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‘‘Being born again, not of corrupti
ble seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of G-nd,- which liveth and abideth
forever.” 1 Peter, 7: 23
This text presents itself to me
as one of the grandest embodi
ment ot divinity contained in
the Bible. When we take a ret
rospective view of the whole chap
ter, we get a glimpse of the em
bodiment of the whole plan of
salvation. Peter, as an apostle
clothed with the authority by the
spirit of revelation from God,
wrote as he was moved by the
Holy Ghost, to the strangers scat
tered throughout the dilfereut
realms or provinces to infofm them
■ of a truth that none but the chil
dren of the kingdom received and
believed with a living faith that
evangelizes the heart, overcomes
the world, and gains the victory.
He told them they were the elect
of God, according Io his fote
knowledg, through sanctification
of the spirit unto obedience and
sprinkling of [the blocd of Jesus
Christ. In the third verse he
blesses God the Father for the
abundant mercy bestowed on
them in that he had begctten them
again to a lively hope by the res
urrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead, to an inheritance incorrupt
ible, undefiled and that fadeth
not away, reserved m heaven for
them. Next, in the fourth verse,
he gives them consolation ind con
firmation. He not only tells them
that Christ, by the one offering of
His body on the cross, obtained
their eternal redemption, but also
when Be triumphed over death
and the grave, He rose for their
justification, and brought up with
Him their inheritance; and tells
them it is incorruptible and unde
filed, that fadeth nor away, reser
ved in heaven for them.
In the fifth verse, he gives the
sin-sick child of sorrow the assur
ance as much as to say “fear not,
you are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation; ready
to be revealed in the last day.” In
tho next place, he shows them
-that their pilgrimage white here
on earth is through manifold
temptations, that the trial of their
faith, being much more precious
than gold that perisheth, though
it be tried by lire, might be found
unto praise, and honor and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
He shows them all the opposing
elements ot the worid, the flesh
and Satan: reminds them of the
cost of their redemption,
exhorts them to obedience
and every good work, until he
brings them to the text, which is
the effect or product of the foun
dation laid down in the opening
up of the chapter.
Here arises to view the trans
cendently great and glorious plan
ot the salvation of the chosen—
the Bride of the Lamb. We must
notice here, that the chosen peo
pie of God had their standing in
Adam the fust, before the fall,
• and because involved in the trans
gressions. And but tor the sec
qndAdam—the Lord from heaven,
the Bride could never have been
purified from her iniquities, and
have been clothed in her beauti
ful robe of righteousness. Not
withstanding the first covenant
was weak and faulty, and left
Adam under condemnation, and
bound in the prison houseot death;
yet, the loved ones of God—the
members of the body of the Bride
of the lovely Jesus, had her stand
in him, chosen of God in him—
created in him.
This brings us to see the two
heads of the two .covenants, to
gether with the families of the
two kingdoms—Adam and his
generation; and Christ and his
generation. Adam the first, that
is, the head of the first covenant,
while he stood wi I h the whole of
his posterity embodied in him
and enjoyed all the blessings and
happiness of the sweet fields of
Eden. “But when he willfully
Binned, the Head and Body all
sinned together. And the penal
ty was death. So death passed
upon men for that all have sinned
and came short of the glory of
God. The result was, they were
driven from their hom?, and spir
itually, they were blind, deaf and
dumb, and in a state ot to total
depravity. And was at enmity
with God. And they were doom
ed to live of the eaath by the
sweat of their face. Here we will
leave the first Adam and his fallen
race, and take a spintural view
of the second Adam.
The word of God makes it plain
and clear to all Christians,
that Jesus tne son of Mary is the
second Adam. Now we shall en
deavor to show’ his generation.
One of the old Baptists, when by
revelation, he saw them comrning
up from darkness and death, said,
•‘And these,where had they been?”
The answer naturally presents it
self, they have been gone with
the first Adam into sin and death;
that is, “dead in tresspasses and
in sins.” They were alienated from
God. But as the woman of Tecoah
said to David while in trouble
about his son. “We must needs
die ard be as water spilled upon
the ground that cannot be gather
ed. But has not God devised
means whereby his banished,shall
not be expelled forever?” That
was a prophetic truth,though she
spoke it w’hile in disguise. Yes,
the Loid’s people are a chosen
generation, chosen to be made ho
ly and without blame before God
in love.
It becomes plain here that the
chosen ones, are the generation ot
the second Adam. They are re
deemed by his blood;and he claims
them as a gift from his Father.
He says “they are mine; I bore
them m my own body on the cross.
They were dead; but for their sins
I have died that they might live
and be free from sin.”
How is (his work to be done? Is
it bj lhe deeds of the law, or by
works of righteousness which they
canAteTSdine people says yes, we
must do our part, and then God
will do his. Let me tell you, my
dear reader, how Paul, the Apos
tle of God disposes of you with
your works of righteousness “If
you seek to be justified by the
deeds of the law, ye are fallen
from grace,” that is to say, you re
ject Christ, and depend upon
works of righteousness by the law:
and the law cannot give life; for
it was the law that killed you in
Adam the first, when you sinned.
The apostle says, “If there had
been a law given that could have
given life, then verily righteous
ness would have been by the law.”
Then what must sinners do?
Come with me to the text and it
will tell you what to do. “Ye
MUST BE BORN AGAIN not of COT
ruptable seed, but incorruptable,
by the word of God which liveth
and abideth forever ” And there
your works of righteousness will
fail you. Born again? How can
this be? That is the mystery to
every benighted sinner, and will
be until God reveals it. We know
from reason and experience that
the generation of Adam is just as
he was after the transgression:
for the seed that produces the
generation or multiplication, is
corrupted. It must needs be so.
It is Gods decree that every thing
that comes from the earth, shall
return to the earth again. Adam
the first, was a figure of Adam the
second. The fraternal law that
bound the first Adam to his bride,
and'made him willing to die with
her, was a figure of the ties that
bound Christ to pour out his soul
unto death to redeem his Bride
from the law of sin and death.
Now it is evident that Adam’s
fallen generation would never
have had visibility on earth, if it
had not been for the law in nature,
that God put there to rule nature,
a cause to prnuuce the effect.
Hence, wb see that of thte corrupt-
able seed, the members of all the
l chosen of . God conufes into * the
world; and are by nature the chil
dren of-wrath even as olher®. In
this condition they are fit subjects
for the Master-builder; they are
like |he valley of dry bones that
God showed Ezekael. God askec
the Prophet“can these bones Jive?”
The Prophet said “Oh Lord God,'
thou knowest.” And God made
manifest bis sovereign magesty
and power by infusing life into
the dead. And the result was the
moveing and shaking of the dead
bones. Here we see the preces
sion of Gods works:—bone to it
bone; every bone went to its prp
er place as by mag ; c 5 until there
stood up an exceeding great army
of skeletons; secondly, the whole
mysterious net work of the human
system covered the bones with
precission. But they did nos
breathe; Thirdly, the Lord said to
the Prophet, “Son ot man, proph
esy upon the winds that they
blow upon these bodies, that they
live.”’ The prophet obeyed, and
the winds obeyed,and they breath
ed and lived; Fourthly, the rev
elation was made to the prophet
when the Lord said to him “Son
of man, these bones are the whole
house of Israel.”
From this revelation we see the
Bride of Christ in her lost state in
the valley of death, whiefi is her
natural state in Adam. And as ev
ery member must, by birth, be
brought into the world; so by birth
they enter the spiritual world or
kingdom; that which is natural is
first, and the spiritual, second.
And this first is the product of an
incorruptable seed. We learn from
the law, as well as from the laws
of the kingdom of God, that the
vegitable with the serial that gives
food to man, is from seed of a
kind; and every seed after its own
kind. This brings to view a law in
the spiritual kingdom that pro
vides incorruptable, spiritual seed.
And that seed is Christ, and when
planted by the Husbandman of
the kingdom in the dead
a sinner, it springs and begets life
eternal after its incorruptable
kind, that liveth and abideth there
forever. This brings to view the
conception of a live child in em
brio. The sinner first made alive;
crying and helpless, he sees and ,
feels his lost condition, the law
says to him “the wages ot sin is
death”—“lhe souls that sins shall
die.” He sees no way of escape.
As a last resort he cries for mercy!
Mercy! Mercy'! Like some of the
Priests that were sentenced to die,
by the ceremonial law, that died
clinging to the horns of the alter,
so he clings to the door-post of
mercy crying “Lord have mercy
on me a sinner! Save I perish.”
The law that has condemned him,
brings him to Christ, and Christ
i eveales himself to him as the
end of the law for righteousness
sake, and he receives evidence
I hat Christ has redeemed him from
the curse of the law, having been
made a curse tor him. And now
he lives by the faith of the son
of God as born again—born of in
corruptable seed.
Aud now such can see the stu
pendous plan of salvation; and
that its ebnsumation gives the
assurance that the Bride is com
plete in Carist the Bride-Groom:
And how mercy and truth are
met together; and righteousness
and peace have kissed each other,
in short, how God can be just,
and be the justifyerof a sinner;
and hence, how God has made
Christ to be the wisdom, right
eousness, sanctification, and re
demption, ot all born of this in
corruptable seed.
And this is about the conclu
sion of the special grace of God
in quickening dead sinners; first
giving light, then repentaece, and
then the spirit of life in Christ
makes them free from the law of
sin and death: and then the assur
and of faith that they are justified
tb eternal life.
Ce more idea;— a natural
as bone of his bone, and
I Jus llesh, is admitted Io
Mt the an<i j* ie ins
f»Wr. So with a spiritual child,
imape are a dispensation
fren^'lather to child. Then every
chiljf .ot God as they have born
the earthy, shall also
image of the heavenly.
j? ' M. McDonald.
|\ r iena Qa.,
EDITORS OF PILGRIM’S
BANNER,
’ - f hardly know, but I am
inclfiied this morning to try to
wrip| some of my feelings and
thoughts for your consideration
and * disposal.
Yesterday brought me the Ban
ner M Oct. 15 1895, every word of
which I have read this morning.
Andteurely I never was more com
forttxi in reading. The facts
glep|ed, caused me to shed tears
.of jo>. It is so pleasant to hear
of the return of and fellow
shipiu the Pulaski and Canoochee
Associations. “Behold how good
and how pleasant for brethren to
dwelj together in unity!” Oh that
we ad, at all times, and in all
placet, could and would heed the
admonition of the Apostle, and
“let srothe*’ly love continue.” This
show| that it rests with us to let
or tojrinder, its continuance.
I been confined at home
since'the first of July on accoutof
sickness in my family. I have
not been to church but once since
the feurth Sunday in June. This
has nbt been the case before in
fifteen years. I will try not inur
mer, is according to the
course of nature; and I trust for
our gjiod. I often think of the
poet who says.
I through the seen
rcy "sent.”
imes get very lone
pondent, and feel
>t loved or respected
,or more of them
ee and cheer me
mg and so anxious
r my loved ones,
v they too, have to
leir own. I then
d and wonder why
tney none come? And then it is I
get comfort from another hymn.
“Poor and afflicted Lord are thine,
Among the great unfit to shine.”
And when I have sought in vain
(in my mind) for a friend among
the inhabitants of the earth, I
turn heavenward—l drop on my
knees and pour out my soul to
Jesus, and he says—“peace: be
still.” And then I feel I have a
Friend; yes, a friend thatsticketh
closer >han a brother, and is all I
need to comfort my poor weary
soul. And not only so, but then
ev'wv body is my friend. And I
am reconciled to the holy provi
dential dealing of God, both in my
own personal afflictions, and the
afflictions of my loved ones.
And now my afflicted and tem
pest-tosed brethren and sisters of
the cross of Jesus, try in all your
trials and afflictions to look to
Jesus through whom all good and
perfect gifts comes to us. Remem
ber “in all our afflictions he was
afflicted,” and “he learned obedi
ence by the things which he suffer
ed.” And should not we too? And
to know him in the fellowship of
his sufferings, is to know him in
his victory over sin, and to reign
with him above; where tempest
and trials and afflictions and
sufferings, never come.
But there are duties we owe, to
each other;among them we should
visit the sick; not only to comfort
the sick, but also those who as
wearried and worn and anxious,
watch over them. Speak cheerful
to those of a broken heart, or who
are in trouble in any way, body
or mind. You may thereby clothe
the naked, or feed the hungry, or
minister to one in prison. And
Jesus says “insomuch as ye have
done this to the least cne of mine,
ye have done it unto me.” And
this means, it seems to me, that
to neglect or fail to do these things
to one of them, is to fuil to do
them to him. Why, the Savior
has said that if we give to one of
his disciples a cup of cold water,
in the name of disciple,
we shall not lose otir reward. Oh
if we only just wouid do as Jesus
tells us to do, how much better
would we feel and fare? Why
can’t we just simply obey him
and let him look after the conse
quences?
Now dear brother editors, this
imperfect scribble is submitted to
your disposal. May God in his
mercy enable you to send forth
the Banner to cheer the hearts of
the afflicted way-worn pilgrims on
their journey home! for here they
have no abiding city,—they seek
one above.
Your’little afflicted brother.
T. J. McMullen.
Madulla Fla.
Springfield Va.
Through the kindness of some
one, I have received two copies of
the “Pilgrim's Banner,” and feel
thankful for the samp, and would
be glad to take, and read it regu
larly; but am unable financially.
I am satisfied the Banner will
prove a blessing to the dear saints
of God if they will conjoin to its
teachings, or such as was contain
ed in the numbers’! received.
And futhermore, to have sister
Phillips and her able pen and
sound practical teachings, associa
ted with the editors, I feel assured
and believe the success of the pa
per is secured; of course, with the
aditional blessings of the holy
Spirit to keep all humble and
at Jesus’ feet.
I see Elder M. F. Stubbs is in
the circle of your correspondents ;
he visited among us last summer:
nor will he be soon forgotton by
me and the brethren. Brother
Stubbs, come and see us again
when you can; and may God
bless you, and give faith to cheer
ycu through the trials and crosses
of this life’s pilgrimage.
Ministers, in sowing the seed of
.Christis Kingdom among thorns
and thistles, but for our Master’s
promises to be with them, would
often fail or fall by the way. And
who hears them? “They who are
of God heareth us;” but why do
so many fail to obey our Savior?
It must be on account of the mail
er in which we present His
truths. Or the indifference of the
membership in many instances, to
a ttf nd their regular meeting; or it
may be from all of us failing to
instruct poor penitent sinners in
season, (appointed times for
preaching) and out of season (all
other times.)
I see also, that Elder Dameron
of N. C. is in your section. His
preaching, if all be of a peice he
gave us last summer, will be very
instructive aud comforting. Doubt
less it will be so. Such men, root
ed and grounded in the truth, are
God’s greater blessings to saints
and sinners. May he blow the
trumpet in Zien and make a joy
ful noise to the Rock of our salva
tion. Also Elder Draughn I see
is among you with his sharp
cutting sword. He will doubtless
make the cause of our God to be
considered even by our enemies.
“But above all, how good and
how pleasant for brethren to dwell
together in unity”! Love, joy and
peace in the Holy Ghost will crush
out all selfishness and personality.
When love is without dissimula
tion, as directed by our Master’s
example and teachings, we are en
abled to weep with those who weep,
mourn with those who mourn, and
rejoice with those who rejoice;
then we bear each others burdens,
be they small or great, and so ful
fill the law of Christ.
But he who expects to make
this warfare against sin in himself
and others, and does not make
calculations to bear burdens, and
under go hardships, cannot ful
fill the law ot Christ.
So dear saints, remember, and
you who speak,or write of the news
of a living Savior, remember he
has passed through all the trials
you aie called on to endure,
who now rests from his labors,
will bring you through, even
death itself, as more than conquer
ors, and because he loves us. Oh
who would not enlist under, and
serve such a King who makes vic
tory sure!
J. A. Norton.
COMPLAINT.
A card from Sam, Ga., dated
Feb 21, complaining of not get
ting her Banner, was signed
Enioline B. D. So that we cannot
tell who wrote it, no name on our
list of subscribers at Sam, cor
responds to the above name. Will
she write again, and write her
name Full and Plain, so that we
may do for her as she requests.
And all others do the same. And
be sure to giye name, state and
Post Office plainly.
r R. A. P.
SPECIAL NOTICE.
We propose to give one copy of
the Banner free, for one year, to
any person, who will, within the
next three months, send u>* the
names of five new subscribers for
the Banner with five dollaia for
the same. In other words, for a
club cf five new subscribers and
five dollars, we will send six copies
of the Banner to any address re
quired.
This we do in order to meet a
debt contracted for material for
the Banner that must then be
paid.
And will those who are due us,
remember this. Brethren don’t put
it off as a little thing, when by
these same little things must accu
mulate and pay our big debts,or we
fail, . Editors.
-
In sending money forth. 3 Ban
ner, no matter by what means,
always address Pilgrim’s Banner
or myself, as Elder Simms is near
ly always absent, and thus avoid
delay. JR
R. A. Phillips. ,
Elder J, K. Stephens of Martin,
Tenn, will preach as follows. Af
ter filling appointments made for
him in Ala. he will be with us at
Mt. Pisgah, near Ochlockonee Ga.
on the fourth Sunday in March,
and Saturday before.
Newbope, Monday March 23rd;
Mizpah, Tuesday “ 24th,
Hopewell, Wed “ 25th,
Providence, Thurs “ 26th,
Mt. Nebo, near Thomasville Ga.
Fri. Sat. and Sunday 27th 28th
and 29, for the purpose of consti
tuting a new church.
Mt. Zion, Monday March 30th,
Bethsadia, Tuesday “ 31st,
Live Oak,Wednesday Apr. Ist,
Pleasant Grove, Thurs. “ 2nd,
Sardis, Fn. “ 3rd,
Bethel, Sat and Sun. “ 4 &sth
Bethany, Mon. “ 6th,
Harmony, Tues. “ 7th,
Little Flock, Thurs. “ 6th,
Antioch Sat. & Sun. 11th & 12th,
Bethlehem. Monday Apr. 13th,
Lebanon, Tuescay “ 14th.
Elder A. V. Simms, and P. G.
McDodald will arrange for him on
into the Middle Georgia and
thence to Opelika, Ala. He will
want to terminate his tour near
Rome, Ga. Elder Stepaens is an
able expounder of the truth, and is
an uncompromising Primitive
Baptist, laboring for the peace of
Israel.—H.
F!d W. W. Riner of the Upper
Cannochee Association will preach
(D. V. as follows:
Pleasant Grove Colquit Co. Ga.
Friday, Saturday and fifth Sun- *
day in March.
Magnolia Monday Mar. 30th
Live o a k Tuesday “ 31st,
Bethsadia Whenesday Apr. Ist,
Sardius Thursday “ 2nd,
Bethel Sat. & Sun. the 4th & sth,
Harmony Monday Apr. 6,
Mt. Zion Tuesday “ 7,
Mt. Pisgah Wed. “ 8,
Mt. Nebo Thursday “ 9
Antioch SaU and Sun, 11th & 12.
life will Debd-cbrv^yant?e.—B.