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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