"Dearly Beloved in the Lord: The present is a season of joy with you, and it is suitable to vent your pious emotions by every demonstration of gratitude and thanksgiving. I do rejoice with you in view of what God hath wrought, yea, and I will rejoice. But though this is the case, I cannot look upon your present condition and future prospects but with trembling solicitude. Your obligations as Christians and as churches have been immeasurably increased during the past year. A weight of responsibility has been taken from you, which you have never before sustained. You have taken it - and God has given it - the vows of God and all the duties and obligations of the churches of Jesus Christ. The great design of God in planting His church in this dark world is, first, the edification and improvement in holiness of its own members; and secondly, through their instrumentality to enlighten and save those who are dead in trespasses and sins. 'Ye are the light of the world.' 'Let your light so shine before men that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father who is in heaven.' And what the church of God is to the world generally, He has designed every particular branch of His church to be to the particular community in which it is located - to be blessed, and under God, to bless. For this double purpose, God has caused you, my brethren, to be gathered into churches. To answer this design, ye have entered into a holy covenant with God and with one another. The eyes of God and the churches of our mother land, of this nation and of the world, are fastened upon you, to see if you would fulfil your vows - if ye will answer the purpose of God. Yourorganization as churches and as associations has not been hid. What you have done has not been done in a corner. No; the intelligence of it is now going forth to every part of the Christian world. Already has prayer gone up for you in Europe, in Asia, and in some of the islands of the sea.
"The expectations of Christians throughout the world, and of angels, have been raised by us, and I doubt not but the fears of infidels and of Satan have been excited. Brethren, we stand upon solemn ground. We have received a trust of infinite value. Are we prepared to fulfil the design of God - to answer the expectations of Christians and of angels? Let us look for a moment at our qualifications for this great and glorious work. Some of us, it is true, have been members of the church of Christ for years, but still it is to be feared that we have progressed but a short distance in the narrow way. Our attainments in holiness and in divine knowledge are small. We, as yet, are but babes in Christ. Passion and sinful habit and the world have been but partially crucified. Many of our members have been but recently restored from a protracted course of backsliding, in which, by example and precept, we inflicted such a wound on the cause of our Redeemer as is even now but partially healed. The influence of former sins and habits is still lurking about our hearts, ready to draw them away from God again. And again, a very great majority of our number have been but recently converted. They are babes in Christ, young and tender, and, like young plants, are peculiarly exposed to injury and danger. While in the judgment of charity there must be others of our number whose hearts have never been changed by the Spirit of God, who have been induced to connect themselves with our churches by the power of sympathy and the persuasions of misguided brethren. And besides, we were all but as yesterday as strangers to each other, having come from different sections of the country, and having brought with us different opinions and prejudices. Our ministers, too, are few in number: they are young and inexperienced in the great work of the pastoral office. With these qualifications, with this great amount of weakness and inexperience, are we prepared to answer the design of God? Are we not, on the contrary, exposed to great evils, to the deceptive acts of false teachers, to suffer from internal divisions and party strifes? Are not the gifts and graces of the young members of our churches liable to wither and languish for want of care and nutrition? These, brethren, are some of the evils which we have reason to fear; and they are evils which it seems to me are sure to come upon us, unless prevented by the power of God's Spirit. But if God shall be on our side, then all these evils will vanish. Through God the Psalmist could leap over a wall and run-through a troop, and through Christ, Paul declares that he can do all things.
"How, then, are these babes in Christ to be made strong, these wanderers retained at their Father's house, the deceived to be enlightened, all these differences in education and habit removed, and all the members of our different bodies be brought into harmonious and vigorous action, and thus occupy that elevated Christian stand which God has designed for His earthly church? If God be for us, we shall accomplish all this. We shall let our light shine, and so let it shine that men shall see our good works, etc. All our dependence, then, is on God. Through Him we shall overcome every evil; through Him we may accomplish all the good which He has designed. Let us then, brethren, cultivate the spirit of prayer and the habit of daily seeking our duty in His Word. It is prayer that brings the church directly under the full blaze of the Sun of Righteousness. It is prayer that brings down those rays into the heart of the church in a vertical direction. It is in the exercise of heartfelt, agonizing prayer that the sympathies, feelings and Spirit of God are infused into the soul, and that she is changed into His image from glory to glory. It is at the mercy seat of God that all the graces of the church grow fat and strong and energetic. It is in the answer to prayer that the Holy Spirit is sent down. Your Heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him, etc.
"Here is the place where old Christians, Bible in hand, acquire the nerve and energy of young men, where differences are lost, and where souls, naturally and from education alike are brought into the sweetest and most delightful fellowship. Here love and mercy and forgiveness reign.
"In order, then, to cultivate this spirit of prayer, be found often in your closets, often before your family altars; but in order to realize more fully the blessings which are found in prayer, let me entreat you often to meet and pray together. And here let me remark that it is of the first importance, at such times, to draw out the young members of the church in this holy duty. I know that there will be weakness, diffidence and brokenness of language in these cases, just as there are with young children when beginning to talk, but the parent can understand the little child, so can the brothers and sisters; and what delight do the first prattlings of the little creatures give to the whole family, so do the broken prayers of the young convert and of the restored prodigal delight the heart of the Father of mercies and those of His children. And if this habit is not formed with the young Christian, it will probably never be formed; but if it is formed then, it will probably continue through life. Thus take those members of our churches who commenced taking a part in prayer and exhortation when they began the service of God, and who were encouraged thus to do during the infancy of their religious life, and you will find them ready to stand in their lot now; but how few who did not engage in these duties then are prepared to do it now! Think for a moment of the edification and comfort to be found in a church where every brother is prepared to speak and pray. This is a happy church where fervent prayer is cultivated, and the happiest where there is the most prayer. That is a united church where prayer prevails, and the most harmonious where there is the most prayer, but the Word of God, its diligent study connected with prayer, prepares the heart to feel right. The study of God's Word prepares the soul to know what is right. The study of God's Word prepares the heart for prayer, and prayer prepares the mind for the study of God's Word. A church composed of students of the Bible and suppliants at the throne, of grace will grow in every Christian grace; they will know more and more of Christ and duty; they will reflect the image of Christ upon those around them. Such a church will be united; such a church will be an unhappy place for deceivers or deceived persons; such a church God will bless; with such a church the Holy Spirit will take up His abode. Let the habit of cultivating a fervent spirit of prayer be maintained by you, connected with that of the diligent study of God's Word. Then God will be with you, as truly as He was with His ancient people.
"And if God is with you, you will answer His design. Let me also entreat you to maintain the habit of great watchfulness over one another. Watch over one another for good; and particularly is this important with the young members of the church. How often might a brother or sister be saved from a protracted course of backsliding by a few tender admonitions, a little kindness, and a little judicious instruction I But in order to know when to give this instruction and admonition, you must watch over one another - keep the most constant care over one another. This will save them from apostasy; this course will also lead to most important discoveries. By maintaining this spirit of prayer, and the study of God's Word, and this constant care over one another you will know the mind of the Spirit with reference to your brethren; you will be enabled to draw out those gifts of the church which might otherwise be concealed; you may be enabled to know whom God has called to preach His gospel, and to draw them out and lead them into the field: but no less essential is a spirit of forbearance. We have all our peculiar sins, peculiar weaknesses and prejudices and errors. No Christian is perfect, yet all of us have our own standard, and the general feeling is that all others are wrong, and we are right. But, brethren, we must not do this; there are many things which we must bear with one another. We must overlook a great deal, forgive a great deal and bear a great deal as burdens. This is what Christ has to do with us. We must thus forbear, or our union and usefulness will be broken.
"Let us be careful in admitting members into our churches. A real Christian cannot be injured by being kept out of the church a few weeks; he will not love the church less; but a deceived individual, or a hypocrite, may be and will be a great injury to the church. Brethren, be careful, I entreat of you, about receiving members. Israel could not be blessed while an Achan was in camp; neither can the churches of Christ be blessed with ungodly men in them. Be on your guard against men who profess to be ministers of Christ. Satisfy yourselves that such are the ministers of Christ, then receive them. But if any come who cannot give the most satisfactory evidence that he is the minister of Jesus, receive him not, know him not. Lay hands suddenly on no man.
"Finally, brethren, seek to be such a people as God will bless, and strive for the attainment of the great objects of your high calling; and may the Spirit of God keep you and preserve you from all evil, and at last present you spotless and blameless at His own right hand. "In the gospel of Jesus, JAMES HUCKINS." [From J. M. Carroll, A.M., D.D., A History of Texas Baptists, Comprising a Detailed Account of Their Activities, Their Progress and Their Achievements, Edited by J. B. Cranfill, LL.D., 1923, pp. 297-301. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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