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Zions Landmarks
DEVOTED TO THE DEFENSE OF THE FIUMITIVE BAPTISTS.
xo THii: i^A.w ^irx) xo xhk x'ksximony.’
TOL. VII.
WILSON, N. C„ JULY 1, 1874.
©flinrauiritatfu.
“Hut it i.s happened unto them ac-
wrding to t!>e tme proverb,the dog is
turned to liis own vomit again,and the
sow that was washel to licr wallowing
in the mire.” 2 Pet. 2: 22.
It is lx;lieved by some that the
ul.Mjve text sets forth the final ajrosta-
cv of chrLstians and that, though they
are once converted to God and born of
tiie Spirit, they may at la.st be lost
and perish forever. Others are of
the opinim that it represents disobe
dient Christians who fall into pratic-
rd sins and simply defile the outward
garment of their holy ]>rofe.s.sion, but
that they will b' filially saved at last
“as bv fire,” It seems evident to me
liowever, that the w'hole connection
from the very hast verse of the chap
ter shows that the Apostle speaks ot“
false teaciiers and of those who follow
their “pernicious ways.” He speaks
of them as “speaking evil cf the
things they understand not” of such
.as have “eyes full of adultery,” thus
showing that they are continual vio-
iaters of the latv of God,whose natur
al ii!'t.=: ar? nnsnlxlued, ha'.’ing full
plav without any warfare, so that they
^ cannot cease from sin, beguiling un
stable souls, a heart they have exer
cised with covetou.s practices, cursed
children.” It is true they jirofess to
be washed very clean and as having
“'escaped from those who live in er
ror,” but while tliey promise liberty
io suchaslivc in errorthey theuiselves,
.vho jiromise this liberty from the
cui’se of the law and from the gall
ing voice of sin, are the “servants of
corruption,” both in doctrine and in
oraetK e.
A little attention to the connection
of this subject will show that the
Apostle speaks both of the real and
assumed character of these flilse teach
ers. He tells us \vlu\t they really
are, ami also what they a.ssume, or
profess to be. In their real character
they are “cur.sed children”—and com-
pareil to “welks without water” clouds
that are “'carried with a tempest” that
onlv go by passion or excitement,
having no gentle showers to distil
upon the tender plants of grace to
cheer the droojilng liope or strength
en the faith of God’s [leople. In their
a.'Sumod character or tlie cliaractcr
wliicli thev profess to be, they have
escaped the common pollutions of
I he world, and are clean in their own
ty s, yet, in their true character they
are the very servant.s of corru|)tion
ali the time. If servants, they are
under the reigning ]>ower of corrupt
])r;nciple.s, being governed hycorrupt
mcrives and all their religious pre
tentions being faksc and delusive. It
is true they profess to have escaped
the pollutio^ of the world “tiirough
the knowledge of the Lord and Sav
ior Jesus Christ” but being agaiia en
tangled in these eorrujitions and pol
lutions shows that tlieir natural prin
ciples and carnal propensities predom
inate and so it “happens unto
them” as with tlicsow that was v’ash-
ed. We know that no amount of
washing and outward cleansing, and
dressing of a sow, or of swine geiier-
allv, would give anv new or inward
principle, nor would it change the
natural instincts of the dog, hut, with
all the outward washing, of hot days
the sow will manifest her true charac
ter by voluntarily wallowing in the
mud, even though she might have
a beautiful sheep-skin nicely fasten
ed over her all will go into the mud
together. So it is with those nominal
•re
[irofessoi’s of Christianity who simjdy
have the outward form of godliness
without the inward prineijile. They
have the outward garb very often of
hioral cleansing from the common
ha.se jiollutioLS of the world, yet a.s
tlmv are still iJAhe world jn their
principles, the world' with all its pol
luted charms is their natural element
and they can wallow in its’ luxuries,
pleasures, applau.se, vanities and in
stitutions witli as much compo.sure as
the sow when she quietly rests in the
mud.
No one who is at all acquainted
with the nature of swine ever thinks
it strange to see them wallowing in
the mire, because , they know it is
their nature and tiiat it is soothing
and pleasant for them so to do, hut
it would bo pa.ssing strange for a
shee{) voluntarily to wallow In the
same mud-pond with the swine or to
eat the .same foul diet with tlie dog.
True, the sheej) may .sometimes
through fright or by carelessness fall I
into the mud, hut it will make all j
possible effort to get away and ever |
after shun that muddy place. It
seems most in accordance with the fig
ure of the dog and of the sow as men
tioned in the text to apply it to such
as have never been horn of
tlie Spirit, to sucli as the Apostle
Jude .“speaks of \vl o Separate tnem-
si'lves, sensual, not liavingthe S]iirit.”
Tliere certainly is a very important
difference between tlie cliaractcr of
such as separate themselves, from
sensual motives, from tiie common
herd of mankind, and the character
of tho.se whom God separates and un
to whom lie gives hi.s holy Spirit.
The spirit o:' jirinciple that is in a
man is what fiirm.'^ his general char
acter, and this i.>rinci])le is so intimate
ly connected, and .so, interwoven, \iitli
the man himself that sometimes one
is spoken of for the other, the princi
ple—the governing principle is nien-
tioiicd for the man, and the man for
his Jirinciple. “Pure religion and un-
defiled before God and the Father is
this, to visit the fatherle.ss and the
widow.s in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.”
Jamts 1: 27. Here in tlii.s text
“pure religion” and the man himself
are terms intcrcliangeahlv used. It
is not .said that pure religion must or
can be kept pure and unspotted un
less the mail liimself is so in jiriiicl-
ple and in practice. “Therefore, if
any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature, old things are pas.scd away,
behold, all things are become new.”
2 Cor. 5: 17. If he is a new creature
I
he lias a new heart, new understand
ing, new dasires and new jov.s, and
he looks upon himself in a new light
and knowing that he is ]ioor, sinful
and helpless, he looks unto Jesus for
meidt to give him acceptance with
God the Father. He feels the im
portance of“laying a.sido every weight
and the sin that doth .so easilv beset
but lie ik tangiu oy a feeling j
sense of Ids own' weakness to look or
trust unto the grace of God in Christ
to help him to do all things that he
is required to do, and so run wicli pa
tience the race that i.s .set before him.
In the .scriptures ever}- man’s char
acter Is fully delineated as lie .stands
before God: Not simply as he appears
before men, hut as he is in the sight
of God. A man’s religious sentiment.s
may he very acceptable to men, “hat
God knoweth your heart.s, for that
which IS highly esteemed among men
is abomination in the sight of God.”
Luke 16 : 15. Some of the mo.st
her wallowing in the mire- It is her
nature and she has no otiior nature'
to overcome it. \V. M. M.
Mav 7th, 1874.
LV)u,syth, Ga., ]
.March 22d, 1874.
zealous and who have tlie greatest
outward apjiearance unto men of bc-
righieous Cod de.scrihes
inr
as being inwardly, “full of hypocrisv
and iniquity. IMatt. 26 : 28. All
tlie works of siu'li ciiaraeters are done
to he i^een of'men and for jilthv lycre
and hence one point in the de.seripti ve
li,st that Cod gives of tiiem is lliat
•■they have men’s persons in admira
tion hecaiisp of advantage.” 'I'licv
deal with men a;s a gix'd hiisinoss
man would with articles of merclian-
dise, that which the most prolit,or“fil-
thy lucre” can he realized IVom is tlie
nuxst desirable, and so i f course weal
thy persons are most in adin.ration
hocause of advantage. Jiide. 16,
2 Peter. 2: 3. In conclusion I re
quest the reader lo read the whole
■second chapt. 2 Peter, and pcrha])s
you will not think strange that it
hajipens unto these false teachers
as to the washed .sow that returned t.o
Dear Brother Gold
] will 5>Gnd yon a lew lines writtem
on the siihject of liajitisin, which von
can imhli.sli in the LAvNDMl-vkks. if
you think they will be worth their
room. I understand that baptism is
an ordinance ordained to commemor
ate the deatli, burial and resurreetion
of Christ, and that none hut tliosi*
who have hecii baptized witli tiu'
.Holy Gho.st into the death of Christ
should he hajitized in lii.s name with
water.
When a .sinner is repenting he is
tlien being planted in the likeness of'
Chri.st.’s death, lor as lie feels the
curse of the law and i.s. burdened hv
sin, so the captain of our .siifferintxs
felt the curse of the law for all In.s.
children, was burdened with all tlieir
sins, and was as a cart laden with,
many shea,vex. The death and suffer
ings of ('ll rLt redeemed his jicoplc'
trom tlieir sins. Irom the curse of the-
law, and tlieir snffering.s have no ])art
in their redemption, hut it is nwes^a-
ry for them to feel the terror of God's
holy law, and Ibel tlie yreat burden
of sin, that they may attest to the-
purity and justiee of the law, and',
learn the exct'cding sinfulness of.sin ;
that they may die to .sin, abhor it,,
and not let it reign In their mortal hod -
ies ; that they may have .some faint
conccptioii ol the great sufferings of'
Christ on the cross for them ; that
llicy may ajipreciute what he did for
the .'in, that they mav have fellowship'
for him in liis sufferings, and he.
made fit temples for the indwelling
o.t the Hoiy Ghost. And when llu;'
Holy Ghost :s .'ent, he takes the-
things of ( iirist, his death and sni'-
ferings, and .‘-^liows them iinto-tlie sin
ner, and when he witne.sses a-nl ta.^ti •■
them, it i.' then a felh.)'W-fee!ii;r h.;-
tween him and (iiirisi i.s felt, and Ih>
ing enabled by iiiith' to.-ee tliat th.
suffering,-! were to reiieem Iii.s poor
soul from hell tlie sinner loves him,
!)ee;ui;-e he first loveds 1dm. And in.
oiir jdigrimage,. wlifuiever we are bur
dened on aceoinit of the .sin that
is in our in«-»ital bodies,, and wo
involuntarily groan or .sigh on ac
count of our .sinftiJiicss, it is then w.s-
die again, and again, lo .sin, and' ha\«
fellowsliij) w itli him w ho was exceed
ingly soiTowiiil even unto .(hath,,
who vva.s a man of sorrow, and ae-
quainteifwith grief. Hence liie api'S-
tic Paul .s.dd, “I die daiK-.’’ Waeu.