kv-
ZION’S LANDMARKS
115
0, the sweet joy this sentence
gives : “I know that my Redeemer
lives!” Many there are who be-
lieve not in the religion of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and salvation by grace;
hut it is indeed a sacred truth, that
if destitute of this Pearl of great
price, w'e must sink into eternal
darkness, where there is w^eeping,
wailing and gnashing of teeth. “He
that believeth on the Son hath ever
lasting life, and he that believeth not
the Son, shall not see life ; but the
wrath of God abideth on him.” Some,
worship they know not what, and
claim all the glory of reaching heaven.
We worship the Living and Triune
God, unto whom we ascribe all the
honor, praise and glory of our salva
tion ; and may we, as the humble fol-
lawers of Jesus, ever walk in the
light of the Lord, having our fruit
unto holiness, and the end thereof
everlasting life. When the objects of
Jones’ Creek, N. C., 1
May 31st, 1869. J
[Selected for Zion’s LaudmiirkS) by N. G.
Jones, Sit.]
In regeneration there is a happy
change made on the affections ; they
arc both rectified and regulated.
1. This change rectifies the affec
tions, placing them on suitable ob
jects.
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These
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5.
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The Lord
time shall recede from our
view, may
wc depart from these mortal shores
in full triumphs of the Christian’s
faith, with the blessed assurance that
we have fought a good fight, we have
finished our course, we have kept the
faith, and be safely borne by angelic
spirits to the glorious presence of our
Redeemer—God ; to unite vnth the
redeemed of the Lord,, who have pq^nc
up out of great tribulation, in saying,
Hot unto us, not unto us, but unto
thy name, 0 Lord, be all the glory of
our soul’s salvation.
“Oh then, with yonder sacred throng,
We at his feet may fall ;
We’ll join the everlasting song.
And crown him Lord of all.”
Dear brethren and sisters, in hope
of such a glorious state, what manner
of persons ought we to be in all hu
mility, patience, fortitude, forbear
ance, resignation and submission in
all things, at all times. To will is
present with me, but how to do that
I would 1 know not. May we realize
that the grace of God is sufficient for
us, and as our day our strength shall
be. May our God strengthen you,
dear brother, to proclaim good news
and glad tidings to the hungry and
thirsty souls ; to contend earnestly
for the truth as it is in Jesus
from the pulpit and press, that his
name may be glorified in you.
I submit this scroll to your dispo
sal, as a token of love to Christ, His
cause and 'people. Desiring your
prayers, that 1 may be kept by the
power of God through faith unto
.''alvation, ready to be revealed
the last time.
Your humble sister,
direct your hearts into the love of
God.” The regenerate man’s de
sires are rectified; they are set on
God himself, and the things above.
He who before cried with the world,
“lYfio will show us any good ” ? has
changed his note, and says, “Loid
lift up the light of thy countenance
upon us.” Psl. 4 : 6. Before he
saw no beauty in Christ, for Avhich
he was to be desired ; but now he is
all desired, he is altogether lovely.
Cant. 5 : 16. The main stream of
his desires is turned to run towards
God; for there is the one thing he
desireth. Psl. 27 : 4. He desires
to be holy, as well as to be happy ;
and rather to be gracious than great.
His hopes, which before were low,
and staked down to things on earth,
are raised, and set on the glory which
is to be revealed. He entertains the
hope of eternal life, founded on the
word of pron:iise. Tit. 1 : 2. Which
hope he has, as an anchor of the souG
fixing the heart under trials. Heb.
6 : 19. It puts him upon purifying
himself, even as God is pure. John
3 : 3. For he is begotten again unto
a lively hope. 1 ,Pet. 1 : 3. His
love is raised and set on God him
self. Psal. 18 : 1—on his holy law.
Psal. 119 : 97. Though it strike
against
Though
his most beloved lust, he
says, “The law is holy, and the com
mandment holy, and just and good.”
Rom. 7 : 12. lie loves the ordi
nances of God. Psal. 84 : 1. “ How
amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord
of hosts ” ! Being passed from death
to life, he loves the brethren. 1
John 3 ; 14 ; the people of God as
they are called. 1 Pet. 2 : 10. He
loves God for himself; and what is
God’s for his sake. Yea, as being
a child of God he loves his own en
emies. His heavenly Father is com
passionate and benevolent: “ Ho
maketh his sun to rise on liie evil
and on the good ; and sendeth rain
on the just and ori the unjust;”
tiiercforc
tved is turned
and others.
under the body of it, and longs for
deliverance. Rom. 7 : 24. “ 0
wretched man that I am, Avho shall
deliver me from the body of this
death ?” His joys and delights arc
in God the Lord, in the light of his
countenance, in his law, and in his
people, because they are like him.
Sin is what he chiefly fears ; it is a
fountain of sorrow to him now,
though formerly a spring of pleasure.
2. It regulates the affections placed
on suitable objects. Our affections,
when placed on the creature are nat
urally exorbitant; when we joy in it,
we arc apt to overjoy; and Avhen we
sorrow, we arc ready to sorrow over
much ; but grace bridles these affec
tions, clips their wings, and keeps
them within bounds, that they over
flow not all iheir banks. It makes
a man “ hate his father, and mother,
and wife and children ; yea and his
owm life also,” comparatively; that
is to love them less than he loves
God. Luke 14 ; 26. It also recti
fies lawful affections ; bringing them
forth from right principles, and di
recting them to right ends. There
may be unholy desires afttr Christ
and his grace; as when men desire
Christ not from any love to him, but
merely out of love to themselves.—
“ Give us of your oil,” said the fool-
hlii'virgins, “for our lamps are gone
out.” Matt. 25 : 8. There may be
an unsanctified sorrow for sin; as
w’hen one sorrow’s for it, not be
cause it is displeasing to God, but
only because of the wrath annexed to
it, as did Pharaoh, Judas, and others.
So a man may love his father and
mother, from mere natuxml piinei-
ples, without any respect to the com
mand of God binding Inm thereto.—
But grace sanctifies the affections in
such cases, making them to rim in a
new channel of love to God, respect
to his commands, and regard to his |
glory. Again, grace raises the aD
fcctions where they are too low. It
gives the chief seat in them to God,
and pulls down all other rivals, whe
ther persons or things, making them
lie at his feet. Psal. 73 ; 25. “Whom
have I in heaven but thee and there ]
is none on earth that I desire besides
tb.ee.” Hg i.s loved for himself,
other persons or things for lus .sake.
W’hat is lovely in tiienn to tho re
newed heart, is- some rav of riie di
persons. They hate and contemn
them for their wickedness ; there is
nothing of God in that, and therefore
nothing lovely nor honorable in it;
but they love them for their com
mendable qualities or perfections,
whether natural or moral; because
in whomsoever these are, they are
from God, and can bo traced to him
as their fountain. Finalljq regener
ating grace sets the affections so
firmly on God, that the man is dis
posed at God’s command, to quit his
hold of everything else, in order to
keep his hold on Christ; to hate fa
ther and mother, in comparison with
Christ. Luke 14 : 26. It makes
even lawful enjoyments, like Jo
seph’s mantle, to hang loose about a
man, that he may quit them, when
he is in hazard to be ensnared by
holding them.
If the stream of our affections were
never thus turned, we are doubtless
going down the stream into the pit.
If “the lust of the eye, the lust of
the flesh, and the pride of life,” have
the throne in our hearts, which
should be possessed by the Father,
Son and Holv Ghost; if wo never
had so much love to God, as to our
selves ; if sin has been sometrhat
bitter to us, but never so bitter as
suffering, never so bitter as the pain
of beiTng’Gleaned from it“; truly we
are strangers to this saving change.
For grace turns the affections upside
down, whenever it comes into the
heart.—Boston’s Fourfold State.
Elders PURVIS anti BRYAKT Imve
appointments to preach as follo-*.?s:
Tarboro, o-fi the first Saturday aud Sun
day in August, 18G0-.
Monday, at Pleasant Hill.
Tuesday, at Upper Town Creek.
Wednesday, at Wilson.
Tluirsday, at Wiute Oa.l-u
Friday, at Aider's Creek.
Saturday and Sunday, at liovver IWn
CVee'k.