ZION’S LANDMARKS.
181
sonsideration of God’s purpose that
Adam transgressed, nor was he mov.ed'
to the act by the spirit of the Lord’,,
hut the fact of man’s falling from liis
first state being left to his will slieuld
prove an everlasting Blast* to that
doctrine of free will which is so pop
nlar in the world, for if Adam’s free
will led him and his posterity into the
difficulty, it is not likely that free will
will now lead us' out. No, we may
as well I’ely upon the devil as upon
the will of sinners, who will to do
Satan’s lusts. But, as we said above,
sin cannot stand in the way of God’s
purpose, for, although sin is almost
as old as time, yet we find that God’s
purpose and grace is older, and in
this case the elder shall not serve the
younger, as Arminians suppose. That
covenant or promise made to Abra
ham (Gen. 17:8) was a transcript of
a covenant which was confirmed be
fore of God in Christ (see Gal. 3:17i)
and if the law which was four hun
dred and thirty years after could not
disannul God’s promise to Abraham,
then how can the law and sin which
dates only from Adam make null
God’s promise and grace, which dates
from eternity. Truly hero is^strong
consolation for the tempted and tried
saints of God, who sec another law'
in their members Avarring against the
law of their mind, and Bringing them
in captivity to the laAV of sin, Avhich
is in their membeis. (E.omans 7:23.)
Oh reader, do you feel that you have
been a sinner all your life long, and
that you have not been worthy of the
least of all God’s mercies ! Have
you felloAvship for-David when he says
“mine iniquities are gone over mine
head as an heavy burden ; they are
too heavy for me, I am troubled,
I am bo'wed doAvn greatly, I go
mourning all the day long, for
my loins are filled Avith a loath
some disease, and there is no sound
ness in my flesh, I am feeble and sore
broken, I have roared by reason of
the disquictness of my heart.” (Psalm
88:4-8.) 0, David, if such is your
state Avhere is your hope ? Tn thee
0 Lord do I hope, thou Avilt hear 0
Lord my God. (Verse 15.) What,
DaA’id, shall the Lord hear frora you?
Avill you speak of your good works?
nay I aauII declare mine iniquity; and
will you also rejoice in your mic[uity?
nay I Avill be sorry for my sin.
(Verse 187; Hence Ave perceive that
David’s hope aacxs in the Lord, that
is, in his purpose and grace, accord
Avhich Ghrist was delivered, crucified,
and arose from the dead,, by the
Avhich will Ave are sanctifiedi through
the efiering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all (Heb. Ii0:10,) and
by the one offering-he hath perfected
forever! them thap are sanctified.
(Verse 14.) Noav I ask did God’s ab
solute counsel or purpose that his
people should bo saved, preclude the
need of the- offering of Christ, by
AA'hich.they are redeemed from all
iniquity ? or should aa'C not rather
conclude Avith the Scriptures that the
offering of Christ AAms-the means that
the Lather hath devised for the ac
complishment of his purpose ? That
there are other subordinate means of
salvation w'c do not question or
doubt; for instance, the Spirit’s call
ing and AYork, AAdth all that results
therefrom, the repentance, faith and
holy character of the saints^. With
out these none could be saved, and
predestinarians arc as Avell aAvare c-f
this as others. But these, AA'ith every
other necessary thing, must be de
rived from the atonement of Clmst,
and originally from God’s purpose,
according to AA'hich the saints are
ing to Avhich he and all saints are
saved and called, and in pursuance of
both, saved and called, as expressed
in our text. Noaa', reader, aaHI you
beholds the orderly AA'alk cf the saints..
Oh, Ave may Avith great admiration
Avitness the obedience of the Lord’s
people, and,exhort them to press for-
AA'ard, but aa'c should rejoice more
that they have been, called to such
obedience. Here L Avill stand.and
rejoice Avith .y.ou for. a Avhile, in vicAV
of .the fact, that the saints are as of-
Lectually called by the Spirit as the
Y^orlds- AA'cre framed by the Avord of
God. But noAV let us take a step
back.to the cross, upon Avhich Christ
expired under the Aveight of our, sins.
Here ag,An Ave Avill stand and avou-
der, gaze and admire, that so glorious
a personage should die for such filthy
AAmrms as avc are.. Could such an
event result from a consideration that
we Avere, or of ourselves Avould be
holy ? No, verily cur holiness, if aa'c
had had any, AA'ould have superceded
the need of any such a thing. Then,
reader, as you look at Christ as, ex
piring upon the cross, remember it
was not because Ave AA'cre, hut it Avas
that AA'C should be holy, for by that
sacrifice our sins, Avere put aAvajq and
if sOj then it is not true that our sins
remain, to be put aAA'ay by some sac
rifice of our OAvn._ But noAv for a
little AA'hile let our minds pass from
the cross and go back to eternity,
and there Ave .behold God’s eternal
purpose and his sovereign and un
changing 16ve for its basis,, and? from
these have resulted the- dbath- of
Christ, and the consequent'exemption
of his people from the penalty, of the
law ; yea, from God’s unchanging
love and purpose have resulted the
call of his people, their repentance,
faith, and every other good thing
that Ave have beheld in this world.
Hence-in the light of God’s revealed
Avord, with the teaching of his Spirit,.
Ave may perceive a harmonious train
of events, all resulting from God’s
purpose, and all tending to the salva
tion and final glorification of his
chosen. And'noAV, Christian reader,,
keep your mind steadily upon these
things, and no man shall spoil you
through philosophy and vain do’eeit,
after the traditions of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ. I design soon to bring this
communication to a close. I Avould
like to treat briefly upon the evidences
of an holy-caliing, as I know it is a
point of great-concernment Avith each
individual saint, Avhether they have
been called of the Lord. Reader,
have you any special concern about
j this m-attei’? if so, it is the .Lord that
'Las called you to that concern. Do
you hunger and thirst after righte
ousness ?'if' so, this is an evidence
that the Lord has called yeu from
death unto life, for the dead neither
hunger nor thirst;. Ah, you say, I
do greatly desire to he free from sin;
nothing Avould afford me- so much
plea,sure as to live the life of an obe
dient Christian, but alas ! .1 am so
prone to evil that if miy action is re
strained, nry mind is - often light^
foolish and vain, so that I greatly
fear. I am not one of the calls.:! of
the Lord. Here let nre I'omind.'you
that satan perverts everything that
he is permitted to handle; I knoAV
I that he AA’Ould persuade you that
I your feeling sense of your oaa'u un-
j Avorthiriess, your dark and dreary
seasons of gloom and depression are
OA’idences that you have not been
called, bat in fact it is highly neces
sary that you should have such a
AueAY of your OAvn sinful state, and
nothing but the light of God’s spirit
could give you such a view of your
uTiAYorthiness. Hence if such is your
experience, you have been called out
of darkneso into his marvellous light.
Yfhen oursims are set in array before
us, and ayo arc left for a Avhilo to
AA’restle in cur gayu Arminian strength,
Ave soon see that our sins are enemies
too strong for us, and if this Avas not
30 AYe should neither flee to Christ
nor be prepared to honor him for ouiy
deliverance. Then w-cep on, saint,
Avhen the Lord sees it is best for you
to AA'eep he can comfort you at his
pleasure, and will,, for so he hath
promised. If you are in trouble and'
anguish of soul, you should remem
ber that heaven is not here, but in
the world vro shall have tribulation,
Avhichis but a consequence of our sins,
from which-,, together Avith its conse
quences, shall at last be saved, if
indeed Ave have called upon the name
of the Lord. Then to he saA'cd—
Avhat is it ? Hero Ave have sin, in
heaven avc shall have none ; here ayo
often have pain and sorroAYful hearts,
in heaAmn Ave siiall liave neither pain
nor grief; our earthly substance is
liable to forfeiture and- confiscation,
but our treasure in heaven neither
moth nor rust can corrupt, neither
ca'a- thieves break through nor steal ;
here aa'C are bereavehl of parents, and
children, and dear companions, but
there is no bereavement in heaven;
in this-AYorld many of the saints are
poor and hard pressed, oh, Avho but
her can realize: the AvidoAv’s sighs,
Avhen Avith heartrending pity she looks
upon her orphan childfenj. Avliich in
many instances have no visible means
of support! Fcr-the comfort of such
I would say to them, your heavenly
Father knov,'S of your grief, and his
ears are open to your erics, heaven
and earth is his, and the poor and
needy are subjects of his compassion,
moreover he hath declared that no
good thing Avill be AYithheld from
them that walk uprightly. To be
saved, then, is to bo taken out of this
sin-disordered AYorld, and taken to
heaven,, w'herc sighing-cannot enter,
where -the AYcary wdll be at rest, and
Avherc the AA'-icked Avill cease from
troubling. Then if ayo hope for such
salvation, let us adore God’s oayii
purpose and grace, according to AA-hicli
AYC are both saved and called, and
Avliich AYas given us in Christ (not in
Adam) before the Avorld began.
JOHN ROW!
Elder Bodenharaer: — Will you
please inform mo if there is any Prim
itive Baptist Church in Johnson coun
ty, North Carolina, by the name of
Salem, a.nd if so, Avho is the Pastor,
and Avhat is his address ?
J. B. Mattiieays for
S. W. Syiitu.
If any person can give the aboAm
information it Avill he thankfully re
ceived.—El\.