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172 S-pt. 14, 1860. Lrethrex Editors :—I enclose a letter for publication ia the Mt&enger, written by sister N. Datton to me. I hare her consent, ar.d have at her request consented that mine in reply to her, might appear also, though I hare not thought I coo and -ay anything that wcnid be ng or ed ifying to the dear elTdren of G >i. They were both written hr private inspection only, but I think Lers Weil worth a niacrrin foureoiomn-. an: - * wih he edifying and comf fling to your reader^, — I leave them with von to io a-t vour better i > ;g ----ocent may direct. X. T. DAViS. Bas Mabco, Teiaj, March 1,1*60. Dear Sister Davis:—Y>o will perhaps think it range to receive a letter from one who T s to you an entire stranger. Yet since read rg sour setter a few days ago in the 2 i Y; of the Mtaenger. present year. 1 fee: that I am somewhat acquainte * with too in spirit; and have felt a desire since reading year letter to wr :e you a few lines, fur it is seldom my privilege to meet ir* choreh with those that fear tne L rl. Yet I have a great de •ire to meet in the assemblies of the saints, and Lear th-rn speak of the dear Savior, and of the vast concerns of II * glorwns k r gdom. S >rn— timee while reading in the Shm and Mtttenger. of the -a: ala meet ng together and traveling from p aoe to p ace with each other I desire so much to le wstb them, that I often imagine mrself in their ieLgLifu, company. In my imaginations, 1 fancy that I can see the beautiful situation of Ml.I Z on. wnicb does appear to me to be tb-* fer ot the hoie earth. O, 1 think how pleasant it would be to walk about Z on, and to go round about her ; and to rca?k her bulwaiks. Often lam made to ! feel as one of old, my soui iongeth, yea, even pant- j etb for the courts of the Lord. Blessed are they ! that dwell in thy house, they will he still praising! thee. O, wy dear sitter, you know Low gjod it is i to sit together in heavenly places in Curst Jesu<o! and to dwell together in unity. It is hke the precious ointment upon the head, as the dew o! Herman, and as the dew that descended upon the! moutrams of Zion ; for there the Lord command ed the blessing, even life forevermore. I esteem it a great privilege to assemble with the saints, and and to hear them speak of the goodness of God in the salvation of their souls, which you know rn\ sister is all of grace from first to la-t. Mv heart Las been made to oveiffew, while hearing the dea saints of God tel! of their juys, their sorrows, their hopes, and ifceir fears; but my sister, it has nut teen convenient for tbe last few years for me to meet often with tbe saints. O, thrice blessed tem ple, the Lou-e of oar God. Sometimes I think l fed like a Pelican of the wilderness, or an Owl of the desert; I watch, and am as a sparrow alone : hungry and thirsty, my sou! is faint witnin nit. Yet notwithstanding my loneliness, sometimes my Savior show* bis head as through the lattice ; ma king himself appear altogether lovely; yc-a, his mouth is most sweet. While my soul feels His* doctrine drop as the rain, His speech distill as ife dew, until ray soul is much enlarged, and am made SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER. to exclaim, Sing O heavens and b j >yfu!, O earth break forth into singing, O rauunUics, fer tbe Lwl hath comforted his people, and wul hav^ mercy upon his afS etel. Toea my sister, we de- j sire Uj depart and be wth Cferi-t; to be .ke 11. m .. and Vj s-e II aa aa H i is. 0 glorious indeed to be ;l*.e Him. H- wii ,m John s-itr clothed with a garment down to L;- feet, ant g rt about tbe pap* wnh a golden g.rd.e. Ilia head and hi* hair-; were h t- like wool, Hi while a snow. lam he tl>a liveth and w** deal, and bebfe i I am alive for everrr.or- : Arm a; 1 ii*v, fay* ye shall iiv a!so. O lie, the blessed Savior fe the beloved of: our aou.i my sister. If we u* io?.e sight of him. we go about etc ring Lave you seen him whom mv sou! lovetb. O w.ll you tell me where to find * * Lira, or will \ou se-k him wish ine. It is he o> whom M /-e*. arc] the Prophet* did write : he who s thr root an i df-pring of Divid, the bright ario the isorcfeg star ; the desire of cur souls is to ; his cam-, we seek him in the night time. And ’. 3 ! when we find him, the brightest day lights up our j souls, we no more fear the wild of the for- j eat, or hear the screaming Owl. Tue wilderness j an ] solitary place is g-a J, and the efe-eri is sen to * ’ 4 ; r-juice, and blossom as the rose —the parched gruund becomes a pool, and tbe thirsty land a spring of water. sister Davis, when I took up my pen, 1 thought I would write something in reply to all; t.he leading points in your letter. My mind caught’ on the su: j-:ct of those that feared tLe Lord speak- j ing often cue to another, and of the saints meet-1 mg together to speak of the things of the Lord, j My mind continued to run, and I to write, until I j \ have not room on this sheet to write what I iu- j pended. I often wonder why those tiiat lovej the dear Savior can forsake His house, where j saints meet together, and where he, the precious Jesus has promised to be in their mid>t. It is also said of him that he loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob,and that he will be in her palaces fur a refuge. I have known it to be the case that the ministers failed to attend their people fer several months together. I have often wondered if they did uot think of the solemn charge they Lad received to feed the flock o£God, or of the sweet word of the Savior to Peter at the sea of Tiberia. Sometimes I feel as though I wanted to ask the ministers if they love the Sa vior, and if so to “ Feed his sheep and lambs.”— My sister, J see that you, as myself, cannot attend church often, owing to your age and the distance; but I think from the way you write, that your spirit is often with them, and your prayers help them much, and I think when they read your lut er in the Messenger, they foil as though they had your presence for a time. I was much refreshed while reading your letter, and have read it. several times with equal iuterest. Lot us hear again from you my sister, and tell us something more about that expeiience; we will expect to hear from you • again soon. When I read where you spoke of the Lear people of God being taken up out of the hor nbie pit aud miry clay, their feet set upon a rock, and their goings established, my mind was led to | think bow firm their standing', tbeir going* a l -! f established, i sometime* think the gates of hell cannot prevail against them. You say it Laa le?n sixty odd year* since you felt to have an interest in the thing* of Jesus ; well I feel to reverence you, though I am not voting fer in a few dav* I w:d be 61 rears oland near.v 30 wars since 1 was made to bote in the savfer. You have feught many battle* my dear sister, and .care always been victorious ; fer w* are to come off conquerors, yea, more than conquerors, through II;m that loved us, and gave Himself fer us. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but [ mighty through God. to the pu ling down the ! stronghold* of Satan. I remember when L was quite young, of hearing tire aged saints of God speak of their having had a hope fer many years. They spike too of their being very sinful, unwor th v and disobedient. I was made to wonder how they bad kept that hope they spake of. 1 did not knuw that their hope was in the blessed Savior.— I thought they bad a hope, but that was all I knew about it. but I r.ow know huw it is that their hope which is as an anchor of the s< ui, entei* I into that within the vale, and therefore is sure and j steadfast. Being kept by tbe power of God through faith, that precious faith which Jesus is the author of. It sweetly works by love, it purifies the heart, and overcomes the wot Id. Dear sister, wLen I saw in your letter where you addressed the 1 sisters, it seemed that it was spoken to me. It j was so endearing, my heart was fi fed with love to j you, anu to all the brethren and sisters. 1 feel - that vou are all in mv heart to di” and to live with j you. I have never written my little experience for | the Messenger, yet I cau say as you express, that I | have the witness in my sou! corresponding to the i truths related in the experiences of the brethren and sisters. The sorrows which they have felt, I have felt; the guilt and condemnation which they have felt. I have also felt. My poor soul seeruod to l>e enveloped in a cloud of sin, my feeble pray ers, my groans, my sighs and tears seemed to me to be so sinful, they all helped to condemn me.— I was in every way unhappy. No mercy, uo hope, despair and eternal ruin were my fixed destiny. Worlds if they had been mine woulJ I have given for an interest in the Savior’s blood. Perfect weak, ness, shame and guilt was mine. For a longtime 1 had given up to die, until the dear Savior was pleased to reveal themselves to me in the pardon of my sins; my burden of guilt was all gone, and liko the body of Moses, i( has never been found to this day, though I have hunted for it many times. Ho the precious H-'deemer poured in the oil and tho whip, yet }t took the precious ointment to heal all the wounds that Bin and sorrow had made in my soul. My poor sorrowful soul was made jo} lul in the Lord. I have no language to express the joys I felt at that time. For many days His love aud grace divine like the dews of heaven dis tilled in my soul, It appeared to me that the an* ip Li in tlm heaVen had new joy, for I had .bought that even they had given me up for lost. Yea, it seemed to me they listened with astonishment to hear this poor chief ol sinners praising God,-—*