I—BiiMtiamiug
138
Zion’s Landmarks : Wilson, N. C.
are identical or not; they are both
bad fellows, and they are both bad
adjectives to attach to any one’s name.
They both apply to a wicked man,
and in answer to the Apostle’s sol
emn inquiry
“where shall the un-
goilly and the sinner appear ?”
would answer in the language of
Holy AVrit: “The ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, nor sin
ners in the congregation of the
righteous,” Psa. 1: 4, 6. “The
wicked shall be turned into hell, and
ail the nations that forget God,”
Psa. 9:17. “The wicked is driven
away in his wickedness,” Prov. 14.
32.
“But Oil, their end ! their dreadful end !
Thy sanctuary taught me so :
On slipjicry rocks I sec them stand,
And fiery billots'S roll below.”
Though the righteous arc scarcely
saved, and havm to bear the judg
ment of their King and his princes,
(Isa 32 : 1) and have much to sutfer
here, for their Lord and Master, yet
he “hath hope in his death,” and
beyond deatli a crown of righteous
ness, and an incorruptible inheritance
reserved for them. “Wherefore, let
them that suffer according to the
will of God, commit the keeping of
their souls to him in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator.”
Affectionately Tours,
I. N. Vanmeter.
Macomb, 111., June 16th, 1876.
P. S. 1 extend my sincere sym-
tKvAo the berearcd fi^hrily of my
night I was invited to a ball, and I
wanted to go, and did’nt want to go;
but I went, and a young man came
to me and asked me to dance with
him. I danced a while, and wliile
I was dancing I thought I would
sit dosvn ; but I never, for I knew if
I did they would think something
was the matter with me. I did not
know what use there was in my try
ing to pray, and I just quit trying,
until about a month after that I
went to Church one day, and the
preacher said, let all those that want
to be prayed for come and give
him their hand; but I never went,
and he prayed for those that were
too hard-hearted to come. I went
home feeling very bad. When I got
home I thought I would commence
praying again, i went in the garden-
and tried to pray. I went back in
the house and got the Tastameut to
see if I could find anything to com
fort me. I opened the book and
turned to where David prayevl for
grace, and these were the words I
found: “Bow down thine ear: Oh,
Lord, hear me, for I am poor and
needy.” I thought that suited me
exactly, and every night I would
pray and think it was ray last tithe
that ever I would pray.
One night I lay down and I
dreamed that judgment day had come,
and i thought I saw the moon turn
ing to blood, and I told my folks
that we would all be lost; but Christ
came to the do(i!ij3nd j^jd we w'oi]Jx
what was the matter with me. I told
him I felt worse than any body on
earth. I looked np and called on
the Lord to forgive my sins, and
after that I sat down, -when some
thing said to me, “your sins are for
given.” I felt happy, and I loved
everybody. It seemed to me I saw
saints in heaven. I wanted to see
brother Whatley and talk with him.
I wanted to .see all Christian people,
and talk to them ; I loved everybody,
but loved the Christian people the
best. I wanted to
“Tell to all around.
What a dear Savior I had found.”
taroT
Lord bless them.
I extend a hearty greeting to you,
brother Gold, and to the brethren
and sisters in Wilson, and to your
subscribers generally. I. N. V.
Troupe Co., Ga., Feb.3rd, 1875.
vS I have been requested by
some ofthe believers in Christ,
to write out my little expe-
i iience, I will now com-
lou c au 1 tell what I hope the Lord
li dui e for iny poor soul.
1 never thought myself a sinner
until the year 1872 ; we had preach
ing a
t our house, brother Whatley
j)reached : he and sbter Hearn stayed
all ni(dit with us. Sister Hearn that
night told her experience.
and I
Ihoughtifi could just talk like slie
did I would give anything. That
night when I retired I prayed to the
Lord to have mercy upon me ; but
when I awoke next morning I felt
ashamed of myself, to think that I
had prayed for such a foolish thing
as religion. Time pa.ssed on and
I began thinking of trying to pray
asain. I lay down one night and
I wanted to join the Church ; for I
felt like I could live with the Chris
tians forever. I did not think I
could wait until the next meeting.
But after that doubts and fears began
to arise, and I did not know whether
I had ever been changed. I wanted
to go to Church, but would not go
on Saturday, for fear I might unite
with the Church, for I did not wmnt
to deceive any one.
This was in January 1874. In
August there was preaching at Coun
try Line, at the Primitive Baptist
meeting house, and on Tuesday the
door of the Church was opened, and
I wanted to go up, for I intended to
join the Baptists if any ; for I be
lieved they were the true people of
God. I tried to stay back, for I did
not want to deceive them ; but the
first thing I knew I was up tell-
experience, and the
me, and to my
;ceived ■-ng-^iind
One day I went a 'vTsitin^^nd
my.self and two other girls were upon
the floor dancing, when the thought
came into my mind : what would I
do if I was to drop dead dancing.
So I sat down and 'told the other
girls they ought to be ashamed of
themselves: for I knew if I had
died then I would have been sent to
torment, and I went home and com
menced praying again, but it looked
like I w'as praying to no purjiose.
Two'others ■'.v^
A. B. Whatley,
happiest day I
earth. The second
being baptized I wms
aptized by brother
and it was the
ever witnessed on
after
think! nsc of
morning
heaven, when these Avords came into
my mind wdth great force.
“When you’’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun ;
You’ve no le.s.s days to sing Gtod’s praise,
Than when you first begun.”
I thought I would pray until I got
thought that I would get religion
that night; I tried to pray to the
Tiord to hare mercy upon me a sin
ner, but I did not feel any better;
for every time I ]irayed I felt worse.
I thought I would quit trying to
pray. That morning when I awoke
these words came into my mind with
Treat force. “Ask aiKi it shall be
U \ .K
given you.” I knew that I had
asked, but not in the right way. I
quit praying, for I did not think it
did any good, for I thought I was
too young to think of religion, for I
was only thirteen years old. One
relief. I lay down one night and
tried to pray to the Lord to forgive
ray sins. I shut ray eyes audit
looked like I could see my sins roll
up before me, and it seemed to me
there were more than any body could
count. I did not think I ever could
get forgiveness for so many sins, and
the next night I tried to pray again,
and I felt tvorse than any body in
the world, I do believe; and that
night I dreamed that I was dying,
and I called Ma, and told her the
Lord had pardoned my sins. I then
awoke. That dream troubled
my mind more than any dream I
ever had. Two days after that my
sister Ludie and myself went to the
spring, and when Ave got back I took
ray seat in a chair, and all at once I
looked out of doors when suddenly
every thing turned dark, and I
thought I Avas dying. I told Ma
that I was dying; she said, she guess
ed not; but I said I Avas. But that
feeling Avore off, and about sunset it
came on me again. I looked up and
saw the AAmrld in a solid ball. IMa
called Pa from the field, and when
me
Brethren and sisters, I sometimes
feel too unAAmrthy to be called a child
of God ; but would not give the little
hope that is in me for all the Avorld.
I will be fifteen years old the 1st
of next November.
I will close, hoping you all Avill
remember me in your prayers.
Your unworthy sister, if one at
all.
Nannie B. AL \Yoodall.
Kernersaulue, Forsyth Co., N. C,,
July 1st, 1876.
To all that love and obey God:—Grace,
mercy and peace be multiplied:—
iJ P a long, and AAmarisome
c r
B i tour in Eastern North Caro-
'ina. I returned home the
^ osu I Dg of the 30th of June,
he cot to the house he asked
D
and 1 11 id 111 7 dear family all well
in answer to my many prayers to
God for them. “Bless the Lord, O
my soul, and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.”
In ray visit East I met many of
the dear children of God, and glad
was I to see them, and they appeared
as glad to see me, which both sur
prised and humbled me. I met large
and attentive congregations at every
appointment—that refreshed my feel
ings greatly, and often felt Avhile
trying to preach to them the un
searchable riches of Christ—that if
the Lord Avould only enable me this
once to feed the flock it Avould fully
compensate me for all my toil. But
it Avas the mind ot our blessed Lord
to Avithhold that enjoyment from me.
Perhaps the comfort felt in meeting
the brethren Avas all that I Avas to
have, and certainly Avas more than I
deserved ; yeti greatly ilesired
to nreacii, but failed to attain unto
it; although I often asked the Lord
for it. Perhaps I asked amiss—if.so,
it is best for me to be in darkness.
“He hath brought me into darkness-,
but not into light.” This darkness
set up this prayer in my heart : O'
Lord, I’esign me toothy Avill, it it is
to be in darkness, give me resignation
to sweeten that darkness ; if it is to
be the least in my Father’s house,
give me grace to rejoice that I am in
it at all, and if the brethren and sis
ters who followed my appointments ^
for two or three days to get a crumb,
and at last had to return empty, or
troubled on account of my darkness,
O may my darkness be sanctified
to confirm them in their faith, that
none have light only as it pleases
God to give it. So let my darkness
praise thy name, my Aveakness show
thy poAA'er, and my poverty boast of-
thy riches: “My soul shall mak©
her boast in the Loi’d, the humble
shall bear thereof, and be glad.”
Amen.
I was blessed Avith the companj
and ministry of Elder B. I. I itt
from Wilson to Williams’, which was
quite a spiriual feast to me, for he
preached every day, and talked be-
tw^pu meals^ff 4he^lory bH kiug-;4
"dorn of Heayen. '' liRi E-ldert^
Godwin, and young Elder Pitt at
Tarboro,’ much to ray satisfaction.
Thanks be to God for the young
gifts.
At Williamston I met Elder G. B.
Hassell, who was very feeble in health.
Took dinner Avith Elder and sister
Hassell, and here I hope sister Has
sell Aviil pardon my expression, for I
felt a desire to express tlie feelings I
had under her prayer at sister Batts-’
house, (I believe Avas the name)—
Avhen I preached at the request of
the old sister. YMur prayer, dear
sister, seemed so full of humility that
I Avas made fully Avilling under it
to try to preach that night. O hoAV
often I have thought of you and that
prayer to my comfort.
I Avill noAA^ say a Avordto rnyfrieml
George Payn, of Alissouri.
/havejust received your letter
George, and was glad to hear from
you, and to hear 3mu Avere all Avell.
We are all aa’cII, George; but you are
not altogether so Avell as JAvould like
you to be, nor are you so- avcII as you
think yourself to be ; for in your let
ter to me you say you are satisfied
Avith your Missionary, Arininian, or
free-Avill baptism, and yet you say you
have fallen into the wrong church.
Hoav can it be a Avrong Church if its
baptism is right ? The' Church of
Christ cannot be right in one part of
its laAvs, and Avrong in others. Noay
if the Alissionary, Arminian, free-Avill
doctrine be Avrong, this baptism is
also AATong, for you must recollect,
George, that the faith of the admin
istrator, and that of the subject bap
tized must be agreed, to constitute a
solid baptism : For “Boav can £ayo
K.
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