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Griffin, Ga., Aug 1 . 01, IS6O.
Dear Readers of the Messenger —I now for
the first nine write nolo you as one tlmt feels the
love of God sb<d abroad in the heart, and I love
every Christian whether bond or fiee, Jew or Gen
tile. Still lan p> >r arnl needy, so fir as worldly
things is concerned, but thanks he to God I am
content with such things as I have, hebeving that’
godly contentment \< great, gain, and sometimes I
feel very poor in Spirit ; but when I think of the
pronrse of my Savior. ** B'e<sed are the poor in
Spirit for tlteir’s is the I\ ngdun of Heaven,” &e„
I atn revived in heart and mind. O, that every
Christian on earth would be more united upon the
great principles and doctrines of our Savior and
his Ik loved Apostle- ! My bible does not teach me
that there is any difference between Christians.—
No there is none, for they are all le 1 by the same
Spirit, and they are brought to the knowledge of
the S>n of God by the love that the Father had
for them before the foundation of the world. But
my friends, do we not see a vast d-ff-rence at the
present day ? D r we not see that some of our pro
fessing denominations have made the g .spel of
Christ pet feet speculation 2 notwi'hstandir g there
are some lambs among them. But the wolves com
ing in among them in sheep’s clothing, I fear will
dt-v.'Ur many : hut I trust that God will show them
their eror and let them turn unto Chiist, the Shep
herd and Bishop of their so ils. 0, that God
may help his mmiste>s to preach the pure Word
of God with simplicity, to fight tit good fight of
fith ns S l .. Pa and did ! may they be followers of
Paul as well as of Cmist ; for l believe that (hid
hath called ami qualfid his ministers u> preach
thegospd by or with ttry pt>wr ar.d demonstration
ol the Holy Ghost, and not by enticing words, nor
with salaries of S6OO, and some SI2OO, station.d
at one city aid not hound to preach any where
else, and if I wastosav they would not preach any
where else. I don’t think that I would lie bad.—
God forbid that her pure ministers should engage
in such a vain .delusion, and I tell you according to
my knowledge and umleistandiug of the Scriptures
Go* wi'l visit their iniquities, and I believe that
f arfu! j n gment will .o ne uj on all tht work
unrighteousness; the L >id hath declared it, and
who can deny it ? It isji feadul thing to fall into
the hands of the Lotd. Look at our country at
large in its poli ical form of government, and see
the corruptions that are, now in our mids.. Huh
not God said in IPs Ilolv Writ that when the
wicked heuretli title the people mourn ? but it i*
cot so wh n the righteous ar-ftn authority, the peo
ple rej lice, and well they ma\, lot God i< pleased
with righteous works, but works ol wicked men
are abominable in II s sight ; and why is he plea—
ed with good vvo'k* ? One is, because he bath or
dained .hem, ami my opinion is that tft ere is no man
that, knows any thing about good woilys until the
Son (.f Consolation speaks peace tp his soul.
and tlyis is the reason tliat Christians should be
more united, and pray without ceasing; pray for
the prosperity ol Zi m ; pray that God may put it
in ibe hearts a lid* minds of the people to ca-t their
SOUTHER N BAPTIST MESSENGER.
votes aright, and elect such men as he seeth in his
wisdom that will execute the laws of our country
*
aright, and that peace and harmony may still con
tinue within the bounds of our glorious union I
pray that the Father may draw all the lost sneep
of Israel unto Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of
which he says lie must bring, and there shall be
one fold and one Shepherd ; and when we bear < f
wars and rumors of war, be not afraid, for the end
is not yet, but such are these beginning of sorrows ;
he that shall endure unto the end, shall be saved ;
nevertheless, when Christ eometh he shall find
faith on the earth, &o. Ttten tny Christian brethren
*
and sisters, let us press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.—
The Apostle tells us that we know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so eometh as a thief in the
night. We are the children of I ght and the cbil
dreti of the day. We are not the children of the
night nor of darkness, therefore, let us not sleep’
as do others, but let us watch ami be sober, sot they I
*
that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that are !
drunk, are drunk in the night. But, let us who are i
of the day be sober, putting on the breast plate of
foith and love, and for a helmet the hope of selva
lion, for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but
to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Unri-r,
Pray without ceasing, and while you -ire off-ring
supplications to God, remember me in your prayers,;
for I foe! that I am one of the least of all God’s j
people, still I have a hope that I would not part i
with for all the. world, and it was only the good ]
pleasure of the Lord that gave .me that hope I
have j fined the church <f Christ ajid was Stp z.-d
by immersion on the third Sabbath in this month,
which I expect by the grace of Out, ; U yl soiar as
the good Lord requires of me, to do my duty as a
faithful member of the body of Christ. I nnistde
sist, for I fear that, I have already weaned the pi
tienoe of the editors. But mv leethr.-n. you can
do as you hke with this. I would say to mu if you
publish it, I hope y<m will correct alienors or mis
takes, as I never wrote for the Meleager h, fo, f
I know it is not written in grammatical so. there
fore, I request you to correct it if you think it wor
thy of a place in your columns.
Yours in hope of merry from God the Father
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
PLEASANT 11. REESE.
.Brick Stork, Newton C <;><., )
June 6. 1860. f
My Dear aged Sister— J b.gan to fo H r that \ ou
had removed from your present residence, and that
my let.ters had failed to teach you, or which was
quite probable, l feared that you had been te
moved from these lower grounds and gone to a
world of Spirits, but your letter has relieved m\
anxieties, and I find you still ate permitted. ful
some wise purpose known only to tire Almighty,
to live upon His footstool. Qur thanks are due for
this as well as for a!) llis mercies, for they are un
numbered. One said of old, if 1 vyould speak of
thetp they arp more {.hati can be nupi he red; it is
because IJis compassions fail not • because lie
changes not that we are spared. A view of our
own deptaviiy and guilt by nature, and a remem
brance of our acts of rebellion,open and undisguis
ed tigainst our best Friend and Benefactor, and
n iw to have a hope that Jesus self moved, nut
when we done good and so brought ours.-lves into
a salvable sta.e as some call it, nor yet tor the rea
son that there was foreseen goodness in Us ; but
lie died for us t veil when we were sinners. Was
ever love hke this? Whs it evet known la fore that
one should die for his bitterest enemies ? But it
was all embraced in the counsel of peace, and wo
who weie far ff strangers and aliens, and foreigu
er> are brought nigh by the blood of Gust. II s
i-fteiing once in the end of the world, the end of all’
the offerings, ts sufficient. G and is well pleased with
it. A glorious I* Cone,batton ts now [f eted, our
guilt and stn are removed as far as the east is from
the w.-st. He is our peace, our righteousness, -auc
tihcation and redeiiiption, Pnere is sticu a hi iness,
a free ness, a glory in Jesus that the sttul sighs for
i nothing else. His language is, Give me Je-us or I
die; Ids own righteousness w.hich is of the fov he
finds is nothing but fiithv rag* justice will not ao
c-pt them, but still cues, X 3 > lljp that thou ovy.esl,
it thundeis in hi* affrighted ears, The., soul that
sins it snail die. fire death takes place, life is ex
perienced, bght and joy spring up, faith embraces
Jestis. He has paid our debt, life and liniuoi tality
•f “*
i ate btonglit to light. Then we can, ani do sac.
j Bh-s* the L rd O my soul, aud forget not hi.s ben.-
| sis. Gl •ry to G< and it the highest, on eath p* ace
; and good-will. My soul doth magnify the L *rd,
He is my song. my boast, mv all in ad, mv Alpha
and Omega. N>w all is peace and joy in i| |f - H,ly
Goost. 11 w ea>y to behev.fi why coul,i wte not see
ami believe before this 2 Whaijiccount wasall our,
w* tks \ Jcsits has done all things’ well, the very
tlniics that we were trying to do He has one. Wo,
sit down under the shadow ot II * wine-, H s fruit
’ is sweet to our taste; He has brought us into bis
h-t queting house ; II > banner ovei us i* fo\e ; He
say* Ei, O mv friends; we. eat the hidden manna;
we drink and by.-; now co. lmg and eb. stung is
t' u l watet ;we thirst no more, that I ving water is
in u* springing u ; ; u is a well of water. L-1 all
that, is in me Ides* His holy name. Bur tin dear
s’sie', 1 need not try to describe the charms of my
• >leK*ed Jesus, tongue gad titpe would fail, even if
I had HIM, that would remove mountains E etui y
i- m t suTci’ U 1 to exnaust the theme of reGeitq tion.
V\ bat havt*wo done towards that great salvation !
how much of the work belongs to us? Not unto
US. lot unto Us 111 to thv great. Name be all the
pb)i\ ; worthy the Limb; none in us; praise the
Lord; none for us; exalt IBs name, us debase;
lle is worthy. w e unworthy. Seeing what great
t*m gs he lias done for in, what manner of persons
should we be? How humble and thankful, and
how erigag-d to know what is his will concerning
My soul ts made this morning to nj fiee in God,
when I took ,n\ p.-m I fo| t cold and worldly mind
ed. lln pe tliat. lam Uh and lie i s „,i ne I3 at my
sister, I have my dou >ts and fears, ami I hope f
someumes e. j>y the light of ILs countenance.
but I hope you will excuse mes *r not saving any
thing until uow about your precious letter” ifs cuu-