Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-09-18
.Orig.nal.l

men would, if they could, cheat God out of
his existence.
OUR NOTHINGNESS.
The weakness of newborn babe is very
great. It is an object of pity. Left to itself
It must certainly perish. It is absolutely
dependent upon others. Of itself it can 90
nothing, either for the promotion of it's COM
fort or the prolongation of its existence.
The physical condition Of the babe presents
striking picture of the spiritual condition
of all men. A newborn babe is not more
dependent upon others for those things
which will promote the welfare OF its body,
than all men are dependent upon Jesus
Christ for everything which is necessary to
the welfare of their immortal souls. Jesus
says to his disciples: "Without me we can
do nothing" If it is true of those who are
united to Jesus Christ as the branches are
united to the vine, that separated from Je-
sus Christ they can do nothing, much more
is it true of those who are not united 10
Jesus Christ.
Without new heart and an enlightened
understanding, the sinner cannot believe in
God, and without faith God cannot be
pleased. No man can change his own heart
and no man can illumine his darkened un'
derstanding. Every saving grace is the
gift of God. This is the plain teaching of
the Bible, whatever men may teach. The
development of every grace is the work OF
Gods spirit just as much as the lmplantlng
of grace in the soul is the work of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus Christ is the sinners only
hope, and he is the believers only stay.
Without Jesus Christ the sinner cannot be
brought into the kingdom of heaven, and
without Jesus Christ the believer cannot be
kept in the kingdom of heaven. The pow
er or ability to believe is given to sinners,
dead in trespasses and sins, and the ability
to continue the exercise of the power to be-
lieve is q gift of God. Salvation is all of
grace. Grace conceived the plan, grace car
ries iton, and grace-free, unmerited grace
completes it.
In our natural state, we are not only weak
and unable to do anything for ourselves,
spiritually, but we are stubbornly unwilling.
Nothing but the irresistible power of Gods
spirit can make us willing to be saved by
Jesus Christ.
THE UNREAsONABLENESs OF THE PEW.
Many a good man in the pulpit is saddened
and discouraged by the fault finding of the
pew. This carping of the hearersometimess
extends to almost everything connected
with the pastor. His sermons are usually
first attacked. They are uidactic and unin-
teresting in matter and cold in delivery.
This petulancy in speech never takes into
consideration the drain made upon the men
tai resources, by the preparation each week
of two discourses, the numerous drafts each
week upon his time and sympathles by the
multiplicity of matters that require his at
tention not only among his own flock, but
in his relation to the Church at large and
to the world. Comparatively few hearers
seem to comprehend that the rush and pres
sure of the present age affect the minister
in his sphere of labor quite as much as the
occupant of any pew in the daily scenes OF
hislife. Itrequires time for reading, study,
research, meditation away from worldly
care and hustle, to formulate even one ser
mon a week, that will meet the demands of
this exacting age. But to find few hours
for this preparations for sermon any
week, is often problem whose solution
puzzles the ingenuity of many pastor.
How much more di ifficult the question when
two sermons must be in readiness for every
Sabbath, and several addresses must be de-
livered during the week. The impossibili-
ty of accomplishing such task has been
felt by men of great ability in an age when
the eXactions of the pew were comparative
ly gentle, and the quietude of the study was
comparatively lengthy and uninterrupted:
Bishop Andrews, no Weakling in intellect
and no idler in the vineyard was accustom-
ed to say, when speaking of the trials of the
ministry: "When speak twice on Sunday,
have to prate once" Brethren OF the pew,
be considerate. Your pastors godly life is
his best sermon."-PulpH Treasury.
PAPA is RUNNING THE ENGINE.-One
beautiful molning in the spring OF 1863,
was on board a passenger train on the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad crossing the green
glazes from the Aleghanies westward. At
that time this railroad was held alternately
by the Federal and Confederate armies, and
travel was neither safe nor pleasant. On
the occasion of which write the train was
behind it's time, and was running at very
high speed, and as we were hurled around
curves, over fields and across bridges, near
ly every one on board manifested some anX-
iety at each jerk and jar of the train. All
eyes were turned to the windows, and
thinking of the probabilities of the train
being hurled over an embankment, and the
fearful scenes that must follow, when OBJ
served a bright little girl of four or five
summers approaching me, and, as she ex-
tended her little hand and bade me "Good
morning" in sweet, clear voice, l engag-
ed in conversation by asking her if she We're
not afraid to ride on the car. 10 which she
replied:
''SOmetlmeS, DuC L am noC alralu Ilis
morning" "Why," I asked, "are you not
afraid this morning? Everybody else seems
to be afraid; and, besides, we are running
very rapidly" ''Oh, there is no danger at
all,h she replied, "papa is running the
engine"
Her father was the engineer, and she had
such implicit confidence in his ability to
protect her, that she felt perfectly secure
and happy.
1 shall never forget the lesson of faith and
trust learned from that dear child. When
clouds, and storms, and darkness surround
my pathway, and almost feel that must
perish, remember that it is my Father in
Heaven that watches over me, and II Will
only take His proffered hand, He will lead
me in paths of peace, beside the still waters.
Oh, bless His name forever!
s@ To be made suddenly poor or suddenly
rich are providences which test the power
of divine grace. The rich man without
grace, reduced suddenly to poverty, resorts
to the bottle, or something worse, to get rid
of his troubles; and the poor man without
grace, made suddenly rich, becomes proud.
n@ Grace and good nature have some stri-
king resemblances but they are very differ
ent things. The former is thework of Gods
holy spirit, while the latter may be only
|