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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