Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-24

| positive duty BECAUSE ~ WOO
his disciples by our blessed Saviour as q
nroof their love and obedience to him not
as means of ensuring eternal life /: tor /
am we'll convinced that if all the good dceus
which have been done in the world since
| the foundation of it, could have been per-
formed by one individual, they would not oe d,
able to purchase his salvation. Yet Will
admit that the pleasure always attendant on
an act of beneyolence is delightful ano
sufficient reward for any Inconvenience or
see-denlal we may have 10 encounterin the
| performance of it.
Mrs. B.-You amaze me what then IS
TO become Of us all how arc any OF US 10
pc heaven! We may as well then indulge
ourselves in every pleasure as practice sell
denial AMI strive to do our duty, ifi it lsal IN
vain, and we are to gain nothing by 1t. But
| you cannot be serious in what you say Tor
If it was really 50, who then could be saved
Mrs M.-My dear fiiend, all may De
saved the greatest sinner as we'll as he most
virtuous. who are willing to accept OF salvation
as the free gift of God. b slowed through
| the merits and intercession OF his Son, VINO
offered himself Oh the cross a ransom tor
| every pentent believer.
Mrs. B.-There is something in this
doctrine which cannot rightly understand {;
you surely would not mean to infer tha, a
person who lives in the constant discharge
of his moral and religious duties. stands. no
higher in the estimation Of God than pro-
Aigate who spends his whole life in SIN!
Mrs. M-Wc are sinners in the sight
Of God, and under condemnation, for the
| non-fulGlment of his law for VIC are told
| that he who ofends in one point is guilty
Of ALL" Now rs no one ever lived who
did not offend in many points. consequently
the most perfect can have nothing to plead
on the score ofmerit, and must necessarily
stand as much IN need of the sacrifice Offer
ed by the Redccmer for the remission OF sin
as the most prof gate; both must be wash
ed clean in the blood ofthe Lamb and sanc-
tilted through the influence OF the Holy
Ghost, before they can be made worthy to
to receive the gift Of eternall lie. But although
We dare not plead tho merit of our works,
and mus. renounce them, acknowledging
ourselves to be with al our efforts but uu-
profitable servants,yet good works are essen.
TALLY necessary as an evidence Of our faith
for as the goodness of tree is proved by
its fruit, so must our faith be evinced by our
readiness TO obey the commands of God, as
well as by our humility and deep conrltion
for sin. Our Saviour says, "if We love me-
ye will keep my commandments"
Mrs. B.-This doctrine ofthe Gospel is
certainly very humbling one, as it puts
the saint and th sinner on the same footing
but may no this equality be productive of
some danger, by encouraging in the latter
presumptuous hope that he will be saved,
'withs,andlng the greatest wickedness7
Mrs. M.-St Paul says, " we should not
sin that grace may abound" The sinner
cannot deceive himself into belief that
he may be saved while he continues in d
state Of ucual sin because pardon of sin
is promised expressly to e truly penitent,
and to no other; now it is impossible for 4
person to 90 on SHINING at The same time
that he looks with horror and Jetes'ation on
his past life and feels himself utterly unwor-
thy and vile he must first be conscious Of
his ruined and hopeless situation before he
win be induced to fly to his Saviour for
refuge, and must feel his absolute need Of
the sacri6ce mace for him, before he can
derive the benefit Of il.
Mrs. B.-You have been very kind in
taking so much pains 10 explain to me the
true nature of faith, and | sincerely hope
may be enabled to profit by it; but should
like to hava clearer view Of what you call
the influence Of the Holy Ghost.
Mrs. M--It is a SUBJECT of SO much mys'
terry that feel very dffident Of expressing
myself On it ; | can only venture with great
humility to give you nv own Impressions
and must refer you for further knowledge to the
study of the Holy Scriptures. laPprehend
the Holy Spirit Of God to be that Divine in,
auence* which prompts every thing good
within US, which impels the desire to seek
God. and directs us TO the proper means
which sustains US in the hour Of trial, and
comforts us under bereavement; and which
finally bestows on US that "peace of God
which passeth all understanding" and which
the world can neither impart nor deprive US
of.
tThe Spirit of Gcd is not "Divine infu-
encs" but the Mighty God, the third and CO.
equal person of the Glorious Trinity, which
alone Worketh in the sinner "repentance to.
ward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ"
"The long existence of the Christian
church. would be pronounced upon common
principles, impossible. She finds in every
man, nat raj and inveterate foe. To