Zion’s Landmarks.
35
dozen
KS!sassstmm
IW I had never read half
t^iHpters in the Bible in all my life.
1 went on, sometimes A^eeping—and,
acwnetimes playing at almost any
!f4rn-', until at last I thuaght I would
try cursing, which I did the first
tinu* I war crossed. Oh ! what a big
word the name of the Iord was in
«iv mouti), bat I continued to curse
nntil the Spring of 187.3, when I
went t jinv last party. When I came
home I would make promises but
vrouUl be sure to break them.
A 'oout this time my sins l)ecame
very heavy, I didn’t want to put it
(df any longer, I commenced trying
to p-rav, i>ut did not ieel like getting
on my knees, for the Savior did
that, and I felt too unworthy to do
&■» lie had done.
About tilts time I had another
dream. I thought 3 was standing in
our hack yard looking to the Ea.st. I
a light streak, apparently about
twenty feet high, and a cross on it
about one-thii'd of the way down
from the top. I stocxl .still a little
v/iiile when the light streak w'ent
down, and the East was dark, but in
a few moments the Sun rose—the
brightest Sun I ever saw. I awoke,
and was .satisfied that God would not
send me to he 1, but could not'seehow
he could be just and save such a sin
ner as I was. I pa.saed on in this
way a little while, when one day,
\vhen I was ploughing in the field my
sins pressed on me harder than ever
before, and I could not remove the
weight from my mind. It seemed
that if I could cry the burden -would
go away, b*.it I noto-and as I
gave op that I could do nothing to
save myself from a burning hell I
took out Bjy mule and started to the
house. I had to cross a little ditch,
and as I crossed it I felt like I want
ed to sing. I sang—
‘'ATQazij5.g grace, iww sweet the sound—
That saved a v/retch like me 1”
.and sung until the song had been
sung with .all my might; though I
have never felt the old burden since
I didn’t take that for a change, but
began to ask the Lord to give me my
burden back again, but he would not,
then I would ask him to make my
(evidence plainer—and one day while
at work I had a clear view of the
Savior on the cross, with the two
thieves, one on each side of him.—
Dear brother, I don’t mean that I
*aw him with my natural eyes, but
with spiritual eyes. The next Sat
urday Elder J. W. Purvis preached
at Bear Creek from the following
pa^s.1ge: "Come hither and I will
show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
I thought it wa.s the prettiest text I
ever heard, and that he preached
right at me all the time. But, at
last he told me to join the church, or
at least lie said that if any person felt
what he had preached that day, that
they ought to join the people of God,
and I thought that he was looking at
jne all the time. It was a mystery
po me that he could tell my feelings
well, for I had never told anybody
^ my life, Sunday morning we got
by ouraelvee and I told him a few of
my thoughts, and to my surprise he
told me he would give me the right-
hand of fellowship. The next SaC
urclay a special Conference was held,
and I offered myself and was re
ceived a member of the church at
Mewbom’s Meeting House, in Greene
County, and was baptized by Elder
S. Pate on the fourth Sunday in .July.
Do with the above as you think best.
I desire the prayers of the brethren
and si.«tei"S.
Your unworthy brother, it one at
all.
LEiauEL H. Hardy.
1873,
Sparta, N. C., August 29,
Brother Gold: —
By the request of a friend, I make
the attempt to write a short letter for
the Landmarks.
Isa. 65th chap. 2ud verse reads
thus: "Wherefore do ye spend your
money for that which is Jiot bread ?
and your labor for that which satis-
fieth not? hearken diligently unto
me, and eat ye that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in fat
ness.” I am conscious of the inabili
ty to do the subject justice, but as we
have freely I’eceived we should also
freely give, so such as I have, give I
unto thee, hoping truly that the Lord
will bless it to the comfort of some
one. The scripture says, that holy
men of old spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost. So, the proph
ets must have writUm the truth; Do
we believe it? Read the 1st verse
and see whom the writer wjis address
ing. I understand that he is address-
O
ing a thirsty for^thos^ who
are dead do not thirst. This will
not apply to the whole human fami
ly, as some would have you believe,
for by the disobedience of one man
(Adam) sin entered into the -world,
and death by sin—and so death pars
ed upon all men, for that all have
sinned. So while carnally minded
and dead in sin, we do not thirst for
the living water, neither do we hun
ger for this living bread which the
prophet is speaking of, but when it
pleased God to quicken j'oa into life
and enlighten the mind of your un
derstanding so that vou can see you r
sin-defiled and polluted state, it nev
er fails to create a liunger and thirst
after Jasus, who of God is made unto
us wi.sdom, and righteousness, &c.—
St. Matthew, 5 th chap. 7th verse—^
“Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness for they
shall be filled.” The poor soul is
thirsting but verily believes that God
is angry with him, and eternal death
mustshortly’be his doom. And he sets
out with the intention to mend his
ways, and promises the Lord if he
will forgive him for past offences he
will try not to be guilty any more—
but how soon he learns that it is not
in man to direct his steps, for he can’t
keep his promise, and instejid of get
ting better he grows to be worse, and
instead of getting rich he becomes
veiy poor in his estimation, and still
dissatisfied. Sin becomes exceedingly
sinful and we are brought low at the
footstool of mercy and aaade -«ulling
to confess God’s justice in passing us
by into eternal death. Ivord, save or
I perish 1 Here we feel the necessi
ty of a Savior. Indeed, -we lose all
confidenc-e in self, we look no longer
to the law for life, but by Faith we
can look to Mount Calvary and see the
ran.som—justice is satisfied. I ha-ve
borne your croas and carried your
sorrows, you arise and go in peace
and sin no more. Can you not see
then that Jesus is the bread which
came down from heaven, that if a
man eat thereof he shall J ok die ?—
Can you not begin to feast upon the
rich promises of the gospel ? Where-
foredo ye spendmoney for that which is
not bread? Do you not see the folly
of trusting in works or an arm of
flesh? Jesus says he that eateth my
flesh and drinketh ray blood dwelleth
in me and I in him. Eating his
flesh is believing in Jesus, and drink
ing his blood is following or coming
after him. We are commanded to
hearken diligently unto the Lord.—
Now the deaf ear has been unstopped
,ind now you can hear the gospel or
Christ when he is preached. But we
are to hearken, that is we must lis
ten and obey what is commanded, and
Jesus says; "If you love me keep
my commandments,” and the first
thing a Christian sliould do is to re
pent or turn from sin, mortify his
members upon earth and let not sin
reign in his or her mortal body.—
We cannot prevent sin being in the
mortal body, but we can prevent its
reigning after being made fit for the
Mastei-’s use. We should follow him
-kiJ|f^*Pi*bdi»anGC3, -follow hi.m in^»
baptism, around tlie coraraiuiion ta
ble, and, whatsoever thy hands find
to do do it with all thy might, but
let it be done with an eye single to
God’s glory. I think a great many
who are Christians hearken unto the
Lord, but not diligently. I under
stand that Christians have enough to
ktep them constantly engaged. They
must continue to wa'k the straight
and narrow way which leads to life—
and Jesus is the way. Wiien we
do our duty we will eat that which is
good, and our soul will delight itself
in fatness; we can enjoy an ease of
mind and clear conscience, and it is
all that we may expect while in this
sin-disordered world. So Christian, in
conclusion, I will say hearken dili
gently unto the Lord, abstain from
flesldy lust which wars against the
soul, shun every appearance of evil.
It makes no difference how sore per
secutions and trials you may under
go, stand fast in the liberty where
with Christ has made you free, for the
time will soon come when this mor
tal body shall be swallowed up of
life—then may we be enabled to say
with Paul "I have finished my
course, I have fought a good fight, I
have kept the faith, henceforth there
is a crown laid up for me which the
Righteous Judge shall give me in
that day.
Please examine this and correct
mistakes if you see fit to publish it.
If you find anything contrary to
truth oast.it to the flames, I desire
the prayers ofal! God’s children.
Yours, in pilgrimage,
B. C. Pitt.
Lonoke, Ark., Dec. 2nd, 1873.
Elder P. D. Gold :—
Dear brother, for the troth’s sake,
very near indeed, as highly esteemed
for the truth’s sake. Since the trutli
hath made thee free from the law of
sin and death, and also from the
love, the practice, and slavery there
of, thou art indeed free from all the
awful consequences of .sin, that fell
destroyer of human souls. My broth
er, love thoJi the truth because God
thy Father hath put tlse truth in thy
mouth and it is as sweet as honey
and sweeter than the honey comb.—
Then I am persuaded and confident
thou wilt not depart from the truth,
but will continue to -w'alk in the
truth. ’Tis indeed light to the sonl
and a lamp to the feet, it shines in the
soul, illuminates thy tabernacle, and
directs thy feet in God’s high road
of holiness. It delivers thee from
temptation when Satan offers large
sums and worldly honors to serve
and worship him. The truth loves
goodness, loves wisdom, loves
mercy, loves justice, loves thee.—
His pawer loves thee. The Father
Son and Holy Spirit love thee, and
in a word, the whole Deity love
thee—nor dares this poor feeble
worm of dust guess which one of the
Seven Spirits (pillars) loves thee best,
and my brother, what a strange con
tradiction, that trutli can love an ob
ject that poss^ses no loveliness in its ^
self, which truth declares is in its
self guilry of sins and is worthy of
death. This contradiction is what
made Esau hate Jacob, and Ishraael
make mouths at Isaac, the child e.f
promise.
My brother, when our Father looks
through the law covenant, he declares
that since he is God and not man,
therefore -we are not consumed. But
when our Father looks at us through
the blood of the new covenant he de
clares that his eyes are too pure to
behold iniquity ujwn the house of
Jacob.
Receive my love,and give the same to
brother C. B. Hassel when you see
him. W. F.Thomason*
APPOINTMENTS.
Appointments for Elders Stephen
son and Snider:—
Selma, N. C., Jan. 16, 1874.
Brother P. D. Gold, please pub
lish the following appointments for
Elder Philip Snider:
Saturday before the first ->
Sunday
Sunday, M
Monday, "
Tuesday, “
Wednesday,
Thursday. "
Friday, "
Saturday, "
Sunday, "
Monday, "
Tuesday, **
Wednes^y,
Thursday.
Friday, “
.Saturday, "
Sunday, “
I expect
in MarcJi,
arch 1st,
2nd,
3rd,
4th,
5th,
6th,
7th, 1
8th,/
»th,
10th,
11th,
12th,
13th,
14th,
I5th,
to
/
Middle Creek
Fellewship.
Willo-ff Spring.
Sandy Grove.
N«-w Hope.
Hannah’s Creek.
Hehoboth.
Clement.
Pine Leycl.
Beulah.
Upper Biack Creek,
Lower Black Cieek.
Scotts.
Contentaea.
Wilson,
brother
accompany
Snider at the most of his appoiat-
ments, Mooke Stephenson.