Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-20
shall be brought into the fold of Christ of
whom it shall be said, this and that man was

shall be brought into the fold of Christ OF
whom it shall be said, this and that man was
born there? (
And now our prayer is, that this congrega-
ton may be built upon this rock, and that
this church, dedicated to the service OF God
this day, may be centre of moral and spirit
ual influence to this entire community and
that from its pulpit may issue no uncertain
sound in reference to a doctrine which has
been the glory of martyrs, the strength CT the
church, and the bulwark Of an expanding
and aggressive Christianity and may the God
of Peace that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd
of the sheep through the blood Of the ever
lasting covenant-make you perfect in every
good work to do His will, working in you
that which is well pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom he all the
glory. 49,.
Devotional exercises then followed these re.
marks, after which, the minister announced
as the text of his discourse part of the 18th
verse of the 18th chapter of Matthew-"And
upon this rock will build my church. and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
from which he preached the following
SERMON.
Of all the opinions which men entertain,
none are so important as their religious Opln-
ions. In all ages men have differed in their
scientific and philOsophic theories. One gen.
Grafton has speculated, earnestly embraced
and zealously defended some system of philos-
ophy. Another succeeds and contests the sup
posed established truths-it maybe, overthrows
them Yet another follows, and the work of
demolition and reconstruction goes on. All
this not without protracted struggle, in
volving controversy sharp and obstinate. In
deed, the conflict of opinions which has mark
ed the introduction, dissemination and decay
of various systems of philosophy, is one of
the most instructive features in the history of
human progress. 1t reveals at once the in
tense yearning Of the human mind after truth,
and it's pOwerlessness to reach it after the
most prodigious effort. No endowments Of
genius, no acquisitions of study-labOriOus,
protracted and prOfound-have yet answered
satisfactorily, independent of Revelation, Pi-
lots searching question to our Saviour
''What is truth 20 Vain has been the en-
,eavor. But interesting as are these reyolu-
lions of thought, with their mutations in sys-
TENS of philosophy, yet they do not interest
us SO much as those discussions which relate
especially to theology. We are concerned to
know the opinions of men with respect to
God the views they entertained of his exist
ence, character, perfection and works. For
around these ideas, as true OF false, are clus-
tered mans highest interests. If these ideas
are correct, they lead to peace and joy ever
lasting if false, they crush beneath a noun
tain weight of superstitOn-they ruin. There
is no element in mans nature so potent as the
religious. 1t underlies all it's most intense ac-
tivities. What else stirs so profoundly his
emotions, engages so exclusively his attec-
tiOns What else nerves to such self-Sacrl-
cling labOrs-to such uneXampled herOism
What religion has not it's thousands of mar
tyrs-men who counted not their lives dear for
what they believed to be most sacred and pre-
cious truth
Of all the religious opinions of men, none
are so important as those which relate to Je-
sus Christ. Under the Old Testament dispen-
sation, standing as the central figure of prOph-
ecy, he now stands the central figure OF his
tory From the fall of the human race, Christ
has been the desire of all nations. No matter
how this desire has bodied itself forth-wheth-
er in the creations of beautiful mythology,
or the gross and repulsive idolatry of super
stiton-the fact remains that there were
ycarningS after a daySman, after some mighty
Deliverer, who should bear our sins and carry
our SORROWS. Since his advent, despite all the
controversy which his claims have awakened,
Notwithstanding all the diversity OF opinion
that prevails in reference to him, it is still
true that man looks to Him and his work as
presenting the only satisfactory solution of the
destiny of the race.
1t was matter of SOlicitude to our Saviour,
in the days of his flesh, that men should have
correct opinions about him. Hence his in
quiry-"WhOm say We that l am ~ AS
men differed about hiln.then, so they do still
some holding that he was a mere man, simply
an enthusiastic Jewish patriot others that
he was a bold impostor; others again that
he was more than human, but less than di-
vine and others that he was truly God and
truly man. All these views and more, have
been avowed and defended. This question us
to who Christ is, and what he is, cannot be
shut out or retired from the consideration
of men weary and heavy laden. 1t cannot be
banished from the guilt-stricken mind. 1t
must and will be answered. lie has so OBJ
truded himself upon the thought, upon the
history of the world he has so impressed his
life, his doctrine and his sayings, upon the
heart of childhood and age, the learned and
unlearned, that the day is coming, as one
predicts, when ''the history of Christ will be
the history of humanity, and the biography OF
Christ the life of the world"
To the inquiry of our Saviour, here address
ed to the disciples, "Whom do ye say that
am ?" Peter answered without hesitation,
and with marked clearness and emphasis ::
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God" With reference to this declaration, as
we understand it, our Saviour uttered these re-
markable words: 'Upon this rock l Wlll
build nv church : and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it," From these we in
fer - q.
First, that the truth revealed to Peter is
fundamental to the very existence Of the
church. The church is built upon it. The
church is not a voluntary association OF hui
man wisdom and expediency. lilt is not a
union of the moral and Yirtuous elements OF
society to work ont some benevolent design.
It is not natural atfiliation of those who have
similar desires, tastes and purposes. Com
mendabe and useful as are these combinations
of capital and moral power, the church claims
the sanction of higher, hOlier origin. 1t is
al organization divinely appointed, with all its
laws and ordinances and the terms OF member
ship prescribed It's members are those, and
those only. who profess faith in Christ faith
in Christ as the Messiah as the Saviour of
men whose blood cleanseth from all sin. Not
that there was no church before Christ came.
1t had been in existence ages before his ad-
vent. Its fundamental principle, however, Is
the same in both dispensatiOns, to-Wit: faith
in the Messiah, and that the Messiah was to
he cut off, but not for himself. In illustration
and proof of this, turn your attention to that
commemorative and typical feast of the Jews,
the Passover. Here, in the Staying and eating
of the paschal lamb, and the sprinkling of the
blood, you have symbolized those great funda-
mental truths underlying the covenant of
grace. In this Old Testament transaction you
have the theology of the New summarized
Here was renewal of that covenant transac-
tion which, hundreds of years before, had been
made with Abraham-an everlasting covenant
which WAS never to be annulled and hence