Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-23
&eaaiuq fpr the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original.1
ALL FOR GOOD.

| The dispenSationS OF providence are, BE-
yond all controversy, often, II not always,
dark and difficult to be understood. Things
are not what they seem to us short-slghted
Corinthians, makes the astounding declara-
ton that 'all things are yours" That is,
that all things belong to or are the property
of those who believe in Jesus Christ. And
then, as if to put the matter as to what IS
included and what is not included in all
things, he specifies, and what wonderful
specification it is. 1t embraces literally all
things and excludes nothing. This is the
enumeration: Paul, ApollOs and Cephas, or
all the ministers of the gospel. Then comes
in the specifcation-the world, the cosmos,
the globe on which believers live and labor !;
the world with its rivers and its oceans,
with its mountains and valleys, with its
sun and it's moon and its stars, with every
thing in it or on it or in any way connected
with it. This is a marvellous possession,
but it is not ALL The specification does
not stop here. 1t includes life, and not only
life, but death as we'll. But the enunera-
ton does not stop here. 1t continues em-
bracing things present and things to come;
Here the inspired apostle eXclalms: All
are yours and we are Christ's and Christ is
Gods"
In his epistle to the Romans, the same
|
1--WE know that all things" the same all
things of which he wrote to the Corinthians,
''shall work together for good or into good
to them that love God"
Put these two passages, Corinthians
iii: 81, %, 49, and Romans viii i:8, together
and we have statement, in clear and un-
mistakable language, of truths which ought
to cheer the hearts Of every son and daught-
er of fallen Adam, who loves God. Not
only is it declared that all things belong to
those who love God, but it is also stated, as
plainly as language can make it, that all
things shall work together for good to them.
Paul speaks of this as a thing which those
who love God know. "For we know" he
SAYS. No doubt this was one Of the many
glorious things revealed by the Holy Spirit
| to Paul. He knew it, and all know it-not
| to the extent that Paul kneW-but all know
it, because it is one of the grand truths
taught in the Bible and demonstrated in the
providence of God. There is no difficulty
in seeing how what are called the propitious
providences of God work together for good
to those who love God; but there are what
we are accustomed to call adverse provi-
dences. These also are embraced in all
things. Death includes all these. 1t is the
same, so to speak, of adversities. 1t re-
guires something more than mere intellect
ual discernmentt to see how all that long train
of evils of various kinds which terminate
in death, work together for good to those
who love God. Such, however, is the fact,
and the problem can be solved by faith
The statement is made in Gods word, and
the solution is written in the administrative
control which God exercises over all things.
Take an example selected at random !:
Joseph is sold into Egypt by his own BROTH
ers. This was cruel. He was falsely ac-
cused and thrust into prison when, but for
what we are accustomed for the want of a
better word to call accident, he might have
lain forgotten by both friends and foes. In
all these events God was accomplishing
his purpose to do good for those who love
him. The inhabitants of Egypt were saved,
and SO were his brothers, by whom he was
sold into slavery, and SO was his old father
saved from the horrors Of starvation by this
event which good old Jacob thought was
sorely against him.
Take another example: The sovereigns Of
Great Britain, including the Tudors and
Stuarts, were, with scarcely the semblance
of an exception, Onstrosities-demons in
human form. Yet the folly and the cruelty
of these bloOd-thirsty monsters was made
to work together for good. Those who ]iv-
ed during that long and dreary period, and
who were made the victims of the hate
of those sovereigns, no doubt often said,
like Jacob, all these things are against us.
In a sense, the prosecutions carried on
against the English Puritans and Scotch
COvenanters were against those who loved
eigns of Britain, but the Sovereign of the
Universe meant it for good. What was the
result? In the providence of God an asylum
was opened up for the poor and oppressed
of every nation on earth. A grand nation
hassprung into existence which rivals proud
England in everything.
Ba- The most astounding announcement
that ever was made is in the words, Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners"
Think for one moment. The son of God,
he who was equal with the father, he who
made all things and for whom all things
were made, leaves the bosom of the father,
walls his divinity in humanity, comes into
the world to save sinners. No particular
class of sinners, but simply sinners. All
that is required at the hands of the sinner is
that he submit and consent to be saved
That is all.
1t is startling truth which is frequently
taught in the Bible that sinners can be saved
only through Christ Jesus. In fact it never
does this and never will do this unless God
changes it. No human being ever yet con-
sented to be saved by Jesus Christ until God
took away his stony heart and gave him
heart Of flesh-a new heart. BY nature
we are dead in trespasses and sins. How
can be believe in Jesus Christ:
We even in our lost condition desire to be
saved or rather we desire not to be lost, but
strange to say we make the vain attempt
either to save ourselves entirely or in part
We forget that the Bible teaches us that
if we are saved at all we can be saved by
Jesus Christ only and that we must be saved
by Jesus Christ alone. He will not divide
the work of our salvation between himself
and any one else. He will do all or none.
BT- BY far the larger part of every COM
munity consists of young people: This class
of society is made up Of individuals in
every stage of development. Some are tiny,
helpless babes in the cradle, other are just
about to enter upon the responsibilities of
life. Toall who are embraced in this large
and interesting class of the human family
the great God who brought us all into eXis-
tence and on whose bounty we are depend
ent says, "Obey your parents in the Lord"
This is his law in every land, no Legislative
body can repeal it. 1t has been a law ever
since Cain was born and it will be the law
so long as there is q parent on earth. SO
far as society is concerned, it is the most
important law that ever was or ever will be
enacted Were all the little boys and girls,
all Young men and women, disObedient to
their parents, there could be no such thing
as civil government. All would be anarchy
and confusion. If children will not obey
their parents to whom they are bound by
so many ties and to whom they owe SO
much, whom will they obey? Is it reason
able to suppose that they will obey any
every child "to obey their parents in the
| or6,, The ord commands this and the