Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-04-04
TIE SINNERS ABILITY.

tossing our untaithfuIncss, that VIC may ac-
knowledge thc flilhtiIIncss Of God
Therefore let every man be miserable and
let God be merciuI; yea, let Him be cx-
trcmeiv miserable that God may be abun'
dan.lv mcrcilul. Symington in his mas
tcr)v work "On the Atoncmcnt," lays down
the following proposition:
"Thc sinner is as incapable, III himself,
of repentance, as Of making an atone.
mcnt," which he thus establishes
"Whcn it is said that God is willing to par.
don Us upon Our repentance, without any
a,onc,nent, it is taken for granted that VIC
Can repent when VIC plcasc. For, II re-
pentancc be something entirely out OF our
power, then it can afford US no comfort to
ell US, even if it were, that repentance will
purchase our pardon. For, besides that it
seems just as difficult to perceive the con-
hcxion between repentance and pardon, rs
10 perceive the conneXion between atone
mclt and pardon, know not that even the
most determined rationalism has ever pro-
mulcared a tenet more clearly absurd, or
more decidedly opposed 10 all experience,
than the tenet that man can repent OF
himself, without being led to do SO, and en-
abIcd to do so by the Holy Spirit. Many
sinner is no doubt soothing himself to
peace bv the promise Of 4 future rcpcn-
tance. Bat he neither knows as yet what
repentance is, nor his own need OF rrpen-
tancc. else he would build himself up in no
such foolish dcluson. For what does the
sinner do, when he promises himself tu-
turc repcn ance? lie just s9ys, to-day,
nothing shall induce me 10 abstain from H.
duIsing every appetite and every desire;
nothing shall lead me TO think o! God at
all, or to think of him without dread and
aversion; nothing Gun make me delight to
contemplate his pcritc;lons, or find any
pleasure in drawing near to him: to.mor-
row, | will sit down and mourn, in the Ut
most anguish Of spirit, those indulgcnccs,
from which nothing will induce me to-day
10 ubstuI!, and WISH Il tt.uuoe"'l ti"ree ''IuI
| had never yielded TO hem; nothing shall
give me such delight as the contemplation
Of those glorious pcrfcclions which to-day
| hate TO think Of: and shall account no
thing such privilege as TO draw near to
that throne OF grace before which nothing
shall induce me to-day 10 bend the knec.-
This is exactly what the sinner VS. when
he promises himself future repentance
He promises that Tomorrow he will hate
with the most cordial dctcstaton, that to
which, to-day, he clings with the most ar
dent affection. He who says, to-day am
bowed down with all the weight Of three
score wears and ten, but tomorrow | am
resolved that | shall flourish in all the VI.
COR of unbrokcn youth, forms resolution
quite as rational, and quite as much with
in his power to accomplish, as he who says
tomorrow | will repent. lie who says to
himself, | will make 10 myself new
heaven and new Garth, makes promise
lust rs much within his power TO accom-
plish, as he who says. will make 10 my
self new heart and new spirit. Repen-
tancc and renovation arc not sacrifices
which VIC give to God as the price of our
Justification but gifts which God bcstows
upon us, and which God orly can bostow,
in consequence Of our having been freely
justified. That man has surely little rca.
son to lay claim 10 the appcllation Of ra-
tonal, who goes as directly in the face of
common sense and Of all experience, as 10
teach the sinner that he is capable of re.
pcnting, and repentance will purchase his
pardon: tenet which, whether it be more
deplorably absurd, Or more fcarluly EEal,
| shall rot take upon me to determine. 1t
is not our intention 10 deny the Importance
Of good works in the scheme O! mau's sal.
vation; neither TO dispute their conncxion
with pardon. We are too we'll convinced
of TIC "nec, ssary uses" they are designed
10 subscrvc, with regard at once to bclicv-
crs themselves, to their fellow men, and to
God; and VIC are TOO well aware Of their
being the necessary fruits and indispensable
evidences Of Justified state, to let fall as
much as 4 d:sparaging syllable respecting
them. But let good works keep their own
place. We deny them the place ola cause
IN the salvation Of man; their conncxion
with pardon we hold 10 be moi q conncxion
of merit asis supposed by those who main.
tain their efficacy 10 secure the pardon of
sr. In the first place. man can never do
more at any one time than is his present
duty, God having at aIl times supreme
right 10 all his services. lie can never do
more at any given time than it is his duty
a, lha: time 10 fulfil. Being under obliga.
ton to the full extent Of his ability. and
throughout the whole period Of his being.
present obedience can do no more than full
I'll present obligation. 1t follows tha. no.
thing man can do can have the effect of
mcrling his release from the punishment
due to former dcmeri:. If it has merit at
all, its merit is confined 10 the present, it
cannot possibly be either retrospective or
nroc,oc.;,n n cop poif,,ar ,,,,I. %, .,.>.<,.J