42
Zion’s Landmai'K.
But Gideon wants liis sign revers
ed and tlms proved. Did lie think it
miglit have been an accident? It
could not. But the very strangeness
of the piattcr makes it ha”d to be
lieve; for, if wc had as much readi
ness to believe a mira-le as we have
to iKilieve only what we cun account
for, then faith would oftener relieve
us. The Lord is gracious to Gideon,
and reverses his sign ; and now the
wool is drv and the earth wet. Is
not the other a better sign ? I do
not know. It is not a pleasant sign
for the preacher to feel dry while try
ing to preach; but ( ften the dew is
on the flock, and they are refn'shed
when he feels that the morsel he is
giving them is very dry indeed. But
what a blessing that the dew does
not rome from the preacher, but from
heaven. The truth is, a preaclier
that never gets dry, or at least, that
does not feel tliat he is dry, is want-
in«: in one of Gideon’s siy:ns, and one
that never gets wel is badly wanting.
The [leople now in great numbers
rush to Gideon’s cam[), but there are
- too many. If they are victorious
they will ascribe the glory to them-
-? selves and not to the Lord. What
extremists men are! When full, they
forget God and take the glory to
themselves; when empty, they forget
God’s power and say he cannot de
liver. A proclamation sounds that
all faint-hearted ones should return
liOQie. Such ai'e unfit to die. God
prepares his people for death before
this battle comes. A great many
go back, and still the number must
be reduced. Only those that lap
ter like a dog shall fight. Thf
hundred only of tho-e are found.—
A poor set of soldiers to fight Midi-
an. So God’s servants seem poor and
are, in themselves.A preacher seems
to !iim.self to drink very little, and
like a dog. He seems to lose more
than he swallows. Did you ever no
tice a dog drinking water? How lit-
tie lie seems to swallow. He drinks
tlmiigh very often, and gets some.—
A true preacher is drinking almost
every where. In all things he is in-
istructed and knows both how to
alionnd and huw to be in want. He
drops more than he swallows. That
is, a preacher is drojiping and scat
tering the message of truth here,
there, and everywhere, from his
tongue ; for it is a gift of tongues ;
and the many thousands of Israel go
back to their tents and rest wliile
there is a woe on the preacher unless
ho goes to preaching.
But is Gideon yet ready ? No!
Wliat, not yet ? A man not in his
circumstances would say, he was a
great sinner. An arminian would
not want any sign, w(;iild he? “ And
it came to pass tlie .same night, that
the Lord .said unto him. Arise, get
thee down to the liost: for I have
delivered it into thine hand. But if
tium fear to go down, go thon with
Dhurah thy servant down to the
host,” fec. The fact tliat he took Ids
servant with him shows that fear yet
lingered—perhaps that carnal fear is
about the last enemy to be east out
of the soifl—before death, or iii it.—-
What a blessed thing tliat we have
servants to go with us,
, Behold, wlien he goes he hears a
dreamer telling a dream about a cake
of barley bread tumbling into the
host of Midian, and smiting a tent
and casting it down; and he liears
aiiotlier Midiaiiite interpreting it .is
being the sword of Gideon, becan.se
into li-k hand had God already deliv
ered Midian and all tlie host. When
Gideon hears iliis all fear flees and
faith perfectly prevails. Then fe
worships God and returned to his
host and tel Is them to arise, becau.se
the Lord had delivered the host of
Midian into their hand.
If faith comes strangely and slow
ly, \vheii it comes all is over, the vic
tory is won—the last army is talcen.
What a wonderful way does God
choose to strengthen it. How ]>ite-
ous and merciful lie is to ns. How
slow of heart and whut fools we
know we are in not believing. But
when faith works all is over, the
night is gone, the day is come. Then
all our enemies turn to slaying one
a*nother. An>er finds a foe in some
other Midiaiiite that slays it. Malice
is killed by some other enemy. These
lusts consume one another and melt
away. How simple the meihod.—^
Hearing the interpretation ofa dream.
The interpretation of trutli to one
that knows the truth is so ooiifinniiig.
Faith comelh by hearing, and Iieai-
iiig by the word of God. Ah iiow
oflen when one tells his little experi
ence to the Church, or when one
Christian talks to another, is faith
strengthened and we w’orship and
overcome, feeling that all things are
delivered to our Gideon, even Jesns,
and tliat we are enabled to follow
has;
TUKrniCTTost^WTnimtWisa^iea r.
Lamps in emi'ty pitchers were
strange weapons to carry to »var, and
the shout “ The sword of the
Lord and of Gideon” was doubtless
never heard in battle before. It
strikes me that Gideon filly illus
trates our Lord in this battle; and
the broken pitchers the eartlieii ves-
.«els ; the gospel preachers the trum
pet cr the giftof utteiance; the tamps
the lieavenly illumination—and tlie
battle cry—or sword of the Lord and
of Gideon, the word of God, or what
they preach. They were to exactly
do as Gideon, or it vvas his example
and spirit ruling them. Jesus is our
Captain, who was the least it would
seem of the House of David, yet
faithful in everything, and God gave
him the victory; yet he endured and
snfiered. I don’t .say that Gideon
represents Christ in everytliing but
especially in the battle over Midian.
Gospet preacliers are to sound the
alarm—for to them a trumpet is giv
en ; yet, they are as empty, broken
pitchens, worse than empty, for they
were broken. But they are nothing
till broken. For the lamps that are
given them cannot sliine until they
arc broken. When weak they are
strong. Their shout is the sword of
the Lord and of Gideon. They
preach tlie word and go wiiither the
Spirit goes. They have no strength
at all except in their place or in fol
lowing Jei?iis, But when they pro
claim the truth in its fulness how do
onr sins (Midianites,) turn against
each other and meltaway, and every
thing works together for good. How
does the wonderful interpretation of
God’s dealings with others and our
selves strengthen faitli; so that we
believe and worship the Most High
ihroiigh Jesus Christ our Lord. For
it plea.sed GoU by the foolisbne.s.s of
[ireacliiiig to save them that believe.
—Eo.
Afton, Ga., June 20tli, 187G.
Elder P. D. Gold,—Dear Brother in
Ohri it:—
I am in receipt of tiie Landmark
for June 15th, and caw say of a truth,
am well pleased with its columns.
Elder D. W. Patman’s communi
cation, on title page, is, I think,
very much to the point—has come in
good time, especially his description
of the Cliurch of Chri,4. It is in
deed the highest organization under
heaven, and is separate from every
other kingdom or order that ever has
been or ever will he set up. And
the reason is obvious : it was set up
by the Lord of lieaven, and it shall
not be left to other jicople. And
wliy? I think we liave tlie best of
reasons assigned or brought to bear
ill the case of the Ark of tlie Cove
nant falling in the liands of the Phil
istines. It proved to be a pest to
them ; thev did not know wliat to do
with it. Neither do otlier people—
the luirege lie rate—know wliat to do
with the kingdom set up by tlie God
of heaven. Elder Graves hiimself de
clares that fact in his essay upon the
extremes to which his Church and its
ministry run. This kingdom is so
separate and distinct from all other
kingdoms. It shall break in pieces
all those kingdoms (powers of anti-
Christ,) and it shall stand forever.—
riitii, brotiier P., the Clifircli 'of
Christ is in no" way related to the
• host of anti-christ in all their plans,
doctrines, practices, names, orders
and imseriptural movements. And,
my dtar Father’s children, let us, in
a spiritual sense, disregard every or
der and sect—110 matter how fair it
may look—that lias a form of godli
ness but denies the jiowcr of a God
to accomplish Ids allwise designs in
dependent of men, money, and all
earthly powers that be.
Next: brothers. M. Charle.s, of
Davidson County, N. C., on the im
portant subject, “ There is none that
seeketii after God.” He has so beau
tifully described the “ none who does
not seek after God ;” and so far from
it in the text and in wiiich the lieav-
en-l)orn .soul does st^ek, that they
thought to destroy God in the per.son
of his Sou, and forever abolish the
babbler with his doctrine, from the
earth. All by nature are the chil
dren of wrath. And look, if you
please, at the ways of children of
men in a state of nature : destruction
and misery are in them, i. e., in their
ways—and tlie way of peace have
they not known ; awful indeed. And
“ tliere is no fear of God before their
eyes.” In this condition thev know
him not, coii.sequeiitly there is none
that seeketh after him.
Again: lie has been so consistent with
the .scriptures in showing that God
has ever had a witness on earth, a
people that is prepared and does
seek him, and tliat principle to do so
must be born in tliein, is a heavenly
principle, or, as the apostle Peter
says, “ boi’n again not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the
word of God.” I agree with brother
C., that it is under the iufincnce of
the divine Spirit only that God is
sought, ami that the words quicken,
regenerate, born of God, &c , are sy
nonymous. I niuler.staiid to quicken
is to g ve life. '
Speaking of the natural birth,
wlien the chihl cries we know there
is a birth, and we know too there is
life, hut tlie chihl docs not know it
at that time, but afterwards it is
made manifest to it. Yet, there was
life at the birth, and soon a thirst
for nourishment. Even so w.th the
quickened sinner, there is divine life
in the soul, they (hirst, yea, hunger
and thirst and yet they do not know
they have spiritual or eternal life.—
Saul of Tarsus was three days with
out sight, and neither did he eat or
drink ; but here was a praying man,
an enquirer, a seeker indeed, and un
der the preaching of Ananias the
Lord (not Ananias,) was pleased to
so fill him with the'Holy Ghost that
the scales of unbelief, the workings
of satan lurking in the flesh (in which
Paul afterwards said dwelt no good
thing,) gave way or fell, and he re
ceived sight. And here faith, which
is the gift of God, an anchor to the
soul, the substance of things hoped
for, the evidcMice of things not seen,
gets tlie ascendency with all the
children of promise and so complete
ly justifies them from all things, from
which the law of Moses could not
justify them, that they have peace
witli God through our Lord JeSiis
Christ. And here is the victory, says
the apostle John, “And this is the
vSetory aliat ovcrcowieth the »
even onr faith.”
I now wish to say to my precious
hrotlier. Elder D. W. Patman, in the
best of feelings and with all due re
spect, that while I think there is
much of tiiat Christ-like spirit and
Christian forbearance manliest i:s his
communication that slionld character
ize the children of Goil, whether in
writing, preaching, or any other
Christian duty; yet, I am not at this
time sensible of seeing one single
scripture bearing upon or even au
thorizing any Christian going into or
even taking part in any secret organ
ization or societies for farming or
agricultural juirposes either ; neither
do I see any good reason why thev
should thus act. Secret things be
long to the Lord, and revealed things
to ns and our children. If I make
any new discoveries in fanning,
which are really an improvement, I
conceive it would be selfish in me to
keep it a secret. Then, let us be mu
tual helpers together, do our duty,
and trust God for the necessary bless
ings.
We had some hope brother P.,
that you would visit the Union As
sociation last Fall—our hopes were
blighted. The Lord blessing you,
can you not visit ns the coming Fall ?
The Association will convene, the
Lord willing, willi Cat Creek Clmrcli,
about twelve miles North of Valdos
ta, on the A. cfe G. R. R., embracing
the third Sunday in Oct., and Satur
day before, at which time and place
your presence would make many
glad hearts. And the same for you.
Elder Gold, or any sound, consistent
Primitive Baptist minister in go(xI