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F " the fireside of this dear young Eld |B er (Stall iugs)aud heard him tel! of | v . ! the kindness and attention shown ■H him by the members of his chinch B Although a very young man, he is H '?f .greatly afflicted ;cannot labor at all Ri for the support of his family, and being a poor man,he is very depen k|| - dent. But his brethren, unlike , are in many places, are pro- ■hiding for him a comfortable iiv and in turn ho is devotin.? BBr his whole- time to his three HF churches, visiting them at J their homes, and speaking words W of comfort to the troubled ones, n - • His soul is in the and God is rewarding him and bis churches for their faithfulness. Hehasper ! haps baptized not less than forty 8~., members during the last twelve Bl - monthsfjnd the prospect for a con- Bt"''*':* tinned growth is very promising indeed. On our meeting days a* I Concord, after we and Elder Stal ■TW : lings had preached, the deacon,! H ■ (brother Charley Rentz) arose and ■ ga/c his brethren one of the most effective affectionate appeals ■’ to duty we ever heard fall from a deacons lios. He had the spirit and apoke'With such fooling as to bring | tears to the eyes of all present. ? our next stop at* .China. Grove I * church was pleasant indeed. Elder B !•' P. Potter isr pastor. Brother W. \V. Williams conveyed us and s • cared for us, and it was our pleas t ure to spend two nights at his loye-1 | 1V home. ■ He has a fovely family I —fiye of His? children are members | ' —humble and devoted. All of I ’ th&iji seem so possess a musical I ' talent, and much of their '“time is • spent singing the sweet songs of | Zion. From here we went to Tis- F? ton and preached in the Methodist BMjfc meeting house to a gn'od ' k Ig congregation, dur stop at-this W. E. Williams was very pleasant. At our -meeting at Pleasant Hill( Houston County) two young sisters united with the church and were gladly received. '■ This church had the faithful ser- * vices of our dear young brother Elder A. Garrett. We were de i . lighted to find the brethren and - sisters all so spiritual, At the home of our dear brother R. H. F Watson we spent a most delight ful evening, with his lovely family * and many dear brethen and sisters who came in to be with us. We parted with them all in tears, feeling that we was leaving H. -■ behind us some of the precious K of the earth. We reached the B hbme ot that dear young soldier H of the cross, Elder P. G. McDon- KgL aid about one o’clock at night. J ’He and bis precious wife accom ■k " panied us to Sharon church, the of his father, Elder Middle- K : iy on McDonald, who has faith- Bk t fully contended for the truth over IgSk. 50 years. .He ii still preaching Sr Jesus. Bn ßut we have not the space'for BB? for the further sketch of our trip. We would like to mention many r things, but close for this tinu. The curches of the Pulaski, ass>- ciation are all in peace so far as we were able to learn, and many additions are being made to them in places. Although they, with k • their ministers, chiefly among them J is Elder P. G. McDonald, has been victims of much persecutions 'by disorderly brethren, yet they |'-..jE- are patiently bearing all things, and the Lord is with them —S. If Christians will be engaged in • prayer to God instead of magnify f ing the faits of others, they surely k-nr will feel better, and God would be more glorified. Self examination £( is very important, for the Lord’s people, and when they get so they . see nothing wrong in themselves, HOt. ’they are in a condition. When you oppose a true minister you are opposing yourself and I Christ too. —H. Barwick, Ga., Aug.'W, 1805. Dear and Read* ers of the Banner:—l come now to tell yon Some joyful news epn berning our yearly meeting at Pleasant Grove Colquitt Cou.nty last Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 2nd in August. Our preachers were I.P. Porter, A. P. Tucker, W. W. Williams and the writer, and we had a very pleasant spiritual meeting of the. saints. There were eleven churches’ represented and peace and love seemed to be the> prevailing power. On Saturday one poor trembling man cume for ward and told of the dealings of Lord with him and was received. Ou Saturday night I - tried to preach - to a brethren and friends at brother Joel Norman's and after preaching gave an op portunity formembers, but no one came-. After the meeting ' closed I noticed a poor little woman still weeping as if her heart was broken, and I went to her and. told her that if she wanted to talk to the church that it was not too late, but that we would still wait and hear her. She began talking and in broken tones and many tears she told clearly of her sufferings as a poor lost sinner and of herte joicings as a redeemed child of promise. I asked her if she want ed to be baptized the next day said yes, if she was only worthy. I asked her then if she was willing to let those Chris-' tians present judge of her case and she said yes, so she was joyfully received and baptized with others next day. There was in the vicini ty..of the church aii afflicted sis ter wlio joined and vras baptized only about five months ago and up to the .time of going to the church had been very healthy, but- soon after that she was taken t down . rheumatism, and had not left her bed for many days, and had not been to .meeting in three months. On her account we fixed a meeting at her house on Sunday irght. I went’ Wfore found the dear sister very patient with her sufferings, but was fear ful that it was all an- evidence that she did wrong in going to the church. I tried to comfort her all I could and when the crowd had gathered Eld. Tucker went forward and preached, ably and when ray time came to speak I was caught away on the wings cf His majestic power and was en abled to see how God was glori fied in all the sufferings of his people. I had been rather under a mistin my feelings all through the meeting until now. Surely the Lord was good to me on that occasion. After preaching I gave opportunity for members and a poor sorrowful looking man came up the steps from out in the yard, and a weeping woman from the congregetion in the piazza and were seated to tell of the wonder ful works of God with them. We stoped singing and heard them talk and gladly received them, and then finished the song, but no one else come then. After the meeting had closed and many were trying to dry up their tears, there was a little thirteen year old girl away back in the congregation whose weep ing could not be hushed, for tlra great deep of her heart had been broken up, and the fountain of tears unsealed, and if she could have been made to hush,the rocks, would have cried out. A sister came to me and told me of her condition a*hd I went to her and asked her if she wanted to talk to the church. She said yes, and I took her by the hand and icd her back to where I had stood to speak and she began and told so clearly and forcibly the work of God with her, that she was re ceived without a question. As soon as this was over Eld. Tucker came to me and told me that there was a young man in the back piaza whose heart was made t to bleed and we went to see him and found him .down, by himself greatly troubled. I asked ; him if lie wanted to talk to the church and he said yes. I told j him to come back in the house and . we placed a .chair by bedside - t f the invalid mother, soy he was her son and, "had a few weeks ■ previous, to that joined the Mis . sionasy Baptist about which she ’ had been greatly troubled, As he talked so powerfully of the deal j ings of God with him it seemed that his poor mother was taken above all her sufferings stud made to cry “my Lord, and my God.” ! He was received and after that I spoke to the congregation and told - them that if there was any one else who wished to talk to come on we would patiebtly wait. About the time I finished speaking there came anblher 15 years old girl ahd after that two more came together and again still another one, mak ing eight in all. They all talked clearly and gave such forcible abd unmistakable evidences of a gracious state? in tl‘ w jeloved that there was-no questions asked, but all the saints who heard them, felt that it was good to be there. I: have never witnessed such a scone among Primitive Baptists. I wish I cou d tell it so that you might all feel it too. I think that most of the time while this was going on, there was fully fifty per- 1 sons crying beyond control. They actually shouted. Some said “surely the Lord has kept the best wine for the last,” others said “the -Lord is in this place and I knew it not,” others wanted to pull off their shoes, feeling that we were on holy ground. It whs a time of pure Christian rejoicing without much formalities. I then could see why ! had been dark through the meeting and could'see why our sister hadbeen afflicted. Oh! Christians all had been there. We met them on Monday at 10 a. m. for baptizing, and I could see Tn that, congregation assembled on the banka , of Big Indian Creek,, the same hply fire that fell on us the precious -nighty Whoa she opportunity given for members two more came ward with the same contiitTon of heart and joyful news of salvation and was received, So we baptjzed 10 and two on Sunday made 12 precious souls that the Lord add ed to that church at that meet ing. I have been too lenghty all ready and now must close. Fare well precious ones and may you all remain strong in the faith. R. H. Barwick. Rochelle, Ga, August 26, Elder A. V. Simms. My dear brother ii; Christ: —I feel like I want to tell you of our three days meeting at New Bethel. Oh we o were made to feel that Jesus Christ was our great Shepherd, and that be was feeding his little lambs. On Friday Elder P. G. McDon ald met with us and we had a good meeting. He with Elder D. W. Taylor (our pastor) form ed themselves into a presbytery at the request of the. church, and ordained a dear brother to the office of a deacon who was set apart to that office by the church when you were up here. One dear brother presented himself for membership and was joyfully re ceived. At 2 o’clock p. m. Eld McDonald taken the train for his appointmentin Savannah. On Sat urday we met again—had a large correspondence from sister church es, and received four more pre ' cious ones—all telling the won derful work of the Holy Spirit in ’ their souls. On Sunday morning ' at the water, three others came > up in trembling and asked for iel -1 lowship with us and were receiv- I x 1 ed ainil gieat joy All these —eight in number—were all bap tized. Two of the above number were my own brothers in the flesh. Another was the yoilng lady whom t you met at brother King’s who , was down with typhoid fever when you was with us. Through . the mercy of the Lord her life was f spared, and she kept the promise I she made to you. j Elder Taylor, under the influence 1 of the spirit of our God, preach -1 ed as ably as any man I ever a heard. 'Hi 3 in poor health, bu a the .him stre igth botl a uHMMnper and outej man t< -."perform his duties faith ully ant 3 well. j • 3 Dear brother remem >er us ii ‘ your prayers und come lo see u again. Your brother, ' 1 J. A. Owens. t 0 how I hungered to ju t kiss th( I “marble lips'*. Tn. tears I pleader ’ until with the. promise I would be 1 brave and strong as I Could, th( > little coffin was brought -ndplacec ! beside my beci. for me to ook upor ■ the little fac§ I loved so Well. Os ’ that scene I cannot tell.l mlyknow ■ that when I Idokedupon the silent form and noticed the- ha >py smil ing face, I wanted faith enough to ■ raise my eyes to heaven and say in spirit and truth “Jhj will, 01 God be Beautifi 1 in life, but far molje lovely n death. When I hadWressed and wept over it a while they . carried it away, ahd I was left alone vith two neighbor ladies. They t ere good and kind, but-it seemed I could not live, my jgrief was so great. Part of the Smily gon f to the grave,- and p|rt with Jay sister, but God neveCgives us riore than we can bear. Andi it .was Hie loving prince that’made me resigned and willing to leave all to Hi,m. In Apm I improved"' so >that I could 4ij up a little at a time, and I thought would soon be' well, but alas, I had reach ed the worst yfitd relapsed and day after day I grew' worse, and dis aese after dis^^ Assailed me until I was a wredk bnysicaHy, and was ted away twill a nwe form. Yeti had . attention, and aSkillful i-lij'sknan who did all h&ycould for' but it seemed to •! o avail. lAi®ind weeks passed aj|.dJ was my bed suffering growing each “day. WTIA first of lar.e4he-fsick ness I rapidly grew worse than ever before; , I began to vomitin byble hic coughing whicri cbuT^We""heard yards away. Medical skill nor nothing that could be done would relieve me, no nourishments or medicine could I retain on my stomach,besides my terrible suffer ing I was slowly starving to death. ..Each day I grew weaker and my suffering increased until I had ' suffered this terribly fortwoweeks that way, when another more dan gerous disease assailed me. The tonsils of my throat began to en large and pain me, the disease grew worse very fast until I w r as soon unable to talk distinctly or swallow; my mouth became ul cerated until it was almost a perfect ulcer, my tongue was swol en almost as large again as it should be. I still continued to vopiit and fevers to increase until I seemed to be burning up with fever. I had become so weak I could not raise my head.” I men tion all this in order to show God’s power in mv own case. As the days passed away, I seemed to be pa s smg away too. My throat and mouth grew worse; a week had passed, no change for the better. ' until I knew as well as others my case was hopeless, and saw it plain ly written in the countenance of my kind and faithful physician. On the 2nd Sunday in June I was given up to die, I'would faint when moved, for I was helpless and speechless. I could not move, not even the toes on my feet, I ! lived entirely on ice, it was kept in my mouth all the time as 1 - could not swallow. Sunday night J near midnight I sank into a stupor; - had no sign of life except a faint r fluttering of my heart Just before sinking into the deathly stupor J i had a vision. Oh such a sweet and j blessed feeling. It seemed to me L . that Jesus appeared in the same 1 corner of the room I saw the vision when first taken sick.Aguir a holy calm seemed to stepl ovei 3 me, it seemed like I could >almosl see Heaven, and O; how I jlongec 3 to enter its shining portals. I was ' so filled with a Heavenly .feehty r that I wondered* that thdte hrounc t ; • it my bed fdid not speak about it h The room seemed filled with soms ,o holy or divine presence. As the beau d tiful vision faded away I sank int< a stupor which lasted an hour oi n more that I knew nothing at all [g around me. And when those around me saw signs of life return ing, or that I was reviving it, in deed seemed a wonder. Oh! how I suffered God alone knows e I surely suffered the pangs of death d My heart beat so rapidly until e ita wild beating could be seen e some distance from my bed with d the most terrible pain with every n breath. The next day Monday, f I was worse, my eyes I have been v told were wild and unnatural. My t tace and fingers were partly pur- - pie. The Doctor told the family a there was no chance for me nor y had not been in several days, to ! keep me quiet was all that could be , done.Oh! how I longed, yes longed . for deathl could only utter in brok r en sentences “I want to go home’ . I want to rest”lcan remember think- > ing why does Jesus tarry so long? i Why dont He hasten? lam so tried, l I had often wondered while well . if I would fear death when I come i to face it?and always was fearful I , would, but now face to face with i death I felt nor feared no evil, but j longing—waiting its sermons. That j night the sister that mother vihi- > ted when I first got ill, sit by my > bed and talked to me of death i And asked me where I desired to i be burned and.other things con- • earning I heard the mourning <pme loved one without my room I her understand (for i could not, - move or speak) that they all ouhgt' . to rejoice to see the breath leave my'tortured body.l was suffering so much; again that lovely vision ap peared before mo,it seemed I could see smiling face of Jesus IfeltOlso bappy, though my agony was more than I could tell in a life time. I again sank into a stupor with r>o signs pf lifo_except the faintiest heart trembling,it lasted some lon ger than the night before ere 1 be- , Gin to revive, and when I revived j Jungly. Something IhaH • mot‘felt in weeks, but alas! I could not eat. Even could I have swal lowed I could not endure for food to touch my ulcerated mouth, it ■ was torture to me, as coals of fire, yet 0! so hungry I could have eat raw food could I have been able to swallow it. Neither could I enjoy the daintiest tood for my ulcerated mouth end throat, but when the ulcer broke I could begin to swal low the thinest of gruel or soup and the vomitting begin to cease. “Wonder of wonders.” I slowly be gin to improve. I who had been face to face with death. So near the“ Land of Rest.” Though I was helpless for weeks, and many days passed before I could talk. My skin was sb scorched by fever un til it peeled from off my body. When I realized that in truth God had indeed spared me, given me back as it were from the grave,my soul was filed with praise and that thanksgiving,! felt like I could sing of His goodness and mercy with every breath. I could see beauties I never saw before, could see more wisdom and power than I had even felt in the past, ah? the rejoic mg among my loved ones, and kind physician and friends, but alas how soon I forgot God’s goodness and darkness and doubts obliterate his holy presence, On one occasion I remember that my soul seemed ready to despair with inme 1 was so bowed in darkness and gloom, I could not pray nor read my Bible, it was a sealed book. Day after day passed and still no joy or peace. My heart seemed utterly crushed, suffering such terrible pain and so dark in spirit. One day while • shedding tears over mv condition feeling forsaken, and that I was no Christian, “A still small voice i whispered, Let not your heart i be troubled, ye believe in God be lieve also in me.” The blessed ■ words of Jesus to his disciples. In an instant my heart was . made to rejoice,tears of joy wet my i pillow. The room seemed filled with J unusual brightness, I felt that I I could exclaim asJob of old“I know that my Redeemer liveth.” On an e other similar occasion, when wrapt / in darkness and despair, tossed up- A on the tfuel waves of jinbelief, r , doubts and tears assailed me »n --1 til I felt I would “faint by the -way side.” I could scarcely eat or - sleep. “My eyes seemed to be a - fountain of tears.” One day while ‘ overwhelmed in darkness I had • these though ts.lf this sorrow dont > leave me to day I shall take it as I an evidence lam no Christian nor 1 9vcr tasted of God’s goodness. 1 Hour after hour passed, but no joy or relief, but as the sun began to • sink behind the western hills, and 1 when I least expected it, my soul was filled with joy. My sorrow vanished in an instant, the first words I thought were “In my dis tress I cried unto the Lord, and he ' heard me,” almost before I knew what I was saying, I ‘ was saying aloud. “Bless the Lord 0, my soul, bless his holy name.” I could sing of His goodness now. Not a cloud betweeen Jesus and me. But alas! I cannot stop long in such a frame of mind before I am doubting again, thus it is continually with me either praising God or bowed in gloom and despair. The months passed with their trials and heartaches and bodily pain until October, when I again began to improve and felt to hope the worst was over, and my trials were past for a while, but alas! soon again the news came for dear mothtr to go, that mv sister whom called to before, was again very ill It seemed for a while she could not recover, but again God spared her, at first the sad news reached me of her illness and perhaps death.lt seemed more than I could bear, but ere my mo ther had been gone many hours I • was made to feel calm and resign ed, that “tho’ He slay me yet will I trust in him.” Mother was gone > a week ere she returned. “I again thought surely no more sjjch trials await me.” Though the kindness of a dear friend ‘an invalid chair was loaned so J could get about in the house which was a great comfort ~ To me. I was carried out in it a few times in the yard. The first time I felt the sun shine upon my form, and could look up to the blue skiea I was filled with joy too deep for words,the trees seemed to be bowing in humbleness to God. Everywhere my eyes could see there seemed to appear traces of His power and beauty, while I wondered why have I been spared to see this day? I could hear mo ther’s gentle voice exclaim “thank God,” I thought if earth is so love ly what must it be in Heaven with its streets of shining gold? O! that men would praise the Lord for his good ness, and wonderful works to the children of men.” Time passed on with afflictions still for me, un til the New Year of 1895. I was so improved, I could leave my bed for a few moments rest. I thought soon I can go forth again and meet m worship with the ch ildren of God. But God decreed otherwise. I relapsed with a vio lent attact of lagrippe. I could not speak above a whisper, for over two weeks. All my former disea ses relapsed. O! how I suffered God alone knows. I wondered why I did not die while so near its portals? All my trials would now be over, but I must await God’s time. While so very ill the news came to me that my sisters baby near by, for though robbed of one by death since my long illness. God had given the bereaved parents ’ a little son, was very sick, it grew rapidly worse until it too, was given up to die. Fannie Shoeman. (To be continued) MINUTES. We are prepared to print Assoocia tional Minutes neatly and cheaply. The Clerks of different associations will please forward manuscript to us and we will guarantee satisfaction. Give us a trial. Address THE PILGRIM’S BANNER, VALDOSTA, GA •.’ ‘ ■ '