II
Z 1
’"8 L A A 1) M A E K 8
WlLLIAMSXOfi, N. C., }
Doceuiber, 1869. ^
Dear jIuotmek Bodeniiamek A
Rierry Gbristmas to you ! I liopc
voui’ soul is feasting and your
; i icnds arc merry around you. How
!ikc you the manna whicli came
And brought you to love bis groat name.
What was there in you that could merit es
teem,
Or give the Creator delight,
’Twas “ even so Father ” ! .you ever must.,sing,
“ Because it seemed good-in thy sight.”'
1st Peter iP: 3. Try
another drauglit, and another, it
will do you no harm. It is the
(Epliesians 1:18,) do yon nofr prai.se*
God that you can ‘'‘see-Jesus, who
Avas iuade a.little-lower than the-
feast of the Passover Lamh, Avhicli |anggl3 for the suffering of death,,
is sttcrificed for, us. Therefore said i crowned with.glory and honor ;;.that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
Jown from heaven and the good old | wlio.soever helieveth in him should
wine of Gospel grace? Are you ; not perish, hut have everla&'ting
not greatly rejoiced., and docs notjlife.” John 3:16. '^'‘Herein is
your heart leap for joy and feel mer-1 ‘love,’ not that ‘we loved’ God-, hut
God so‘loved’ the world", that | one, “ Het us-keep the feast, not
with old leaven.,;. neither Avith the
leaven of malice and A'Aickedness,
but Avith the unleavened' bread of
sincerity and truth.” 1st Cor. 5
T, 8. “Whoso eateth mv fiesli and.
'he, by the
I V before the Lord ?
1 undersfand yon dwell in tliat
that ‘ho loved us’ and'sent his.Son | drinketh my blood hatli eternal life
inountain Avhere fchc Loi'd of hosts 1st John 4:10.- “Behold Av-hat
God, Bhouhh
taste death for every man?’’ Ileb.
2:9. Do yonnotsaethe “fattliing.s’-’’
to ho the propitiation foroursins.”
i util made a feast of fat thing.?, a | manner of ‘love’ the Father hath
♦ f'just of Avines on the lees-; of fat
things full of marrow, of wines, on
■ the lees. Avell refined. Isaiah 2u : G.
..And that he ha.s commanded you
..a::d your cornpaoion.s, sa.ying, luit,
(.>, i'riends ; drink, yea drink abun-
•dantly, 0 beloved. Songs 5 : 1.
I suppo.se you do not fall to obey
■titio injunction., but being hungry
and thirsty, (Matthc.Av 5 : 6) fall to,
witii a free good Avill and partake
ci the dainties spread helbre-you.
I understand you, have some
uijhes on your table of the. richest
bestowed upon us, tliat we should
be called the sons of God!”' 1st
John 3:1. “ Every one that
loveth is born of G-od.’’ 1st John
L : 7. “ WliosoeA'er is born aft God
dofrh not commit sin; for his-seed
’.•einaineth in him ; and he cannot
.sin, because he is horn of God.”
],st John 3 : 9.
Nothing can separate SfUG-h an
one “ fi‘om the ‘love’ of God, Avhicli
i.3-in Clirist Jesua our Lord.”
mans 8-: 38, 39. Angels, princi
palities and powers must all fail in
i.epast. One is said to be called j
“ IGcrnal Love,” another “God’s
G;ace,” another “Holy Calling,” Itheuish'
heavenh'" union,
Thus, as to ois'E of
a:.Ollier “Salvation is of the Lord,”
another “Imputed Eigiiteousuess,”
.'UiOiIjcr “The, Apostle’s Doctrine,”
a.;;-olher “EelloAvsliip,” three others,
euiled “Faith,.liojic a,ud Ciiarity,”
teguther AA'itii a vast number of
eiiieis, ti. 0 tedious to mention now.
With the fatness of these dishes,
I think your soul must he madelat;
i 0S.
But Avliat are in,tho.so A'cssels of
and L wmII rai,se him up , at the la.sl
day,” saith our Lord. John 6:64
Let me encourage you then, my
brother, to signalises this merry.
Christmas, by “keeping tlio Feast”
—1)3^'eating and'dri'nki'ng, “Chris-t
a n d' h i m cr u ci fi ed ” -—h}’" s w al 1 o w i'n g;
doAA’iA the .solemn truths and rich
promises of the gospel. You may
sing and Avelcorae. Sing Psalms
and make melody in.y’pur heart to
the- Lord;. Ephe.si'ans- 5:19. God
hath said,. “-Let the in.habitants of
tlie-rock sing, I” Isaiah And
saitli tlie Psalmist, “Sing unto him,
sing P.salras unto him, talk yc of
all his Av-ondrons Avorli.” Psalms
lOo-.-T'. “Sing unto the Lord a new
song.'
O
Psalms o.jm.
O O; O
gold there? 1st Kings 1,0 : 21.
You haAm surely noticed tliose and
tlicir contents-. I am informed,thev
I also understand that in thi.s
m/fiu*>Aiiiin, spoken of before, God
destroys “the face ot the covering
ca.s't- oA'cr ail people, and the veil
that is spread over all nations.”
to AA’hich- this “3-very man’,’ in.
Christ m-entitled,.,of, Avliom lie says-
he is not-asliamed to-call brethren?”
Hebrews- 2:11.
I farther learn th.at in thi.s moun
tain spoken of, Gosh“Ayill .svvallow-
np death in victory ; and the Loid
God AAull wipe away- tears from off
all faces; and tlio rebuke of his-
people snail he take aAvay from ofil'
all tlie oarth.” Isaiah 25:8.
I reallA’ desire to rejoice Avith yon,,
and rendor thank.s to our hcaveniv
Father for such I'ic'n di.3p!ays of di
vine favor. May I seek, a place at
your side, and prai.se God, “avIio
hath saved us and called us, not
according to our AVork.Sj.but accordi-
ing to lii.s own purpose and grace,
Avhich. Avas given us in.Christ Jesus
before-the AYorld began, hut is uqav
made manifest by tlie ap[)earing of
onr Saviour Jesus Clirist, Avho hatli
abolished death ,a.nd hath brouglit
life and immortality tolightt!iron.gli
the go.spel.” 2 Timothy 1:9, 10.
are filled Avith wine., “ Wines on ! 2'5:7'. ulnd this is something
the lees,” I think it is called.,, ] ™ore to he merry ahont. A^merry
For von
I would lilce to be seated Avith you
in the - banquetting house of our
Redeemer and behold the banner of
suppose it has been, standing j Ghi istmas-to you indeed I
tile “ lees-” from eternitAg and is
luf it seemeth to me impossiuie for j P^'ceious, sparkling ;
.sinner to eat one of them without;
and rich—a] wavs old-
-os ncAv
grewiBg iu grace ««d in the saving !*«««
hno-.’i iehgc ot o-jr Lord and Saviour i oioD
Gil ACE.”
Jesus Ciii'ist, 2,il Peter 3 : 18.. j vessel of this Avinc, it is said,
What Avili you doAvith all of them, I ' Ql’dckened into life. —
my brother, AA’lien one of them seems called, “ JJy grace are
.sufiicient for a day,a Ave.ek, a mouth |.f^aiiotner “Kept bje the
• 1 ^ oiiv i”
? For instance, the one I God, another “ hiealed
called “ Fternal Lov.e,” cannot 1 : Spirit, anotliej’ ‘‘I ear not
"tjunk, be exhausted soon. It is GLLe'flock, another “ Old things
ciiid “ God is love.” 1st John 4,; 8. 'P'^s.sed away,” another “ All
'God c.visted eternally. God then ' become neiv,” another
Hoved etcrnalP. He could n,ot love, j “ Atoning Facrifico, emother
‘Av'ithout an object to love. Tliat
“ B1 e e d i n g L a m b, ’ ’ a n 01 h e r “ W a s 11 -
>oh:ect Avas Christ and all those who
’A',.ere in him. fcjo ho loved liis peo-
''j;lo in Ciii'ist before the Avorld be-
’..gan — that is, eternally. Therefore
it is declared, “I have loved thee
ed us in his blood,” another “Kings
and priests to. God” !. and many
othcis unnecessary to mention now.
Noat, brother. B., try either one
are in the place, in ray opinion,
Av-herc the covering of false teach
ing arid tiie veil of igno’’ance is de-
strovedl Where nature’s night is
dispelled and wdiere the moon and
star.s of the legal'dispensation dis--j
appear; AYhere-the sun of righte
ousness ariseth with healing in his
Avings—Avliero the light of divine
truth .sliines, and where many of
those-Avho have long sat in darkness
.see great light, and' to those who
Avere in the region and shad'ow of
deatli light is sprung up. Matthew
4:16.
And if the A'"eil of the temple is
rent in tAvain from the top to the
bottom, as Ave are informed it is,
Avhat hinders you now from peeping
over i'nto tlie Holy of Holies and
seeing plaini3W)ur great High Priest
of these vessels. Do not fear fro j and his oblation, the Lamb of God
AA.’ith an everlasting lOA'-e,. therefore drink, or to drink dec[)]3'. This]—the bloody sweat—the offering
wyith loving kindness, have I. dra,wn
Thee.” Jer. 31
lus lo.vc, from clcrntt.y fixed upon you,
Brol;c lorlli aud discovered ils liaoie,
•"AVlitii each wiili liie,cords of his. kiudness he
drrAV,
wine doth not into.xicate—it dctli - and the Priest, and the.holy incense
not poison—it doth iio.t derauge-
arising-to God as a sweet-smelling
it hath no dregs. Just taste and ! savour ? • If the . atII of ignorance
see that the Lord is good. Psalms
34 : 8. IJuio. such 1. think, he
IS
is taken aAAm}^ and the -eyes of 3mur
love unfurled above ■ our heads-.
Songs 2:4.. Can it bo that any such
poor, ,sinft:I mortal a,si am can have
such hope in Christ—can be thus
Avashc.d, cleansed, pardoned, sealed
and made like Jacob “ to ride on.,
the high places ot the earth, that he
might eat tlie increase of the fields
to suck honey out of the rock aud,
oil out of the flinty rock?” Deut.
32:13. Tlien
“O for such love, let roct.s aud hilis
Their lastiiit;' silence break,
Aiul all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour’s praises speak.”'
Allow me to rejoice with }mu,.
bfo’thcr Bodenliamcr, that the Lord,
hath made bai’O his arm and made -
his power knoAvn to many poor souls
during the year about to close. The
yoar 1869 hath AAdtnessed the going
forth of God’s ministers,, typified
by an..angel dying in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gos-.
pel to preach unto them that dAA’ell
on the earth, and. to ever_y natioii
and kindred and tongue aud people...
Revelations 14:6.
Perhaps never before since my
uoders.tanding-. are enlightened; f acq uaintance, with G.od’:s heritage,
-f-
f ‘
I
->-t
T—1