Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-06-04

CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
FIVE THINGS.


! One Of the first things that the student of
geography must learn, is the four cardinal
ponts-north, south east and west. Without
a correct and practical knowledge of these
four points, no real progress in the science of
geography can be made. In fact, in every
science there are cardinal principles that must
be practically understood in order to secure
creditable advancement. Every operation in
arithmetic consists in either adding, subtract
ing. multiplying or dividing. Without being
able to add, subtract, multiply and divide, no
one can ever make any progress, either in the
science or art of arithmetic. Wat is true of
arithmetic is true of every art and every SCI
ence. The science of religion does not form
an exception to this statement There are
some elementary principles which must be
theoretically known and reduced to practice
before any man can, with propriety, be called
a Christian. Five things must be known and
reduced to practice before man can be pre-
pared fully for heaven. He must have clear
and practical idea of what is meant in the
scriptures by atonement, new birth, justitica-
ton, adoption and sancti6cation, before he can
enter into gloriGed State. Without knowl-
edge of these five things, the promises of the
Bible concerning the future blessedness of the
righteous, and the threatenings Of punishment
concerning the wicked, are us unmeaning as
an explanation Of the rule for extracting the
cube root would be to the man unable to add,
subtract, multiply and divide.
By an atoncment, is meant that which
makes reparation for an injury, or that which
reconcles parties at enmity. The parties to
be reconciled are God and man. An injury
has been done to the law and justice of God
by the sin of man. Before reconciliation can
take place, the claims Of law and justice must
be satisfied. Since man is a sinner, this can
be done only by doing and dying; for the
law demands perfect obedience, and threatens
death for every violation of it. The atoner is
Jesus Christ. The matter of the atonement
is his obedience and death. By the former,
he satisfied the preceptal part of the law, and
by his death, he met the penal claims Of the
law.
BY the new birth, is meant the recreating
Of the sinner in the image Of God. When
man was created he was made in the image
of God. He sinned and lost this resemblance
to his Maker. The loss was complete one.
Nothing but the debris remained to indicate
what the original structure was. Adam was
created like God but after he sinned, he be-
came like the tempter, and all the human
race are born in the likeness of fallen Adam.
This new birth, or regeneration, is called, in
the Scriptures, "being begotten from above. "
1t is the work of the Holy Spirit. The atone
ment will do us no good unless we are born
again. Until the new birth takes place, We
are dead in trespasses and sins.
In the order Of nature, justification follows
regeneration. 1t denotes, in its scriptursl
sense, the formal act of God in pronouncing
the sinner just, on account of the. accepted
atonement made by Jesus Christ. The power
to accept is given in the new birth, and the
accepting is called faith or believing. All
that is necessary on the part of the sinner, in
order to his justification, is to accept of the
atonement which Christ made for sin. This
is all, but it is absolutely required. Whose
ever believeth shall be saved and whosoever
believeth not shall be damned.
In the order Of nature, adoption is immedi-
ately preceded by justification. 1t denotes
change of relations. After the fall, man
ceased to be the children of God in the sense
that they were his children when created.
They became the children Of Satan. In ma
ture, they ceased to resemble God; but be-
came assimilated to Satan. BY the fall, all
claim to Gods care, protection and love was
forfeited. So soon as the sinner believes, God
adopts him and makes him an heir to an in
heritance which is incorruptible, unde6led
and fadeth not away. God loves the believer
as father loves his child, and the believer
loves God as a child loves its father.
Sanctifcation denotes the work Of making
holy, or the work of preparing the believer, so
far as fitness is concerned, for a glori6ed state.
In justification title to heaven is given, but
in sanctihcation fitness for heaven is secured.
Sanctfcation, like the new birth, is effected
by the Holy Spirit; but in sancti6cation the
believer is co.worker with the Holy Spirit.
In the expressive language of the Scriptures,
he is "a worker together with God." Perfect
sanct6cation must be effected before we can
enter heaven. Without holiness no one can
enter the New Jerusalem. Fitness for heaven
is just as necessary as title to heaven.
The Jews, at the time our Saviour was
upon earth, made great blunder in that they
attempted to establish their own Righteousness,
and neglected the righteousness of God. In
other words, they rejected the atonement
made by Christ, and attempted to make all
atonement for themselves. The human fami
ly are ever liable to make the same blunder
We are anxious to know what good thing we
must do to inherit eternal life. We are fool
ish enough to undertake to make an atone
ment, but unwilling to accept the atonement
made by Christ. Eternal life never can be
merited by any of Adams race. To all who
receive it, it comes as free gift. TO reject
the atonement is fatal.
TIE LOVE OF CIIRIsr.-It was on the love
of Christ that the early church so strongly
leaned. 1t is to this love that we find the
Apostle Paul so continually turning. This
was his souls true resting place and refuge.
1t was under the branches of this palm-tree
that he found shadow from the heat. This
was the deep we'll out of which he drank his