Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-11-11
&eadina fux the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV, ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriginal ]
SORROW FOR SIN.

pents is sorry. A very peculiar feeling is ex-
perienced. 1t is painful-exceedingl gly pain
full. Not bodily painful 1t is not the feel
ing that the sick man experiences; neither is
it the feeling which the wounded man expe
riences 1t is soul sufering-the most racking
of all pain. 1t is torture While it is abso-
lutely true that evangelical repentance is al.
ways accompanied with sorrow, on account Of
sin, it is not true that all sorrow for sin is an
evidence of evangelical repentance. 1t would
be absolutely impossible to find single mem
ber of Adams numerous progeny who has not,
at some time or other, been exceeding y sorry
on account of his SINS Even children, at a
very early period, as every one knows, expe'
rience sorrow for sin, and in some way or
other manifest it.
Sin is a strange thing. 1t is its own pun
ishment Every mans sins find him out.
The way of the transgressor is hard. Sin
marks US. Cain never could forget that he
slew his brother Abel There is no question
but his sorrow was intense. No doubt he
thought about it every day. The mark
whatever it was-thst God placed upon him
as protection, served also, as remembran.
Ger of the wicked deed which he had perpe.
trated.
TO the carnal mind there is, it will not be
denied, something that is pleasant in sin but
it is only momentary. Man, everywhere, in
his unregenerated state, takes great pleasure
in violating the laws of God. The pleasure
derived from this source is short-lived. The
transgressor of law is always found out.
Punishment never fails to overtake the Offend
er. The thief may be very careful and be-
come, by long practice, very skilled in his
trade, but notwithstanding all this, he will be
caught. 1t lis an old adage that murder will
out" The same might be said respecting all
crimes. Sooner or later they are revealed.
Deeds done in the darkness of the night, are.
in the mysterious providence of God, revealed
in open day before the whole world.
When the transgressor is discovered and his
deeds of darkness made public, then he expe-
riences sorrow. 1t is strange that so many
never feel any sorrow for theirsins, or at least,
never confess any sorrow for the crimes which
they commit, until their deeds of darkness are
made public How often has it been the ex-
perience of those whose business it is to re-.
claim, if possible, the transgressor, to find
men as bold as lions so long as they think
their unlawful acts are unknown ; but so
soon as they discover that what they thought
nobody knew is generally known, they drop
their heads and every muscle of their faces
becomes relaxed, and, with tears in their eyes,
they confess that they have sinned, and that
they are very sorry for it. Not only so, but
so long as the culprit believes his unrighteous
deeds are unknown, he will deny that he is
to
innocence So soon, however, as his sins be-
tray him, and he becomes convinced that he
is no longer regarded by others as an inno-
cent man, he succumbs at once. Then his
sorrow for sin begins. 1t is real sorrow-ag-
ony-torture. Then he wishes he had not
snned. Then he esays that he would give any
thing if he had not done as he did, Then he
is ready to promise anything.
1t, at first, seems strange that Cain had no
apprehension that he was in any danger, until
God fastened guilt upon him and drove him
from the divine presence, to wander about as
fugitive and vagabond. Such is the case
with US all. We never get sorry for our sins
until we stand at the bar of justice convicted
Then we become sorry, and, like Cain, filled
with apprehensions that every one that meets
us will sin against US as we have sinned. Cain
lived in continual dread of being murdered.
Jugurtha was, in the latter part Of his life,
afraid of his own shadow, and noted swind-
lers are constantly uneasy lest they be swim
died.
The history of man reveals this fact, that
sorrow follows sin as the shadow follows the
substance. Men may talk as much as they
please to the contrary, but it is G fact which
admits of easy demonstration, that the path
of duty is the only path of safety and pleas
ure. If the sinner will repent Of his sins,
that is, be sorry for them, and turn from them
unto God, God will pardon and forgive his
sins but what does the world care about our
sorrow for our sins? Something, Of course /;
but not much. Will the world ever pardon
the thief? Will the man who has been con-
victed of perjury, or forgery, or arson, be
taken up by society and treated as good cit
izen? No. Society dare not do this. He
may be sorry for his sins, he may 60 with his
head down like bullrush, he may grow gray
with grief, but this will not make men think
him worthy to be trusted. He has sacrificed
his good name, and never can reinstate him.
self in the favor and friendship of his fellow
men.
With God it is different. A broken and
contrite heart God will not despise. Human
governments must be exceedingly careful in
exercising the pardonng power. They dare
not pardon every condemned criminal, no
matter how sincere their repentance may be.
TO do this would be to license the lawless to
commit crime, and place the law.abiding in
continual jeopardy, both in their persons and
estates. In fact human governments dare
not base pardon upon repentance at all.
Were this the case, then none, or at least very
few, would be punished. Whoever will re-
pent of his sins God will pardon. Whoever
goes to God with broken spirit-a spirit
broken on account of sin, and spirit broken
off from sin, is pardoned. Such pentent
sinner goes to God in the name of Jesus.
He pleads the merits of Jesus, his atoning
sacrifice and his spotless obedience to the law
in behalf of sinners, and whoever pleads with
God for pardon on account Of the merit of
Jesus, never pleads in vain.
HELP THAT HURrs.-Rev. R. M. Patter-
son, D. D., of Philadelphia, a remarkably
observant and intelligent pastor, said in his
paper before the Council:
zone particularly disgraceful phase of that
general inconsistency of the Christian life
which is so harmful to the progress of Christs
cause, may be noted the growing disposition
to administer churches as if it was part of
their mission to provide entertainment for the
people. Fairs, concerts, comical lectures, oys-
ter suppers, turning the dedicated house of
worship into place of hilarious amusement,
are fearfully demoralizing to the religious