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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. 101