Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-04-25
@eadina fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriginal.I
RELIGION.


word religion, and whatever may be its ety.
mological Specification, its accepted meaning
is clear. It is an acknowledgment of our
obligations to God as our Creator, Preserver
and Redeemer. Without pretending to say
that this definition of the word is absolutely
correct and free from all objections, it is be-
lieved that it is sufficiently clear and accu'
rate to exclude all unscriptural notions of the
subject.
1t must be manifest to every one that we
cannot acknowledge our obligations to God,
until we have clear idea of what our obl-
cations are, and whence they arise. 1t is also
clear that we can feel no sense of obligation
to God until we have correct idea of who
God is, and what we are. This being the
case, it is evident that clear views of God and
the relations which exist between him and
ourselves, lie at the foundation of all true
religion. This, we think, is the true state of
the case. 1t is clearly in accordance with
the teachings of the Scriptures my peo-
ple," says God, "are destroyed for lack of
knowledge because thou hast rejected knowl-
knowledge, I willireject thee" Hosea iv: 6
Again, we are warned that "hs that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is
the rewarder of them that diligently seek
him." Heb. xi: 6.
From these passages of the Bible, and, in
fact, from its general scope, we conclude, and
we think safely, that to be religious, man
must first have acknowledgement general
knowledge, but particular and accurate
knowledge of God and himself. From what
source, then, are we to obtain our knowledge
of God and ourselves? It is related that
Hero, one Of the tyrants Of Syracuse, re-
quested, on one occasion, the poet, Simonides,
to explain to him the nature of God. The
poet asked that he might be granted day to
deliberate on the subject. When the time
expired, the question was repeated, and ST
monides asked that two days might be grant
ed for deliberation. The question was, at the
expiration of two days, repeated. and the
poet asked for four days. This time was
again granted, and when it expired, eight
days were asked for deliberation. Hero, as.
tonished at what he regarded as strange and
inexplicabe conduct in the poet asked what
he meant by demanding so long time for de.
liberation. because" said be, "the longer
I reflect upon the subject, the more obscure
does it appear to me to be-"
The solid good sense of fSimondes is brought
to light by this answer to Hero, more clearly
than by any other sentence which he ever
penned or uttered. We take it that he was
without the Bible He had only the works
of creation and the providential government
of God, by which to judge of his character.
When he looked abroad, his eyes met tower
ing mountains, huge rocks, lovely plains,
gently flowing streams and foaming oceans.
Above him was the blue canopy of the heav-
ems, studded with the sun, the moon, and
countless number of bright stars; beneath
him was the green earth, with its multitude of
inhabitants of various orders Of creatures.
But what could he conclude concerning the
nature of God, from all these Nothing,
satisfactorily. What could he learn, correct
ly, respecting the nature of God from bis
providential government? Nothing. In the
world he saw confusion and disorder, anarchy
and misrule. He saw the cruel tyraAt sway
ing the sceptre aud the innocent subj ject
crushed beneath his heel. Of God, from what
he saw around him in the world, he could
learn absolutely nothing correctly. Whence,
then, are we to gain correct knowledge of
the nature of Godf Is the attainment possi.
ble2 Yes. God has given US revelation
of himself in the Bible. From this precious
book the illiterate powman can learn more
of the being and nature of God in one day,
than can be learned of him from the study of
his works by the wisest sage in the longest
life time.
One of the elementary factors in religion
is the knowledge of God as he is revealed
to US in the Scriptures. From the Scriptures
we learn all that We know about God. We
have no means of acquiring any knowledge
of the divine being beyond what is revealed
to us in his word. Hence, we conclude that
true religion consists in having correct
Scriptural knowledge of God. This knowl-
edge underlies all feelings of obligation to
God, either as Creator, as preserver, or as
a redeemer. Unless We know God, we can
not feel under obligations to him; and unless
we have correct knowledge of him, our
feelings of obligation will necessarily be in.
correct.
In gaining a knowledge of God from the
Bible, we acquire correct knowledge Of our
selves. He that would know himself, must
first know God. During the process of learn
ing God and ourselves, spring up sponta-
neousIy the feelings of obligation. We at
once acknowledge our obligations to God for
our being. for our preservation in being, and
since we are sinners we acknowledge our de.
pendence upon him for redemption. Such is
religion, as it exists in the heart of man.
Practical religion consists in serving God in
the way appointed in his word.
In the Bible, God has not only revealed
himself to US, but he has pointed out to us the
way in which we are to give expression to our
feelings of obligation. We are not left to
vague conjecture as to how We are to serve
God, or with what We are to worship him |;
but, on the contrary, God, in his word, has
given definite instructions on this sub ject.
Our worship is to have form but it must
not be formal.
What we have said seems to be in perfect
consistency with the instructions given by the
Saviour when he sent his disci Piles out to
preach the gospel to "al nations" go, ye,
therefore," said he, "and teach all nations"
Matt. xviii: :19. Here we have, in one SEN
tence, the duty of gospel minister. He is
to teach What is he to teachi We answer,
what the Bible teaches. Nothing else and
nothing more We also learn from this CON-
mand of the Saviour what sinners are to
learn, in order to their salvation. 1t is sim
ply what the Bible teaches. The Bible is the
text book, both to the preacher and his con-
gregation. The former has right, nay, it is
his bounden duty, to teach all nations what
ever he finds taught in the Scriptures; and
all nations are hound TO learn what the Scrip-