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with me, that he would help me, and that right
early. lie has promised that he will never leave
nor forsake me, but ho will sustain me by his om
nipotent hand. He has promised that he will
be with me in the sixth trouble, yea in the seventh
also. O may the Lord give us more grace, and
more faith to lay hold of his word, and to trust in
his name. O beloved sister, I feel to contend ear
nestly for that faith which was once delivered to
the saints ; let me be called what I may, I feel to
contend that salvation is of the Lord and him
alone, without any creature efforts, personal efforts,
or any human agency, or human means. 0, he
works like his glorious self, both to will and to do
fi his own good pleasure. None can let nor hin
der his eternal purposes. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He
is the same yesterday, to-day, and forQver. He de
clared the end from the beginning, from the an
cients of eternity. His counsel shall stand, and
he will do all his pleasure. He spake, and it
was done, commanded, and it stood fast. 0 be
loved sister, I can say with the Poet,
“ Pm not ashamed to own my Lord,
Nor to defend his cause,
Nor to Maintain the honor of his word,
The glory of his cross.”
Dear sister, I feel as if I must refer back to your
first letter, and rehearse it again, for there was
such a thrill of joy entered my heart, when read
ing one expression in it. It fastened my heart to
yours like a two-fold cord which cannot be bro
ken. You have seemed to me ever since, like a
mother in Israel, You said, 0 how you loved us
all ; O how dear we all seemed to you, that
wrote for the Signs, and the doctrine that we ad
vanced, Eternal Vital Union, Eternal Election,
Eternal Predestination, Eternal salvation by grace,
and grace alone. That is the kind of doctrine that
feeds my poor soul. It is eternal things that my
soul hungers and thirsts after. O there is nothing
that will stand only eternal things. Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but the word of the Lord
endureth forever. Dear sister, when I commenced
this letter, I intended to write you a few lines
in answer to the Poetry which I received last even
ing, but my mind has run different. I was glad
to receive something from you again. I esteem it
a blessing indeed to receive a letter from you, for
you have fed me so many times and gave me
so much instruction and consolation. It has ap
peared to me that the Lord has filled your heart
with the rich treasure of his word, to feed the poor
and needy lambs of Christ. I have often felt as
if your heart was filled full of his grace, pressed
down and running over. Dear sister, it has ap
peared to me as if you did leally know the lead
ing of my mind, for you write it so distinctly.—
I have thought you knew just what food I needed,
and to hand it out in due season, O, how glad I
was to receive your letter of April 15, it was just
what I was longing for, it was the very desire of
my heart. I was praying and desiring the Lord
to grant me greater views of the suffering and death
of the Son of God, and also of his resurrection and
pension to eternal glory. omj blessed sister,
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
how can I tell you with ink and pen, the emotions
of my heart, in reading that heavenly letter. My
pen faulters, yes indeed,, it is too great for me to
describe; I thought I could truly behold tire
Lamb of God which t'.aketh away the siti od
the world-. O what] glorious views I had of his
life while here on earth ; I thought I could behold
him going about raising the dead, healing the sic k,
and making the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear,
the blind to see, the lame to walk, and preaching
the gospel unto the poor. Truly the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive sins. It appeared
to me I could see a multitude following him, cry
ing, Hosamiab in the Highest. Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord. I thought I
heard a voice saying, “ This is my beloved Son in
whom lam well pleased.” O dear sister, I was
with you in having a view of his death and suffer
ings and of his resurrection. 0 what glory, what
majesty followed his resurrection. He rose tri
umphant over death hell, and the grave, and went
up with a shout and with the trump of God, and
now is set down at the right hand of God, and
ever liveth to make intercession for bis people.—
O dear sister, there are many things I would like
to speak about on this glorious subject, but this
must suffice. Blessed sister, I must write a word
or two in answer to the Poetry which I have just
received. I do not expect to answer all of your
questions. In the first place you ask me if I had
seen him whom your soul loveth. I think I have
received a smile of his countenance, and now and
then he has whispered in my heart and told me to
fear not, neither to let my heart be troubled, for
he would always be with me, unto the end of the
world. He told me to not be troubled in spirit,
•jior to be soon, shaken in miud. He told me to
gird up the loins of my mind like a man, be not
faithless bat believing. He told me he would ever
be with me, and uphold me by his omnipotent
hand. 0 blessed promises. You say, O tell me
where to find him. The Lord says he has cho
sen Zion for his habitation; he says, this is my
rest forever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it.
1 will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy
her poor with bread, I will also clothe her priests
with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for
joy. The blessed Savior in speaking to his disci
ples tells them he will walk in them, they shall be
his people, be will be their God. He still adds
and says, “And be a father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almigh
ty.” I understand that Christ is the way, the truth
and the life, in him all the fullness dwells; he fills
all in all. It is only in his light we can see light
every good and perfect gift cometh down from the
Father of lights. It is from him all the graces
flow ; goodness, faith, and mercy, &c. There is
the great fountain of everlasting iove. He says,
he that believeth on me, hath everlasting life, hois
the only begotten of the father, full of grace and
truth. To you that believe, he is precious, he
says, “ He that believeth on me,” as the Scrip
ture hath said, “Out of his bellv shall flow rivers
of Jiving waters.” Dear sister, he declares himself
to be the true bread of heaven, the water of life,
I cannot cite you to look anywhere else to find
comfort or happiness. O ray dear sister, I must
leave you in the hands of God, from whom all
blessings flow. I will say to you that hath no
light, trust in the Lord, and stay upon God, hope
in his word for mercy, for he is gracious and ts
long suffering, and plenteous in redemption. 0
may the Lord ever be your strength and portion,
is the prayer of your unworthy sister. Now dear
sister, I commend you to God, and to the word of
In’s grace, which is able to build you up, and to
gb 7 e you an inheritance among all them which are
sanctified. Dear sister, please pardon, and forgive
whatever is amiss. Believe me to be you friend
and well wisher,
Tours as ever, LUCY C. WHITCOMB,
p'. S. —I>ear sister, I feel as if I must write you
a fev/ lines of Poetry, which is very precious to me.
“ Farewell, farewell, to all below,
My Jesus calls, and I must go,
I launch my boat upon the sea,
This land s not the land for me.
I’ve found the winding paths cf sin,
A rugged path to travel in,
Beyond the chilly waves I see,
iThe land the Savior bought for me.
Farewell dear friends I cannot stay,
The home I seek is far away,
Where Christ is not, I cannot be,
This land is not the land for me.
My hope, my heart is now on high,
Where all my joys and treasures lie,
Where seraphs bow, and bend the knee,
O that’s the land, the land for me.”
L. C. W.
‘
Brethren Editors :—I see in the present vol
ume of the Messenger , Oct. 1, a long article from
a brother who signs his name Anonymous ; upon
the duly of churches to their ministers, which I
think was to the point, and well written. Bufe
there is some few things I would have been glad
if he had incorporated in his article, and will here
remind him of, by asking one or two questions,
and hope that bro. Anonymous will answer.
Ist. At what time of the year should the ne
cessities of the minister be enquired after.
2d. If it should be the mind of any of the breth
ren to bestow upon their minister some of the
fruits of their land, which is most becoming, for
the giver to deliver the gift at the house of the
preacher, or to invite him to bring his sack and
come after it? If our unknown brother will answer
this, perhaps I will give him a few more items to
enlarge upon. SIMON.
The Elders and Messengers composing the Yellow
River Association of Primitive Baptists , to the
churches represented hy us, send greeting.
Beloved Brethren in Christ —ln sending
you this epistle, we desire to stir up your pure
minds, to a diligent search of the Scriptures of