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men; bat it seems that modern
Protestantism has a double por
tion of it. The Jews, in the time of
Christ, were extremely zealous for
vain tradition, empty formality
and hypocritical appearance. They
thought that drinking wine and
eating with unwashed hands point*
and defiled a man. But the Savior
condemned their foolish traditions
-by the simple axiom.
“ It is not that that goeth into a
man that d“fileth him, but that
that cometh out.” It is from the
heart that evil thoughts, thefts,
murders, and all other wickedness
proceed. Evil thoughts are not in
the wine a man drinks. Bad con
duct does not come from the food
taken with unwashed hands. A
man steals because he is a thief;
a man kills because he is a mur
derer, or lies because he is a liar.
The theft is in the heart before
the hand is put forth to steal; the
murder is in the heart before the
hand is stained with blood; the
lie is in the heart before it rises to
the tongue or is coined by the lips.
The tree bears fruit after its kind.
Cultivating tne tree can never
change the kind ot fruit; the only
effects of cultivation are seen in
the quantity of the fruit Can a
thorn tree ever be made to produce
grapes, or a thistle to bring forth
figs? Men are carried away with
the notion that through religion
instruction, training and favorable
opportunities, children or men are
made Christians; that men enter
the kingdom of God through teach
ing and moral suasion. Agriupa
had this idea when he said to Paul
“Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian,” and Nicodemus be
trayed the same weakness when he
said to Christ “ We know that thou
art a teacher come from God.” But
the answer of Jesus covered the
whole ground, when he said, “Ex
cept a man be born again he can
not see the kingdom of God.” This
is as much as to say, “Why, Nic- ,
odemus, this is not a mere matter
of teaching; there is something
vastly deeper ;a man must be born
again,” A man does not have to (
be born again in order to be re
ligious; he may become infatuated
*<>*^!(& l ‘Tfligiori, and W a
vote© to creed and ritual; he may
be taught to observe most rigidly
forms and ceremonies, and to sub
ject himself to the strictest dis
cipline ; to multilate his body and
deprive himself of all ea/thly com- '
forts; to yeild perpetual obedience
to priest-craft;to pray three tynes '
a day and give tithes of jail he
possesses; take up the sword in de
fense of his religion, or Jay down
his life in testimony of his zeal, 1
but except he be born, again he can
not see the kingdom of God.
g A man must be born again in order <
to receive Christ, or embrace his
doctrine in truth and reality. The
import of the doctrine lead us to
consider its
NECEssiry.
”Ye must be born again” is
not a mere dogma of theology,
but a necessity arising from deep
fundamental, basal principles of
biology; hence we shall first cosid
er the biological necessity. “That
which is born of the flesh is flesh.”
The term flesh, here, is generic, and
is used in the Scriptures to desig
nate man as a whole, and compre
hends him with all his attributes,
all his powers, parts and capaci
ties, including body, soul and
spirit m their mysterious combi
nation jn constituting the human
personalty. It is equivalent to
saying, That which is born of man
is man.
Men by nature are dead in tres
passes and sins. This death is not
merely a moral or ethical condi
tion, but a condition extending far
beyond the moral or ethical sphere.
It is a biological condition. Take
this illustration: “Science divides
, this world into two great king
doms, the organic and inorganic,
or in equivalent terms, the dead
and the living. The stone belongs
to the inorganic or dead king
dom, the plant to the organic or
living kingdom. The difference
between the stone and the plant is
a biological difference. Again, the
organic kingdom manifests dis-
ferent orders of life; animal life
and vegetable lite.
’ The difference between the an
• imal and the tree is a biologica
' difference. They belong to dif
ferent orders of life. Now, just as
the animal life is of a higher order
than vegetable life, so Christ’s life
is of a higher order thanadamic
1 or natural life. And just as the
tree, although alive in its own or
der, is dead to the presence and
voice of the bird that sings among
its branches, so is, man, although
alive to all within his environment,
dead to the things of the Spirit of
God. This truth, although most
persistently disputed, most vehe
mently opposed and wickedly
ridiculed, by professors of chris
tianity, is legibly and indelibly
written in the stones and in the
trees, in the earth and in
the sky, and in the ex
perience of millions of hnman
hearts. Man, then, is cut off from
the kingdom of God by the deep,
mysterious, impassible gulf that
separates the non-living from the
living, the organic from the inor
ganic, the natural from the spirit
ual. As man enters this world by
a birth, just so he enters the king
dom of God by a birth; and as his
birth into this world was con
tingent upon things entirely out
side of himself, so his birth into the
kingdom of God is contingent upon
things entirely outside ot himself.
This birth is “not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God?” So says the
Scripture. Except a man be born
be cannot see the world, is a fact
which none can deny, and which
none would ever think of denying.
But how few of all who have read
it acquiesce so readily in the con
clusive truth of its analogous ex
pression, “Except a man be born
again he cannot see the kingdom
of God.”
We turn now from the biological
to the experimental necessity of
this birth. Children may be most
carefully trained from their youth
m the name of Christ and in the
a_nd tq- ,
ligious observances, but except
they be born again they have no
more knowlege of Christ than if
they had never heard his name.
This birth is the beginning of
Christian experience, and all that
is ever seen, felt, heard and known
of grace in this world, or glory in
th® world to come, is but the de
velopment of the life imparted in
this birth. All knowledge of
Christ is vital or experimental
knowledge; this includes all
knowledge of the need of Christ. I
once thought that the time when
the child of grace received his
hope and experienced deliverance
was when he was bom again; but
I have come to a different conclu
sion. Who can remember when
he was born naturally? Let the
mind run back to childhood, to our
earliest recollections, even to the
very borders of infancy; but our
birth was prior to that. AIT things
fade from our memory, and we are
lost in a sea of oblivion, and still the
time of our birth is not reached.
We grew into the domain of mem
ory, passing through a long stage of
which we know nothing at all.
Think back over your experience;
you came to many Ebenezers, to
many mile stones and memorable
places;you approach the time when
hope came to you, a helpless sin
ner, but the birth was before this.
Yon pass on to the time when you
first realized that you were a sin
ner indeed, but tße birth was be
fore this, and this was only the re
sult of it. How long before you
felt the first movements of soul you
were born I cannot tell, but it was
before. Those who place this birth
upon conditions to be complied
with by those receiving it, have
never seen the necessity of it. If a
man can repent of his sins and be
lieve in Jesus before lie is born
again, then the scriptures are not
true. This notion of religion puts
the cart before the horse, puts the
fruit before the tree, the effect for
the cause. Without this birth sin
would never be hated and holiness
would never be loved, poverty of
spirit would never be felt, and the
riches of Christ would never be
prized; none would ever hunger
and thirst after righteousness, and
the bread which came down from
heaven would never be desired;
the fountain of living waters
would never be sought,there would
be none to love the truth, and faith
would not be found on the earth;
the wilderness would never blos
som as the rose, and the parched
ground would never become a pool,
the name of God would be but an
empty sound, and his existence a
mere matter of speculation, and
all worship would be but dry for
mality and empty mockery.
EFFECTS,
The person effected by the new
birth is the Adamic sinner. This
needs no argument, for there is no
other personality on earth, and
personalities in heaven do not
need it. The immediate effects
make up what is called Christian
experience, and belong to time;
the ultimate effect is to awake in
the likeness of Christ, and is rea
lized in the resurrection. The ef
fects are evidences to us that we
have been born again. Let us now
examine ourselves, and prove our
selves, and see whether we are in
deed what we profess to be, or
only graceless hypocrites, carnal
professors, who have never known
the love of Christ or the power of
his resurrection. The ino
menttis question ever propounded
to an exercised heart is, Have I
been born again? And when we
begin to examine ourselves, the
evidence that the carnal mind
seeks is not found within us; but
we are full of things that our tra
ditional notions of religion record
against us. The carnal mind is
not’eligible either to sit as judge
or to testify as witness in the trial
of a Christian,because it is enmity
against God, and cannot be sub
ject to his Jaw. (
[To be continued.]
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I7 # ■ |
jffipenenpe.
Dear Brother Simms.
It is with a great sense of my
unworthiness that I make the at
ijempt to write my experience and
call to the Ministry, if indeed I have
any as it appears so small.
When I was a child about seven
years old, I remember well on one
occasion that my mind was greatly
exercised upon the subject of death
and eternity so much so that I
could not sleep at night. One
night after meditating on those
things until after midnight I left
the room where my oldest brother
and I were sleeping and went in
to my father’s and mother’s room
in so much trouble I did not be
lieve I would live until day again.
I thought I would awake them and
tell bow I felt, but did not; for
when I thought it over I did not
want them to know anything about
it. I made up a little fire and sat
down by it, sobbing in tears of
agony and despair. After quite a
time my father awoke and asked
what was the matter with me I re
plied.” Nothing Sir.” He bid
me go back to my bed, which I did,
but did not sleep any . during the
whole night.
This feeling of sadness and
gloom continued with me for many
days. My good mother would
often ask me it I was not sick. I
always told her that nothing was
the matter, feeling at the same ,
time that everything was the mat- ;
ter. One night along about this
time I dreamed I was in a certain
lare some distance from my
fathers house, and I saw a large
black man coming for me with
the ihtent to kill me, I ran a little
way and become so frightened un
til I was helpless, and conld not
run at all. But as he put forth
his hand to catch me there appear
ed a lovely looking man arrayed
in a long white gown, and with
great authority rebuked my pur
suer and turned away. When I
awoke my dread of death and eter
nal ruin was all gone, and I was in
a pleasant frame of mind, and felt <
like I was going to be a good boy,
for I did not want to get in that
condition more.
Now dear brother Simms this
may appear to you and your many
readers as only a child’s dream
without significance. But forty
years have elapsed tince that time,
and it is as fresh in my mind now
as when it first occurred. I do
not suppose I would have mention
ed it as any part of my experience
if I hadinot realized more mighty
things to which I shall allude fur
ther o»|
As I grew up to manhood, I, in
common with many other boys,
learned how to indulge in many
wicked habits. The war broke out,
and I was so disobedient, that, al
though only fifteen years old, I
ran away and went with my oldest
brother and enlisted in the south
ern army, where I learned some
thing. o|all kinds of wickedness.
My brother; who was so near to me
was kilted in battle at Chancellors
ville, Va., and I felt to be alone in
the world, exposed to dangers, and
felt almost friendless. At Fred
ricksbitg I was shot down twice.
At Gettysburg I was captured and
spent the remainder of the war in
prison.? I mention this part of
my life because I think I can see
the invisible hand of God in my
protection or preservation in all
these great perils ot a soldier life.
Sometimes I can look back over
those perilous, but honorable con
flicts and believe that God’s pro
tecting hand was over me then and
I knew it not.
On the 23rd day of December,
1866,1 was married to a Miss San
ders, who has proven to be a faith
ful companion, and willing bur
den-bearer until this day.
]n 1872, one morning while
alone in the field I was enabled to
see the sins of my past life, and a
deep sense of guilt seized on to my
very soul. I stopped in wonder
and astonishment.
Although strong, and in the very
bloom of manhood the sight of my
sins of the past, and the guilt of
my wicked heart, taken away my
strength, and I stood trembling
like aMeaf. I felt so guilty that I
tO Celt I
on fhinLord for mercy, for I felt
thatmy condemnation was just,and
there was lio mercy for me. But
what else could I do? I could not
live in this condition. The breath
ing of my heart was, “Lord have
mercy on a poor ruined sinner.”
What an awful future lay before!
In this way I went on, not escap
ing the notice of my wife and oth
ers., I had tried to pray many
times, but grew worse, till at last I
decided the Lord would not hear
such a wicked wretch as I. But I
thought of an old brother 800n —
a Primitive Baptist—a sect I had
always.hated; I thought the Lord
might hear him in my behalf. I
went to him, but could not tell
him my business, and left him,
carrying with me a heavy heart.
In abo|t three months from this
time, I was in so much trouble it
seemedlike I could not bear it. I
had dohe everything I knew what
to do. I had offered myself to the
Lord in tears, and still my trouble
remained.
At t>is moment I went to a lit
tle spring for a drink of water,
and when in the act of drinking
the same beautiful man that.l saw
in my dream twenty years
before I appeared before me.
He seemed to appear again just in
time to save me. My trouble left
me, and I felt the praises of the
Lord ia my soul. But I soon be
gan to doubt. My trouble was
gone, but I did not know how nor
why. Like the poor blind man
whose eyes the Savior had opened.
I had a fullness of joy, without
the knowledge of who had done
the work- I was afterwards made
to feel that it was my Savior that
had healed me, but have had many
doubts about it, and so continue to
doubt until this day. But I know
that from that day until this, I
have not had that fear of punish
ment after death that I had before.
While in this sweet state of mind
I saw the plan of salvation full
and complete in Jesus, and believ
ed that his righteousness wassufii-
> dient to justify the ungodly. I
: think I also saw the Primitive
Baptists church as the church of
> God—a glorified body of Chris
’ tians. I could see that salvation
i was treasured up in Jesus before
the word was, but was made mani-
• fest to the heirs of promise in
these last times.
' I kept all these things to my-
■ self, but was not allowed to rest
1 here very long. I soon felt that I
must tell it to the church, and the
■ Primitive Baptists were that peo
ple, But I had been such a bitter
enemy to them, and said so many
i hard things about them, I could
not see how they could forgive me
• and receive me. But my heart
■ was there and I could rest.
One day I went to a Primitive
• Baptist meeting in a very dark
cast down condition; for by this
t ime I had decided I was one alone
in the world, and unworthy of a
home among the Lord's people. A
good many ministers were in at
tendance,but I did hot know any of
them except Elder H. Temples and
W.B. Carr. Elder Temples preach
ed from the text: “For lam de
termined to know nothing among
you save Jesus Christ and him cru
cified/’ That sermon I have never
forgotten, and from that day until
this I have loved that dear old el
der as I think one brother should
love Another.
On Saturday before the third
Sunday in July, 1862,1 went before
the church at Myrtle Springs, in
Wilkinson county, Ga., and told in
part what I have written, and was
received and baptised next day by
Elder I. J. Keel.
I now thought my trials were
over, and that I should rest in my
Saviors love the remainder of my
life. But I was soon burdened
with a desire to tell of the Saviors
love to his people and of his ability
to save them. But the very thought
of being called a preacher was very
unpleasant to me. I wrestled with
the Lord, and prayed to be relieved
from such sacred responsib'lities;
lor I was an ignorant man I knew,
and could never be profitable in
such a holy work. But my disobe
dience brought me into great trou-j
bie and I begun a f i
ease of mind by trying to speak in
the good name of my heavenly
Master, and have continued till
now in much weakness, but have
never told it all yet, nor never ex
pect to do so in this life, but my
hope is I shall sing it in eternity.
Dear Brother Simms I submit
this poor scribble to your better
judgment. Your Unworthy Broth
er in Gospel Bonds,
J. L. Smith.
Arlen, Ga.
Dixie, Ga ; April 6th,1895*
Elder Lee Hanks.
Dearly Beloved Brother in Christ:
I have been trying to keep from
writing you this morning from a
felt sense of my unworthiness and
personal imperfections, together
with the knowledge of your being
so highly favored of the Lord. I
feel that the Lord’s time has truly
come to own and bless His inheri
tance. David says “Save thy peo
ple and bless thine inheritance,
feed them also, and lift them up
forever.” I feel this morning to
sb much thank ourHeavenlyFath
er for such precious gifts as you
and many others, to His dear peo
ple. In speaking last Saturday oh
the “home son” and the prodigal,
you so sweetly described my own
experience as I feel from my very
soul that Jesus had already shown
me before I heard you preach; and
while you was preaching my own
personal experience so sweetly I
was made to feel that you was tru-,
ly a minister of Christ, and that
Jesus was speaking through you to
me, a poor undeserving wretch, to
make me know that what I had felt
concering this parable was true.
Jesus says “It is the Spirit that
quickeneth, the flesh profiteh noth
ing ; the words that I speak unto
you they are spirit and they are
life.” I feel so much better since
I heard you preach about the prod
igal’s return. I feel so much more
confirmed in the blessed assurance
that my heavenly Father for Jesus
sake still loves me. What a con
descension for God to love the way-
ward child and to restore him into
his loving favor after he had been
disobedient and gone so far from
his Fathers house, but thank God
the poor prodigal came to himself
off from home, from his fathers
house, in a strange country,perish
ing with hunger and no man to give
him the bread he so much wanted,
the bread he must have to keep
him from perishing. How could he
get it? None there in that far coun
try, and he realized that of his own
lusts he had gotten off from his
father’s house, was in the midst
of hunger,poverty and destitution,
in a place where he cant get what
he needs to satisfy his hunger, he
remembers his * father’s house, his
father’s servants and that they
have bread and to spare and yet
he, away yonder where he had.
spent his stubstance, ( the goods
that his father had given him)
with riotous living, hungering for
my father’s bread. Remembering
now how good he was to me while
with him and living under his
commandments how many sweet
fruits I then joyed from his
bounty. Not so now, I am here in a
strange land feeding swine with
husks, would fain fill my belly
with the busks that the swine
do eat, but no man gives unto mie.
I am hungry, I am perishing,! feel
it, I know that I cant live here, I
have been here sometime I know
there is nothing here for me. I
am afraid I will perish, I know
that my father has a right to be
angry with me and net care for
me any longer notwithstanding
impediments are in my way and
I am almost dead yet I remember
how he loved me when I was
with him and something seems
to draw me back to him it may be
I will find favor in his sight. I will
say unto him “Father I have
sinned against and before
thee, and am no more wothy to
be called thy son make me as one
of thy hired servants?’ And he
arose and came to his father, and
thank God he did and also’that
his father recognized him and had
compassion on him, and had his
servants to put the best robe on
shim, and a ring on his hand, and
calf killed that they ate and were
merry over the event thatifcthe son
who was dead was alive again.
Dear brother I did not aim to be
so tideous when I began writing. I
just aimed to let you know that
I believed you to b© a true tried
servant of God, and that you Were
obedient to the heavenly calling
and that the dear Lord, the God.
of Israel was withholding no good
thing from you. Dear tried and
faithful brother and servant of the
most High, “Press toward the
mark of the prize of the high call
ing of God in Christ Jesus.” By
and by our Father will call you
home to himself and then you
will be given a crown of righteous
ness and enter into the joys of our
Lord, the inheritance of the
saints in glory. Will be sure to ex
pect you to come here and stay all
night with me and preach at night
at the Methodist Church and then
go with me to our church next
day, 3rd Saturday in May. Please
Jet me know about the little sister,
she was dying Sunday morning,
all about her, etc. I am very
anxious to hear—l was compelled
lo leave on account of the weather.
Yours in Tribulation.
John M. Rentfroe.
i -
The annual meeting at Bethel,
Hamilton county, Florida, conven
ing on Friday before the fourth
Sunday, passed off in love and
harmony. Many of the dear
saints shed terrs of joy as they
listened to the “Old, Old Story of
Jesus and his love.” Quite a large
crowd were in attendance op Sun
day, many of whom could not be
accommodated with seats.—B.
The Christian learns that salva
tion is of the Lord by being over
whelmed by the billows of hope
less despair.
If a man die, shall he live
again? All the days of my ap
pointed time will I wait, till my
change come.—Job 14: 14.