The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-06-22

caviled at by another; receiving IN one age
the deadly darts Of inidelity, and feeling in
another the poisonous fangs Of hypocrisy.
She has prayed for her enemies without, and
wept over her enemies within. She has re-
ceived fearful wounds from deadly foes and
deceitful friends, and healed them with the
: consoling balm of the Gospel. She has been
burtered for lite ofpleasure, torn by schism
and sect, trampled on fer power and do
sninion; still she has conquer, d her ene-
mics, and will continue to march onward in
| her glorious career until she encircles the
! globe and ushers IN the dawn of her thous-
and years Jubilee
Who can be against the christian? Has
not the ''law of the Spirit of Life in Christ
! Jesus made him free from the law of sin
and death ?" Is not the righteousness Of
the law fulfilled in him who walks not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit?" "Does not
the Spiris bear witness with his spirit that
he is child of God?" Will not the Spirit
make iutercessions for him with groanings?
And does he not know that all things work
together for good to them who love God,
and are called according to his purpose?
Who can be against the christian? He
has many fearful enemies-enemies, who,
| if it were possible, would ruin him in time
and in eternity.
1.-THE devil goeth about like roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour," aim
ing at the destruction of Gods moral gov
ernment, and intent on the ruin of immor
| tel souls. He assails the christian where
| he is weakest and least guarded. He ap-
proaches him as an angel of light. He
tempts him to violate Gods holy laws. If
there be no personal devil, there is no per-
sonal God, for the same principle Of Bibli
cal exigesis that proves the personal exs-
tence of the one, proves the personal exis-
tence Of the other. Against this enemy the
christian has the Omnpotence of Jehovah.
God will give him strength to resist his ma.
chinations, Christ has assured him that the
temptations of the evil one can be resisted,
and the Bible urges him to resist the devil.
The world is in one sense an enemy to
the believer. Those false maxims contrary
to the word of God, those evil influences
generated by an ungodly race, and that gall
ing yoke and dreadful ehain--the power of
habit-oy which mankind areenslaved rise
before the Christian in his pathway like i'm
passable mountains; meet him in his flight
of faith as unconquerable enemies, and dash
their foaming billows against his frail barge
on the ocean OF life. Against this enemy
the Christian has the constraining power Of
truth. Truth meets his appreciation, infu-
ences him TO reject the false, aud urges him
10 embrace the pure doctrines of the Son
of God.
Infdelity is an enemy to the child Of God.
Iafde!ity presented itself in the age of per-
secution as charitable, benevolent, and the
friend of man. This enemy has ever held
up Freedom, Liberty and Natural rights, and
insinuates that the believer is enslaved. In
days gone by in6delity could daringly pre-
sent bold front to the Christian but in the
present age it assumes the mild forms Of
Fourierism, Free-lovism, Glairvoyance and
Spiritual rappings, aiming at the overthrow
of the Sabbath law, and the marriage tie.
The illogical arguments Of Volney's Ruins
and Paine's Age of Reason, with inhu-
ences that have flowed down fre 'ibbon,
Voltaire, D'Alamhert, BoliEgbroke and
Hume, rise against the child of God, and
oppose him in his christian course. For this
enemy he Yields weapon sure and effect
i've. History assures the Christian that the
wrath of man is made to praise God. Eve
ry effort put forth by the in6del world in
all ages has been failure. The Reign Of
Terror ip unhappy France was weapon
that stabbed the heart Of him who bore it.
More than this, Infdelity has never given TO
the world a single idea on which sorrow
ful, sinful, dying world could rest its hopes,
calm its troubled conscience, or lift the veil
that hides an unendiug future.
The upfaithfuiness OF many disciples op-
poses the believer and weakens his faith.
The influence Of one professed christian
would lead him to love the world and ac-
cumulate wealth, and the example of ano-
ther to treasure up it's glitteriug show and
enjoy its worldly pleasures. How often
does the walk of one christia; brother cast
4 shade Of gloom over the mind Of another,
not only wounding the consciences of his
brethren, but crucifying his Lord afresh ?
His living in known sin, his cold indifer-
ence to the subject of religion, his want of
interest in the cause of Christ, are Influences
calculated to weaken his faith. He sees
one ''rother pucking the fruit from the for
bidden tree, and another entangling him
self 10 the net OF the enemy. Against this
enemy he has weapon. Christ Jesus is
his great exemplar. While he looks to his
Savior for GRACE, fellows the example of bis
great Captain and studies tile character Of
his dear Redeener, he has strength to re-
sist, and is able to overcome all other lnRu-
ences.
The Geprarity Of the human heart is an
other encmy against which the christian
has to contend His heart would lead him
after the things of this world, entice him in
the ways of sin, overWhelm him in the
foods Of corruption. Natural depravity,
like the tornado Of Southern climes, sweeps
over the moral nature of man and leaves in
its pathway moral desoation, destruction
and death. By this sinful disposition he
finds himself in the deep vale of humiliation,
hard by the bitter waters of Marah. He
sees others sailing round and round the
awful vortex of corruption, becoming un-
consciously more and more under its fear
full influence, drawing nearer and nearer its
frightful whirl, and going at last thunder
ing down it's sinking centre, submerged be-
uSdtu VIC Nof So VI OtoCA OSSpdii w
Gods assistance this enemy would be too
strong for his strength. But he has a
weapon given him, the enlightening, con-
soling and strengthening influences of the
Holy Spirit. He will teach him all things
necessary, will pour into his soul the oil Of
his grace and will give him power TO over
come this deceitful enemy of the flesh.
Who can be against the true Christian :?
Though the Devil set his sn4res, though his
Christian brother be unfaitnful, though his
depraved heart would lead him into sin,
though the world, In6delity or any other
enemy assail him, he has weapon for each,
and By its faithful use he will come off VIC
! torious.
This security is doubly consong when
We are assured from history, by friend and
foe, that God has been with his church and
people.
The church was IN her infancy when tbe
Apostles boldly led her on 10 victory,
'Subduing kingdoms, obtaining promises,
quenehing the violence Of FIRE, escaping the
edge of the sword and turning to fight the
armies of the aliens" Soon Christian