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

the church stands, though rent by one and
caviled at by another; receiving in one age
the deadly darts Of infdelity, and feeling in
another the poisonous fangs Of hypocrisy.
She has prayed for her enemies without, aud
wept over her enemies within. She has re-
ceired fearful wounds from deadly foes and
deccitiul 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 for power and do
ininion; still she has conquer, her enc
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 a child of God?" Will not the Spirit
make intercessions 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 a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour," aim
ing at the destruction of Gods moral gov
tel souls. He assails the christian where
| ne 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 exis-
,ence of the one, proves the personal exis-
tence of the other. Against this enemy the
christian has the Omn;potence 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 all enemy to
the believer. Those false maxims contrary
10 the word of God, those evil influences
generated by an ungodly race, and that gall
ing yoke and dreadful chain-the power of
haoit-by 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, iufu-
ences him 10 reject the false, and urges him
10 embrace the pure doctrines of the Son
of God.
Infdelity is an enemy to the child Of God.
lafde!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, Clairvoyance 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 infu-
ences that have flowed down from Gibbon,
Foltaire, D'Alambert, BoliEgbroke and
Hume, rise against the child of God, and
oppose him in his christian course. For this
enemy he wields 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 single idea on which q sorrow
ful, sinful, dying world could rest its hopes,
calm its troubled conscience, or lift the veil
that hides an unending future.
The unfaithfulness 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 &C.
cuEulate wealth, and the example Of ano-
ther to treasure up its gitteriug show and
enjoy its worldly pleasures. How often
does the walk of one christian 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 indiffer
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 plucking the fruit from the for
bdden tree, and another entanglng HIM
self in the net Of the enemy. Against this
enemy he has weapon. Christ Jesus is
his great exemplar. While he looks 10 his
Savior for GRACE, follows the example of bis
great Capt4in and studies the character Of
his dear RedeenIer, he has strength to re-
sist, and is able to overcome all other infu-
ences.
the Gepravity of tile human heart is an
other enomy against which the christian
has 10 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 cimes. sweeps
over the moral nature Of man and leaves in
its pathway moral desolation, 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
frightiul whi7!, and going at last thunder
ing down its sinking centre, submerged be-
neath the waves Of black despair. Without
Gods assistance this enemy would be too
strong for his strength. But be 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 10 over.
come this deceitful enemy of the flesh.
Who can be against the true Christian ?
Though the Devil set his suares, though his
Christian brother be unfaithful, thous sh his
deprayed heart would lead him into sin,
though the world, Infdelity or any other
enemy assail him, he has eapon fer each,
and BY its faithful use ne will come off VIC
:orious.
This security is doubly consoling 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 the
Apostles boldly led her on to victory,
"Subduing kingdoms, obtaining promises,
quenohing the violence Of fire, escaping the
edge of the sword and turning to fight the
armies of the aliens" Soon Christian
Prince sat upon the throne of the Caesars.