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{ heard t’rotil lietiVen in awful proclamation— Awake 0 sword against my shepherd, and agatns the man that is my f llow, saivh the Lord of hosts ; smite the shepherd, and t!je sheep shall be scattei ed, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.’ The slumbering swoid of justice can no longe. sleep in silent forbearance, but with unernng am. is plunged into his body, and bathed in his blood. The withering curses of Sinai are pouring hk i a tremendous and destructive hail-storm npoo lmn ; the fiends of the dark pit, having been smmnoneu to the contest in the challenge—“ Now is Vour hour, and the power of darkness,” as incarnate dev i!s are gathered thick around him, their unhallow ed hands reeking in his blood. The loweiing cloud of almighty vengeance has vieled the sun in sable sackcloth, and the merciless storm rages upon him. Three dreadful hour’s suffering upon the cross, and the work is finished. An all sufficient sacrifice is made, the holy incense ascends to heav en, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet •melling savor. The anti-typical blood is poured out like water, and .the myriads of our sins, a black and feartul list, is forever washed away. The por tentous cloud that lately lowered in the heavens, big with vengeance, has poured down all its stores of wrath upon the sacrifice, and now all is calm. — lie has blotted out the band-writing of ordinances that was against us, and which was contrary to us, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. The Jewish altars need now no longer smoke with burning inceuse; the bellowing herds, the bleating flocks, the bleeding birds, and other pant ing victims need no longer be heard and seen to <i Jerusalem’s carnal temple ; for their Enti-type has come, fulfilled, and flung to ihe winds the former covenant. But O, my brethren and sisters, let us contemplate for a moment the won drous work performed in those few hours of suffer ing, the triumphant victory achieved to be exem plified after three days repose in the silent sepul cher. “ He slept in the tomb till the morning arose, That signed his release and disturbed his repose; Then bursting its bars he ascended the sky, To reign in his glory eternal on high.'’ O yes ! and how soul-animating the thought that we shall reigo with him by virtue of the blood be shed for the remission of our sins, and his right eousness which is unto all, and upon all them that believe. He has carried our case before the High Tribunal of heaven ; his blood and righteousness affording an all-suffi :ieot plea, he is consequently O-ur ever-prevailing intercessor. He is ever there for us, and who can be against ns. He has spoiled the prince of daikness, and is the victor over death. “ No more the bloody spear, The cross and nails no more, For hell itself shakes at his name, And all the heavens adore.” He has broken the manacles that bound us ; lb* own open the prison-doors that confined us, lei us poor prisoners go free, and made us the partici pants of His victory. A radiant crown of lucid light and brilliant glory surrounds his burnished SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER. throne and crowns bis regal head, while the lum inous rays fall upon us bis poor benighted chil dren, to dissipate the daiknets with which we are enshrouded here below? “And light our passions to a flame— Lord how we love thy charming name!” *“10 hi light we see light.” It pmt av> ‘o u our sinfulness, dtreh-p-i our thraldom, and exUib its our bondage. lie shines in <ur hearts, to <rive us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in his smiling countenance. He wo ks in us to will and to do of his good pleasure, thus hallowing our devotions, and attuning our hearts to sing his high praises. O, my Father’s ransomed children, what wonders has his stying grace wrought for us ! Shall wo sit in silence and hang our harps upon the willows? shall a sense of our sinfulness clip the wings of our faith ! blunt the ardor of our love, or weaken the anchor of our hope while the blood and iighteousuess of our great Mediator ad High Priest shine forth in lucid revelation to our admiring eyes ? No, let us look up in humble supplication to the throne of His grace to fill our hearts with love to him, love to his noble cause and love to each oth er, and thereby inspire us to fling to the winds our cruel jealousies, our blighting piejudices, our petty differences, our withering schisms, and form us into one grand orchestra; then prepare us to swell the stveet anthems of undying love in melling notes of harmonious melody, to the the lofty praises of our great mediator the high priest and apostle of our profession, Christ Jesus. Your brother iu the gospel of peace, J. F. JOHNSON. Union, Newton Cos., Miss., Jan. 3, 1860. Brethren Editors, and Brethren and Sis ters —I have thought for some time, for some cause, I cannot tell what, that I would try to write out some of my experience for you to publish, if you think proper; but when I think of my ina bility to write, and of my nothingness, I shrink from it. lam no grammarian, very limited in ed ucation, and hope, if you should publish anything that I may write, that you will correct it and set it in order, I will say to the brethren and sisters, that I was born in Jasper county, Ga., and my parents moved from there, when I was young, to Fayette county, same State, where I lived until I was about grown —then moved to Alabama. I suppose I was like all the rest of the human family—an Anninian, and thought I could get religion whenever I got ready, and thought, when I would see my father and mother talking with the brethren, that they had no troubles, no trials, to incounter with, that they were done with trouble in this world ; hut alas ! poor blind creature ! I also thought, when 1 got to be a Christian, that I would be one of the right sort —would not be getting out of the way, as l thought some of them did. As I grew up, I had , some serious thoughts of God and religion; when about fifteen, it was the will of the Lord to lay me 1 on the bed of affliction, and that very sorely, inso much that all thought that I would die; but the i Lord knew best, and I am still in the land of the living—a sinner. Yet while on this bed of afflie* tion, I made as fair promises, and as honest, as hu man nature could make; but when I got well I was as had as .ver. And when it was the Lord’s will to show me that I was a lest and ruined sin ner before God, it came in a way that 1 was not looking for. I thought the time had; been when I might have repented, but now it was too late, and l was compelled to hunt some solitary* place to try to piay ; but I could say nothing hut Lord have rneicy on me, a poor lost sinuer; and it seemed to me that they fell to the ground. I had previous to this time thought l was a sinner, but did not know that I was a lost sinner, and already con demned ; hut now there was a chance for every body else to be saved but me. In this condition I went for months. Sometimes I woulu try to ban ish such thoughts from my mind, arid would try to think of them no more; but they would push into my mind with ten fold more weight. And I tried to do what I always thought I could do, until I worked myself out of tools and timber, and fell at the feet of Jesus. Lord save or I perish ! Come down on a level with the little child ! L-ke Jonah acknowledge that salvation is of the Lord ; and thought it would be just in God if he was to banish me from his presence forever, and if he saved me, it was mercy. But still I could not help cry ing Lord have mercy on me, a poor, lost, aud ruined sinner. My distress grew heavier on account ray guilt and condemnation, and it seemed that every sin was presented to my view. It seemed to me that it was more than I could bear. I thought I O would try to pray one time more, for the last time, for I thought I should su rely die. I tried to pray f and how I got away from the place, I know not— the first thing I knew I was standing with ray face toward the north, praising the Lord for his good ness to me. My load of guilt and distress was gone —my mind was eased, and I felt as light as a feather all nature seemed to be changed—every thing looked bright as gold, and it seemed to me that my troubles were gone. But oh ! what a sad mistake! In a few minutes the tempter came along, and said it was all a mistake. Then my prayer was, Lord if lam deceived, undeceive me. I could not get my burthen back, though I am of tentimes driven back to my deliverance—there the enemy can’t get me any further. I tolJ my experience—or a part of it—to Smyr na church. Coosa county Ala., and was received and baptized in 1837. In a short time I took my letter, and was in the constitution of Fellowship church, Tallapoosa county, Ala. I moved some ten miles from that place—took a letter, aud was in the constitution of Ephesus church, same coun ty ; and from there I came to Mississippi, where I now live. My membership is in a church called Primitive. Dear Brethren, I find some Baptists in this country, though they are few in comparison to the great number called Baptists, though sound in th faith. I would here say to the preaching brethren, Via it us if you crd, for preachers are scarce in this 45