Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Sept. 15, 1869, edition 1 / Page 6
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i 158 ZION’S LANDMARKS formed while fasting, as was the case of Barnabas and Saul, yet not in separable. I would like to have your views and others upon this subject. I know Christians have a principle in ^ them to do the will of God if they [ can but know what that wall is. Yours in Christian bonds, JAMES J. DAVIS. Angels had announced his Macomb, III., ? September 9, 1869. \ Fragments- (No. 1.) £yothe7' £odenhamer:-^llo\y oiteii do the Lord’s children doubt their interest in the Lord Jesus 1 How slow of heart to believe all that the jirophets have written I How blind to the positive demonstrations given oi the identity, power, glory and Godhead of Christ 1 I have in view the case of Doubting Thomas. Hoiv many such are found among the Lord’s children even to-day. The tempter is ever ready to suggest something to the timid child of God to discourage him, and to throw him into doubts, either in reference to the character of Christ Jesus as a powerful and ivilling Saviour, to; the trutli of revelation, or to his| own personal interest in Christ. | Doubts of the latter are the mosti common and frequent disturbers of the peace and joy of the Lord’s children. Few, even of the unre generate in a Christian land, doubt that Jesus was the Christ of pro phecy, as an historical fact ; arid fewer still of the regenerate enter tain any doubt that Jesus Christ was the Messiah looked for by all the prophets and holy men of old. Not many, perhaps, doubt the gen eral truths of the Scriptures, bnt among the Lord’s regenerate chil dren many often doubt their pers sonal interest experimentally in his atoning blood and justifying right eousness, and all of them have more or less of these doubts. Poor Thomas, however, could not believe that Jesus was risen from the dead, although the other disciples af- lirmed that they had seen him. Such an unreasonable assertion, siah. birth ; John the Baptist had borne witness to his character and office as the sacrificial Lamb of God j the Holy Ghost from heaven, and the voice of God had attested his Sonship, saying, “ This is my be loved Son.” Thomas had seen the Redeemer raise the dead to life, heal all manner of disease by only speaking the wmrd’, open the eyes of the blind, cast out devils, unstop the ears of the deaf and cause the tongue ot the dumb to speak, and yet he is now found in doubt and unbelief in the report of his bre thren, and, like the wucked Jews, required a sign—a further evidence- of the startling report that Jesus was alive again. Although he had been called out of darkness and from a state of death, and had become a believin*’- . ® disciple, had seen his mighty mira cles among men and his God-like power over the storms and the seas, yet he had seen his Saviour cruci fled and buried, and now' how can the statement be true, even by his brethren, that Jesus w'as alive ! 1 will not believe." He had for gotten that Jesus had told them all that He must be delivered into the hands of sinners and crucified, and that He should rise again the third day. How strange that Thomas and the other disciples should not have understood the Scriptures nor Ilis own words, nor recognized the signs and wonders attending His death and resurrection ! He had seen Jesus condemned to the cross; had witnessed the darkened sun while the demands of God’s inflex ible justice w’ere being borne by his anointed Son ; had felt the quaking of the ponderous globe, and seen the rending of the rocks, while His dying groans invaded the precincts of the dead and opened wide their risen Lord and heard his voice it was call the Old “Ironside” Baptists. enough. ‘‘My Lord and my God,” ; thought I would try to write a few of was the quick response of his en- * i t o , . 1 . tt 11 travels, 1 cannot say from nature raptured tongue. He could now | ^ say with Paul, “Now is Christ! risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.” Reader, have you ever found your own unbelieving heart, like that of Thomas’s, slow to give cre dence to what your Redeemer has said to you and done for you? Do you often forget what sweet accents of pardon you once heard fall from his sacred lips? Have you often called in question tlie promises once applied to your sinking soul ? If so, you are as faithless and un to claim. I had a good father and mother, who I believe belonged to that chosen few. They talked to me a great deal about the goodness ot God and the ■well-being of my soul.-— This would often cause serious im pressions on my mind, and I would make promises to do better time and again, and it seemed to me I did worse and worse. I always thought I would get religion after I was married, if there was any such thing as religion. I feel like I know that there is, for I believing as he. Are you waiting ! there ever was a soul in this to see your Redeemer with you^ Ican witness feelings Avith natural eyes, and to thrust your! lean, when hand into his wounds? “Oh thou | over the dear communications of little faith ! wherefbre didst thou ' Landmarks. When I got doubt?’’ Did lie not find you when ! fiist I could hardly help from lost in a waste howling wilderness, I tears ; it seemed it Avas the Avounded by the Avayside, and bind ^^*^0 blessed paper my dear old fa- up your wounds, pouring in the North Carolina Avine of consolation? Did he not brother Temple. I have a large supply your present Avants, and i made of his papers noAV and I promise to see to all your future wel-I ^ great deal of them; they fare through your pilgrimage? i were more consolation to my poor “ What more can he say than to you he hath ! anything else while the said, i Avar Avas going on. My veiy deal* You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled]” 'friends, I can see and feel I was Do you search his holy Avord called to •witness my sins Avhen I often to find Avhat he has said' was nothing you may say but a about you and to you, to see if you ^ child. When about tAvelve years old I “ Can light on some sweet promise there, had a snake bite on my right lia-nd. Some sure support against despair.” It was a very poisonous reptile, and Like doubting Tliomas, the writer uiy father and mother thought I such a strange statement Avas too much for the reason of the doubtintr disciple to comprehend or believe. “ Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I Avill not believe.” Poor doubting mortal! He had, doubtless, read in the prophets of the coming Mos- graves. He had doubtless felt the shock of earth Avben the angel descended and rolled the stone aAvay, and lighted the earth with liis presence. The mothers in Israel and the dis ciples bad seen the empty tomb, and Avitb their own eyes had seen their risen Lord and beheld tlie Avounds of the nails and the spear. (John, 20:20.) They testify these things to Thomas, but the neAA's is too good, too strange and startling for poor doubting Thomas to be lieve Avithout both seeing and feel ing for himself. But Avhen lie Avas brought into the presence of his often calls in question his interest in the Redeemer’s blood, but does not doubt its efficacy Avhere applied. He often feels like a sinking Peter, but, thanks be to God, in his ex tremity be has, hitherto, found the Saviour near enough to reach out His baud and save. “Lord, increase our faith.” Open our understand- ing that Ave may understand the | a dying soul to ask a father ? Know Scriptures concerning thy Son our | ing his child was wicked like other Saviour, our interest in his blood, | children, ought he to have told it he and our duty to him and to one an-1 thought it Avould go to heaven? I other, and to reach the hand of | think not. He made no answer to faith even to thy Avounds. | his fast dying child. The room Avas I. N. VANMETER. • quite crowded, all mingling teai-s of Avould die, and I also thought so.- They sent for the best physician they could get, but they gave all hop^-sup,' I would be very sure to die after all was done that eould be. And as I thought I Avas about breathing out my last expiring breath, I asked ray father where did he think I Avould tro. Oh, was not that a hard question fur Coal Bank, Cooper Co., Mo., > August 11th, 1869. \ Dear By-other Bodenhamer :—It has been on my mind for a long Avhile to Avrite a few lines for the brethren and sisters to read. Do not think hard of one that does not belong to the church for calling you brother, for if there ever was a dear people tome in. this world, it is what they : grief with him. After I got Avell he I said that was one of the hardest que.s- tions he ever had. And though 1 Avent on in sin, thinking Avhen I got older I AA’ould get religion, for I had more than I could think on then, for I kncAV my soul was filled up Avith sin too much to attempt lo try to mix with God’s AA'orks. So I Avent on about three years more, when I had a spell of typhoid fever, and -was
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 15, 1869, edition 1
6
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