Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Sept. 15, 1869, edition 1 / Page 5
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\ iifl mm ZION’S LANDMARKS 157 U was my duty to join them; 1 know- ed that if I did I should have to lay my Masonry aside. But I could do better than that, says something; you can visit the lodge and the Baptists will not know it.” But that Was worse ; that carries fraud with it. I could not practice a fraud on such people™-“ Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my little ones, ye have done it unto me." Now look at God, who is in finite in wisdom, knowing all things, even before they take place, and who is so good and so gracious to you.— Then I could look back to that Bethel spot, and feel his revealing power to save. But I ■was not a fit subject for the church. While in this frame of doubts and fears, one of the fairest and mildest men I ever saw appear ed to appi-oach me in a dream, but ■^vith a frown on his brow, and asked me, with a sharp tone of voice, “Why sta nd ye here all the day idle? go ye also into the vineyard.” The tempter t.-ies to take advantage of the quotation, and tries to annex pay to it, but avail ed nothing with me, for I knew I should deserve nothing if I w'ent into His vineyard, for He had already done more for me than I could pay for, even on the do and live plan. My doubts as to its being my duty to or six years in this condition, going to the church all the time, but could not open my mouth in conference. During this time I often saw, as I thought, God’s judgments following me for my disobedience—wife and children sick for my disobedience*— and would promise to go to the church if God would restore health, but would fail to go. Finally one of the heaviest judgments that God ever sent on a poor wu-etch seized my mind. I cannot speak plainly on this judgment, but I come to my senses one day and prayed Him to remove it and I would go to the church. It was done, and I went to the church and was received 1st of June, 1861. But back, I had re solved never to visit the lodge any more, whether received by the church or not, but have no persecution to w'age against it, nor no fellowship for it in a church capacity. It has served as a link in God’s providence to open my eyes to see what it is and what the church is. (Here is an un limited field.) But baptism, what a load to see people coming to see un worthy m.e baptized—so heavy that I asked God that if it 'was my duty to be baptized to remove the load, W’hich he done to my gratification and satisfaction. I there, in the act of ;o into His vineyard did appear to water, lost my load great extent, but a load of un- Avorthiness seems to take its pHce almost equal in Aveight to the one of guilt and condemnation in Georgia that I carried for several months; whp'n another dream appeared, and -vin it a robe of righteousness let down near me, Avhieh Avas mine. I sprang to catch it and it AVas pulled up from me, and a voice saying, “ not yet.” I aAvoke in the effort of catching at the robe, and scarcely slept any more that night. The load of unAvorthi- ness left me to some extent, though I yet felt unworthy of the place I occupy and the mercies I am daily receiving at Ilis hand, and also of the friendship and esteem of my brethren which they seem to force on me. But the effect of my last vision; as time rolled on duty Avas made, plainer, my visits to the lodge more seldom, the Avhippings from Elder Brittain m his preaching; and he could bind up his bruises on me Avith the sw'eet promises in the gospel, and make mo rejoice in such a God and such a plan of salvation, devised in infinite wisdom before time begun, and embraced subjects Avithout worth or merit of their own. I lived five O again, which has not returned yet. Before it left I viewed the Abater more impure than other streams, because that Avas my own mill pond, and would rather have walked several miles to some other stream ; but when the load left my mind I Avas willing that that should be the place. My brother, that act then and there was, and will be to the end of time, the grandest degree conferred by the grandest lodge ever assembled on earth. These are the reasons, as I said at the start, I Avould give for having a name with the Primitive Baptists.— Are they the feelings of those in Carolina and Georgia ? I am igno rant and unworthy, but be it ^s it may, I have strong hope of realizing that blessed immortality beyond the grave. Yours, &c., J. E. HARDIE. Terrell County, Ga., | July 22, 1869 Brother Bodenhamer:—From cir cumstances and opinions recently of fered xr^onfmting as a Christian duty^ and as my opinion has been asked, I have concluded to give my views through the Landmarks, however scattering they may be, if you Avill permit. The first record Ave find in the Bible of fasting is in Judges, 20th chapter 26th verse. Israel Avent to Avar Avith Benjamin, their brother; they asked of God who should go up first against Benjamin: God told Judea. They went up and Avere smitten Avith a loss of twenty-tAVO thousand men. * Israel Avas filled Avith sorrow and AA'ept, and asked of God whether they should go again to bat tle against Benjamin, their brother. God told them to go again and they went, and Avere beaten again with a loss of eighteen thousand men. Israel was now overwhelmed Avith sorroAV and perplexity. They went again into the house of God and wept, and sat before the Lord and fmted till evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. God told them to go again and Benjamin should be delivered into their hands. Thus it seems to me this devotion -was ac cepted of the Lord. Their condition AV'as peculiarly distressing. The next record we find is in I. Samuel, 7th chapter 6th verse. Israel in this case was also in great distress. They drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted and acknowl edged their sins. This seems like wise to have been accepted of the Lord. The third record is in same book, 81st chapter 13th Amrse, and Avas attended to under great sorrow. The fourth is in II. Samuel, 1st chapter 12th verse. It does not appear that these last fasts were offensive to the Lord, though not avowedly accepted of Him. The fifth is David fasting for his child, which was evidently not ac cepted of the Lord. (II. Sam. 12: 16.) It is clear that in all these cases fasting was a voluntary act, and not perfoi’med or attended to under a command from God. The next fast was under command of Jezebel in Ahab’s name, and was proclaimed and ordered to commit murder and take innocent blood. (See I. Kings, 21; 9.) Fasting, then, seems to be a voluntary act, brought into exercise under peculiar distress, into Avhich Israel perhaps was more liable to fall than other nations. It being accepted of the Lord, is doubtless a favor and a privilege granted in deep distress under peculiar trouble. The ques tion arises, is it a duty binding on the believer ? It seems to me it is, because a faAmr from God obliges the Christian or recipient to accept and observe it, especially as the believer is exhorted or encouraged so to do. This exhortation we find in Joel, 1, 14:2-12, and our Saviour encourages us in MattbeAv, 6:16-18, and the duty is implied in ansAver to the Pharisees when he says, hoAV can the children of the bride chamber fast AVhile the bridegroom is Avith them, but the days will come Avdien the bridegroom shall be taken from them, in those days shall they fast. The apostles and early believers in the church fasted. (See Acts, 18:1-8, and 14:28-2, Cor. 6:5 and 11:27.) The Christian is yet liable to those peculiar distresses, therefore the obligation is yet bind ing. We now come to the point be fore us, is the duty of fasting so con nected Avith the ordination of a min ister that the ordination would be in valid without fasting of the church and presbytery ? My opinion is, it is not so connected, and first because fasting to be acceptable must be vol untary, arising under peculiar dis tress, and second the Scripture ex amples bearing upon the subject does not seem so to imply it according to my understanding. The first clause touching the case is in Acts, 13:8. The church at Corinth was attending to fasting, and it is said “ as they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said separate me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them, and tv hen they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away.” Here it seems to me the fast Avas being attended to prior to the work of ordination, and not in connection with it as part of it. The second case is in Acts, 14:23. It is said “and tvhen they had or dained them elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they com mended them to the Lord on Avhom they believed.” In this case the ordain ing of Elders and praying and fast ing seems to be duties performed and mentioned as going before their being commended to the Lord, and the or dination seems to stand before pray ing and fasting. And further, if fasting is part of the Avork of ordi nation there must be a command for it, and that I have never been abl( to see. Thus, while I believe fastiu T to be a Christian duty, it becomes a duty from the privilege granted by a gracious benefactor, and does not arise under a command, and when performed aright it jnust be volun- tary, and arises under deep distress. I do not conceive that it destroys any other any more than prayer, hence ordination of a minister may be per-
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 15, 1869, edition 1
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