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CIRCULAR LETTER.
Campbell County (KY) Baptist Association, 1853
      Dear brethren and sisters: - Having been graciously preserved, by our Heavenly Father, and blessed with one more interview with our brethren in Christ, we now address you according to out time-honored custom, in a Circular Letter.

      Many of our former Letters have been written on subjects of thrilling interest to the believer in Christ. Often have many of our hearts been made to breathe a hearty Amen to the doctrines, admonitions to duty, &c., continued in them; and now, dear brethren, after having had twenty-five Circular Letters, written and approved by our Association, circulated and read by all of us, would it not be a good work, and time well spent, to review the ground already occupied, as far as we have the means to do so, and inquire of ourselves how much of those holy principles have we treasured up in our hearts, and put to practice in our lives; remembering that it is not the hearers of the word but the doers of the work that have this promise of the blessing. We may learn an important lesson on this subject in the infallible rule, the word of God, which should always govern our lives, and be food to our immortal spirits. Remember the parable of the distribution of the talents, and the reckoning that took place afterwards. In this we learn the great Redeemer, the Head of the Church, requires us to labor for him, improve the graces given, render an account not only of the talent, but its interest, or improvement. We believe it better to know but little, and make good use of what we do know, than to know much and put it so a bad use.

     The last Circular Letter was written on the subject of watchfulness - a subject that we might often meditate on with interest and profit, self being a dangerous foe to grace, and the tongue a very unruly member. Watchfulness is very necessary over these. We are not to think too highly of ourselves, but esteem others better than ourselves. The cultivation of this spirit produces a good effect in society. Experience has long since taught us how natural it is for us to speak well of those we esteem better than ourselves, and how pleasant it is for those filled with this spirit to live together us brethren and neighbors. Then watch. Experience has also taught us, long since, how


easy it is if we suffer our tongue to speak evil of each other, to beget a spirit of hatred, and when hatred is cultivated, we sometimes see those who once esteemed each other better than themselves, act and talk as though nothing good had ever been seen in each other. Dear brethren, let us watch.

      God has commanded us to love each other, to be helpers of each other's joy; and many, very many other plain, simple requisitions are left us in the precious holy word of God, that would do great good, and yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness, if we would only watch, and put to practice what we know. It is certainly necessary for us to be faithful to him who has bought us with his own precious blood. And we well know we cannot be faithful to him unless we are faithful to each other. Sometimes professors of religion get out of humor with each other and neglect even the glorious privileges of the sanctuary because all is not as they think it ought to be in others, thus treating their Maker as they do those they consider their enemies. Brethren, dearly beloved, is this right? Watch. The neglect of the house of worship is a great sin. Is there an individual brother or sister that does not know this? We think not. Then let us watch, and be sober, be faithful to our heavenly Father, and we will be sure to be faithful to each other. Amen.

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[From Campbell County (KY) Baptist Association Minutes, 1853, pp. 4-5; via a photocopy at the Campbell County Historical Society Library, Alexandria, KY. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]



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