T
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Zion’s Landmark : Wilson, N. C.
137
voiu* appetite for spiritual food often
i«il you to the table which wisdom
lias spread ? Does your sense of the
preciousness of Jesus cause you to de-
iight in him above any thing in the
worhh, and to rejoice in him when
he apjsears to you ; and, when he
fddes his precious eoimtenance, does,
it «iuse you to mourn and call on
his dear name, and seek liim sorrow
ing ? If so, if you are not a wessel of
mercy, I do not kiiow who is. But
yon may say, “ I fear I do not do'
tliese things aright.” But the un
godly do 7iot such things at • all.—
Hope thou in Ood. Call on the
name of Jesus, and depart from iniq
uity ?
IS IT NOT A MISTAKE ? ‘
It is a bible truth that salvation is
of the Lord : It is written in the
prophets; all thy people shall be
tanglit of God, and great shall be
tlieir peace.” A Spiritual applica
tion of truth is made to the subject
of saving grace, so that he can say—
old things have passed away, and,
behold, all things Iiave become new,
tmd are of God. Witness Matthew,
when called, leaving his receipt of
custom and following Jesus ; Peter,
ahaudoriiag his fishing to be a fisher
of men ; Paul, comforting the same
people he once distressed, and build
ing np'what he»^nce pulled down.—
la all of wliich there are the most
unmistakable proofs of divine power.
Butpilow, if any one should claim
from tl;is, that old, corrupt nature is
so entirely removed that there is no
more t'ehiptatiou to do wrong—that
Pii!'H'ho left all to follmv r'l/idftq
never halted any—that Paul had no
conflict with trials, to keep his body
under—nor any fears or temptations,
nor any race to run, nor good fight
cJ faith, whould he not make a .seri-
CHis blunder? What use is there for
exhortations if Christians will certain-,
ly do right always and never do
wrong? unless it be insisted that ex
hortations, are addressed to no one but
unbelievers, which is such an'absurd
ity as noj, Christian holds to.
Some people, who seem to have a
cliristian hope, but, having notjirop-
erly kept their bodies (lusts and evil
]>assions) under, conclude that there
is no Nvork of grace in them, or they
would have been compelled by invin
cible power to do I'ight. When one,
who has a Christian hope does wrong,
a suggestion is apt to come up of this
sort; “ You can not bo a Christian;
for if you had been you would have
been kept from doing wrong.” The
|>erson is apt to concur with the temp
tation, and say. Yes ; 1 want a re
ligion that will compel me to do right;
aud I want to know that I am a
Christian : if I were a Christian, I
cdtild nut do wrong.” It is true
that if we were right we would not
tio wrong : \>iit the truth is there are
two coutending and opposing natures
in one born of the Spirit. For there
H David, wiio was a spiritual man,
^ud the iionse of Saul was yet in the
land, and there was war all the days
of Saul’s house. As well might Da
vid have said, after Samuel liad sure
ly anointed him to he king over J.s-
rael: “ Now I know I am not the
Ix)rd’s anointed, because Saul seeks
my life, and 1 am in such great dau-
gcr that there is but a step between
me and death.” Why did not Da
vid lie down and surrender to Saul,
and say, If am to be king over Israel
I will certainly be, it docs not mat
ter what Ido. Ah! the Lorddevis-
es.means whereby his ransomed ones
snay return, lest • they be expelled
from him. ft was in David’s heart
to shun Saul, and escape from him
by flight. So it is in the heart of a
believer in Jesus to fear the Lord and
obey him. In his heart, - how? Is
it there in the sense that jie. loes .so,
any how, without any conflict? Let
lis see. When one is born again the
principle and Spirit oflove is written
in his heart, accompanied and embel
lished with meekness, humility, pa
tience, long-suffering and other pre
cious fruits of the Sj)irit tbat grow
in chisters in the branches of Christ.
Now, if this child of God will take
up the cross at once, not coofering
with flesh ^and blood, and follow Je-
more grace;
lurking tvil
sons ot, Belial—the
strong bulls of Baslian—set up their
roar upon him, he is better prepared
to I’esist and escape them. But sup
stunning, pungent convetions of a
Paul. But snppo.se you love the
same people Paul loved, and serve
and love the same God, what better
evidence did Paul have that he was
a Christian ? Who has any better
evidence of his Christianity than this,
that he loves the brethren ? Do you
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God?—YTs: say you. Then what
better evidence did Paul have that he
was a Christian? Do you fear God ?
Well, this is the beginning of wisdom.
,sus, God will give him
and when the brood of
pa.ssions—the sons of
pose, instead of doing this, liecon-
fers with flesli and blood and har
dens his heart, (which he is liable to
do, or else there would be no need of
exhortations of scripture for him not
to do so,) he falls into^nany grievous
and hurtful lusts, and a certain fear
ful looking for ot judgments which
shall devour the adversaries. But now
is he truly an adversary ? Is he real
ly an enemy to Gnd? I^et us see.
When lie does wrontr he is rebukeu
and deeply feels bis wrong and .says-
“ If I were a Christian I would not do
this wrong,, a Christian does not act
But you say, Paul had a light
above the brightness of the sun at
noon-day! Y^es: and have not you?
Did the natural sun at noon-day give
y5u the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus
"'■'■Christ? Was not the light which
shone in your heart b^ter than any
natural sun ? But Paul was struck
dpwn and had such evidence of a
new life that he could not doubt. Be
that as it may, Paul comforts Chris
tians, not by teSing them so much,
th'at fact, as by telling them they are
taught of God to love one another;
so that if you love Christians you have
been taught of God. He had a great
vork to fulfill and must needs suffer
much. Do you be thankful for what
evidence God has given you and serve
liim. “ Despise not tlic day of small
things.” Jesus ‘ays, If yc love me
keep my commandments,”
in this wav ; I want
religion
that
will Itnock me down and compel me
to do right: I would be willing to
suffer anything if I could be saved.”
Well now, why does such a pension
feel grieved for bis wrong-doing?—
Do dead sinners feel their wrono;-
doing and mourn over it? Do they
ever have this que.Aion up, Plow
can I be a Christian ? Why
do such wrong? Do they ever
they are Christians ? The fact,
one fears tchen l\e does wrong
do I
hope
that
he
IS
not a Christian, shows that lie was
hoping some that he might be one.—
This sorrow for sin—this grief of
heart, is evidence that one is a Chris
tian. He that is dead to repentance
and feels no sorrow for sin is free
from righteousness. Does the man
dead to righteousness liave any fear
he is not a Christian ? How could
one fear he is not a Christian without
somewhat hoping he is one?
There is a duty for one born of the
Spirit; namely, to mortify his mem
bers on earth. He is commanded in
the gospel to do so. He need not
think he will be compelled by force
of a physical sort to do So. The
constraint is very different. His
liatefulness of sinning,, his suffering
when he does it, ids regret that he
does not forsake sin, his I'ear that he
cannot be right, his love of truth, and
of good men are among the motives
which constrain him to an abaiidoii-
nlent of such a -ivrong course?
One often fears he cannot bo a
cUristi because he has uot liad the
Church does not heed the admonition
of the deacons, she becomes disorder
ly and should not be held in fellow-
* •
ship by sister Churches, if she con
tinues to persist in practically deny
ing a known command of Christ—
because God has ordained that they
that preach the gospel shall live of
gospel.—1st Corinthians, ninth chap.
I {ilso give, as my opinion (believing
that I am fully sustained by the prin
ciple of truth), that in case a portion
(say a majority of the Church) are
willing and do their duty toward the
poor of tlip Church, while some are
able and not willing to bear the bur
den—it then becomes the duty of the
deacons to adino.nish by teaching
them their error—laboring to restore
theih to the faith ; because the dea
cons have overtaken such in a fault,
the fault of denying a plain command
of Christ, which is heresy, after they
have labored in the spirit of meekness,
and failed to restore, then it becomes
the duty of tlie church to withdraw
from .said members, letting 411031 be
come as heathen men and publicans.
Y"ours,
A. B.i( WiiATI.EY.
Hoaston, Heal'd County, Ga., May 2, 1876.
Elder P. D. Gold—Dear Brother:—
A Churcli properly organizeil in
gospel order is blessed with gifts dif
fering but all are by the same Spirit
H are ofVreat utilitv
ing of the buciy—^aim
have gifts to the office of deacons,
whose duty (if my understanding is
correct,) is to watch over the Church
ill a? disciplinary seii.se, and urge the
Church to make a free offering of as
much of their temporal goods as is
nece.ssary to pay all needful expen
ses of the Church in procuring wine
for communion and otlier iiecessitiesj
for washing the saints feet, together
with every other duty that it be
comes right to raise funds to meet,
such as administering to the necessi
ties of the poor of the Church and
the support of the ministry. For a
deacon to conclude that all the duties
made obligatory on hiin is to serve
the Lord’.s Table while in com in union,
is niis.sing his calling, and never will
purchase to himself a gi'eat degree of
boldness in the flTiith. Deacoius, when
first called, are not to serve the table
but, tables, which teaches that the
common stock of supplies -which had
been brought and laid at the apos
tles feet for the poor .saints was en-
tritsted into the hands of the deacons
for distribution that the apostles might
give theni.selve.s wliolly to the work
of the ministry.—(See sixth chapter
of Acts.) I believe it to be right,
when a Churcli calls a pastor to serve
them, that the deacon of said Church
should visit the home of the pastor
called, and enquire into his peciiiik*-
rv interest; and, if they find him im-
ablo to senm without injuring him
self or family, should return to. their
Churcli and make known his needs,
and urge the Church to let their lib
eralities abound; sufficiently lo relieve
hitu of embvrrassnient. In Qa^c; the
Wanvick, N. Y., June 12tli, 1876.
Brother Gold:
I do not feel like writing, but, a.s
.several brethren who read your pa
per want to hear from me, I must try
to say a few woixls.
Througli much mercy I am in usu
al health, though feeble.
Under monta) agony and trials,
such as 1 never shall lie able to dc-
.scribe, I left my home and faipily,
ncatA)i)efika. Alabama, on Wedne.s-
T17, and Friday, the tfitl',
was in Baltimore, preaching there on
Sunday, to a very interested andi&ne-e,
with pleasant liberty and sweetne,s.s.
From thence I attended the Dela
ware and Delaware River As.socia-
tions, and other meetings, and finally-
arrived here, on Friday, June 2nd—
preaching here on Sunday tl)4> 4th,
and attending tlie Warwick Associa
tion, which convened with the War
wick church on the 7th, Ho-w long
I shall remain Itere is not known to
me. I desire to- be passive in the-
hand of God, and stay or go, suffer
or rejoice, as he appoints for- bis glo
ry and for Zion’s good.
Very affectionately,
¥/■. M. Mitoheij..
Xelly Staai'Oni, Ky->. Apr. 2-5, 1876.
Brother Gold:—
I will now say to you that I have-
my book written and ready for press..
It will make about 220 pages the
size of sister Phillips’ book. About
100 pages of it are on the book of
Revelation, and the remainder on. an
other important subject and a,short
comment on ray early days, &c. Jt
will bo worth 7a cents. I have alxout
80 subscribers. If it is in your pow
er to print theui, and you are ^Yill^ug
to take the-jo,b for half tliclK)oks,%iul
lialf the money tliat i.s subscribed,
write me as soon as you recUve'this
letter-. Tliere can be-at Last •.>,000.-
sold. I would be truly gk-id if yon
could do the work. If you can, piib-
lisli size aud price in the- Landmark ,
and lef me hear from you .soon.
Akner Her.n.
Eldei' Ru.s.se-1 Tucker expects to.
preach, the Lord willing,
W'illi;vm,s’ N'. C.....,.,..., July 2-5tli..
Lawrence’s.
Ivelxukee
26th.