Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-10-02
For the Torkyillc EGquircr.

"Tg i;-ir (Iie Sppsj eyhr!Hii,,n are Mr Principles
md PEREZ gj H,iji3a a'r"ssa,y 70 sHccess, ." "'n
! The grcm cn3 (tg'ai ods'iacnc" from miori"'iiny
drnti be a'ainN ~iiom Mc<'''
MrssrS Edors: In our article in yonr last issue
we think we pretty concu.ivcy proved from aP-
proved authorities, that man has been endowed by
! his Creator with moral nature, conscience
some rlcn,ty or feeling, which uttcrs natural
! preference for yriuc---makes himin some measure
n rcl sous being; and that there is some use in
this light and law Of nature.
OF this light anl law Of nature, ihe Lmcsrcet
Lectures affirmed tina; ''Corncus is tie top in
stance that We mect with in Scripturt.' This
may he true. We have no disposition to question
the opinion. It sustains own notion very well,
so far as tie general law Of mans nature applies.
But VIXEN we con:inc our Yew to Tie particular
and single subject Of total abstinence frGm imtoXi-
eating drink, We arc disposed to believe, that the
RechaLitcs, spoken ofin The 3jt! Chapter of Jcrc-
miah, are :'ihc top instance" recorded in the In.
! sp:rcl Volume. We take the liberty to invite TIE
|
our district to the history of the lscc!'abitcs a'
found in the Word of Gol. 1t may hereafter be-
come a suhirct Of inquiry among some Of their
respective members, and Ministers may be appealed
to for instruction on the matter. W-rc we capable,
but we are not, we have no design to 60 into IN
explanation Of that history, and the legitimate
conclusions flowing from it. We 'lcsign only to
float upon its surface.
From Il slight examination Of the account re-
spcctng tliS remarkable family. we think we arc
warranted in saying that God looked, and docs
stl>look with peculiar favor the virtue Of total
abstinence, even when crioined ana only enjoncd
by the authority Of man--that Heidi greatly bless
it in the case Of Jona;lab is certainly true; and
as H. is no rcspcctcr Of persons. we believe He
stands ea ,y now to extend to it similar blessing.
| In the Chapter Of Jeremiah above referred to- we
have the following verSes:-
'13 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel Go and tell the men Of Judah, and the in
hahitants of Jerusalem, viii You not receive in
! strucun to hcarkcn to ny wrrl$: saith the Lord.
! If The words of .JonadaD the son Of Reehab,
that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine,
are pcr'rmed for unto this day they drink none,
but obey their fathers commandment: Eo;witl-
standing have spoken unto You, rising carly and
speaking bat yc hcarkcucd not unto me.
Is And Jeremiah sail unto the house Of the
Rechabitcs. Thus saith the Lord Of hosts, the God
of Israel, Because ye have obeycd the command
ment Of Jonalab your father, and kept all his
preceps, ard done according unto all that he hath
commanded you:
70 Therefore thus saith the Lord Of hosts, the
God of Israel, Jonadab the son of Rechab shall
not want n MIN to stand before me forc"cr'
We learn from the Commentary Of Scott that
the Recllahit"s were Kcnic<. ai.d not Jews. They
were never incorporated with the Jews, nor we're
they crcuociscd. Admitting then, ms We cheer
fully do, that the Rrchabitcs were worsIippcrs
Of God. yet il must have been is ''pr2scly!cs of
the gate" and not as ''proSclytcS Of justice. -
As proscIytcs of the gate they did not partake Of
the Passover, and they conserved the moral law
only" and the rules given by God to Noah The
proseytes of justice 'reccired circumcision, and
! the whole law of Moses. icmioycd all the privi-
legcs of n native Hebrew" For what then were
the Rechabtes rewarded by the Almighty? And
have not word to say in explanation Of these
questions and would refer to Scott as much bet
/ ter authority with 'Citizen.'
! "Jonadab Ii, cd about three hundred years be-
! fore this (Jcremiah'Sl time : i But Il
bove all. he doubtless meant that they (hs chill
drcnJ should be devoted to God, as 4 r0"s If per-
pefpM Np.ariies and he deemed these rules con-
tluciye to this end and calculated to render them
simple, humble, patient, and superior to the de-
lights of sense Such injunctions of dying pa
rents and others can only be considered as coMn-
scIs and if consistent with scripture, suited to the
circumstances of the times, and neither put in
the place of the righteousness and atoncncnt OF
Christ, nor in that Of obedience to Gods COM
manlmcnt$ but suhordiaaed to them, and used
in subscrvicncy to true godness, they may be
giYen and observed with propricty and advantage
= 4 The Rechabites seem to have been
preserved comparatively uncoTrupt |H observing
these rules Their temperance, frugality and har-
diness would favor their preservation amid the
dcsolations of the land = :; K andit was proper
that God should avow his readiness to reward cy-
cry degree of good, when he determined to pun
ish his apostate people. Ac> crdngly he promised,
tbot tbo fomilv or the RechabiteS should be very
duraLly continued, and Wphe" in The practice Of
peiy and Righteousness bctore him, as his accepted
rorshipprrs. even when the Jews were cast out Of
his sight. This appears to be the meaning of the
expression, "fo stand before the Lord:" for it cam
not be supposed that they performed any serUiee at
the temple Nothing is known respecting the full