Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-04-19
&eadiua fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

Nothing advances the temporal welfare of
the human family so much as Christianity.
Those who have not given the subject proper
thought, may be ready to call this statement
in question. Some will say that wealth has
a greater and more direct tendency to make
men happy in this world than Christianity ;
others will say that superior intellectual en-
are of more temporal advantage to society
than the religion Of the Bible. Others, no
doubt, are ready to name something else as
contributing more to human happiness than
Christianity.
Those persons who conclude adversely to
Christianity as the greatest of all means III
promoting human happiness, have not given
| the subject that attention which 1T demands.
They forget the fact that wealth in heathen
lands contributes very little to happiness,
compared with what it does in Christian
| countries. The same is true with regard
| to intellectual endoWments. England and
| America are noted for the wealth, for the in
tellectual culture and for the happiness OF
their inhabitants. They are also noted for
the general diffusion of the Christian re-
ligion among all classes of their citizens.
More social happiness may be enjoyed IN
| Christian England or America in one year
than can beenjoyed in any heathen country
in a long life time. .s
| It may be said that nothing contributes SO
much to mans temporal happiness as the
Christian religion. The happiness produced
| by the Christian religion is greater in guam
| tity, and superior in quality, to the happi-
ness which results from any and all other
sources. It enables man to utilize the re-
sources of nature. More progress in the
useful arts is made annually in any Christ
| ian nation than has been made by Pagan
nations since the creation of the world.
There is more real soul enjoyment in the
humble home of the Christian than in the
palace of Pagan kings.
We hear much said about good govern
ments and bad governments, but in fact, all
governments which are not Christianized
are bad. Pagan rulers are all tyrants, and
Pagan subjects are all slaves. Christians
| ONLY are free men, all others are slaves. The
Christian religion throWsa safeguard around
the person improperly of every individual:
It invests law with a sacredness which all
are required to respect. i
If we desire to forma correct notion OF the
advantages of the Christian religion, we
have only to mark out, in our imagination,
community, and take away from it all
that the Christian religion, either directly
or indirectly, has bestowed upon it. Take
away from it it's Sabbaths, pull down it's
churches, and drive away it's ministers OF
the gospel. This done, its schools and SEM
inaries of learning will soon 60 into hope
less decay. Religion will flee away and
even morality will pine and die. Human
life will not be safe, law will be insulted and
Justice robbed of her bright egis. In fact,
take away from any community on earth,
the Christian religion, and all istaken away
that is, in any way, calculated to contribute
to mans happiness, either for time or for
eternity.
This is, it may be said, a narrow and con-
tracted view of Christianity. 1t is admit
ted that the blessings of Christianity are
adapted rather to the soul than to the body,
and it's principal rewards will be bestowed
in eternity rather than in time. Admitting
all this, still the blessings which Christiani-
ty brings to us in time, make it worthy of
all acceptation. Its benign influences are
felt in time by every creature which comes
within itsreach. Those who labor to spread
the gospel of Jesus Christ, labor to anchor
ate the condition of their fellow-men, and
those who labor to prevent it's spread are en-
emies to all good. It is a simple fact that
Christianity makes the desert blossom like
the rose.
The good results of Christianity are SO nu-
merous and so great that only the Wilfully
blind can fail to see them. Could the beasts
of the field speak, they would laud and ex-
tol the Christian religion. Not only so, but
the very soil itself would shout and sing for
Joy, were itpossessed of the organ of speech.
Is it not strange that men, claiming to be
endowed with wisdom, would set them.
selves in such deadly opposition to the Lord
and his Christ? Does it not seem strange
that men, claiming to be wise, would delib-
erately undertake to dry up all thefountains
of their temporal happiness? Such, how
ever, is the case. The Jews crucified the
Lord of glory and the cry goes up daily, from
every land, "We will not have Jesus Christ
to rule over u.s."