Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-09-22
&eadiug fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
IOriginal
SPIRITUAL DECLINE.


The progress from absolute sinfulness to
perfect holiness, is not unlike the development
which is seen in the vegetable kingdom. The
seed first terminates, then the stalk, and
finally the seed. In the process from the
termination to the maturing of the seed, the
plant undergoes various changes Sometimes
it flourishes and sometimes it seems as if it
would die.
Something like this is experienced by every
true child of God To-day he is in -four.
ishing condition tomorrow he is in a de-
clining state This declining state sometimes
continues for months, and not unfrequently
for years. 1t need not be remarked that it
is an extremely perilous condition. 1t is at
tended with many and great spiritual diaad-
vantages, and the individual is in danger Of
being forever lost
The evidences of spiritual decline are too
numerous to be all mentioned Prominent
among them, however, are first want OF
relish for the ordinary means of grace. The
individual who is about to fall into a state
of spiritual decline, goes through the public
and private exercises of religion in lifeless,
formal way. The public services of the sane
tuary are neither loved nor hated by him.
He attends church, but takes no interest in
any part of the worship. He begins absent
ing himself occasionally from the house OF
God for the most insignificant reasons, and
soon he is never seen at church except on
Communion Sabbaths, and in little time he
absents himself from the house of God en-
tirely. If asked why he does not attend
church, he assigns reasons which are satisfac
tory to no one but himself Sometimes the
distance is too great, or the roads are toe
bad, or he is not we'll, or some Of his family
is sick, or he always forgets the day, or he il
dissatisfied with the manner in which things
are conducted about the church. No sooner
does he desert the public sanctuary, than he
begins to neglect the private altar. By de
grees he lays aside all forms of private devo
ton. The old Bible is laid up in the garret
to be devoured by rats. The Sabbath is de
voted to social visiting or secular converse
tion or it is consumed in strolling through
the fields, or sauntering about from place to
place. The individual is now on the high
way to ruin. He has become Indifferent in
earnest. His conscience is scared as with a
hot iron.
The next step in Indifference becomes dis
like. A kind of hatred for everything sacred
begins to spring up in his mind. The com
pany of the pious is Stunned, and that of the
wicked and openly profane is desired and
sought. The case is now absolutely desper-
ate, and unless the individual, like the "Prod-
igal Son" comes to himself, his spiritual de
cline will actually terminate in eternal death.
1t was but small thing at the beginning
mere speck, scarcely discernible. Now it
envelopes the whole man. Notwithstanding
the imminent danger of the individual, he
seems to be insensible of the fact. Nothing
but an interposition of Divine Providence
and grace, can arouse him. He places him.
self beyond the reach Of the ordinary means
of grace, and wholly under the control of ev.
erything that is vile and wicked. He can
only be reached by the spirit Of God, and he
can be operated upon only by extraordinary
means. The sleep which he sleeps is death
sleep. From it he can be aroused only by
some direct and pointed communication from
God, pronouncing in audible tones, "Thou
art the man."