Zion's Laadiaarks,
155
n.-iinit l)C one wilii him in Spirunali-
!v. “For as miidi tlicn, as th.e chil
dren flhc c!e(‘t, ‘the children of the
promii'.p,’ those of Atlam's race who
wt-re ‘chosen ni him'—Christ tlicir
federal, or covcnant-hcadl surety and
elder Brotlier) arc ]:>artakei’s of ficsii
and blood, lie also hiniself likewise
It'jk part of the same,” eke. Ado})-
tioii is a resurrection. “The Iionr is
comine', and now is, wlien tne dead
(in tresf>asscs and sms) shall hear tlie
voice of the 8on of God, and tiiey that
licar diall live ” Again, “Ourselves
also,” says Ifaul, “do groan wi
ithin
om's'‘lvcs, waiting for the adoption, to
wit; ‘Tlie redemption (resurrection)
of our bodv.'” sVt death, the soul
that is “born of God leaves its prison-
house and goes to him. The body
also is i;nitel to Jesns by e^Ytmant
ties, henee, lie has promised to ran
som it from the power of the grave.
A.s to the glories of the raised
liodies of the saints, no one can de-
Vinfll nnt, S'.CClV 1101*
have been, i never h.ad .siicu a fccniig
on me before, it seemed like my heai’t
would burst and what to do I knew
nor, ;d! eyes appeared to be t'arued, to
me, and I felt like I ceiild not secrete
mvself from nmital eye. Vv hen we
were dismissed I got on my horse
and started for home, my comracios
were no eonijiany
for me, VvTien I
got homo
were no
mv brother and
company
for
family
me. I
State and County and remained i;,
the State until 182!) when I was mar
ried to Elizabi'th Pavne, and settled
close to Old Primitive Baptists, and
would go Gil Sundays to meetings,
not that I eared) for the Old Hard-
shells. So I would go regularly on
Sundays, and after a 'svhile they seem-
to be more sociable, and I turned my
attention to reading, and I struck tlie
olddesjilsed Baptists’trail and the fur-
eiit upon the side of tlie moun-j thcr I went the warmer the track, till
tain and for the first time 'hi my life
I got down on my knees and tried to
pray to God to liave mercy on me, a
ruined and undone creature; and
wliat I said did’nt appear to rise above
mv liead, and my brother’s wife called
me, she hadn’t seen me for some time.
I would try to be merry and join in
with mv associates. All this time
wrongj
and I
seemed iliat something was
but after a while it wore off
went to my company again, and wlien
left to myself it seemed like all svas
not well, and after a while tsiinkmg
and studying wdsat was to become of
me I saw I was a ruined and liell-de-
scrilie it, for “eye hath not seen,
car iir.th not heard” it.
Brother Gold, if it is agreeable
ith your feelings, give tliis pnblica- j serving sinner, that in me was nothing
but sin At this time my sins were so
great that it seemed to me everybody
w
next after the one ac-
compaitving it, and I w'ill tnen cease
tien with, or
writing for a season.
Yours, to serve,
James C.
PTTi'SA*rv*AtsiA. Co., Ytkginia. 1
June 22nd, 1873. /
Erofhrr is old;—
I rmi alone, and it has been on
my in.iiKl for , someHarne to wr!^:c a
short piece for your inspection. (Be
ing the first attempt I ever made.)—
Knowing my ignorance and nnwor-
tliincss I almost slirink at the tlionght.
But, hearing from so many of th.e
Brethren and Sisters so hopefully
telling their travels from a state ot
nfuiirc to a .state of grace I feel
like 1 w*ant to let them kno'.v who I
am and ho'.v I have been getting
along these many years. I ^vas born
June 25th, 1800. My parents were
of the Methodist belief, and I ^ was
raised on in that belief,^ thinking I
could get religion at any time, and
put olf the idea of obtaining religion
until I accomplished so and so. All
that I had to do was to give my
heart to God. I thought it was in
my povi'cr to clioose or to refuse, and
that I could get religion before night.
On the 24tli of Kovember I took a
trip to Alabama, Madison County, to
see mv brother, a Free-kYill Baptist,
and there I had the pleasure of seeing
liim go forward and tell Avliat
hoped the Lord had don
lie
e for Him
could see tliem in me. It appeared
that my shadow would not follow* me
as it had done when I was a child, or
tiiat I was some beast that liad no
soul, I would exchange with almost
any ’person. . iiy cry, was: “liOru,
save me or I perish !” I know I have
iu> friends on earth or -ju heaven;
had sinned away the day of grace.
I\o balm in Gilead, no physician
tliere, I was afraid to close my eyes to
to sleep for fear when I awoke I
would wake in hell. There was no
rest for me day nor night. One night
I dreamed that I was going along
and just before me the earth
parted, and of ail the black smoke
and })itch, and it was the most fearful
looking place 1 ever saw, and I
thought I was going right in it when
some one cried out: “don’t go there !”
That place appeared to be heli. O,
Brother Gold, I thought I had seen
trouble, I could not think a good
thought—Lord save me, or I am gone
—let me go vrliere I would no jieace
could I find, this same despised Meeks
preached close to where I was
boarding. I liad a place picked
out in Cane Creek, that when
I went to hear this Old Bap
tist preach, and if I was spared to
i-etium I would go to this place
for
the last time, but I didn’t think I
and the next day of seeing old failier
Kuowlir.g lay his body beneath the
yielding waves—his wife belonged to
the Old despised Baptists. Brother
Gold, tliis is a happy time with me, I
liope I have a foretaste of lieavennow.
I am going to try to tell how I hope
I was arrested. Sometime in the
Summe'r 18251 went to hear old father
Meaks iireach, and I v/eut and
took my seat, and I hope 'b
Ijord sent the ari’ow of conviction to
my heart. Brother Gold, if I wasn’t
vtruck under conviction tlien, I ik
should be spared to return home. It
ajipeared to me that I w*as in a fix
that I could not describe—neither
asleep nor^avrake—all at once there
was calraness ran all o\*er me, I felt
like 1 was iu another 'world, every-
tliing looked new, my birrden v/as
gone and I loved everything around
I know there was a change in
T a Christian I am
] got to the fountain-head—there was
doctrine, tliere was faith and belief,
tliei’e was the doctrine ot Christ and
the apostles taught. Xow I began
to loi*e these old despised Baptists,
whom I onced despised: not very
long liefore Brother Thomas Lovelace
took cliargc of the Church, and then
became lovely. I felt like I
'wanted to be with them, and ray love
grew stronger and stronger. Tliis
was about the year 1842 or ’43 and I
w'ouid think of offering myself for
membership, and I thought if I did
and brougiita reproach, what would be
the consctpience ? and there were some
members that I would fellowship
w'ith many olistaeks in the way.—-
There was a drawing to go to tlie
Chui'ch, and bapti,«m got on iny
rniml, f thouglit it my duty to fol
low my Lord and Master down into
the water. I would think I would
brw'ard at the next opportunity,
jd in a sliort time be as poor as ever,
put it off as long as I could. I
down that I was
compelled to go Saturday before the
last Sunday in June, 1843. I wmnt
forward and tried to tell the Church
what I hoped the Lord had done foi’
me, and I was received and was bap
tized the next day by Brother Love-
laec, and as soon as I was received the
weiglit tliat weighted me down left
me and I have never felt it since.—
Shortly after I joined I ■>,vas chosen
deacon of the Church and have been
acting as such ever since, such a one
as I am, Inever was capable of the
place. Brethren and Sisters whom I
never shall see, I have been a profes
sor aliout 47 years. I have had many
ups and downs, losses and crosses and
disappointments, and have done many
things which I ought not. O, that
I had room to tell how*' low I get
sometimes, and I would like to have
the Brethren and Sisters do tiie same.
It builds me up to think they liave
braved the same road. Brethren and
Sisters, you 'will see this; bear me up
to a throne of grace, which can’t be
long. Brethren, I have been trying
to enlarge my experience for forty-odd
years but can’t add to it.
Brother Gold, do as you think best
ind doctrine of our Loi\d and Saviour
Jesus Christ, [ now take my pen by
order of the members of Bethel
Church, Colfax County, Yew Mexi-
C.1U Territory, to forward the j\iimitps
and Constitution ®f the first rcgulai*
Old School Baptist Church of Christ
that was ever in thcXcw IMexican Ter
ritory, for publication. If, after you
look over it, and tliink it wortliy of
a place in Ziox’s -Landmauks, you
can give it room, after correcting mis
takes. We -wish all of the saints and
friemls that may read this to know
that the Lord has a people’ that love
and try to serve him in these far off*’
fertile and healthy llocky Mountains,
for 'which wc want to be very thank-
inl to him, who is the Giver of every
good and perfect gift.
The Brethren and Sisters met ac
cording to agreement: Elder 'T. IL
side preaelied the introductory ser
mon from the second chapter and
eleventh verse of Hebrews: “For
both he that sanctifietli and they who
are sanctified are all of one: for wliidi
cause ho is not ashamed to call them
Brethren.” Elder J. Dean was
cliosen Moderator, J. E. kliller Clerk.
Examinations by Elder IDcan. The •
Ivrctlu’cn were found to be sound in
faith and no departure from the doe-
trin maintained by the Old School
Baptists, Prayer by Elder Dean.—
Charge given by Elder Buie. The
Obmreh 'was pronounced legal. The
right; hand of fellow’ship W93 extenor- -
ed by the Moderator. Elder Dean
was called to the Pastoral Chair. J.
E. Miller, Clerk. The door was opened
and Sister M. A. Amnce was received
by experience and was baptized. Tlie
Church was constituted by nine mem
bers, to w* it: G. E. Miller, Sr., G.
E. Miller, Jr., J. G. White, J. Mb
Curtis, T. H. Dawson, Sisters P. A.
"^Vhiff, Imann S. B. Daxyson, Catha
rine K. Miller, Lavina J. Dawsom
Times of meeting, Saturda^v before
the third Sunday in eacli month.—
The Church appointed J. G. White
and T. H. Da’wson to draw up rulcg
of decorum. It was agreed tliat
our beloved and highly esteemed
Sister, La.vina Dawson, forward a
copy of the Minutes of the Constitu
tion of the Church to the Sujns of the
to
me
me. If i am not
not a ihypocritc. I never thought I
should attach myself to any society
that was as good as the Cliurcli. So,
I tried to read the Bible and prayed
to God to show me the right way.—
So, in 1827 I returned to .my native
Times;
also, Elder T. B.. Eule to
with this—correct all mistakes, for
there are many.
Your unworthy Brother,
If one at ail,
Mb A. Thomas.
NEW MEXICO, "I
Cliftox, Colfax Coun'ey, V
•June 25th, 1873, j
Elder 1\ D. Gold.
Highi.y esteemed Eorroit or
Ziox’sLaxdmaeks,—Dear Broth
er:—As I hope in'tlie same faith
forward a copy to the Baptist Mag-
azine, and for Sister Dawson to send
a copy to the I.^andx[.a,res.
Primitive’ Baptist please copy, and
oblige your far off' Western Brother,,
Luaxx Dawsox.,
EEQUEST.
Will our Brethren and friends cn-
deax*or at the Associations and else
where, to. increcse the circulation of
Zion’s, Landmarks.
lYe are so situated chat we cannot
leave liome long enough to attend
many of them and -we hope you xvill
aid us.
I