Beloved Brethren, Fathers and Kind Friends: --In love and fear I desire to give some of my humble convictions on the subject for your prayerful consideration.

Except the words "Jesus" and "mother" duty ranks with the noblest words in our lan­guage and involves the noblest and most benevolent deeds. Jesus has set us the example of duty. He says, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ?" Jno. xviii. 11. Again, it is written, "Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Eph. v. 25. Therefore, "Hus­bands love your wives and be not bitter against them," and thus constrain or rule them by love. Sister, it is your duty to love, and in what is fit or right to obey your husband and so encourage your children to obedience. Thus, you will bring happiness to yourself and to your family. O, parents will you have your children be an honor to you and of use to the world? Then do not neglect your very necessary duty, to train them up to honesty, to virtue and to industry. And dear children, young and old, it is our duty to honor and obey our parents that we may be honorable citizens, obedient to our laws and re­ceive the blessings of God. In short, it is the duty of all men to do perfectly right.

And here let me humbly say as a little chi]d, surely it is the duty of the gospel preacher to preach the gospel, and that without charge, wherever God in His providence gives a door of utterance, And it appears from the scriptures that even if a church fails to give, yet from love he should preach to them the gospel in it full­ness, Without hinting that money should be given to himself or that he should have pay for his time. I love to hear our ministers exhort the churches sometimes to give of this world's goods to their pastors and to others as they real­ly need; but I love also for them to feel with the apostle; "Neither that it should be done unto me." Dear ministers of Jesus; go on and preach "the unsearchable riches of Christ" as the only way of salvation, avoiding philosophy or all the­ories of human reason. Go relying alone on the promise of God, "Verily thou shalt be fed," and though like Jesus you have not where to lay your head, though you may truly say with the apostle, "Silver and gold have I none," yet God’s promise is true--you shall never starve. My brethren, we believe it is the duty of the divine­ly called and sent minister of Jesus to preach the gospel, whether there is a dollar given him or not. And like the apostle he should work with his own hands to supply the needs of him­self and family, to be an example to believers, and to lessen the quantity to be supplied by the church. On the other hand it is certainly the duty of the church, specially of his membership, to give to the humble gospel preacher, as he and those who depend on him may have need,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  it reaches the heart; and the members are so edified in love that they contribute liberally to the preacher's necessity and sometimes even more than is needed. God's love makes us liberal. Oh, brethren, it is our duty to all take heed to ourselves and to love one another. Love will regulate this matter of giving and receiving. For love covers a multi­tude of sins, and causes both ministers and mem­bers to be forward to give, and not desirous to receive. Let us obey the command, "Work that ye may have to give to him that needeth." And let none go with hearts set on money or worldly things, lest we realize the words, "Thy money perish with thee," but like Jesus, let the Lord's dear ministers preach with their hearts filled with love to God and to men. And oh that they may always preach the gospel--Christ and Him crucified as the only way of salvation to lost and ruined sinners!

Brethren, let us pray that we may be more like Jesus. "Though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." Oh! that we may love more and be more self-sacrificing in bearing one another's burdens. Thus let us continue and abound yet more in sustaining the dear ministers of our loving Saviour.

"Before our Father's throne,

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts and our cares."

In conclusion let us "Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man." Yours in tender love,

Sparta, Tex.          M.D. DENMAN.