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110 in the blood of the saints, and I never have been able to.discover any other reason for it, than the reason assigned in the word of God. Ihey aie headv and high-minded, lovers of pleasures, uot lovers of God, but possessed of the Spirit of Wick edness; and yet they seem disposed to a form ol godliness, and no marvel if they advocate the doc trine of devils, for this is the spirit by which they are led, and every spirit will manifest itself in its ministry, and it matters not how corrupt a man may be in bis course, some are always ready to fol low in his train, speaking lies in bypocricy. There are some instances that have come under my knowl edge where persons have departed from the Prim itive Baptists, even under degrading circumstances, and have united with auother faith, (as they are pleased to call it,) that have surely fulfilled the text in part ; for their lying has been manifest to all that were disposed to'listen, and I have been in duced ito Relieve, that such could lie with the most assurance of all people on earth, and there is one thing worthy of note, find these people where you will, and they are the most persecuted, and the most imposed on of any body else, if you will al low them to tell the tale. Well who has done it ? Oh, these old hard-headed Beebeites, Eternalists, Anti-nomians, &c., they have done all the mischief. Well but what have you done? Oh, nothing, but preached and believed the Bible. Just what 1 have done all the while. Now if this tale be true, why have they departed from the Primitive Baptists and set up such a system of doctrine and practice as you see they have done ? And again, there are stranger things that appear in these latter days.— Brethren, I have seen three different appeals pub lished say, within three years to the Primitive Bap tists, but there is something rather of astonishing character to be noticed here, every writer has ta ken the same text, and that text I never saw in the Bible. The text is Eld. Gilbert Beebe. How strange that men should smut their own hands, and then try to play the same trick upon their once acknowl edged brother. No wonder that the Spirit should record, b; reason of whom, the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. I should not be much astonish ed if even some of their own devotees were to be come weary of this one text all the time. This state of things reminds mo of a circumstance I once heard of, a certain preacher had used one text sev eral times, till some of his hearers perhaps had be come tired of it, and while exercising, the town bell sounded for the death of some person, be stopped to inquire who was dead ; one of his hearers said I don’t know, without it is Simon’s wife’s mother, for we have heard for several weeks that she was sick ; this I suppose was the text that he had used for some weeks, until this man was disgusted at him in his course. Such a state of things as exist at present requires the Primitive Baptists to stand permanent, and to be upon their guard and to act faithful, and not to suffer suck as are disposed to produce mutiny among brethren, to preach in their houses nor to set with them in conference, but to let them know by word and deed bow you shun theii doctrines and practices. Surely, it is bypoc- SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER. risy to pretend to be a brother, and at the same time speak and write bitter things against him and his doctrine, and my text says, having their con science seared with a hot iron, and of course any thing seared has lost feeling, then consequently there is nothing but the power of God that can re strain or govern their course, but we should rejoice that the Lord ha-s said, they shall proceed no furth er, but their conduct shall be made manifest. A few words for the comfort of my Father’s chil dren, and I close. Dear brethren and sisters, don’t think it strange if you should find yourselves in fested with false teachers, men having itching ears, for the Apostle says, there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teach ers among you, so when you realize these things remember your Father has said it shall be so, don’t repine at it, stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made you free, and recollect, that the Lord has declared the mountain of the house of the Lord is built upon the top of the mountains, and Israel, (that is spiritual Israel,) shall dwell alone safely, and shall not be reckoned with the nations, so as often as you find these restless spirits among you, let them go to their own class, don’t try to keep them, they will do you no good ; for they do not love you nor the doctrine that feeds and invigorates God’s dear children. Brethren Editors, I could have said more, but perhaps I have said too much already, you will please receive this and do with it as your judgment may dictate, and all will be well. I remain yours with an ardent desire for the wel fare of all the dear children of God throughout this vast empire, for Christ sake, Amen. THOMAS T. LANGLEY. EDITORIAL. WM I. BEEBE, \ p..., J. L. PTJEINGTON, J iaitors - COVINGTON, GA. : : : JULY 15, 1860 Remarks on 2d Pet. i. 9. Agreeable to the request of an esteemed friend of our acquaintance, we will give our views of this Scrip ture, “ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he “was purged from his old sins.” The text is expressive of the condition of a person who has had the eyes of his understanding enlight ened by the Holy Spirit when called by grace, and his old, or former sins were purged by the blood of Christ in his deliverance from wrath and condemna tion, but is now blinded by the corrupting and con taminating vanities, lusts, and intoxicating doctrines and practices of a gainsaying world, has become car nal and worldly-minded, is walking after the flesh, and is minding the things of the flesh, and manifests but little, if any of the excellent traits of character which constitutes a follower of Jesus. In the con text the inspired Apostle enjoins upon his brethren cei'tain things, which are called these things , in the following manner, “And besides this, (in addition to what he has before expressed,) giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperanec patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly-kindness, char ity, for if these things be in you and abound, they 9 (these things,) make you that ye shall neither be bar ren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then conies the words of the text. But hr. that lacketh these things is Hind. Yes, he who does not, in his practical course, give all diligence, to add to his faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge, &c., is a transgressor of the law of Christ, which is the law of love ; and not only so, but these things do not abound in him, and as the legitimate result of his own course, he. is barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore, these impor tant things are lacking on liis part. This is descrip tive of those who walk after the flesh, and not after the Spirit. Paul speaks against Ids brethren usin their liberty, or freedom in Christ, for an occasion to the flesh, but exhorts them by love to serve one anoth er. Also to “ walk in the Spirit, and ye shall no,t fulfill the lust of the flesh.” llow important is this injunction, and yet, alas, how much it is overlooked, and apparently forgotten by many who profess better things. The flesh is indulged, carnal nature is brought into requisition in the settlement of difficulties often among brethren, the spirit of self-justification, crim ination and recrimination is persisted in until all hope of an amicable adjustment of seeming differen ces are entirely obliterated. It is very plain where there is alack of these things above mentioned, in an individual, as as in a number of persons togeth er, a settled blindness rests upon Ids, mind, and per haps continues for years. A hard, unyielding, un forgiving spirit, with a careless course of conduct, is manifest. No gospel fruit is seen, and a disposition to be continually finding fault with others, and to be justifying his own course is very observable. lie cannot see afar off. No, while he has a beam in his own eye, which greatly obscures his vision, he seems to have wonderful ability to behold motes in the eyes of others. lie is blind, and cannot see afar off, for he looks at objects in the “ inverted mirror” of false reasoning, and through the “ telescope” of prejudice. He, perhaps, reasons falsely upon the doctrine of grace, and has a prejudice against them who preach it and who believe it. And hath forgotten that lie teas purged from his old sins. A man cannot forget what he never knew, therefore it is plain, at least to our understanding, that the character in our text, was a child of God, and as such, was blind, dim-sighted, so forgetful through the wicked imaginations of his own mind, as to overlook, or forget that he Was purged from his old sins. He may imbibe erroneous sentiments, and become very much alienated from the truth as it is in Jesus for a length of time, until he feels the rod of correction from the chastising hand of God. We have known several instances of persons who through a vicious and wilful course of conduct, have lost the confidence of their brethren, despised reproof and ad monition, injured their usefulness, and never were, properly, restored to the confidence of the church.— A sore punishment will be visited upon them, for the Lord will not suffer any of his children to go unpun ished. They will suffer a loss, yet they themselves will be saved so as by fire. Truly, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, for our God is a consuming fire. There are some who do not believe that a person who has passed from death unto life, can so, egre giously, get wrong, and do wrong. If not, we con fess we do not know how to understand many por tions of Scripture. For instance in Ileb. ii. 3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.”— This is only applicable to the saints, and to no otljr