Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-14
Readinq fur The Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATH AN.
CHRISTIAN MODERATION.

TO be sober, in ordinary language, is des
crptive of that particular variety of the duty
of temperance which is opposite to the undue
use of Intoxicating liquors. But the word
used by the apostle has much more exten
sve meaning. The sobriety or temperance
of the apostle, is another word for modera
ton, and is descriptive of that state Of mind
and influence, and behavior, i'll reference tc
"things seen and temporal" "the present
world" by which Christian should be dis
tinguished.
The foundation of true Christian sobriety
or moderation lies in a just estimate OF the
intrinsic and comparative value of call that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eye, and the pride of ife,"-all that
the eye or the flesh desires all of which liv'
ing men are apt to be proud. The Christian
does not consider the wealth, and the honor
and the pleasure of this world as destitute OF
value; but he sees that the value is by nc
means what the leluded worshippers of Nam
mon suppose it to- be. He sees that the pos
session Of them cannot make him happy, nor
the want of them make him miserable. They
cannot obtain for him the pardon OF his sin
they cannot transform his character, they can
not give him life in death, they cannot secure
him happiness for ever. They appear to him
polluted with sin, replete with temptation
pregnant of danger.
With these views, he is moderate in his
desires for them, moderate in his attachment
to them while he enjoys them; moderate III
his regrets for them, when he is deprived OF
them This is Christian sobriety. 1t is fol
those who have earthly relatives to be as il
they had them not; for "those who weep tc
be us though they wept not; for those who
rejoice to be rs though they rejoiced not; tol
those who use this world to use it AS not abu
sing it, knowing that the fashion of this world
passeth away"
The cultivation of this sobriety is Of the
utmost Importance to the proper performance
of the duties of Christian obedience. The
supreme love of the world is inconsistent with
Christian obedience altogether "No mar
can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; ye cannot serve
God and Mammon." And as the supreme
love of the world necessarily makes and keep:
men "children Of disobedience," so that undue
love of the world prevents even those who arr
"the children of God, through faith in Chris
Jesus" from being in so high degree a:
they ought to be, "the children of obedience.
What is it that makes obedience so often tt
be felt a tiresome task, but the undue love O.
the world; and how do the commandments O.
our Lord become to us not grievous, but by
our victorious faith overcoming the world
1t has been finely said, that "thc same eye
cannot both look up to heaven and down tc
earth at the same time" And the hear
must be emptied of the love of the world, thai
it may be filled with the love Of God, which
is at once the seminal principle and the con
centrated essence of all Christian obedience
Those who are quite engrossed with earth:
business and pleasure cannot be seeing
country-a better country, that is, an hea
venly." They who, by their immoderate at
tachment to the earth, show they are at home
cannot be "strangers." The Captain Of the
Lords host, our New Testament Gideon, vii
not own, as his soldiers, those who lie dowr
to drink of the stream of earth's delight, bu
only those who, in passing, drink of then
with their hand, as Of the brook in the way