Newspaper Page Text
VOL. X.
®atß®S)liaA!S [h&W&SL
The Oconee Association in Session , 1860, to the
churches of which she is comfjoscd, sends Chris
tian salutation.
Dear Brethren and Sisters —For your rs
flection we call your attention to the following
text: 2nd Cor. vi. 17, “ Wherefore, come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive
you.” Ttiis address was made and is yet applica
ble to believers in Jesus Christ, who have been de
livered from the power of darkness and translated
into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, and have
manifested the same by coming out from the world,
and giving themselves to the Lord and to one
another in a church capacity; a temple for God to
dwell in by his Spirit, according to his promise as
recorded in this connection, saying, “I will dwell
in them and.walk in them and will be their God,
and they shall be my people.” lienee the quss
tions arise, What agreement-hath the temple of
.God with idols ? righteousness with unrighteous
ness? light with - darkness ? Christ with Belial? or
believers with infidels? As it is unreasonable for
these different elements and principles to have
agreement with each other, even so it is unreason
able to suppose that the children of the light, (or
of God,) should have fellowship or communion with
CUe teaefters and worshipers of anti-Christ. Thers
fore the saints are commanded to come out from
among them, leaving the impression that the saint*
are surrounded by anti-christian teachers, and art
liable to be ensnared and corrupted by them.—
Then how important that all who have not been
led off by them, should continue to he separata,
and that all such as have been ensnared or entan
gled by them, should burst every bond, and morti
fy the deeds of their body, and come out from
among them, returning to the Shepherd and Bish
op of their souls. But hew are teachers of ant*<-
Christ and their principles to be known by tha
saints ? We answer, by the liberty they take to
originate and perpetuate institutions, societies, doc
trines and practices under the cloak of religion
yrithout precept or example in the Scriptures, and
in their speedy wayward and popular course \ treat
with contempt every reproof given to such in tha
Scriptures, and faithful ministers of the New Tes
tament are even laughed to scorn by such, when
they proclaim the Scriptures exposing such char
acters; while they, in their pride boast of numbers,
popularity, education and the great things they are
doing for the conversion of the world, &c., just as
though all these things, with the claim of being ac
tuated by motives to do good, was sufficient author-
DEVOTED TO THE SERVICE OF THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS.
“©ss asm, fiiva, ais ©as siri.”
COVINGTON, NEWTON CO., GA., NOV- 1,1860.
itv lor them to push forward their own plans. —
Surely every enlightened child of God with the
Scriptures to read can see that such are of the
world, therefore the world heareth them, And
many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of
whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.—
And through covetousness shall they with feigned
words make merchandise of jo i, whose judgment
now of a long time lingereth not, and their damna
tion slumbereth not, 2 Pet. ii. 2,3. From such
God has commanded his people to come out, and
touch not. On the the same subject it is said, Col.
ii. 21, “Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all
ara to perish with the using after the command
ments and doctrines of men.” It is wrong and
sren treating the Lord with contempt, for one of
his children to unite and partake with them in their
formal religious devotions, encouraging them in
their anti-chiistian course, much more wrong to
hve membership and communion with them. But
sometimes a false lenity is indulged through fear
that we may be considered self important in c'aim
ing ourselves to be right and others wrong, and it
is suggested that it will do no harm, at least to
show ourselves friendly enough to religion to unite
with them in their public devotions, particularly
when they show themselves so friendly, and urge
upon us to take part with them. Now what shall
we do gratify the flesh and unite with them when]
we kn*w they are supporting/and advocating insti
tutions and doctrines which Jesus has not author
ised, or shall we mortify the flesh with its pride by
coming out from among them as our Lord has
commanded ? thereby showing that we do not look
to ourselves, or feelings, nor ways, nor the ways of
other men, for a standard of correctness in religion,
but to the Scriptures of divine truth. If any will
openly refuse in such cases to obey their Master
they cannot expect their Heavenly Father to receive
them, or give them to enjoy his countenance re
conciled, or the answer of a good conscience before
him. While the saints are to come out from among
the teachers and followers of anti-Christ, of course
they are equally bound to be separate from the
openly wicked in their vicious practices, heaping
up the treasures of the world, treating the mercies
of God with contempt, taking his name in vain,
sporting in their folly, often in lying and in drun
kenness, and often in parties for carnal amusement,
delighting to carry out the fashions and pride of
the age ; from these jvjt.h eyery otjier sinful prac
tice the saints should be separate as far as possible,
and touch not the unclean thing, and their Heav
enly Father will receive tbeip. Dear brethren, let
us not be forgetful of our profession, nor the lan
guage of Jesus, If ye love me keep my command
ments.” Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness ? what communion hath light
with darkness ? Wherefore, come out from among
them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spir ts,
whether they be of God, because many, many
false prophets are gone out into the world ; false
teachers are moved by the spirit of anti-Christ, and
of course preach false doctrine, and when they
have privily crept into the church teaching perverse
things, the flock have been scattered. Vvainjangling
and disputation, contention and strife, seems to be
desirable with false teachers ; while they are going
about to establish their own righteousness, they
have not submitted themselves to tbe righteousness
of God; while true ministers of the gospel love
peace and pursue it; preaching the truth for the
love of it; feeding the flock of God, Ms peculiar’
people, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
Holy nation, that they should shew forth the praises
of him who hath called them out of darkness into
his marvelous light. This highly favored people,
the truth never has, nor will divide, but binds them
together in love, delivers them from vain jangling,
and strivings about words to no ptofit, and makes
them grow in grace and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, seeing eye to eye
and speaking the same thing. Therefore, mark
them that eaiise division’ and offences contrary to
thedoctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them.
Romans xvi. 17* The servant of the Lord must not
strive, but be gentle unto all rnen, apt to teacb, par
tient, be must not conclude that his Lord delayeth
his coming and begin to eat and drink with the
drunken, lest his master should come at an hour
when he is not looking for him, <kc. How mortify;
ing it would be for brethren to knovy or believe
their preacher was pursuing such a course, or was
busy in pursuit of worldly matters, and neglecting
to attend his meetings or to assemble with his
brethren in their meetings ; how soon coldness of
affection in them is realised towards him, and fears
and jealousies arise, and the rule works both ways ;
let the preacher faithfully attend his meetings, and
the members not there, or go out to other places
appointed for meeting, and worship, and find many
whom he expected there, to be absenf, and bow
does he feel, particularly if he learns they are par
taking with the riotoqs and drunken, or at home
in close pursuit of worldly gain. Such things great
ly tend to interrupt the mutual enjoyment of min
isters and their brethren, but when ministers are
jn their place going forth speaking “all the words
of this life,”and the brethren and sisters all at their
place, oh! how .desirable, for then there is no ground
NO. 21