The North Bend Association of Baptists held at Sand Run meeting house in Boon county the 3rd Friday in August, 1822 to the several churches composing the said association.BELOVED BRETHREN,
BY the good providence of God, we have been kept and supported until now, and enabled to meet together and fulfill our appointment with satisfaction and delight, our meeting has been conducted with good order; and much peace and harmony seems to abound amongst us. According to the information received from the several Churches & Corresponding Associations, they appear generally to experience at this time a cold and barren season in Religious matters; never- theless, there are a few exceptions, to this general complaint, a very pleasing account is given us of warm and delightful revivals of religion and a goodly number is added by Baptism in some of the churches, which ought to fill our hearts with thanksgiving and gratitude to GOD.Dear Brethren, we are somewhat at a loss at this time, on what particular subject to address you, a very few observations will therefore suffice:
Let us examine ourselves and endeavor to understand something of the great obligations we are under to the great author of all good, and how we have fulfilled those obligations; do we sufficiently estimate and esteem the many and great blessings we have and do enjoy? Blessings that have been so common and familiar to the most of us, that we are ready, perhaps, many times, to forget from whence they have been flown. The free excercise of our liberties, both civil and religious; a bountiful supply of the necessities of life, a preached gospel, published in every quarter of our country, plain and simple, suited to all classes of men, and free of expense; these are some of the invaluable blessings we enjoy, and which flow from the hand of God; and ought not our hearts to be filled with thanksgiving and gratitude to him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift; but notwith-standing all those blessings, have not our comforts in them of late been mingled with sorrow? [H]ath not God in a considerable degree entered into judgment with us? [H]as he not sorely afflicted the inhabitants of our land with pestilence and death? [H]ow many of our brethren, friends and acquaintances have been made to suffer and mourn on beds of affliction? [A]nd many of them taken from the stage of action, and carried to witness the realities of another world; these are serious considerations, that ought to humble us down under the mighty hand of God, and cause us earnestly to implore his mercy to assist and enable us to trust in him, and be ready ourselves to meet every dispensation of his Divine providence, with a calm and serene mind.
- DEAR BRETHREN, WE commend you to God and an earnest perusal of his word, which is able to teach and instruct you much more and much better than any thing we are able to write -
Brethren Farewell.MOSES SCOTT, Moderator. Attest, ABSALOM GRAVES, Clerk. ================ [Taken from Northbend Baptist Association Minutes, 1822. The grammar and spelling are unchanged except where [ ] are used. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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