Zion’s Landmarks; Wilson, N. C.
85
(hat lie can rcraernber which he said,
and feels to come short ®f what he
ought to have-said, and cries within
his soul, “O my leanness, my lean
ness.” Tills, together with a sense
of his tleshly propensities, gives him
a continual sorrowing of heart, and
to him t!:e things of God are higher.
One day, month or year may pass
and they are still higlier, and it he
learns in the school of Christ seventy
years they rvill be still higher. He
will say sometimes in his heart, O
that I was skillful in duty, word and
doctrine, like brother Ainon—but
then if he knew it it would be higher.
The strong minister has a trou
ble but not altogether in tlie same
way : he is advanced above the com
mon order of his brethi'en, so tliat he
can speak as to the lesser in gifts and
graces, so that love, harmony and
Huion abounds with them and him
in the Louse of God-—this gives him
much comfort of soul. . But wdien
he turns Ids attention to the myste
ries, such as the coming and reign-
fug of Melchiseiee, the use of the
Shekineh, the contrast between Je
rusalem and Arabia, the breaking off
cT the tame olive branch, and tkithj
hope and charity equal to Gideou’s
army who set upon his enemies in the
and met his Bxdeemer
songs
he will ®ften
nighttime
who gives
say the things of G'od are higb.cr, oi
36 Paul said, Vfithout controversy
great and. marvelous are the myste
ries of godliness, for the greater the
light the-greatci also are the discover
ies, for as he beholds the purpose,
|JOwer, wisdom, love, mercy, glory,
beauty fy.Kl elegance of his God—
®yen so also he beholds the power of
Satan, the awful consequences of sin,
its heights and depths. God’s rain-
riters sometimes begin their ministry
in Babylon, but not being of that
tribe, God in due time brings them
iiome to the shepherd and bishop of
their souls—Christ Jesus whose ban
ner over them is love and where
they find rest to their souls. These
ministers, iieralds, servants, exam
ples, lights and patterns, are all the
beloved and precious in the eye
and mind of God and they have his
seed. “Ijo I am with you alwap,”
for ye are of more value than many
sparrows. And, it is in his name
they go with these sayings in their
>eart: Lord, what wilt thou have
be do? make we wise to know thy
will, and give mo power to do it.—
And, now witli the solemn and seri
ous weight of the ministry—in heart,
tiiey must bear hissings, contempts,
reproaches, stigmas, gaiusayings and
persecutions from various sources;
but, with this thouglit in heart, none
of these things move me, neither do
X count my life dear, only that I may
faitlifully discharge my duty, glorify
God, comfort his people and finish
my course in peace and say with a
clear conscience, I have fought the
good fight. Tliese men confer not
with flesh and blood, neither know
any after tlie flesh, wages, hirelings,
Boards, Presidents, oolporters.—
Earthly institutions are considered
by them as dross, wliiie Catholicism,
IHganism, Arminianism and all the
power of Anti-Clirist combined,torra-
ing the great flood of errors that now
covers the face of the globe is against
them, and against whicii tliey must
contend, for to this end, in part,
Christ sent them, bearing witness and
certifying that the gospel which tliey
Iiave received is not of man, but by
the revelation of Jesus Clirist. By
searciiing the scriptures we find this
sort of men in the ivorld, from Abel
to the Apostles. By searciiing pris
ons, posts, rag-wheels, jibbets and
burning pans, we find them until the
present day ; and, I hope every Chris
tian may be engaged in prayer for
tliern as tiie assembly was for Peter
—Acts 12:5.
[Tins subject will be resumed.]
Kow, as you wished me so to do, I
will give you some of my views on
Rom. 9 : 21. Paul, by Revelation,
say of these things,'foliowingin course
of reason in behalf of the common
cause of the gospel church as his
rnaimer is in many places, and to
understand liini we must follow in
the same .spirit of reason against
tliem that would, or do reply against
God.
Now, we know that if rll mankind
were just alike, the terms,“honorable”
and “dishonorable” could not be
qualified ; but insomucli as they, not
both terms, are qualified—“iioiior-
ble” and “dishonorable” and that
whicii makes one “honorable” makes
the other ; we wdll say
a man lias two sons ; he is careful to
educate and accomplish one which
makes him honorable? Tiie ether
he lets go in the wild coarse of na-
tiire, in which he becomes dishonor
able. Has he any rigid to complain
against his father who is sovereign ?
In this case, tiie father did not work
ill him dishonor. A prince has two
apples on a balance—he takes
one, the otiier falls, who can say to
liiiu ; Sir, why did you not take botli ?
He is a Sovereign in that case, and
can take one or both. The select
ing of one w^as the rejecting of. the
other. We never heard any com
plaints of the homestead son until the
father made a feast for his prodigal
son, wiiich he had a right to do, and
in doing it, he did not affect the
title of tiie homestead son ; yet, lie
complained. The Father did not
work that murmuring in him.
Judas, in appearance, was equal witli
the rest of the disciples until Jesus
said : One. of you is a devil (which
thing, was known in infinite wisdom,)
and when he dipped sop the disciples
knew that he was a devil and dis
honorable. Did Jesus make him a
devil and demonstrate the trutli to
the others by dipping soji?
The scriptures tell us lliat the Lord
hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and the
scriptures show us that he did it by
cases and not by his Spirit, as you
may see by reading the scriptures
relative to the cases as when the Lord
sent 'weighty jadgements into his
kingdom. He (I^haraoh) solemnly
agreed to let Israel go; Imt when the
Lord lifted the judgements from off
ids land and sent liim mercy his
heart would harden. Thus you
see tiiat cases effected this matter.
Suppose a gentleman visits a iiouse
w'here there are tw'o or more ladies,
courts and marries one—this makes
a distinction in one respect and makes
her honorable in one respect and
tiie same respect makes the rest dis
honorable. Did tlie man make tlie
rest dishonorable, or w^as it the
case.
Paul does.not say the potter made
the clay, but says tlie potter liatii
power over tlie same lump to make
one vessel to honor and anotlier to
dislioncr. Now, we know in the
theory of reason tliat a maker is a
former and we understand tiiat the
Holy Ghost is the one that forms Jesus
Christ, tlie hope of glory, in the soul.
Well, if it Is formed in one or more
and not in all it shows the purpose
love and mercy to the one and the
rejecting of tiie other, and the pur
pose in loving one shows wratli to
the other, and his (man) living his
days out on earth shows the long
SLiffering in wrath against tlie vessels
fitted for destruction, not that God
made tiiem sinners, for he never made
one sinner neitlier luiiiian or angelic.
The Devil made all to sin that ever
did sin, and he fitted tliem for des
truction. No'w in the Adamic crea
tion all men were created as one
common lump'. Suppose there had
been nothing qiore done in a strict
sense and all the attributes of God
bad tiieir fnl! force and effect against
them, yea, we feel assured that the
wiiolo race of mankind would have
been vessels of wrath fitted for des
truction, and if it was God’s sovereign
will, purpose, and pleasure to give
a part of this lump anotlier creation,
whicii was in Christ unto good worlds,
does this make tlie rest any worse.
No ! Tlie case as with Judas shows
tiieir dislionor and rejection whicii
already was, but now is manifest. See
the ca.se at the Red Sea—that whicii
was life to tiie Israelites was death to
tlie Egyptians. Israel was made
honorable and tlie case made the
Egyptians dishoiiorablo. Now who
will reply. The dishonorable will
reply though they have sucli great
common blessings, even the full meas
ure of time, the covenant of works,
the promises and call of the gospel
and common view of Zion’s waL.li-
men and of tlie sacred volume of in
spiration, which came from G i I i
majestic throne, and inheritance in
the common redemption and inter
cession, while in tiie field with the
treasure as said, spare them another
year ! Also, they Iiave Mo.ses and
tlie Prophets, Christ ami his Apos
tles, and have the ministry spread
throughout the globe by some one
of God’s witnesses and yet they will
not hear. Hence Jesus says, “This
is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world and men love
darkness rather than light,” also, that
they are led captive by the Devil at
his will and run greedily after the er
ror of Baalam and perish in tlie gain-
sayings of Koral), wliicli thing is an
absolute sin against tlie Holy Gliost
never forgiven, for it is written in
Revelation he that is unjust let him
be unjust still and lie wliicli is liltliy
let him be filtiiy still.
All these things make tliat part of
the lump dishonorable, and if God
had not made a clioico and sent
blessings tliey would Jiave been all
alike in the original stock ; but the
will, the purpose, tlie counsel, the
love and pleasure of God so run to
make a people lionorabic in Christ.
Tims lie says, “ye are not of this
world, I Iiave chosen you out of tlie
world.” But, remember, acccording
to tiie course of nature, slie was and
is one in dislionor and a cliiid of
wrath even as otliers, ail like siieep
gone astray, alike in the kingdom
of darkness, black as Kedar’s tents,
an alien to God and a stranger to ins
grace. Witiiont God or hope, roving
the broad road to destruntion In com-
nioii with all mankind—a violator of
God’s just and holy law ; and in tiiese
things, togetlier witli many more,
sinned witli a liigh Iiaiid and stretched
out arm, wliicli made a special debt-
against tiie royal court. But, ClirlsE
JesLi-s, lier head-friend and lover, ac
cepted the payment of the debt, and
by liis obedience opened a fountain
to cleanse her from all sins and make
lier honorable, so tliat lie says ; Tiiou
art all fair, and since I iiave
loved tliee, thou art precious. I have
prayed tiie Father for you, my peace
I give you—love one anotlier as I
iiave loved you, I go away to prepare
a place for you that wiierc I am
may be also. This is the elect lady
which is made honorable by tlie obe
dience of lier friend and Imsbaud,
for she liatli received at liis liand
double for all her transgre.ssions ; yes
we say double, for she iiatli receive^:!
special redemption and special inter
cessions so tiiat she is clothed with
his righteousness and fed by ids in
tercessions. Also, he iiatli brought
lier tlie .Royal law of love from his
Father’s house to remain until he
comes again. Then, beloved, let
brotherly love continue.
Looking Glass, Douglas Co., Oregon,
Feb. 22nd, 187.5.
Elder C. B. Hassell, Dear brother:—
^^IfROUGH the b!e,ssiuc>-s of
g God myself and family are in
eommon healtli. I desire to
thank and praise tlie great
giver of all good for the great mer
cies and favors that he has bestowed
cn me a poor unwortliy, wo:'tliless,
and sin depraved creature. I have
often thouglit about yon sinen I read
your kind letters of Jan. 6' -i, and
May 3rd, 1869, and the ICehuketi
Association minute of 1874, -vliich I
presume yon sent me,again .sfi 'red up
rny mind in rememberance of you ;
We are natives of the same ate and
our first, and second births sere near