94
Zion'S Landmariv.
Near Bloodwortli’s Post Office,
Wilkinson County, (ia., April 1, liSTT.
tOMipt if lie wouitl enable me. My !
trouble was then immediately re- j
moved, and I went on my way re- 1
joicing. The scriptures were opened
to me and I could read with much
jnv ; it was so plain to me that when
I was by myself my mind was con
tinually on it. When to myself I
Vv'ould read and cry for joy for the
great beauty I saw iu the scriptures.
]]ut it soon became a heavy cross and
burden and continued to grow heav
ier, until 1 wished myself out of ex
istence. I felt that I had rather be
burnt than to try to preach, especial
ly when I expected nothing but to
fail. I felt with Gideon, I was the
smallest iu my Father’s house. 1
liegged, cried, coni])lained, and enter
tained hard thoughts against the
Lord fir not releasing me. 1 was
very young, but a boy, and very
timid, but to no avail.
in December, after joining in
February, I went forward sighing
and groaning, and as a bullock un-
accustomed to the yoke, talked but
a very few minutes and then took
my seat. IFit before I reached home
J found rest and jiw, and these words
were continually in my mind, “ Be
hold, I will bless Thee.” I felt like
shouting, and was rejoiced that my
troubles had been great, that my joy
might be greater.
I have many such difiiculties to
encounter ever since I have been
trying to i)reach, but my times of
joy and sweet refreshings from the
Jjord have outweighed them all. I
am satisfied that when God’s minis
ters make failures it is because of
their own negligence. We are ex
horted to show ourselves approved
unto God. It is our sins tliat hide
the face of the Lord from us. Some
ouo-ht to be teachers but need to be
taught. Talking is not always
teaching. Long sermons are not al
ways edifying. God’s pe;ple cannot
feed on jestures, loud talking alone,
nor carnal displays. That is, those
who are Jews inwardly cannot eat
swine’s flesh.
Affectionately yours,
I. J. Taybok.
where, and keep them humble in the j
discharge of their duty, that they j
may become perfect, and God’s name j
be glorified. !
As ever, your unworthy brother,
W. B. Caiiu
f fi i t a T i a I .
{
“Kemovo not the ancient laiul-
mark, wliich thy futliei-s Inive .set.”
VESSELS OF WKATH, AND OF
MERCY.
Sister Burnetty Helton, of Texas,
desires my view of Bom. 9: 22, 24:
“ AViiat if Ctod, willing to show his wrath
and to tnak.e iiis power known, endured with
much long-snfiering the vessels of wrath lit-
ted to destntetion ; -And that he might make
known tlie riches of his glory on tlie vessels
of mercy whieli he had afore prejtared unto
glorv, I'iven us, wlioin he hath called, not of
the jews only, but also of the Getiiiles?”
Perhaps there is no chapter in the
bihle ArmiIlians would rather ex
punge from it than the 9th of Rom
ans, and no ver-ses of that chapter
they would sooner evi.scerate tlian the
ones we liave under consideration.—
But that would do them no good, if
it could be accomplished; for all
through that precious book God’s
glorious sovereignty is proclaimed.
Paul expresses great concern for
the two brothers : lasau thinks to kill
Jacob. Does that look like a Chris
tian spirit? Yet Armiiiians will
pdy F.sau and condemn Jacob.—
When Jhsau sees that it di.spleascd
his mother for him to maiTy a Ca-
naanitish woman, he goes and mar
ries a daughter of Ishmacl thiidsiiig
thereby to plea.se his father and motii-
er. But tlie daughters of Ishmael
were no more acceptable to an Lsrael-
ite than the daughters of Canaan.—
One jirofe.s.siug to be a Christian, but
inarriGd to Idols and joined to hai'-
lot.c, is no more aece[itablc to true
worshippers than those that make no
pretension to religion. A false re-
lio'ion is no better than no religion—
if not worse. If such jirofessors at
tempt to please Christians they fail.
But God endured E.sau with much
loiur-snfferlMg, although he hated
his natural kinsmen, the Jews. Not
because tlie word of God had akeii
no effect. EYr they are not all Isra
el which are of Israel. Nor tiecdiise
they are the seed of Abraham are
they all children. If we are of
faith then are we Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to tiie promise.
For in Isaac is the true seed called.^
That is, tiie true .seed are children of
promise, as Lsaac was. He was giv
en by promise and wa.s not of the
flesh. So it was in the case of Re
becca. For not all of Isaac’s
literal seed are children of promise.
But, even when twin brothers of his
loins are struggling in the womb, it is
Dear Brother Gold:—
As there have been many enquiring
brethren and friends who seem to be
anxious about Elder H. Temples’
health, you will please publish the
following notice in the columns of the
Landmakk:
Dear brethren, when I wrote be-
foi'e, we might have been mistaken
about the condition of his lungs, as
he was on or before that time taken
with Typhoid fever; though he has
suffered a great deal with his lungs.
He now has a severe cough, and has
to be raised up in his bed. At present,
hi.5 fever is abating somewhat and
ills health seems to be gradually im
proving. He can, when assisted up,
sit iu a ebair. He has the very best
of attention. Many brethren and
friends have visited him, desiring his
recovery. He has borne his afflic
tion with patience, and has fre
quently .spoken to his brethren of the
mercy and goodness of God.
May the Giver of all good bless
liiiu and all of his children every-
foretold to the mother that the elder
one shall serve the younger : ‘‘As it
•is written, Jacob have I loved, hot
Esau have I hated.” Now what
shall we say to this? Is God un
righteous? Many have said, and do
.say, ho is unrighteous. They want
a cliaiice. AVell, Pisan had Ids
chance, for chance it was. But he
showed a corrupt, fleshly spirit. He
trusted to his bow and arrow (carnal
weapons). Pie ran for the blessing ;
but the race is not to the swift, nor
the battle to the strong. Isaac his
father also willed to give him the
blessing. But wliat did that confed
eracy amount to ? It is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that run
neth, but of Cod that showeth mer
cy. Jacob was a vessel of mercy
afore prepared unto glory, and no
effort of man can frustrate the pur
pose of God. Esau carefully sought
a place of repentance with tears
(sought to induce his father to turn
or repent from blessing Jacob and
give him a blessing too). But Isaac
had perceived the will of God was to
bless Jacob, and Esau could not
change his mind then ; but he said, I
ha\e blessed Jacob, yea and he
shall be bleased; though be gave E.sau
a matural blessing also.
Now beliold the difference between'
him as a ve.ssel of wiath fitted to de
struction, and he goes out and pro.s-
per.s and receives the ble.ssings of this
life, and is not plagued like Jacob.—
]jut nothing destroys Jacob. Al-
tliough lie is afflicted, and .serves long
for his beloved Rachel, and has tur
moils and conflicts iu Ids house,
which every Christian literally expe
riences ; still he is faitliful, and God
remembers him. His foes are tho.se
of his own hou.se. His father-iu-Iaw
thought to do him evil. But God
would not suffer it. Esau meditated
his death and came out with a great
baud of men. But Jacob was strong
est when he was weakest; for Ids
strength wa.s hid in the God ot Isra
el, and he only had to become so
weak be could not live without it, so
that he must wrestle in prayer for it,
and .^U'Dic beeojj)i^‘spi .p.i-.iiiee Iry^^im’-
power with God and prevalliig over
men. God showed him mercy. Pdir
it was not because Jacob was good
that he was so bles.sed. If our bles.s-
iiio-s were mea.^ured to us according
to the standard of our merit we liad
been a.s Sodom and Gomorrah. But
God will have mercy on wliom he
will have mercy.
He also hardens M’hom he will
harden. This he also illustrates in
Pharaoh. Now you will say, if you
are of the flesh,
yet find liuilt?
and source in Adam, are equally cor
rupt. ’There are none that are not
the offspring ot Adam, for he is the
father of all living, and one, in by na
ture just as gtully as another, lor ai!
came from the same lutiqi, Adam,
and all deserve damnation ; for all
die ill Adam, and deal!) hath already
pas.scd njioii all men, and all died in
trespasses and .sins before any diel
naturally; and none would ever have
died physically or naturally, if they
had not first died in trespa.sse.s and
Wliy doth he (God)
PYr. wiio hath re
sisted his will ?” AUio can prevent
God from doing what he pleases?—
AVho can resist him? This is tlie
carnal reasoning of all men. Tlie
answer of lYiil is well worthy our
deepest comsideration : “ Nay but, O
man, who arc thou that repliest
a«:ainst God? Shall the thing form-
ed sav to him that formed it, why
hast thou made me thus? Hath not
the ])otter power over tlie clay, of the
same lump to make one ve.ssel unto
honor, and a’-iother to di.slionor?”—
Here the absolute .sovereignty of God
is proclaimed. The sovereignty of
creation. He made man for a pur-
])0se of his own glory. He made Aim
upright and God never made any
thing corrupt: but man by trans
gression corrupted his way; yet the
jmrpo.se of God is not frustrated.—
The lump out of which all men are
made is corrupt; it is Adam (earth).
Out of this lump God lias power and
the sovereign right to make one ves
sel to honor and another to dishonor
Out of the same lump: for all men
by nature, or considering their stock
sms.
Now God, of thi.s .same lump, has
the righteous ipowcr to make one to
honor and anothei to dislinnor. Pe
ter speaks of .some as folLws : “ But
tliese, as natural brute hearts maile
to be taken and destroyed, speak evd
of things tliey umierstand not. ’riiev
are not afraid to sjieak evil of digni
ties, and are self-willed, jiresnnipln-
ous, even bringing God. who giveth
not account of his matters, into jiulg-
ment, and arraigning him helore their
bar of juilgment. Tliey manitYt in
their conduct and live.s that they arc
rebels to God, and are not reconciled
to his dominion. Yet Gial endnre.s
tliem with mueh long-suflering, al
though his purpose is to show his
righteous wrath and power in them.
Buthis long-suffering: oh how great
it is and how good is die righteou.s
Judge!
IFil there are vessels of mercy
which God had afore prejiared unto
glory. These were eho.sen in Christ
liefore the world began, and grace
was given them in him beiore the
world, and whom he foreknew he
called, justified, .sanctified, and glori
fied, and determined fo ('oid’onn them •
to the image of Jesus. It i.s under
the ojxwation of God tliat they came
into the world, but all are born sin
ners. The elect though are ealleil
widi a holy calling, not aeeoniing to
their works, but according to grace
iriven them in Chri.st before the
o
world began; and Jesus isievealeu
to and in them as Christ tlie iiojie of
glory. They become sati.sfied with
Jesus and glory in grace. There is
then a holy calling of botli Jews and
Gentiles, as my text says, and there
i.s a revelation of Jesus as salvation
itself to sinners. But the disobedi
ent rebel against this doctrine,
and are haters of God. They deny
tlie powef- of religion, deny the ef
fectual, holy calling of God. Their
religion s-avors of the flesh and they
rebel against God’s dominion.
Oh how different is the man who
is chastened, who feels that ail his
hope is in Jesus Christ and him ern-
cified, who tru.sts only in Jesus as the
end of the law for righteousness, and
is reconciled to the mighty God of
Jacob, from the reliellious spirit
who rejects the truth and fights
against God. The vessel of mercy
shall be filled with everlasting mercy
and joy : the ves.sel of wrath shall
endure the wrath of God forever.
Be ye reconciled to God. Do you
ever feel that you are fit for iioth-
iiif>- but wrath ? Then you are a ves-
sel of mercy. Humble yonrself un
der his mighty hand and submit to
the righteousness of God. For Christ
(not human works,) is (and alway.s
was,) the end of the law for right
eousness to every one that bclicveth.