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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor.
VOL. XII.
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Selected For the Christian Index.
The Christian’s Directory.
Continual.
5. As you expect to live with Christ in
heaven, study to live with him on earth.
Make his honor the ultimate end of all your
designs and actions. Aim at a universal
conformity to his laws and precepts, and
cleave fast to him in a way of holiness,
whatever it may cost you. think not the
worse of Christ and his ways on account
ol the reproach and persecution they may
bring upon you. Join with the little flock
to whom the kingdom is promised, which
will abundantly compensate all vour suffer
ings for Christ. Never follow a multitude
to do evil, but ever cleave to the Lord with
purpose of heart, however few join you.
6. Draw all your strength for work and
warfare from Cluist, and never let your du
ties take the place of his righteousness. —
Christ himself tells us, that without Him
we can do nothing, (John 15 : 5.) that is,
nothing aright, or, nothing that is accepta
ble to God. While you seek altet holi
ness, never let it take the place of the right
eousness of Christ. Holiness is to he lov
ed, hut His righteousness only, is to he
trusted ; for though holiness be a necessary
onalilicjdon .for,heaven and salvation, and
our evidence’ teousness ol
Christ alone is the foundation of it, and ol
our title to it. Let Christ’s name be dear
to you, “ the Lord our righteousness." —
The Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 3 : 5) owns, that
of himself he could not so much as think a
good thought; hut (Phil. 4: 13) that he
could do all tilings through Christ that
strengthened him, and hence lie exhorts us
lobe strong in the Lord, and in the power
of his might. Let us think before we go
to duty, from whence our strength for it
must come, and study to fetch it in by faith
and prayer; and when we are assisted, let
us ascribe the glory to Jesus. Be assured
that your most costly sacrifices are unsav
oury, if they he not petlumed with the
Iragrant incense of Christ’s merit and in
tercession, and that your fairest righteous
ness are but as filthy rags in God's sight, il
Christ’s righteousness do not cover them.
Let it therefore be yout constant language,
In ihc Lord (Jesus) have “I righteousness
and strength,” (Isa. 45 : 24.)
7. Begit and end every day with God.
(Ps. 5 : 3, 4. 8.) Let prayer be the key
to open the heart to God in the morning,
and lock it against all his enemies at night.
Let no cliiistiaii say he cannot pray, for
prayer is as necessary to hint as breath.—
(Sam. 3: 50.) Let none say, they have
not lime for it, better take time from sleep
than want time for prayer. Think il not
enough to say your prayers; hut pray in
prayer, i. e. pray with sincerity and fervor.
Tflinlnvitfryoursel/, this morning may tu
rn y last morning, or, this night my last
night; for certainly that morning cometh
of which you will never see the night, or
that night of which you will never see the
morning. Let-lhe conclusion of every day
put you iu mind of the conclusion of ah
your days, and that the long night of death
will put an end to all your work, and bring
you to a reckoning with your great Master
fer all you have done. O! to lie down ev
ery night reconciled to Hint! O that we
could lie down and leave our hearts with
Cluist, and compose our spirits so as if we
were not to awake till the heavens were no
more!
8. Sojourn in this world as travelers
through it to another and a better country.
“ For here have we no continuing city.”
This is God's command. “ Arise and de
part for this is not yottr rest.” And re
member if we would be riirlit travelers to
wards Zion above, we must have Christ in
our hearts, heaven before our eves, and the
world under our feet; \Ve must take God’s
Spirit for our guide, word for our rule,
his glory for our end, lear for our guard,
his people for our companions, his promi
ses for our cordials’ Religion must be our
business, prayer our delight, holiness our
way, and heaven our homfr.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
Let Zion’s travelers distinguish them
selves from the nteu of the world. Let
Christ always be ptecious to you, the word
sweet, sin hitler, the world a wilderness,
and death welcome. Let Christ’s will he
your will, 11 is cause your concern, His suc
cess yout glory, His sufferings yottr medi
tation, His wounds your refuge, His blood
your balnt, 11 is righteousness your clothing.
Let your hearts burn with love to Christ:
let it be your delight to think of Christ, to
hear of Him, to read of Him, to speak ol
Him, and your highest pleasure to converse
with Him.
6. Improve the talents God gives you
(or his service and gloty. Remember you
were not made for yourself only, but for
society and the benefit of others. Study
therefore to be useful. Employ your gifts,
your substance, and whatever God has be
stowed upon you, for the good of yout fel
low-eieatur. s ; teach the ignorant, relieve
the poor, strengthen the weak, comfort those
that are cast down.
Commend Christ as an excellent Master,
and a loving Saviour, and invite poor sin
ners to come and see that the Lord is good.
Pity those that are strangers to him, and
pray for them. C.
To be Concluded.
For the Christian Index.
I’tXEVH.LE, Gu. Feb. Ist. 1844,
Urn. Hakcr. —You published, in the In
dex of Bth Dec. last, an extract from the
report of the Executive Committee of the
Columbus Association, made to that body tit
its last session, in the following words:
“Bro. J. S. Deavours lias been continued
as the domestic missionary of your body
through the year. The committee take
pleasure in saving that they belive he lias
been given to the work, and has done what
lie could to promote the interest of vour
body, in promoting the spiritual interests
of the people in the destitute parts of the
Association. 11 is labors have been mostly
performed in Macon, Marion, Sumpter,
Stev(-7>’ and Muscogee Counties; all of
~<Ae!j^l Kp|ll interesting field for mis
sionary IVhor.” And after stating, in de
tails, the labors he performed, and the a
inount of money they paid him; the com
mittee go on to say, that “great destitution,
we are informed by your missionary, ex
ists on much of your Southern boundary.
Churches without pastors, some without
regular discipline; and many settlements
destitute of any regular preaching. Truly
the harvest is plenteous; interesting fields
already white, hut alas! none to cast in the
gospel seed, that these immortal souls may
he reaped to the glory of God*”
Reports similar to this have been made
for a year or two before, by the same mis
sionary to the same hotly, and published iu
their minutes; in which is described, more
particularly, this “destitute” region to be,
(as well as my memory serves me.) the
lower part of Muscogee, Marion and Ma
con and the upper part of Stewart and
Sumpter Counties; extending from the
Chattahoochee to the Flint river.
These reports, Bro. Baker, present a
doleful picture of this County. According
to them, this is one of the darkest places
of the earth. Much stnnger language, fit
seems to ine, could hardly be used, if they
were describing the Central parts of Africa;
and those who know nothing of this Coun
try, but what they learn from these reports,
might be almost as much afraid to trust
their persons here, as there. Knowing hut
little of the lower part of Macon, and that
part of Sumpter immediately South of it:
I will only say of them, that t have newer
heard of any great “destitution” there hot
by these reports. But having resided, sot
the last nine years, near the center of the
balance of the territory described; rnmpn
sing about three fourths of the whole, and
being about 45 miles long by about 16 or
17 broad; and being no inattent’ ’ e obser
ver of men and things here timing that
time; I think 1 have some right to know
something about them. And I protest a
gainst the correctness of these reports, so
far as they describe the condition of things
here. For Ido verily believe that the God
of all grace has been much more mindful
of this Country than “your missionary”
would seem to have the people believe.—
And that lie has here, iu this “destitute”
region, hundreds, not to say thousands of
witnesses, who if need be, would hazard
their lives for the truth of the gospel. I will
not assert, however, that we are as good
as we ought to be, for I don’t think we are:
there is much room for amendment; we
may be. and I believe we are somewhat
more old fashioned than they are in snittp
other places; though I don’t know that we
are much worse for that; I don’t think we
are; hut I am confident that the people of
this “destitute part,” as a whole; in point
of quietness, sobriety, hospitality, good
FOR THE BAPTIST CONVENTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
PENFIELD, GA., APRIL 12, 1844.
neighborhood and love of the truth, would
not suffer much if they were compared to
any other part oT the association of the
same extent; and that there ureas feW ex
ceptions. 1 deny that there is any compar
ative “destitution” here, I speak what 1
know and testify what I have seen, for the
most part, when 1 tell you that there is, on
an average, one place where public wor
ship is statedly held, at least two days in
every month; and one settled preacher f< r
less than every five miles square—Tin
places being about as equally distirbuted as
is the population, and the preachers nojj
much less so—besides a goodly number ol
other places where public worship is occa
sionally held, and of other preachers who
labor here statedly a portion of the time,
without including “yottr missionary;” a
bont two thirds of these places and preach
ers being baptist. If it should hereafter
seein to he necessary, I will send you the
names of the preachers, and designate the
places of worship. 1 doubt whether there
is one family here, that does not live with
in five miles ol at least one place where
worship is statedly held; ami by the great
er number, live within that distance of two
or three. This state of things too has gra
dually grown up with the settlement of the
country. As to “churches without pas
tors,” I have not been able to learn that
there was one such at, and for some time
before the last report was made. “Some
without regular discipline.” This will not
apply to any church within my knowledge;
and 1 will atlil here that the old baptist
churches keep up the ordinances as they
were delivered, not forgetting the injunction
“Ye ought also to wash one-anothers feet,”
That this whole country “presents an
interesting field for missionary labor.” 1
shall not deny. Nor shall object to its be
ing occupied as such; but what I object to,
is, that when “your msssionary” goes back
to give an account to those that sent him
and to receive his reward, lie should mis
represent those amongst whom he lias
been. Such a course, Bro. Baker, is not
at all calculated to bring tis together, hut
widen the breacli between us. Am! be.
sides it tends to lessen our confidence in
missionary reports generally.
I trust l have said none of these things
because I am glad to have opportunity to
find fault; for when good is done, no mat
ter by whom, lam glad. Nor have I said
them to provoke controversy; (or that is un
pleasant to me. Nor by way of boasting;
though if we were to boast u little, I think
we should have the excuse that we have
been compelled to tt. Nor of commending
ourselves; for I have not forgotten that “it
is not he that cominendelh himself that is
approved; Imt whom the Lord eomnieii
detli.” But I have said them because I
thought the cause of truth demanded the
correction of the erroneous statements no
ticed; which l think not only hold tip the
people here in a false light before the ■•orltl;
hut undervalue if it does not deny the work
of God.
As to the motives that influenced the re
port, I know nothing, and I say nothing a
bout them. I speak only of what it con
tains. But as others have undertaken to
describe our condition 1 thought it only
fair that we should he allowed to speak for
ourselves through the same medium. I
send you this therefore with the request
that when convenient you will give it a
place in the Index,
DANIEL 11. HALL.
Brother Deavours, we presume, had ref
erence in his report only to destitution of
missionary Baptists. Bro. Hall is fully a
ware that all religious bodies speak of des
titution aceoiding to the extent to which
their views of gospel truth are proclaimed
and churches of their order multiplied.—
We have nothing to say, at present, in ref
erence to either the propriety or impropri
ety of this course, hut simply remind broth
er Hall of ihejact. We presume he will
not deny the correctness of the report, if its
references be confined to Missionary Bap
tists. The neighborhood of Pineville is far
more thickly settled than otlipr parts of the
described district', and its inhabitants are
wealthier and more intelligent. We have
passed through the district several tunes
and the impression made on our nnm! was
that parts of the district were very destitute
of any religious privileges. We may have
been deceived by the appearances along the
highways. Our impression relative to the
neighborhood of Pineville, however, was
altogether favorable to the morality of its
citizens.
For the Christian Index.
The Doctrine of Annihilation Confuted.
SSorne time since 1 met with six Sermons,
by George Stnrr, entitled “An Inquiry:
Are the wicked immortal ?” As the doc
'rine of annihilation is not n now one, I did
not at first consider these ser non* worth*
of much attention. Recently, however,
several circumstances have led me to a care
ful examination ol'tlie subject. The result
is that 1 am thoroughly convinced of the
lallacyofMr. Storr’s arguments. 1 have
therefore determined to review his first dis
course that readers may see the arguments
on both sides of the question;
The question at issue, says Mr. S., is
this, “ Is the punishment which God has
threatened to sinners an eternal’state ofeon
sciotts being in misety ?” This question,
lie s-:ys, involves the subject of the iintnur
tality ol the soul. For if the immortality
of the soul can be proven the punishment
o. the wicked is of course eternal. He ar
gues, however that the soul is not immor
tal, anil attacks several arguments frequent
ly used by his opponents. Through his
remarks upon these arguments, where no
thing is gained or lost, I need not follow
him. I proceed to the main question, and
affirm that the soul of man is immortal.
Mr. S, commences his argument against
the immortality of the soul by declaring that
man before the fall was a probationer, not
for happiness, nor for life merely, because
these he had—he was a’ probationer for
eternal lije. According to the terms of
this probation, if man remained holy lie
should live forever; if he sinned he should
die, and become utterly extinct, both soul
and body. The tree of life was a sign, and
a means of life not only to the Imtly but to
the soul also. The tree of knowledge was
a sign of death. Man sinned, and in con
sequence his body became exposed to dis
solution, his soul to annihilation. But il
he could have had access to the tree of life
both soul ami body should have lived. God
did not will that man should he immortal i:
sin, therefore he drove out the man from
the garden, and placed a flaming sword to
keep the way of the tree of life.
In this statement are several things wlrch
Mr. S. cannot prove. One thing I notice.
The design of removing Adam from the tree
ol life was not to prevent the immortality ol
; his soul, hut of his body. For to sav that
both soul am] body might have escaped
death by means of this tree is to declare
that man might thus have avoided wholly
the penalty of sin. The law might have
been violated with impunity. This absur
dity alone should lead us to reject the iloe
trinc of annihilation if we had no other ar
guments. But the truth is, the penalty of
sin had been suffered, so far as the soul was
concerned, before Adam was driven from
the garden. The sod was dead—not an
militated—but dead in unholiness from the
moment of the transgression. And now
the salvation of the soul depended upon the
mortality of the body ; for if die hotly had
been immortal how could the man Christ
Jesus have died for sin ?
But M.r. S. says if the penalty related
oo.!y to the hotly there is no evidence in
tile transaction that any penally was threat
ened to the soul or inflicted upon it.
I have shown above, however, that the
penalty did not relate to the body only.—
The soul lost holiness and the favor of God
in the moment of the transgression. That
this penalty was inflicted upon it cannot be
denied even by those who contend that the
real penalty was annihilation.
He continues, our Saviour in his address
to one of the seven churches of Asia, says,
“ To him that ovptcometh I will give local
of the tree of life.” Immortality depends
upon the eating of this tree. If then the
words of our Saviour relate to the body on
ly, impenitent sinners will not have immor
tal bodies, whatever may become of their
souls.
Truly this is a wild flight. The immor
tality of the body does not depend upon eat
ing of the tree of life, but upon Christ who
is the resurrection. Through him the-un
jost will rise from their graves equally with
the just.
But Mr. Storr’s strong argument seeins
to be btiefly this. The penalty ol's in, was
death. This penalty related to the whole
man, both soul and body. According to a
well known rule of construction, words
mmit be taken in their pi unary, literal sig
tification, unless there is a manifest neces
sity for giving them a figurative sense. In
this case there is no such necessity, and
therefore the term death, when applied to
the soul, signifies total extinction of being
or annihilation.
In reply to this 1 contend that there is an
absolute necessity for understanding the
terms death, destruction, &e. in a figura
tive sense, when applied to the soul. To
prove this necessity I offer the following
arguments :
I. The signification and use of the word
everlasting. The righteous are to enjoy
everlasting bliss; the wicked are to suffer
everlasting punishment. lienee it is evi
dent that the wde of the latter roust be as
perpetual us the joys of the former. But il
the wicked ate to be annihilated then pun
ishment cat.not last forever. They cannot
sillier the vengeance of eternal fire; where
their worm dieth not and the smoke of their
torment asteitdeth up for ever and over. —
It is liters equivocation to assert that the
term everlasting is applied to things which
have an end. It cannot be shown that the
word is ever used in this manner when ap
plied to things beyond the resurrection.—
After the end of time all things will be the
things of eternity.
3. In the scriptures death is used figura
tively to denote separation from several
tilings. When men are united to Christ
they are dead to sin, are separated or di
vorced from it, Rom. G: 2,7, 11. When
redeemed from the curse of sin they are
dead to the law, being no longer under the
law but under grace, Rom. 7: 4, Gal. 3: 19.
When we put on Christ we die to the world,
Col. 3: 3. Front these examples we de
rive the rule that separation from a tiling is
death with lespect to that thing. When
the sinner is condemned in the judgment
and separated from all good how natural and
appropriate to call Ins situation tl< (dll. But
we ure not left to prove by argument that
separation from Christ anil holiness is death.
The position is proven by the word of
truth, as will fully appear from the follow
ing passages.
Ejdi. 3: 1-5. You hath be qttickeil who
were dead in tresspasses and in sins -jr
” Even when we were thad in sins,” &r.
1 Tint. 5: 6, “She l\\ai livelh in pleas
ure is dead while she liveth.”
Rev. 3: 1, “I know thy works, that
thou hast a name, that thou livcst and art
dead.”
Malt. 8: 22, “ Let the dead bury their
dead.”
The persons here spoken of were dead
because destitute of the life and power of
godliness. In like manner the death of
wicked souls is figurative, consisting in se
paration from holiness and happiness.
3. The death of the soul cannot bo liter
al because man is not like the beasts that
perish. The spirit of the beast goetli down
ward but the spirit of the man gneth up
ward, and returns to God who gave it. Ee
rie. 3: 21 —12: 7. Then it is adjudged to
everlasting joy or to everlasting sorrow.
4. I consider that the death of the soul is
figurative from the natute ol'tlie penalty of
sin. “In the day that thou ealest thereof
thou shalt surely hie,” Adam ate the for
bidden fruit, and in that day, according to
the truth of the tliteatning, he died. Yet
his body did not die on that day, neither
was his soul annihilated. Il is evident then
that the death, which lie died oil that day,
was figurative, consisting in the loss of ho
liness.
5. I prove that the death of the soul is
figurative by the resurrection of the wicked.
Mr. S., I suppose, would say that the wick
ed are raised from their graves to he pun
ished according to the deeds done in the
body. This seems to be a very plausible
reason according to his hypothesis, but let
us notice the conclusion to which it lends.
Fm.ishment is of three kinds. First for the
amendment of the offender, hut if the soul
is mortal, or is to be literally destroyed, the
punishment inflicted upon the wicked after
the resurrection cannot be of that kind.
Secondly. Punishment is often the ne
eessmy result of immutable laws and is not
designed sot the amendment of the sufferer.
Thus it is an immutable law that heavy
weights will crush the human body if thev
fall upon it. If a man should violate this
law by permitting a millstone to fall upon
him from a height, he would be punished
with loss of life, though he could not be
made better or wiser by the punishment.—
I believe the future punishment of the wick
ed to be of this kind—lt results necessarily
from the violation of an eternal law, viz :
the law that unholiness produces iniseiy.
If men violate this law and trample it under
foot, by rejecting Christ, endless punish
ment is the awful penalty. But if the soul
is nioital no law is known which would re
quire the wicked to be raised from the dead
and again destroyed.
Thirdly, among men punishment is in
flicted merely for the sake of causing offen
ders to feel pain. But can we suppose that
God will inflict such punishment us this?
Yet if we declare that the soul is mortal, and
that the wicked will be raised from the
dead, we are obliged to admit that this is
the kind of punishment which they will
suffer. But the wicked will be raised, there
fore they will he raised to a necessary end
less punishment. Hence I maintain that
there is an absolute necessity for conclud
ing that the death of the soul is Aginative.
It follows of course that the soul is immor
tal, and that the punishment of the wicked
will he an eternal state of conscious being
in misery-
Publisher— BENJ. BRANTLY.
The remainder ol the first discourse is
taken up with facts, criticisms, &c. which
I need Hot notice, •, . ,
T. J. BOWEN.
Stewart co., Ga. March 21, 1814.
For the Christian Index.
Exposition.
Like people like Priest.— llos. 4. 9.
This prophecy is often quoted incorrect
ly ; thus, “like priest like people,” as if
the Prophet designed to teach that the peo
ple assimilated themselves to the Priest;
so that, as it was with the Priest so it would
be with the people. The meaning of the
passage is the reverse of this. Israel was
at this lime exceedingly corrupt, and llosca
moved by the Holy Ghost denounced the
judgments of God against them ; and in
these judgments he informed them that the
Priest would share equally with the people.
The reason of this is obvious. The Priests
were like the people in wickedness and
why should not theii punishment be like
that of the people. This interpretation of
the prophecy naturally leads to some ieflec
tions upon the influence of the people upon
their Teachers, causing the latter to he like
themselves. It is not material, whether the
Teacher be called Priest or Preacher, the
principle is the same. Let us then see if
the sentiment can be maintained that the in
fluence of the Church upon her Ministry is
such, that the preacher often becomes like
the people. Let me premise that by the
term “ people” I intend to designate the
church.
The relation of the people to the Preach
er n similar to that of the wife to the hus
band. The wife should conform to the
views and manners of the husband; but if
she should not do it, there must be an as
similation on his part to her. So in the
present case, if the church (the people)
shall not become like the preacher as she
ought, the preacher almost necessarily be
comes like the people. Then “there shall
be like people like preacher.” It may not
he amiss to point out a few particulars in
rulvronco t>> u’JiioJi tliO ootuintcnl v<? aro <Si*r
cussing holds good.
The people have an influence upon the
literary character of the preacher, making
him like themselves. An old opinion still
cherished by a few churches renders litera
ry attainments unnecessary in the preach
cr. “If a inau is called to preach he is di
vinely qualified without the aid of Litera
ture and Science,” Seek out the church
that now maintains this opinion, and you
will iu almost every instance find her
preacher an illiterate man, and pet haps an
enemy to the cause of education. On the
other hand, most churches now. without at
all setting aside the doctrine of a divine call
to the Ministry, believe that those who art
called should give attention to reading and
study, so as to become able ministers of the
New Testament. These churches gener
ally have Pastors, who are either learned
or friends to learning. So that in this case
we find like people like preacher.
The people have an influence over the
preacher affecting his doctrinal views and
rendering them like theirs. Upon this
point it would seem that the ministry ought
to he so far removed from the influence of
extraneous causes as to be unbiassed by the
sentiments of others. But it is not so.—
Let the people be Arminian, Antinoniian or
Calvinisiic in their creed, anil if he shall
not succeed in bringing them over to his
views (il differing) he will almost impercep
tibly glide into theirs. This must be the
case, or a disruption of the ties that unite
them ensues. Hence in this case we find
• like people like preacher.”
But in no respect is the influence of the
people over the preacher mote distinctly felt
than upon his spiritual character. By this
I mean his character for zeal and devotion.
Let the people he full of faith and good
works, let them abound in prayer and in
efforts to promote the glory ol God—the
preacher proclaims the gospel with Zealand
energy, and sinners are converted unto God.
But suppose the people are cold and lifeless,
evincing no zeal for the glory of God and
ihe welfare of sinners and such is the
preacher.
Once more lot its notice the influence of
the Church upon the pastoral character of
die preacher. The relation of preacher and
people involves reciprocal duties. Let the
, people discharge their duties and he can,
and in most cases, will discharge his. But
let them neglect theirs, and in most cases
he must and will neglect his. For exam
ple, let the people fail to support the preach
er and he neglects to visit, to study, &c. —
Hence the saying “Poor pay, poor preach.”
On the oilier hand, let them meet his tem
poral wants and lie supplies their spiritual
wants. “ And there shall be like peonju
like priest.”
If these things be -o h.v.v last the r:.
NO. 15