AN ADDRESS

Dear Readers and Friends:—In sending forth this issue we commence the fourth year of this publication. And in meditating upon this matter we are obliged to bow before our Supreme Ruler in humility to bless Him for His sustaining grace thus far in this work. And we beg Him to guide us in the future. It must all come from Him. To lift high the banner of truth is the work of the Spirit of God and without His influence and unction we can do nothing.

We would employ this opportunity to impress upon the minds of all who have been taught by the Spirit how to pray, to implore God’s aid and direction on our behalf so that the Truth may be lifted on high to the edification of His Church, and the salvation of sinners. The Lord requires of us to work, but, He also enjoins prayer thereunto. May He teach our hands to work and our hearts to pray, unto His Glory and the advancement of His kingdom here below.

Looking back over the past three years let us inquire as to what profit we have derived from these lines each month. Have there been any ears of corn dropped on purpose? If so my beloved, then fall on thy face, and bow thyself to the ground at the feet of Boaz, as Ruth did; exclaiming: “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” It had been commanded of Boaz to his servants for Ruth: “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her.” So then, beloved, ascribe all the honor, praise and glory to Boaz. And has Boaz shown you such favor, dear reader, surely he will also promise you redemption as he did to Ruth. See how Boaz redeemed Ruth. She had but to “sit still” and watch him closely. Be patient, watch and pray. Boaz will finish the work himself. Did not your spiritual Boaz purchase you, beloved, with his own precious blood? Did not he redeem thee with the sacrifice of his own body upon the cross? And deliver thee from death by entering the grave himself and rising the third day? After which he ascended on high and now sitteth at the right hand of God? And does he not now govern his church from thence as a mighty King of kings and Lord of lords? Can you deny that you are not looking for him to come unto you to marry you and make you his own dearly beloved wife? Oh, may he keep thee ever longing and looking for his coming in the clouds of heaven. Oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be. May the Lord direct the publication to that end.

But unto you, my dear readers, who do not know by experience, in your soul, through the operations of the Holy Ghost, anything of this Boaz and Ruth, we ask you: what then have these lines profited you for the past three years? Are you still unconcerned and ignorant of these truths? The day is coming when you will have to bid farewell to this world and enter into the eternal world. What then? Where will you spend eternity? If it had been your lot to be snatched in the twinkling of an eye from this life into eternity, as was the sad and pitiful lot of so many hundreds of your fellow-mortals in Texas, and in every other State of our United States of America, as well as in all other parts of the world, where would you have been now? All who die as they are born perish eternally, for Christ himself, says so: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Do you now ask: how can any one be born again? “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” This birth is from above; it is heavenly; it is spiritual. It is a birth that is effected by the Spirit of God within the heart of sinful man, even as in Lydia, Acts 16:14. And it is an irresistable power which enlightens the understanding of men to know God; and their own damnable condition; and Jesus in His preciousness. It is a drawing power of God whereby He draws the sinner unto Himself through Jesus Christ. It is indeed a new creation of God in the heart of the sinner which creation lives unto God. And so the sinner retains his old nature of sin in his bosom, but there is also a new nature implanted within him which sinneth not. And so sinners are prepared in this life for eternal glory. This experience is essential jnto our salvation. No man can be saved without it. May God graciously bless this publication to your hearts my unconverted and unregenerated readers. May God the Spirit quicken you to repentence and a turning away from evil unto Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Many, perhaps are the number of hypocrites among our readers and to you we raise high this banner of truth, “Woe unto you, ye hypocrites! ye shall receive the greater damnation! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” O, may Jesus cause thee to look within thine own heart and see the abominations of desolations that dwell there. And cause you to flee from the wrath to come.

Parents, remember your obligations to God relative to your children. Oh bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Remember well, God requires this of you. Not to bring them up in any one language but in the fear of the Lord. Teaching them the first principles of the Word of God. For in heaven there shall not be any different languages spoken. It will all be one glorious song forever and forever; glory to the Lamb that was slain for the remission of sin. Oh, dear parents, teach your dear children concerning those eternal things. Set before them the Lamb of God, but not the language. Oh remember, the Prince of darkness is rejoicing over our poor ignorant and dumb children who are being nourished with ten thousand words in an unknown tongue, because they understand not what thou sayest. Is it not better to speak only five words which they understand? even as the Apostle Paul teaches you in 1 Corinthians 14:19, 23, 27 and 28; wherefore, beloved covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. Therefore, parents, instruct or cause to be instructed your dear children in the Word of God, in the language which they understand. Let not the devil hold them in such gross ignorance any longer. Break those bands, chains and fetters.

Children and youthful readers, many are the dangers and temptations that beset you in these days. Cleave to the truth, forsake the error of your ways for God requires this of you, having a proper and just claim upon you. Although you cannot do so of yourself, nevertheless, you are in duty bound to God and cannot escape this law with its requirements. The first thing required is to repent, and to turn from your evil ways unto Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law. He satisfied God’s just claims and so he has opened a new and living way for sinners by the offering of Himself upon the cross. Do not offer any excuses. You can as easily go to church as you can to the theatre, or ball games, or amusements, or following the styles of the world in hair bobbing and painted faces, etc., etc. You all, who have sound minds, know that you never bow your knees to God and ask him for special grace to bring you to the wrong places and to do the wrong things. And you know they are wrong because your conscience tells you so. Well then, will you now hesitate to forsake them and demand of God a special grace to enable you to do so, and that in spite of your open conscience? Well, say you, I cannot work that of myself, that’s God’s work. Yes it is! But, is not God daily working a knowledge of those things before your very eyes in His common grace dealings with you? And, does not God call to you in His Word externally to leave those ways of sin and iniquity? Does He not give you plenty of examples in His Word of all such people who harden themselves against His warnings? Does He not warn you through your parents? Do not they set the right from the wrong before you? Well, then, who are you going to blame now? God or yourself? Whose fault is it that your life is so spiritless? Can God overlook all these sins? No, He cannot! He will visit for all these iniquities. Oh, may He open your blind eyes and unstop your deaf ears, that you might yet hear His voice pleading with you in mercy: “turn ye, turn ye, O ye ends of the earth, unto the Lord your God, for I am God and there is none else.”

What a changing scene is our life, dear friends. Our bodies and minds the world and all it concerns; religion in all its phases, is ever-changing. But of One may we at all times say there is no change:—God, and all that pertains to Him; his Word, grace, salvation, purposes, etc. O may we be favored with an interest in this unchangeable God!

Concerning ourselves as a nation, and the nations of the earth generally, what can we say? All is confusion, arrogance, subtlety, pride, envy, rebellion and uprising in every one’s heart, mind, and actions, and every evil work raging in the minds of the people, from our President to our lowest classes of people, and Communism with all its sisters and brothers surrounding it are fast spreading their seed and taking root under ground threatening to break out ere long, if God prevent it not, in one general and widespread conflagration. Where can justice be obtained in our days in the government or political, as well as in the social, commercial or business, and religious world? There is no fear of God to be found any more in general. Where are the old established sound principles put into practice either in church or state? See how organizations of every kind are springing up without any consideration for God and his Word. O people, O government, O rulers, O authorities, woe be unto us as a nation because we so forsake God and His Word. Better would it have been never to be born than to live on in such ungodliness as we now do in our days. O consider our doings and may we yet turn in repentence to the sovereign Ruler of all nations and kings—God! O let us bow before his judgments while he is yet a merciful and gracious God for soon he will come as an angry Judge and a devouring fire unto us and our dear loved ones. Then he will destroy us from off the face of the earth. O ministers of the gospel, you who are feasting and playing instruments of music for enjoyment in these evil times. Beware! Beware! for you are adding bitterness and gall to your damnation. Leading the people blind-folded to hell will be an awful reckoning for you. Turn ye, O turn, ye hypocrites, and blind leaders; forsake your evil ways and beg mercy and truth for yourselves and our people. O people cleave fast to God’s most Holy unerring Word. Search it constantly and prayerfully; looking unto Jesus to make it plain to you by the Holy Spirit. O ye masters be faithful to your servants and laborers, for you must give an account unto God of all your doings. Do you give them reasons for rebellion it is then your sin and God will punish you either in this life or in the life to come. O servants, and workmen, be faithful to your masters even though they may prove unfaithful to you. Do not rise up against them and fight for your so-called rights. Nay, but rather go into your closets and tell God and ask him to help you. He is able and he is willing. Vengeance belongeth to him; he will repay every unfaithful master but he likewise will pnuish every unfaithful servant that rebels against his master. Organized labor will not help you as much as evil men may so paint the picture before you. But, even that they never do; for they frame it behind your backs and then present it to you and you bow to it, for it is truly a beautiful piece of work. But, beware of it for it is an idol god; and shortly it will ruin our nation. Why all these drastic hasty changes? Why forsake the good counsel of the old men and really wise experienced fathers? Why so many empty churches and so much merging of churches? Why all these evil conditions in the churches; such as: refusing to submit to discipline, inattentiveness, remisness, backbiting, tale-bearing, hatred amongst the brethren, the rod of correction no longer administered upon the children as Solomon teaches to be so essential in driving out the foolishness from their hearts? And where shall we end? All this because we have forsaken the law of God in church, state, schools, homes, shops, business, and everywhere. The answer is found in 2 Chronicles 10 with the bitter results that are to follow very shortly.

We have already as a nation applied to our President for relief, deliverance, employment, and a more prosperous living. And he has taken counsel with, but also has refused, the old men’s good counsel and is now treading his own paths. Woe be unto us, therefore. There will soon be a revolting amongst us, if God prevent it not. Have there been some yokes removed; and some whips laid aside? Yes, it may be viewed in that light; but have we not scorpions in their places? Yes, we have, therefore we are worse off now than ever before.

Well, you may say, what shall we do about it. My friends, there is ever only one thing to be done in such evil times as these, where hardness of heart has so affected every one, and that thing is: for us to forsake our sinful ways and practices, repent in sackcloth, as a Niniveh, Rulers and every one by special command, making it nation wide, to acknowledge our sins before God and implore or seek his mercy, aid and counsel. For, remember this: “is there evil in a city, and hath not the Lord done it?” Indeed so, see the 15th verse of the aforementioned chapter, where we read: “the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake; etc.” Not that God is the author of sin, indeed not; but he rewardeth every one according to his works be they good or evil. And as our works have been and are evil, we are reaping our just reward. And woe to those who are unprepared to meet God as the Supreme Ruler and Righteous Judge; they all shall be consumed in the lake burning with fire and brimstone in the world without end. But as for those who have by grace, found a shelter and refuge under the overshadowing wings of mercy by God, in Christ Jesus, they may be filled with thoughts of horror, dread, and fear at such times of judgment, but finally by grace they shall be more than conquerors for they shall reign over their enemies with Christ in all eternity in everlasting peace, serenity, love, joy, and happiness; and will never more be disturbed by troublesome times nor besetting sins within and without. May God bless and prosper us with His Word and Spirit.

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