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VoL 2.
If Saved—By Grace.
Awake ye ransomed of the Lord,
And sing in accents strong,
The praise of Jesus, —blessed “Word,”
The author of our song.
To see idankind bowed down so loW
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
As dead and aimless creatures go,
Like bubbles drifted round.
And yet God doth remain as just
As justice e’er has been,
No charge laid to him by this dust,
For who can lend to him?
Poor sinful worms that doth assay,
To make themselves as God,
What blindness doth they thus display
To force their Maker’s rod.
All power on earth and worlds com
bined,
Can never justify
Mortality, for God designed
It’s soul to never die.
Thus fruitless is, all man’s best works,
To justify his soul,
Before this sovreign, righteous God
Whose law demands the whole.
Thus wake ye ransomed of the Lord,
To songs more sweet, more loud,
Unite in praise with one accord,
While on his footstool bowed.
For it hath pleased him to forsake
His glorious home abovo,
That he might make us to partake
Os bis eternel love.
—Morgan Brown.
“Thy faith hath saved thee; go in
peace.”
The woman unto whom this was
spoken was a sinner, or as I under
stand a lewd woman. She had
done more to Christ, however than
his own disciples; at least more
than Simon. They had given him
no for his feet, but this
woyan wet his feet with her tears,
wiped them with her hair.
Simon gave him no kiss, but this
woman kissed his feet, Simon did
not even anoint his head, but this
woman anointed his feet. Jesus ex
plained that her sins were many,
but being forgiven, she loved ac
cordingly.
Then he said to her “woman;
Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith
hath saved thee; go in peace.’’
Faith is the fruit of the Spirit.
‘‘Make the tree good and the fruit
will be good.” “Men do not gather
figs of thistles.” Her faith saved
her.
May every person be thus sayed
if they will, is the question. I an
swer as an Old Baptist, (Hard
shell if you prefer) yes, if they
Z will, be thus saved. All who have
such a will, may be saved. Is it
not in the power of every human
being thus to will? No, I answer,
because this will is from God.
“He camo to his own and his own
received him not, but to as many
as did receive him, to them gave
he power to become the sons ofGod
which were born, not of the flesh,
nor of blood, nor of the will of
man, but of God.” He that will
be saved is born of God.
Did not Christ come to all? No
the text says he came to his own,
and his own received him not, but
to as many (of his own) as re
ceived him, to them gave he pow
er to become the sons of God.
None of his own received him, but
those who had a will to receive
him; and none had a will to re
ceive him but those born of God.
When they were born of God they
had a will to come to him, and
they received the will or desire to
come to him in the new birth—
in regeneration, after they had
been raised from the dead, and
quickened unto life. It was that
life that sought Christ, and she
could not seek him until she
had received it. Then, and not
till then? did he have power to be
come the sou of God, or enter in
the peace and joy of li son of God,
he was a son before he. received
JJilgrim'o Sanner.
“THOU HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR THEE, THAT IT DISPLAYED BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH.”— Psalms €0: 4.
it, but in the purpose and fort
• knowledge of God, but had nol
entered into the joy of it.
“And because ye are sons, God
hath sent forth the spirit of his
j son into your hearts, crying Abba
} Father,” is what is written. Thai
woman went to Jesus because she
had been born of God. The spiri!
of life m her, called on him; and
having been a great sinner, she
loved him the more. She was like
one who was very hungry, from
very long fasting; when an oppor
tunity to eat is offered it is more
appreciated than in one who is
j not hungry. “Thy sins be forgiven
thee; thy faith hath saved thee.”
She was a very sick woman, blind
lame, deaf, dumb an very leprous.
She had always been that way,
but now being quickened into life,
she knew it for the first time.
This knowledge brought her to
Christ, and having faith in hie
power to heal her, when she found
him, she cried with unspeakable
joy,and her tears of joy wet his feet,
and with those tears she washed
them, and wiped them with the
hairs of her head. Her faith was
the fruit of the spirit of life which
she had received from God. Un
till she received that spirit she was
“dead in trespasses and in sins.”
The quickening into life showed
her she was in trespasses and in
sins, and made them hateful,
dreadful to her, and made her to
say, “Who shall deliver me? Where
may I find a physician who can
heal me? who can recover me from
thia terable state of leorosy and
death?” The spirit in her said,“Go
to Jesus: lie can heal
she went to Jesus, and when she
found him, she was joyful accord
ing to her sins, and her wretch
ness. She was a believer before
she went to Jesus for healing.
She knew too, he was the balm in
Gilead. Ah: she said, here he is.
Bless him, oh my soul. I have
found him, set me down at his
precious feet. What can Ido for
my love, my dove, my all my Sa
vior. His feet are so sweet, let me
kiss them while I wash them with
my tears of joy, and wipe them
with the hairs of my head.
Oh my sins were so great so
black, so terible, and you my
precious Jesus, took them all a
way. Excuse me in my excessive
manifestations of gratitude to
you, for all your loving kindness
to me.
Suppose, in that moment when
she was kissing his feet, a question
hap been raised by those who were
looking on that scene : Why did
this woman come to Jesus? She
was a sinner, yes such a sinner as
makes it disgraceful for godly peo
ple to allow her to touch them.
And yet she comes to Christ, while
these godly people look with con
tempt on her. How is this? “The
whole need not a physician.” She
was sick, and therefore needed
him. They were not sick in feel
ing, for they were too dead to feel
their sickness, and therefore they
did not need him.
She and all those godly peonle
were in the same condition in
truth, before she was quickened
in to life, and made to know her
sickness and death. That quick
ening sent her to Jesun, the others
remaining in death, were at ease,
at peace with themselves, and
. therefore not needing him, did not
seek him.
Can a dead man quicken him
self? If not how can a dead man
seek Christ? Are all quickened
into life by the death of Christ?
“As in Adam all die, so in Christ
shall all be made alive.” The first
DEVOTED TO THE CALT§(: OF CHRIST
VALDOSTA, GA., SEPTEH JER 1, 1895.
“all” refers to all Adam’s pos
terity, and now unto whom does
the last “all” refer? Does it in
like manner refer to all of Christ’s
posterity—those chosen in Christ
before the world —the elect accord
ing to the foreknowledge of God?
His sheep, which he said his
Father gave him, and which he
said none could pluck out of his
hands; for the Father, who was
greater than all, gave them to him
and none were able to pluck out of
his Father’s hands? Does it refer
to the generations of Jesus Christ,
as death refers to the generation
of Adam?
as death reiers to tne generation
of Adam?
Mathew, the first scribe in the
order of the books of the New
Testament, opens his gospel with
this expression: “The book of
the generation of Jesus Christ.”
Did he say this by accident; or
I did he intend to teach that Jesus
Christ had a generation running
through David, who was the son of
Abraham, to Mary of whom was
born a son who is called Christ?
The generations from Abraham
to David are fourteen, and from
David to the carrying away out of
Babylon fourteen, and from the
carrying away out of Babylon to
Christ, fourteen generations.
Adam’s generation was universal,
and he was a figure of him who
was to come, who was Christ, and
as in Adam all his generation died
so in Christ all his generation are
made alive. The seed of the wo
man shall bruise the serpent’s head,
so the seed of the generation of
Christ was in the woman. Adam
begat his generation, and he is the
father ot his generation; but God
begat the genera tion u£ Ctrrtst—in
the woman also, and God is there
fore the father of the generation
of Christ. Therefore the genera
tion of Christ are the children of
God, the sons of God; and be
cause they are his sons he sends
forth the spirit of his Son into
their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Therefore God sent the Spirit of
his Son into the hearts of his sons,
the generation of Jesus Christ,
and they, as he did, cry Abba
Father. Therefore Jesus said unto
them “After this manner pray ye,
say, Our Father which is in
heaven” etc, —come to him as your
father, as heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ; of whom he is
only the first fruits of them that
slept.
Being heirs of God, the children
of God, joint heirs with Christ,
they are a royal priesthood, and
everv one of them a king and
priest unto God, To this priest
hood, this royal family, this
this chosen ' generation,
of whom Christ is the first
fruits —to them he said, “Be of
good cheer, it is your father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Do you believe this? Then you
have hope, and have for a city,
“whose maker and builder is God.”
Now remember “every man who
has this hope, purifieth himself,
even as he is pare.’’ Do you puri
fy yourself? Do you purge your
mind of evil thoughts? Or do
you give them loose reign, saying,
“I am a believer in the doctrine of
election and predestination, and
therefore all my wickedness, and
all the wickedness of men is a mat
ter of predestination, and I there
fore yield myself to them as unto
God’s predestination and purpose
m me, and I don’t care what I do,
whether I am pure or not; God
has predestinated that I should
commit murder, and I don’t care
to make God out a liar, by defeat--
ing his pursoses, and therefore I
- want to’nit murder, if he has
s so predesti ,ed.”
i The wo* ts came to Christ be
s cause she j Jed Christ, and not
t because ClT’ist needed her; and
- she came because God had
? sent forthJJ& spirit of his Son into
3 her heaat, God sent the spirit
3 of his Son Into her heart because
3 j she belonged- to his generation,
3 and her I°^ ! for was the
i fruit of the Spirit, begotten in her,
p because if&|first loved her, and
• lifer her because it was
> bestowed on Ter while she was yet
i a sinner. As it is written, “But
God commenteth his love toward
1 us, in that whjle we were yet sin
ners, Christ for us, and recon
ciled us to God, justified us by his
blood; and now being reconciled,
we shall be savW by his life; by
- we received the I
atobement.” W
We have this atone
ment and all ifr /riches, by faith,
the fruit of lie Spirit, and the
gilt ot God.
And this faitfTis manifested by
works. It the fruit of
works, but works are the fruit of
faith s as faith is the fruit of the
Spirit. If our faith produce no
fruit, then it is dead; so works are
the sign of thjgjpith in us, and
without worxs, toith is dead.
* C. G. Bussy.
Columbus, v \\
-
iMp M* ces ‘
Elder Lee IlankkL (
It is with fear and much tremb
ling that I write the reason of my
little hope, if I have any. From
my earliest recolection I have had
serious thoughts about death and
desired to live a Christian life,
though thinking I was too young
to think about such a thing. I
tried to put that thought out of my
mind, thinking it would be time
enough to get religion when I got
older, but I could not put it ofl.
It was not left with me, I would
oiten find myself in some secreted
place trying to pray, but could
not say anything only, “Lord,
nave mercy on me a poor sinner.”
About this time papa was
taken sick with pneumonia. I
thought he was going to die. I
went off to myself to try to pray
and promised myself if he got well
I would try and be a better girl.
My promise was soon broken and
instead of getting better I got
worse all the time. I thought it
was all imagination. I went to
dances to enjoy myselt with the
world as best I could, as many
other young people did. I soon
found that I was in the wrong
place, I soon found I could not
enjoy myself with them as I had
done. One night, while at a
dance, something came to my
mind. Why are you trying to
dance? It is all nonesense. I
did not think I could ever get
home. When I reached home
and retired for the night I could
not sleep. It was the most mis
erable night of my life. I tried
topray if the good Lord would
spare me to live until morning I
never would go to another dance
while I lived, though my promise
was broken as before. It seemed
that I would break all my promis
es. I went on from lime to time,
in much, darkness,, begging t’qe
Lord for mercy.. . A
Late one Saturday, evening, 1
well remember my trouble came
with greater force than ever be
fore, it was like mountains before
me feeling that I was the poorest
creature on earth. I felt like
did not have a friend on earth nor
in heaven. I watched the sun go
down for the last time, as
thought. I did not think I shouh
ever see the sun rise again. Oh!
what a miserable being I am! Is
there anyone like me? I retired
for the night and lived to see th?
sun rise again clear and bright.
Everything, for the next; week,
seemed to be praising God. I
thought my trouble was now over;
but alas! ».I was in trouble again,
but different from what it was be
fore. Am I deceived or not? Il
I am deceived, Lord undeceive me.
I now wanted to join the church,
but thought I was too young to
join the Primitive Baptists, as no
young people ever joined them.
I would often fry to pray, Lord, if
I am deceived undeceive me.
These words would often come to
me:
“Awake, my soul, in joyful lays,
And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song from me,
His loving kindness, O how free.”
I thought I would offer the next
opportunity whether received or
not. I had beard it said, “Stay
away as long as you can.” One
Saturday before the second SunA
day in October, 1893, an oppoir
tu.iity was given for the recep
lion of members. I could hard y 1
stay away any longer. I almo s’ ‘
had to hold to the bench to kec j> ,
from going. I left dissatisfied; <
thinking’ I would inin the nokt (
time. ■ — fccipb it. off Irafci.
time to time until Saturday before
second Sunday in last April. Af
ter preaching I offered and to my
surprise was received and baptized
Sunday by Elder H. Temples.
This was one of the happiest days
I ever spent. There I left a bur
den that I had been carrying
about four years. I would ad
monish all who have a hope to
come home to their friends and
be baptized then arise to walk in
newness of life. I sometimes, fear
that I am deceived, and feel like
if I am a Christian I am surely the
least of all; and if saved at all,
saved by grace and not of works.
Onething I do know that I love
the brethren and sisters, and
where they live I want to live, and
where they die I want to die, and
be burried with them. May God
in his mercy keep us in the good
and right way. May he guide
and guard us by his uneering
Spirit, and finally bring us off
more than conquerer though him
that loved us and gave himself for
us. I ask an interest in the
prayers of all who may read this.
Pray for me. Your little sister in
bonds of love.
Arsula Cartee.
Porta 1 , Ga., July 22nd 1895.
Elder Lee Hanks—Dear Brother.
With much fear and trembling,
I will try to write the reason of my
little hope.
I have a good Papa, and had a
good Mama and two step-mamas.
They were all members of the
Primitive Baptist Church. But
our three Mamas have passed away
to be with Jesus, and we are left
alone to mourn for them.
Ever since my early childhood I
have had serious thoughts about
my condition, and would wonder
what what would become of. me
were Ito die. As time jpassed by
my thoughts grew more serious. I
would get to the place that I did
- not think I could live much longe
e under such a heavy burden, and
knew that if I died, my poor sou
would be lost forever! I did no
i want to leave home to go anywhere
I could not enjoy things like I onc<
did. People that was once company
to me, was now none, and I woulc
! be afraid to ever speak to the
5 good old people, for feaj- thal
[ somebody would say that I was
• trying to be good, and for that
reason I would stay at home. They
, would often tell me that I wanted
people to think that I was “mighty
; good” because I would stay at
home with the little children,
(that was after our first step
mother died) but it was because I
could not enjoy myself. My
oldest sister yould very often say,
“Jincy, come go with me to-day,
and I know you will enjoy your
self.” Sometimes I would go to
preaching, but I could not under
stand it and I would go off with
a heavier heart than I went there
with. I would often want to tell
papa what an awful condition I
was in and ask him what to do,
but was afraid he would tell my
brothers and sisters and I felt sure
they would tease me about it, and
for that reason I would not tell
him. Last August papa married
again and he got such a sweet lit
tle wife, and she was such *a good
Baptist, that I felt sure she could
advise me, but when 1 would think
I would tell her my feelings, it
seemed that something would say,
“don’t fool that good woman.” On
.Saturday before the fourth Sun
-1 day in October, 1894 I went with
her to preaching at Upper Lott’s
Creek, and it seemed that every
word the preacher, (Brother J. L.
Smith) would say, it would con
demn me. T left the meelinir
J x lUIL LUO 1A1OVV1L1&
bouse with a heavy bui-den, and it
seemed to get worse. f felt like
it was all I could do, to breathe
and when dark came I felt that I
would never see the light of day
again. I slept in the same room,
with papa and “Little Muzzer” (a
name we fondly gave papa’s last
wife) did for I felt like 1 wanted
to die near them, but the next
morning my bad feelings were all
gone and I felt like praising God.
When Brother Simms made his
last tour through here, he spent
one night with us; Brother Smith
spent the night, also several young
people. The young people decided
to go over to a neighbor’s house
. to see some of our old friends that
had come on a visit. When we
were nearly ready to go, Little
Muzzer asked me, (but I dont
1 know why,)if I had not rather stay
and hear Elders Simms and Smith
talk. I told her I had, and I
stayed, and how I did enjoy hear
ing them talk, and Oh! if 1 could
only have told them my feelings,
but all I could do, was to hide my
self and shed such bitter tears. I
use to think that anyone could
• not join the Primitive Baptist
Church until they got old, and
you don’t know-how much it help
ed me when I read that little
girl’s experience in the Banner
last summer. Brother Hanks I
can not tell you my feelings on
Saturday when you were at Upper
Lott’s Creek, when we all went
up to the house. Papa, Grand
mama and all the rest of the good
brothers and sisters went up and
spoke to you. I felt like one in
the world alone, and you preached
such a good sermon and when the
door of the church was opened
I could not help offering my-self
to the church and to my great sur
prise, was received. After bap
tism Sunday was the happiest
day of my life, but it was not a
week before I felt like I had de
ceived the best people on earth
the Primitive Baptist; still I would
not be back again like I was for
all the wealth of this earth. I
will leave these scattered leaves to
your better judgment, whether it
is a true experience of grace, or
not.
Remember me in your prayers
Your li,ttle unworthy sister.
Jincy NicholS.
z ■
No. 18. ,
