ZION’S LANDMARKS.
181
[Frotq the Primitive Baptist, 1857. J
Dear Brethren and Sisters:—I feel
too unworthy to attempt to write for
the Primitive, hut I have neglected
to pay for my paper, and while w( it-
ing on that business, I thought I
would give you a short sketch of my
experience. If I thought I could
write something that would comfort
God’s children, I should be willing
to try, but wnen I look at myself I
am made to cry out and say,
“I .am a .stranafcr here below,
And what I am ’tis hard to know;
I am 80 viiu, so prone to sin,
1 fear that I’m not born .again.”
When I was young I promised
myself that when I become old I
W’ould get religion; but I think if it
had been left to my choice I must
have sunk to everlasting woe and
misery. At an unexpected time, I
think the Lord showed me what a
helpless sinner I was. I saw, in a
vision, the skies burst, a north east
course, I saw God and his Son com
ing before ; the element looked dark
ened with the saints. I thought
that awful day of judgment had come.
O! I knew I was not prepared to
die! what horror seiied my poor
guilty soul. O! my dear sister-s,
tongue cannot express how awful I
felt; I tried to pray with all the powN
ers of my soul—Lord, have mercy
on me, a poor lost, miserable sinner.
I think I felt like them that will
hear that awful .sentence. Depart, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels ! I then
thought if religion could be liad I
would try and get it. I read, I
prayed, I attended public wm-ship;
but instead of getting better I grew
worse. I would go to hear brother
Ichabod Moore preach, he could tell
my distress better than I could, but
no relief could I find. Amazed I
stood, but could not tell which way
to slum a moving bell, for death
and hell drew near: sometimes dis
tressed very bad and sometimes not.
I would grieve because I wanted to
feel like I heard others say. But I
never shall forget the time I shall
now mention. I thought that awful
day had come, I heard Gabriel blow
the loud alarm, Awake ye nations
under ground. Of all the roaifings,
thunders, lightnings and blazes that
I ever beheld, then it was; I saw the
people gathering, I saw every knee
bow, and I recollect what sad coun
tenances they had, there wa.s not a
part kneeling nor a part sitting np,
all appeared to be engaged in pray
er. Q, what a time of
sorrow It w
to me ! I felt so glad that I was not
in torment! Wlien I awoke up I
was saying these words, Lord, res
member me when thou coraest into thy
kingdom. O, sinner, ifyou read these
few lines, do not say there is no such
thing as revealed religion. Our Sa
viour rejoiced in it, for he said, I thank
thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and re
vealed them unto babes : for it seem
ed good in thy sight. I have a hope
that he revealed himself to me.—
One night when wideawake,I pray
ed that I might find peace to my
troubled soul; I thought the day of
grace was past with me. These
words came in my mind. In me ye
shall have peace. I did not feel as
happy as I had heard others say ; it
was not a voice—I thought all Chris
tians heard a voice. But from that
time I felt distre.ssed about joining
the church ; I was afraid I was de
ceived. I prayed to the Lord that
if I was a Christian to show me a sign
and I would go and join with the
people of God : I was awake and a
light darted before me, and these
words came in ray mind, You are
without spot or blemish before God.
Dear sisters, I felt happy for two
months ; and I could sing this song
from day to day,—
“Come, saints .and sinners, hear me tell
The wonders of Emmanuel,
Who saved me from a burnina: hell.
And brought my soul with Christ to dwell,
And gave me heavenly union.”
I then felt willing to be baptized,and
was, by Elder Jcliabod Moore, the
1st Sunday in November about IG
years ago. I thought my troubles
were gone, but 0, those dark and
dreary hours that I have passed
through since then I So it is mixtures
ofjoy and sorrow that tve daily pass
through.
Sisters, do you ever think of Job
and wish you had his patience ?
Y ou could adopt tlie language of him,
‘‘The Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh away : Blessed be the name
of the Lord.” I know the Baptists
are evil spoken of, for I read of no
other. I do not read of John the
Episcopalian, nor John tJie Presby
terian, nor no other but John the
Baptist. When I hear so much
said, it strengtliens me. Our Sav-.
lour said, “if ye were of the world,
the world would love his own; ye
know that it hated me before it hated
you.” John 15th chapter 18th, 19th
vs. O ! sinner, don’t say. If I be'
the good Book
mine, I
of sin. Recollect that you are only
punished for the deeds done in the
body. Yes, but you all say, we
can’t do nothing—if your doctrine be
true, God’s not just. “Nay but, O
man, who art thou that replieth
against God ? Shall the thing formed
say to him that formed it. Why hast
thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the
same lump, to make one vessel unto
honor, and another to dishonor?”—
Rom. 9th chapter, 21st 22nd vs.—
You ought to read the scriptures
more than you do, and not think so
much about what such a preacher
says. Sinner, you can live moral,
and not be calling on God to damn
your immortal soul. How heart
rending it is to parents to hear it
from their children. You can keep
from getting drunk, you can keep
from cheating; do as you would be
done by; living with a clear conscience
is a great pleasure, it constitutes good
neighbors, it is an ornament to so
ciety. Take revenge from no man—
' ’ ^ays, Vengeance is
will repay, saith the Lord.
I do believe ne is the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end.
I believe God is carrying on his work
erery day, and will until eternity
ceases to roll her ample round, I do
not believe he loves to-day and hate.s
to-morrow. He found Jacob in a
waste howling wilderne.ss, he led
him about and instructed him, he
kept him as the apple of his eye.—
“For thine is the righteousuess of
God revealed from faith to fiiith : as
it is written: The just shall live by
faith.”—Ptom. 1st, 17. By Faith
Noah was warned f>f God to build
bis ark that rode on the lofty billows,
when tlie flood came and destroyed
the world. By Faith Moses stretched
his rod over the boi.steroussea, and the
waters parted, they were a wall on
the right and on the left unto them ;
and the children of Israel went
through the Pied Sea safe. God pro
mised to deliver his people from the
Egyptians : Pharaoh and his hosts
pursued after them arid they were all
drowned. — hxodns 14th, 21, 22.—
By Faith Joshua was enabled with
his trumpets, to cause the walls of
Jericho, to fall down, and they
straightway took the city.—Joshua
Glh, 20-tb. E.y Faith Gideon
with three hundred men went forth
and took the Yidlanites, they were
like grasshopper's for multitude,, or
as the sand of the sea. ITuu .see the
gg lieved as you do, I would take my fill 1 battle is not to the strong, it was the
Omnipotent arm of God that wa.s
with him—Judges 7th, 17. By
Faith Samson called on the Lord to
strengthen him so that he took hold
of the pillars of the house and over
threw the Philistines, and he slew
more at his death than he did in all
of his life.—Judges 16th, 28, 29.—
By Faith David went forth and took
Goliath, the great champion of the
Philistines, and took his own sword
and slew him, and cut off his head.
—Sara. 17th, 51. • By Faith Elijah
called on God to destroy the burnt
sacrifices, be prayed to the Lord, and
he heard his prayer, and fire came
down from heaven and licked up the
wood, stones, and water that was in
the trench. I Kings 18th. 38. Bv
Faith Elijah and EUsha took their
mantles and wrapped them up and
smote the waters, and they were di
vided : so the two went over the riv
er on dry ground,—ii. Kings 2nd,
18. By Faith Elijah caused the
axe to swim in the river Jordan,
when his servant dropped it in.—ii.
Kings 6th, 6. I believe his eye is
ever nver the righteou.s: He wa.s
with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-
nego, when they were cast in the
burning fiery furnace: so the smell
of fire had not passed on tlmm. Ho
was v.'ith Daniel when he was cast
into the lion’s den, he locked the
jaws of the monster lions-so that they
had no power to hurt him. What a
beautiful display of God’s Elect! for
he has promised that he “will be
with us in six troubles, and in the
seventh he will not forsake us.”
Dear brethren and sisters, when it
goes well with you, remember me
and my children in your prayers —
that we may live to His praise, and
when we have to leave the trials and
troubles of this world we may die in
the triumpb.s of faith.
Yours, with much love and esteem,
G. T. STANTON.
Stantonsbnrg, N. C., April 5,1857.
The natural man is a spiritual
monster. His heart is where his feet
should be—^fixed upon the earth ;
his heels are lifted up against hea
ven, which his heart should besetou.
His face is towaa-d hell, his back to
ward heaven. He loves what he
should hate, and bates what he should
love; joys, in what he ought to
mourn for, and mourns tor what he
ought to rejoice in ; glories iii his
shame,and is ashamed of his glory .;
abhors what he should desire, and
desires what he should abhor.—Bos
ton^