Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-10-09
Readiuq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROIsEIST LATHAM.
torlginaI.]
THE MEANS OF GRACE.

The redemption of poor lost sinners is the
wonder of angels Through ghout the endless
ages of eternity, the redeemed will never, for
one moment, cease to contemplate with won
der and astonishment the wisdom of God
which devised the plan of salvation, and the
power of God which executed it. All men
by nature are lost and ruined. No finite
mind can devise scheme by which it is pos
sible for a single son or daughter of Adam to
be saved All created things are insufficient
to purchase one immortal soul from the con-
demnation which rests upon all. Christ Je-
sus, the incarnate God, made reparation to
the violated law of God, satisfied the inAexi-
BILE justice of the Judge of the universe, and
appeased the insulted majesty of heaven.
The Holy Ghost makes an application of this
redemption. Christ made an atonement for
the sinner, but the Holy Ghost makes the
sinner new creature. Christ bought heaven
for the lost and ruined, and the Holy Spirit
prepares the sin cursed and sin corrupted for
their new home. Christ secured the title and
the Holy Spirit makes the sinner meet and
fit for his glorious Inheritance. The prepara-
tion of the sinner for heaven is, strictly speak
ing, work. Rarely, if ever, is it accom-
plished in moment. Sometimes the period
occupied in its completion is not long. In
other instances it embraces number of years.
The means by which it is effected are called
the means of grace. Without holiness none
of Adams race can ever enter heaven. Two
things are absolutely necessary before tie
sinner can take seat at the right hand of
God in the upper sanctuary. He must have
clear title to his scat, and fitness to occupy
it. Christ procured the title, and it is the
work of the Holy Spirit to prepare him for
his eternal home in the New Jerusalem.
To prepare him for his new abode, the first
thing that is done to him by the Spirit, is
that he is regeuerated. The Scriptures call
this being begotten again. This is new life,
and its development is sancti6cation, and its
maturity and completion is holiness. The
sinner that is thus operated upon, becomes,
in every sense of the word, new creature.
The work is a mysterious one. "Great is the
mystery of godliness." The human mind can
no more discover how sinner can be sancti-
fed, than it can discover how he can be justi-
fled. The ordinary means which the Holy
Spirit uses to produce this great change, are
the events of providence, the word of God,
and the preaching Of the gospel. The Holy
Spirit makes these means effectual in produ-
cling the desirable result. Rarely, if ever, is
a soul born again when these means are not
used We might say, that since the Holy
Spirit is almighty, he could, without the use
of secondary instrumentalities, prepare the
sinner for heaven. We have no right to make
suppositions. God is God of order, and all
events, so far as we are able to discover, are
brought about by secondary instrumental
ties. The earth, untitled, does not bring forth
a support for man. The salvation of an in
dividual is not to be despaired of so long as the
means of grace are used. There is hope that
that man will ultimately be regenerated and
finally sanctifed, who studies Gods provi-
dence reads his Bible, and attends upon the
preaching of the gospel. On the contrary,
the individual who regards not Gods deal
ings with his creatures, and whose Bible is
covered with the accumulated dust of years,
and whose face is never seen in the sanctuary,
is without God and without hope in the world.
The individual who honors and respects the
means of grace, honors and respects the be-
slower of these means and whoever despises
the means, despises the giver of them, and
jeopardizes his souls salvation.
THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT.
1t is easy to show that man is sinner, and
that :Jesus Christ is the divinelv commission