Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Oct. 1, 1876, edition 1 / Page 7
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! Zioirs Lamhiuirk : Wilson, N. C. of love ill sliowing forth tlie pniise of God, who hath called us out of dark ness into Ids marvelous light. And j thus we rejoice in the Lord, and are jovful in the happy looking “ for new hcaveus awl a new earth, where in dwelleth righteousness.” Eut O liow full and rapturous will be our joy and glory, when the Son of God, who is our light ami life, and onr beloved, sliall ap[icar in all the hriglitness and gloiy of his Fa ther, and we shall appear with him in glory, and be like him, and see Idiii as he is. “ Then we shill! see, and hear, and know, All that we desired or wished below, And every laiwer hnd sweet employ. In that eternal world of joy.” D. Bartley. Ellavillo, Schley County, Ga., Sept. 4, 1876. Dear Brother Gold:— I wish to say to the bretirren asud friend.s of the Stauiiten River, Coun try Line and Abbott’-s Greek Associ ations, that ;through .great mercy I got safely home at tlte appointed time, and found all well. Surely mercy and goodne.s.s liafe followed me all the day.s of my Jife. I have great cftu.se of thankfnkies to God for the kind receplion I ntet witli, and for the fellowship a>f God’s clukken in A^irginia ar.d .North Carolina. e are the same people, and the trir-th of tlie holy word, “ that all thy chil dren shall l>e taught of the Lord,” vvas abundantly verified to tas. I heard nOLhiiiginreached whilst with the brethren at these associations, hut the go.spel, and I have reasons to liope tliat from the expressions of love and confidence extended me by tlie breCh- _?ai, ilyii they Heard noBiing but^ the gospel ‘in my feeble efforts in preach ing amongst them. Thanks be unto the Lord for his :amazing merev. O •- Affectionately, J. R. Respe.ss. 1 kit a rd aTT /“Remove not the ancient land-\ \ mark, which thy fathere have set.” / .1)0 PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS PREACH REPENTANCE ? Tarboro’, N. C., Ana: 29tli, 1876. Jfr. Gold:— In conversation with a gentleman a few days since, be asked me the fol lowing qucstioit: “^The Primitive Baptists do not preacli repentance, do they ?” I answered in the affirma tive, but was not able to explain as I would like; .so I submit his question to you, which please answer through your paper, and oblige. Yours very truly, s. E. W: Remarks. If Baptists do not preach repent ance they fail to preach the gospel, for that is just as neces.sary a part of the gospel as any other part, and it cannot be divided. Let us look at the Bible repentance and contrast it briefly with the world’s kind. We are told that God does not re pent as a man does.' Men do wrong things of which they should re[>ent; but God cannot do wrong to be sorry ‘^for, or to thus repent of. Yet the Lord dM|8 change his providential dealings tdwiar(i8f.mea at times, as wheu he de stroyed man from the earth ; not be- cau.se he did wrong to make him, but Inicau.^e of man’s wickedness: and this is called a repentance. Tlieic could be no [lower above God that could operate on him to cause a re pentance; hence, “it repented tlie Lord ” or the purpose jiroceeded from himself alone, and he is still sover eign. But men repent as a result of something controlingthem ; and tiicir repentance is caused by a godly sor row if it is genuine and profitable.— There is no question but that men should repent; for sinners ought to rcjicnt, and unless they ilo they must perish. But does repentance precede sorrow or follow it? Does one re- [lent ia order to feel sorrow, or does he fir!5t feel remorse and sorrow and then rejient, or lurn from, his wicked ness ? One must first feel sorroto or contrition for wrong doing before he will abandon it from right principles. To repent is to turn away from one course and follow another considered to be better, or w'hioh the merit of the case requires. If tliere is any question about the correetne.'ss of the statement that sor row must precede repentance let us examine .some scriptures. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter’s hearers heard his words, they were pricked in their hearts. This was their sorrow—and they said ; “ Men and brethren, what shall we we do?” “Then Peter said unto them. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus ClirLst for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of tlie Holy Ghost, * * Then they that gladly received iiis word Nvere"'o:tpf- tized,” Then when Peter told them to repent he told them to do some thing they gladly did. These people were already sorry for their wicked deerls in killing the Prince ot life, and saw no way of escajie; hence they said, “ Wliat shall we do ?” It was joyful neivs to them to be told to turn away from what they already abhorred. The work of convietion had alread/' been done, ou^ of which repentance would readily grew as soon as the [iromise was preached to them, for they gladly termed to the stronghold when a door of entrance or that one never turns away from wlio has it. Now what can cause a man to sorrow for that which he loves—which his nature loves ? The carnal mind loves sin. Does it change itself, or take itself away ?— One must be quickened and have a new principle in him in order that he may hate what he once loved. But where does tliis power or quick ening come from ? It comes from God, and leads one to mourn before God, and abhor himself Hence it is called a godly sorrow—a sorrow that abases one as a guilty sinner be fore God. It is a conviction of sin by the application of his law. “ The commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” The sinner here truly ab hors sin and condera.s himself, and acknowledges the justice of God in his condemnation. Now this godly sorrow works re pentance to salvation. This sorrow is not repentance, but it is rather a dying, still it works repentance. Here comes in the goodness and mercy ot God to this wretched sinner; “ Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Then the language of Jesus is appropriate ; “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffei’, and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentanqe. and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all na tions, beginning at Jerusalem.”— Luke 24 : 46, 47. Ilepeutaoce is preached in the name of Jesus just as much as remis sion of sins. The power and love of God are manifiested in the turning iway o ,)5' the sinner irom from ck'acT works was given. Another text of scripture is found in 2nd Cor. 7. “ Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance.” Here they were made sorry—did not make them selves sorry—though they did the wrong deeds for which they ought to have been sorry. But they were made sorry and they sorrowed to re pentance. It was such sorrow that it led them to repentance. When one is truly sorry of his wrong course it will lead him torcpentajriGe or turn ing away frem his wickedness. What kind of sorrow is it that leads one to turn away from his wrong, and do works meet for re[)entance? It is a godly and it is so called in this same chapter.—2nd Cor. 7.— Forcedly sorrow worketh re[)ent- auceAk not to be repented of: the sorrow of the world wetrfeeth death.” This is a defini tion of’th« kind of sorrow that work- eth ot causeth true repentance to sal- ratiou UmUi is not to be repented of, I to serve the true and living God.— I Turning to God is repentance.— Coming from ^dead works to God is repentance, Theie is life in it from begining to end. It is also a a joyful turning. It is turning from what one hates to what he loves ; and that repentance is preached in the name of Jesns, just as one lame rises up and walks in the name of Jesus ; or as the blind man receives his sight in the name of Jesus. Did not the man lame in his ank les rise up and walk gladly when healed in the name of Jesns? So, I would say, when a sinner has the gospel preached in the name of Jesus he repents and turns away with glad ness from the works of death, which he once loved, to the works of God, which now he loves; and this is a re pentance or turning to salvation that he does not turn away from. But some one may say, this repent ance is not a gift of God. Well if \ve can prove it from the bible that will Justify us, whether men like it or not.—See Acts 5 : 30, “ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree, Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and for- gi veness of sins.” Here the language as plainly declares, as words could, that God exalted Jesus in order for him to give repentance, &c. He gives the repentance that is unto sal vation. Wlien an understanding of the truth is given, through the en lightening of the mind to see Jesus as the way of salvation, how gladly does one turn unto the Lord, and this is repentance, or a turning to the Lord. Let it be remembered that a godly sorrow for sin is one thing, and the repentance-that this godly sorrow works, is another thing. When one preaches the gospel, which always includes repentanc, (for the gospel cannot be preached witli- out preaching repentance) he declares that which is good news to the sin ner that is sorry for sin ; for it opens a door of hope unto him that God has granted even him repentance un to salvation ; and he turns unto the way of life, and does works or deeds meet for repentance. Now if the Old School Baptists do not preach salva tion to poor sinners who does? If they do not encourage and exhort sinners to repentance in that sense who does ? This I acknowledge is quite difler- eiit though from that duty preaching of works which exhorts men to turn away in their own strength,//’om that which they lore. When men love sin do they turn away fi’om it ? The law grants' no repentance nor forgive ness. It is God that grants both.— A worldly repentance that works death is that natural slavish sorrow for ones punishment, (and in that sense for his deeds that call for the punishment) tlia^ prompts a man to attempt in human strength to flee from wrath. Under the dread of suffering one re[)ents of his wicked deeds, hue it is not preceded by a genuine, godly sorrow for sin ; hence he can turn back to tiie world, and often does when respite from the fear of jmnishmont is given liinsr. Ju das re[>entK and tlien hangs himself. Cain said his punishment was great er than he could bear, though he ex pressed no sorrow for slaying his brother. It is a bitter repentance that one has who still loves the sins he is afraid of being punished for committing, though he is looking for ward to a gloomy end. Take the [lenalty away and he would not re pent, for he still lo ves the sins. No deep and godly sorrew for sin has worked true repentance, hence his turning away from sin is only under a worldly sorrow tliatworketh death. There is no life in it, but all dead works. There is no gift of God preached. An outward reformation, if there is nothing deeper, works death. There can he no question that we should warn men to flee the wrath to come, and tell them of tlie conse quences of sin ; but a gospel preacher presents this in the name of Jesus; for it is a necessary part of the gos pel. It is just as needful for one to repent as it is to believe. Natural men dread rejientance and put it off, and do not want to repent; for they love sin, and hence do not want to forsake it; and they hate holiness and hence do not want to embrace it. But, when there is a godly sorrow for sin and repentance is preached in the name of Jesns, it is a Joyful sound to the distressed soul. It is just what he wants to liear. Hence a true re pentance is an unfailing evidence and sign of salvation : for it is turning to the Lord Jesus. Notice .—The new Association called AYnci Creek, in North Carolina, meets on Friday before the fourth Sunday in October, 1876. Visitors by railroad sliould arrive at Black Creek dejiot on Thursday instead of Friday, as stated in the last issue ol the Landmark. '■A
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 1, 1876, edition 1
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