Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-10-07
&eading fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
FOLLOWING CHRIST.

nominate the cnleT end or man, ana 10 Hlake
clear the requirements of divine law, but
these, if rightfully understood, embrace all.
The figure in the language supposes jour
ney which has beginning, progress and ter
mination. These accidents of the figure are
not difficult of Interpretation; Bunyan makes
his Christian to be starting from the city OF
Destruction, entering upon and passing over
clearly defined way, and arriving at last in the
Celestial City which lies beyond the river OF
Death. 1t is journey which must begin
where moral death reigns! Its course sin the
world and through the world; those who
think to mount to plane of perfect sanctif-
cation and on this over and above the sensual
world, pursue their way toward the city. are
not walking in the footsteps of the builder Of
this highway and over which he, himself, once
passed, staining it's every stage with the blood
of agony. This highway has direction and
boundary to lose sight Of either of these is
to subject the traveller to the suspicion that he
is lost. There is to be no deviation, no halt
ing, no retrogressing.
Of these things Christ speaks when he says:
eff any will come after me, let him deny him
self, and take up his cross and follow me-"
There are three terms here, t&o Of which,
self-renunciation and cross-taking relate to
preparation, and the third to duty. AS though
Jesus had said eff you desire to be my dis
cples, you must cast off all that pertains to
SELF to the world, to Satan then assume all the
burdens, the ills, the trials to which you see
me subject Having done this, then follow me.
F0llo,cing Christ means activity, it means
life, means vigorous purpose. In his mortal
existence, and in his church, since he moves
onward in aggressive warfare against his enc
mics III the world. The progress of this war
cannot be stayed until it's object is accom-
plished which will be when the Lord has re-
claimed his own. Every one that is following
Christ has sworn fealty to him as liege lord;
lie has surrendered his right to order his own
conduct. lie is as one of the vassals of Il
Norman lord during the feudal system of
English government, bound by a most solemn
jurdn,ent,tnt ,ttlelatiS to serve his master i'll
peace and follow him in war.
And then, we are to tolloU Christ, not lead
him. Enoch is said to have ''walked ,oith
God;" but this is the only case on record.
THE faithful of all times from the ''Father of
the faitlIful'' to those now living, have fulfilled
human duty and compaSsed human ability in
following after God. We have had said to us,
scores of times, the famous reply Of the trav-
! cling minister, to a request to visit one Of the
THEATRES of Berlin: II never 60 where call-
not take Christ with me.'' Strictly speaking,
the line of duty is not correctly drawn he
should have said, II follow Christ, and Christ
does not attend these places.'' Christ, in the
consider the Church as an advancing army, his
place is the first in the vanguard He not
only acts as guide and leader in the way, but
as commander, issues orders through his subal-
tern officers, for the movements of the troops.
If skirmishing is deemed necessary, at any
time, the officers, acting under the orders OF
their chief, are empowered to detail detach-
ments, and deploy them to the best advantage.
But volunteer detachment service, is mutiny
against the officers and army regulations, as
well as high treason against the commander
in-chief.
But we are not only to follow; we are to fol-
low Christ. We find many wOuld-be leaders,
which we are solicited to follow. Conscience
is one; feeling, judgment, convictions educa-
ted intelligence, Paul, Apollos or Cephas, etc.,
are all in the field with flaming banners.
These may do very well as division insignia !;
but they should be of color with the banner
at headquarters, and have the name of the
Chief written above whatever may he in
scribed underneath. Christian Instructor.
FLARING UP.
Some people are given to faring up. They
hear of something which friend has said, at
which they are greatly offended, and imme-
diately ''flare up'' and begin to say all manner
of unkind and uncOurteous things, and nour-
ish and cherish very unhappy and unchris-
tian spirit, until, upon explanation, it turns
out that they have been msinformed, and that
their friend has said no such thing as they
suppose, and consequently their faring up,
with all the trouble which it may have made,
has been for nothing.
A man feels himself sighted or neglected.
He flares up and makes himself ridiculous, only
to learn at last that the whole grievance over
which lie has made himself so uncomfortable,
| q Stp6 m
own Jealous imagination. An employer flares
up at the disobedience or neglect of an en-
ploye, and after having exhibited his petu-
lance impatience, and dunreasonableness, learns
at last that his reproOfs have been misapplied,
and that no blame whatever attaches to the
persons on whom he has visited his wrath, and
that if he intends to be an upright and Chris
tian man, he owes a most humble apology to
those he has grieved and wronged The en-
ploye flares up at some fancied oversight, or
neglect, or apparent injustice on the part of
the employer; he grOWls in secret and grum-
bles in public, looks sour and cross, neglects
his duties, isif1patient and perverse, and fire.
qucntiy utters loud complaints, spreading dis
content and making trouble and at length
when he comes to state his grievances to his
employer, as he should have done at first, often
finds himself misinformed, and learns that
circumstances are entirely different from his
understanding of them, and that the man
whom he has so grievously abused in thought
and in word, is quite as anxious to do justice
as he is to have it done; that some of his
grievances were imaginary, and that others
would have been gladly. redressed had the en-
ployer been informed of them. Christians flare
up at each other ministers find fault with
people, and people find fault with preachers
bitter thoughts are cherished and bitter words
are said, when few moments plain-hearted
talk and honest dealing would end the whole
and save all trouble.
Our advice is, Do not fare up. Keep cool,
quiet and patient. If thy brother trespass
against thee 60 and tell him his fault; right
all wrongs as far as practicable but whatever
you do, do not flare up.-1'he Christian.
LOSSES BY RELIGION.-Near London there
dwelt an old couple. In early life they had
been poor but the husband became Chris
tian, and God blessed their industry, and they
were living in comfortable retirement, when
one day stranger called on them to ask their
subscription to a charity. The old lady had
less religion than her husband, and still hank
cred after Sabbath earnings and easy shillings
which Thomas had given from regard to the
law of God. So when the visitor asked for
their contributions she interposed and said:
'Why, sir, we have lost a deal by religion
since we first begun; my husband knows that
very we'll. Have we not, Thomas -
After a solemn pause, Thomas answered,
eyes, Mary, we have. Before got religion,
Mary, I had an old slouched hat, and a tat
tered coat, and mended shoes and stockings
but I have lost them long ago. And Mary,
you know that, poor as I was had habit of
getting drunk and quarreling with you; and
that you know have lost. And then, l had