Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 3.
WETRt
IN lifes sweet and early morning
When my youth had scarce
1 begun,
1 was made to see the dawning
Os the truth—l was undone.
- I«then began to mourn my sinning,
An<i in anguish try to pray;
But this brought to me no winning,
Save to add to my dismay.
It seemed that I must work or perish ;
Phis I thought I plainly saw.
So with thought to keep and cherish,
Blind, I hastened to the law.
Butin it I found no favor;
Naught to heal a broken heart,
Death to death alone its savor;
Naught of life it could impart.
Thus it was for days unnumbered,
While my grief and burden grew;
And my soul was still encumbered, —
1 no peace or pardon knew.
Helpless, hopeless, empty-handed,
I fell,mercy to implore;
And none but those alike expended,
Knows the agony I bore.
I thought death was coming surely;
And for me there was no crown, —
That my doom was fixed securely,
Whence I then was sinking down.
But once more for mercy pleading,
And that pardoning love might shine
rWhen a light, the sun exceeding,
Shown around me hope was mine.
At that light, in splendor shining,
All my darkness fled away;
And by faith I kew t’was lining,
Skies for me of heavenly day.
In my far-off city gleaming,
Brighter shines this light divine;
Wherewith clothed, and one day beam
ing,
I shall praise the
And till then let me be sowing
Praise and honor to his love;
Who on me his grace bestowing,
I<fts me to himself above.
J. G. Davis.
Garrison Tex.
A CALL TO THE
L MINISTRY,
Dear Elder Gold :—Some
time ago I gave a sketch of my
experience and deferred giving a
statement of my call to the minis
try, with a request, made more
than two years ago by some bro-.
or friend, signing himself, “A
lover of good tidings.”
Very soon after obtaining a
hope in Christ, I began to have
impressions in referance to preach
ing, but I used my uttmost en
deavors to conceal and banish
such feelings.
On the second Saturday in Feb.
1860, Elder Stadler preached from
£nd Tim. 4 ;2. “Preach the Word,
jfcc.,” and in his discourse he said
that from his feelings he believed
he was then talking to someone
who would have to preach. The
remark made a deep impression
on my mind, and though I had
not joined the church, some ot the
members surmised that I was the
one to whome Elder Stadler allu
ded. I could not see why they
should suspect me as being im
pressed to preach among the
Primitive Baptist, inasmuch as I
had never hai any connection
with them by ancestry or other
wise, and I did not want them tc
speak of the subject. Perhaps
some inadvertent remark or act
ion of mine betrayed my feelings.
Persons who are impressed in
referance to Christian duties may
succeed in hiding their emotions
from the world, but the people of
God who have eyes to see can
sometimes detect them before
they are aware of it. M}’ daily
thoughts u and conversation were
Mtlje 4 ©miner.
“THOU HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR THEE, THAT IT MA# EE DISPLAYED BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH.”—Psalmb 60: 4.
of a spiritual character and my
views on some subjets seemed to
be more sublime than they are
now. After joining the church I
would, when called upon, try to
pray in public, but I did not .want
any one to suspect me as being a
preacher.
Soon after I was married, I
went with my wife to see one oi
her aunts, and on starting home, I
asked our aunt if she expected to
go to hear some traveling minis
ters who were to preach next day,
whereupon my wife, having ref
erence to mv incessant religious
conversation, remarked in rather
a jocular way, that she heard
more preaching every day than
she wanted to hear.
From the time I obtained a
hope up to that evening I had
been in a state of indecision —
Sometimes thinking that I would
preach and again that I would not.
I had been wanting an excuse
not to nreach, and my wife’s re
mark led me to believe that she
would oppose my doing so, there
fore having that pretext and
thinking that I could remain silent,
I there positively resolved not to
preach. Before a great while, my
wife saw that I was in trouble
about something, and supposing
that I had impressions to preach,
she began to persuade me to obey,
but my aversion to the work was
so great that I could not take up
the cross.
My refusing to obey under such
circumstances is now a conclu
sive evidence to my mind
that my own rebellious nature
had more to do with my not
did. If she had any opposition to
the matter, she has since more
cheerfully surrendered her feel
ings than is common for preach
er’s wives to do, because she has
undergone many privations, has
oeen a help-meet indeed, and has
done more to make my way in the
ministry easy, than any other
person on earth. As soon as I
fully made up my mind not to
preach, the Lord seamed to with
draw his presence and joys from
me. Religious conversations,
which had hitherto been so pleas
ant to me, now become irksome
and I grew so cold that I would
sleep under the preaching of our
ablest ministers. My coldness
and darkness were a terror to me
and still I could not get nd of
them. In the meantime, the war
came on and I, having refused to
preach, was subject to Military
duty, whereas, if I had obeyed
God in the outset, I should have
been exempt like other preachers
Rebellious Christians by their ob
stinacy always makes matters
worse, and I have compared them
to an unruly horse which refuses
to obey the bidding of his driver,
and thereby throws a wheel into
a bad place and then has to put
forth additional strength to draw
it out. Sad experience has taught
me to advise other Christians to
obey and not draw back. “Behold
to obey is better than sacrifice
and to harken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft and stubbornness is as
iniquity and idolatry.” (Ist Samuel
15:23.)
“Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter; Fear God and
keep his commandments, for this
is the whole duty of man. (Eccl.
12: 13) After getting to the camp
of introduction near Richmond,
and seeing the great wickedness of
the soldiers, I reckon I felt like
i Lot in Sodom. I was miserable
DEVOTED TO THE CA
Valdosta, Ga., April 1896.
and felt that Gcd would cause me
to be killed for my disobedience.
I often thought of the young
Prophet who was killed by the
lion for eating and drinking in a
land where the Lord had told him
not to eat and drink.
While thus in a state of disobe
dience, I was often disappointed
in my efforts to pray,and God so
often seemed to give me the oppo
site of what I prayed for, that I
became afraid to ask him to let
me return to my family lest he
would kill me. In that state of
suspense and agony, I went for
about five months that I did not
kneel down to pray, and still al
most every breath* seemed to ba
a groaning that could not be ut
tered. I underwent almost as
much trouble in my call to the
ministry as I did under convic
tion for sin, but my call to the
ministry, and my other exercises
were not of the same character.
Finally my trouble became so
great that I felt like God would
kill me any way, and if I prayed
he could but kill me, therefore I
resumed my habit of retiring fre
quently to some lonely place to
commit my works to God. I felt
lijre Esther —“And if I parrish I
perish.’’Esther 4:16. As soon as I
began to try to pray again, the
impression was forcibly made up
on my mind that if I wanted God
to bless me, I must obey him. “If
ye be willing and obedient ye shall
eat the good of the. land. But if
ye rebell ye shall be devoured
with the sword, for the mouth of
the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah
1: 19, 20.
Aftesmome hesitancy, I prom
ised
low me to return home safe, I
would preach, and from the time
of the making of this promise the
Lord took away that fear of being
killed. I felt that if the Lord
had a work for me to perform af
ter the war, nothing could trans
pire to prevent the accomplish
ment of that object. I sometimes
feared being wounded, because I
often thought that if I ever ex
pected to preach, I ought to com
mence Immediately. I knew I
then had as much opportunity
for reading, as I ever would have,
and a congregation could be got
ten at a few moments notice, yet I
could not muster up enough
courage to commense.
So many men were turning
preachers to keep out of the army,
and I disdained the idea of being
called a “war paeacher,” therefore
my pride or something else, kept
me silent. On one occasion at
“roll call,” just before the surren
der, I askod the company if they
were willing for me to pray for us,
and they gave their unanimous
consent. Then we all kneeled
down, while I tried to ask for
their protection, and I believe my
prayer was answered. After get
ting home I had joy mingled with
sorrow—joy that I was again with
my family :but sorrow to know I
promised God to preach. Thus I
withered under the torture, con
tinually looking forward for some
heavy judgement to befall me for
my ingratitude and treachery in
refusing to commence the fulfill
ment of my promise. I often
thought of Ananias and Sapphira;
and felt that a failure to preach,
would be lying to God and not to
man.
From some cause the brethren
began to suppose that I was im
pressed to preach, and they would
frequently ask me to take part in
public worship, but I would refuse
OF CHRIST.
iw*
£ home grieved on ac
count oiipot accepting the oppor
tunity. I resolved that
when thejjH’eacher should fail to
come, I vwild read a chapter and
pray, buLwould take no text.
I thought at one time if I would
Dray wits my family, write for
publication, and attend to the
other chiistian duties, that God
would excise me for not preach
ing. ;.
Naama i the Syrian asked if the
rivers of Ms own land would not
answer tH purpose as well as the
waters of* Jordan. Nothing of
worship p acceptable to God, but
to do his»*>ork strictly according
to his dictions.
If I m:‘y express it, a call to the
ministry's a disease for which
there is b'lt one remedy—exercise
in the pulpit. David said, “When
I kept signee my bones waxed old
through my roaring all the day
long.”—Erialms32:3. I lived a
considerable distance from the
church ot which I was a member,
and therefore did not get to every
church meeting, and once, when I
was absent, they sent me licence to
preach cdfitrary to my expecta
tion. D’jring the year of 1866, I
went to the Association at Pleas
ant GvovF,Caswell county, N. C.,
and whili there the weight of the
ministry|was so heavy upon me
that I.le&t before the close" of the
association in order to be alone.
All the way home a text was on
my mind and I kept preaching to
myself. Once that fall, I was at
at Flat I fiver and Elder D. R.
Moore me to go into
the pulfiiHUiOugb J <rreatlv pre
while commenting
upon thtj Scriptures. My pride
was not' yet subdued. 1 was
thinking too much about the un
popularity of the Baptist doctrine,
because one of our preachers had
an opportunity in my neighbor
hood where our doctrine was not
well known, and I, fearing the
persecution that might follow, was
glad that the lain prevented him
from getting to his appointruant.
Soon after this, the Lord began
to chasten me indeed, and my
life was no pleasure to me. I was
constantly in dread of some tem
poral judgement. Finally I was
forcibly impressed that my wife
would die if I did not obey God.
I could no longer resist, therefore
I surrendered myself and all
things that are near and dear into
the nands of God.
In the Spring of 1867, at Lick
Fork, Rockingham county, N. C.
I took my first text, and from
then till now I have been trying
to proclaim the« unsearchable
riches of Christ.
»
In the commencement of my j
ministerial duties I resolved nev
er to receive a cent, and even went
sa far as to notify some of the
churches to that effect.
I am now satisfied that my res
olutison savored of a self-sustain
ing pride than of an humble de
pendency upon God to do his
work in his own way. His plan
is, that they who preach the gos
pel should live of the gospel. “Do
ye not know that they which
minister about holy things, live of
the things of the temple? and they
which wait at the alter are parta
kers with the altter? Even so
hath the Lord ordained that they
waich preach the gospel should
live of the gospel.”—lst Cor. ix,l3,
14.
Soon after I began to preach I
. made a trip to Georgia and heard
. Elder Rrespess, Rowe and’Bussey
t talk m reference to the support of
j the ministry, and their views were
I so different from those hitherto
held by me, that I determined to
make a thorough investigate n of
the subject, and in so doing I
found that they were right, and
that tradition had, had something
to do with shaping my former
views.
Since that time I have been
» ,
very cautious in expressing my
opinion on any subject without
. first examining it carefully.
An attempt to teach a classical
school and preach at the same
time, was the greatest blunder of
my Christian life. Puting up build
ings necessary tor the furtherance
of the school involved me in debt,
and I labored faithfully for about
seven years, to extricate myself,
but interest on money and other
contingent expences consumed
the profits. Therefore I worked
while others reaped the benefits.
Finally, seeing that my condi
tion was getting no better by con
tinuing the school, I resolved to
close out my business, and as I
would not take a homestead nor
go into bankrupcy, I sold my prop
erty at a very heavy sacrifice and
thereby became very poor, and
did not cancel quite all my debts.
During the last year of my
teaching I curtailed my expences
to the utmost extent. My wife,
my little children, and I attended
to our domestic affairs and did
not keep a horse to drive to my
appointments, and still I could
net collect money enough to meet
the of my little
Our neighbors were kind to us,
otherwise we would not have had
food and raiment. Some may be
ready to conclude that these pri
vations came by chance, but ere
this time, I am fully satisfied that
they were God’s means of driving
me from the school-room to a
different field of labor, When
Jonah fled from Ninevah a storm
met him. I had once delighted
in teaching, as much as man
could delight.in any kind of labor,
but before I quit teaching, the
school-room became like a prison
to me.
I was constantly looking for
ward with fearful apprehensions
of punishment for net preaching
more. I served four churches,and
still I felt woe unto me if I preach
not the gospel.” (1 Cor. ix 16.)
More than once have I gone to
the spring to get a burketof water
and before getting back to the
house, I would hear some of the
children mate a noise and suppo
sing them to be hurt, I would drop
my bucket and run back to the
! house.
Preachers like to stay with their
families, as well as other people,
but they know what the Script
ures require of them. Some per
sons who never do anything for
preachers’ families feign great
sympathy for them.
At length I concluded that if I
should give my self wholly to the
work of the ministry, my priva
tions would not be any greater
than they were already, therefore
1 resolved to obey God, let the
consequences be what they might.
Since I have given myself to the
work God has,in some way unfore
seen by me, taken care of me, I
have never asked anyone tor a
cent, nor even told a deacon to
take up a collection for me.
Whenever deacons or other
1 members ask me about my finan
/ cial affairs I tell them plainly my
f condition. It is true Ido not
? shun to preach whatever may
> come in my text, or to tell deacons
) their duty, and they usually try
f to do it, No preacher has any
[ | right to grumble about the negli
| gence of the church, so long as he
r has not faithfulness enough to
• declare all the council of God to
them. I have too much confi
dence in the bulk of my brethren
to believe that they will refuse to
obey the plain teachings of the
Scriptures. In the mean-while
my brethren and friends have
been kind to me, for which I feel
greatful to them and thankful to
God. May God bless them in the
deed.
Solomon said, “Honor the Lord
' with thy substance and with the
first fruits of thine increase; so
shall thy barns be filled with plen
ty and thy presses shall burst out
with new win«.” Prov. iii 9, 10.
“For God is not unrighteous to
forget your work and labor of love
which ye have showed toward his
name in that ye have ministered
to the saints and do minister. ”
Heb vi 10. It is true that a spirit
to neglect the ministry sometimes
shows itself, but whenever such is,
the church usually declines. Those
who are most liberal grumble least
about wbat they have to do. Those
who are too covetous to do their
own duty, frequently murmur
about wha. is done; seemingly to
deter others from duty, lest a con
trast should be drawn between
them and their more • benevolent
brethren. Sometimes preachers
neglect the churches: spend their
time ajUigme in trying to accumu-j
cause the churches neglect them.
They act as though they thought
the churches ought to support
them and still allow them to stay
at home and attend to their secu
lar affairs. The first duty rests
upon the preachers to go and
preach—the second duty rests
upon churches to attend to the
temporal needs ot their preachers.
No doubt most of the neglect in
this particular is brought about
by the preachers themselves. They
have either failed to serve the
churches promptly, or they have
failed to tell them their duty. I
am sorry that I am not more wor
thy of receiving what my breth
ren and friends do for me.
Yours in hope of eternal life.
James S. Dameron.
—Zion’s Advocate.
Dear Editors of the Banner ;
I have received one of your papers
“The Pilgrim’s Banner”— and
after carefully reading, must say
lam well pleased with it. My
husband was ‘also delighted with
it. And we would be so glad to
subscribe for it, but at present
cannot afford to do so, but hope
to after a while. We have passed
through the great drouth with
much of this north western section
and have to deny ourselves in
money matters.
But oh for such a paper to read!
what a comfort! what a satisfact
ion and pleasure! To read from
the pen of those we never saw or
heard of, and they to write of the
trutn as in Christ, and we in heart
to witness, is comforting indeed!
Yes, and it is strengthening and
confirming. We never hear any
(Continued, on fourth page)
No. 8