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The Pilgrim’s Banner. A. V. SIMMS, Valdosta, Ga., ) LEE HANKS, Boston Ga. | Ka,torß - “ PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY. SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN AD VANCE. FOR THE 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 the 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. Entered at the Post Office at Val dosta, Ga., as §econd class mail matter. EDITORIALS. REQUEST. Now that cotton and other crops are being marketed, we earnestly entreat our readers who are in ar rears with us to remember us. We have been waiting patiently,know ing that times were very hard and money scarce, but now we need the money to meet our own ob ligations. The amounts due us are very small but when put together wculd greatly relieve us. This, of course, is intended only for those who are behind with us. Will you kindly remem ber us?—S. ASSOCIATIONS. . Wo desire to call special atten. tion to the reading of '’’homp- J-gon’ s„asticle on^ r ‘ \lt is on * “WJaimgy with va qu^stioiu jmjubb importance from a scriptural stand point. The unlawful usurpation of power over churches by associa tional bodies have wrought great havoc among our preople in many instances. There are thousands of good Baptists who to-day stand excluded from us who might have been saved if proper gospel labor had been done. But it is frequent • ly the case that when a little dis order arises in a church or churches belonging to an associa- tion, some • sister association in correspondence will withdraw correspondence from such without labor or warning, and thus prac. tically withdraw fellowship. These things have been done right here I in Georgia. No wonder there is a growing disposition with many of our brethren to dispense with as sociations and have none of them It would be far better to have none at all than have them wield the sword of disipline over the churches. But, as Elder Thomp son has truly said, we need not 1 abolish our associational meetings ' intirely. They may be continued and scripturally too, when the only object is to worship the Lord. And so long as they are held in conjunction with church service and asthereby recognizing the in ternal, scriptural rights of the church, they can do no possible harm, but will result in great good. The scriptures are the only di vine and safe rule given us for our government. The Bible is our code of law, and Jesus Christ, the great Head of the Church is our only Law-giver, and when we fail to do as He has commanded or,transcend the bounds given us, we practically deny our allegience to Him and bring shame and confusion upon ourselves. Let others have their institu tions, auxilliaries and adjuncts il they will, but let Primitive Bap tist who claim not to be led only by a “Thus saith the Lord’’ see to it that their associational meetings come within the scriptural limit.-S. " BU ♦ * ... SITTING IN “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the King dom of heaven. But the chil dren of the Kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and wailing and gnash ing of teeth.” Matt.B:ll, 12. Sister Lee Hulett of Brooks County, Ga. desires our views on the above scripture, or a portion of it. The east and embrace God’s people in all nations, and they shall come by faith to the holy mountain of the Lord, even the Kingdom of heaven, the city of habitation, the banqueting house of King Jesus, where he has a table spread in the presence of his enemies, richly supplied with covenant blessings and sweet gos pel promises. Poor laboring,heavy laden siuners in all ages of the world, have been made to sit at this table and eat by faith of the precious dainties which are &o adapted to their needs. The same table at which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ate, is the same we poor Gentiles who are circumcised in heart, can eat to-day. The same “apple tree” that casts a shadow for one, casts a shadow for all, so we can all sit down under his shadow with r and His frui* protected from the scorching sun of Satan’s fiery darts. This ta ble is in the Kingdom of Christ, and when we are made to sit down to rest in his love and sweet mer cies, ah ! how glorious is the pre- I cious thought that we are experi enceing the same things Abraham, Isaac and Jacob experienced. We are comming with them in spirit I and the same truths that fed them feeds us to-day. The day .that you were born of the spirit, you could sit down in the kingdom, beholding its beauties, and com mune in spirit with Abraham, < Isaac and Jacob. 11 The God that they loved, you I love, the doctrine that was so pre cious to them, is precious to you; the way they learned Christ, is the wav you learned him; when they told their experience, they told yours. Can we not read of the trials of these fear men of God also of David, Job, Isiah, Jonah, I Jeremiah, Daniel,Paul, Peter,John and such men as Gill, Bunyan, Beebe, Leachman, Lawrence and uvuars, ana snea tears over their writings, while the fire of love burns upon the alter of our hearts for them? While the ser vant of God is preaching about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you are made to love them and can re joice in the same truths they lov ed. Jews and Gentiles believe in the same truths and are one fold and have one shepherd to cate for them. All nations partake of the same grace now, such as, justifica tion, pardon of sin, &c. as Abra ham did. The faith of all the Old and New Testaments saints is the same; they have the same God < and Father, the same Mediator i and precious Redeemer, are all I I actuated by the same Spirit, par- ( of the same grace and shall enjoy the same glory in Heaven. The children that shall be cast out, are the Jews who were cast out of the land of Israel. The Jews were in the Kingdom in its first establishment; but these branches were broken off, and the Gentiles grafted in, in their room. The Jews have been scattered and become a hiss and a by-word to the nations of Gio earth. Tneir house is left unto them desolate. This teaches us that God punishes sin, and if any man defiles fne temple of God him will God destroy. The Jews’ tem ple is destroyed and he has no place in the kingdom of Christ. There was great weeping and wail ing when Jerusalem was destroyed and the children of jjhe kingdom (Jews) were cast but. —H. “TEKEL.” ■> “Thou art weighed inthe balances, and art found wanting.Danielv ;27. A precious little sister at Ozark Ala., requests our feeble views on the above subject, on which we shall only give a few of our thought s. There was part of a man’s hand or his fingers that wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the King’s pallace. Belshhzzar saw the hand and was greatly troubled. Hence he went to the wise men of Baby lon to get them to read this writ ing and give the interpretation of it; but the wisdom of this world cannot comprehend the wonderful works of God. These astrolagers, magicians and sooth sayers, with all their boasted wisdom, did not understand this language. a educated men, and dfcuhtiess - were graduates in the school , of men, and could tell the defini i tion of words in the various lan- - guages, and give many historica 1 ■ accounts of the ancient saints ■ but were destitute of a true • knowledge of God. If they had ’ have gone to have converted the heathens (and doubtless they would have readily accepted such a position for pay enough) they would have been a misible fail ure. They did not know the power of God. They did) not un destand the writing of Qoi’s peo ple nor could they* read it, for they were ignorant of that kind of a school. Poor Daniel was enabl ed by revelation, the very word and the IH&tation of it. - Daniel did not learn this from man, but from the shool of reve lation. God’s ways are as high above our waj ß U 8 tho h „ av . ens are above the earth. This word “Tekel” is boundless in meaning, and applies to doctrine, experience and pratical godliness The doctrine ot the world, when weighed in the ballauoe of the Old and New Testaments, are found wanting. Why do not Old Baptiste believe that our eternal salvation is conditional, like our good friends among the condition ahsts? because all that is f ound wantingin the Bible-ballances. tree agency, general or meat and bread atonement, apostasy, hu man means in the salvation of sin ners,secret societies, theological schools, Sunday schools, spring, ling for baptism and the multHude of religious orders art atl“Teke! ” weighed in the balance of otern ’] truth and are found wanting au thority in the Scripture,. Five' hundred years ago there were two Gnristian denominations in the world; the Baptists and Catholics. The undefiled is evidently the true Old Baptists and the others have been started by men;hence are all “Tekel.”— found wanting. Does Christ give Luther, Calvin, Hen ry* John Westley, Andrew Fuller, aUd Alex Cam P bell tho . right MRtßt up new so-.iatles and call them ctlurches? No. Hence they are allv “Tekel” weighed % Jn the balances and found wanting. Everything, unauthorized by the balances of the sacred Scriptures, ia, “Tekel.” All arminianism is “wanting” for they no faith in God th&t he will, do his pleas ure When’th ©Lord showtm you that you were lost and and undone in the sight of God, and felt to be a very great sinner in his holy sight you felt to be “Tekel”—lhat you are weighed in the balance of truth and justice and forever cut off from the presence of God. Yea, wo felt that we were “Tekel,” for we were lost, undone, without hope and without God in the world. We were truly wanting in point of obedience; our robe of righteous ness was wanting as it was but a robe of “filthy were wanting in trust,for we were trust- ing in man who is cursed; we were wanting in help, for vain is the help of man. *Wo viewed our black sinful hearts as being miserable, wretched and deceitful and want in everything that is good. From head to foot we were wholly con taminated with sin and corrup tion, and hence were wanting in would justify us bed selves in it.” We fled to the las for justification, but that was only “Tekel,” and could not justify us; hence tbe law is wanting in power to saye us. When all physicians were found wanting, our prayers, best performances, good resolu tions, the preacher, the Bible and all were “Tekel.” Our last resort was to go by faith to Jesus and there was nothing wanting in Him. It was all wanting in us, but everything we. needed we re ceived it in Christ. His righteous ness justified us. His obedience made us righteous. His blood cleansed us from all sin. He gave us the spirit of adoption whereby we can now cry Abba Father, and by this Spirit wB are sealed until the day of redemption or adop tion. In everything you feel want ing, Jesus is your suffciency. His grace is sufficient for you, If you feel poor and needy, Jesus is rich, and the kingdom of heaVen is yours, and you are blessed. If you are wanting righteousness, you shall be supplied with that. If you need comfort and are mourn ing over a burdened heart, and feel that you are “Tekel” in that respect, Jesus says that you shal. be comforted, and you are now blessed. It is a blessing of the Lord to truly feel that you are waiting. None have such feeling but Christians. Sometimes, the church is in practice, they are wanting in a godly deport ment; they are wanting in power to bridle their tongues to keep from speaking in an unbecoming manner of people, especially the B &ints. are wanting in at tending to their own business and not being such busy-bodies in other people’s matters. They are wanting in self-examination tor they examine others faults and see none of their own, or but few any way. The church should not be wanting in love ,forberance, gentleness meekness,sobritey, tem perance, in good works, brotherly, kindness, in chanty in caring for the poor of the cffijjßi, in nursing the little lambs without the fold, in visiting the sick in their afflic tions, and in caring for the pastor and his family after a godly man ner. The preacher should not be Wi ting in the above, and also in ruling well his own house and in living an exemplary life economical and laboring to kss sen the burdens of his brethren and being faithful in all things. Loy© should prompt him to eerve his brethren and not applause of man, popularity or filthy lucre. There are many poor little Christians who arodiarmless and feel that they are“Tekel.”They are away from Zion, away from those whom they love. They are wanting in worthiness to join the church wanting in experience.m evidences in knowledge, in faith, in obedi ence and wanting in strength to bear the yoke. Why will Chris tians be so rebellious? All these feelings of unfitness,unworthiness, doubts, fears, love for the saints for God, and his ordinances, and loving the gospel truths are all bright evidences of a precious hope in Christ., None have such feelings but Christians. Says one, “I am too mean, sinful and unwor thy. I want tojoin, but ohl what wretched sinful heart I possess; I dont see how you could fellow ship me. I can’t tell the day of the month when I received a hope, I have had trouble, but I fear; At is a Christian ■nts not r lite tike i afraid r to go to the church and afraid ; to stay away, if I were to join ■ I fear that I should out that I am deceived and the • church would get rid of me. Oh I love you all so good I do not want to bring a reproach upon you &c.” Thus Satan makes suggestions to I the poor little saint to keep him in disobedience. None are so I concerned, and have such sugges-I tion but little Christians. lam JL « IXI willing to baptize one when they come feeling as W 6 described above Christian, if the Lord has given you a pigeon or turtle dove, do not waite for a bullock, forGod has not required you offer a bul ■ ock. He has not required you l to tell any body else’ experience. Come with your burdened hearfr and little evidence and find qweetl rest in Zion. If you feel written in your hear 3 that you are wanting and whob 1 unfit for church membership, yoi 1 are now a Christian and the singe: of God has written it. Love foi the church of Christ, hating sir and a desire to forsake all to live with the Lord’s people constitu tutes a Christian’s experience; yet your experience continues right ' on till death. We feel assured that our precious little sister in Ala., feels poor and needy and that she is wanting for a home among the* dear people of God. We have fellowship for her and hope th at she will soon “Take the yoke” of obedience and find sweet rest to her troubled soul. There is room in the church for all such poor little ones like she is. May the Lord give her strength to come. We now submit these feeble views to her consideration hoping that they may be if some comfort to her and that she may be brought to the church that i s not “Tekel” or wanting in doc trine for they believethat salvation is ot the Lord; they are not want ing in experience and they are not wanting in practice, forth JB want to practice everything the Bible teaches, no more, no less. The old Baptist are the best people in the world and make greater sacrifices and live closer to godly lives of love and good works of any other people; yet we will find some disobedient Christians who are not as faithful as they ought to be. We should not accuse the faithful, or class them with the “Tekel” and say • that all are found wanting. May the Lord help us to be faithful in all things and to keep our lamps trimmed and burning as faith ful soldiers of Chnst. Unsoundness in doctrine and practice is all “Tekel”—H. Elder William Tomlinson bap tized three at Arna church (Coffee County) on the fourth Sunday in last month. Elder P. G. McDonald writes, “I baptized three precious gifts yesterday eve in Savannah. Also received one by confession last night there.” Southampton, Bucks Co. Pa. November 6.th 1895. Elder A. V. Simms:—Dear Bro ther. In the Banner, which you kind ly sent me,l see many names that are familiar to me by correspond- which are of much interest ena? comfort to me. We naturally } tend with more interest to what has been written by one whose"* name is pleasantly familiar to ur as a dear brother in Christ, than/: to an article signed by one whose name is strange to us. But"when- I ever and wherever we read or hear from another what we have felt in our own souls of the wonder ful works of God, we find our hearts going out in love to that ' one, and at once feel a greater nearness to him and a closer ac quaintance, than with others whom we have known for years. Though Jesus does not walk along . I by our side, as he did with the two i who walked toward Emmaus, yet qur hearts burn within us whenev ler his Spirit is manifest in the communications of his people to 1 I us. I When we have experienced that I love, which is the bond of perfect- I ness, toward any one, how easy it lis to be forbearing toward him . rwhen he differs from us in regard / to some points of doctrine, or the rt meaning of some scriptural declar y ation. In such a case love is not u disturbed. There is a common r ground of fellowship upon which we can stand while we talk upon r the point of difference, each equal n ly anxious to arriyo at the truth, B and each solicitous and careful that the other shall rot be wounded In matters that are not vital to fellowship,how easy it is to walk t along,after such conferences, with t out any other than the warmest of , feelings toward each other, though neither has been able to see with the other. I think now of some ' of my dearest brethren, between whom and myself, there are some such points of difference, yet we have never had a jar to' our love , and fellowship. There are points of very grave importance upon which brethren may hold different views, neither of which ought to be denounced S as heresy by those holding the other. An error held by one we have evidence child of God ought not liffhHv La