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does, all
less we recognize .the universalian.
The Armenian, hold by nearly all
of the many so-called churches,
require works and belief, impossi
ble to an infant; while the Camp
belites require baptism by immer
sion p.s absolutely essential to sal
vation. I have not time or space
to name all that like these, must
have two plans —which the bible
forbids —or lose some or a4l in
fants.
While the Primitive Baptist’s
plan, ia an infant plan of salva
tion that saves all these. And
even‘to which the adult must be
adapted before saved by it. For
Jesus said to such “except ye shall
be converted and become as a lit
tle child, ye sLall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat.
18:3; Luke ; 18:16) “For of such
is the. kingdom of God.” Notice,
not a large tAit a little child, or
helpless infant.
Then a little child shows you
the necessary condition and rela
tion position to the law and king
dom of heaven, where all must
alike come, to be manifestly saved.
Hence as Jesus said, the adult
must be converted or turned away
from depending on all deeds of
the law—all self-righteousness—
any and all self-help and became
as utterly helpless and dependent
for salvation —which makes it
necessarsly by grace—-as a little
child is to attain to it. And which
alot e will cause him to cry for
mercy and pardon, and, hence, “re
ceive the kiagdon of God as a lit
tle child.” And thus is demon
strated the truth that salvation is
by grace, and grace alone, which
is in and through Jesus Christ.
And this, by adults, is attained to
only by a personal experimental
knowledge of utter self-failure
that converts one from all eels -
help and dependence, and leaves
him as an infant, helpless.
And right here in this “valley of
decision” must all come, or, as the
infant, be found, to be judged
worthy to enter the kingdom of
exceeding and
eternal night of glory.”
When we think how our dear
Savior was persecuted, can we ex
pect anything else? He was de
spised and rejected of men, a man
ot sorrow and acquainted with
grief; and we hid as it were our
faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.” “Sure
ly he hath b r ;rne our griefs and
carried our sorrows.” Oh when
we think of all Christ, our blessed
Redeemer has suffered for us, can
we murmur or complain? He has
borne our griefs and sorrows, and
we are not left alone to carry them.
“As thy days so shall thy strength
ever be.” Blessed thought! Glo
rious promise I Doesnot this fill
our poor souls with joy, and cause
our drooping souls to look up and
beyond the trying scenes of this
tempestous life, and view by faith
that “beautiful home”—that glo
rious ‘beyond,’ where soon—Oh so
very soon! we shall all meet to
part no more forever? Oh what a
merciful high Priest—what a glo
rious Redeemer, and precious Sav
ior, poor sinners have! For Christ
come into the world to seek and
save that which was lost. In this
was manifested the love of God
toward us; because that God sent
his only begotten son into the
world that we might live through
him, “Herein is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us
and sent his son to be a propitia
tion for our sips.” “We love God
because he first loved us.”
The children of God while here
in this low ground of sin and sor
row will have to endure hardness,
persecutions And afflictions; “for
whom the Lord Loveth he chasten
eth and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth.” “Now no chastise
ment for the present seemeth to
be joyous, but grievious; neverthe
less afterwards it yieldeth the
peaceable fruits of righteousness
unto them which are exercised
thereby.” The Lord is a present
help m time ot trouble,—our
strength in weakness,—our light
Danville, Ind.
Dark Clouds
“Lo I come unto thee in a thick
cloud” Exo 4 19; 9.
For many days past I have felt
like the Lord was come unto me
in a thick cloud: —no light—no
comfort —no joy or peace, no love
or rest, no sweet meditation. Hence
the truthful expression above.
When I saw and felt that my soul
and body was horribly black with
sin, and saw no way to escape the
region of endless night, and de
spair was depicted on every thing
visible, I trust it was only the ful
fillment of these blessed words
“Lo I come unto thee in thick
clouds.” When death comes and
takes away father and mother, and
a honor of darkness seizes upon
our whole being, let us remember
these sweet words “Lo I come unto
thee in thick clouds.” And when
death enter our little home and
take away our dear companion
whom God has given us, and our
house become a house of mourning
and tears, let us remember it is
only the fulfillment of these heav
enly words “Lo I come unto thee *.n
thick clouds.” And when we gath
er around the sick and dying broth
er or sister, when earthly skill has
failed, and see their strength gone
and breath and life ebbing away,
then it is we feel the power and
weight of the darkness impenetra
ble ; then how good aud comfort
ing to know that though the cloud
is thick that enshrouds us, that
God has come in it, and is present
with us.
And when our dear children
begin to sicken and weaken until
death become visible and inevita
ble, and our poor hearts begin to
throb with awful anxiety that
soon sinks into deep despair and
our breath is spent in prayers to
God, and every earthly help has
failed, and death like a relentless
foe takes from us our beloved one,
oh then we can truly see “Lo I
come unto thee in a thick cloud.”
Dear 'brother hanks ; —Your
Postal received, and appointments
for Eld Barwick will be promptly
published. 1 ' lam glad to learn
the good Lord continues your la
bors, and that you and I may dai
ly discoyer those admirable bless
ings so comforting to the family
of God. Oh that I may have that
agreeable turn which appear in
you and other ministers, so suita
ble to their calling, in my declin
ing years and old age! The many
cries foi|niy services, of late, —
the healy weight and necessity
laid me, is the power moving
me almost day and night, in love
mind, feeling, seeing, hearing and
tasteingJl am made to bless the
Loid foifhis goodness, I trust and
lean upon him for all the power
to enable me to fight the good fight
and finis the work assigned me
in the fnise of Christ and the
church. My flesh seems to be si
lent —paeeive —in the work before
me, of late, More submissive and
dependent on the Spirits power to
light upland fill the earthen ves
sel, which moves me willingly to
the duties I feel impressed to do,
lam made to know that without
Jesus, I can do nothing, May the
Lord continue to bless you and
your precious wife and children;
and also the church of Christ
every where, I have been trying to
serve 2 churches in the week, since
I saw yoa- Baptised sister Sam
Stephens at Bersheba last week,
and oneor two at union :—look
for 3or 4 next meeting these
Churches aB in peace and love.
Pray for® 0 ’ Bove to all good-by
J. W. Parker.
Let not the wise man gkry
in his either let the
mighty® 1111 glory in hls might
let not rich man Biory in his
riches. | at le * tha * glorieth
glorv in^ llo ’ tnathe understan
dethlanihnoweth me, that I am
theLord ww hich , ich e * ec uteth loving
kindne*j udgn ?® nt ’ and righteous
nnoo the earth.
ness, m*”
humble ourselves wnder the migh
ty hand of God. So that when he
tries our faith by telling us to do
i lowly things—for instance, that
we ought to wash one another’s
feot, —we should do so leaving the
spirit of natural pride (which God
always resists) behinds us. The
literal washing of the saints feat
serves as a reminder of what the
Master has done, as does any oth
er command, ordinance, or ap
pointment of the Lord. But for
the literal observance of the Pass
over, how long would Israel have
remembered the history of their
deliverence from Egyptian bond
age? The lowlier the work, the
more like Jesus to observe it. The
more like Jesus, the closer we be
come “followers of God as dear
children walking in love.”
E. C. Thrash.
Silvey, Ga„ Oct. 1896.
“Behold the righteous shall ba
recompensed in the earth; much
more the wicked and the sinner.”
“Heaviness in the heart of man
maketh it stoop; but a good word
maketh it glad.”
Any one wanting my
book, containing my Expe
rience, Call to the Ministry, Con
flicts in the Ministry,church Iden
tify, Doctrinal views of Election,
Atonement, Death, Life, Grace,
Final Preservation, Resurrection,
Heaven, Pastors, Good works, Bap
tism, Coforting words to the poor,
Christian Evidences and obedience
and my views on a number of texts
of Scriptures etc., can purchase it
by sending me 50cts for a single
copy or $4-50, per dozen. Address
Send at once,
Lee Hanks.
Boston, Thomas Co., Ga.
“The wicked worketh a deceit
ful work ; but to him that soweth
righteousness shall be a sure re
ward,”
’ one;—-
' cips in mind—and Oh how horri
' ble the thought! and then remem
-1 Bering how vile I am, the tempter
will tell me the Lord will not ap
pear for me then. And a borrow
of darkness and doubt will seize
me. And then I cry to God. And
how soon this storm passes. So
that the moat of my time I live m
the blessed assurance that even
down to old age I will prove his
unchangable love, and feel that he
will provide eved for the hoary
head. Here I shall sweetly rest and
wait. Do others have such awful
fears? &c.—P.
“Woe unto him that buildeth his
house by unrighteousness, and his
chambers by wrong; that useth
his neighbors service without wag
es, and give th him not for his
work.”
BY EARLY RELIGIOUS LITE.
Dear Beader: —Having just publish
ed a little book of 100 page, divided in
ti. an introduction and eleven chap
teis, under the following heads: Early
Impressions—Found Guilty—Lost—
Temptations—‘The Morning Cometh
—Saved I—Added to the Church—What
is my Duty?—Ordained—Fleeing
Jonah-like—Delivered; in which will,
be found much that will come heme to
your heart, interest and help you, If is
now offered to you and the public in
neat form, ruled pages, printed on.
good paper with flrm paper cover, at
the very small price of ten cents a copy,
three for twenty-five cents; seven for
fifty cents; eleven for seventy-five
cents; sixteen for one dollar; fifty for
two dollars and fifty cents, to one ad
dress, charges paid by me. Send 10c
in silver, well wrapped in paper, and
larger orders in registered letter or
money order, at my risk. Give name
and post-office address full and plain,
and of your express office.
Also, about one hundred copies of
“Mercy Deering, or Faith against In
fidelity,” contains my good lithogragh
portrait, 268 pages, cloth binding, price
85 cent, but to close them out while
they last, will be sent with “Early Re
ligious Life,” both for 75 cents.
Yours in Jesus,
David bartlet.
Crawfordsville, Ind., Oct. 26,1896.