“I '-nt
order. I liope to hear from Elders
(jold and Patman in due time,
E. J. Williams.
Tartmi-o, N. C. Nov. 1211), 1876.
Elder P. Gold—Dear Brother:—
For some time past my mind has
been mm-li exercised to write for the
Laalmarn. Oiten when reading the
letters of the dear brethren and sis
ters who are scattered over the world
thev siem very precious to me, and
1 have felt a desire to respond to
them : for they eX[)ress what L feel,
and I iiope we are all taught in the
same school.
I have hten thinking much of late
of the goodness of God to poor, lost
and ruined sinners; wliere we wotiUI
have oune and what wouhl have be-
O
borne of us if left to ourselves. All
of us would have been lost, ah ! lost
forever ! But thanks be to his name
he has provided for us; but the
scri[itures inform us th;j,t in the world
we shall have tribulation, but in
Christ peace. “ Be of good checi-,”
sa,\ s Jesus, “ for I have overcome tiie
world.” This is very cheering to
the children of God, and I often en
quire and wonder if I am one cf that
hapjiy numl)er, and if I am why am
I thus? w'liy this duP and lifeless
frame. One thing however I do
kuosv ; if I am one of God’s children
it is not through any thing that 1
have done to merit it. It is through
the goodness and grace alone of the
merciful and sin-pardoning God.—
By him alone have I been brought
to see and feel my entire dependence
upon the blessed Savior.
, I do not write thinking I can,com-
municate any thing that will com-
pai'e with the communications of my
dear brethren and sisters, but I rath
er feel it to be a duty and a privi
lege to tell of some of the way in
which I have been lead since 1 be
came identified with the cliurch of
Christ. I hope you wall bear with
me in my broken way and I wdll try
to tell you of some of my jo\s and
sorrows since I united with the
church at Conetoe, which was about
eight years ago the I7th of last Sep
tember. In this time I have had
many tria's ; but of Israel it is writ
ten, “ In all their afflictions he was
afflicted,” and God has graciously
oruraised that he will never leave nor
forsake his children. I have had
many trials, yet I have been made to
rejoice in the God of my salvation,
and have often felt to say, “ The
Lord is my She|)herd, I shall not
not want; he leadeth me in green
pastures and beside the still waters ”
How beautiful the expression, “ The
still waters.” No turmoil or confus
ion, but all is calm. May we all
pray for that Christ-like spirit which
is mild and lovely, forgiving one an
other in love and bearing one anoth
er’s burdens, that we may so fulfill
the law ©f Christ. If I know my
own heant I do feel to forgive in
love all the dear saints, for I love
them beyond description. I love
their company and delight to meet
them when and wheresoever I can.
Seven years ago 1 lost my mother
and was left with three brothers to
mourn our loss. My father died
when I was quite small, but cur dear
^ Savior has promised to be with ua
Zioivs Landmark.
in all of our troubles and be a fatlier
to the fatherless, and I feel to put
my trust in him, knowing that he is
too good and too wise to be unkind.
M by then .should we not trust him
at all times since he has l)rought us
thus far. I feel to say, “ Though he
slay me yet will I trust in him.”
Our dear brother. Eld. David
House, is now our pastor. I have
felt as though we were not worthy of
such an one. I hold him in high es
teem for the work’s sake, and I hope
the Lord will make fmn very useful
among us. If I know what the gos
pel is he preaches it to the comfort
and edification of the saints. I pray
that he may long be S[)ared to go in
and out before us, and break the
bread of life to us. The scriptures
declare that we must be born again
or we cannot see the kingdom of God.
Our dear brother King has gone to
rest with his blessed Savior. The
dear old soldier of the cross: we shall
greatly miss him. We sympathize
with his dear family in their bereave
ment. May they cast all their cares
on him who is the father of the fath
erless and the husband of the widovv.
May the Lord be with our dear
brother Hodges wfio is now the only
deacon of the church at Tarboro, of
which brother King -served for over
fi)rty years. May the Lord spare
you many years yet to wield the
sword of tl’.e Lord and of Gideon, as
he has enabled you to do in by-gone
days : and as one by one the iaitl'.ful
watchmen on the walls of Zion are
receiving their dischai’ges and laying
by their armor never again to take it
up, may others as strong and valiant
be prepareil for tlie strife and step in
and take their places on the watch-
tower. May the great Shepherd
and Bishop of our souls keep us
unspotted from +he world and pre
pare us for the coming of that great
and notable day of the Lord wliich
shall try every man’s works of what
sort it is.
Your sister, in hope of eternal life,
Emily Coggins.
Wilson, N. C., May 23rd, 1876.
Elder P. D. Gold, Dear Brother, and
to all the dear children of God.:
In weakness I make the attempt
to give my views on Kev. 12 : 7, 8.
“ And there was war in heaven :
Micheal and his angels fought
against the dragon : and the dragon
fought and his angels, and prevailed
not; neither was there place found
any more in heaven.”
All men while in nature’s dark
ness are led by the di'agon and his
angels, captured by the devil at his
will. “ When a stong man armed
kcepeth his palace, his goods are in
j)eace; but when a stronger than he
shall come upon him, and overcome
him, he taketh from him all his arm
or wherein he trusted, and divideth
his spoils.”—Luke 11 : 21, 22. This
I believe is when the war begins in
the breast. “ All we like sheep have
gone astray. We have turned every
one to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on him the iniquity of us
all.”—Isa. 63: 6. Before w’e can
ever reach the peaceful presence of
God there must be a turning to take
place within us. “ Tarn me O Lord
and I shall be turned ; draw me O
Loi'd and I will run after thee.” 1
I think 1 well rememlier the time
when I was turned. These words I
belie/e I heard spoken : “For wkat
is a man profited if he' gain the
whole world and lo.se his own soul,
or what shall a man give in ex
change for his soul.”—Matt. 16 : 26.
I believe 1 was then drawn by the
mercy of God to repent. “ The fear
of the Lord is to hate evil.” That
is the first le.sson ib.e Lord teaches
his people : “ For knowe.st not thou,
0 man, that the goodne,ss of God
leadeth to repentance.” There is a
w®rldly sorrow that worketh death,
but tluu'e is a godly sorrow for sin
that worketh repentance that needeth
not to be repented of. W’hile this
work is going on there is war in
heaven ; there is then a famine in the
soul. “They wandered iu the wil-
derne.ss in a solitary way ; they had
no city to dwell in : hungry and
thirsty their soul fainted within
them.” If the light which is in
thee be darkne.ss, how great is that
darkness: and this is the condemna
tion, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rath
er than light, becau.se their deeds
were evil ; for every one that doeth
evil hateth the liglit, lest his deeds
should be reproved.—John 3 : 19,
20. “ And the seventy returned
again with joy, saying. Lord, even
the devils are subject to us
through thy name. And he -said un
to them, I beheld satan as lightning
fall from heaven.”—Luke 10 : 17,
18. I believe the Lord’s ministering
servants are angels, and that wher
ever he sends tli3m he goes with
them andTuses’Y'hTmT' as”'T7i.strunlen1:s
in his own hands, and fights his bat-
them. “ And of the
who maketb his an
gels spirits and his ministers a flume
of fire. But uuto the Son he saith.
Thy throne, O God, is forever and
ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the
sce[)tre of thy kingdom.”—Heb. 1 :
1, 8. I believe the devil’s angels are
ever with him, and he also sends his
ministers ; for if satan transformed
him.selfinto an angel of light, no
marvel if his ministers do the same.
When I was in trouble on account of
my sins, as I believe, my mind led
me to believe I had committed the
unpardonable sin, and the word said,
Ifyoudiein your sins, where God
and his Christ is you cannot come.
But I could not believe in Jesus.—
1 thought I believed in God, but I
tle.s through
angels he saith.
did not; for if I had believed in ,God
I would have believed in Christ also.
I was yet trusting in the god of this
world. When I was brought to the
end of the law these words were ap
plied : “ And now also the ax is laid
unto the root of the trees ; therefore
every tree which bringelh not forth
good fruit is hewn down and cast in
to the fire.” I believe I viewed it
as it will be at the end of time. The
blow was struck and the trees fell,
and I heard the crash and the cries
when they dropped into the bottom
less pit, as though there were thou
sands. I then, for the first time,
felt the need of a Savior. I saw the
need of a child being born, made of
a woman, naade under the law to re
deem them that were under the law ;
for the wicked shall be cast into hell
43
with all the nations that forget God.
“Look unto me all ye ends of the
earth and be ye saved, for I am God,
and besides me there is none el-se.”—
During this time I believe I wa.s
hanging over the pit with nothing
but a brittle thread of life and the
mercy of God keeping me out. I
felt as though there was a sword
pierced through my heart. I lay and
tremliled, and then,for the fir.st time,
I confes.sed God’s justice. Without
ceasing I continued to beg for mercy.
If my soul had been sent to hell it
would have been approved well by
his righteous law: If I am saved it is
an act of thy tender mercy.
Then, I believe my heavenly Fa-
Je-
ther gave me faith to believe in
sus; For no man can come unto
me except the Father which sent me
draw him, and him that cometh unto
in no wise cast out, but
me I will
will raise him up again at the last
day. A light shone around me
as bright as the sun at noon day,
and Jesus revealed himself unto me
the chiefest among ten thousand. I
was as the apostle Thomas, I had
said within myself, except I could
see Jesus I would not believe whaf
any one said. Tli,e Spirit had been a
great mystery to me, but I believe it
was the Lord’s will to let me look
therein till I was convinced. I also
believe I viewed the bodies of the
saints that ro.se when Christ arose.
When Christ died many of the
graves of the saints burst, and
when Christ arose many of the bod
ies of the saints arose and appeared
in the city and were seen by many.
I was not yet forgiven of my sins,
hnt I hope they- were forgiven me a
short time after tin's.
I believe there are legions of
devils in one person ; for instance,
“ Come out of the man thou un
clean spirit, and he asked him his
name, and he answered, .saying, mv
name is legion, for we are many.”—
But Jesus casts them all out.
“ Therefore being justified by faith
we have peace with God.” “ How
shall we that are dead to sin live any
longer therein.”
Yours in Christ,
Thomas Fblton.
EXPMUENCE
OF
Hstei* m. Snmt pjillips.
I have for .some time been pub
lishing a paiuiililet-style book, con
taining the experience of Sister Phil
lips, and her reasons for leaving the
Missionaries and uniting with the
Primitive Baptists.
The book contains two hundred
and eight pages of matter—divided
into twenty-one chapters—devoted to
various subjects—important to an
enquirer after truth.
It needs no eulogy to one that
knows the ability of her pen. Noth
ing that I have ever seen from her is
more instructive.
It will be very profitable to all
that are .searching for Bible truth.—
.To such I honestly and earnestly
commend it. It may be obtained by'
orders sent to her at Kome, Georgia,
or to me at Wilson, North Carolina.
The price is 75 Cts. Orders can 1 e
sent with the money at once. The
book is now ready. P. D. Qoua
£