Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-05-26
&eadimg fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Original J
GROW IN GRACE.

UhUW IN UhACEs
To everything there is beginning, middle
and end, or period of consummation. First
the bud, then the bloom, and. finally, the ripe
fruit. The babe of to-day will, in few years,
be the romping boy or ruddy checked girl
In a score of years, the boys and girls of to-
day will be men and women. Then will fol-
low, in quick and certain succession, the pc.
riod of old age. The blossom on the oak will
mature into an acorn, that will fall, germiuate
and develop into the pride of the forest
Everything is small at first; but by the law
of development attaius, in due time, maturi-
ty. The fields which, but a few weeks ago,
we're covered with snow and ice, are gradual.
ly becoming clad in garments of living green
Soon the fields will be covered with the golden
yellow. In grace, as in the material universe,
there is law of development. This is natu-
raj. This is to be expected. Shall animals
and vegetables grow, and shall the children
of God stand still? Shall the tiny babe ma
ture into a we'll developed man, and the babe
in Christ Jesus ever remain babe? As all
men are born into this world babes, so, when
we first enter the kingdom of God, we are
only babes. Alexander, Napoleon, Hanni-
bal and all the military heroes of ancient and
modern times, were once helpless babes.
Paul was once only babe in Christ Jesus.
He then thought as child, spoke as child,
but he grew and developed, and finally be-
came man in Christ Jesus. Then he put
away childish things. Full development in
nature and in grace, is only attained by. the
use Of the means of divine appointment. The
farmer prepares the soil, plants the seed and
cultivates the plant. God furnishes the soil,
the sunshine and the rain, and the husband
man does the work. The tiller of the soil
cannot do what God does, and God will not
do what the tiller of the soil can do. Each
man, in his particular sphere, is co laborer
with God. Without God he can do nothing.
Man cannot do Gods work, and God will not
do the work he assigns to man, and for the
accomplishment of which he furnishes him
the means.
1t is the prerogative Of God to work with
out means visible to man, contrary to visible
means, and with the use of means. Ordi-
narily, God uses means Of his own appoint.
ment None of his creatures dare attempt
to accomplish any end in any other way. He
who folds his arms in idleness must be clad
in rags and feel the piachings of cruel want.
Idleness and prodigality, by a fixed law Of
nature, are followed by squalid poverty I;
while, on the contrary, the hand of the dill
gent maketh rich.
By law which no created being can
change, and God, the creator, will not change,
we all must either increase or decrease.
Every thing in the universe is in ceaseless
motion. Life is motion; the opposite is death.
We are either moving forward or backward.
Each tick of the clock brings us nearer the
end of our earthly race, and nearer the home
of the just or the prison of the lost. We are
either growing in grace or maturing and
ripening for a region in which God has forgot
ten to be gracious.
That we may grow in grace, God has pro-
vided means and put them within our reach.
For all who are born into the natural world,
God makes provision for their support. Man
was not brought into existence until a place
had been provided for his comfortable abode.
Jesus Christ, by his mediatorial work, not only
purchased Heaven for his people, but he also
provided means by the use of which bis peo-
pie might be prepared for Heaven.
The means provided are admirably adapted
to the accomplishing of the end proposed.
Ordinarily, they are the providence of God,
the reading and studying the Bible, and the
preaching of the gospel. These three means
90 hand in hand, and are handmaids to each
other. Rarely do they act separately and
alone. Would we grow in grace, we must
mediate upon the dealings of God with his
creatures, and especially with his blood odbought
church. The volume of inspiration must be
read and studied, and we must attend upon
the preaching of the gospel. To neglect
either one of the means of divine appoint.
ment, is to neglect all. We must, in order to
grow in grace, submit to Gods providential'
dealings with US. We must search the Bible
diligently and prayerfully, and in addition to
these things, we must remember that it pleased
God to establish it as fixed law, that by
the foolishness of preaching he will save them
that believe.
Our growth in grace is usually in proper
tion to our use of the means. In grace as
in nature, it is the hand Of the diligent, not
the hand of the idler, that maketh rich. In
the means which God has provided for our
growth in grace, there is spiritual food. When
they are used as God directs, the soul devel-
ops. Faith increases, repentance deepens, and
our devotional feelings grow healthy and strong
When these divinely appointed means are
neglected or improperly used, we grow spir-
itually weak and sickly and when entire
ly neglected, we pine away and die. All
our Christian graces are at'6rst like grain
of mustard seed-very small. They, by
proper culture, grow, increase, develop. Paul
once said, 30, wretched man that I am"
Again he said, II have finished my course
and am ready to be delivered" Once the was