Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-03-28


sinner to ojey Mr?
The negative of this question shall at
temp, to prove from scripture.
lst, By proving the obligation ola perfect
conformity TO The law of God.
2l, From the necessity otrcscnera'ion.
Is, then. A right on the pant of God TO
command, necessarily implies the cores
ponding duty Of obedience. He, however.
should never be regarded as absolute and
almighty merely but as ga Spirit. infinite.
eternal and Interchangeable, in his being, Wis
dom, nowe:. holiness. Justice, goodness and
truth TAc mHd slould be sett'cd in the
f.i;h Of thc rc2FEc7IoNs Of God. Here
the soul should rest as upon an immovabIe
rock. When mans taih in the word OF
God is cStdifShel, he is done with caviIs as
TO Hoo ;hcSe things can be- He finds
10 "hari sayings" his mos; invctcrate pre-
ildicc<, and his fixed opinions fall before
n testimony of thr Scriptures. Ike the idol
Dngol bclora the ark of God; "hc stag
g.rS 10; a: the word of God through unbe-
h2f." No, his faith removes mountains :;
"evcry valley is exalted, and every noun,
tain and hill is made low, and the crooked
things are male straight, and the rough
PLACES plain; FOR the mouth Of tie Lord hath
spoken it," Isa. 40: As. THESE WORDS
should be in your heart, and in youT SoHl,
end bound for sign upon Your hand, and
as troatlcts between your eyes Dcut. IL:
Is. also D,u.. 6: Go.
Concede the pcrlcctions Of tie Deity,
land even Natural Region 'chcs that
much then show the prccePt, and 1t must
be rigt; and obedience cannot be denied
to be perfect Obligation, an absolute duty,
without an impious rejection Of the justice
OF God. "How these things can ber' is
not revealed. John 3: IL. What the Lord
teaches In his word is TO be JcEered. What
a uitaess says is TO be received on his crt-
yence. The testimony must be beliered, or
ibe credibitv Of the witness is impeached.
This is the way the Saviour answered the
question, "Hop can these things bc!" John
3: II.
What then is the prccept, what is the
law, what does God in fact command -
Nothing short of absolute holiness: With
out which no man can see the Lord" Heb.
II: ii. "Be We therefore perfect. even
rs YOUR Father which is in heaven is per.
feet" Matt. 5: AZ. We then are, by this
under moral obligation to "6e
perfect" If this is not our absolute duty,
then the lar is unjust, and also the 1argirer.
There is no escape from this dilemma.
Perfection, then, in heart, thought, word
and deed, is the dmy of every one; and
ii we are no; perfectly holy, We transgress
the precept, violate the law, in short become
sinners, and as such subjects of Just con.
demnalion. Not for doing this great wick
edness or that awful sin, but because when
the commandment comes, be ye perfect"
the sinner must die, Rom. 7 g, Every
one who is not absolutely holyls condemn
ed already, and justly liable to the eternal
sanctions of the violated law. By the la'c
every mouth is stopped, and all the world
is guilty before God, Rom. 3: 49, Re-
mark the Scripture does moi say, "try to
love-" "endearOr to be perfect," be as holy
as you can" But the command of God is,
" be We holy for am holy" BE ye per-
feet, even as your Father in heaven is per.
feet" Thou shalt love the Lord thy Cod
" Love your enemies" "Let that mind
be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. "
Now The law Of God, than which nothing
can be more holy and just, does in fact
nuke it our duty 10 be perfect. But is any
man able to be thus perfect? Let the Scrip
ture answer: "By the deeds Of the law,
then, shall no flesh be justified in his sight.
Ii is impossible that any man can by his
own deeds, according to the law or com.
mandmcnts, be just or perfect IN the ludS-
meut OF God. Rom. 8: 10, Acts ID: 80,
Gal. ,: Is, Eph. 2: 8, 9, Gal. 3: II, Tr.
3:5.
The cornerstone of all Christianity, the
great doctrine Of justification by grace thro
faith in Christ Jesus only, and not by works;
and the impossibiHty OF legal justification
according 20 the Scripture; is utterly lncom-
patlbe with this ability heresy. The per
feet nature and DEMANDS of the law of God
put to flight this Antnomian idol, this I'M
plous no;ion that the Interchangeable God re-
lakes from the full and perfect demands of
his holy law, in favor of sinful imbeclIty.
The life oil this principle proceeds from the
very soul Of Antlnomlanlsm, it is the enmlty
of tine HEART to the full demands OF the law,
which seeks refuge in carnal principle
that affords very accommodating and plas-
tic relaxation of Divine exactions. Hence
the cant, God is just, and will only require
of man according TO his ability. We are
poor sinners, and if we do as we'll as ace can,
we shall not be found far out of the way.
God being just, he 'ciA not require more
,ban ,re can do. which is directly in contra.