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The Pilgrim’s Banner.
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EDITORIALS.
A TOUR.
(Concluded)
The meeting at Fellowship had
many good things connected; but
chiefly because of an indisposition
on the part of her members to be
always engaged in conversation
about worldly things. How pleas
ant when the saints can thus give
external evidence of the love and
life of Jesus intenally? At Upper
Black Creek on Monday 1 piet a
very small congregation,but I trust
the meeting was not in vain; for
I enjoyed my effort in trying to
preach.My discourse at Deloaches
on Tuesday was of a disciplinary
character —something unusual io r
jne but I trust the Lord had
a use for it. A good congregation
was in attendance, among them
was Elders H. B. Wilkinson and
B. J, Williams, Elder Wilkinson
concluded in a few who Lome and
appropriate remarks. My heart
was made glad at Belknap on
Wednesday on meeting Elder
Riner again. It was at this church
that I enjoyed better liberty in
trying to preach than any previous
effort I had made on the entire
trip. Not many were present,
but I fell, and still feel, that the
Lord was with us.
But that night at the home of
a Mr Denmark we had a least of
fat things indeed. After preach
ing by Elder Riner and myself,
the little crowd still lingered as if
they were afraid by going they
would lose something. Everything
was silent for a while, when Elder
iiiner called on a lady who had
been shedding tears freely during
the service, to tell of her hope in
Jesus. She seemed willing
to talk, and told of past trials
and conflicts, and of a fervent
desire to become a member of the
church, but felt too unworthy to
make the attempt. Her talk and
tears brought tears to the eyes
of every one present. When she
had finished, three others told of
the dealings of the Lord with them
This made my hard heart to feel
soft, and I could shed tears of
gratitude to the Lord for His goodr
to his pebplfe I’ll never fbtget
that little night meeting.
Next day at Daisy Ga., we had
a very good eongiegation, and
I hope the meeting was not id
vain. I enjoyed good liberty
again on Friday at Bethel. This
is Elder A. R. Strickland’s home
church—a faithful old soldier—a
man that old Baptists love and the
world respect, and admire him.
The meeting was a pleasant one,
I also enjoyed the meeting at
Beard's Creek on Saturday and
Sunday following. Monday at
Love’s Chapel andTuesday at Bay
Branch were pleasant meeting,
and I enjoyed my efforts in trying
to preach.
This ended my appointments,
but while at Belknap Ga., I reciv
ed a letter from brother F. R.
Brinson written at the request of a
lady—Mrs. Emma Durden—re
questing me to return to Antioch,
and for the purpose, if the church
thought her worthy to baptize, to
baptize her. To this I consented,
and was met at Bay Branch by
brother Brinson and conveyed
Tuesday afternoon in the neigh
borhood of Antioch; a distance of
perhaps 25 miles. Next morning
early the thunder began to roar in
the souih-west, and about 10
o’clock the rain began to fall It
was a very dark and damp day;
but a good congregation met me at
the church, and truly it was a
pleasant meeting. The lady
joined, but the weather was so
bad, her baptism was defered till
10 o’clock next day. When we
met at the creek next day, it was
swiming, the sister on one side,
and I on the other, the congrega
being about equally uividod. But
I managed to cross to the other
side; finding the sister in a great
deal of doubt and trouble:
‘•Oh ! Mr. Simms,” said she. “I
was afraid I was not a fit subject
for the church, and all this seems
to prove L.”
How satan takes advantage of
such th inns to destroy the peace
of God’s children. But nothing
can destroy, or make void the
promise of rest God*has made to
all those who fear and obey him;
and I trust the dear sister has
found it so. After the baptism
was over, I returned to brother
Brinson’s, bid them good-bye and
started fur home; reaching it on
Friday afternoon.
This, ij some respects, was one
ot the most pleasant tours of my
life. The dear brethren, sisters and
friends with whom I met, did all
they could to make it pleasant
fo’r me. I will ever remember
their acts of kindness and words
of comfort and cheer. May the
Lord reward them. —S.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes,
that spoil the Aines: for our vines
have tender grapes, Sol. 2 15.
Foxes are setforth in the script
ures as being crafty, and full of
subtility and.mischief. Our own
observation of them is, that they
are ths most mischievious and the
hardest to trap, of any pest in
our community. They are scarce
ly ever seen in the day time, but
do their mischief in the night ;and
when we would find them to pun
ish and stop their depredations,
they cannot be found.
Our vines, or church organiza
tions, are subject to their depre
date ns, and the more so, because
our vines have tender grapes. Our
people are the most unsuspecting
and imprudent, regarding the dan
gers that may come to them
through these slick-tongued, pre
su.nptous, mischief-makers, who
fox-like creep in unawares, of any
people in the world. We are easy
to be imposed upon, from the fact
that we don’t want to give offence
to any, which of itsself, and in its
place, is commendable; but we
sleep over our rights many times,
and while sleeping or standing
idly by, the “little foxes” spoil
our vines.
“Thus saith the Lord God; woe
unto the foolish prophets, that
follow their own spirit, and have
eetfn pothipgl O Israel the proph-
• ts are like the foxes in £l® des
erts ” Ez 13 4.
There are men to-day wlJk are
following their own spiritdand
have seen nothing. They Wsire
to rule in Israel, supposing tTat it
is great honor and distincti®), to
to be called a preacher, not. living
the burden of the wurk dh the
Lord, but desiring to be paused
and applauded by men. O i’fsuch
could only feel and know fof> one
hour, the sorrow of soul, thel bro
keness of heart, the deep contri
tion of spirit, the sighs,the b| o ken
prayers aud the faltering and
trembling, that I think a trial ser
vant of God teels, they, lik| the
true servant, would say forn| the
depths of their hearts, <&,ord
take it away, I dont want itT’
Their desiring this solemn pos
sition, is a proof that they aij ig
norant of its hardships au< the
power of its calling.
I would not discourage those
whom the Lord has called for
they need encouragement,land
dear young soldiers, I know ’your
trembling and fears, and letter,
agonies you have to suffer, I
love you, and pray the Lorfo to
bless you.
But the carelessness oft O ur
churches in suffering every* one
to try to labor in the minLtry
who desires to do so, is as fri|tfui
a source of confusion and cli irc h
troubles, as there is among u$ to
day. Some say that nearljj all
our greatest church troubles atmie
from preachers, but yen a
little, and see if much of itljdoes
not come from those who Waijt to
preach, and who, not having the
gift and spirit of it, aie not accept
able with the church, and wlfo, as
soon as they find it out, are glov
ed with envy against those who
are accepted.
They are actuated by the lame
spirit that caused Saul to perse
cute and to seek the lite of Djvid,
just as soon as he found tha®Da
vid was more acceptable®!! d
praised than he was. ft
They are following their fi>wn
spirit, and have seen nojgmg
from the Lord, in
but fox-like, they will sccwetly
work some mischief upon four
vines, in order to try to axalt
themselves, nr to gratify their Lwn
wishes. The fox cares no wing
for the mischief he makes, so long
as he is gratifying his own desires,
and then catch him if you can.
Sampscn used foxes when he want
ed to destroy the Philistine’s corn,
and wherever you find one, there
is mischief.
Any character in the church,
who will privily bring trouble up
on the church, and seek to gratify
his own wishes and establish his
own preconceived ideas, regard
less of the scriptures, and at the
expense of the peace-loving por
tion of the church, is fox-like and
ought to be taken by the church,
and brought to ord.-r.
Our vines have tender grapes
and they should be cared for and
protected.—R. 11. B.
SALVATION.
PART I.
The theme of salvation should
be one that concerns us more than
any other one subject. We are sin
ners cf Adam’s fallen race, and as
sin cannot enter heaven, in order
for us to be carried to dwell for
ever in the bosom of the Sayior in
that blessed house of endless felici
ty, we must be saved from sin. We
shall, if the Lord wills, persue
this subject at some length as
there are many precious children
of God entangled in the meshes
of babyion and need to be in
structed, we shall notice the un
conditional salvation first. The
reason that man cannot save him
self is that he is dead.
death.
The scriptures teach that the
sinner is “dead.” We do not
mean that he is naturally “dead,”
or that he does not possess the
five senses naturally, the same as
the Christian; but he is depraved
and his whole being is contamina
ted with sift. If is element is sin
He loves sin and drinketh it down
as the ox drinketh water, “He
loves darkness rather than light;
because his deeds are evil.” It is
natural for him to seek darkness,
when following his own depraved
will. Paul in describing the con
dition of the sinner, says: “There
is none righteous, no not one;
there is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after
God. They are all cone out of
the way, they are together become
unprofitable, there is none that
doeth good, no not one, Their
throat is an open sepulchre; with
their tongues they have used de
ceit, the poison of asps is under
their lips; whose mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness; their feet
are swift in their ways, and the
way of peace have they not known ;
there is no fear of God before their
eyes.” Rom. iii; 9-14. The whole
man is thus contaminated with
sin from the sole of the foot even
unto the head, there is no sound
ness; but wounds, bruises and
pretrifying sores which have never
been bound up nor molified with
anointment. Isa. Ist chap,
This death has passed upon all the
race“Wherefore,as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death
by sin ; so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned,”
Rom. v. 12. Therefore as by the
offense of one (Adam) judgement
came upon all men to condemna
tion.” Rom. v. 18. Adam died,
and be being the head, when he
died, we all died, —when the head
dies the body will die also. Hence
man is so dead, body, soul and
spirit that he is wholly unable to
extricate himself from under the
awful sentance of death. We do
not claim that he is so depraved
that he cannot be honest, truthful
and strictly moral ; for this virtue
belongs to the natural man. Mau
received ability in Adam to live a
moral life and be a good citizen
and an honor to his country .There
are thousands of women as vir
teous in Adam as those who are
in christ. We can live moral and
we should encourage old and
young to labor to be upright men
rftuTwo’men. Morality is a won
derful blessing to any country.
But while we find Adam empower
ed to live morally, he is wholly
destitute of power to come to
Christ, have spiritual thoughts,
spiritual desires or aspirations
Man, in nature, cannot receive the
things cf the Spirit of God, be
cause they are foolishness to him,
neither can he know them be
cause they are spiritually dis
cerned 1 Cor. 2: 14. He has
no power to come to Christ: “No
man can come to me except my
Father which hath sent me draw
him.” John 6: 44. He has no
will to come to Christ: “Ye will
not come to me that ye might
have light.” John. Hence you
see that the sinner is destitute of
power and will to come to christ
—has neither. If he had the
power “without the will he would
not go to Christ ;and if he had the
“will” without the power,he could
not go to him, and as he has
neither “will” nor “power” there
is no possibility of his gettting to
Christ upon the conditional plan.
But some will say the sinner can
come if he would, but that is hie
trouble, he has no “will” nor
“power” to come. “It is not of
him that willeth nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.” Rom. ix, If the negro
had a will to become a white man,
he has not the power. The con
ditionalist tells the sinner to serve
God and he will become a Christian,
quickened into divine life. The
negro, while in bondage, served
the white man, and he might have
served him all the days of his life,
and he would have still been a
negro and in bondage. The ser
vice, the negro performed, did not
make him white or tree him from
bondage; hence the moral service
performed by alien sinner, does
not cause him to be related to
Christ or free him from the bon
dage of sin. All the colored race
were in bondage,just alike and the
principle that freed one set all
frete; The old man and colored]
infant were alike in bondage.
Preachers might preach to the
colcred man and tell him to get
white aud free, and he has no pow
er whatever to obey his voice.
Some will say if this be true God
is very unjust to put the sinner
where he cannot rescue himself.
But God did not put him there
The sinner went there by his own
wilful act of disobedience. The
man commits murder, he does it
himself, nobody is to blame but
himself, and the sentance of death
is passed upon him, he cannot de
liver himself, but whose fault is
it? and who can he blame? It is
his own fault and he is to blame.
He might have a will to be free
from this awful death sentance,
but he has not the power. The
alien sinner is in a worse condi
tion than this murderer for he has
no “power” or “will” to come from
ut.der that sentance, and come to
Christ. There are many who pro
fess to be coming to Christ of
their own will, but none have ever
coma that way. They make great
professions of religion, but they
boast of what they are doing and
have done for the Lord as the an
cieat Pharisees did.
Al) “freewill” religion is trust
ing in man and not in. Christ.
Don’t they say, “Give us men and
money and we will evangelize the
work.?” Hence you see they are
trusting in their own efforts to
save the world, and not in Christ.
Men in nature make loud profes
sions of religion, but it is of the
head and not of the heart; and is
caused froi»a fear of hell and the
devil. Preachers, on such occa
sions, do not preach Christ or
heaven, but preach the devil and
hell, and endeavors to frighten
the people into religion. This re
ligion is cf the flesh, and is proud
and boastful, giving glory to man
and abusing God as a poor puny
being that would do if he could.
Tnis religion says. “Christ offers
the sinner salvation, and it is with
him to accept or reject.” If this
be true, all are gone world with
out end, for the sinner is so dead
that an offer will do him no good,
and he has neither "will” nor
“power” to accept the offer; his
damnation would be sealed upon
that hypothesis. I will here say
that all the crim® that has ever
been committed upon the earth is
a result of man’s “will.” Our
state prisons and chaingangs are
filled with convicts, which was a
result of their “will.” Read the
daily papers filled with all man
ner of crimes, murder, theft,
drunkness, wife-killing, outrages,
etc, committed by the clergy down
to the savage, all of which is a
fruit of man’s “will,” —yet this is
called a day of enlightenment.
Crime and infidelity is greatly on
the increase, comfidence is lost
religiously, politically and social
ly. Man takes advantage of his
fellow man, and even professors of
religion are filling the jails, state
prisons, etc., which is a fruit of
their will and increases infidelity.
This evidences to us that these
criminals are yet under the bond
age of sin and loving darkness
rather than light. The natural
man is eo depraved that he cannot
and will not come to Christ, ueiter
can he hear the words of Christ
“Why do ye not understand my
speech? even because ye cannot
hear my wolds.” John viii. 43.
They have nothing, but a natural
ear and can only hear natural
words. “He that is of God heareth
God’s words: ye therefore hear
them not, because ye are not of
God.” Again, Jesus says that the
natural man cannot receive the
spirit of truth: “Even the spirit
of truth ; whom the world cannot
receive, because il seeth mm not
neither knoweth him.”
John xiv. 17. Hence you see the
world, in nature, has no power to
come to Christ, or receive the
spirit ot truth, no “will” to come,
no ears to hear, nor eyes to see
him. Preachers may preach to
these dead subjects, but they have
no spiritual heart to receive it, no
spiritual ears to hear it, nor no
spiritual eyes to see it. No wond
er that sb many object to truth
1-
when Jesus says, is ’;o
place for the truth in them.”
Man is surely depraved and has
no ability to come to Christ, and
perform good works. The dead tree
can produce green leaves and fruit
as easily as the dead sinner can
produce spiritual fruit, as holy de
sires. aspirations, love, faith, etc.
You may preach to the dead sin
ner, get him to leave off his bad
habits, put him in a so-callfed
church, and he is still an alien
sinner, dead in trespasses and
sins, and it will make no more
change in him than pruning a
crab apple tree, and planting it in
an orchord of sweet apples. This
transplanting and pruning may
increase the quanity and size of
the crab apples, but it will not_
change them frem crab .apples to
sweet apples. You may preserve
the fruit and make it very sweet
and the next year the tree will
bear crab apples again. Why is
this? Because the nature of the
tree is not changed. Jesus says,
“Make the tree good and the fruit
will be good.” The conditional
iet wants to first make the fruit
good in order to make the tree
good, but the language of Jesus
will stand : “A corrupt tree (dead
sinner) cannot bring forth good
fruit.” (of faith, love, joy, holy
desires etc.) The tree or sinner
must be made good by his being a
partaker of the divine nature, be
fore fruit will be good. The tree
must be changed in order to bear
good fruit, hence there must be a
change wrought in the sinner by
God working in him to will and
do of his good pleature before he
will feel poor in spirit, mourn
over sin, and Lunger and thirst
after righteousness. The sinner
is just as passive in regeneration
as the tree is in having a sweet
apple sprout grafted into it. The
mineral kingdom has no will nor
nower to grasp hold of the vege
table kingdom and go into it, nor
the vegetable to the animal, nor
the brute to man, nor man, which
is the natural, to the spiritual.
The higher must go to the lower.
The vegetable must go to the ani
mal, and the animal to the
vegetable, man to the brute and
God must come down to the sin
ner or the spiritual must come to
the natural. The lower is dead to
the higher. Man is dead in tres
passes and sins, and is contented
in this awful dilema, His eyes
stand out with fatness and he has
more than heart can wish. He
knows nothing ot joys, spiritual
sorrows, longing of soul, doubts,
fears, gloomy forebodings, pray
ing fur mercy, and mourning over
sin. None of us would volunteer
to have those deep troubles and
feel broken hearted, None would
mourn if they could help it. We
are passive in this, and hence it is
unconditional. We have shown
that the sinner is depraved, and
is powerless, and has a will viola
ted with sin, and there must of
necesity be a supernatural power
to bring him out from the awful
bondage of sin, if he is ever
good. No man, nor inststutions of
men can reach him, pool helpless
depraved man! “Who then can
be saved? with men it is impossi
ble for man to save himself, ot one
or more men to save another man.
The Ethiopian can change his
skin or the leopard his spots as
easy as a dead sinner can make a
Christian of himself.—H.
(Continued.)
Every one that went to Jesus in
the name of the law, or to know
what good things I must do, as the
good rich young man mentioned in
the bible, he sent them back to
the law, —an impossible way of sal
vation. While every one that
came tu him in the name of mercy,
or as a sinner crying “Lord have
mercy on me.” He immediately,
without a word of law or works,
showed him mercy, nor sent him
empty away.
A CHANGE.
Elder J. N. Bendbow late of
Highland Homo Ala. may now be
addressed at Hopewell Ala.