Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / July 1, 1874, edition 1 / Page 5
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Zion’s Laiulinarks A r .'m[)tat!oii l)v Satan at his will—and ' ^‘venil passions besetting iny path- [ n-av and causing me to doid.it the i veality of ray conversion ; and, niy | troubles bectime great l>r fear I was a poor deceived soul, and the more 1 [ tried to examine myself before God | to se3 if ! ever could claim myself a I '■hild of God the less confidence I had ! tliat there was anvthing gooti in me: that would justifv me before (Jod.— And I left tlte church and looketl fi)r ! pleasure iu the world but found i none, btit the cour-e I {fursut-d in | hunting pioasure in the world as i j tince liRtl enjoyed was nothing hut a iiii* of condemnation and sorrow for having sinned ag-ainst my God. I wouhJ often go to preaching and some time the preachers woidd (piote tlie s(!riptiires and say, ‘^Gle that Is horn of j!od doth not commit sin, because iie is born of Go;l,” John 3; 9. 1 would not or could not claim myself | to be born of God, for I felt and Icuew I was a sinner, and liad lost all joy and rxmsoiation of hope 1 did enjoy when first 1 felt that toy sorrow hw siii w;as turned Into joy and rejoicing. I would some times hear the preachers say "-fthat if we say we liave no sin, vre deex-ive ourselves and the truth is not iu us,’’ Johu 1: 10. I could Ifcartily endorse that truth and their would set it down that I was deceived, and that I wa.s ,tu) Christian, and isever was born d‘ God or I \vould not commit, sin. Aly troubles became great aud I became very desirous to even J»ave or reeei'f^l ..fbat .F did enjoy when my first trou ble's aud sorrows for .sin were fumed Into joy. I became very much trou bled and conrinued to sc>ek for {)ar- doning mercy. • 1 desired that I might enjoy tise return of the joy that I felt when I first triisted that God had given me a new heart and new de.sires. But alas! I could not believe I was born or had been born again, bcKtamse I knew I was a oTcat sinner, and often thought with great sorrow that I had sinned away the dav of grace, and as I Itad lost tlie jov of mv first love for God and his cfiuse, even when I Vv'ould try to pt‘Ay would he troubled with the thouglit that 1 had no faith, and without faith it wavs impossible to please God. While troubled with these thoughts I desired that I could even have the mustard-seed faith I would willing aud could claim Jesus a.s my Savior, but even doubled that, and then this impres sion was made—that a man would be a complete fool to pray to a Savior if he did not have some faith. Then my heart was made to rejoice with a faint ho[)e that I had a little faith, then my mind was more dis*- pased to put my tru.st in my liless- ed Siiviour for salvation for I could trust in no other, for in myself I could find nothing that was good or would commend me to the fa vor of Gofl, and I felt that none but Jesus could* do a poor .sinner like me any good but still could not be com forted, because I felt that I was so unworthy,for the truth of God’s word wmuld come up In my mind, who.so- ever is horn of God doth not commit sin and could not sin,becau.se his .seed remained in him, therefore he could not sin heeaii.se he was horn of God: and I could not reconcile it to mv mind that I w:vs a child of GckI, imicsb-r could harnumize myse'f with the trutli tlut is above and the truth that .said if we .say we have no sin we dccievc our.seIves, and the truth i.s not in n.s, and on that sulject I became .so much troubled tliat 1 made it mv laily prayer that God would •o enlighten my understanding that I might know what I wws bv nature and what I mast he by grace betbre I could be a fit subject for tlie kingdom of heaven, for I did believe that all scripture wa.s given by in spiration and wa.s given for om- learning a.s taught in tiu; Bible and tion is alone in the IMght('on.snes.s of my blessed Saviour Jesus Ghri.st wlio wa.s horn of God and cannot sin he- eause the seed of God mnaineth in him therefore lie cannot sin hecanse he is born of God. G. Cook. [to r.K CONTI NUKD.] Testament, and if F was a ciiiid God would revetil unto mesorae consolation that [ might know the great plan of .salvation a,s taught in the scriptures that God might make known that riclies of his grace to a ]ioor sinner like my.self, and to day I do hope and trust that I do imderstand the truth as abovm taught which is worth ten thou.sand w'orlds like this that peri.she.s in its useing and my poor .soul is now comforted and consoled to be lieve firmly that by grace are we sav ed through faith and that not of our- scl /es but It is •■-it of svorks l(stai^^"iaii should boast : and will here add that as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in bis own order, Chi-ist the firsit fruit afterward they that are his, and in meditating prayerfully on the above truth I am now >able to view our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the first of our salvation and view him in iris order as one that is born of God and can not sin because the seed of God remaineth in him, there- fbr'e he cannot sin becjuise he is 'xrrn of God as one too pure to .sin and a pure and Holy Saviour wlro had the power to lay his life down and as the pure and Holy Ijamb of God he had the power to take his life up agaiivas the first fruit of our salvation, and although he took ujxin hiin.self our nature as a man of sympathy, aud wepted with those that wepted he always excepted sin, and a,s a God of power he a-scended to heaven to pre pare a place for the dear children of God: and the poor race of Adam who fell from their first estate, and who are brought into the favor of God through the merit of Christ in their order are kept by the power of God through faith ready to be revealed in the last times, by the righteousness of our dear Saviour.— o We arc saved by faith from our sins and not in our sins, and as John .said in the 5 chapter he that believeth that Jesus is the Ciirist is born of God ; consequently I have no confidence in the flesh, aud all my tnwt for salva El-XO, IvAIJFWAN Co., TkX. j March 12tli, 1874. / “Who only hath immorfality dwell ing in light,” 1 Tim. 6: IG. I shall, in a brief way, give my views. The latter clause of the fif teenth verse demonstrates (to understanding at least) the diaracler referred to in the text—King ofkings and Lard of lords “who only hath immortality dwelling In the light.”— A.S yet I have been unable to find anywhere in the .scriptures where im- morftdity (that i.s the fountain and .source of it) h;is ever lieen applied to any other than God hiiaself. When I isay God f mean the trinity in es sence. “Xow unto the King,eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, he lioiior and glory forever and forever, amen!” 1 Tim. 1: 17. I un derstand these three appellations— eternal, immortal, invisible—-to mean one aud the same tiling, and will ap ply to none but God, not even to mortal man in hi.s natural state, or in his creation, notwithstanding it has been almost the prevailing ojiinion of mankind that created moruds pos sessed something bjimortak and why hastbeta so prevalent I am unable to say, for our God has never .said so, consequently it is with out proper authority. Brother Crold, if you c.an find any where in God’s word lie has represented man or any part of him as being immortal jilea.se intorm me where I ctin find it, that i.s Adam in his creation or his jiostcrity, natural ly speaking, that is, before the spir itual birth. He only hath it dwell ing in the light—while the world of mankind have no light,butarc in utter darkness until tlie appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ to them by Ms quickening Spirit (and as lie only has it dwelling in the light ; yes, the only source and fountain of it; brings life and immortality to light to them who hath life and eyes to behold it, though they sec through a glass darkly, hut the tim; will come when you who have been bles.sed with that immortal or divine life and h'o^ht will dwell with him in the light, know even as ye are known, see him as he is, dwelling in the light with him as one with him, for thus he (Christ)prayed for all his Father gave him as heirs to the immortal inher itance that the blessed Savior gives. If any man have not theSjiiritof Christ he is none of his. The inspired apos tle could have reference to none but those who are Ixirn of the Spirit, to those whom he h.ad(the Savior)given eternal life. By reading from the first of the chapter down to the 9th verse fully proves this fact, (Romans 8th chapter) But n otwithstanding it *vag sjioken in relation to the cMld of grace or sjiiritual child who had received the Spirit of Christ, it by no means Implic.s tint they \\'ro not his in some sense before thus tii- v'ored with his divine Sif.rii., for tli" same insjiircd writer ahuiuinnf.lv testi- fie.s to the coati’.xrv in all his Fjiisttcv to the believers or cliurch : that tlm.' were his by purchase and liv rodem: - tion, See Psalm 2d 7 and verso.s.Tliou art my son,this dav h;iv- L begotten tlu'c. Xsic of me :uu-i : will give thee the heathen ilir tld'n Inheritance.John..tlie 17chapter,a!I tin father giveth to me, .shall come t’ nu , and this is thcFather’s will tliat of he has given me I should lose mvh- Ing, Ac. By purchase ainl rcdeinptio'. ILalms 74,2 ver.sc,rcmcmber tiu; con gregation which thou hast puniia.'^c;! of old, the rod of thine InhcrdaiU’c which thou ha.st redeemed, Ac., thi’i are his in one .sense hdove the spiviti.!- al birth. It remains fo’’ us to show via true meaning of tiio text. Man u; nature is dead iu sins, ca.nia!!^ minded walking after the course of riiis world,ruled by tlie prince of the power of the air tliosjiirit that now workett. in the ehihiren of disobedience, oiil' [lo.ssossing this h.ad spirit that avotLs in the children of (not obodie.nre) but disobedience,he has no will not” power to observe the divine law of Christ given to his ehureli. Conseon.mr- ly they are not his follower-;, Disciple.s or chililren, by ohe- dienee, not his by observing al; his precepts and examples and why “ Bcf^-ause the nece.s.sary preparation o'- gift of his Spirit is lacking, and it,i consequence of the oneness bet ween Christ, the head and them, he .sends forth his Spirit into their .hearts, to give the light of the knosvledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesits Christ that divine Spirit enabling^ them to see him as their Saviour .and serve him as their Savior and wait: before him in love observing his ex-- amjiles, and precepts as obedient child’-en (manifestly hi.s)by their obe dience to bis divine rule, for by the fruit they can only be known and it is by the Spirit of Christ they now possess as a gift from hi.’n that enables them to evince to the Avorld and those that behold them that they a re his by purchase and redemption, for says Isaiah,the ransomed of the Ij0.rd shall retiiiTi and c5me to Zion with songs and everlasting joys on t-heie heads, Ac.. Noah T. Fhoeman:. “For we ai*e ills workmanshiji, created in Chri.st Jesus unto good works which God hath before or dained, that wesbould walk in them.,” Eph. 2: 10. Paul wrote to the Ephesian duirck as their instructor in the doctrine of the cross, and, as lie was v/ant to- do with all to whom he wrote and preached, he dwelt largely ujiou the subject of salvation by grace. And, as was his custom, he defined his ideas both by plain declaration and comjiarison. In stating an imjiortant truth he often noticexl any contrary opinion that a^rtually was er might
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 1, 1874, edition 1
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