Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-05-24
@eadimg fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original.]
[Origina
RELIGION.

Man IS sometimes denneQ 10 De religious
animal. The reason that is assigned for this
definition, is that man is never found without
some form of religion. Evidently, before this
description of the human family can be re-
garded as true, the word religion must be ia
ken in very wide sense. In the Bible sense
of the word religion. it is not true that all men
are religious. In their natural state, all men
are destitute of all true religion. True re-
ligion consists in being made by the power oi
Gods Holy Spirit new creature in Christ
Jesus. That change which in the Scriptures
is called the new birth, or being born from
above, must take place before any of Adams
race can be religious. Without this change
they may be superstitious and may perform
many acts which may slightly resemble reli'
gious acts but they are not, in the proper
sense of the word, religious act
Clearly, God is the author of religion. To
change sinner deadin trespasses and sins, is
far greater work than to create world. No
greater work can be than to make good man
out of bad one-to make good heart out
of heart deceitful above all things and des.
perately wicked. No greater change than
this can take place. No power less than al.
mighty power can effect it.
The question of practical Importance which
every man is called upon to settle, is, "have
I been made new creature in Christ Jesusp'
If we have, all will be we'll in the end. If
not, nothing else that we are, or have, will
avail US anything. We may be rich; but
our riches will do US no good in the grave,
and much less at the day of judgment. We
may be honored by our fellow men. This
honor will soon be forgotten by our friends
and by those who bestowed it; and in the es-
timation of God it is nothing now. We may
have what men call good dispositions-we
may be prudent and polite in all our inter-
course with our fellow men. This will avail
us nothing if our hearts are not right towards
God. We may be members of the Church
baptized in the name of the triune God. We
may have frequently sat down at the table OF
the Lord, and in the presence of the world
and in company with Gods people, partaken
of the emblems of the body and blood of the
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of
the world. All this, if We have no religion,
will profit US nothing. We may give all our
goods to feed the poor, and our bodies to be
burned; and if we have not true religion,
these things will profit US nothing. See LIST
Corinthians, xiii. Most certainly, it is i'm
portant to us all that we make this matter a
subject of serious and prayerful consideration.
We are dealing with being who can not be
deceived with appearances; but with God, who
knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts.
Regeneration, or the new birth, is so great
a change that it must be, in some way or 9TH
er, manifest before the world. The road
which leads to heaven has different direc.
ton from that which leads to perdition. These
roads do not even run parallel. Those who
travel over these roads must be, in many res.
poets, distinguishable. To short sighted NOR,
tails they may bear strong resemblance to
each other; but they can not be marked by
the same characteristics. In other words,
there must be great difference between the
thoughts and acts of the man who has re.
ceived q new heart, and the thoughts and
acts of the man whose heart, towards God, is
deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked. There must be vast difference be-
tween new creature in Christ Jesus, and a
creature dead in tresspasses and sins. Exter-
nally, the acts of these individuals may bear
a striking resemblance, just as bitter waters
and sweet waters, in many respects resemble
each other. Each springs from fountain.
Each flows in a channel; but the fountains
from which they spring, and the channels in
which they flow, are totally different.
The characteristic of the man who has been
born again, is, that he keeps, or tries to keep,
himself unspotted from the world. James,
1:27. The unregenerated professor spots
himself with the world. What the lusts of
his own heart and the practices of the men OF
the world say is right, the man who has been
made a new creature knows is wrong in the
sight of the Lord. The hypocrite, or mere
formal professor strives to obliterate the lines
which separate the children of God and the
children of the world. These serve, or try to
serve, both God and the flesh. They are
found with the children of the kingdom at the
table of the Lord, and with the devotees of
the world, in the synagogues Of Satan. To
please men-to be agreeable to be fashiona.
BILE, is, in the eyes of those who shave name
to live, but are spiritually dead" Of more i'm
portance than to follow the precepts Of Jesus
Christ:
In the 18th Psalm, we have minute des.
cription of the man who has been born from
above. The inspired Psalmist asks the ques-
ton, lord, who shall abide in thy taberna-
cle?" Evidently, the object Of both the
question and the answer which is given to it,
is to describe the man who is on his journey
to the New Jerusalem. In other words, who
of all the lost race of Adam, will reach heav-
en- and there enjoy Gods favor and friend
ship forever2 The Psalmist gives FIVE char
acteristics of the man who has been made a
new creature in Christ Jesus. They need no
comment; hence we simply quote them. "He
walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness,
and speaketh the truth in his heart. He
backbiteth not, with his tongue, nor doeth
evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up reproach
against his neighbor. In whose eyes vile
person is contemned but he honoreth them
that fear the Lord. He sweareth to his own
hurt and changeth not. He putteth not his
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