Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-06-21

individual is free to accept or reject that Of
fered grace.
FOLLOW CHRIST.
It is to be feared that many of US who
have name to live, are, in reality, spiritually
dead. We have only a vague idea Of what
it is that constitutes true follower of Jesus
Christ. Satan, the sleepless enemy of souls,
deceives us in countless ways. He whispers
in our ears, that all that God requires of us, is
to make decent profession of religion and
live uprightly before men. In every conceiv.
able way he turns our attention away from
the Saviour, and induces US to centre 1t upon
ourselves. The great enemy of all good puts
US to work that We may do for ourselves what
we cannot do, and what Christ, the Lamb of
God, has done for US. The energy of our ma
lures is exhausted in vain attempts to make
an atonement for sin, whilst We totally neg
lect to try to do what God requires of US to
do. Instead of being co-workers with God in
our sancti6cation, we are going about vainly
endeavoring to establish Righteousness by
which we can be justified. oofteu we lose
sight of Jesus Christ. We econclude that it is
an easy matter to get ready to die. 1t is a
work of 80 little importance, We think, that
it can be performed in few hours, when the
summons to depart is placed in our hands.
Jesus bids US do one thing we do another.
He charges US to set our affections supremely
upon him. We too often divide our affections.
We try to serve God and Mammon. "Follow
me-" is the command which king Emmanuel
gives to all. What is it to follow Jesus? =?
One answers, he is follower of Jesus, who is
a member of the visible church.
1t is true that the overwhelming majority
of the followers of Jesus are members of the
Church but in no place in the Bible is it
said, or even intimated, that all the members
of the visible church are followers of Christ.
The devil often urges men and women to
make profession of religion as a matter of
the first Importance; Jesus Christ never does.
The Saviour cares nothing for our barren pro-
fessions. He makes but one demand of us;
but it is so great that it includes everything
we have. He does not ask US for our proper
ty, for our gold or our silver, for our houses,
or our lands. If he we're hungry he would
not tell US. The cattle on thousand hills
are his All the gold and silver are his. The
world and the fullness thereof is his. Jesus
comes to each of US with the gentleneSs of
parent, and with the authority which he has
over US as our maker, preserver and redeemer,
he says to every one, "give me thy heart"
If he gets our hearts, he will get all we are
and have; and if we withhold from him our
hearts, be will have nothing we have. If be
gets our hearts he will get our professions.
We will join the church and be ready to give
our bodies living sacrifice, wholly accepta-
BILE to God. Nothing but a physical impossi-
biity can keep the man who gives his heart
to Jesus from making profession of religion.
When Jesus commands US to follow him,
be deals candidly with US. We are told that
we must turn our backs upon the world.
Our affections must be centred upon him.
He must reign in our hearts to the expulsion
of every idol. We are required to love
Jesus; if need be, to the hating of everything
else. We must, before we begin to follow
Jesus, take up our cross. The cross is sym.
bol of everything that is undesirable to the
carnal mind. We must deny ourselves all
ungodiness and worldly lusts, and live sober
ly, righteously and godly in the world. To
live and act as the men of the world live and
act, is not to follow Jesus, but to follow the
devil.
The joys which are experienced by those
who follow Jesus, are heavenly. They are
sweeter than honey, they are more to be de-
sired than silver and gold. To those who
follow Jesus he is sun and shield. He gives
them grace for every emergency in this world,
and in the world to come he promises them
glory. During their earthly pilgrimage he
promises to give them what is good. Nothing
that is for their souls good will be withheld.
The young lions may be hungry and lack
food rebels against God may inhabit parch.
ed lands; but the follower of Jesus will not
lack any good. God takes care of the frail
bodies of those who follow his son, but the
chief source of their bliss is in communing
with God.
na~ In the best of books We read of para.
disc where our first parents we're placed.
There we're four things given to man in bis
condition of happiness. There we're laws de-
inng good from evil; there was the Sabbath