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154 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