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S L A N D M A II K S'.
[From the Chrlstisn Dcctrinal Advocate, J844.J
Dear Brotitei^ Jewett :—All is
■well. A'oii I find are yet upon the
^\■atch tower, battling- for the cause of
triitli and righteousness, and likely to
be sustained there; while we of the
tSouth find the same Omnipotent hand
stretched out to- lead, to uphold, and
carry us onward to victory and
triumpli over the hosts of the enemy,
through the gTace that was given
us in Christ Jesus l)eforo the- world
began.”
Clioer up, my bother, and ensour--
age the “ remnant according to tlia
election of uraco” to stand with their
battle bow and firmly gird their ar
mor on. For their Prince will come,
to scatter the marshalled hosts of
Apollyon’s empire, and take ven
geance on them that know not God.
'• Truth is migh.ty and will pre
vail.” Proclaim it from the house
top, preach it from tlie pulpit, and
.scatter it from the jiress. Penetrate
it must bv the sanction of the Al
mighty the darkest corncrof the earth,
and the .still darker cluuuber.s of man’s
soul, until it .shall bring forth Judg-
r.iout unto victory.
The signs of these times may
in-
too to bo done by His own power
and according to liis own purpo.se.
Yf e may fall on the battle field and
our cluldren after us to many gener
ations, as. an , obscure and scattered
people as we nmv are, and without
much outward manifestation in our
favor to strengtlien us, wdiile we walk
by faith and not by sight. And
moreover the time Avill come in my
opinion, when the outward manifes
tation shall be different from what it
now is—-a time when God will so in
terpose as to make bare His arm in
bclmlf of his people—convince of sin
and convert the souls of men to a
knowledge of the truth as it is in
Jesus—-burn up the groves of Belial,
throw down the altars of Pagans and
destroy the temples of Antichrist;
and so- strike disinay and terror into
the hearts of the remnant, that they
shall go. backward and fail before the
advancing progress of the Church,
who, arrayed in the beautiful gar
ments of Salvation, shall march on
ward and still onward, “looking forth
as the mo-rning, clear as the sun,, fair
as tlie moon, and terrible as an army
with baiinersA And Christ shall
come to reign with her on earth a
3icj?.t/g indeed, that the Protestant
.Epi.scopal daughter will again seek
shelter in the house of h-er Popi.sh
motlier, and that most of iior Protes-
tiuit .sisters will unite with her in
putting in their claims to the same
inheritance. Yet what of all that,
the foundation of God “staudeth sure,
having this seal, tha Lord knoweth
them that are his.” He will sift
them, as wheat, and gather the pre-
(;ious from the vile. He will gather
the wheat into his garner, but the
chaff he will burn with fire unquench-
ai)le. Truth and error cannot be
pouaded together in a mortar, like as
mi apotliecary docs hi,s drugs. They
arc intrinsically opposite and distinct,
in nature, and can never be mcorpo-
rated so as to m>ake but esae. Truth
and error may bo- brouglit near each
other—and a man in the same dis
course may give out a portion of one
and a portion of the oilier, and yet
the truth will stand by itself and no.t
mix with its opposite. It not unfre-
quently appears to better advantage
by the contrast, as a ruby in a rub
bish heap.
I have no more doubt of God’s
governing the Universe, morally and
sjiiritually—His salvation of the
righteous and the destruction of proud
.■spirited Antichriivt, than I have of
the stability of His throne ; and this
thousand years
C. B. TIASSEI.L.^
Circular Letter of the Keliukee Baptist
Association, 18'20.
The member;? that corapo.se the Ive-
hukeo Baptist Association to the
churches they represent :
Beeoyed Bretiirex and vSisters:
lYe shall lay before you a lew of our
thoughts on the duty of the ministers
to the church or churches. 2d, the
duty of the church or churches to the
minister or ministers. 3d, the good
effect ]:>roduced by a discharge of duty
on both Darts.
X
In the fii’st place, we believe it is
tlic duty of the minister to devote the j
whole of his time, to the various
functions- of the ministry. In proof
of this, takethe following Scripturesr
Paul to Timothy, 4rh and 13th:—
Till I come, give attendance to read'-
God. He should be true to all bis
appointments, letting nothing but
providential interposition prevent
him. He should conduct himself
meekly, quietly, and atfcctionatehu
He should visit them when sick, as
often as possible. He sbonld labor-
in a kind way to reclaim backsliders.
He should be watchful for the truth,
and fiiitliliil in preaching it; always
on tlie look out for error and promp-t
to give notice of its approach. He
should be ready to relieve ncces.sity,
according to bisability, either in .saint
or sinner. If any brother or sister is
in a situation to render them unable
to go to preaching, he ought to visit
regularly all such. He oaglit to-set
good examples; such as even and sober
conduct, a patient and unruffled tem
per; a meek, quiet, contented and
cbeerfid spirit; and true and judicious
words; for bad exam]iles will bring
reproach upon himself, or lead the
church into disorder.
2d. The duty of the church or
churches to their minister; we believe
it is the duty of the church, whenever
they call in a minister to attend them
as pastor, (or in any other way) to
enable him to attend them without
leaving his family to suffer for the
cortifoi*t;s of life. Yfhen
our Lord had called his twelve-dls-
ciplc.s-. unto him, and sent them out to
preach, klatt. 10th chap. He told them
in the Kehukee Association have had
their Ksefnlness curtailed, (if not de
stroyed,) becan.se the churcheB have
failed to do-their diiity tov/ards thorn.
As the deacons ofthe-churches are
the proper personsdo-attend to this
matter, that is t© receive, and hand
over to the- minister, the contribution
of the church,., Avie AvouJd say to you,
brethren de.acons, remember the ra?-
ponsibility that rests upon you, and
also the premise to you it you use
your officQ Avell. Fc-r says Paul to
Tim>othy: “They that have used
the office of a deacon well, purchase.
to themselves a good degree, and.
great boldness In the faith, AThich'
is ill Christ Jesirsv” But docs that
verse 9th: “ProAude neither gold or
ing, to exhortation, todoetrine. 14tlf,
Heglect not the gift that is in thee,
Ac. 15th, Meditate upon’tlicse things,
gUe thyself AA’holly to them, that thy
profiting may appear to- all.” He
should undertake, and continue in
the ehurch’s service. He should
neither expressnor Avithhold anything
AAdiateA-er trom personal motiA-es. But
preach, exhort,, reprove, rebuke, ac
cording to the honest dictates of his
conscience, regulated by the Avord of
silver, nor braas in your purses; Verse
10th, For scrip for your jouruey;
neither tAvo coats, neither shoes,,nor
yet staAWS, for the Avorliman is Avorthy
of his meat.”—This abundantly
proves, that they Avere to be suppor
ted, or fed and clothed. Again, 1st
Corinthians, 9th and 7th: “Who
voeth a Avarfare at any. time, at his
OAvncharges; whoplanteth avincyard,
and eateth not of the fruit thereof;
or Avho feedeth a flock and eatetli not
of the milk of the ffbek?” “Let him
that is taught in the Avord, communii-
cate to him that teacheth in all good
things.”' Galatian.s-,, 6th and 6th. The
above passages fully proA-e, that it is
the duty of the churches to support
their preachers.
But some perhaps Avill say, it Avill
not do to give preachers any thing,
for it will make them proud and de
stroy their usefulness. If you have
such an opinion as this of any preaeh-
er in the bounds of tfee Kehuke« As-
.sociation, our advice is to give him
him plenty, and get him out ©f the
way. But AA-e belie\'e, instead afthat
being the case, many ®f the miavisters
deacon, who neA-er-inquires ink) the
situation of his minister in life, nor
contributes any thing to him, use the
officQ of a deacon AA^ell ? Y’^ou knoAv
not. O brother deacons, aAvake to
A'ou-r duty. Hxamin® closely into
the rituation of your minister, and if
you find he has need c-f any of the
comforts c/f life, you should inform
the rest of the bsethreui. and sister.®?,
and call on them to administer to
his necessitie.s.
It is also the duty of the members
of tbiS church, to visit the preacher
AA'heu sk‘k: to give heed to, and l>e
obedient to his reproofs, and adniou-
itioijs, .so far as they are scriptural,
and jetpirccl. or deserved by the
church: to attend all their meetings;;
to AYatcb over him for good; they
should esteem him AAdien sound,
faithful, and e.2?derly: and deal gen
tly, bnt faithfully, Avith him for error,
in doctrine- or practice; they ought to
rectify his- mistakes, but do it Avith
caation. The good effects of such
conduct, betAveeu a minister and liis
flock, will be to him, a healthy state
in preaching; Avill be productive of
more life, more animation; more zeal,
more devotion, more knowledge, and
skill in the mivsteries of the gosjiel,
more lidit and comfort in expound-
iug the scripturc.s; less Avorldly
miiKledncss,,and more gladness in
meeting the church. To the ciiurch
it AAull proA'C, a source of increased
affection to tlieir- ministers, more con
fidence, more edification, a richer ta
ble of gospel food, a more tender re
gard for the cause of God, and the
honor of religion; more scriptural
mindedniss, and heavenly minded
ness; less love of the Avorld, and more
o-entleness, moderation, meekness,
humility, more-light to the Avorld,
and more beauty and excellence and
glory in religion. But Avhen the