Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-11-04
&eadiuq fur the $abbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
tOrlginal.]
BLESS THE LORD.


When God besses US, and we bless God, the
same word is used but its import is very diff:
ferent. When God blesses US, he bestows
some good upon US. The blessing of God
makes US rich-it makes US happy. When
God withholds his blessing, We are poor and
miserable amidst superabundanee of all the
luxuries of the world. All the gold and sill
yer and preciougstones in the world can no
more make us ffch and happy, than the filth
that clings to our feet. The blessing Of God
raiseth the poor out of the dust; the needy out
of the dunghill, and sets him with princes. The
blessing of God makes the heart rejoice. The
individual who receives the blessing of God,
receives something which no words can even
family describe. When God blesses us, he
makes US great and good and happy.
The word bless has very different meaning
when it is said we bless God. We can neither
add to nor take away from the essential great.
ness of God. Nothing that we can do or say,
can, in the slightest degree, add to either the
greatness, the goodness, or the happiness OF
God. Heis wholly, independent of any and
all his creatures. Nothing that any creature
can do, can thwart his purposes or disconcert
his plans. We can neither detract from his
glory by SHINING, nor can we add to his en-
pire by rendering homage to bis sovereignty.
God reigns over the inhabitants Of sins dark
domain, and there is then none that dare say
to him why or what doest thou? God is the
sovereign proprietor of the universe. His
sway is over devils and wicked men, as we'll
as over saints and angels. Hence, when we
curse God, we take nothing from him and
when we bless him, we add nothing to him.
No creature nor all the creatures in the uni
verse can neither make God greater nor less
than he is. The chors of angels add nothing
to the essential greatness or glory of God.
When, therefore, we bless God we only ex-
press desire that God be acknowledged by
ourselves and every other creature to be what
he is. When the Psalmist said: "Bless the
Lord, O my SOUL" he only gave expression of
the pious yearnings of his soul to adore, rev.
erence and extol God. We may bless God
in variety of ways, but all may be express
ed in one single sentence. We bless God by
obeying his word, cheerfully and promptly,
and by submissively yielding to the providen-
tial dealings of God with u.s. Our whole
duty is discharged by obeying Gods law.
This is all that God asks US to do. ITO obey
is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams, for rebellion is as the sin
of wtchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry." Sam. Is: %.
The Bible, in most minute way, specifies
our duty, under all possible circumstances.
1t matters not where we are, nor what may be
our surroundings, we have only prayerfully
to consult the Bible, and we will be able to
discover what God would have US do 1t is
plain. No great learning is required to un-
derstand its sacred pages. 1t is minute in all
its specifications. We never lay it down dis
appointed. All we have to do to adore the
Lord, is to obey the precepts of the Bible.
The individual who, in his soul, would bless
the Lord, says, 30, how I love thy law; thy
testimonies have taken as heritage forever.
The law of thy mouth is better to me than
thousands of gold and silver. How sweet are
thy words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than
honey to my mouth" The 10th Psalm is
full of the precious estimate which the indi-
vidual who would bless the Lord, places upon
the Bible.
The providential dealings Of God with the
human family are often dark and mysterious,
but are nevertheless holy, just and good. Dis
ease and death take hold of the young and
promising, change their countenances and
send them away; whilst the ungodly sinner
is spared to curse the world until his head is
covered with gray hairs. Many lovely bud
is plucked before its rich leaves are unfolded.
1t dies before it blooms. The infant is snatch
ed from its mothers bosom. This we cannot
understand.; but will not the Judge of all the
earth do right?
This is not all. The poet uttered solemn
truth when he said, "Man' 'sinhumanity to man,
makes countless thousands mourn" Many a
wife has had her life made indescribably
miserable by the proAigate conduct of the man
who solemnly pledged to love, cherish and
defend her. The thoughts of the trials of such
being fills the heart with sadness which
cannot be described. The circumstances un-
der which some of the human family are
placed, are infinitely more distressing than
death. In comparison with them, the grim
monster loses all his frightful aspects. I'm
der such circumstances, how are we to
bless God? We answer, by patiently SUBJ
mittiug to the dispensatons of Providence.
In the day of prosperity, rejoice; but
in the day of adversely, consider. These
sore trials spring not from the ground. They
have legitimate cause. Our duty is to con-
slider. The Psalmist admonshes US "to trust
in the Lord and do good" God is no more
mighty than he is merciful. In the midst of
these sore trials, through which we are called
to pass, we occupy very trying position for
poor, weak human nature but most favor
able position to show the power of Gods
right hand to sustain his people. Jacob was
good man, but he showed his ignorance
when he said call those things are against
me-" David was pious man. but he exhibi-
ted the weakness of human nature when he
said, 81 shall one day fall by the hand of
Saul" With consequences we have nothing
to do. 1t really was none of David's business
whether he fell by the hand of Saul or not.
God chose him to accomplish certain work,
and nointed ont To him how that work was to