Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Nov. 15, 1874, edition 1 / Page 6
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■te had boon in all G(xPs crcatinn. 71 leautilul. ■):i ai ’lor till.-? I tic-gai (OtnmeiKXKi reading at the first chap-I meditate on the past and thought ^ was received and the following day ter of (renesis, rtad unto the days of j that I had some hope that God, for I was baptized. My maul had jK'ace - ■ ’ ’ ' ’ ■■ Christ’s sake, had pardoned my sins. Und my troubles vanished. Xoah, and thought iny case as bad as the antediluvian lost in the iCxhI. J«)ntinnel reading until the giving of the law which condemned me, and my sufferings eontinued to increase. It rang in my mind. Curse God and die. Oh, my soul! it is tiie tpposite of my feelings as far as any- ihinrr in all God’s creation; still it 1 heard some one teii an experience which resembled what I had felt, yet mv troubles went In such a strange wav I thought there was something wrong, tiiat such a great sinner as I was could never he forgiven. I re solved, therefore, to try to get my troubles hack again; I tried to guard 1 admonish all who have received a hope that God, for Christ’s sake, has pardoned their sins—to go for ward and unite with the church and pliiin, simple, candid statement of liK* nakc-d truth from tiiose who arc ol the truth and whr. love their r>rcth- I ren, and love the C-inrch of God, ‘du the truth for the truth’s sake wruch is in them,” i.s far more foreihle in j Zion w’hen asserted by the simple y«(7, yea ; or rm.?/, n^ny, than when one tarry not, by doing which they will j should propose to swKtr to the same enjoy peace of mind and escape severe | things chastisement and great troubles. i It is true that in f'arlhly govern- Mv travail, from the time I felt oounded in my ear, (’urse God and I against sins of eommissinn and temp-i myself a sinner until I received hope, die! I tried to pray to God to re lieve me from tliis great and uopar- rio'iable sin These words sounded in my mind—Pray without ceasing.— Immediately f undertook to pray - ■slways viewing thi.s to be the only remedy to overcome this great sin A-hich doth .so badly be,set me—when at my dailv avocations, when at the Tilow handle, and 1 tried to j)ray in •secret all the time. I found I could not govern my mind for it would rove !.A’er the transitory things of time and 'he evil things of this world. J then A'onhl I enow my efforts and try to be diligent and pray ad the time. I re- :-unied my reading, all my spare hours, commnicing at the first of the New Testament, c.'nc(>rning our Sa- \ iour anil his suf‘ rings. I wept free t tiings. I read the : • nr'and it all : sinner without 1 often went to meeting, and ■vheii oj)portnnity was oifereil, I would ask t e Minister to nrav for me. T hus my troubles bc- Sime so groat, my feeling.s no intense, and my fears s'' alarming, that ileatb pre.-^sibly great. I have vrritten this hoping it may he of some service to some poor soul hav ing a hope in Christ and is yetdi.s- obedient—and to his name be the praise. Jamk8 ajINDSKiY. 'vhen I rea i Sew 'IT'sta- :ondemne,d . hoj)e !'■' ‘ menfs “men vmrilv swear by the irreater and an oath for eonfirmation it'’Tv uiv a tA. .ji u .. x.. * »,.. v. • - - j , 1.1 tatiousand tbesins of tlie heart, by in- j was about .seven years, and I lay out , is totbem an end ofali strife,”—-(Heb. ces.ant prayer, yet I had a wretched | of my duty about five years, dnrim.r \Q: 16.^ But iu the Church of God wandering n.ind which 1 could not j which time my sufferings were inex- | no form nfoaPi is prescrihed, yet control. M’ith all my efforts I could not get the burden back. In the place of doing bctb’r [ did worse.— 'i'iuis I went on from time to time^ expecting to receive some better evi dence than 1 bad befiire. I iiad a desire to u.-e every effort to observe all things whatsoever are commanded in the scriptures to do them. I ob tained a lii'pe when about the age of sixteen year.s, and lay out of what I feel imjn’csscd upon me to be my duty until 1 was twenty-oue years of age—during wbleh tune ray suffer ings were very great. 1 cannot, only in part, express my sufferings daring this time. J often went to meetings loved the pao[)lc of God, and, when the door of the church was May, 1874 ‘higain ye hav'e heard that it hath been said by them of old time. Thou slialt not forswear tliyseif hat shalt perform unto the Lord thine oatiis:” “But r .say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven : for it is God’s throne: Nor by the eartli ; for it is Ids foot-stool : neither by Jerusalem ; tor it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear bv tl'v fieiui, iiccau.se thou canst not 'me hair felt a groat desire to unite with them white or black. But . y ' munieation be, Tea, yea ; • , ■' ; for whatsoever is more 'mu; iheso cometh of evil.”—^lat. 5 : ->J. 3/. Oaths whicli did not eonflicf, with the divne law wereailoweii ami taken l.v 'M'rnbam, l^i-anc mill .bicoW, and o[)enpi. "legan to stare me in the face. I O .-.hought 1 was going to die and my niKU’ .soul would be eteriiaily lo-st iu endless woe and misery. I thought (hat a violent fever attae.ked my fee- ole frame and i look niy bed The •’amilv .seemed to think i was sick ao que.stions wi're asked save eon- itTidng mv sickness. 1 olten got out of lied and went and tried to pray - night came I'li, inv biirdeii and iny feelings vr re inexpr ssibly great, m\ mind was dark, aii around me wa 'lark, my .sins surrounded me as .muimtains and began to clo.se in np- ,m me, Uaek honors seized my friglited .soul and I viewed myself to be in one .step of hell. I looked, up and saw a gleam of light, ihough .erv small; I looked below and saw •in immense unbounded lake of fire, I .vt.-i leaning over it beyond the po.-;.si- i'ility of retiovery, total darkness eov- erexl me, and as I went to make the awful leap in the lake of dcstriicHon, t —Lord, have mercy on my ^xKirsoulI In a moment, as quick as tiiuuglit, 1 was relieved from this awful situation, all my trouble.s, all mv sufi’erings, and all my t'ieunes.s and had joy and peace’within. Jesus, w hom 1 had seen in tiic vLLon, hati glorv but felt too uuvv’orthy and sinful T viewed the Bajitists to be the jicople of God and greatly desired to be with them, but, oh, 1 was too unwortliy! 1 feared I would bring reproach upon an.l ioinve the eau'"'ot tod. I . • . r ■ i not associate or keep companv with ftnc Lw given to national Lraei nd U,c ,vi..ko.l, I was too sii.fui ;,ml a,.- | milto.nl« ttkimt m o.ilh „„.ki w’orthy to keep company wdth the righteous yet I greatly desired to bp with them. I was a [>oorcastaway, a poor ppn''ioner from lime to eternily Mv mind was clouded and be.set with tem]dations. trials ami tribulations; these sufferiiig.s were liroughl on me bv sins of omi.sioii. I went to iireacli- ing, was emistaiit in prayer, search ed the scriptures, yet all tiiis did not ■e.sseii or al'evialc my .siilfcruigs.— There was such a vearning desiic to every member is a legal witnms and i.s required to .sprak the irnth in Jorx- bv a plain simjde .statement of facts, ‘ vea, vea ; or nay, nay.” 1 here are however, ctirtain .strong expressions. even by the insjiired writers of the New Testament wdiich amount to alf the solemnitv that eouhl possiblv at- taeh to an oath, such as “God i.s iv'y w’itness or record.” Kom. 1 ; 9, also 2 Thess. 2; 5, 10. “God knoweth.” 2 Cor. 11; 11, 31. “Beloved befor?: God, T lie not.” Rom. 9: 1. “I sav the truth in (,'hri.st and lie not.” 1 Tim. 3 : 7. “As the truth of Christ is in me.” 2 Cor. 4 : 10. T know' that many persons have honest religion,s scruples in regard to taking an oath as prescribed byeartlv- Iv governments, and they ai’e of opin ion that the text restricts them even in this sen.®e as well as in a church relation. “Let every one he fully persuaded in his own mind.” It is a. point that rulmits of inve.stigation, l>n( V.^}ieidd not I'real.' fcl!oi\'(.'diip. d'he tol lower'.' of Christ, though they I'clmig to a kingdom which is not of this world, yet liiey are not aksolved or released from the obligation to in all thing.s which do not conflict with tlie com mand of Cjiri.st. Hence they Ur’S commanded to ^‘suhmit to every ordi- certain regiilathms. But in Christ’s s.ermon to his disciples he in many things draws a striking (!ontra.-.t he- Oopfiy m.igistrates” tween wdiat was admissable with national Israel, and that which should l)c recognized in the gospel dispensa tion, with spiritual Israel, or in the go.spel Church- fn the Church of C'hrist as organized upon the doctrine and order he 1ms givm, none but gospel testimony enii be admitted, and such testiuniny can only be ob tained from those who are in the unite with the people of God, that I • , 1 ^ • .1 1 1 1 ' kiii"’dom, or Church ot Christ, sub (itten vowed to imn the chureh of > Christ and find a home among them, and .as often did not pay my vow.s.— Thii.s 1 went on for several years— eventuallv I promi.sed the Lord that ject to his laws. In this kingdom every man is required to “speak the truth with his neighbor,” to 8]ieak the truth in love, to state the fact a,s ised .saying—it was right for the Lord to cut me off in death if] long er resisted what wa.s iniiiressed upon me to be my duty. Accordingly the lime arrived and wlieri the door wa.s opened it seemed to me that to stay awav would be deatb. and tliat if I went it would bring re-proueh upon the eau.so of God. The time had now come for me to act Jife ami death cX)meU)iiiy i-eli'T—all praij^e,,, glory were befime nv'. In great weakness of and adoration to his name. My sys | body and mind 1 ;arose from my .-'cat tem ixiing very much .v.-eaketuM ami j ami went f .rward—llie MiiiCtor in- enfeebleerby miicii .suirering. 1 soon | vilH me to a .Ac.it iKHde him; he retired into a slumber; on getting up j told mo to give a relation,of the dpal- tbo next iBorniug everylldiig lookcal. ings of Gwl with my soul, I pro- I biuiii'io'lo'.lCnk.''moc.iuK, bm ! it K will*™* « «*• (Wire. Tlie tliivl time 1 pmni- nleati.m la to l.e “V ea, yea : ir A-ay, nay’. deny’it if not so. Tiiat is .sufficient testimony from a Bapti.st. Bhould any Church mouiber, in order to give more weiLdit and force to his te.sti- nance of man lor the I.ord’s saue. ’ 1 Pet. 2: 13. Tlmv ar.e required to he subject to the authority of earthly governments for “conseienee salio. Rom. 13:5. It is certain imwever that no oath can inerea.se the obliga tion which all men are under at all times to be just, honest, fiiithfn! ami true, and none are more ready .and willing to take an oath than those, who intend on iir.st o’pportiinity to violate the* sacred obligation. If men will not be true an i faitlilul .as -. - —. . . . officers, as slato,‘’men, as Lawyers, as As.sert it to bo .so as it i.s, or as witne.sses -and tax payers, ,. cfTwiinf ^ oath, it is not likely that they will do anv better with it. Lut where this regulatton exists ui human laws it seems tiiat diristiau.s may moiiy, say ‘Bretlu-fii I am willing to be qualified, or take an oath, or to swear that what I state is truth.” Tiiis Nvouid be going too far and doing more tlian the law of Christ requires ami “whatsoever i.s more cometh of evil.” Bach as.sortionH would prove an evil motive, a malicious, •vorldly iSpirii. It would be walk ing after the fl(*sh, and sowing to the Qt'sh. “It pometh of evil.” The- ^submit’’’ in thcseii.se of f l ot. .i.: Li, though thev may not fully approve or justify. Ciirist hath set the ex ample ill this particular of subjee:io.ri. Mat. 17:27. But I must bring these remarks to a close. MTiat I have said is by way of engaging attention of brethren, to this subject- ami not for controversy. A free interchanging of thought will ■s-i:>o,.prufilal)le if gpided by tira-.
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 15, 1874, edition 1
6
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