The Pilgrim's banner. (Valdosta, Ga.) 1893-1918, December 15, 1896, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Vol. 3. POET'R? Prayer and Praise. Oh Lord! creator of my frame, And knowest that I am but dust, Behold my covered head and name— , As that in these Ido not trust, But plea of mercy must make Jesus name, for Jesus sake. Oh thou my God who seest me, Doth see my spent—all—empty hand As beggors hand, stretched out to Thee In weakening hungers strong de mand— Oh God be merciful to me I For mercy, mercy is mj plea, Oh my Father!—how dearer name! That makes my fear and trembling leave. And stirs a spirit glad, to claim This blest relationship, and cleave To thee in Christ; and Christ in me, Makes all things mine, now, or to be. my Father! hallowed be Thy name! that with whole heart I love, And that as given and named on me, Seals me thy child born from above. Then Father bless thy loving child, And to thy will make reconciled. —P. . EXPERIENCE. Tallokas, Ga., Oct. 1896. Dear Brethren and Sisters : By request I will try co write my little experience, which I hope is founded on grace. Not but what I often fear the Lord is not in it; but then I am again lifted out of these doubts and feel assured that “THOU HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR.THEE, THAt HI-8 PLAYED BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH.”—Psalms 60: 4. han I could bear. What had I done to cause me to ba so troub led? I felt like I hadbevn forsak en by heaven and earth ; and how could I live without a friend? Aud even God had left me alone in a wilderness ot woe wherein was no help. It seemed that I had wan dered iff into a far country and a great famine was in th at laud, and my soul was gradually but surely perishing. I would fain 611 my self husks, so to speak, but they yielded no sustinance. And I had long since given self-righteousness a test, and saw it fail. And now all I could say, was, “Here Lord, f give myself to thee.” Figurat ively I felt like a homeless, fath— eilcss, half-clothed child in a great city of fashien and strife, hunger ing and begging for bread; but would be turned away empty — without a crumb. I wanted to go to the regular meeting at Bethel in May; sos I felt like I could not live many days unless supported by the substance of the true gospel of Christ; for there was nothing for me in man’s religion, as I now term all others except the Primi tive Baptist, and which I had been shown, aud made to know, was “God’s elect.” But our blessed Savior who deeth all things well, saw proper to afflict me bodily tfs well; and on Saturday I was per fectly miserable as I lay on mv bed of affliction. Oh when would I find rest? Although not pres ent at church, my mind and heart was there, and was full of love for the jjilfliiib £huuur. DEVOTE TO THE 01 CH RIBT. Valdosta, Ga., DeAnber 15,1896. feelings, but instead they became deeper and weightier; and my self esteem would not be subdued. And I would try to think up something against the old Baptist that would satisfy me against them ; I would think of their unpopularity, aud of their old-fashioned ways, and how I had scorned them, as ethers still did. But still I had that abiding desireHo be baptised, and by none other save the Primitive Baptist; and I wanted to five with them, too. Things continued thus with me till the first Sunday in July, when I was permitted to go to chu:ch at Bethel. I dia not intend to join the church that day, but hud con cluded to wait till better satisfied about several things. But W’hen I walked into the church-house a strange feeling came over me: and when an opportunity was given for membership, how my poor heart did ache, for I wanted to go aud beg them for a home among those precious saints; but when 1 would at them, they looked so perfect and angelic, while I felt to be so imperfect and so unfit to be among them, that 1 felt I dare not go. Thera were two others, however, that joined and were to be baptised that evening. And while met at the water for this purpose, wh°n and where they gave opportunity again, I ct>uld not stay away longer, I went and was re ceived and baptised the same even ing, and there that great burden so weighted me, was left—which I have not felt since— nel—l care u °t f° r an y other. • I some t;ime wondering wmtbe Lord could be so merciful to k It seemed that just as I walking under the storm of fear alluded to above, he Jf through the dark clouds of my Igpair, and bade the storm to be sib Then all was calm and my hart was filled with unword ed jo|»nd praise to an enduring FatfflLißfttJthese great joys are too sftWW last always, and we must tfisfce bitter cup again, Al though li-ve often been made to say “surfl goodness and mercy shall follpee all the days of my life ’ ? N withstanding I feel like I have bf i so reckless that I am not worth of the least of the many ble ings he has showered upon me. hid I do hope and pray that i ma -never bring reproach or dishon ’.on the people I love. For I*?eel ike if I were cut off from the 1 imitive Baptist my life would b* lighted, and my joys all gone; :rl had rather be a door-keep in the house of my God than Iwell in the tents of unrighteo mess. For I can say I have had ; reater, yes, double the pleasure siflee I have found a home among the good old Baptist, than ever before. I have suffered many deep trials and conflicts, as well as trials of unworf hiuess; but I now feel that every W has stregthened my faith, &id love for Jesus. Some times t find myself in such a deep, dark valley of doubt, where ever; thing siems so murky and uncer- I know the flesh is loath to give up those so near and dear to us m nature, but when the Lord ena bles us to view such of his deal ings with an eye of laith, then it is only a sad but sweet going away from this dark valley of storms, trials and impurities, into the mtghtness and beauty and purity of a life and inhoritance incorrup table and undefiled and that fad eth not away. Where Jesus is, there is peace. And he has promised to be with us always even unto the end. And if he is wit h us at the end, there is peace there; and though we pass through the valley of the shadow of doath, we will fear no evil; for the Lord is our Shepherd,—he knows our weakness, he knows our every distress, and he knows just how much strength we need, and has promised us grace sufficient for every time of need. And it is sweet indeed to contemplate that he is not slack concerning his promises, and that he is long-suf fering, kind and tender, and the well-spring of his gjace is inex- • haustible. > Dear brother, Ido not feel that I 1 could write to your comfort in your sore bereavement, and trials 3 otherwise. So only write to ex press my sympathy and show you that I would, if I could, comfort ? you, and leave all things to him who hath delivered,—who doth *’ deliver, aud, whom we» trust, wil ' yet deliver and keep us to his iH . V s 1 1# life, &c, Sister Miller was right in soing to the brother and Speaking a consoling and stregtfienihg word to him. ‘ She has thus done us all a good service by venturing, with all her modesty, into print with her sis terly impressions. Let us hear from her again. She has much more to say that we ffll would be thankful to hear, and that, would b efor our good and comfort. Let us have it, please, sister Miller. Now take a bit of my experience, —after when —as I now know —I might have made glad and strong er a brother, I .thought so little of my myself, thought he’thought so little of hie, that I withheld my opinion, or counsel, or praise, and he lived on feeling. “Remote, unfriended, and melancholy slow,” and perhaps, that nobody cared for him. That feeling has caused many to faint and fall by the way. No, brother, that is not the way to feel toward your brethren. But overcome it, and speak “good words and comfortable” to your brother whenever occasion gives you op portunity, whether at his house, or yours, or in the way when you meet him. You have one Master, bend the knee to him, yes a thous and times, yes. But that same Master says to his children, every one, “All ye are brethren”— Equals,—Heirs alike of all things; Yes, Jesus says “All ye are breth ren.” “Love one another. ’’Love is of God.” Then we are not so utterly nothing and nobody that we may not love our brethren,and. take and give the hand of fellow ship which is with the Father and the Son. Then if we may love, which is of God, we may surely be counted worthy, as prompted by it, to give a comforting word of exhortation, that bless hw No 23