Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Dec. 15, 1875, edition 1 / Page 7
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I Zion's Landmarks: Wilson, N. C. 2S wther good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might ^md, not of" works but of liim tliat oalleth; it was said unto her (the mother): The elder shall serve the younger; Roin. 9: 11, 12. Could language more strongly express the doctrine of Israel’s God, the doctrine which Baptists contend for to-day? Before the clii'dren were born, [trvins too) or had done anything either good or evil, that the purpose of God ac- oordiug to election might stand, not of works (not for anything foreseen Unit the}'" would do) but of him that oalleth ; it was said unto her. The older (contrary to nature) shall serve the }Ounger; even when Isaac t*’e lather lov‘d Esau the elder. This is election in the jdain Bible state ment of ih Nobody though but Ja- oob ioves it. If tlierefore you love it, and it suits your helpless case, that M good sign for you, for .somebody hath obtained it; if yo\i love it it is yours. Th is occurred though long years ago: Yes, it occurred in days when woman thought it a disgrace to be barren, and an honor to bear chil dren. It it occurred too in a day when the purpose of Gcd seemed to be accomplished veiy slowly. God ■ had given promise to Abraham that his seed should possess the Gentiles. But Sarah is barren a long time. Finally one child Isaac is born. The promise is renewed to him as the heir. He takes a wife of his own kindred, but she too is barren. It ,«eems to bo long before the fulfill ment of the promise. Finally the ford grarus favor and she that was c.’ren is .about fo l>o?Bnt ce is ^l£&ow»ty. s^^trere is a struggle in the womb—an opposition. To solve this mystery she does right for she enquires «f the Lord, who tells her that two nations of different manners are in her womb. They are Jxirn ; one—the first—is red all over like a hairy garment. Here is a deshly child they call Esau, which means flesh. The second one takes bold on Esau’s I eel to supplant him, and he is called Jacob, which means a. siipplanter, T1 1C history of the two men, Esau and Jacob, is traced in the Bible.— Jacob and his children are the fami ly of God, the central characters of the book. They are the children of promise, the chosen nation, the pecu liar people for whose sake the na tions of the earth serve, and for whose good the very sun and moon stand still, and the stars fight. The greatest men, in the true sense of greatness, have been of tlie seed of Jacob, such men as Moses and Josh- ns, David and Solomon, Daniel and Isaiah, and the twelve Apostles. The very earth has served for them. What law of nature has not obeyed for them and served them whether in ojiera- tion or suspension ? If needful iron swims, the meal and oil multijily and waste not, wild ravens feed tliem ; the flinty r'Kik opens and gives them water, the fish furnishes them with money. They are served too of the nations of the earth. Egypt gives them great presents. Canaan ites build, plant, and cultivate for tliem. Gibeonites bew and draw for them, Esau is impoverished for tfiem. But what great service has finally come through them to all men ? Of that seed, according to the flesh, came Jesus the corner, tlie nail, &c., who is made higlier than the kings of the earth, and for wlnmi, and to whom, and of whom are all things, and for whose glory all of them are and were created. What is the application of our text at this day though, is a main question'? For .some say, that all this refers to the past and is gone for ever. Well, is not every Christian a child of promise? God, who cannot lie, promised salvation to the heirs of promise before the world began. But is not E-au also a child of promise ? No, he is flesh and of the flesh. He itS called Edom which is flesh, and they who are of the flesh are not tlie children of promise. But the barren mothers as Sarai and Rebekah wait long to bring forth, for tliey are unable of nature. Are not we too? What sinner is able of himself to become a Christian, even though he is a vessel of merey ? Ev ery woman too that brings forth chil dren must endure pain of travail before delivery ; even the queen as mach as a poor beggar. Even so eveiy sinner must feel the sorrow in travail of a quickened soul, and feel it himself and for himself before deliverance; or every one must be born again, Ik the travail of the soul there is a struggling too. For two opposite principles, or two manner of people. are found in on^a man; one of the flesh, and the otli^r of the Spirit; onq , , jevil,»and the otheV good; onC Esau.J^ and one Jacdo.? it is this which iWInmarrlad makes the warfare, when I would do It is this which good opposes, or when evil is present forbids my pleas ure in sin. For Jacob objects as much in his way to Esau’s sports as Esau does to Jacob’s honesty. But the flesh is first. Yes, Adam the earthy is first, the covenant of works is first in development—siii is first in appearance and action. So the soul realizes sin before it does salvation. Ill this great distress one goes to the Lord to enquire. If I am a Christian why am I so vile, why cannot I do better and be better ? Surely a Chris tian cannot have, in the same person, in the same heart, so much confusion and opposition as I have, and if I am so why am I thus? Why, that is one of the best evidences you are a cliristian. The two principle.^twins in one sense,that are in you and that you cannot know one except by the other, are always in the same penson^ and every cliristian has, and nobody else ever does have. But the Elder or Esau shall serve the younger. Did Esau ever serve Jacob? Not willingly much of his time, nor did Jacob much fancy the service, yet he did. Esau the cunning, deceitful, harry hunter did not mean to serve Jacob when ho went to kill venizou and procure his father’s blessing. Yet it was Ja,cob’s op- portuuity for getting the blessing.— Esau’s sinful love of flesh or venizou becomes a snare to him, and in iiis faintness he sells his birthright for a mess of pottage and serves Jacob.— Esau’s anger, whicli provokes him to threaten the life of Jacob, is not pleas ant to that plain man dwelling in tents, it compels him to flee for his life, yet is the means of his finding the dear Rachel whom he loves, nor when Esau with four hundred men goes to meet Jacob, perhaps to kill liim, is it pleasant to Jacob, yet it serves him a good turn, for one wres tles with him all night and Jacob ob tains the victory over Esau, and all else that would oppose, and has pow er with God and men, and receives the name of prevailer. Esai; soon meets him as a dear brother, and the elder serves the younger. As Jacob, a sinner or supplanter, he who is loved of G')d, even while de-^d in sins, so the elect are loved of God and when God reveals himself ami gives them a new name everything is right and well with them. Bat Esau prospers much sooner than Jacob, does he not ? Soon he has a large family, and flourishes and builds a kingdom ; while Jacob waits long in affliction and trial. Well, is not the kingdom of the rid first, and do not the wicked have their por tion in this life and prosper, while the kingdom of grace is small and weak seemingly ? To be plain : the flesh or the cor- rupt,‘-inful nature of man, which is not manifested or made kuosvn to the soul until quickened, may illustrate Esau, and the new man Jacob. The fle^h serves unwillingly in its place. Where sin abounded grace much more abounds. Jqcob cannot make Esau serve though. It requires a higher power to do this’ Nor can we con- troi^n originmamJ ih’to make it a Jfcwe stef that grace it^glv Isnteihnown they were making a cevenaut with Gibeniites it 'Vould have been sin to them. But the Gibeouites were useful as servants Avhile kept under. We cannot make a covenant with &m knowing it to be sin. It is unwillingly a servant, and the Christian is suffering while he is served by it, os Paul was suffering by the thorn in the flesh, even when it served him. It is by denying the old man or elder that the new man is served. When we resent him, and flee from him, and suffer for righteous ness’ sake, and call on the Lord we overcome. In time tlie old man seems to have his heart’s content— while the new man is poor; yet the elder or sinful corrupt nature is ser vant, and all tilings work together for good to the new man. The old mail shall never be saved. For thonoh they be so close together yet they are separated from the womb and never walk together again, and all that would or could by priority of birth have been the old man’s is giv en to the new man wka comes in thi> first-born’s right to the inheritance, and is saved in righteousness and ev ery thing serves him. But there is a fuller sense in which this text is true. It is in the sepa ration between the righteouf? ^nd the wicked. Men by nature are all alike in origin and birth—assonsof Adam and hence as ^Ains. But there is an ungodly gen^ation, a seed of evil doers. Tiiese have the priority in tills world—are firosperous and thus tlie first-born. They have blesssings of nature,, and they prosjicr. They are deceitful and mighty hunters too. They can conquer much 'with their bow, thinking even to win heav en by their works, and tlvey hate the rigliteons too. . ,, But the children of grace do not work for their salvation. As Rebek ah tlie mother of Jacob furnished him with tlie kid by which he got the blessing, so grace, the mother of all Christians, has provided a lamb with out sjiot as an offering to God. The world hates Israel for contending for fhis. Each class goes the way his prin ciples lead him. Esau or the ungodly flourish in time—Israel is afflicted and oppressed, hut in trouble ho ciills on the name of the Ix>rd. The world too, serves him, but not willingly, nor does Israel like the persecutions the world oppresses him with, yet they are for his good. The elder loves wickeilness becauee he is of the corrupt earth. Israel loves righteousness, but is not saved fot his r'ghteousness, but saved by grace. Each in the end goes to his own place, for there is and will he an eiernal separation between the righteotis and the wicked—between Jacob and E-au. GEORGIA MISSIONARIES. The Daily Constitution (of Atlanta, Ga.,) in its issueofNov. 5,1875, con tains a report of the doings of a (in vention of Missionary Baptists, of Georgia, held in Atlanta. One leading question was, “ Hwv can we excite greater interest in Mb- .sions ?” 11 seems that they have to keep whip and .spur over their members to keep tbojfflt a>ovin|^— Agents urns: keep going and beg ging for money, money. Sunday ^hools must train children to give. Pastors must teach it month after month, and then they get in debt and keep in deb*- in their optrations. Question : If this were of the Lord would they always be so much be hind with their contracts? One said they must change their plans. Their old plan was bad. Question: If the plan were of the Lord would there be any need of another or better one ? Oi.e said the people of Georgia (meaning the Missionaries we sii|)- pose) had no conception of what G^l is doing in (he world. Perhaps that is true. He said, “ Kd you ever think of the evaporation in prayer?” Another said, “Some say sve lack the ability,” and then said “Da not the Biiptists of Georgia possess more ability than the twelve Apostles?” Yes, they liave more of some things than the twelve Apostles. They have more money. Peter said silver and gold have I none—no money at all.. They have more worldly learning and honor and its friendship. They are far greater in numbers and make far greater pretensions. But the twelve Apostles eouhl speak with tongues, cast out devils, handle ser{)ents aiul not be hurt, en dure the loss of all things for the elects’ sake, and did preach the gcae- pel in all the avorld, aixl never beg ged any money to do it with either. Yet with all these miraculous gifts, and all this self-denial they could do nothing of themselves. For Chri-t had, and now has, all power in heav en and earth. The disciples never sent otiicrs to preach, but they went themselves. Jesus does not .say, send ye, bur, yc into allthe work! and preach tlie gospel to ever}’ creatrirc ; and they weiH forth, taking liolhing of tiw; gentiles..
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 15, 1875, edition 1
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