Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-30
&eaaiua'fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
CALLING.

[OrIginal]
CALLING.
Every one who has read the Bible with Or
binary care has discovered that in it God
continually commands sinners to lay down
the arms Of their rebellion and Submit to
his authority. This is, by Theological wri-
ters, properly denominated vocation or call
ing. The reader of the Bible has also dis
covered that there are two kinds of vocation
or calling. The one is sometimes, and cor
rectly, denominated effectual calling, while
the other may be designated as Intellectual
calling. That there is foundation for such
a distinction, or that two. kinds of calls are
spoken Of in the Sculptures, Will be evident
called and We refused" Proverbs 1924.
'"rhou gh they called them to the Most High,
none at all would exalt him." Hosea -.
"Many are called but few are chosen" Mat
thew 20: 16. Many other passages, equally
conclusive, might be quoted, but it is not
thought necessary. Effectual calling stands
connected with redemption, in its applica-
ton of which it is the first part.
There are several things embraced in this
subject which are worthy of consideration.
/. The call which God addresses to sinners
would naturally conclude from the nature OF
him by whom the call is addressed. Au-
thority is essential to the being of God. 1t
is his prerogative to command, and the duty
of those whom he commands to obey. The
fact that man is in a state of rebellion does
not, in the least, impair his obligation to
obey. In the gospel, God commands us to
accept of Jesus Christ; Thisisa gospel call.
1t is great privilege but tbs no less duty.
The Bible being the revealed will of God,
contains the matter and the sum of the call
which God addresses to sinners. 1t comes
with all the authority of the potentate of
the Universe.
9. Until the sinner submits, no treaty OF
peace can be formed between him and his
maker. This is natural The best evidence
which an army can give that it surrenders
is the laying down of its arms. So long as
the soldiers retain their arms they are just
ly regarded as entertaining hostile inten-
tions and there is no place for treating with
them.
3. The gospel call contains an offer of Christ
and all his benefits. The following text
proves this: "Ho, every one that thirsteth,
are offered to the thirsty soul. Again, 81
will give unto him that is athirst of the wa
tiers of life" Here water, the water Of life,
is offered to the thirsty soul. With respect
to the offer which God makes in the gospel
call, it may be remarked that it is uncondi-
tional. The offer is made not in consequence
of what the Individual, to whom it is made,
has done, is doing or will do, but on account
of what Jesus Christ has done. Its founda-
tion is the perfect righteousness of him who
was obedient unto death, and whose soul
was exceeding sorrowful, and who trod the
wine press of Gods wrath alone. Another
feature of this offer is, that it is free-"With-
outmoney and without price" II is not
the offer of Something for something else,
but it is the offer "of the fountain of the wa
ter of life freely This is peculiar feature
of the gospel offer. 1t is a distinguishing
feature which adapts it to the peculiarly
destitute condition of sinful man. lie is
poor. He has nothing. He is called to come
to Jesus Christ and in the call he is offered,
"without money! the, bread of life The
Christ, in all his offices, is offered to the sim
ner. He is offered as prophet to instruct,
as priest to atone, and as aking to protect.
The offer is not only unconditional, free and
complete, but it is made in good faith. "As
live, saith the Lord God, have no pleas
ure in the death of the wicked; but that
the wicked turn from his way and live"
Not only is the offer of Christ and all his
benefits made, but the sinner is urged to &C
cept. II counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that they mayest be rich,
and white raiment that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy spiritual
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
ewes with eye-salve that thou mayest see."
It must be remembered that while the Of
fer is unconditional it's fulfillment is condi-
tional. The offer is made freely, fully and
in good faith, to all, whether they will ac-
cept it or not. The fUlillment of the offer
is on condition that the offer be accepted.
There can be no doubt that the gospel offer
is to all and that this offer is unconditional.
1t is Just as clear that the fulhllment of the
offer is conditional. In other words, the
offer of Christ is made freely, fully and in
good faith, and all are urged to accept, but
none will be made partakers of the blessing
offered exceptthose who accept. 1t may be
asked why do many refuse to accept the
offer which is made in the gospel call?
There is, in fact, no difficulty in answering
this question. Those who refuse to accept,
only follow the inclinations of their own
minds. To the natural man the gospel offer
is foolishness. Jesus Christ is root out of
dry ground" The difficulty is in answer
ing this question, "Why: do some accept of
the offer made in the gospel call?" 1t can
not be replied that those who accept are bet
ter by nature than those who do not accept
This is not true. In general sense, all men
are alike. Morally, by nature, one man is
as good as another. TO describe accurately
and minutely one man is to describe accu-
rately and infinitely; the whole human fam
ily from Adam down to the present mo-
ment, and to the end of all time. Human
nature never changes. 1t is the same to-
day that it was six thousand years ago. 1t
is the same in all countries and all peoples.
The manners and customs of nations change.
They are constantly changing, but human
nature is the same Interchangeable thing. All
Adams descendants have been like himself.
Neither can be said that some accept the
offer made in the gospel call because of the
advantages of education, early moral train
ing, or the circumstances by which they
have been surrounded. Whatever may be
the force of education, or the power of NOR
al training, or the controlling influence OF
circumstances, no one of these, nor all of
them combined, will account for the fact
that some men accept the offer made in the
gospel call. There are some things IN the
material world which can be accounted for
only by admitting their existence. All that
the human mind is able to attain unto these
things, are So To attempt to account for the
great majority of phenomena, which are
constantly presented to our view, would be
to attempt an impossibility. All that the
wisest philosopher can say in explanation
of these remarkable things is, that God
made them so, and so they are. In account
ing for the glorious fact that some of the
human family accept the offer made to all IN
the gospel call, we are forced to say lit is
the doing of the Lord, and wondrous in our
ewes" They have been dealt with by God
.crordinp tO his gracious promise, contained