The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-25
PAUL'S EPlSTLE TO SAMUEL,
ordinarily surnamed "sam Jones'"

Beloved Samuel: You, who are de-
.cended from the prophet, who was the
son of Elcana and his unfruitful wife,
anna or Hannah, my trust in you has
,eitber ceased nor diminished since first
rsscued you from the demon of intemper-
.nce. whilst you were sojourning at the
classic city of Gainesville, with people
Of vile and unholy instincts, addicted to
all kinds of profanity and blasphemy, like
t4vmeneus and Alexander the copper
smith. notwithstanding you were under
me fervent ministration of a reverend
and pious grandfather.
II seemed to me that Satan had enmesh-
cd YOU in a diabolical net of exceeding
great strength, and that to get out of the
on+anglement could only be accomplished
nv A sincere repentance and dependence
on the Lord on your part; my ardent
nrayers to the Most High for your re-
lease; and the efforts of your affectonate
and devoted wife, who had been driven
10 despair through your drunken habits,
coarse brutality and the low down asso-
clates.
To that repentance, nay prayer and
vour wifes devoted efforts to reclaim
YOU. YOU were snatched from the wiles
of the devil, from the unholy alliance
YOU had formed with unbelevers and be-
came a new man, a follower OF the Lord,
q deserter from the ranks of crime and
y;lainy, and thus secured your eternal
salvation, if your repentance and fervent
promises were scrupulously and religious
~ carried out
You were certainly, my dear Samuel, to
speak in a worldly, carnal and vulgar
manner a&hard case-an extremely hard
case. the boys used to shout after you,
There goes drunken Sam
row, all things are changed
4 repentant and erring sinner thou hast
been received into my ministry and ac-
cepted as a trustworthy disciple of the
Lord
Your conversion has had a Statutory eff
feet upon the community at large, more
particularly about the environs of Car
tersville, as many backsliders have been
gathered into the fold.
Heaven must have rejoiced at the re-
clamation of such a vile and corrupted
sinner, seeing how beneficial it has proved
to the souls of your neighbors.
Had it so happened that the Lord had
touched the heart and drawn into his
embrace that notorious bandit known as
Jesse James, it could not have occasioned
more establishment or led to greater re-
ligious results.
Now, as one of my brethren, you have
displayed great zeal and unwearied assd-
uity in the teaching of the gospel You
have shown knowledge equal to that of
Timothy; a fortitude as great as Peter;
love of labor like that of Titus, One
sinus and Timotheus, and now out Of
much affiiction and anguish of heart l
write unto you with many tears, not that
you should be grieved, but that you
might know the love which 1 have still so
abundantly in you.
The rumors and reports, oral and other
wise, have heard about you are so dis
quieting that l cannot refrain placing be-
fore you the true teachings of the gos-
pei and endeavor to wean you from those
disgusting episodes in your discourses, of
such a carmel and fragrant ma
ture, that they must cease,
for while they may give you
many hearers and much notoriety, cannot
advance the true doctrine which is made
up of peace, charity and good will towards
all men. You will remember that 1 had
once before written to our brother Tim
othy recalling him to a sense of that
duty which he owed to the church recon-
mending him to attend solely to teaching
the doctrine of Christ and not meddling
with worldly matters to create dissen-
sions.
You will therefore listen to my exhorta-
Broad and unsavory personal illusions
should always be avoided for the Scrip
ture saith: "Whosoever beieveth in the
Lord shall not be COMPOUNDED, for there is
no distinction of the Jew and the Greek,
for the same is Lord over all, rich unto
all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name
Of the Lord shall be saved.
Every one has his proper gift from God,
another after
To one is given wisdom, and to another
the word of knowledge.
Knowledge puffeth up but charity edl-
feth
If l speak with the tongues Of men
and angels and have not charity l am
becoming as sounding brass or ti-S-
ling cymbal. Better to speak five words
with understanding that l may instruct
others also. than ten thousand words
without judgment.
Let no evil speech proceed from your
mouth, but that which is good to the ed
ihcation of faith that it may administer
grace to thy hearers.
Shun profane and vain babbling, for
they grow much towards ungodliness.
Such speech spreadeth like a canker of
whom are Hymeneus and Philetus.
Indulge not in obscenity or foolish talk
4 ing nor scurrility, which is to no pur-
pose, but rather to giving thanks to the
y Almighty.
& Be not wise in your own conceits, what
ever glory or applause such works might
procure from men; they would be of no
4 value in the sight of God
If 1t be possible, as much as is in you,
nave peace with all men, giving no Of
tense that the ministry may not be
blamed
To preach the gospel, not to glory In
your own achievements; for If any man
thinks himself to be something wherein
ne is nothing he deceiveth himself
Preach the word, be instant in season,
out of season, reprove, entreat, rebuke
IN ell patience and doctrine; show thy
self an example of good work In integri-
ty and gravity. To live in Christ, and
q 10 die is gain
Let your exhortations be worthy of the
gospel of Christ; whatsoever things are
Tue' whatsoever things are modest, what
soever things are just, whatsoever things
are holy, whatsoever things are anna BILE.
whatsoever things are of good repute, II
81 'here be any virtue, If there be any
praise OF discipline, think on these things
81 which YOU have seen and heard from me
-lhese do-and the God of peace will be