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The Pilgrim’s Banner.
PUBLISHED-SEMI MONTHLY BY
A. V. SIMMS & CO.
VALDOSTA, - - - GA.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
A.V. SIMMS, Valdosta, Ga.,
R. H. BARWICK,... Barwick, “
LEE HANKS, Boston, “
MRS. R. ANNA PHILLIPS,
Office Manager.
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Rule 2. Write PLAIN AND
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Special Rule No. 3. Above al
things, do not write with a LEAD
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EDITORIALS.
NOTICE,
On account of the Annual M Hp t»
r ;
Fla., on the fourth Sun 'ay in this
month, the regular meeting at
Bethel will be held on Friday be
fore. Brethren and sisters are all
requested to be present if possible,
as business of importance will
come before the body.—S.
Any one wishing my books will
please write me as I have 1 hem
ready for mailing now. Price 50c.
or $4 00 per dozen —H.
By request, it the Lord wills. I
shall be at Pleasant Grove (Ozark.
Ala,) sth Sunday and Saturday
before in November, ami shall fill
other appointments as Elder Byrd
may arrange for me.—ll.
At a meeting bald at Aarna
church Coffee county Ga., one
week after the Association con
vened theie in Octolier. Elder
W. 11. Tomlinson baptized four
more of the Lord’s little ones
This little church, under the faith
ful pastorate of our beloved broth
er Tomlimson, is growing in num
b r very fast. The dear Lord con
tinue to bless them.—S.
B«th*fl Church, Brooks County
Georgia Whereas ; there has been
a report circulated upon one of
our members. Brother J. N. Gibson
to ihe 9fleet that he behaved him
self criminally toward at. old c 1-
opid women a member with us,
which report was circulated by the
women heiself, and whereas our
church has thoroughly examined
the matter.
Resolved; —that we have this
day thoroughly examined the case
an I have publicly proven, in o en
conference, that the woman is a
rogue and a liar.
Resolved :—that we do nnt be
lieve the report, and denounce it
as being as black and as false as
the one who started it.
Resolved further: that a copy
of these resolutions be sent to the
Pilgrims Banner and the Quitman
Free Press with a request they
publish the same, Unanimously
adopted in conference Oct. the 31,
1896.
Elder R. H. Barwick, Moderator,
J. B. Rountree, Clerk pro tem.
Elder A. V. Simms will (the Lord
willing) fill the following appoint
ments:
Macedonia,Terrell county Ga. Thurs
day before the fifth Sunday in Nov.
Chickasawhatchee Fri.and Sat.
Albany Sunday and Sunday night,
Turkey Creek Monday.
Harmony Tuesday.
Antioch Wednesday.
Slaughter Creek Thursday.
Mt Olive Friday.
Beulah Saturday and Sunday.
Libert y Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hebron Thursdaj,
Rufus H. Jknnings.
notice.
At a good deal of expense we
have now arranged to place printed
slips with name and date of sub
scription on each Banner, so that
all may know how they stand.
This will also supercoed the neces
sity of sending out receipts for
money received, as a change of
date on slip will show the credit
made.
So many have applied for back
numbers that we arp entirely out
numbers 14 and 17. We gladly
send them when wo can.
We have been repeiying many
complaints from subscribers as
not getting their Banner regularly.
We exceedingly regret this. We
mail the paper and fee} jt D not
our fault. We have been try ii g
to find whose it is; and now think
we can assupe oqr subscribers that
they will get their paper regularly.
R. Anna Phillips.
Three Days Meeting,
There will be a three days meet
ing at Columbia church beginning
on Frihay before the Ist. Sunday
in Dec. Elder Simms and Bar
wick are expected to attend. All
are cordially invited to bp with
us. This is a good church and we
hope to see a goodly number pres
ent.—H,
A Three L>ays Meeting
- Thwyu w»H be a tlirre duya —meet
ing at Antioch near Boston, Ga.
beginning on Friday before tne
2nd Sunday in November, Elders
Cayce, Byrd, Parish, and perhaps
Elder Anderson and others will
be present. All are cordially
invited to attend.—ll.
The Flint River Association,
It was our pleasure to be at the
last session of the Flint River As
sociation, which convened at Trin
ity church, Decatur county, Ga.
To say it was a good meeting does
not fully expres-i it as it seemed
to us. The Introductory sermon
was delivered by Elder D. W. Tay
lor of the Primitive Pulaski Asso
ciation from the lext “The Lord
our God is one God.” He certainly
had the Spirit of his text and soun
ded flie key note of all the preach
ing that followed during the meet
ing. One special feature was
manifest in all the preaching that
was done by the different Elders
from their respective locaties, em
bracing the states of Georgia, Ala
bam a and Tennessee, viz; The
denouncing of that kind of senti
ment now prevailing in the minds
of some that the spiritual enjoy
ment of the Lord’s people is not
contingent upon their works of
obedience. All maintained that
the eternal salvation of God’s peo
ple was unconditional, but that the
time, or gospel salvation here on
earth as found by some and lost
by others, was conditional. We
rejoiced to find much unity on
this point, because a denial of
this truth would also involve a de
nial of th© truth that the people
of God were accountable creat
ures.
Notwithstanding the inclement
weather on Sunday there were
not less than 1000 people assem
bled to hear the preaching of El
der Cayce and
ing by their presence that they
were interested in the things oi
, God. It was good to be there.—B.
EXPERIENCE
«
Eld Simins. Dear brother in
Christ: —I have felt pressed in
mind and spirit for sometime to
write for your precious paper, the
Banner. I feel constrained to
write about the dealing! of the
L >rd with me, now the impress
ion has grown so strong, notwith
standing my weakness, believing
the dear children of God will bear
with me.
I was born in Sumpter 0o { Ala
March 17, 1850 My fathers name
was James Wheat, my 'Mothers
maiden name was Matilda Thom
as. My mother died when I was
a small girl, and my father mar
ried again. In 1870 my father
moved from Ala to La { where he
lived till his death in Match 1887.
I was married to JeronuFNeal in
1877- Th© fi<st serious impress
ion I ever had about the future
destiny of my soul was an 1869.
My father sent mo to Downsville
La f t° school, and while there I at
tended a Methodist protracted
meeting: the third night of this
meeting when they called for
inoqrners, I was sitting on th**
back seat with no notion ol going
to the ‘•mourners bench,’’'When all
at once a very strange feeling came
over me that I never have been
able to describe; and then I began
to studdv about the condition of
mv soul. And I began con
cerned—?an*ioi|s and troubled to
know what I must do to be saved;
for 1 verily believed I must do
something, but did not k now what,
or how to begin. So I joined the
Methodist after a little, believing
I had religion, I moved on well
fora while; and then -felt and
found there was something wrong
but did not know whajfrt was.
Only I found I still had the same
old love for the of this
world I had before I joiAd them.
So I turned to dancing azain, and
told them to exclude bn. Yet, I
often had serious thouglgs, about
death, and would often trWto pray.
. A nd-.Qft.nnp whaloi! in
the ball-room, such’*’ serious
thoughts, and feelings of condem
nation would come to m<& even as
they would at other time. But 1
never saw and felt just ho w sinful
helpless, and lost was my soul,
till in 1879 when attending a
Missionaryßaptist protracted mee
ting at old New Hope tjhurch. 1
became so deeply concerned about
u.y condition that I was in great
trouble indeed, I saw jinyself a
condemned and lost sinqer in the
sight of God, and the very breath
ing of mv soul was “what must 1
do to be saved!?” One d’ay during
this meeting I and my husband
were on- our way to it, and both
of us jeemed to be in unconscious
silence, neither haying a word to
say to the other. My whole heart
and mind seom given io the secret
prayer “what must I do to be
saved!”it seemed to b<? my very
breathing, when all of a-sudden it
occured to me as if some one had
told me in a small still voice—
“ You cannot do anything —you
are a lost and condemned sinner
in the sight of a just and holy
God.” This so <>vercamo me
that I threw my arms around my
husbands neck and’eried out “Oh I
Lord have mercy I—what shall I
do ?” This so astonished him, that
belaid his arms around me and
asked me what was the matter?
But I could not speak a word. I
do not know how long we stood
there in that position and condi
tion. But while standing there
■ n the road with my arms around
my husband, viewing myself a
vile, helpless, lost, sinner, all of a
sudden, the great burden of sin
that was crushing me, was gone,
and I was, as it, were, in a bran
new world, and all creation was
praising God, and I could behold
the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. And it seemed to
me that love fill my soul —I loved
every-body. We went on to the
meeting house. My husband at
that time was holding a letter of
dismission from the Missionary
Baptist, but was much dissatisfied
with his home among them. He
had been wild and reckless in try-
ing to get rid of his troubles of
conscience. I did not knew any
thing of this then, or what caused
him to act so reckless.
But we went on to the Meeting
house as 1 said. And when they
opened the door fir the reception
of members my husband went and
offered them his letter, making his
acknowledgements, and was receiv
ed. Then I went forward and
tried to tell them what I hoped
the Lord had done for me, and was
received, and baptized at the close
of the Meeting by J C. Jones. And
so went on my way rejoicing for a
while. But it was not long till I
had great trials and rr nibles to
encounter with the number# who
seemed cold toward me, and to
wards one another. They did not
show the brotherly love I felt, and
that one Christian should have for
another. Sometimes I would con«
elude it was all iny fault. I was
not well satisfied. That same
year wo moved up on the line of
Arkansaw, and wrote back for our
churph letters. My husband be
came so much dissatisfied wth
them, that he became. wild and
reckless again. We staid up there
a year, and moved back near
Downsville again, and put our let
ters m with the Missionaries again.
But it was not long till piy hi|s«
baud became so much dissatisfied
with them that he said he could
not stand their doctrine and prac
tices.
In 1832 we moved to Angelina
Co Tex { leaving our membership
with them- My husband was bow
so much dissatisfied that he again
became reckless, trying to drown
his troubles, about it. I tried to
bear all my trouble# with patience
and tried to pray for my husband.
We lived in Texas a year and then
bought a small place; and in 1884
wrote back to La. tor, and received
our, church letters; put them in a
Missionary church, and g't along
•very well for about a year, when
my husband became so dissatis
fied again, though not reckless;
—uaL agßiy himaftl£.
with them. After much bad luck
that brought •ub to .poverty, we,
having sold all and coulu not pay
out, we rented land in another
neighborhood, and near a Primi
tive Baptist phupch. When to
my astonishment my husband
found a people that believed as he
did; and so well pleased was he
with their doctrine, and practices,
that he just quit going among the
Missionary Baptist. In 1887 he
joined the Primitive Baptist. And
Oh the trouble of soul and anguish
of heart it caused mel I felt separ
ated from him forever. I believed
in foreknowledge and predestina
tion of God to some extent, but
could not understand it entirely
or as I hope I see and understand
it now. And when he and the
brethren would try to expla’n it
to me, it would seem like pouring
hot water on me. I became so
disgusted that I actually abhorred
that doclrtne. I told them the
mon they talked, the more disgus
ted I became, and that I never
would join the Old Baptist. I be
lieved my husband wanted to force
me to join them, because he bad.
But in this I was misiaked! I
found afterwards thnt it was the
devil making me believe this, and
to deny the truth.
So I went on this way till in 1888
I went with my husband to an
Old Baptist meeting; and there
was a preacher by name of Hud
son who had just come from Ala.
he preached from the text, “Be
ware therefore lest that come upon
you which is spoken of in the
prophets, behold ye despisers and
and wonder and perish; for I
work a work in your days, a work
which ye shall in no wise believe
(Lough a man declare it unto you”
Acts, 13; 40, 41. It seemed to me
his preaching was all right at me,
and every word he spoke seemed
to fall with a heavy weight upon
my heart. And that sermon gave
me more light on the fore-knowl
edge and election of God than I
had never before had; and this
preaching of the gospel came to
me with a power and weight that
I had never felt before. So I went
home deeply impressed in mind
and heart that this was the true
gospel. But said nothing to any
one about it. I resolved that I
would leave it all with God, and
ask Him to give me understanding
on these things. So I read my bi
ble and prayed to God all the week
The next Sunday there was preach
ing at my house by an old Bap
tist; and while he was preaching
tho light of the truth broke in up
on me, and I dil so plainly sue
through all my difficulties—l
could then see the for-knowledge,
predestination, and unconditional
elec!ion of God, and salvation by
grace ; and the plan of salvation,
and the work of redemption all
complete in Jesus Christ, in the
wisdom, will and purpose of go<l
before the foundation of th*' world
and how it was made manifest in
time to the elect, or heirs of grace
that were chosen iii Christ before
the world began But I was not
convinced as to which, or when*,
was the true oh uroh of Cnrist, till
the fall of 1888. I knew there
were many “lo here’s,” and “Io
there’s;” and that all claimed to
be the church of Christ; and I
knew all were wrong but one: For
I could not find in the bible where
Christ '.ver set up but one. So 1
became troubled and anxious to
know which this one was.' I pray
ed the Lord to show me the tru e
church of Christ, And one day
while engaged in deep meditation
and prayer on the subject, it come
into my mind that the Primitive
Baptist were the only people who
preached and practiced what was
recorded in the bible; and then
my mind seemed to settle cn this
truth, Aqd from that day on I
have been fully satisfied that the
Primitive Baptist is the one true
church of Christ,
And on Saturday before the first
Sunday m Oct. 1888, I. went to the
Littl i Flock church in Angellina
county Tex., and tried to tell them
a reason of my hope, and was re
ceived and baptised by Elder E.
J. Smith ; and I left a burden there
r thaTlfa o ~neveF fstufK3rn~ifcnd trfr
a while, all was joy and peace, and
I thought I never would have any
more trouble to mar my peace
But alas! it was not long till
doubfs ana fears as to my hope
being of the Lord, siezes me, and
I even began to doubt having a
hope; I feared I had deceived the
people of God, which caused me
great sorrow of soul and m .this
anguish of spirit, I cried to God,
and I believe |he heard me, and
that I could hear a small still
voice saying “This is the way, walk
ye in it;” which fill°d my poor
soul again with joy and gladness,
which made me to rejoice in my
Savior, and the riches of his grace;
and all my doubts and fears were
gone. I received such a bright ev
idence of my acceptance with God
that I thought I could never more
doubt. But. this did not last long,
and again I was in darkness. And
up to the present time I find that
I am first in the light and then in
the dark; and that I am like Ja
cob of old—a short step and then
a stumble.
Still, I do believe I can look
back and see the kind hand of Gcd
gently leading me in away I had
’iToHfrqown, and making crooked
places rough places
smooth. And I
God’s people. And we know we
have pa°Hed from death to life be
cause we love the brethren.
Now, dear brother Simms, this
is tho first time I ever trid to write
for publication, and I have not
written my experience just as I
felt it, but I have done the best I
could in my poor weak, trembling,
blundering, manner; feeling sure
all the children of God will bear
with me, And now brother Simms,
I ask yoq, and all, is this an ex
perience of grace?—ls this the
path of poor pilgrims to the bet
ter land? I leave it to your judg
ment whether to publish, or not.
Before I close I want to say that
my husband is a subscriber to the-
Pilcrims Banner, and that we find
it a source of much comfort.
May God spare you long to speak
comfortably tp Jerusalem, I want
to say to your dear wife, and those
of all our preachers, that I think
I know what it is to serve as such,
and what a burden they bear. Will
close-by asking the 'prayers of all
God’s children.
Your unworthy sister; if one at
all, C. C. Neal.
Clawson, Tex.
Dear Sister Phillps Ca» I
draw a little on your patience,
space in the Banner to say a few
things to the brethren about relig
ious controvorsies? Brotherly dis
cussions inay Im profitable; but
heated controversies never. The
spirit actuating a discussion gen
erally determines the worth of it.
If both parties are susceptable of
being informed as well as to in
form others, it is well; hut if the
only object or desire- is-to teach
others, it is probably CaThkL This
I make as a general suggestion ;
but I particularly purpose speak
ing of the numerous controversies
about gospel preaching—its object
and end. No good has resulted
from it, Why? Because both par
ties are trying to toach something
they uro only guessing at them
selves— neither one knows. What
finite mind can fix the bounds,and
grasp the scope of so stupendious
a thing as the gospel ol Christ?
Nay verily. But let us try our
wits first on things more tangible.
Guess how God made this .great
earth from nothing? And man out
of dust? How did the first man
begin to live? When wo know, this,
wo may brgin to tell how tho “new
man” begins to live. But we ar©
told that man received the “breath
of God, and became a
But tn is fails to relieve or remove
the mystery. What is the breath
of God?—the Eternal Spirit? And
how infused into a lump of dust?
The only answer is—just as God
willed- The same is just as true
m regard to the “new man,” and
we have as little right to an opin
ion as to how the new man is quick
ened, as to how Adam was quick
ened, <
HW asseft “ttftrtr"
God does, or does not, queken dead
sinners in this, or in that way?
Brethren should go slow while they
guess, with no more to guess from.
Many divines in expounding the
scriptures teaching the “plan of
redemption,” take for granted
many a wild conjecture, and issue
from conclusions at which he has
only guessed. Tiu , > ©generation
is necessary.—“Ye must be born
again but now this is done, who
can tell? Jesus suid “As the Father
raiseth up the dead and quickcn
eth them,-even so the Sou quick
eneth whom he will.” Thus bring
ing the working fully under the
scope, or office work of God the
Father, or Christ the Son. But
does any christiqn know how of
when he began to live? We should
be careful how we teach the How,
and Wherefore, of this mysterious
life. We say when Christ was on
earth none received him but by
revelation, and that his written
word and preached gcspel, are on
ly understood and received in the
same way; And yet among Chris
tian people there is every conceiva
ble shade of doctrine preached and
believed. “We speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery,” said Paul.
mmTpoho^ Tea
it before the fall? Does he possess
the same now? What part of this
triune man now dead, is made
alive in regeneration? As there is
stilt an antagonistic spirit there.
What is the difference between
“mind of Christ,” and the “carnal
mind” in the same man, at the
same time? How does one control
his actions to-day, and the other
to-morro ? I mention these things
to show how little we know about
what is quickened, or how quick
ened, or its extent in this life. God
knows, and we don’t; and heated
controversies on it never informs
or comforts any one, or brings par
ties any nearer together. '
% M. Sikes.
Chauncey, Ga*