Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-01-24

God with his body and spirit. instrument
talily in the conversion of men, is only one
among many modes in which he wishes to
glorify God. For. though Israel be no,
gathered, yet will he be glorious in the eyes
of the Lord. Great solicitude for the con.
version of men may often arise from very
imperfect pety and even in no small de-
gree from selfshness and unhallowed mo-
tive. A wish for the conversion of friends
as such; wish TO see them, and especial.
ly the more exposed, armed by religious
principle, as safeguard against dissipation
and worldly ruin; desire for the prosperi.
ty of favorite churches, for the success of
favorite means, for the responsibility of
places, and a mere party desire Of triumph.
All these, it is believed, enter largely into
the compound motion, denominated anxiety
for the conversion of sinners. Where
there is, in any degree, an unsanctifed. and
undue desire of this sort, the Christian be-
comes partial and selfish in his prayers and
his efforts. He is willing to pray for the
object which lies near his selfish heart, and
he is willing TO engage in those specific ef-
forts which are supposed to have direct
and exclusive bearing on the tavorite object,
while al! his other duties lie in miserable
prostralion and neglect. Hence the reason
why it is so much easier to arouse men to
those efforts which have come to be regard
ed as specifics in tho supposed art of con-
verting sinners, than 10 lead them TO q
consistent course Of holy living. But be
not deceived; God is not Knocked. You
cannot hatter blessings from God in this
manner. See TO it that your whole souls
are pervaded with piety to God, and that
every sinister motive is dislodged. Be as
ready to obey and glorify God in a distant
quarter, as in that very direction from
which YOU expect the most cherished re.
suits. And be persuaded that one mode
of picty has as much bearing on the con.
version of men rs another. The deep
toned piety of the heart, the exercises of
the closet, the consistent every day walk,
have, in themselves, as important q bearing
on the conversion of men as the most di.
rect effort. Delight hysey in the Lord,
and He shall gire thee the desires Of thy
heart" .s.....
6. But again, the cultivation of ardent
internal piety is the only safeguard against
the influence Of worldliness.
The spirit of worldliness is the greai OPP.
posite of true religion. "The friendship of
the world is enmity with God.", If any
man love the world the love of the father is
not in him." This has ever been the fact
in all ages. But the temptation to worldli-
ness is, in our own age and country pecu.
liar!y strong and insidious. The world
comes out with all its enticements against
the Church in our times. The facilities
for acquiring wealth are almost unbounded;
opportunities are afforded Of applying it to
suit the taste ofthe widest and most multi
piled diversity of human character, and the
current of popular feeling and pursuit sets
so strongly for gain-seeking, that there is
great danger ofits bearing away the Church
upon its bosom, Processing Christians are
already, to an alarming extent, and with in.
creasing rapidly borne away by its force.
The prevalence ard tendency of this spirit
must be checked, or the days of our reli.
gious prosperity are numbered. The as.
cending ratio Of worldly feeling, and the de.
scending ratio of spiritual prosperity are co.
incident and can never be reversed. Now
the only way TO check this spirit, and save
the Church from going down in the vortex
of worldliness is for individual Christians to
see to it that their hearts are filled with due
and piety to God. To attempt to shut out
worldliness in any other way is worse than
idle. The heart will be filled ; the affec.
tons will be occupied andexercised. And
unless they are given, and except so far as
they are given to God, in spite ofman they
will be giYento the world. Many Christians
fail egregiously here in standing merely on
the defensive. Many waste their best en-.
ergies in painful and idle efforts to shut out
the world from hollow heart. A vacant
heart would not be worth keeping. And
even if it were, it would be impossibleto to
preserve it from becoming an easy prey to
insiduous worldly desires. AS Safeguard,
then, against that worldliness which is your
greatest spiritual enemy, see to it brethren,
that your hearts arc wholly occupied with
pious and holy affections.
7. But once more, deep-toned pcty Of
heart is your only security against zfhe
adoption of q multitude of errors in princi-
pie and practice. So far as a PERSONS
heart is right with God, he may in some
humble sense appropriate to himself that ex
preston of him in whom was no guile.
" The devil cometh, and hath nothing in
me-" Unsoundness Of heart constitutes the
inlet of all that flood Of evils which deluge
the church. The habit of explaining away
the doctrine of human depravity; Of de.
preciating the immediate and paramount
agency Of the Divine Spirit; of magnifying
4 q l.