Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-07
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CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBE RI LATHAM.
lOriginal.1
RIGHTEOUSNESS.

h1UH
Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, declares
that he had great anxiety for the Jews, his
kindred according to the flesh. Concerning
them, he asserts that he, from experience,
knew that they had zeal for God; but it
was wrongly directed. The reason that is
assigned for this is, that being ignorant of
Gods Righteousness, they attempted to estab-
lsh their own righteousness, and consequently
did not submit themselves to the righteous
ness of God. BY Righteousness, as used in
this connection, we are to understand that
provision which God has made to meet the
law as rule classification. This provision
God made by giving his son Jesus Christ to
make an atonement for sin. In this respect,
Christ is said to be "the end Of the law for
Righteousness to every one that believeth." !"
The blunder which the Jews made, was that
by the observances Of certain rites and ccre-
monies, they thought they could make an
atonement for sin. This was an easy blunder
for them to make, and it is one that men are
still liable to make. Thousands of individ-
uals, no doubt, are still, by their own individ-
ual effort, attempting to make an atonement
for their sins. Like the Jews of old, they are
going about TO establish their own righteous
ness, and not submitting themselves to the
Righteousness Of God. Many individuals,
like Israel of old, seem to think that by the
observance of certain rites and ceremonies,
they can satisfy the law and justice of God,
and win for themselves heaven as an ever
lasting reward of their we'll doing. This is a
fatal mistake. No created being can make
an atonement for sin, and every attempt in
that direction will prove as futile as did the
attempt to build the tower of Babel.
In order to be redeemed from the curse of
the law, God requires us simply to accept of
the atonemcnt that Jesus Christ made for sin.
According to the plan of salvation, devised
and executed by the triune God, no sinner is
asked to obey the law of God as rule Of
justification. This is the main feature which
distinguishes the covenant of grace from the
covenant of works. Under the latter cove
nant, the condition of life is suspended upon
obedience under the former it is suspended
upol obedience. The covenant of works says,
"Do and live" The covenant Of grace says,
"Believe and live" The first covenant has
been violated, and now the only way to secure
life is by believing. 1t is no easy matter for
us to put ourselves wholly under the cove
nant of grace. The idea of doing and living
is prominent in our minds. When we under
take to investigate evidence of our right to
heaven, we begin by recounting what we
have done. A kind Of balancing process is
instituted. Our good deeds are placed on
one end of the beam, and our sins on the
other, and if, in our judgment, the former
outweghs the latter, we come to favorable
conclusion. This is going about to establish
our own Righteousness, and virtually rejecting
the righteousness of God. In the Scriptures,
the most worthless thing in existence is used
to give us an idea of the value. Of our right
eousness In itself it is worthless and totally
insufficient to meet the law Of God in any
respect whatever.