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vvi • «• PSALM TWENTY-THREE. * ■' He liiyny Shepherd, I his sheep; f do not want to know Whether the way be soft or steep, By which L am to go. If green and amtxith the mountain be, I nved not ask for more, If stony, he will carry me as he has done before. - : ’x'Ly ■’ . He is my •'•ttepherd, I his sheep; rIX-Z' Wetravel onward still. •MBf- pools where water lillies sleep, By many a quiet hill; I feed in many a grassy dell; I drink the w. ters clear; Thy gracious voice I know so well, Is music to my ear. He is my Shepherd, I his sheep; '■ I wandered once, 1 know, ’ I heard him on the mountain weep, That I should leave him so; . f trembled as I faintly guessed A sorrow so divine; For,as. he clasped me to his breast, The blood streamed forth on mine. He Is my Shepherd, I his sheep, >knd what if death be near? The shadows up the valley creep, And yet I do not fear, As closer to his side 1 cling, I fee! the cross so true, With which his love was pledged to bring safe has thought me through, He is my Shepherd, I his sheep; We journey on and on; As last the smile upon his lips Shall tell me all is won. Th© table that he spreads for me. My foes shall not behold, And in these trembling fingers see His cup cf royal gold. The cup he put so gently by When death was drawing near, HejY < '*y fills fa.r^vb^l,; - He Ailof joy instead, t On ro.ci*’> Jkciple now, i >r - ShrpMrd! good Shepherd! turn and • see! II follow far behind; , Thy voice of mercy calling roe X* Comes born on every wind. J >Set wide thy Father’s open door, f That I. the light may see, \nd in his house forevermore “I At last abide with thee. —Selected. Butler, Ga.. Jan., 13, 1895. Eider Lemuel Potter, Dear. Brother: Your short but welcome favor came several days since. Also the Chuiroh Advocate, 5 . for both of which please accept f mv tllauks - I at oace read the entire Advocate and was pleased with it as to the doctrine and princi ples advocated, but I much prefer a paamph’.et form, as it is more handy to read and file awav- Yet the vehicle through truth is promulgated is not nearly so important as the truth itself. Truth is what we want whatever medium. And was there ever a time when more wanted, or rather needed?For what Mbut truth can stem the torrent — the mad rushing torrent of idolatry, fanaticism and anarchy that now threatens to overwhelm ~ with ruin our land and liberty. This morning after reading the daily papers, and thinking of the thousand unclean, evil spirits lead ing the people individually and ’ headlong to every conOivablo species of wickedness | seemingly without fear of God or I | man; leaving only blood and ruin 1 behind: and threatening n-d onl ? 1“ i transient peace and safety; but T also to upheave the very founda- I tion stone of our once glorious 1r republic;! was led to wondvr if 1 God had not withdrawn his uphold- She IJiltirim® I Banner. “THOU HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR THEE, THAT IT MAY BE DISPLAYED BECAUSE OF THE TRUTHJ’-Psalms 60: 4. ing, restraining, protecting hand in his wrath; to let this govern ment come to an end ; and that end his own “set tune” in the near fu ture and in j nst retribution to heap ed-up, till tuibeurable, sin. Then I review, in mind; the history of ancient Israel; looking at cause and effect, and finally came back with the question“whosesin?”And I finally answered: not so much for the sins of the nation;. not so much for the sins of die false Churches: or rather the ope so called Church of modern Pharisees including all sects, save the 'true, and whose enormous sins Seem to ’cry loudest to heaven, yet hot so much for her sins, as for the sins of the church of God that we call the Primitive.Biiptist. For is she not the light of the world? “the salt of • the earth?” Add has this salt lost all its savor? Would not wicked Sodouj. and Gomorro have been spared for a few righteous? Brother Potter I fear the ark 13 lost—misplaced forgotten? I fear the salt has lost its savor, and we, as a church, are fit to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. This, to me, at leagt, is a fearful time, for “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of Then without the goktof faith, and sjlyer of Hope, and precious stones of vir tue, temperance,patience,godliness, charity, etc., how shall we approach unto him? for alas’ with but the combustibles of w’ood, hay aud stubble, what a burning fire and loss? what a holocaust to many be fore they find him in peace and par don? And how shall we amend our ways, since we can do nothing without him, till we do find him? God be merciful to us for Jesus sake. Dear brethren and sisters, indi vidually and collectively, when we again begin to deplore hard tunes and fearful times, and to condemn sin and errors in other?, whether nresident or cabinet, congress men or spiiators, great men or small, in public or private, let us look at homo, and remember that with the church—the Primitive Baptist, we believe —is the salt— the saving, preserving principles of the wodd, Since a man sold all he had and bought a field for 1 the sake of a treasure hid therein, will he not preserve the field for the sake of the samn? Certainly, tiil that treasure is obtained. But a nation?—lf the church is obedient to God, lie will preserve a nation for her sake; while if disobedient and wicked, he will sacrifice a na tion in rebuke aud correction. Then, it would seem that the des tiny of the nation rests with the church making it more important that the church serve and obey God in spirit, than the nation all laws in the letter. Hence, the par amount q iestion now, is, are we, as a church, walking in all the laws and ordinances of God, blameless? If so then find poace and health ti the land,however much transient atriies.lf not,and I believe not, then DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF GHRIST. VALDOSTA, GA., HARCH, 1, 1895. fear and trembling, consternation and war. for the fiery wrath and indignation of God poured out in devastating judgements upon our land, as the “beginning of sorrows. ’ May we not avert it? Did not Nin eveh repent and escape? Did not God send prophets to warn Jerusa lem to turn her sins, and escape Babylonian captivity? Truly I believe the.cburch is now in the Laodician state; lukewarm to nauseous threatenings. as to all tjioye sweeter graces <'f the spirit,as nieekness,patience,gentleness,faith- fulness, charity, etc., in every day walk and conversation. Individu ally generally speaking, you do not care half as much that ydu' bear about in your body the dying of your Lord, as that you appear wise strong defensive in question of doctrine. Nor does a meek and lowly walk, bearing the image of Jesus, so attract or endear another to yon, as agreement with you on predestination, feet washing etc. Indeed, some had sooner touch and test fellowship by position on these, than by that more vital proof of grace in the heart, practical godli ness. Do you not constantly hear such, when not bemoaning the sins of the world piu) other sects, refer iug to the fault and shortcomings of -enc iw-f - AVi rit w they throw stories. And always condemning or approving accord ing to their belief on abstruse questions and points of doctrine; apparently never once considering a godly walk, whether as necessary to themselves or another. And thus this very indifference to this, as having all else, seems to carry the idea tbey“need nothing” as the Laodicians. How increased in goods, as wisdom, ofc! How rich iri advice and supervisory admoni ition? How many moats they find 1 How many stones they cast! While as Jesus says they knew not that they are wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. Nevertheless, as theLaodicians were still children of God; so I trust we who are thus guilty, are also. Hence Jesus in the same loving rebuke bids us to come and buy riches and raiment of him. As much as to say “put off all this; pot off the old mln with his deeds, and put on the new man ; fof“as many as I love I rebuke” he adds. Oh that this loving rebuke may reach our heart with such power as to turn us from every evil way to serve the living God in spirit and truth. For without; him we can do nothing. But he . also adds:“l stand at the doorand knock, if any man will open to me I will come and sup with him and he with me.” Here is the remedy. This condition is included in the conditional, of “do and live, ■ and not do and die” system given to Israel of old; and relates aud pertains exclusively to our timely, or “common salvation,” that we as already recipients of eternal sal vation, are comm inded to “work out with fear and trembling,” m that it is God that works in us to will and do; that is, it is God's Holy Spirit prompting us within to will aud to do; hence, let us fear and triable that we resist it not. But if Jesus is turned out of our heart, and that he kmcks from without for admittance, is proof of the fact, how can he work in us? That we are poor, blind, naked, etc; »and do iotknow : t, is proof that Jesus isp not abiding within, Then our is to open to him;Je sua is knocking. And now, are you so busily engaged in fault finding, plucking moats, and casting stones, that you have no time to listen? Oh let the heart that loves you warn you that the spiritual only may restore the straying ones; the single clear-eyed only may nluck moats, the guiltless only ma.y throw stones. Are you so fast asleep, or so dead,'that you can not hear? Oh then let the hand that would save you, shake you! Shake you, till it anousesyou from this fatal lethergy, while I cry, “Awake thou that aleepast, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” is this a time to sleep? A wakeltlie night is far spent; the day is at hand—the day of God’s vengeance and fiery indignation! See his terrible and devastating judgments are aboard in the land; wherefore, today, if you will hear his voipL harden not your heart as in Avocation .in the wilder- 1 ‘.iTh”"'/, "o's 1777 tflfe eri of such as harden tlieiiXiearts as in the wil derness. For judgment must begin at the house of God. Therefore awake and behold the strifes, dis sensions, worldliness, distrust, luke -warmqess and waning love, that besets and distresses th° church as the “beginning of s' rrows” that threatens to overwhelm her, unless you repent and return to your first love. ■ j How strongly would I impress, yea imprint upon the minds of Primitive Baptist, some of the events of that wilderness journey. iVere they not written for our learn ing? And there was displayed ’the gdodnbss and the severity of God toward’his'own ; goodness to ward those who obeyed ; severity to those who disobeyed. For above all things in this life, I, if I know my heart, want to live to the glory and honor of God ; such, that the PrimitivQißaptists as a church should. -X-d surely we have every incentive t.J do so. Both the good ness and severity of God are such. And let usjalways remoipber, and never-doubt the fact that our timely salvation rests with us to work out or to lose. We can live after the flesh and die; or we can, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the flesh and live; that is to peace and communion with God and one another. And I hope never, never to Hear a Baptist say he sinned because God decreed it; fur sin into the world by man. and so continues. God’s de cree on this spirit was volition of wiH to Israt/1 to go in by obedience gain and ealt the fat of the land, or by lose it. But aijother thing always remember.! that God requires that, and more.wf his children, church members, tlgan he does of others. Yet not aboMe proportion in which he has given them above others Jesus, and all that Jesus if and has ; therefore he has not onh made it obligatory, but also capac itates them to do’ more, and bettpi than others. Hence, brethren and sisters .who read, and who would confirm your christaiuity, nevei measure yourselves, ©rguage youi conduct, by that of the world. > I heaid of a brother today, who when reproved by his.brethren for using profane language to a man of the world, replies in excuse “he cursed me, and I cursed him back.’’ There is no “cursing back” in Christianity. Revenge and retal iation belong to God. While you. in all gentleness and meekness, must walk with Jesus in reverential fear and single-hearted obedience to the gospel law; thus doing to others as you would have them to do to you, doing good for evil, pray ing for those who dispitefully use and persecute you with all long suffering, forbearance aud forgive ness to such as err, etc,, according to the rule of Nor must you, as intimated, expect a like re turn, save from-those with the like spirit, always remembering that in proportion to the greatness and glory of the spirit of life, and the measure of faith given you, arg you to walk m a more excellent amt evated way. Also that this lowly and.patieni spirit, and gentl«, godly walk aud conversation, guided by faith that works by love and pervaded by charity that vaunteth not itself and thinketh no evil, is dearer to God than all' the burnt •offerings in creeds and beliefs. And- is a stronger proof to others of Christ in you, than all great knowledge of predestination, election, and all mysteries; and indeed, without which, no one has the right to claim, or to be claimed by others born of God. Devils believed and trembled, but.only such as arc born of God, and have the spirit of Jesus, can persevere in this' daily, self-denying, godly walk, including dress and manners becoming godli ness and that so strikingly disting uishes from the world. Yet, as said, I think I know some who seom so incensed in goods advanced in wisdom, so enlarged m understanding of the deep mys teries of the doctrine, that .they appear to think an aggressive policy attacking and condemning, calling down fire from heaven to consume all systems, priciples and persons opposed, a better confirmation of their christiauity, as well as“call” to the work. Yet 'to bear one wrong patiently for Jesus’ sake, to do one good deed in turn for evil, to give one cup of water to a needy one in Jesus’ name, were worth it all. But why continue? We hear the storm, we see the shelter. Je sus is knocking! Who by the hand of contrition, determination to know and abide with him in fel lowship of walk and sufferings,will open to him? Or rather, who that wants a refuge from the storm, or is poor and hungry, thirsty, or fearful, dismayed and helpless, or had once been guest wit! ■nipped with Jesus and kno jpe hour of his refreshing f presence, or of his spin neace that so comforts the heart, and so sweetly assart stays the soul though the be removed, and the heavens would not open to him? *** V Your Sister In Fellowship R. Anna. Phillips'* t | associations. ’ | I hope that you and all the brethren will labor to save all the churches from confusion anddiviAjO sion. Do not say, “They have gel Iheimelves in to trouble and fore let them get out.” NomJ us know how soon we into trouble. If we get paffe.Mg and begin to think there is uofl .-.er, we should take heed lost - J An old brother once said th«.* vould not do so and lid not know what hefi eiay laii hue trouble -j|| 'e;;r brothrun. fl ro ■ A )fp j'fl have bui little (fl ad help for ou® > paro needfl ■:> > .. W spirit, tfl !d ■; nidi. Thol|| i' drove is li’W proroabL'. profile, anl® ■ ■ i" i; -v hi - . fruits, without partffl > . iro ■ !ivp )<-rl y. I - il .v>‘ n■; to nr' th it t JIB u-'/ing of c irrospfl by aroociations; and now held by some amounts to eH elusion in my view. It is saiofl that associations have no executive power, but let us see. A church may exclude one more of her members, after they are gospelly labored with, to reclaim them, but, not before, but an association has in some cases excluded five hun dred, indiscriminately, at once, without any gospel labor of love at all. Is it not high time we should all study what true gospel discipline is? Let us consider a mo ment, and “Mark them which cause divisions and offences con trary to the doctrine which .-ye have learned, and avoid them.” Rom. 16:17. If one, or a half a dozen men in a neighborhood steal sheep, shall the whole community be branded as sheep thieves? Every one would say no; but it would be jiist as consistent as to exclude a whole association of churches on account of one or half a dozen heratiiis, even if they are such. We sbdfiid not be too hasty in deciding that our brethren are disorderly, and so publish them, before we give them the first and second admonitio n. Proper labor may relieve us of the painful necessity of publishing them as heretics. If to be dim sight ed and weak in our understand ing of the application of tone nexts [Continued on fourth page.} t ■ •