Landmarks
Vol. viii-No. 14.
“TO THE LAW ANB TO THE TESTIMONY.”
Wilson, N. C., June 1, 1875.
Whole No. 18!
*
f
Zion's LaiMlmarks.
P. I).. GOLD, Editoe.
PUBI.ISHED SEMI-MOXTIILY
^j^ILSON, Js^O^TH pAlROl^n
NA.
Two Dollars Per A
n n u m
Iff
JUNE 1st, 1875.
jii.^~j'CLmujtciB9(UiiaE(wacmBnaiKBSci;s3X
NOTICE!
ltg}p“Chil).s of eiglit subscribers, or a larger
number, can have the Landmarks at S1..50
each, and tlie cinb.s need net be at the .same
Po.M Office or even in tlie same State, and
])orsons renewing can make clubs in same
wav.
Our l)rclhren and friends are all authorized
(o act as Agents in obtaining subscribers.—
Their n,ame.s need not be published in the
Li.st of Agetits. We hope they will generally
snake an effort to extend the circulation of the
IjAndjiaeks.
hloney can be sent by express or oth-'
envise at my expense. In sums of a few dol-
iarsit can l>e sent at iny risk by ordinary let
ters. 1\ lien money is not receipted please
always inform me.
When convenient alwaa^s send
• Money by Expee.s.s or Money Orders at
MY expen.se, if peefe,red.“^5s
For a good rea.son please direct letters to
me as follows:
w . \ P' r*- C--
IMMOKTAL SOUL.
ACCORDING to my view of
the .scriptures everything per-
^yy| taining to man a,s a creature
whether soijl, body or spirit,
■flesh, blood or bones, is created of
God, and in that sense man and all
that iicrtains to him had a beginninir.
As to the soul I cannot tell much
about its peculiar propU’t'ies or its
office; but one thing I do believe,
that it is created,and from the moment
of Its creation it will continue to be
of ceaseless, 'perpetual and endless
duration. In this sense I understand
■brethren to use the phrase “immortal
soul,’^ and I suppose there is not a
Primitive Baptist in the world who
denies it. But while theji do not
deny the perpetual and endless ex
istence of the soul, some do not think
[iropp.r to apply the term ^Pnmortar
to that continued existence. Now it
■IS true that in the highest sense of
immortality God only hath it, and in
that high sense denoting the eternal,
incorruptible jmrity, holiues.s and
■self-existence of God it would be'
down-right presumption and blas
phemy to apply it to any created
being, whether men or angels. Hence,
when brethren in their preaching or
writing have said that the soul of
man is not an “immortal .soul,” I
ihiive .endeavored fo put the most
natural and favmrable construction
upon the expression as simply mean
ing that it is not immortal ia that
high sense of incorruptible self-exist
ence, Vvdiich no created being can ]>os-
sess. It belongs to God alone. “He
(mlv hath immortalitv.”
^ »/
Strictly speaking there is doubtless
a di.sti nction between immortalitv
and endless duration. It is true that
whatever is immortal is of end
less duration, but it is not certain
that everything that i.s of purpetual
duration is immortal. If this dis
tinction were observed, some of those
cuts which brethren make at cacli
other miglit be avoided. It is iion-
estly believed'^ by mani^ brethren,
whose soundne.ss in the faith of the
gospel I cannot question, that im
mortality cannot corruj)t itself, nor
incur the death penalty of the law
of God, but the soul of man liath
done both. It hath corrupted itself
from its original created purity, and
hath also transgressed the law of God
and is dead in trespasses and in sins,
yet it is of ceaseless, perpetual and
ciffiioss (iili’afm.;, ^fsu^'ceiitibJe of suf
fering the vengance of eternal dam
nation, or through grace made suscep
tible of eternal joys.
Amours in love,
^V. hi. Mitchell
Opelika Ala., April 8tli, 1875.
Greensboro, K. C., March lOtli 1875
Dear Elder Gold:—
■sn
SUPPOSE it Is time to send
you the. subscription for the
Lanhmaeks. It is the only
medium we have of hearing
and learning anything about the
Church of Christ in this State, and
also we find there is a p.eople in
North Carolina that have received
the truth in the love of it.
The doetrine of grace is truthfully
maintained, and it .seems that it
flows from an experimeatal acquaint
ance with it: tiiey know the Father
and the Son by the teacliing of the
Ploly Spirit: and those who are tluis
taught can but speak of the Father’s
everlasting love as tlie moving cause
of their salvation and all that accom
panies salvation; and the Son’s
grace and compassion in his complete
Person, undertaking tlieir cause, and
becoming their substitute, who gave
himself for them and wa.s made sin,
who knew no sin, that they miglit
be made the righteousne.s3 of God in
him.
He died the just for the unjust, that
he might bring them to God : they
know the grace of his Sou Jesus
Christ; though he was rich, yet for
their . sakes he, became jioor, that
through his poverty they might be
made rich. They have sold them
selves for naught, but he bought
them with a price; they were far off
by w'icked works, but he brought
tiiem nigh by his blood, they were
lost iiU the rubbish of the fall, but
he found them, and they are called,
sought out, a city not forsaken.
They were dead in trespasses and
sins, the Holy Spirit quickend them,
they were blind and insensible of
their state, the Spirit opened their
ejms and they felt their guilt and
misery, and as they were the Father’s
choice bofore they fell in their federal
head, (Adam) and given to Christ
his dear Son to redeem and save, the
Spirit takes of the things of Christ
and siiows them unto them, and they
receive pardon through his blood and
acceptance tlirough his righteousness.
They are taught to know with heart
felt experience the only true and
living G'od and Jesus Christ, whom
he hafli sent, being born again and
renewed in the .spirit of their minds.
Airit opens the tiyes of
ihe TI
theu^^nde'rsiamiing, and they are
taught how a guilty v.mrm can have
fellowship witli God, in and through
the person of his dear Son, and inj^
what relationship they are brought,
through tile mediatoral work of Jesus.
Wliat a miracle of grace, to see one once
an open profane sinner, li.sping Abba,
Eatlier. lie who once was drinking
down sin as a thirsty ox driuketh
down water, now sitting at the feet of
Jesus, clothed and in his right mind :
great is .the mystery of godliness ;
God manifest in the flesh, God witli
ns in the person of Jesus Christ; all
the purpo.scs of Jehovah’s love to a
poor sinner is a mystery, all the man
ifestation of that love in and through
o
the Lord Jesus, is a mystery, the
vital union and oneness' brtwix
Christ and his peo^ile is a mystery
• the work and operation of the HoI_y
Spirit on and in the heart of a pool
sinner is a mystery, yet all is receivec
and believed by those that are made
alive to God and their faith is tlie
substance of things hoped for, and
the evidence of things not seen. It
is true we are unworthy of such rich
grace, and we may often ask the
question: can it be that I am a par
taker, or have I an interest, in such
blessings ? May the Ijord increase
our fiith, and warm our hearts with
his love.
We have not had an opportunity to
meet one Primitive Baptist yet, wm
feel banislied from the society of the
of the Lord’s p-eople, I know not one
■tliat has any love for .th.eTruth as Lt
is in Jesus. ,
I wrote to Elder R. W. Hill, last yei
but received no answer, and to Eld
Bodenhamer, but no replv ; we ha
to dwell alone and I sometimes fij
as a sparrow alone upon the house t(
and the way I go on, I feel shut i
and shut out all the week, but (
the Lord’s dav wlien we meet and
begin to speak, I feel liberty of sor
and sometimes, feel it savory mea
at other times rnv thouMhts 1
•■to .
no moisture, but hitherto the Loi\
hath helped me, but we long to ex
change thoughts witli the brethrer
We are pleased with the cliraat
and would like to feel at home, bu
we often say,
_ MiJst .scenes of confusion and creatinl
Complaint.s,
How sweet to my soul is conimuion will
saints.”
Wishing you every blessing thd
peaceful covenant can bestow.
Yours in gospel bonds
JAMI5.S Joyce.
Feat Shoals, Geo, March ICtli, 1875.
Brother Gold:—
liciition soiuG ofiiiv GiriipGrienci
call to the Minjstry. I
7’wA'’ have often been fearful that
I was mistaken in the wliole matter,
but I find comfort and consolation in
the scripture's, fol- we are there taught
that Jiope that is seen i.s not hojie.”
I was born in Putnam Count}',
Georgia, in the year 1829, and four
yeais after that my father moved and
brouglit mo to tlie place where I now
live, Merriwether County, Georgia.
I was raised by Primitive Baptist
parents who honored thei'’ profession
in their lives and died hi the fiiith
of God’s elect. I was a very
moral boy and do not remember to
have thought very seriously of rny
condition for the first fifteen years of
my life; I believed tliafc I would get
religion when I got ready and
thought that would be udien I
had attained to many things that I
had in view in the future. I believed
the gospel (so called) that tauglit me
saying : “You can get religion now,
to-niglit if you will.” When about
fifteen years of age, my father was
brought to his death bed, and a few.
(lays before his death I was stamlin;
by his bed weeping on account of hi
condition, for it v/as generally knowi
that lie must soon die. He said to
me, “you need not cry for mo,
you hau better be crying for yourself.”
X bad not thought of my condition
being worse than his, for I was look
ing toward for many good days, but
according to the goodne.ss and mercy
of tlie Lord, (as I hoped) I wa.s
then enabled to.look withiii, and be“