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The Pilgrim’s Banner. , A. V^SIMMS, Valdosta,Ga., I Editors LEE HANKS, Boston Ga. | PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY. SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN AD VANCE. rOfcTHE UNITED STATES. CANADA AND MEXICO. Single copy one year SI.OO. Single copy six months •.. 50 Single copy three months 25 Sample copies sent free on application Special Notice. In writing communications for the Pilgrim’s Banner, please ob serve ihe following rules: Rule 1. Do not .write on but ONE SIDE of your paper. Rule 2. Write PLAIN AND DISTINCT, so that it can be easily read. ' Special Rule No. 3. Above all things, do not write with a LEAD PENCIL. . . . Strictly adhere to the above rules and you confer a great favor on us and a Special Favor to the Printer and Compositors. "EtifereTat the Post Office at Val dosta,- Ga., as second class mail matter. EDITORIALS SOME GOOD MEETINGS. Accompanied by Elders A. W. Patterson of Middle Georgia, and Z. H" Bennett of South Florida, we visited during the last week, three of the churches of our care and enjoyed a sweet and refresh ing season w’ith each church, a brief account of which we feel in clined to give to our readers, hop ing that others may rejoici with us. First, we visited on Thursday of last week, Hebron church Ham ilton County Fla, whera we have served as an unworthy pastor for the past five years, and we have richly enjoyed the mercies of the Lord—the church having almost doubled her number in member ship during that time, having now about 110 in fellowship. On the first day of the meeting referr ed to Elders Patterson and Ben nett were blessed to deliver those blepobr. After preac 11 Th u re’ day, w<k opened conference and received two members —a brother aitd sister, fir bantism amid many joyful tears. Friday morn ing we met at the little creek near by, for baptism, and another precious and worthy sister who had been expected a long time, was received and baptized. After baptism the congregation reasem bled in the house and listened at tentively to two most excellent sermons by our visiting ministers. While singing a parting song a poor trembling woman came up and extended her hand and amid tears and sobs asked for a home among the Lord’s people. She re lated a bright experience and was joyfully received,aud : the congrega tion disbanded and went to their homes, feeling that they had met the Lord in his temple. Saturday morning we made our way for Bethel, Hamilton County. This church we have served in much weakness for the past" twelve years. It was this church we were first called and for her was ordained. At that time there were only seventeen members—only four of whom were males. The church at that time-was very cold, careless and indifferent and their youthful pastor was timid and weak. But the Lord smiled upon them and the church now numbers more than 60, the most of them are live ly, active members. After preach ing on the day mentioned, the church sat in conference, and four dear brethren came forward weep ing like children, telling , of their hopes, doubts and fears, Three of this number afe bright intelle gent young men, having just en tered their twenties. We cannot picture the scene as it was. A widowed mother clasps her only son in her arms as she welcomed him to a heme with her in the church. Another pre vious sister almost shouted aloud for joy as she threw het arms tribtf nd the neck of her husband, who had lingered i long time in the wilderness. What a pleasing s : ghtto see fathers and mothers shedding these tears ot jey -oyer their penitent children. Arad as wo glanced over eyes over the con gregation before us we were made to feel sad and yet rejoice at the sad, sweet sight. A bright young lady whose brother was then be ing received in the church, and to whom she had made a solemn promise she would follow him, sat with her face burried in her hands and was weeping aloud. And still another whose father and mother had left her. and many others,lads and lasses, and those with hoary heads sat weeping aloud, both tor joy and sadness. Indeed it was a Pentecostal daywhen every one seemed filled with the holy fire of God’s love, and with tue> Holy Ghost. ’ * • Saturday night Elder Patterson bade us farewell and made his way for the Ochlockonee Associa tion. Before leaving however, lie preached a most feeling sermon at the pleasant home of our dear brother R. C. Hodges. His ser mon reminded us of Paul’s fare well address to the brethren at Ephesus. (See Acts 20th chapter). Sunday morning we met early at the River near the church, for baptism, when an other dear brother who for many years had lived with the Missionary Baptists, came forward • and told the church the reason of his hope, of how ho had tried to stay with the Missionaries, of the • afflictions he had suffered for his disobedience, and how at last he s was compelled to succumb to the • overcoming power of God, and > come home. He was joyfully re- > ceived. These five with two others : who had been received at previous ■ meetings were all baptized in the r Alapaha River. Avery large con i course of people stood on the high • banks above us and witnessed the - beautiful sight. After preaching » by Elder Bennett and the writer | ended. We f per met with the church at Mount Hortb, Madison Co,Flu., and after preaching received Uo dear brethren in the fellowship of that church amid many tears. That night we visited and preach for a precibiis old sister who has only been a member a few months and has not been able to visit her church since her connection with the church. We found her hope ful and very spiritual, and while she never expects to be well again, she seems perfectly resigned and full of patience. She seemed so glad to know she had not been for gotten by the brethren and sisters and 'esoecially the preachers. Said she, as we bade her farewell: “O I never can tell you how glad I ’ am you have come and preached for me. I feel stronger and feel that I now have enough to last me a long time.” Brethren in the min istry do we not often neglect such cases? Remember we minister lo Jesus when we minister to his afflicted people Tuesday morning we met again at the church and Elder Bennett preached with sweet ability and we concluding our services by giv ing another opoortunity for mem* b? rs when another young sister jame and told the dealings of the Lord with her, and was received with joy. From the church we went directly to the Withlacoochee River to attend to the ordinance of baptism. Here again we openpd the door of the church and a poor old trembling woman—trembling with infirmity, came up saying,“l want to live with you but I know I’m not worthy,” But the church thought she was worthy and man ifested much love in receiving her. We then baptized the four , wait ing subjects, after which the breth ren is’era and friends spread a good dinner and the congregation ate refreshed themselves, and dis banded. Brethren a better time is upon us. From far and near conies the . glad i.ews that'Zion’s children are coming home. The Lord is work-! ing in the hearts ot our children ! and giving them to us.Oh how we ’ should appreciate His mercies by' walking orderly and godly before i all men.—-S* | election: This does not mean that God foresaw who would believe ahi? 1 saved tfieifi as a result of their be lief, making belief a cause of their election; but God chose them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Thess 2: 13. Nobody ever believes the truth but God’s elect who were ordained to eternal life j “And as many a? were ordained [ to eternal life believed.” Acts. . xiii: 48. This election or ordina- ■ tion precedes the belief, and be- ■ lief follows as a fruit of his sore r ordination. Whosoever believeth a that Jesus is the Christ is born of ? God.” 1 Jno. iii: 1. You see the f believer is born of God and a child of God: hence it is too late for him to believe in order to be chosen and become a child of God. Be lief is the work of Godi “This is the work of God, (not the work of the sinner) that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John vi: 29. Election then is not the fruit of belief, and belief a iruit of the flesh; but election is an act of God in eternity upon the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, anc belief is the work of God wrought in the sinner in time, and is found ed upon evidence. “He that be lieves hath the witness within himself.” The witness of his elec tion is wrought in him before he believes. “Thou hath wrought all our works within us.” God does not elect this people provid ed they will obey and justify themselves, but elects them and and justifies them himself. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.” Rom. viii 31. Nobody can condemn them for Christ has died tor them, and risen Tor their justification, and now intercedes for them, and the Father-tai ways bears him, hence the Fatßyr wib hear tfrui and isinoepehdent df maW works. For tho children being not yet born, neither paving • lone any good or evil, tlfit the purpose of God according.to elec lion might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. ‘‘Jacob have 1 loved, but Esau -have 1 hated,” Rom. ix. 2. According as he hath chosen us in him be fore the foundation of the world, I hat wu should be holy and with out blame before him ik love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according tp. the good pleasure of his will, to the praise oi the glory of his grace, wherein He hath m&le us accepted in the beloved, ‘dn whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness « sins, according to the riches |f his grace.” Eph 1: 4,5, 6,7. You see from the foregoing that they were chosen in eternity, not because he saw they would make t h S 1 T’/l r-. ll Zll i-v «-» 1 [CI 1- X-- z 1 themselves holy, but “that they should be holy and without blame before him in love.” He chose them, to justify them and glorify them. This choice, predestina , tion and adoption is all the net of God upon the vessels of mercy whom he afore prepared-unto glory The child cannot adopt itself. God predestined to adopt them into his family by Jesus •Christ. Both the grace of adop tion, and the kingdom and glory to which they are adopted, come by and through Christ as media tor; through his espousing their persons, assuming their nature, and redeeming them from under the law and its curses. We are through the obedience and righ teousness of Christ, made accepted in the beloved; our sins being for given through the redeeming j blood of Christ.' i “Who hath saved us, and called jus with an holy calling, not ac cording to our works, but accord* i i tig to his own purpose and grace< Which wag glfen us in Vhrfst Jesus before the world began.” r 2 Tith. iii. 9. This election and effectual calling is not according to the act of the creature, but' according to his own pur pose and grace given us in Christ in eternity. 2 Tim ii: 19; Psa. 139:15 1 Pet. 1: I—2. All the types and shadows teach the doc trine of election as well as your experience. There were Cain and Abel, having equal advan tages in life, but God chose Abel and did not choose Cam. Did he injure Cain by saving Abel? No. Election damns nobody, but graciously lavors a multitude that no man can number. It did not injure Abraham’s relatives for God to choose him and not the rest. Election is very clearly taught in the animals that were saved in the ark. Some were chusen and others left just as good by nature as the ones saved. The stones in the- temple teach election, for some were taken and others left just as good; all the difference between them was in ■ the preparation- Christ’s “dove” is chosen from the queens, concu bines and virgins, but she being chosen and made to be the un defiled by washing her from het sins in his own blood and justify [ ing her by his righteousness does not injure the others. When the > Lord called Peter, Paul and you from the world, he left others just as good as you were. Why is it to-day that you love the Lord’s . humble poor, and can eat ot His flesh and drink of His blood? Be cause God has chosen you out of ? the world and caused you to ap i proach unto him. All these , chosen were given to Gfirist and j shall come to him. r There is no conditions on the s chosen’s part to cause them to be s come his elect. Christ came to i save them, and accomplished the 1 work he came to do. He puts his law in their minds a God and they shall be my people.” If any sinner ever reaches heav en, it will be upon this principle of the electing love and grace of God. It is disgusting to a poor humble contrite soul to hear peo ple talking about the sinner per forming conditions and letting Christ save him. Chri.-t is not a poor puny insignificant being, but He does His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, “What doest thou?” It is His will that all the Father gave Him shall come to him, and that will will be ac complished. This may be called and old “fogy” doctrine but we love it and our only hope of hea ven ic in the election of grace. “Election 1 tis a joyful sound To wretched, guilty man : The Father, Son, and Spirit formed The everlasting plan. I 0 may this Bible truth inspire My heart with purest bliss. ’ And land my sodl in mansions - where j My chosen Jesus is.” ? A poor sinner saved by electing . grace, if saved at all.—H. [• THE UNIOX ASSOCIATION. • convened with Olive Leaf church, ; Clinch county Ga., October 19-20 ' and 21. Twenty-two churches were represented—all reporting peace and love, with a greater number of accessions by bap tism than for many years in the past. We had in attendence, Elders Temples,Patterson, Thorn ten, Minshew, Hollingsworth, Strckland, Porter, Fe mett,Parker, Tucker and others. The preach ing was all well seasoned with grace and was well received. The weather was fine and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. The next session will convene with Arna churchy Coffee county Gk; —& THE DOCTRINE OF; THE NICOL AIT ANS.:r , • i I was recently asked by a dear brother what was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The following is < the most satisfactory definition that we can find or the subject: < An early sect of heretics, the dis ciples of Nicolas, a plurality of wives; imputed their wickedness to God as the cause,” Rev. 2: 6,15. It seems that some of’ the early churches got into this error of a plurality of wives, but Christ taught an-important lesson here, — The church of Christ has but one husband, and He has but one bride. If the husband has a pluraltiy of wives, or the wife a plurality of. husbands this figure would be worthless. There is but’one dove or unde llled church and Christ wants no other. There is Lut one Lord and head of the church and she is satisfied with him as her husband. - Christ has taught us the legal method to govern all cases oi divorce and there is only one s cause for which a man can put s away his wife and marry another, i Christ‘s law should be reverenced J above everything else; yet we see the early churches had trouble , over this matter and Christ hateci . this in these Christians, but they f were gently admonished as breth ren. We should be slow to declare ‘ non-fellowship for brethren on I this point, for we may be as gui • ty in some other direction, but let us labor in meekness to save them. 3 We would not refuse to commune e with a church that had such a case but would much prefer that they I _ 1 1 1 • • 51* • ■ be"better to their wives and wives better to their husbands, it woulc stop so much divorcing. Chil dren be careful. This plurality o: wives and charging all their mean ness to the Lord as the cause it an abominable doctrine, and nc wonder the Savior hated it. If a . man gets drunk, steals, commits fornication, uses profane language, abuses his wife and marries another, and says “The Lord made me doit and I could not help it,” the church that has the mind of Christ will hate all such. A child of God has a hope in Christ, and the Nicolaitan will tell him don’t you come to the church as long as you can stay away God will make you come at hit> time. Jesus hated this and we do too. The child of God should be encouraged to come home and live with the Lord’s people. Je- s sus nor his faithful apostles ever exhorted one to remain in disobe g dience. If God makes us disobey him, our disobedience would be obedience, and hence we would not sin. The Christian’s enjoy , ments depends upon his obedience and he can obey or he can disobey, s When he disobeys he cannot tel a the truth and say the Lord made r me stay out. When a Christian - stays out of the church he is obey ' ing the flesh and not God. He can > see a lion in the way and great obstacles and difficulties which > seem almost unsurmountable, but i when he comes and takes the cross he finds the yoke easy and the burden light. The Nicolaitaii that makes all those propositions to you is the flesh. The Nicolaitaii is so strong in the ddetrine that he will tell the saints to do nothing for their pastor thfil God will take GSre 61 Kun, she is God’s preacher he *4l] not suffer, yet will shut up his bowels of compassion from him. The Nicolai tan is so strong in the faith that he thinks a poor preach er can turn his back upon his wife and children and serve churches at his own charges anc! will say; “God will take care of him.” or “if the Lord wants us to help him he will make us help aim. He tells his to go and be be filled or clothed, yet does noth ing for him. Jesus hated this doc trine for it dishonors him to charge all of our meanness to him. The Nicolaitan does nothing and is always finding fault with others who are devoted obedient Christians. The Nicolaitan dots not want to hear the preacher en courage or exhort his church to -a godly life, and to love and good woiks, for he thinks that is too much like somebody else. The Nicolaitan has no use for a large portion of the Bible—that which treats upon our common salvation or time salvation being conditional. He finds great fault in that preacher who forsakes all to follow Jesus and labors to en courage God’s people to live their profession thus giving himself wholly to the work. He cannot see any comfort in the ressurrec tion as he does not think there is anything done for the sinners in regeneration, and says, “Let us do evil that good may come, for there is no change in me, and I love sin as good as I ever did etc..” This . fatal idea is hateful to Christ and > all who have the mind of J Christ* ' While we love the soverignty s I upholding all things by the worA d of his power, and believe that all I- true Baptists are one, if they un »i derstoodeach other on this poAU ;• yet there is danger of the Christian s getting into the abominableNicolai o tau doctrine. Christain live your profession and keep yourself un i, spotted from-the world. Wo hope b no old Baptist will ever get into 1 the Nicolaitan doctrine.—H. A TOL K j r W r e are at home again from a 1 very pleasant tour in the bounds of the Upper and LowerCanoochee Associations and found our family . 1 well for which we fed greatful to the Lord for his mercies. , We had the pleasure of witness ing the reception of ten precious ones into the church seven of whom we had the privilege of baptizing. We at ended both associations and 1 Z'i/'kl 4 rk f 4 z] T .1 . 11 teei tnat the good Lord was with - r them in their meetings. Peace and sweet fellowship now abounds with several churches returning in each ( association that had been off and a number of accessions in the churches throughout both Associa tions. Associational differences were adjusted and their hearts were fill ed with love and praise to God, We have never found a more pie cious band of brethren and sisters than these. There are more Christians standing without the visible kingdom than I ever saw before in one section. We feel that there is a good day for that dear and precious people. We cannot find language to de scribe our love for them and how much they all feel endeared to us. We have never left a place with a heavier heart than when We • est these dear people. Ofifjoyrf were surely i