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’ S 1. A N 1) M A R K S
2D
e’arei the distinction bctvv'cen these
two products, and said. ‘‘That which
k l)orn of the flesh is flesh; a d that
wliich is born of the spirit is spirit.—
Ho does not say, “That which is born
again is spirit-” neither does John
fray, “He
vrhich
is born aga.in sia-
neth not. Tlie word again appears
to be used only when the man
who is the subject of this new birth
spoken of, and I do not think we
could ■ supply it where it is not
used, without changing the meaning.
How here is tliat which explains
the strange conflicts within the breast
€rf a child of God. “Tiie flesh lusts
against the spirit and the spirit
Rgainst tlie flesh, and these arc con
trary the one to the other, so that
ye cannot do the tilings that ye
w'ould.” The flesh includes all that
is born of the flesh, mind, affections
ttnd all. However high and refined
our natural powers and feelings may
bo, and liowever good and useful in
worldly things, yet they are- desti
tute of spiritual holiness, and afe,
dead to the things of the spirit. The
epirit is liiat which is produced in
ns by tlie Holy Ghost, and by which
we are sealed unto tlie day of re
demption. All its desires a^ejifter
iiolincss. It loves holy things, be
lieves in Christ, and rejoices in him,
is meek, long suffering, patient.—
While the natural mind is in trou
ble, and the natural heart is sufier-
riag pain and sorrow, the spirit may
be njoicing in this veiy^ tribulation.
The spirit would lead us ever in the
path of true holiness. The flesh
lusts after worldly things. “The
fruit of the spirit is love' joy, peace,
lung suffering, gentleness, faith,
meekness, temperance.” There vras
a time when I could not understand
how- these graces could exist in or.e
while at the same time he could feel
dispositions of an exactly opposite
nature fluttering and cravding w-ith-
sn his distressed heart like unclean
birds or obnoxious and venomous
reptiles. But when I learned that
these graces are the/ruil ofihe spirit,
it -was plain.
.If wo hate the sinfulness of our
fleshly nature, and feel an opposition
to its worldly inclinations and am-hi-
‘iion, it is a sure evidence that we
bav« the spirit, without which there
can he no wuirfai-e. If we love the
truth and flue tilings of the King
dom, and are enabled even to rejoice
in them, it is an evidence we have
been horn again and have the spirit,
notwithstanding evil thoughts may
from time to time rage in our minds.
If we feel a spirit of prayer and sup
plication, a crying and pouring out
our wants before God in the secret of
our souls, it is an evidence that w-e
are born again, for the spirit only!
prays, and if we do not pray in the
spirit we do not pray acceptahly at
all. From the flesh arises unheliof
and all opposition. When w-e try
to pray, fiery darts may assail- ns:
this is still an cvidencG of spiritual
life, w-it!iout which we should not he
troubled by the vileness of the flesh.
Thus the spirit wutnesses with our
spirit, which we received in the new
birth, tliat we'are children of God.
Tliig warfare hetw-een the flesh
and the spirit shall not go on forever,
nor is the issue doubtful. The new-
man shall triumph. Our holy de
sires shall all be satisfied, w-hile all
our natural desires shall he forever
extinguisiied. By the holy spirit of
God w-ithin us v;e, poor, trembling,
sinful being.s, tempest-tossed and al
most despairing, are scaled unto the
day of redemption. We have been
redeemed by the precious blood of
Christ, hut w-e liave as yet only ex
perienced that redemption])}- faith in
Christ. “AYe received the spirit of
adoption, whereby v.-e cry Abba
Father.” V/e yet groan, being bur
dened, w-aiting for the adoption, to
wit; the redemption of the body.—
When the day of redemption comes
we shall experience, a glorious change,
a change of nature, to wliich w-e now
look longingly forward, from raortrfl
to immortal, from weakues.s to pow
er, from natural to spiritual. -It is
this poor, vile .sinner of Ad,arn’s race
wdiich is the subject of redemption
and adoption. Unto him is given
in the new birth tlie spirit or life of
Christ, which is not the subject of
either adoption or redemption. By
this spirit he sees the need of redee
ming ])ower, prays for me-rcy, has
faith in Christ’s finished work, and
hopes for a full.experience of redemp
tion and adoption when Christ, who is
our life, shall appear. Tliis hope
m-ikes us very joylul and trinmpli-
ant at times, for it is very bright,
and is as an anchor of the soul both
sure and steadfast. But we have
net yet that which we hope for.—
Now we are. the sons of God, and
when Vv-e follow Christ “his life is
manifested in our mortal flesh;”
for when we walk in the spirit we
do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.—
But it doth not yet appear what we
shall he. We are now-, in our most
rapturous moments, only looking and
w-aiting for the glorious hope, and
the appearing of the great God and
our Saviour- Jesus Christ. We see
many unfathomable mysteries, and
our natural minds ask us many un
answerable q-uestions, and would in
vestigate and theoris'e until every
thing is reduced to a perfect system
that they can understand. But faith
and hope rest in t!ie word of promise
that when He who is our life shall
appear, we shall be like him, and
shall appear with him iu glory.
Affectionately ycur brother in
a precious hope.
SILAS II. DURAND.
[From the Riblieal Ilecorder.J
Vandalism.
Dkar Recorder:—It is rny
painful duty to inform you of an act
of vandalism by some fiend in bii-
man shape, in burning down a little
church at Oak Ridge, in this county,
on last iSunday night, 8th of De
cember. By the will of the great
Jelio\-ah and tlie efforts of his ser
vants, brothers Jones, Jordan, Brown
and others our little church number
ed some tliirty or forty and worsliip-
pecl at Oak Ridge, a small church
l.miit by the Presbyterians, Methrid-
ists and Baptists. Since the- conver
sion of many souls to (.Hod, a sect,
who call themselves Primitive Bap-
ti.sts, have been greatly exercised in
mind and some of their preachers
have been abusing our church to an
extent unheard of in a civilized com
munity. Our ministers l-.ave not
noticed them, which perhaps lias iu-
censed them the more, and it is be
lieved that some one who was a
friend of tliat sect was the incendia
ry, who burnt the church. The
members and preachers of our
church have acted with prudence
and forbearance, and have evinccil
no disposition to engags in angry
diecussions in regard to our cau.se;
but some of those who are of the
persuasion I mentioned, have, as I
belie in consctpience of the acces
sions to our church, become almost
r.abid. T’lvis, I regret, as we wish to
be “let alone” and not' to interfere
with others. AVhat onr church
here v.-ill do for a ])]ace in which to
wor.fliip our Tjord and Masrer -I do
not know. The people iu this re
gion have been greatly impoverished
by the war and hovv we can build a
church is a mystery to me. 1 trust
to him who rules the universe and
hope to invoke the aid of our breth
ren throughout the nation to aid us
in rearing to the honor and praise of
the Most High a suitable house of
worship. AMICUS.
Martin’s Lime Kiln, Stokes co. N.C.
The above quoted article is pub
lished by the organ of a denomina
tion of men professing great charity
and forbearance, and is signed by
one “Amicus,” which word meaua
a friend. The writer states that
we, the Primitive Baptists, (a sect
lunch spoken against by the.7Acor-
der) have abused their people until
some friend of ours (incited Ly ub
to do so,) has burnt their church,
while their preachers and peo])hi
have exercised great forbearance iu
not even noticing us.
AVe wisli to ask what friendship
and forbearance there is in Aini-
to write 'a charge against Hib
cu
Primitive Baptists of inciting a
“fiend” to such an act of vandalism,
and what charity is there in th«
Editor of the Biblical Ilecorder iu
publishing abroad on a mere suspi
cion a charge against us so ini'amouB
ami slanderous.
The Missionaries sometimes pro-='
less some friendship far us, but they
will publish, under the influence of
prejudice, such infamous charge's as
the above, with no evidence to sii|, -
port tlieir charges. AYho, tiiat lias
any discernmeutiand common sense,
if he is free from prejudice, wouhl.
consider a peo])!e to be truly meek,
friendly and forbearing when Ihai
same people pmUlish on mere susjri-
clon such slanderous charges] as ilu
above. Men’s 'actions are soiuetime.'s
loud witiie.5ses against tliemselvt j.
Amicus states that they wish to
be “let alone,” ami for that juirposs
tlii-y were exerci'ing great [uudence.
This is the kind of ])rudence that
some peo})lc' erercise. They avoid
an exposure of their views and de
signs until they canaccora])lish their
purposes, because they do not wish
tlieir plans to be examined. Tho
Aiissionarics (we u.se the distinguish-
iiig name they have given them
selves) do not desire to have tlieir
doctrines, measures and projects ex-
])Osed by the Primitive Bapti.sts,
because they are n >t supported bv
tb.e Bible. Hence they think it to
their interest to be “let alone” rather
than for our peojtle to rebuke them
sliarply for their false doctrines ami
money jloving schemes. Of course
tiiey would prefer to be let alone,
since they dread being exposed.—
We hold it to be our duty to war
against spiritn.al wickedness in high
places, and rebuke error wherever
manifested; we hope we do so iu tba
right spirit. \Ye utterly coiuieniM
all false ways of figlitiiig error—^
such as with carnal M’eapous—but
our weapons are spiritual ami
mighty tlirough God to the pulliug
down of stroiig-bolds.
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