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SPECIAL NOTICE!
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editorial.
WHAT IS ALMS?
Very Dear Nephew.
Your uncle Joel gets me to ask you
to give the readers of the Bannbr
the proper definition of the word
“Alms.” Be desires particularly to
know if helping our preacherafter the
Bible rule may be properly termed
Alms-giving, Please comply with
thia request when convenient and
oblige
Your Loving Aunt
M. C, MOORB.
Okapilco Ga.
REPLY
In complying with the above
request we hope to be guided alone
by the teachings of the word of
God, with an eye single to his
glory and the good of his people.
We fully appreciate the gravity
and weight of the subject-bearing
reading, we ihould alwaya bear in j
mind the teaching of the script- r
urea if wo arrive at a
proper conception of gospel
truth. Merely giving our “views”
does not amount to anything un
less those views are founded up
on truth as taught in the Bible.
Again. Even though we may have
a perfect knowledge of the truth
upon any stated question, we are
still dependent upon the Lord f;r
the gift of writing it or telling it
so that it may be profitable to the
Lord’s people. With these things,
now bearing upon us, we under
take to do the best we can upon
the suject presented.
First. What is the meaning—the
primary use of the word “Alms?
We can only arrive at the literal
meaning of the Scriptures by what
we know of the literal meaning
of the english language. True it
has been said that a knowledge of
english literature does not aid us
at all in the understanding of the
Bible. But with this we cannot
agree.
We readily admit that all earth
ly attainments does not enable us
to understand the spiritual mean
ing or interpretation of the script
ures, for there are thousands of
the wisest of the earth who has
no more knowledge of the spirit
ual meaning of the scriptures
than a hog has of Sunday. We
can understand how the Lord can
and does teach his children that
salvation is by grace, and many
other profitable and comforting
lessons independent of human
help, but we can not understand
fio'w any child of God can under
stand, the literal meaning of the
Bible without a knowledge of the
language in which it was written.
What then does the Word“ Alms”
mean?, Our best authorities on
the english lahguage tell that
it means: ‘.‘Anything! giir«n'gf*’t
tuitously to relieve the poor, as
money, food, or clothing, other
wise called charity. (Webster)
And to show that this is the sense
in which the word is used in the
Bible we call attention to Acts
iii, 2. “And a certain man lame
from his mother’s womb was car
ried, whom they laid daily at the
gate of the temple which is called
Beautiful, to ask alms of them
that entered into the temple.”
In this case we see a man lame
all his life who had to be “carried
and laid at the gate, and inspira
tion calls it alms for which he
asked or begged. Therefore we
conclude that to give alms is to
minister or give to the helpless
and destitute,without reward or the
hope thereof. Those who gave
alms to this poor lame man, did
so without any hope whatever of
receiving anything in return.
But the question propounded 1 «y
my aunt is, “Is helping our preach
er after the Bible rule can be prop
erly termed alms-giving.” We
ask are our preachers beggars?
Are they lame or afflicted and ob
jects of pity, unable to provide
for a support for themselves and
families? If so, the word alms
is the proper one to use in this
connection, if not, it will not ap
ply. Our preachers—those of
them who have not worn out their
lives by exposures and .hardships
in the care of churches are, in the
main, able to support themselves
and families if their time and
talent belonged to them. But by
virtue of the impression and gift
Gbd has bestowed upon them, he
gives his time and talent to . the
t 0 expect something in return
from those for whom he labors. ,
The lame man at the gate of the
temple had no claim upon any
What was given to him he accept
ed as a mercy, which was well un
derstood by the donor, as well.
We call attention to the fact
that the word alms is nowhere used
in all the Bible with reference to
helping the ministry. If then the
word cannot be made to apply in
this case, it must be because the
minister, in some way, pays for ali
he gets. Paul must have had this
idea of it when he said, “If we
have sown unto you spiritual
things, is it a great matter if we
should reap of your carnal
things.?” How can we understand
this language to mean anything
else, only that by the sowing of
spiritual things they were under
obligations to give him of their
carnal things? And if there were
any obligations involved, itcomd
not be called alms, as we have al
ready seen.
The Savior charged his disci
ples while on earth, to “Take heed
that ye do not your alms before
men to be seen of them: other-*
wise ye have no reward of your
Father which is in heaven." Matt,
vi, 1. He goes on to tell them of
the vain-glorious spirit which
characterized the Pharisees’ relig
ion, and charged his disciples to
be not like unto them. We ap
preciate the fact that alms-giving
i was a spiritual, self-sacrificing
I work without a direct moral obli
| gation. How could the Pharisees
(expect the applause of men by do
ing the things which they were
morally bound to do? But they
knew that lb do alms, or give to
the‘poor was a good Work and
hence a fo magnify them
seWes to the world
whilt they were doing for the poor
This was Mie cause that actuated
them in giving. They wanted to
“be seen of men” Bat let Chris
tians note well that scripture
“Take heed that ye do not your
alms before men to be seen’cf them.’
We understand from this that one
may give aims in the presence of
others, but if it is not done with a
desire to be seen, he has not viola
ted the spirit of the scriptures.
3ut Bowhere do we find anv script
ural authority for helping our
preachers in a secret way. Many
good brethren have thought so,
but itis entirely without scriptural
warrant so far as we have been
able to understand.
No, our preachers are not beggars.
They are God’s freemen; and as
the preacher cannot get a long
without the church, so the church
cannot get along without the
preacher. And churches should
care far their preachers, not be
cause they are poor and needy,
but because it is an unalterable
law that God has fixed, and by it
we shall be condemned or acquit
ed.
We have thus briefly hinted at
the subject—not having no time to
read over and correct a single
word or sentence — I submit it to
my dear old uncle and aunt and
all our readers, asking them to
cover all our faults with the man
tle of charity. May God help us
all to know and do the truth —S.
THEPULASKIABSOCIA-
x TION
The Pulaski Association conven
ed, according to previous appoint
ment, with the church at Ty-Td
Worth County Ga, and wawfl
sweet harmonious
Moderator and Elder P. G. 5
aid was elected Clerk. The bus
iness of the body was conducted
in harmony and peace. The
preaching was sweet and spirit
ual. There were quite a number of
visiting ministers i». attendance—
more than could be preached dur
ring the session. This was regret
ed by all the Pulaski brethren,
still it could not be helped. Eld.
T. W. Stallings wars appointed to
preach the Introductory sermon,
and spake with much freedom and
ability, from tlfe text: “All script
ure is given by inspiration” &c,
When he walkthrough we thought
he had preached his text fully and
nothing more could be said about
it. But strange to say .other
preachers used ths same text dur
ing the meeting and their remarks
were all fresh and sweet.
The Pulaski Association has
lately passed through sore trials —
the body having divided on a
point of order. But* since the
storm has passed over and she has
withdrawn from that refractory
element, she is now enjoying a
sweet peace and much love and
life is manifested among them.
She now enjoys the largest cor
respondence of any other body of
the kind in the state..
May the Lord continue to bless
them.
On our way to this meeting, we
stopped over at Concord church,
and have never enjoyed a meeting
better. Four were received into
fellowship and baptized the next
day by their pastor, Elder C. W.
Stallings. This church was con
stituted one year ago last August
with 20 members. She how num
bers 40. Her members all seem
to .be alive and active in duty.
They are an easy people to preach
'to. Oh how chesting to a way
wotn preacher to find such a lovely
body of saints M 3.
THE LOWER *
BOCIATION. «
The Liwer bandochee
tion coiH’aned with
Creek church on B 5 ridny a
week and continued over ®
It was one of the most *
monious and lovely meeting® a
ever been our pleasure to atten
All ot the churches reported p eac
*nd many of them quite a large r '
number of accessions by o Xp er n
ence and bantism since the a c
session. But what was m° st 1
freshing was to witness the return t
of several churches that had no r
been represented in the body c
three or four years, on aoconu t
of a disciplinary trouble >ri®i n ß t
among them
The trouble has been most hap s
pily adjusted, and uow all is P eaco
and love. Tho Lord grant it may r
continue. Another most delig ,
ful and soul-cheering spectacle was
. to witness the interest manifest# (
iin the services by the young P e ® t
, pie. Many father’s and mother s <
hearts were made glad as they saw
1 the tears of joy and hope trickling (
’ down the sweet faces cf their d ar " i
I ling boys and girls. Four were ;
. added to the church
by experience during
meeting. All were young perp e
three of whom were young ladies
• the oldest perhaps not twenty years
■ old. Brethren a better time is
dawning upon us. It is here now.
I_ As we sat gazing upon the up
turned faces of perhaps not less
5 than 2000 persons yesterday (Sun-
• day) and saw the tears flowing
) down so many youthful faces as
1 they listened so attentively to the
3 sweet, soul-stirring words of gos
pel truth falling from the lips of
‘ Elder W. C. Cleveland as the prec-
ious dew of heaven, we could but
think of God’s promise to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the chil
dren, and the hearts of the chil
dren to the fathers. The Lord be
.torhi.s numberless mer-
ooin ted to convene with Beards
Creek church Tatnall County Ga.
We regret the 1 )ss of our overcoat
while at the meeting. It was old
and well worn, it is true, but
would have done good service for
a poor preacher several more win
ters. Brethren if an y ot V ou
find it please send it to us by ex
press and accept our thanks for
your trouble.
DUTY OF PREACHER TO
CHURCH.
Dear Brother Simms: —At the
request of some of the readers of
the Banner, and I trust too, from
an impression from the Lord, I un
dertake to write a few thoughts on
the above subject, but will leave
this imperfect scribble at your dis
posal.
I want to say in the outset that
all who may read this may throw
the mantle of charity over all my
mistakes, and please remember I
am a poor’cbbling sinner at best
I also beg for an impartial hearing.
Sometimes we can judge before the
time, and when we do we guess at
it, and miss it.
I wish first to tell of some of
the things I think some of our
preachers are remiss in. While
many of ths churches have able
ministers, there are very few, “
fear who fill the place of a preach
er in all things.
Let me first state how it has
been with me and possibly I will
tell how it is with others. I have
never wanted to be dependent up
on the churches I served, I have
earnestly desired to be blessed in
the things of this life so that I
could, while serving churches,
bear my own expense while visit
ing them and also to provide for my
family without being burdensome
to any. So being young in years,
I set about it, trying by hard la
bor and economy to supply al.,
my needs, being determined my
near neighbors should never say I
had gone off and Ifeft my family
ih want. So with this determina
tion, I would remain at home anti
tfOt kaßlo D ga»l.o<’«W.i ort .* ) , w
t 0 be able to tlie cliu s roh .W
Caching hour./ A. «
breaching «»« °» el 1 » oa d:ht “'
ton back home to begin work again .
early Monday morning, and work
hard all the weekLo a. to be abb
to lose Saturday again. Thu® 1
iave striven hard to provide for
my family, and serve the breth
ren at the same time. I know
now that I have made poor suc
cess in temporal things and fear it
has been equally as poor in serving
the brethren. Now I will state
my feelings about it. If I ana
called to serve churches, my time
belongs to’ them. I have been
trying to serve four churches for
five years, and I feel now that I
i should visit the brethren and sis
ters at their’homes a great <eal
more than I do. Ido not feel im
pressed to travel and preach, but
I think I should visit among my
own churches and converse with
them of the goodness and mercy
of God, and also to visit those who
have a hope and encourage them
to duty. I feel like it would be
right to visit all who attend our!
meetings, who manifent a desire
for us to visit them, by word and
act. Preachers should not visit i
one place too much and neglect
others. Ifit is possible to do so, I
he should visit every member of
his church—both poor and rich.
Go, whether it be a fine, well filled
mansion or a little log cabin and I
prove to all that you are willing
to suffer, as well as rejoice with
them. Don’t say the distance is I
too great, or the road to bad, when I
they travel it every meeting. Some
times preachers visit one or two
places because they are conven
ient, and continue it until the
church becomes jealous, and will
say “He always goes there; he,
don’t care anything for us.” How
do you know what sorrow it car- j
ties to th© heart of that good
brother or sister when you decline
to go with them, and say, “I cant
. go; I am going to brothet A’s” and
. maybe were there pply a
Dear brother Simms, .the fore
going is submitted to you in love,
Your Little Brother
Rufus’ H. Jennings.
Dawson Ga. . ..
Athens Ga., Sept 29,1895.
Mrs. A. L. Turner:—Summit
Ga., My dear Cousin. It is Sun
day morning and everything is
gpiiet and still thus making it very
lonesome indeed. 1 took my Bi
ble to read just now and I had
scarcely opened it when I thought
of the promise I made you. So I
have put it aside for the time- be
ing to write you a few rambling
thoughts.
My health is exceedingly fine,
and has been since I reached here.
I feel good this morning’in every
sense of the word, I can hardly
describe my feelings; but if I
c«uld, I am sure you could wit
ness with me. lam all alone in
my room as my room-mate has
gone to Sun day School. My mind
is perfectly at ease and I feel, as
I know you have often felt, “that
my Redeemer liveth.” You know
we all have doubts and fears, and
we are often troubled because of
sin, but it is not so with me this
morning. I feel that all these
things have been removed far
from me, and my mind is in sweet
communion with the blessed Son
of God. Though bound down by
sore trials and afflictions, we can
often exclaim with the patient Job,
‘ I know that my Redeemer liveth.”
I sometimes wish that I could feel
that way all the time, but then I
guess I would become exalted, as it
is necessary for us to be afflicted
and heavy-laden on account of sin
in order to make us meek and hum
ble in the sight of Almighty God.
He, above all, knows how to keep
his children humble, and how to
make them see that he worketh
all things for good to them that
love and fear him.”
You do not know how lone-
EGhie I Bometiffl'es get, as I nevet
see one of the Old Baptist up here."
So far ns I know, I am the only
boy in school that is eyen inclined
that way. All the others that be
long to any church, ar® members
of the other denominations. They
do not seem to enjoy talking about
J esus and the great things he hag
done for their souls, bat rather
they seem to delight in talking
about what great things they and
their churches have done for Je
sus. I can not enjoy such conver
sations, as I have never done any- .
thing at all for Jesus. He nas
done it all for me, or at least I
feel like he has, and bo I try t j
praise Him and not my own works!
wish that I could be to some of the
good old Baptist churches to-day
and hear the blessed truth as it is
in Jesus. To eave my life, I can’t
enjoy the preaching here. There
is no food in it for me. I go to
their churches hungry for that
Spiritual food which we all need,
in order to grow m grace, but I
come away as hungry afl before.
But there is one consolation in all
this, I have the Bible the blessed
word of God which he has told us
is the sword of the Spirit. There
I can find that I so much desire.
There I can find fellowship with
the saints of long ago. I delight
I to read the letters of Paul and Pe
ter where they gave instruction
and admonition to the churches
in their care I delight to read the
Psalms of David where he gav©
continual praise to God and sang
lof his loving kindness. Just this
morning I read in the xxii Psalms
and 10th verse, something that
made my heart rejoice. VV e know
I how strong is a father’s and moth
er’s love, but we are told in this
I verse that when father and moth-
I er ha ve forsaken us the Lord will
take us up. O what a blessed hope
0 what a glorious privilege! to
know’ that though every earthly tie
be broken and all but
have forsaken us yet the God ot
hosts will care for us and protect
us while we sojourn here in this
sin-cursed world below.
said: “I have been young and now
am old; yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his see?
begging breadßut it is* so; he
4/^f protects the objects of
Anthem ist last
dom there to dwefl fortver
him and to sing praise unto WJ
Holy JName. it is that we
will fling that new song and give
praise unto the everlasting God.
Then we'can realize what we some*
times feel here on earth. Then
our joy will be complete and no
sorrow shall come near us.
Just one week from to-day and
you will be at your association en
joying yourself, with the dear lit*
tie ones of God. How I wish I
could be there, but I can’t think
of coming. You must listen at
that good paeaching for both of us
and write me all about it. My
heart will be there and my prayers
will be for the success of the
meeting. You must be sure to at*
tend our association at Lots Creek
and go to home without fail. *
hope the Lord will bless those
meetings to the good of every one
that shall attend them, ahd revise
every drooping heart.
Remember me to all the dear
saints of God and to every one else
that may inquire after me. .
Hoping that God will blew you
all I am your little cousin,
J. W Hendricka.
TyTy Ga., Oct 9,1895.
Dear brother in the Lord, I. a®
glad to say th at I am now up«<w Q
and feel as well as I ever did in
my life.
If convenient would be glad if y oS
would insert a note of the
i n the next issue of the Bannbi sot
the benefit of the brethren,
and friends who seemed to be in*
terested in my case when he® |
Yours in a precious hope
Morgan Brown. |
APPOINTMENTS
Elder Parker of Ala. and M
terson of Ga., will preach a^ft ’ f
Creek church on Tuesday Oct S
Harmony “ 24 From thence
the Ochlockonee Association ,3
Boston.
Poplar Springs Oct, 29 ;
Tired Creek “ a 30
Piedmont “ 31 I
Pisgah Nov, L TW®
to the Flint River Associate®*
They will need c'onve'yance - "®*