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92 Gainers Store, Pike Go., A In., ) May 14, 5 1859. J\ Mr Frieni> M. W. Helms —l can no longer do myself so great an injustice in not writing-to you, I should long-since written, but being trader fear and dread of censuie,l have withheld my pen un til Ino longer can hold it still. I hope you will not censure me lor addressing of you in this way; being at home, and after reading a portion ot the Scripture, and meditating upon 1 the goodness of God and the welfare of my poor, never-dying soul, Phave seated myself to write a few linos for your oonstd eration, though feeling so unworthy it makes me shudder and tremble with the thought of address ing a member and minister too, that composes the Primitive Church, who knows that I am yet num bered as one belonging.to the Methodist Society.— For which reason I am bound to confess befoie God and man, that I have seen mine error arid fault for ever joining their society, for it is nothing more rior less than man made institution. lam now sat isfied that it is not the Church of God militant, my own mind at first did not convince me. it to-k nothings less than the word and power of God to do it. I read and studied the Scriptures for the last three years, andafl the orthordoX'writers upon the subject of Methodism that l could procure, with *ll the church histories- and ancient and modern Writers, and ? none so well'opened my eyes as the woid of God, I now am perfectly dissatbfied with it; for the last three years I have been living in a distracted state of mind and life. My life has been i!o comfort uor enjoyment,.nor satisfaction to me, distressed in mind and body both by day and night, no happiness, no enjoyment of mindj-distressed and I grieved all the while, until ofdate I heardj-or those words came into mind, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you-rest, Ssc. Those words when they fell, upon my mind Were like the summer- refreshing showers, they gave my never-dying soul joy and ease, and J have ever since, only there still seems to ring in my ears, why halt ye between two opinions, arise and be baptised and serve the Lord in newness of life, this is constantly harping upon my mind. As I before said, I have seen my error, and for which cause I am sorry to mv heart, fbr ever uniting wiih them, although at that’ time I justly thought them to be ; a people of God. I now want to be united with uie people that I believe to be the people of God, that is the Old Primitive Baptists, F have been raised up uudbr them, and I do believe them to be the people of God, I long to live amongst them, (if I only thought they could have fellowship with a poor, unworthy Methodist, creature ass am, after •ortipfying with that one thing that seems to me o needful', be ye re baptized into the Church of God* militant here upon earth,) I feel that I am the least of all that profess to be one of God’s dear children, if I am one at all, it is not for me to say, though I do seriously feel that God for Chiisi’s sake has long since pardoned me of all my sins. Oh, my God, blessed be thy name forever! Though 1 viewed myself so vile and little, that when I got to church I viewed those that profess to be the peo- SOU THERA RAPT IST MESSENGER. pie of God so much holier and better than myself, that I take my seat back of them, and sometime think that they look upon mo as such a one, aud think wheu I go home I wili slay, but when the next meeting; comea-it appears that there is some thing that draws me there, if I can go. I cannot stay at home contented, for if anything prevents, me from going, my mind is there with them that compjose the eh uieh. My dear friend Helms, is there any one like me a poor, sin-defiled, polluted, and affl cted being, that 1 am,-or-am I alotie ? Though b read in the Bible and in the Primitive of such, but I think on mv j bed of affliction that I am the worst mortal in the world, or certainly that God Almighty would not afflict me so ; but thanks be to Go<:i he kuowa and will do what is tight; it is no m*re than what I-de serve, and 1 can say with the Poet, Though few my days have been, Much deep affliction’s I have waded thro* And sorrow 1 have seen ; But thorny is the way unto eternal day, Then-forward will I press and onward go. But 1 hope L shall have my sufiertng here, and after death be at iest r for i believe it is for my dis obedience in part or all, that I am thus affliotew, and it is through the mercy of God that my afflic tion is- no worse, fbr it is nothing good that l do or can do without his assistance. For it s-by grace we are saved through faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God, not of works* least l any man should boast, therefore, I know if l am saved it is through and by a crucified Redeemer. And when I read his blessed promises I sometimes feel to rejoice that 1 gra born to die and leave this vain world of sorrow and trouble and go to a better one. We read-of those of old that feared the Lord, and spake often one to another, and a book of re membrance was kept. Malaehi iii; 16. Dear sir, t have been impressed upon for some time to tell you what a-poor, sinful worm of the dust I am, and of my doubts aud fears in regard of my hope in Christ, and of my ups and downs-,-and of the d.ssatisfac li.m I have expeiieneed ever since I joined the Methodist Society, and from time to time in pass ing through this world of sin and sorrow; that I who profess to have a hope in God and to be one of the redeemed of the L >rd’s dear children, one who should live to the honor and glory of his holy name, who has loved me and given himself as a rau som for me when I was dead in tiesp asses and’in sin, and who has, as I hope and trust, taken me up out of the horrible pit of miry clay and established my goings, and put anew song in my mouth; even praises unto God,,whereof I rejoice and do iej .ice at alf times, who hath done such great things for so poor, sin-defiled creature as I am, that I should ever deny him as ray Lord and Master by disobey ing his precepts and his examples daily in my walk and eonveisation, by still living so little like a child of God, fills me with giief and sorrow ; yet l find so much within me that is cleaving to the earth and its allurements, which are all vanity and ex action of the heart aud spirit, that I sometimes think that my heart is far from him, although with ray lips I profess to love raj God, but I know he 5s the searcher and refiner of all hearts, and knows all cf my tuoughts even my every inmost ones be fore they are formed in my mind, and l rejoice that it is so, that such a God rules and reigns over all things in heaven and earth. When bespeaks the word, it stands fast, and when he Commands it is done, he is of one mind and none can turn him.— I ivpicp. that l am in his hands, for if I were to be judged by man according to the manifestation of fruits unto holiness, my condemnation would be sure ; for my own heart condemns me daily, r.nd I feel*myself to be a poor sinful and unholy being; and God is so pure and holy if I were one of hii dear children, would I not be more like him ? I have to cry out, 0. wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, un clean and full of depravity-. I find by nature, aud I know by painful experience that in my flesh dwells no good thing, to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good 1 find not. * My dear friend M. \V\ Helms, when I first united with the Mfethodist Society out in Sumter Cos., in the year ’46, I thought as I grew older I would grow in grace and in.the know ledge of the Lord, and not be troubled with doubts and fears, for I then felt very small and weak, but I still find that if I have grown at all it has been still smaller and smailtr I certainly have in ray own estimation, and if I am one of God’s dear children, I am the least of them all. Sometimes I feel like I was on th# Lord’s- side, then again'all is dark aud cold with poor me. WM. B. SHARPLESS. Dear Brethren Editors— The letter wrote by Wm. B. Sharpless is inclosed to you for your in spection, arid submitted to your disposal. If you think it will benefit a poor disconsolate soul, or bs of profit to a traveling mind, you can publish it. I have since, that is, on the 2nd Sabbath in June, baptised him at his reception by the chutch at Hopewell, Pike Cos., Ala., I must confess it was on* ot the most powerful, soul-stirring times that I ever witnessed in all my life. He come forward befors a large congrega ion and talked for half-hour in * clear and intelligible manner in the bearing of all. Brothers wept, sisters wept aloud, voung men and maidens wept, while the dear young man told the dealings of the Lord with bis mind. We thought it was the work of the Lord, though marvellous in our eyes.. Tnis church has enjoyed a season of peace and prosperity for the la-t six years. Shs has had many accessions by bap;ism in the time. Tiuly she can say the Dad is my Shepherd, 1 shall not want, he leadeth me by the side of the still wa ters. aad causes me to lie d:>wn in green pastures. Salvation hatu the Lord appointed for wails and bulwarks; the churches of our order throughout this section of the country are in peace, and ths the most of them increasing. The Lord has dont great thiugs for us, whereof we are glad. You caa let .these few lines follow the letter if you think they will do no harm to our cause. Yours in hope of eternal life, M. W. HELMS.