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The Atlantic Messenger.
Monthly. ]
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Devoted to the Relief of Baptist Destitution in Eastern North Carolina.
[25 Cents per Year.
VOLUME FOUR.
NEW BERN, N. C., FEBRUARY, 1904.
NUMBER TEN.
DIRECTORY FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH.
(Middle Street.)
William Houston Rich, A. B., Th. G.,
pastor.
Samuel M. Brinson, Clerk.
William F. Roundtree, Treasurer.
Board of Deacons.
John C. Whitty, Chairman.
John L. McDaniel, Secretary.
Charles C. Clark, Jr., Financial Sec
retary, John R. Parker, Joseph B.
Holland, William F. Rountree.
Sunday School.
John L. McDaniel, Superintendent.
Mitchell Roundtree, Secretary and
Treasurer.
Byrd Smith, Librarian.
Mrs. Lula N. Jordan, Organist.
THE NORMAL BAPTIST LIFE-
CAN IT BE LIVED TO-DAY?
Rev. H. H. Hibbs.
The normal Baptist life, as I take it,
is nothing more or less than than the
normal Christian life. We go on to
perfection a little further, we believe,
than our brethren of other persua
sions, but never beyond the position
of a normal Christian. If any one of
us ever becomes an abnormal Baptist
he is to that extent an abnormal
Christian.
A Normal Baptist Defined.
A normal Christian, or Baptist, if
you choose, is one living in practical
experience, as well as doctrine, a life
in union with Christ. I do not mean
by this, of course, that when we be
come united with Him in practical
experience that we are like Him in
perfection of character.
The way to. .union .with Christ in
His glorified life is through union
with Him in crucifixion. Paul says,
“I am crucified with Christ,” “my
citizenship is in heaven,” and many
other similar expressions he makes
about the experience of crucifixion.
He specifies what this crucifixion is.
It is first a death to sin: “Reckon ye
yourselves dead indeed unto sin.”
Again it is a death to the world: “The
world hath been crucified unto me
and I unto the world.” Again a death
to self; “He died for all that they
which live should no longer live unto
themselves,” etc. The agent that pro
duces this crucifixion, of course, is
the Holy Spirit, and the instruments
He uses are two—the Word of God
and ourselves. We are to mortify
(kill), therefore, our members which
are upon the earth. And as Maclaren
says, this is a personal experience of
suffering, anguish, blood and death.
We go through the throes of death
when we kill sin, the world and self.
To put behind us forever everything
we have been living for in experience,
hope and aspiration, and to be able to
say as an actual personal experi
ence, “if any man be in Christ Jesus,
he is a new creature; old things have
passed away; behold, all things are
become new,” is as realistic as any
death we ever beheld.
Can It Be Lived To-day?
Now the question—can this death-
life be lived to-day? The first re
mark I wish to make about it is: it is
the only Christian life that can be liv
ed—lived joyously to-day. I say this in
the face of the fact that I feel keenly
the force of such truths as “they that
live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution;” that “he who would be
a friend of the world is an enemy to
God;” “woe unto you when all men
speak well of you.” I say, I am per
fectly aware of the fact that there
has never been a time in this world
when a normal Christian could live in
this world and not have added to
him great afflictions and crosses just
because he is a normal and not an ab
normal Christian. The history of our
own denomination has certainly shown
through all the ages that when we
live Godly in Christ Jesus that that
Godliness thrusts us against the world
and brings to us much persecution |
and sorrow.- Notwithstanding these
facts the normal Christian life is the
only life we can live joyously every
day.
When I first became a Christian and
began the study of my Bible, I saw in
the far distance, set .in a frame of
glory, such texts as these: “Rejoice
with a joy that is unspeakable and
full of glory; and be anxious (R. V.)
about nothing but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanks
giving let your requests be made
known unto God. And the peace of
God which passes all understanding
will keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus.” I wondered if there
would ever be a time in my life when
the truth contained in those texts
would be mine in personal experi
ence in every-day living. When I
would struggle toward them and fall
so far short, I would think sometimes
they were not for this world except
as an ideal and to be attained in real
ity only in the next. But no, that
would not do, for I knew the Bible
was writen for us now, in this world.
In the same view with these texts I
also saw that other group; “Mortify
your members which are upon the
earth;” “My citizenship is in heaven;”
“Ye are dead and your life is hid with
Christ in God,” etc. What has this
last group of texts to do with the first?
Much every way. The truth taught in
this last group of texts is the road
and only road that leads to the reali
zation of the first, where there is
peace, everlasting peace; joy, un
speakable joy, for God’s people in
time and eternity. It is an awful trage
dy to go with Christ down into death
to all the life our parents have pre
pared us for and our ambitious selves
and friends have prompted us to, but
it is the only way to the risen life
with Him in eternal joy and great
power and glory.
The Only Life Worthy of Man.
I wish to remark again that this
unworldly, unselfish life is the only
life that is worthy of man. I mean
by this that it is the only life that
will allow man to make of himself all
that his Maker and Redeemer intends
him to be. Nothing so shackles man
as selfishness; nothing puts such a
glow in man’s life and such power in
his deeds as to be able to throw off
the burdens of sinful selfishness, and
to get down off of the stilts of worldly
opinion and forms, and to walk on the
earth, a simple child of nature, a joy
ous, normal child of God.
Williamsburg, Ky.
NEUSE UNION MEETING.
Sometimes Union meetings are
monotonous and tiresome. It was
certainly not so with the recent ses
sion of the Neuse. The spirit of the
meeting was fine and the talks were
snappy and bright all the way
through. One of the best speeches
that was made was by S. W. Oldham
on “The Duty of Baptists to Teach
Their Distinctive Doctrines.” One in
teresting thing hboht the meeting was
that the preachers did not have to do
all the speaking. Such splendid lay
men as Joyner, Vvooten, Hood, Lane
and others made splendid short talks.
It was a perfect treat to be in the
homes of those good people at La-
Grange. Some of us didn’t know what
good people they ' were before. In
vite us again right soon, please.
The delegation was not large, but
taking the weather into account, it
was very good. Notwithstanding this
some real telling work was done, fore
most of which was the putting of J.
B. Newton in the field for all of his
time as Missionary and Colporteur.
We haven’t heard as to his accept
ance, but take it for granted that he
will begin work a1 once.
The new pastors on the field, Old
ham and Nobles, are at work in good
earnest. Oldham, will soon have a
splendid new homo to move into. All
honor to the LaGrange saints. Let
others in our Association follow..
Hurriedly,
W. F. FRY.
need the study it will do them and j
their work good to come in touch with I
the noble institution and the Godly |
men. Sincerely,
J. B. NEWTON.
THE ONSLOW COUNTY UNION.
THE LADIES’ MISSIONARY SO
CIETY OF THE MOREHEAD
CITY BAPTIST CHURCH.
Our society is making some prog
ress along all lines of work. We ob
served the week of prayer in the
church this year and invited every
body to the meetings. The pastor
discussed the following subjects: “Our
Authority for Missions,” “Foreign Mis
sions,” “Home Missions,” “State Mis
sions” and “The Orphanage and Its
Work.”
Our officers are as follows: Mrs. W.
T. Jones, president; Mrs. Ida L. Baton,
secretary; Mrs. W. M. Webb, treas
urer. With these efficient, conse
crated leaders we hope to accomplish
a great deal this year.
That is a fine idea—to have a meet
ing at some point so that the mem
bers of the different societies can
come in contact with each other and
learn more of one another and the
work. May this be done.
R. P. WALKER.
January 26th, 1904.
Marriage.
“Marriage is like a besieged city.”
“In what way?”
“So many of the people are trying
to get in and so many to get out.”—
Life.
Wake Forest, N. C.,
January 26, 1904.
Dear Messenger:
Not having accepted work, I came
here to spend a month. About twen
ty other minlste.js have come from
different sections^', f our State to take
ikv. Ikov.tsffo &3C-* . 3/y x-l-rj-rnirt it-
is to meet and greet old friends, espe
cially at this, the dearest spot in the
world to many.
Professor Cullom is following close
upon the heels of our own A. T. Rob
ertson, of the S. B. T. Seminary at
Louisville. Cullom is a model teach
er and a cultured Christian gentle
man. In a systematic way he is tak
ing us through the life of Christ as re
corded in the four Gospels. Also, we
have the privilege of studying the
Acts and some of the Old Testament
prophets under him. President Tay
lor is taking us through the Gospel by
John. Dr. Moment has added to our
information by giving us a lecture on
“Modern Jerusalem.”
Dr. Tyree has greatly enriched us
by a course of ten lectures on the
“Great Doctrines of the Bible.”
Dr. Thompson is here now interest
ing and informing us on “Missions.”
Wish I could quote from him, but time
and space will allow for only a few,
viz.: “The mission spirit of the Chris
tian is the likeness of Christ. The
mission spirit has in it and carries
with it the elements of growth and
development in the world. There can
be no growth without the missionary
spirit. The church that lacks the
missionary spirit has missed her
calling—she has no great object in
the world and must die sooner or
later, and she ought to die.”
Professor Sykes is lecturing on
“Baptist History.” Professor Poteat
will lecture on “The Life of Christ.”
Pastor Lynch is an example of pulpit
power. Beside this he has given a
helpful lecture on “The Minister’s
Use of Other Ministers’ Sermons.”
Livingston Johnson will be here
next week to lecture on “Pastoral
Duties”—J. W. Bailey on “Baptist
Ideals.” Others are in soak, but you
say this is enough. I was about to
say so too, unless I could have my
wife and children with me.
This work will continue until Feb
ruary 11th, when the anniversary of
the Literary Societies will take place.
Every Baptist preacher in North Car
olina should try to come and spend
one week, if no more. If they do not
This Union met at Bnon chapel in
its first session Saturday before the
fifth Sunday in January, 1904. Sat
urday at 11 o’clock devotional exer
cises were conducted by I. N. Hender
son, after which the Introductory ser
mon was preached by B. H. Mathews,
his subject being The Church. The
Union was then organized by electing
Dr. W. J. Montfort as Moderator, S. A.
Starling, Secretary; J. A. Cox, Treas
urer. The churches were then call
ed and delegates responded from all
of the churches. The Union then ad
journed for dinner. At 2 p. m. the dele
gates made good reports from their
churches. The following brethren
made good speeches about their
work in the different churches in the
Union; J. A. Cox, S. A. Starling, I. N.
Henderson, J. B. Olive, C. E. Edwards
and B. H. Mathews.
The subject of “How can we bring
about a general revival in our
Churches” was discussed by J. B.
Olive and C. E. Edwards. The mean
ing of Matthew 28: 19-20 was then
discussed by I. N. Henderson, C. B.
Edwards and B. H. Mathews. The
Union then took a recess until 7 p.
m. At 7 p. m. the Moderator called
the Union to order. The hour was
spent in discussing Temperance. C.
B. Edwards and B. H. Mathews deliv
ered addresses on Temperance.
Sunday morning the Union was
called to order by Dr. W. J. Montfort;
Rev. J. B. Olive led in prayer. A Sun
day-school mass-meeting was then
conducted by W. J. Montfort, Jr. The
Question Box was then opened and
various questions were asked and an
swered. C. E. Edwards then deliver
ed a stirring sermon on Foreign Mis
sions, after which a collection was
taken.
After a good, hearty dinner the
Union was again called to order by
the Moderator. A general discus
sion was then made by the brethren
on the mission work—what has been
done and what is to be done in the
Atlantic Association.
Periodicals was then discussed by
I. N. Henderson and C. E. Edwards.
The Union then adjourned to meet
in May at Swansboro. This was a
splendid Union meeting, there being
large congregations despite the
weather, and spirited discussions of
all the subjects. Every one seemed
very much pleased with the begin
ning of the Onslow County Union. It
went beyond our expectation and
hopes. It made everybody feel that
they wanted to be at the next Union.
You will hear from the Onslow County
Union again.
B. H. MATHEWS.
nicely now with its work. The
teachers are doing their full duty to
make this spring term a grand suc
cess.
It is a great pleasure to me to tell
you that our new desks have come
and they have taken the places of the
old ones. The teachers are pleased
to have them, too.
We have organized a Literary So
ciety for the benefit of the school, and
it has started off well. There are
about forty members at present and
others will join soon. The name of
the society is Phi Tan Kappa Literary
Society. They meet every two weeks
and we hope to realize great results
from this society.
R. P. WALKER.
FASHION NOTES.
From Our New York Correspondent.
Dear Messenger:
This is the first opportunity I have
had to say a word in your columns.
However, it has been my pleasure to
enjoy your monthly visit ever since
last October. You are so helpful, I
don’t see how any one in the Asso
ciation can afford not to have you
among the papers coming to our
homes.
I have just about gotten settled
down to work now in this field and
the work is moving off nicely. Our
Sunday-school is rapidly growing. We
have broken our record. Last Sun
day we had one hundred and fifty
present. We are striving to reach the
two hundred mark before spring.
Our attendance upon our regular
service is rapidly increasing. Last
Sunday night we had a very large au
dience. Our brethren are whispering
it around that we must enlarge our
church in the near future. I trust
that we may be able to do this before
the meeting of the Association.
Atlantic Institute is moving along
The consensus of opinion, based on
the results of spring business as so
far developed, is that quiet effects in
dress goods will 'lead.
Another fact plainly evident in the
fashion world is the continued popu
larity of the voile and canvas weaves.
It is safe to prophesy that the long
tight-fitting coat, having received the
stamp of Parisian approval, will be
a favorite in early spring. Loose
coats, both short and long, will be
made in silk voile, canvas and lace,
choice of length being left entirely to
individual taste.
With the coat and skirt of rather
dressy type in cloth, canvas, etc., a
lace blouse dyed to match the mate
rial, and trimmed with straps of the
material or with the velvet or em
broidery wnich appears on coat or
skirt, is one of the most popular ac
companiments.
Braiding is apparently to have an
extraordinary vogue, and the raised
'paaiiefr'^HnjrOiTrei'l^'r'aTe""tlre TTe-ijI’a'S ”
ultras of expensive modishness.
Strappings of silk and fine narrow
plaitings of silk appear on the wool
frocks, the plaitings being used to
edge capes, cuffs, etc.
Wheat heads seem to be supersed
ing grapes as a lace design.
Judging by the first showing of im
ported models, hats are to be smaller
next spring. The box turban is re
tained; also the modified tricorn and
a low-crowned hat with curved brim
much smaller than those of this
season.
Cross stitched embroidery seems
peculiarly fitted for the decoration of
children’s garments. Guimpes, aprons,
adjustable collars and dresses, are
effective when handsomely worked.
Military styles will be continued
throughout the spring.
Scarlet is more fashionable than
ever for the child’s coat and is used
successfully for whole dresses and
suits for very small wearers.
Nothing can be more artistic than
the color scheme of many of the new
stocks. They mirror all the fads of
the moment. Bulgarian effects, Dutch
blues, Japanese one-color effects, and
all the gorgeous hues of the East can
be found in the field of neckwear.
Scrim is used for the foundation of
many of the collar and cuff sets, while
Russian cross stitch is an easy and
effective mode of decoration.
It is noticeable that the trimming
of the spring neckwear is concen
trated in the front. Nearly all the
stocks taper off toward the back, and
the bows or rosettes with which they
are adorned come in the front. The
position of the great soft choux of
maline or chiffon, which have been
found to be so softening to the face,
is less arbitrary. They are frequent
ly worn slightly to the left side. They
are smaller and more compact than
those of last fall and remind one
strongly of a chrysanthemum.
MILLINERY AND DRY GOODS,
New Bern, N. C.