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VOL, XI. Comnmmcatjflwg. EATOifToy, Cia., Jan., 1862. Bro. W. L. Beebe: —l have yielded :to the oft repeated requests of my brethren in sending you for publication a very imperfect outline of a sermon that I pleached more than a year ago. 1 yield with great reluctance, and in deference to their wishes, but shall be content if the cause of truth is thereby subserved. I am, dear brother, yours in the bonds of lcve, DAVID L HITCHCOCK. Dear Brethren and Friends—l call jour attention to Mark i. 15, -which reads as follows: “And saying, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; repent ye and believe the gospel.” It should be borne in mind that the evangelist Mar k was one of the twelve apostles, and an eye witness of all die ***/ingj<aud doing?* A Jesurour Savior, from the time he begun to preach, until his crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension. He was one cf tb'ose who were chosen of God for a witness, as recorded in Acts x. 41 —“ Not unto all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.” It should also be borne in mind that a witness chosen of God is also pre pared by his Spirit to testify to the truth, just as it is ; and it would be impossible for the witness to testify to any thing but the truth, while under the direction of, the Spirit of God. *0 Lord God, thou knowest the opposition I have to meet while I investigate this portion of thy word. May I realize thy promise to-day, that thou art with me, to enable me to preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Give the hearer an ear to hear and a heart to understand. Hoping that these introductory remarks will suffice, we will enter into a discussion of the text. As this verse is a part of a sentence, we will quote in connection with it the 14th, which reads thus: • Now, after that John was putin prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. [ls] And saying” Now breth ren and friends, bear in mind who is speaking, and have no fears in reference to what he may say; for he is, the Son of God, and it is lie that spake ns never man spake. You need have no fears be cause he is a young preacher, or because it is his DEVOTED TO THE SERVICE OE THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS. “©US &QS2, ©ns AMS QMS liVnSB.” COVINGTON, NEWTON CO., GA., JANUARY 15, 1862. first sermon : for there is no difference in his preaching Irom first to last. He is pet feet in the beginning and in the end. There is no necessity for him to grow in grace aid in the knowledge of God, for lie is the fountain of all grace, and can give it to all his children, but cannot receive it from ao w of them. lie is all wise, and therefore can gain nothing; or in other words, he cannot find out anything that he did not know before. Being all wise, he cf course, is perfect in wisdom. Then he differs materially from all other preachers; and first in that he cannot be taught any thing, but can teach them all things about himself and his king dom, and tkey can teach nothing about him or his kingdom that he dots not first teach them. Then he differs materially from them in wisdom, will, and power; and there is yet another difference. — When he preaches tho gospel he preaches himself, and when his preachers preach, they dare not preach themselves hut Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves vour servants for Christ’s sake. There ¥ is one Chore point of difference that we wish to notice under this head : He is absolute sovereign King, having the right to rule his kingdom, not iu part, but in whole, without any other person whatever ; aud his subjects have no vi gut to reject his rule or law, or to make one step that he has not commanded them to make. I hope this mode of reasoning wfil not he denied bv any child of God; for lam sure it is the teaching of the Bible, and we ought to bow in humble submission. I hope you will not be alarmed at my occupying such broad grounds, and bringing in such strong matter in the investigation of the subject before us. I feel the responsibility of my position as a watch man, and I well knew when I quoted the text that I had a formidable host to confront in battle; therefore. I need strong fortifications. Now brethren and friends, let us notice this glo rious Teacher in another light, that is, as a ser vant. Ttie first visible view that we have of him is in the humble manger. Great condescension ! for the King of Glory to be found in the lowly manger with Mary and Joseph 1 hut greater still, that he should be found clothed with humanity, or put on a mortal’s raiment. But he soon leaves the manger, arid flees into Egypt, there to remain in safety, notwithstanding he . was hunted as a beast of the forest; but he w,as not to he found by Herod ; his hour was not yet come. lie must lire a while under tutors and governors, and sutler the privations of a sinful wot Id, living under the law , until he Fulfilled it by living a life of sinless obi-1 dience injke flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh, on | the pait of his children that were in the flesh. And . after he had lived such a life that he fulfilled the law in all its demands, there was still something more to be done that the law did not demand only in prophecy, and the prophecy of the law must be fulfilled as well as the prediction of the prophets. But the question may be asked, how did the law prophesy ? By the shedding of blood, and iri offerings and sacrifices, which were to be offered under the law, as types arid shadows, that pointed to the great anti-type, or to the substance, the end of the shadows. Then this was a proghecy, as it was foretelling, prediction, a declaration of some thing to come. It is evident that while they were making these offerings they did not believe tbev would save them, hut it did point to one that could save to the utmost all that come unto God through him. Then it answered for a path for them to travel; though it was but a dark one,it led them to their journey’s end ; that is to Christ life end of the law for righteousness to every one that bS lieveth. And hove it ended its prophecy, and here it ends as a schoolmaster. “ For all thepfophets and the law prophesied until John, and if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was to come.’’ —Mat. xi. 18, 14. We stated that there was something for him to do that the law did not demand. In the first place, be must beooiu* . Timber- us h*. visible Church, and ho must fulfill all righteousness, as well as all law, and he must tread every path that his children were to walk in through life, and hav ing done this, he says to them, Follow me. “ And saying, the time is fulfilled.” Che time heie spoken of is a definite time, a precise time that God bad appointed ; and being appointed of him it must take place, and could not fail. This word is used a number of times in the Scriptures, and at different timo3 spoken of by lhe prophets, but each time was a distinct one. The apostle Paul, after he had spoken of what God had done at dif ferent times, sums them together, and says “ That in the dispensation of the ‘uilness of tiu.es he might gather together in one all tilings in .Chiist, both which are in heaven, and which aro on earth, even in him,”—Eph. i. 10. It is very evident, accord ing to the Scriptures, that God has neverUione any thing in time, but that there was a distinct time set by him for That thing to be done. We will mention a few of them. There was a time when God put man in the garden a good creature, and there was a time when he drove him out a ruined sinner ; there was a time when God gave the chil dren cf Israel a law by Moses, and there was a time when that law should be read and observed. There was a lime when God made a covenant wi.n Abraham, and there was. a time for Israel, or the Jews, ‘o live under that covenant, but there never NO, 20