preach an unknown Saviour. Examine.
therefore, whether vou arc bornagaiA; whcth-
or you have pasS,d from dcdth TO life; whcth-
! cr YOU are united 10 Christ by faith; whether
! YOU know by experience, the difference be.
tween state ofnaturr, and s;ate Of grace,
or not. While speak this. | assure YOU,
| do not mean it, and hope none will III.
, lcrprct il, as any reflection against, or I'M
plying any suspicion o.! you. who have given
me no cause. speak it from a deep i'm
! preston of lis Importance 10 us all. How
/ miserable a caSc is it. to have it as our bu-
siness TO bring others to the kingdom Of
heaven, and be ourselves at last thrust out.
! \ minister is as much Liable to sclt.dcceit
us any o:her, and in some respects more so.
We arc in danger of thinking ourselves too
easily safe, by comparing that outward reg
uIarily, to which our Office itself, even from
secular motives, obIigcs US, with the cen.
tious extravaganza OF prolane sinners. We
may also mistake our frequent thinking, and
speaking of the things Of God, in the way
of Our calling, for an evidence Of true rel-
gioa in ourselves. Nay, we are in danger
OF mistaking those gifts, with which God
turnisheth us for the benefit OF his own peo-
pie, for the fruits oIthc Spirit, and gracious
dispositions in our own hearts. Maintain,
therefore, Il holy jealousy over yourself.
GHc diligence to makc yoar calling md
election smc. And, if YOU save your own
soul, YOU will probably carry many others
with YOU to a better world; and be able to say
after the example Of Christ, Behold |, and
>Me children rhom God hath giren me.
As to the duties of your office, sec that
YOU preach the pure and mcorrup.ed doc
trinc of Christ. Preach Christ crucitied,
who is the aray, and the truth, and the life;
and without whom no man can 60 unto the
Father. You will never be able TO make
men truly good, till you convince them of
their lost state by nature: and, thence, make
them sec the necessity of classification by
the free grace OF God, through the imputed
righteousness ofChrist. lfyou would know
what place Christ ough: to hold IN your
preaching and scheme of doctrine, observe
what room he fills in the oraces of truth.
TO the cross of Christ give all the prophets
witness. The cross of Christ is the sum
and substance of the New Testament
The cross of Christ is the Christians glory.
You may see, by serious perlsal OF the
New Testament, that the sacred writers
largely illustrate the several parts OF his
character and Office, and seem with pleasure
TO embrace every opportunity OF speaking
to his praise. They show how much we
arc to depend upon him for strength in the
discharge Of Our duty; and enforce all their
cyhortations by motives drawn from what he !
hath done. and is still doing. for his church .
and people. You will soou find from eXpe- !
rience that no cold rcasonings on the nature !
and beauty of virtue, can have such lnflu-
cncc in moriifving corrupt affections, as Il
believing view Ola pierced Saviour. For
this very reason many dctcst the doctrine
OF the cross. 1t gives Il mortal blow to ev-
cry darling lust. Ii gives such Il view Of
the holiness and Justice Of God. as IS ntoI-
cradle to all those who canno think of break.
inc their attachment to sln aua vanity.
There is one particular reason why
have mcntioncdthis at present, and insisted
on it at some length 1t is ordinary to
meet with serious PERSONS who complain
much, that trommany pulpits thew hear lit
tie or nothing ofthc doctrine Of the grace
of God that the grand and leading truths
ofthc Gospel are either flatly contradicted,
or kept entirely OFT Of view, and something
else substituted in their place. am far
from saving that this is indeed the case.