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Many good and strong things were said in be
half of
During the Session of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
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Would it not bo well during this
centennial year to revive the month
ly concert of prayer for missions?
Or, if that be impracticable, suppose
one Sunday morning service in each
month be given to missions, with a
sermon and a collection.
A prominent Methodist minister
from Middle Georgia, Newton coun
ty, writing to a friend in Augusta,
says: “I don’t see how such a man
as Maj. Black can believe in Calvin
ism.” That admits of easy explana
tion. Such a man as Maj. Black, of
course, feels it obligatory on himself
to examine into the truth of Calvin
ism : that is all he needs to do, —the
evidences of its truth throughout the
scriptures do the rest 1 But the men
who will not examine, how can they
believe ?
It was doubtless worth while for
the “czar of all the Russias” to en
tertain a plain American citizen in
order to get a free advertisement
through an American pulishing syn
dicate, after the free criticisms of the
English-speaking press upon the
czar’s policy ; but Mr. Talmage has
not made any friends among his own
countryman by his excessive praise
of the Muscovite. The Russian pol
icy is abhorrent to all American
ideas, and no man knows this better
than Mr. Talmage.
Georgia is put to shame, and
blushes. The day of the Lord has
been openly, brazenly desecrated on
her soil and in one of her fairest and
purest cities. On Sunday, August
21st, a game of baseball was played
at Savannah. We had not thought
that this could be done, and we are
not willing to admit the thought that
it can be done again. The public
sentiment of Savannah surely is
against it, and the authorities of the
city ought to see and will see to it
that the more irreligious elements in
the population shall be restrained
from such outbreaks of impiety and
Immorality.
Rev. A. G. McManaway, D. D.,
terminates a pastorate of seven years
with Tryon street Baptist church,
Charlotte, N. C., by an unexpected
and “final” resignation. He found it
with an enrolled membership of 172,
and added to it 375, —n0 mean token
of a prosperous ministry. In the
course of a letter to the church he
says: “I think it will be your good
pleasure to publish no complimenta
ry resolutions with reference to my
work among you. If that work has
been of the right sort, it will speak
for itself through the years that are
to come. If it has not been of the
right sort, complimentary resolutions
cannot bolster it up. So, I ask that
you will kindly leave it to stand on
its own merits.”
The Popular Science Monthly has
never been friendly to Christianity.
It has freely given voice to the ut
terances of materialists, and aired in
every possible way the so-called
scientific objections to our religion.
In the current number Mr. Herbert
Spencer is permitted to assail the
character of the Apostle Paul. In
the course of an article on “Veracity,”
the object of which was apparently
to make this attack. Mr. Spencer
says that the apostle “defends his
acts by contending that the truth of
God hath more abounded through
my lie unto this glory,’ ” —a misquo
tation, to begin w ith, and ;a misin
terpretation so gross as to lay its
author open to the charge of disin*
genuouoness. And yet there are
people who seem to think that it is a
sign of superior wisdom and learn
ing to put forth just such “new”
things as this 1
(fljristian SniUT.
OFFICERS OF A SCRIPTURAL
CHURCH AND THEIR
DUTIES.
„ vv»v^ c9t
.. BREAKER, D. D., MARSHALL)
TEXAS.
No. 11.
ONLY TWO CLASSES OF OFFICERS.
A careful examination of the
Scriptures will show, that Christ has
provided for his churches only two
classes of permanent officers, pastors,
also called elders and bishops, and
deacons. These are elected by the
churches, from whom under Christ
they derive their authority.
Evangelists were not a distinct
class of officers, but belonged to the
order of elders, or ministers without
a charge or settled location, dissemi
nating the Gospel in destitute
places, as in the case of Philip, the
evangelist, whose preaching and bap
tizing were signally blessed, espe
cially in Samaria. Acts 8 :5-40.
Timothy, too, though an ordained
bishop or elder, was enjoined to “do
the work of an evangelist.” 2 Tim.
4 :5. Our modern missionaries an
swer to the New Testament evange
lists.
That the two classes mentioned,
pastors and deacons, are the only of
ficers of a church authorized by the
Scriptures, is proved by the fact,
that no others are mentioned
when the officers of a church are
specially alluded to, and the qualifi
cations and duties of these only are
given. Thus Paul writing to the
church at Philippi, addressed them
as “the saints in Christ Jesus who
are at Philippi, w ith the bishops and
deacons.” Phil. 1 :1. Had there been
other officers of the church, it is un
accountable that Paul did not men
tion them. And what was true of
that church was true of all others.
They were all modeled alike.
ELDER AND BISHOP.
It is plain from the 20th chapter
of Acts, that the terms elder and
bishop and pastor designate the
same office. In verse 17 Paul is
said to have sent to Ephesus, and
call*..) (ho “elders” of the 'biiurcb,
and in the 28th verse he says to
them, “Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock over
which the Holy Ghost hath made
overseers (in the Greek episcopons,
bishops,) to feed (Greek poimainein,
to act the part of a shepherd or pas
tor to) the church of God.” The
term “elder” is of Jewish origin, de
noting the rank, wisdom and dignity
usually implied in age, while bishop
and pastor are borrowed from Greek
usage, and designate the duties ap
pertaining to the office.
The identity of elders and bishops,
as only two terms for the same of
fice, is further seen in the fact, that
the two terms are elsewhere used in
terchangeably, and the same quali
fications and are ascribed to
both alike. Thus in 1 Pet. 5:1-2,
we read, “The elders who are among
you I exhort, who am also an elder.
. . Feed the flock of God which is
among you, taking the oversight
thereof,” Greek, episcopountes, act
ing the part of a bishop. So Paul
tells Titus (chapter 1 :5.) that he left
him in Crete, among other things, to
appoint elders in every city, if they
had the qualifications required, and
then adds, for a “bishop” must be
blameless as the steward of God.”
Here he applies the term “bishop” to
the same persons whom he had just
before called “elders.”
In his epistle to Timothy (1 Tim
-3 :2-7,l Paul lays down the qualifi
cations for a bishop, “blameless, the
husband of one wife, vigilant, sober,
of good behavior,” etc. And these
are in substance the very same as
those he instructs Titus to require in
the elders he would have him to ap
point, (Titus 1 :6-10) “blameless, the
husband of one wife, having faithful
children, not accused of riot or unru
ly” etc. And we have seen that he
makes the duties of the elder and the
bishop the same; When in his ad
dress to the elders of Ephesus he
tells them that they were as bishops,
(“overseers,”) to feed the church of
God. Peter says the same thing,
when he tells the elders to feed the
flock of God, taking the oversight,
i. e., acting the part of a bishop to
them.
A PLURALITY OF PASTORS.
The early churches seem general
ly to have had a plurality of elders
or bishops. The apostle addresses
his epistle to the chnrch at Philippi,
“with the bishops and deacons,” sent
for the elders of the church at Ephe-
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 1, 1892.
sus, and Paul and Barnabas as well
as Titus ordained or appointed “el
ders” in the churches of Asia Minor
and Crete. The reason for this
probably was, that as they had no
church edifices in those days, and
hence held their meetings in private
houses, several such meetings would
often be held at the same time, and
each would need a bishop or pastor
to conduct it. In later times, the
circumstances not requiring a plu
rality, one pastor to a church seems
to have become the practice ; as
when the epistles were addressed to
the seven churches of Asia, in the
20th and 36th chapters of Revela
tion, each church was addressed
through its “angel” or pastor, the
word “angel” meaning a messenger)
and indicating the relation of the
pastor as the messenger, both of
God to the church, and of the
church towards God and the world.
RULING ELDERS.
A distinction is made by those
who practice the Presbyterian
Church government; between teach
ing and ruling elders, the ruling el
ders having nothing to do with
teaching, or preaching, but only with
the government of the church, which
is supposed to be committed to them
along with the pastor or teaching el
der. The passage which is chiefly
relied on in support of this view, is
Tim. 5 :17, “Let the elders that rule
well be counted worthy of double
honor, especially they who labor in
the word and doctrine.”
Against this interpretation are the
following facts. 1. The term elder
is used elsewhere only of those who
taught or preached, as one of the
duties of the office. Then Paul, us
ing the term interchangeably, with
that of bishop, mentions “apt to
teach:” 1 Tim. 3:2, as a qualifica
tion of the bishop, and “holding fast
the faithful word, that he may be
able by sound doctrine both to ex
hort and to convince the gainsayers,”
as one of the duties of the elder.
(Tit. 1 :9.) 2. The Scriptures con
nect reading aud teaching together as
the appropriate work of the pastor>
1 Thess. 5 :12, “We beseech you to
know them who labor among you
and are over you in the Lord and
admonish you.” Admonishing is a
species of teaching. Ileb. 13 :7-17-
24. “Remember those who have
the rule over you, who have spoken
unto you the word of God.” “Obey
them that have the rule over you,
and submit yourselves, for they
watch for your souls,” which implies
teaching. “Salute all them that
have the rule over you,” i.e., all your
pastors. 3. The total absence of
any Scripture directions as to the
qualifications of ruling elders proves
that no such officer was intended in
the New Testament. 4. The right
and obvious interpretation of the pas
sage entirely excludes the idea of
ruling elders as a separate class from
teaching Riders. As we have seen
ruling is a general term used to des
ignate the ordinary work of a pastor,
so that thfe expression “elders that
rule well” would mean, “that preside,
or discharge their pastoral duties
well,” including both teaching and
pastoral work. The term rendered
“labor” (kopiontes) means to toil, to
labor earnestly, devotedly ; as when
Peter said (Luke 5 :5.) “Master, we
have toiled all night, and taken noth
ing.” So when Jesus said, (Matt. 1:
28) “Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden.” This mean
ing of the word is clearly shown in
Jno. 4:6, where it is said, Jesus
therefore being wearied with His
journey,” that is, having toiled unto
weariness in traveling, “sat thus on
the well.”
The meaning of the direction to
Timothy therefore is, that a double
honor or remuneration should be ac
corded to those elders or pastors of
the church, who devoted their time
and labor to preaching and teaching,
implying that there were some of the
co-pastors, who, after the example of
Paul, and like many at the present
day, labored with their own hands
for support, and gave but a part of
their time to the work of the minis
try.
[CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.]
Written far Thk Index.
IN MEMORY’ BARK.
"Sweet memory wafted by the gentle gale.
Oft up the stream of time I turn my sail."
Like the poet, I would like to turn
my sale ’up the stream, and come
to the stream, look at it
and begin to think of the scenes
above, by which the driftwood just
passed,
"The fairy haunts of long-lost hours,”
and feel the impulse almost irresis
tible to sail in memory’s bark, to see
thoso “haunts” again, but the imper
ative calls of duty forbid. After re
turning from the Southern Baptist
Convention in May, I was for a time
unfit partially for my work. The
hearty hand shakes, the Christian
embraces, the tearful tender expres
sions of delight in meeting in the
flesh once more, the warm invitations
the referencet to pleasant visits, to
revivals, to helpful remarks or ser
mons, so wafted me up the stream)
that it was only by vigorous effort I
could turn away from “far greener
shades, far loveljer flowers.”
Your kind, brotherly reminder,
dear Index “turned my sail up the
stream,” and thornas I glided along
under a “gentle gale” I sat down to
read the last issue, and saw the an
<iouncemcnt that C. D. Campbell was
dead and E. W. Warren dying,—the
gale is fierce and I am being driven
rapidly over the past and with feel
ings aroused, and heart overflowing,
I must commune for a moment with
friends, associates, fellow-laborers
and comrades in the army of Jesus,
some of whom yet survive, and many
of whom in May asked me, “why
don’t you write for the Index of
tener?” I was ma.hf to feel sad
when I saw how C. D. Campbell had
given way physically since I had
met him before, hoped it was tempo
rary and it did not occur to me,
that I would survive him.
To see Haygood, Irwin, M. P.
Callaway, and others of the older
men look “storm-beaten” was not so
remarkable. Bro. Warren was I
thought, “holding his own” remarka
bly well. How I glide up the stream
to-day, and through the delightful
associations and experiences I have
had with those brethren, in their
families, in associations and minister
ial labors. And am Ito sec hem no
more—here? ‘ A
My time and your spa to .-itiit
ed, so let me say a word tv' loving
ones about my condition and close.
I was 63 years old, the day Bro.
Campbell died, Aug 10th and in 89
of those years, have not seen a well
day, yet I have suffered little under
the circumstances, and with grati
tude I can say, I have not passed
many days too feeble to work for
the blessed Savior and for the cause
I love. lam declining perceptibly.
Traveling is more wearisome now. I
sometime preach twice on Sunday
but should not.
I have reason to be grateful to the
Lord for directing me to Georgia
when he did, and for the friends he
gave me there and the same I
can say to His sending me to Flori
da.
The climate has been good, the
people kind, and my work pleasant
as I could expect. The brethren
have honored me with their love
and confidence and have been amaz
ingly forbearing.
Friends in Georgia, with many of
you I shall meet no more here, but
we “will meet beyond the river.” 1
hope you will pray for me, as I be
lieve you have done in the past.
"Though sundered far, by faith wo moot.
Around one common mercy-seat.”
W. N.
Written for The Indkx.
TITHING.
Is the law of tithing Jewish or is
it of universal application? The an
swer to this question is important, for
to whomsoever it applies the charge
of robbery is laid against them if the
tithe be withheld. That charge is
made by Gad and must therefore be
true. Think of what nature the
crime of robbery is, and can anyone
desire to be guilty of it? Gentile
Christians do not generally believe
that tithing applies to them, and are
not therefore particularly concerned
about putting it into practice.
The neglect to tithe because one
persuades himself that the obligation
does not rest upon him is not excused
if the word of God shows the obli
gation to exist.
Ignorance of the obligation is his
fault, and therefore no excuse. It is
our duty to know what God requires,
and then to do it. If tithing applies
to gentiles then Christians ought to
carry it out, for they have brought
themselves under obligation to obey
God.
The general application of the
tithing luw appears from the action
of Abraham in giving the tenth of
the spoils to Melchizedek, Gen 14: 20
and from the promise of Jacob, Gen.
28: 22, to give the tithe of all to
God if ho should bring him back to
the land he was then leaving. This
was a long while before the law was
given to Moses, or the Jewish nation
organized. It is not reasonable to
suppose that such a thought would
have originated m the human mind
without a divine relevation. What
would have suggested it? How
could man suppose God would ac
cept or use it? Notice that Abra
ham gave it to the unincarnate Son
of God; and Jacob promised to give
it to God and not to man. Early
then in the worlds history this law
must have been established by
God.
When the Mosiac law was given it
was evidently a reiteration of what
existed before, with more definite
instruction accompanying. The law
demanded it for God Lev. 27: 30, not
for the Levite. God appointed the
Levite to receive it for him, Num.
18; 21, because in his service for
God he was to be without an inheri
tance such as the rest had, and God’s
tithe became his inheritance. This
was for a nation of people who
proposed to recognize and serve
God.
THE LAW REPEATED IN THE GOS
PEL.
When Jesus reproved the Phari
sees for paying tithes and neglecting
the weightier matters of the law, he
did not condemn tithing but approv
ed it by saying, “these things ye
ought to have done.” This is gos
pel instruction, given by the author
of the gospel, and belongs to this
age. Jesus tells his ministers to
teach those who accept him “to ob
serve all things he has commanded,”
and says “that whosoever breaks
one of these least commandments of
mine and teaches men so, shall
be called least in the kingkom of
God.”
In Ist Cor. 9: 1-14, the apostle de
clares this law equally applicable in
the gospel, and in this dispensation
to be applied similarly as in the old.
As the Levitcs who ministered at the
altar in the old were to use it, so in
the new those who preach are to be
supported from it.
Up to the tenth of our incomes
contributed for the work of the Lord
we give nothing. Wo are but pay
ing a debt. The Christian ought to
go beyond the tenth is true, but can
not rightfully stop short of it.
why required?
Not because God needs it or could
not carry on His work without it.
But we need it as a constant remin
der that all things belong to
God, and while we are permitted to
use them, He wants us to feel and
recognize that He is sole proprietor.
This is done in payinfi Him the tenth
like a tenant among men pays rent
to the land lord in acknowledgement
of his ownership. As it would be
dishohest for the tenant not to pay
his rents, so it is dishonest not to
pay God his tithes. As it would be
robbing the landlord for the tenant
to apply the rents to his own use,
so it is robbing God to fail to pay
his tithes, “for the tithe is the
Lord’s.” The principle is the same
as in the reservation of the seventh
day by God. All days belong to
God, and He enforces the remem
brance by requiring that one seventh
shall be set apart to his service.
N othing is really lost to an honest
tenant by faithfully paying his rents.
His landlord will give him every fa
cility in his power to make him a
success. So we are assured by God
that nothing will bo lost to us if the
law of the tithe is faithfully observ
ed. He promised great prosperity
should attend His people if they
paid it. If not, death and destitu
tion were threatened. The history
of the Jewish people proved the
truthfulness both ways. When
faithful they prospered marvelously.
When unfaithful poverty and distress
ensued.
Prov. 8: 9 is of general applica
tion and not restricted to Jews. The
principle of the Mosiac law is en
couched in this promise of abundant
blessing upon compliance of honor
ing God with “all the first fruits of
thine increase.”
It is susceptible of proof in our
own day, by the facts in the lives of
those who have conformed to the
tithing law that it pays even in
things temporal, as the Bible prom
ises. Why not then act upon it,
since we have as much and more for
ourselves here, and so much more
could be done for the cause of Christ
if his people would only obey.
Geo. E. Brewer. ?
Alexander City, Ala.
BAPTISIfOF - BELIEVERS ONLY.
'HENRY MCDONALD, D.D,
1. The truth of this is seen from
the commission of our Lord Jesus
Christ to his disciples for the evange
lization of the world. (Matt. 28: 19
20). This is the authority which jus
tifies and demands the observance of
baptism. Who then are to be bap
tized? Expressly those who are
“taught” and have believed in (Christ.
Here then we have the law of bap
tism as enjoined by Christ. This de
mands belief or trust in the Lord
Jesus, and equally demands that
those who believe shall be baptized.
If there is any law that requires others
than believers to be baptized, it must
be made equally clear. It must be
shown that this too has been author
ized by Christ, especially if it nulli
fies or even modifies the previously
expressed law. this ever been
done? The utter silence of Scripture
on this point should be conclusive
that such a law has never been given.
The only law on the subject there
fore is that believers, and only believ
ers, are to be baptized.
2. The practice of the apostles and
their co-laborers establishes the bap
tism of believers and only of believ
ers. How did these early evange
lists who received the commission
understand its doctrine in regard to
this question? Let the whole New
Testament answer. It is one and the
same everywhere. They that gladly
received the word were baptized.
Where ever the gospel was received
as the power of God unto salvation,
believers and only believers were bap
tized. Did they understand aright
the commission of their ascended
Lord? Examine the records of the
church and mission work of those
who baptized infants, full men
tion is made of such baptisms. .Such
modern records are very' unlike the
New Testament records in this res
pect. No matter how early are the
claims urged, no matter what fathers
or councils may allege, the practice
of the New Testament is forever giv
en against any other baptism than
that of a believer in Christ. The
baptism of the eunuch in the eighth
chapter of the Acts is in harmony
with the universal law. Philip was
divinely moved to leave the great
awakening in Samaria and follow the
desert traveler as he returned to his
far-off home. He found him reading
in Isaiah, undisturbed by any ques
tion as to its dual authorship, but
greatly interested in the burden of
its prophetic hopes—the coming One,
the glorious, mysterious sufferer. Is
Jesus of Nazareth he? He welcomed
with ready will the evangelist who
preached unto him, Jesus. The man
earnestly received Jesus, and was
willing then and there to confess him
as Lord and Christ, “and they went
down both into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and he baptized
him.”
3. The design of baptism demands
a believer as the subject. What
does baptism signify in its relation
of the baptized to Christ? Surely
this at least, that in being baptized
there is a confession of personal faith
in Christas having “died for our sins
and raised again for our justification,”
and that through faith in him we
have died to sin and been raised to
a new life. It is not only that a new
life is professed, but that this new
life is in the risen Christ. So certain
ly as faith in Christ is necessary to
discerning the Lord's body in the
Lord’s Supper, faith in Christ is as
necessary in discerning the risen Lord
in our baptism. That baptism has
this significance and symbolism is
abundantly taught in the New Testa
ment; therefore baptism requires this
internal grace of faith. The outward
act is the vesture in which the inward
and spiritual embodies and expresses
itself. Baptism without accompany
ing faith is not the baptism of Christ
and the apostles.
4. Believers’ baptism, according to
scriptural appointment and design,
tends to preserve the spirituality of
religion, conserves the integrity of
Christian doctrine, and the purity of
the churches. The changes from
this principle have led to manifold
perversions of the gospel. So far as
infanta become the subjects of bap
tism, believers’ baptism is denied and
Brother Minister,
Working Layman,
Zealous Sister,
TTe are striving to make
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VOL. 69.—N0. 35.
abrogated. If infant baptism uni.
versally prevailed, then the baptism
of believers would be entirely un
known, as in many of the State
churches of Europe.
As might be expected from such
a perversion, unscriptural theories of
the efficacy of baptism have sprung
up in connection with such a prac
tice. Dr. Hodge, in his “Systematic!
Theology,” uses this remarkable lan
guage: “Thoso parents sin grievous,
ly against the souls of their children
who neglect to consecrate them to'
God in the ordinance of baptism.
Do let the little ones have their names
written in the Lamb’s book of life,
even if they afterward choose to erase
them. Being thus enrolled may be
the means of their salvation.” Being
baptized in infancy, then, “is to have
their names written in the Lamb’s
book of life!” Dr. Shedd says: “Bap.
tism is the infallible sigh of regenera,
tion when the infant dies in infancy.
All baptized infanta dying before the
age of self-consciousness are regen.
erated without exception.” Such
language strongly suggests the effi
cacy of baptism in the salvation of
infants. These are men of renown ,
as American teachers of Protestant
theology, yet these quotations show
the strong hold which the supposed
efficacy of infant baptism had upon
them.
There is an incident in the life of I
Dr. J. R. Jeter (of blessed memory) ,
which is worthy of being preserved.
His mother was a member of a Bap.
tist church. When a boy he read
the record of the Ethiopian eunuch’s
conversion and baptism. It was new
to his young mind, and he felt as if
he had just discovered it for the first
time. In the joy of such unques
tioned support for his mother’s faith,
he sought her, crying out: “I have
found'it, I have found it; the Baptists
are right; here it is, here it is in the
eighth chapter of the Acts!” Long as.
terward, when he had spent many
successful years in preaching, on a
; bapi; .Meaauon udtTj'-ud this mci
de;,Vofhiß early iiivjtind said; “Breth
ren, I believe now, as I believed then,
the Baptists are right on this ques
tion.”—Baptist Teacher.
A biFofexperience.
Six years ago I was teaching a
primary class in a city school at a
salary of $45.00 per month which
was my sole income. I had a wid
owed mother depending on me for
support, so you can well imagine we
had no surplus after living-expenses
were paid, and two months when
there was no income.
I had been trying to give to the
Lords’ cause as I was prospered, but
found that I had but little to give
and oftentimes nothing. One day a
friend said to me that she gave the
tenth of her income to the Lord that
she was blessed in it and recommend*
ed me to try it. I said I could not
afford it, that I could scarcely make
ends meet, indeed I then owed more
than I was able to pay. If I could
get out of debt and get a little ahead
why then I might think of trying her
plan. No indeed I argued, we
should be just before we was gener
ous. Not knowing that I owed
God and should pay Him first.
How I came to be so ignorant on
the subject I can’t now imagine, as I
had been hearing sermons all my
life and had been in the Sunday*
school since I could remember. But
I could not see it as my friend did,
and pleaded as my excuse,
though I really did love my Saviour
and honestly wanted to do my whole
duty.
Some months after I got hold of
the pamphlet on “Christian Giving
or Pay What You Owe” by a Lay.
man.
I read it over and over and was
converted. I said “I will obey
the Lord and trust him for conse
quences.
At the end of the month when I
received my salary I took out 84.50,
the tenth and put it in a little box
called the Lord’s box, determining to
do the best I could with the remain,
ing 840.50. In a few months I was
out of debt and enabled to make
ends meet. Indeed, wonderful to
relate, the $40.50 seemed to go fur
ther than $45.00 had done before,
I was delighted for now I had
something to pay and could afford
it
I have never failed since to tithe
my income and am only sorry
that I was so long ignorant of my
duty.
I can testify that the Lord hM