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Through his influence, I have been led to doubt all
the promises that my Lord had ever made to me,
and indeed that he had ever made anv, and even
that he had ever taken me into his banqueting
house, or spread the banner of his love over me.
“ What a delusion,” says he, “ for you think that
a Holy God can love so vile a creature 1 What
have you ever done that looks like following the
meek and lowly Lamb of God ? True, you have
had some pleasant exercises of mind, have felt
some zeal, and have fancied yourself in his pres
ence and embrace, but if these impressions and
emotions were real genuine, why do they continue ?
Where is your gratitude ? If you were a saint you
would feel, act and walk as one. You said your j
mountain stood firm and strong ; but where is your
mountain ? ‘ Do you call this valley a mountain ?
How preposterous! Your*hope is only suited to
sun-shining weather; but you see it will not serve
you in the dark!” He often points me to the world,
and demands of me, “Are the children of God, as
worldly-minded, as carnal, craving, and desirous of
the flattery, and vanities of time and sense? Why
are you so glued to earth, that you can scarcely
find time to visit your closet, or attend the public
worship of God? Why is it that you can easier
spend dollars for the vain decoration of your body,
which shortly shall feed the worms, than shillings
to relieve the pressing wants of suffering humanity,
or meet the requisite expenses of the church of
God? And why so frequently does a little rain,
or snow, or mud, or heat, or cold, serve as an apol
ogy for absenting yourself from the company of
the saints, if you in reality prefer Jerusalem above
your chief joy ?” To this language, I often find
myself unable to reply; and Unbelief shuts me up
in the castle of old Giant Despair, where I fret,
and mourn, and weep, until my gracious Lord
comes to my relief, and renews the pledges of his
unchanging love; bids me look away from all my
vileness, and look alone to him. I confess that I
have felt mortified and ashamed, that after proving
by more than thirty years experience, the veracity
of my God, and the deception of the lying adversa
ry, that I should still be persuaded to discredit the
oath and testimony of my faithful Lord, and listen
to the lies of Satan. Often have I-resolved in my
heart that I would never again be guilty of the like
fault; but as often have I found my own strength
to be weakness and my wisdom folly. To my cost,
I have learned the truth of the declaration, “They
that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mer
cies.”
But perhaps I have written enough in my alle
gorical style, as I do not wish to burden your rea
ders ; but it would afford me satisfaction to know
of your readers if a person can, in their opinion, be
exercised as I have been, and yet be a child of God
and an heir of glory ?
GERA GETHER.
Pineville, Ga m June, 1860.
“To the saints whom I love in the truth,
May grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied.”
Dear Brethren —What can be of greater in
terest to us than to know that we are inhabitants
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
efZion? Let me theiefore call your attention to
some of the characteristics of those who are called
the people or subjects of Zion’s king, as given in
the holy Scriptures. The Psalmist in his Jsth
Psalm, very beautifully describes those who shall
stand in the holy hill Zion by pointing out various
excellent traits as pertaining to them. As we all
agree that the Zion spoken of by the Psalmist has
direct reference to the visible church, let us consid
er the importance of each one of us, (who are of
that body,) attending to the description there giv
en. Not having time or ability to bring up all the
items of character there set forth, but feel a desire
that we all should mark particularly, that part of
the Christian character given in the 3rd verse, “He
that taketh not up a reproach against his neigh
bor.” Brethren, who among us can say that we
are entirely guiltless on that point. Let us notice,
he does not say, He who does not make or man
ufacture a reproach, but He that taketh it not up,
as I understand, that is, to tell it again after it is
made, and if my conclusion be correct, then we
should not tell again abroad that which we deem
a reproach to our neighbor or our brother, nor
should we lend a listening year to it, for thereby
we should give boldness to the defamer. And here
in is taught that lesson of love so much dwelt upon
by our blessed Jesus and his holy Apostles, that
love which is without dissimulation, for love work
eth no ill to his neighbor, but listening to, or hand
ling defamatory reports, always works ill to those
against whom they are spoken. But let us, dear
brethren and sisters, ever be striving for that per
fectness in love which casteth out fear. As the
Apostle John tells us that thereby we shall assure
our hearts that we are of God when we have love
one for another; not that we love in word, but in
deed and in truth. Now can we be said to love
one another in deed and in truth when we do not
feel anxious for the welfare of those whom we pro
fess to love, not only in their persons and property,
but also in their character, and especially if they
be our brethren, for if one member of the body suf
fers, do not all the other members suffer with it?—
and thereby bring a reproach on the body, and not
only on the body, but also on the Head, even
Christ, for we are called by his name, and what
ever we do that militates against one of his little
ones, remember he says, he receives as unto
him. But when we do good unto any of his saints
he calls us blessed of his Father, for he accounts it
as done unto him, and thereby his faithful follow
ers show forth his praise, and manifest to the world
that they are born of God when they have love for
oneanother. And not onlyso,butweknow, says John,
that we have past from death unto life, because we
love the brethren.
Dear brethren and sisters, the theme of God’s
love to us is so animating to the soul that has been
born of God, that it seems strange that any of us
should ever grow weary in manifesting our love to
him and to our fellows, and also when our present
happiness is so much promoted, and the name of
our God so much glorified by it.
Yours in hope of eternal life,
A. TOMLIN.
Oglethorpe Count*, Ga., June 19,1860.
Dear Brother Purington —lf you please ex
cuse me for not replying earlier to jour welcome
letter, which was received in dne time. I have
been so extremely busy since I saw you that when
I have had time to write I have felt too fatigued ;
having through affliction in my family had four
hands out of the crop for the last month, and too
of tbem out more than two months. My crop to
cultivate and grain to save, and could not hire but
one little plow boy. My trip up into Cobb county,
and having to attend my regular meetings, all
these together wiih considerable sickness among
some of our neighbors, have thrown me intp a
rather more confused and hurried condition than
I have realized for many years past. Last night I
witnessed the death of one of my neighbors, (Pleas
ant Robertson, who was once an apprentice under
old bro. J. Colley, well known by old Sister Colley,)
this evening I am requested to attend to his fu
neral at 3 o’clock. I hope before long, I shall bt
able, according to your request, to write something
for the Messenger. lam truly sorry the brethren
have become indifferent or careless about writing
for the Messenger. I hope they have not become
afraid to communicate with each other about things
pertaining to the kingdom of our God,nor like me,
backward to write because I am so awkward, and
fear I cannot do as well as some others. Why
dear brother, we all know if we had to feed and
encourage each other only by making displays of
talents or of our excellent performances, or of our
good feelings, &c., we should all soon perish to
death ; but if we could in simplicity express our
i exercises of mind, our trials and fears, our doubts,
our weakness, our many narrow escapes or deliv
erances, realized in our pilgrimage, <fcc. If we
could only write expressive of our nothingness, and
of God’s greatness and wonderful goodness to such
unworthy creatures, we would no doubt often com
fort many poor and afflicted saints who get no
preaching only as they read from our religious pa
pers, and such communications would be propor
tionately beneficial to other brethren and sisters
who are blessed with opportunities to hear preach
ing regularly. I do hope the brethren will con
tribute to the Messenger by sending on their com
munications. I frequently remark of myself that
I am often spoiling what little religion I have, (so
that it is unprofitable to others,) by trying to dress
it too fine in garbs that would give it human ap
plause, the more of these detestable things we
clothe it with, the less account it is ; but the more
expressive of heartfelt experimental exercises in the
most simple manner, the better it is calculated to
edify and comfort the poor and afflicted saints, and
the less danger there is of stirring up strife and
contention about words to no profit. I have writ
ten the foregoing in great baste, but if you can get
any thing out of it that you think would do for
the Messenger, you can let it have a place, as I
have no secrets in religion, nor do I hold any es
tablished sentiments that 1 am afraid to expose to
my brethren, though I feel that I am one of the
most ignorant, poor fallible mortals that ever lived,
and greatly need the forbearance of my brethren.
Yours in love, D. W. PATMAN.
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