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K)f duty, nrd said foe was not ashamed of the gos
dl nf Christ, for it-is the power of God unto sal- <
ration,-to ■every one that believeth, The blessing
<loes not consist in lciiOwing, but in discharging
our duty. Then why this coldness ? Is it not be
cause of the neglect of duty-, holding the truth
in unrighteousness. Do we meet often one with
another, and speak often one to another, in Psalms,
Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, praying for each oth
er.? I fear not. Is this following Christ ? 1 think
not. When we meet together, are we not spend
ing most of our time in talking about our crops,
polities, &e. Is this worshiping God ? If it is
not, are we not laying ourselves liable to be the
recipients of the wrath of God, which is already
revealed ? Should we think it strange that we of
ten mourn over a hard heart, and are made to ex
claim with the Prophet, “ O that I had in the
wilderness a lodging place.” This we bring upon
ourselves. Do we not know this by experience ?
We need not think we shall have peace by con
forming to the world, for peace is not in this world,
but in Christ is peace. “In the world ye shall
have tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace.
He has declared it positively. He also says, “Be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ He
has led captivity captive, and is seated at the right
hand of God, and is there making intercession for
his people, according to the will of God, and has
said his Father always bears him, and He is a
faithful High Priest, and while the golden bells, or
gospel is sounding, we know that our High Priest
is still interceding.
Dear brethren, does it not seem when you have
faith, that you can say with Job, I know that my
Redeemer lives; and again, at other times, wi th
Paul, 0 wretched man that I am, who shall deli ver
me, &c. Whether lam one of his people or not,
I cannot tell, yet one thing I do know, that
whereas I was once blind, I now see.
Dear brethren and sisters who read the Mes
senger, I trust that you will remember me at a
throne of God’s grace, for the Lord knows that I
do feel to be the least one of the flock.. But if I
am what I profess to be, there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righ
teous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to
roe only, but to all that love his appearing. lam
often made to say with the poet,
“I’m glad that I am born to die,
From grief and woe, my soul shall fly,”
And again to exclaim,
“ When a few more years are wasted,
When a few more scenes are o’er,
When a few more griefs are tasted,
I shall fall to rise no more.”
Farewell, S. W. GRESHAM.
Richmond, Maine, April 15, 1860.
Dear Joseph: —ln my last, I intimated that I
could write a long letter on what I had experienced
and learned by observation, on the subject of ig
norance in many of the people of God, of a true
knowledge of the system of salvation by grace.
I am not certain that I shall attempt it now, my
mind and thoughts are so scattered. But after
reading Eld. Johnson’s communication, on the
Priesthood, my mind seemed to wake up to the
importance ol the subject of God’s people being
properly informed on the great and glorious sub
ject of salvation by grace. The words of the
Apostle run through ray mind often. “I have
great heaviness, and continual sorrow in my
heart,” in view of the great mistake a large por
tion of the people of God make on the subject of
religion. The great bulk of instruction given, I
will say almost universally, is a mixture of the
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
law and gospel dispensation, by which raesms many
of the people of God are kept in complete confu
sion, and as the Apostle Peter says, “ They are
blind, and cannot see afar ofl?, atid have! forgotten
that they were purged fronv their old sins.” I can
speak from experience on this subject, for although
it is some fifty-five years since God saw fit to show
me my state by nature, t was kept in that blind
confused state, for about thirty years, owing to
this mixed and confused kind of instruction. My
heart sickens when I look back upon what I have
seen and heard of these things, whioh is clearly
brought to view in Eld. Johnson’s communication.
One great mistake, and very prolific source of be
wilderment to th e peo’ple of God, is in the appli
cation of much of tha Scriptures to beyond time.
I heard a man preach not long since, and he took
his subject in the la.st chapter of the Revelation,
and his grand object was to show that the sub’
lime language of the Revelator meant in the fu
ture, or heaven of. glory, and used arguments to
portray it, and t<o induce men to seek to obtain it.
My mind sicker.ed at the ideas brought forward,
and was led to/ reflect much on the sublime and
very figurative language of the revelator, when
the firs.l versa of the chapter struck mv mind with
force, which reads as follows, “ And he shewed me
a pur.e river of water of life, clear as crystal , pro
ceeding out of the throne of God, and of the
L.amb.” The question arose in my mind, what
tljrone? Why, the throne of the kingdom spirit
ual, sefc up here on earth. For the third verse
reads as follows, “ And there shall be no more
curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”
I am very far from presuming to comprehend,
much of the figurative language of the revelator,
but presume it is mainly meant to apply to the
purity ol the spiritual kingdom set up here on
earth ; it is in reference to the visibility of it on
earth, when it is said, “ I am Alpha and Omega,
t the begining and end, the first and the last.” The
[ words beginning and end , are not applicable to the
[ Great Supreme Being, no where in the Scrip*
L tures so applied to my knowledge. In reading
. the fourteenth and the three following verses ol
> of this last chapter in the Bible, I am strengthen
. .ed in my belief that the words, “ Throne, tree of
life, gates into the city,” has special reference to
the visible spiritual kingdom, set up here on earth.
Kow if my views given in this scattered form are
correct, how well calculated is the great bulk of
religious teaching in this day, to keep the children
■of God in blindness all their days? For these
things I weep. Now under another view of the
subject, it is plain to be seen that this kind of mix
-1 ture of law and gospel, is well calculated to pro
mote Arminianism, and increase the number of
I religious teachers, and professors of religion to an
enormous size, who are wholly destitute of any
knowledge of the spiritual kingdom set up on earth.
I will add no more upon this subject,
HEZEKIAH PURINTON.
Mount Morris, New York, April 30,1860.
Dear Brethren in Christ —Although I feel
myself too unworthy to claim this great connec
tion, yet the great King of kings in bis love and
tender mercy hath so determined before the foun
dation of the world, and revealed it unto me if I am
not deceived. lam impressed with duty at this
time to write a few words to you as my mind may
be led. “He that knoweth God heareth us, he that
is not of God heareth not us.” How are we to
know God ? Is it by conditional work ? No, it is
not by any thing that the creature can do, for he
is dead in trespass and in sin. Can be repent? <
No, because there is no knowledge of sin. Can he
lave faith ? No, for faith works by love, and with
out faith it is impossible to please God. Now if
this be true, the creature is totally depraved, and
will not come to Christ that he might have lifen—
Will a man walk through fire ? No, beeause it
is contrary to nature. So likewise it is contrary. o
nature for man to come to Christ, for he is at eir*
mity with God. Romans viii. 7. And how can
le subdue this animosity between him and a holy
God! he cannot for his carnal will will not let him,
’or this will is a great chain by which satan has
them bound, and unless God breaks this chain and
ets the creature go free he is lost, and that without
mercy. There are they who hear not us, though’
they profess to be the disciples of Jesus, yet they
cannot hear oge who does preach Christ and him
crucified, and contend for the faith once delivered
to the saints; they cannot bear the doctrine of sal
vation by grace, which is the gift‘of God through
Chri tto the heirs of the promise. Well let them
worship the savior whom they say has opened up
a way whereby tne whole world might be saved,
and we will try to worship the Loid who came tc
seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus
if ye love me ye will love my ways and keep my
commandments. Our Jesus came to save his cho
sen people whom the Father had given him. All*
that the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and
him that cometb to me I will in no wise cast out.
John vi. 3T. And this is the will of him says Je
sus that sent me, that of all which he hath given
me I should lose hone, but should raise it up again
at the Past day ; then of course all our hope is en
tirely depending on grace, tor no man can come
unto me except the Father which has sent me draw
him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Them
Jesus is ibe way r the truth and the life, the hope
and assurance of all bis despised children who
know God and hear us, and they will not
follow after anti-chrfst, bivt will flee from him, for.
thej’ know not the voice of strangers, but they da
know the voice of Jesus; for he goes before them
and they follow him, I am the good shepherd, and.
know my sheep, and am known of mine. Andit 1
was said of Jesus that be was mad and had a devil
for teaching such doctrine as is now preached by
the Old School Baptists. The world of religionists
say we, the Old SchooLßaptists, are crazy, and arc
worse than universalists or even the Catholics in
doctrine; these are they who knoweth not God and
heareth not us, and we should pity them for they
have no ears to hear, neither eyes to see, but are
blind teaching the blind ; while God is able to
keep and perserve us in the hollow of his hand to
appear with Jesus Christ in glory.
My brethren, I wish I could hear the gospel
preached here, but in the wise providence of God
I am not permitted to hear the doctrine of grace
only as I get it through the Signs and Messenger,
which I receive regular.
There are multitudes of will-worshipers here as
well as else where, and no Old School Baptist with
in ten or twelve miles of here.
Yours in hope of eternal life through Jesus
Christ, who is all to me,
WM. J. THORP,
67