166
ZION’S LANDMARKS
of sinners, is evidently in love with
the world, and not with the church.
And of such the apostle says, “The
love of the Father is not in them.’’—
I am of the opinion that a minister
must be taught in a school before he
can bo qualified to preach the gospel,
but Christ must be the teacher.—
Wlicn meirteach men how to preach,
they Aviil always make preachers for
tlie world, and the world will bless
them. Some say that a man, when
called to preach, can preach better to
the learned by being sent to school,
and taught. But “the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus” teaches
the same language to all its subjects.
But say some. Send your children to
Sunda)^ school, and teach them ear
ly to love God. A man may 1)0
taught in all the learning of Egypt,
and be as ignorant of God’s love as
was Pharaoh. But the Sunday
ScIk^oI is called the nursery for the
church. Well then, Christ is re
lieved of cherishing his bride.—
These teachers have often made me
heartsick. But I hope that I bless
and adore the name of God, that his
counsel shall stand and he will do all
his pleasure. “All that the Father
p-iveth me shall come to me.” ISTot
o
by preaching, but in a way they
know not, and in paths they have
not known. God alone can lead
tbem, and he alone can make dark
ness light before them, and crooked
things straight. And his promise is
that these things he will do unto
theni, and not forsake them. When
it pleases him to call a wise man, he
leads him in this way; and when he
(alls a fool, he leads him in no other
way ; and they both walk the same
strait and nari’ow way; but Christ
must be the Leader. This class of
siiiners are saved by grace, and are
denominated the flock of God which
Christ has purchased with his own
blood. And the Elders are com
manded to feed them. They are to
be fed by the gospel. Hence life
and immortality are brought to light
through the gospel. But where God
has not quickened the sinner, there
is no life nor immortality, and it is
impossible for the gospel to bring
anything to light that does not ex
ist, This life is given by the voice
of Christ. “The words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life.” This is not done on ac
count of preaching, but it is done be
cause he quickeneth whom he Viull,
So I understand that the gospel con
tains all the precious promises of
Christ to his people, and that every
gift of the church is for the edifica-
tion of the body of Christ, for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work
of the ministry, and not one promise
is there of evangelizing the world.—
How, say some, is the work to be >
carried on ? Just as God has always j
carried it on. I have to confess
that if I do love the world, I don’t
want to love it, for I have suffered
much persecution from it, though 1
have sometimes been enabled to re
joice in the midst of these persecu
tions. I desire to have fellowship
with the Father, and with his Son
Jesus Clirist. And I would, if I
could, comfort the Lord’s dear chil
dren, and if I am led by the Spirit
and power of God, and enabled to
preach the gospel, I arn sure that I
shall live of it, and not by the dol
lars and cents I may receive from it.
But if it will save, comfort and sup
port the Lord’s people, it hath been
ordained that if I preach it, I shall
also live of it. Some say that the
preaching of the gospel is what
epu’ekens the dead sinner. I under
stand that sinners arc brought to a
knowledge of the truth now, in the
same manner that they have always
been. God adds to the church daily
such as shall be saved. Faith com-
eth by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God. This is that Word of
the Jjord that endureth for ever, and
is the Word which by the gospel is
preached unto you. When this
Word gives hearing, and this hearing
brings faith, then the individual is in
a condition to hear the gospel.—
Hence it is to him a source of com
fort ; it is glad tidings indeed. Some
claim great honor in the matter, but
we have this treasure in earthen ves
sels, that the excellency of the power
might be of God, and not of man.—
God is the Husbandman ; the man
is the vessel, and at best is only a ves
sel of mercy, upon whom the riches
of!>-race has been made- known.—
Then the Husbandman prepares the
soil. lie knows wFen the seed falls
by the wayside, or on stony ground,
or among thorns, or in good soil. I
say, God knows where the seed falls;
but the vessel knows nothing of the
soil. The Lord has made the good
and honest heart, and it will bring
forth its full quantity. But what
honor hath the vessel ? I answer,
Hone. God prepares the soil, sows
the seed, and gives the increase.—
The Lord’s ministers would never
preach if they could have ease with
out. Then what honor is due to the
vessel ? It would always hold the
treasure if the Husbandman did not
force it to let it go. T^ea, it becomes
as fire in the bones. But this work
of God goes on, by his grace, and
will go on as long ns time shall last,
until the last member of the mystical
bodv of Christ is born of the Spirit.
God’s ministers will do well if they
will feed the flock of God. God has
chosen his people out of the world,
and hence the Avorld will stand until
the last heir of promise is manifested
in the Spirit. Then the world will
be found just as it is now, still wor
shiping and wondering after the
beast. God said he would take his
people from among the heathen,
whithersoever the} be gone ; but no
promise to take the heathen. He
calls them by his voice, independent
of all human agencies. Hot only
so, but he will bring them contrary
to their wishes, just as he brought
Israel out of Egypt. But when
they are delivered, then they can, as
did Israel of old, sino; a song unto the
Lord.
/
hear from you again. If I have said
anything in error, I pray the Lord
to pardon it; and if I have said any
thing tliat wounds one of the Ijord’A
dear children, I pray God to heal the
wound. Finally, I pray God to
bring all his people to his own dear
Zion, and give them pastors to feed
them, and may they bo permitted to
sit down in safety. And may he be
as a wall of fire round about them,
and the glory in the midst, and may
thev be enabled to read his inspired
word, believe the truth, and stand
approved at last, I hope is ray sin
cere desire for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Yours in Christ, I trust,
ISAAC S. COOH.
Brother Gold, have I said too
much ? I don’t kno\v when to stop
W'iting upon this glorious plan of
God, so independent, yea, it is in
deed absolute; it works its own
work, it writes its owm law, it keeps
its own history, there are no condi
tionals in it. The Lord says, “I will
write my law in their minds, and
print them in their hearts. I will
be to them a God, and they shall be
to me a people.” Then indeed is all
boas'ing excluded by the law of faith.
Missionaries may boast of the much
good they have done, but I suppose
that to-day no nation on the earth
can boast of more false gods than can
the United States. Her people have
with one accord, wdth the exception
of a chosen few, knelt at the shrine
of idolatry, of these false gods, and
the result to-dav shows that her land
is covered in mourning, from Maine
to California, and it is, in ray judg
ment, onlva union in name, and the
Sunday School seems to have been
the place to nourish and fan this
hateful spirit. But God w'ill be
glorified, for he will save his people.
The Missionaries may, and doubtless
will carry the world, but God’s pro
mise, and the foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal, The
Lord knoweth them that are his.
My brother, I hope you will par
don my trespassing so long on your
patience. I would be pleased to
Spahta, a. C., July Tt'., 1870.
Dkau Bkotiieti Bodkxhamku —I liavw
concluded to trouble you and your read
ers once more, if the Lord will be my
helper, for I know I cannot do anytliing
within myself, so far as.spiritual Israel
is concerned, for I have no worth or
;nerit of my own—it is all of God, and
not from frail worms of the dust. A'ou
will see Ephesians 5th chajjter and 1st
verse: Be ye therefore fo lowcrs of God,
as dear children. Dear brethren, we
have to pass through great tribulation
to enter the kingdom of heaven. Inas
much as we have it to bear, let us bear
it with patience and look unto Jesus
Christ for our reward, whieii will be in
the end or i u the world to come. There
will be no sorrowing, no pain, nor no
thing to molest our peace there. It will
be joy, joy to you. Then my brethren,
let us wait with patience, and not run
lest you be weary in so doing. If it is
God’s will for you to push forward, then
you can go and it will not be vrearisonm
to you. Children are apt to fret when
there is no use of it, in the flesh, but in
a spiritual sense they are cast down and
do not wish to fret, for fear they will
be cast off as evil doers. AVherever you
see one he seems to look meek and
humble, fearful to speak lest he will
hurt some one’s feelings. This is th«
way the chikh’cn of God are. So, ray
Father’s clii'dren, let me beseech yon
that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called, with all low
liness and meekness. This, my bre
thren, is the way for children to do, tso
obey their parents in all things, tka,
my dear brethren, let us wait with pa
tience. Do not grieve for the ’ong stay
we have to journey here. It is but a
short time after .all, though we may
think it is long. Though it may be ever
so bitter while wo sojourn here, let us
walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us. Here the cpiestion might be asked
by some one. What use is this, and doee
it not mean the whole human family?
I say no. My answer is, it is the church
of Christ. When Paul wrote to th«
Ephesian church he wrote to the bre
thren or members of that church. He
did not write to the whole community
around that church ; if he had he would
not have directed the letter simply to tb«
church. And in the same like maunejj
our Saviour came down in thia eiir-