Jesus preached "and trembling penitents, obedient to the faith."

Dear Brethren and Friends at Home, in South Texas, and in the West and North where my lot has been cast:--I desire this evening to express my special love to you. Oh! dear lovers of Jesus, I feel so unworthy of the kindness you have shown me. I want to beg you to pray the Lord to direct me and "uphold my goings."

Through grace, I have been blessed this summer to attend Old Harmony, Unity and Salem Associations, besides other meetings. Jesus has been preached as the way from earth to heaven; and all these meetings have been blessed with His comforting presence. Brother W. S. Harris was the oldest preacher at the first of these associational meetings, Brother Lago the oldest at the second, and Brother Pat Lancaster the oldest at the last convened at Bowie. All these aged and precious brethren were led to avoid hobbies, and were greatly blessed to preach the truth in humility and love. Let us praise the Lord.

Brother Lancaster was specially blessed on Saturday to preach the gospel in love and meekness. His sermon was long enough to be understood, and short enough to be remembered. The text is in I Tim. iv. 16, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine," etc. After some appro­priate remarks on the great necessity of taking heed to ourselves rather than to others, Brother Lancaster dwelt on the doctrine of God's choice. Proof was given that the elect were "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world." Opposing the "theory of eternal children", he showed that the elect were not in Christ when chosen, but the choice was in Christ; that the chosen ones are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit's creative or renewing work; and that God foreknew and predestinated us to this salvation. He lovingly opposed the extreme claim that sin is a link in salvation, or that man must sin in order to be saved in glory. For neither man's sin nor his obedience is in order to his salvation; but Christ's atonement for sin is in order to this free gift.

On redemption, Brother Lancaster maintained that Jesus redeemed the elect from the curse of the law because the Father gave them to Him, and since they were His by prior gift, Jesus had the right to redeem them; that this redemption is special and complete, alike for babes and adults, and that those dying in infancy together with all redeemed shall be glorified in heaven. He further taught that the whole man shall be saved; that the Soul or spirit is renewed and adopted when born again, but that we await the adoption or redemption of our body at its resurrection.

After this spiritual and humble discourse the Lord's presence was felt by many, and sev­eral came forward and joined the church. After evening service several others came forward. Saturday night, yet others joined, and all awaited baptism next morning. At the water two or three more gave such bright evidence of peni­tence and love that I felt like shouting the praises of God, but restrained myself. For as others were praising God in song, I felt it to be my duty to avoid confusion and obey the command to speak "one by one that all may learn." I Cor. xiv. 31. Two joined by relation, fourteen by experience and baptism.

Baptism was performed at the rate of two per minute. At this rate a minister could baptize more than one hundred per hour, or one thousand in ten hours. Thus we see while the baptism of some may have been deferred, three apostles in ten hours could have baptized the three thousand added to them on the day of Pentecost.

Oh, believers, come and be "Buried with Christ by baptism," and "arise to walk in new­ness of life." Yours in love,

Tioga, Tex. M. D. DENMAN,