66 SIGNS OF

THE

THE TIMES,

(ESTABLISHED 1832.)

DEVOTED TO THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST CAUSE,

PUBLISHED THE FIRST AND FIFTEENTH OF EACH MONTH.
AT TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.

99

BY GILBERT BEEBE'S SON, MIDDLETOWN, ORANGE CO., NEW YORK, To Whom all letters should be addressed, and money orders made payable.

EDITORS:

F. A. Chick, Hopewell, N. J.

ORUDEN'S COMPLETE (STUDENT'S EDITION) CONCORDANCE

TO THE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS,

(Which enables any one to readily find any passage of Scripture of which they can call to mind two or three words.) With a Complete Table of Proper Names, with their meanings in the Original Languages, a Concordance to the Proper Names of the Old And New Testaments, a Concordance to the Apocrypha, and a Compendium of the Holy Scriptures, &c.

The above described book of 719 pages 6x9 inches, we will mail postage paid for one dollar and ifty cents; or

B. L. Beebe, Middletown, N. Y.

PICTORIAL

HISTORY

OF THE

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

DEVOTED TO THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST CAUSE.

"THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON."

VOL. 65. MIDDLETOWN, N. Y., NOVEMBER 15, 1897. NO. 22.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Affectionately your little brother and sister, whom God hath blessed with like precious faith and hope in Christ, our Surety.

221 KING ST., WILMINGTON, Del., June 8, 1897. EDITORS OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIMESDEAR BRETHREN:-We send you the ac- MR. AND MRS. C. W. HAMILTON. companying letter for you to do with as [WE gladly comply with the request of your minds may be directed. The im- brother and sister Hamilton, with regard pression upon our minds that it should to the letter from brother Bradbeer. But be shared by the people of God who are as much of it related to matters which readers of the SIGNS, is strong, and now were personal, we have selected such porthat we have forwarded this dear old tions as seemed to us of more general infellow pilgrim's remarkable and comfort-terest. The letter was a very lengthy ing message, we shall feel relieved. We one, and we felt compelled to omit the are content in believing that if it is the more personal parts of it. We trust that will of God to comfort his dear, tried both brother and sister Hamilton, and people, through brother Bradbeer's letter brother Bradbeer, will appreciate our moappearing in the SIGNS, the Lord will tive. The letter is full of evidences of make it plain to you; and if it is not so the Lord's gracious dealings with the dear impressed upon you, we know that in his old brother who has written it.-ED.] wisdom there is a different purpose for the letter to fulfill. For verily God knoweth and directeth all things, to the DEAR BROTHER HAMILTON:-It is two end that he may show to his own sheep, years last January since I last wrote you, his wonderful loving-kindness and tender and it was a year ago last August since I mercy. We believe that the Lord directs received your kind letter. I began a letour minds in harmony, for our comfort in ter to you a year ago, but through bitter affliction, our instruction in righteous-conflicts, and darkness of mind, I never ness, and peace in the gospel, which finished it. You will have concluded makes us free. Blessed and magnified that the Lord has called me home, or that be his name forever. I have forgotten you, but you see that it

GARDNER, Ill., April 13, 1897.

there is no way to that wealthy place, or to the exceeding riches of the grace of God, but through the fire and water.Psalm 1xvi. 12. And what a mercy to thus feel and know,

That all around our souls give way,

None but

is neither. My daughter has often spoken the blood of the Lamb, and the word of of you, and reminded me of my neglect. the testimony. I have concluded that I have written much to others, and am ashamed of myself for leaving you so long unanswered. One reason is that I am afraid that you praised me and my last scribble too much. O, dear brother, if you could look into my heart, and see And Christ is all our strength and stay. what a dark, ignorant, unbelieving, murmuring, rebellious, filthy scum of the O, what is the world, and life, and earth I feel myself to be, you would con- knowledge, and gifts, and profession, and clude as I do, that I am unworthy to wipe standing in the church? When the overthe dust from the shoes of the meanest of flowing scourge comes, all, all comes to the Lord's favored family. Well, dear nothing. Christ then is the Refuge, brother, you might be ready to conclude Christ the Rock, Christ the Surety, the that because it is now over fifty years Deliverer, the Sacrifice, the High Priest, since the Lord called me by his rich, free, the Intercessor, the all in all. all-powerful, sovereign grace, and has en-Jesus, none but Jesus, can stand the abled me to write and speak at times brunt of the storm, and none but those words of comfort to his dear, tried ones, that my strongest trials are long since overpast, and that now I can walk on the delectable mountains, and look into the land of Beulah, without doubt, conflict or sorrow. But it has seemed to me that the fight and struggle of the last two years has been more severe than ever. Where is the wood, hay and stubble now? Where is anything of the very best that I ever said or did, to build on, even as an evidence that I am one of them? I have had to sigh and cry, toss in bed for hours at night, and groan by day, while the charges of the accuser of the brethren came thick and fast. Conscience bore witness to the truth of it all. Often the And show them the depth of their sin. blood of the covenant, the grace, the Poured from vessel to vessel; melted promise, all seemed gone. I do not know in the furnace; chastened every morning. that it would help you, or any tried, weak Ah, he loves his own too well to let them one, to enter into the particulars; but it settle upon their lees. I have been going has appeared to me that there is no dark on about my trials and conflicts, but they soul trial, or deep exercise of mind, that are as nothing to what many of the Lord's I ever heard or read about, that I have dear ones have passed through. But not tasted of. But O, my brother, it has tribulation more or less all the children been victory, victory, victory, through must have. "And as thy days, thy

whose sole and entire standing is upon him shall stand also. "Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand." This you see is one that is weak in the faith.-Romans xiv. Was ever any one weaker in the faith than I so often feel myself to be? But he giveth power to the faint, and unto them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Now to look back over the way, would I choose one trial less? (and I have had some heavy temporal trials as well.) No; he has led me by the right way to a city

of habitation.

A thorn in the flesh they must have,
Their roving affections to win;
To teach them how Jesus can save,

strength shall be." He will try them, and prove them, to do them good at the latter end.

Christ, and things divine. It put me in
mind of the Lord's poor in England,
where many of them suffered want and
privation, of which I and mine had a
share. I have known what it was to be
cold, wet and hungry, and half clad, and
work hard, from eight years old, when I
first lived out to herd cattle upon the
hills. But even then the Lord led me to
commit to memory Scriptures and hymns.
Americans know nothing about life in
the old country.
this without intending it. I began to tell
you about the spirituality of the poor of
the flock, who did not know where to go
for their next meal. They had few tem-

I have got to writing

In my journey around in Nebraska and Kansas, I never saw such a sad scene. Some had not raised a crop for three At a meeting which I attended not years; yet I heard but little complaint. long since, in Nebraska, a young brother The people were patient and hopeful. said that he wished to ask me some ques-At the meetings there was hardly a word tions about what Baptists believed and about worldly things, unless I asked preached. Well, he just touched the questions. The conversation was about right subject to stir me up. I have been in contact with them since seven years of age, and have had more opportunities than many to learn the depths of abomination in antichrist, and have proved them. I have quite a library upon antichrist, from the Pope of Rome, to the lowest Arminian sprinkler. All Freewillers belong to that class. I could write a week upon that theme, but must stop. I talked with this dear young brother a good part of the night. Some time after I lay down I was taken very ill. The brethren and sisters were alarmed, and thought that I would die. They wanted to drive over thirty miles after my daughter, but I would not let them. I told them that Iporal comforts. Their joys, pleasures had no impression that the Lord was going to take me home yet. So I inquired of him. I felt that if it was his will, I would like to get back to my folks. Nothing troubled me. When I prayed about it, the first word was, "He that hath shown thee great and sore troubles, shall bring thee back again from the gates of death." I felt that this was I have written these pages to you to enough, but another came, "Thou shalt show a little of the long-suffering, forvisit thy habitation in peace." I told the bearance, love, mercy, kindness and grace dear Lord I was satisfied. Then he gave of the ever-to-be-adored Savior, to a vile, me this, "I will bless thy going out and unworthy old sinner. What is the wealth thy coming in from henceforth, forever." of this world, as seen from the borders of Then I called the brethren, and told them the grave, in the light of eternity? "A about it. I was raised up, and spared to little that a righteous man hath is better get home on Monday. So you see the than the riches of many wicked." "God promise was fulfilled. I was very weak hath chosen the poor of this world, rich and sick for some time, and could not at- in faith, and heirs of the kingdom." at-in tend any more meetings of the brethren. "This is an inheritance, incorruptible, un

and comforts, came from things unseen, beyond this world and time, where neither eye nor ear hath been, nor thought of sinners climed. If you have ever seen any of Gadsby's, Philpot's, Warburton's, Rusk's, and others' writings, and the Gospel Standard, you know something of what I write.

"All I think they would be interesting at least to some of your readers in this country. Your little brother in hope,

defiled, and that fadeth not away."
things are yours, whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life,
or death, all are yours, and ye are Christ's,
and Christ is God's." These are the true
riches, and the true righteousness.
lived out among the rich in England for
many years. We know something of
what the carnal heart is; and when the
means exist to gratify its corrupt pas-
sions, to what length does it go. O the
depths of sin that I have seen among
them; and sin brings sickness, misery,
horror and death.

"That love was great, that mercy free,
Which from the pit delivered me.

H. B. JONES.

GRANDCANE, La., April 22, 1897.

ELDER H. B. JONES-DEAR BROTHER: -I am seated to answer your dear instructive and comforting letter, which I received by due mail. It was a feast of fat things to a poor, hungry soul. I am so glad that you have remembered me. Hungry and unworthy as I am, it done my soul good, and I read it over and over, and pondered the truth, and thanked God, and you, too. I believe gospel preaching is scarce these days, and I believe God's ministers are few. It seems it was that way in Elijah's day, and Baal's prophets were many. I am so glad you set forth the true church in its scriptural order. What you said about the Primitive Baptists separating from the New School, done me good, for I believed all the time that God's people were a separate people from the nations around them, and always will be, and that the kingdom of God shall stand forever, as is said in the

He loved me of old, and he loveth me still; Before the creation he gave me by will, A portion far richer than Indies of gold, Which cannot be wasted, nor mortgaged, nor sold." Well, brother Hamilton, I have given you a mixture, but I have lived to record some of the goodness of our heavenly Father in his care over me, according to his truth and faithfulness. Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Ghost, is the prayer of an old fellow pilgrim. Yours in the bonds of a precious book of Daniel, and that the gates of hell Savior,

S. BRADBEER.

shall not prevail against it. I believe this, whether I am one of his or not. I know God's word is truth, eternal truth. I hope I believe this with all my heart, what the Lord doeth, he doeth it forever. All things were finished from the beginning. The SIGNS is meat and drink to my poor, hungry soul. I believe the doctrine it sets forth, and I believe the doctrine it sets forth is the doctrine of God and the apostles, whether I am a child or not. I believe the image (sinner) is of the beast, for you have showed it so

HORACE, Texas, Oct. 23, 1897. DEAR BROTHER BEEBE:-I have a couple of letters from an aged sister who lives in Louisiana. She learned the first she knew of the Old School Baptist order, through the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, although she was one in sentiment for years before this, it seems. I have thought that these letters might be interesting matter for the SIGNS. I send them to you, also my answer to one of them. If plain. I am so glad you wrote to me you think them suitable, and have the about it, unworthy as I feel I am. time to copy and prepare for the press, I am strengthened, and can see and un

I feel