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From "Signs Of The Times," 1877:
Dilly, Washington Co., Oregon, July 10, 1877
A short sketch of the life, experience, call to the ministry and doctrinal faith of Elder Paul P. Chamberlain, written by himself, at the request of his dear daughter, Emily J. Flanary, which she can have published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, if she wishes.
I was born in this world of sin and sorrow, as are all the rest of Adam's family, in sin and condemnation, November 22, 1805 in Shenandoah County, Old Virginia. When I was five years of age my father moved to Point Pleasant,...
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From "Signs Of The Times," 1877:
Dilly, Washington Co., Oregon, July 10, 1877
A short sketch of the life, experience, call to the ministry and doctrinal faith of Elder Paul P. Chamberlain, written by himself, at the request of his dear daughter, Emily J. Flanary, which she can have published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, if she wishes.
I was born in this world of sin and sorrow, as are all the rest of Adam's family, in sin and condemnation, November 22, 1805 in Shenandoah County, Old Virginia. When I was five years of age my father moved to Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia, and from thence to Washington Co., Ky. In my nineteenth year I received a hope of the pardon of my sins, by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in December, 1824, related before the United Baptist Church called Bethlehem, what I hoped the Lord had done for me, a poor sinner. I was received, and baptized by Elder Joel Gorden, in the fellowship of the above named church, in Washington Co., Ky. I was married to Miss Elizabeth C. Hadden, May 3, 1827. We moved to Mead County, Ky., in February, 1828, where she was taken from me, February 8, 1842, by death. She had been a Baptist twelve years, and from her christian deportment through life, and joyful triumph in death, she gave me full evidence of her acceptance in heaven, and I could truly say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." I was left with four small children. Taking my letter from Bethlehem church, I laid it in the Hill Grove United Baptist Church, in Mead County. On the 27th of May, 1842, I was married to Mrs. Mary S. Baley, who was a member of the Baptist Church called Union, in Hardin Co., Ky. In March, 1843, taking our letters from Hill Grove Church, we moved to Andrew County, Mo., and joined the Nodaway Church of Regular Predestinarian Baptists, in which I was ordained to the full functions of the gospel ministry, in September, 1848, by a presbytery of Elders, viz: John M. Evens and Strother Ball. In 1846, I think, a majority of the members of Nodaway Church objected to the doctrine of the eternal union and justification of the church of Christ, but preached and defended creature instrumentality and the use of means in the regeneration and conversion of sinners. I was one of the minority, defending, to the best of my ability, the doctrine of the union and justification of the church in Christ before the world was, believing it the doctrine of the bible. Also, the sovereign, free unmerited grace of God in the regeneration and final salvation of his redeemed, independent of men, money or means, of which we hear so much of late. Surely the people have a golden god.
The minority were sustained by the Platte River Association. Then the church moved on in harmony until 1851, when the doctrine of the non-resurrection of the body was introduced among us, causing much distress in the churches. Many precious brethren were led off from the truth, the express word of Jesus, "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." This doctrine was sanctioned by the Platte River Association, causing a second division, we being in the minority again. Then I, and the members with me, went into the constitution of the Mt. Gilead Church of O. S. Baptists, and also organized the North-west Corresponding Association of Regular Predestinarian Baptists. I feel thankful that the most of those brethren have come back from their wanderings.
In 1864 I moved to Nebraska City, Neb. Ter., with my family, to escape the troubles of the war. I do not believe there was a Primitive Baptist Church in the territory at that time. There were a few Old Baptists scattered around in the territory.
My second wife and I had five children, of whom three are dead. My wife was taken sick with the dropsy in March, 1870 and died Jan. 11, 1871, leaving me lonely, to mourn my loss, in my declining years. But why should I mourn? The Lord doeth all things right. I have the comfortable assurance, by her profession and godly compartment, as a Baptist for thirty-five years. She bore her afflictions patiently, awaiting the Lord's time for her change to come. In the spring of 1875 I started for Oregon, to see my two children, arriving at Dilly Station, May 13, 1875. I found all well, in the midst of loving and faithful brethren and sisters, composing the Siloam Association of Regular Predestinarian Baptists. On Saturday before the third Sunday in June, 1875, I gave my letter of dismission from the Mt. Gilead Church, to the New Hope Church of like precious faith. This church has the able and faithful ministry of two Elders, viz: James A. Bullack and Wm. M. Townsend. This church has been wonderfully blest since its constitution. It is likely the balance of my days will be spent here; it will be so if I have reached the bounds of my habitation.
THE REASON OF MY HOPE
From very youth I had serious thoughts of death and eternal things, and thought I would so shape my actions in life that when called to die all would be well with me. In this way I went on pretty well, as I then thought, sometimes failing a little, and then I would try to do better. I went on, making resolves and breaking them. The truth is, all this time I was as ignorant of the depravity and corruption of my heart as an unborn infant, until my sixteenth year, when I trust the Lord brought me to see what a sinner I was. It was when Elder Whitehead, a Baptist minister, was preaching in my father's house, from the latter clause of the 17th verse of Rev. ii., "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." While he was preaching, I was made to weep and sob like a whipped child, seeing and realizing my sins and condemnation. I had not the necessary qualification set forth in the text, hence I could not expect the gifts in the text. All my former hopes now fled. I was a poor, lost, helpless sinner, justly condemned, which caused me to secreet myself in the woods and in darkness, to ask the Lord for mercy; but my prayers seemed to avail me nothing. I felt that it was adding sin to sin, for a sinner such as I to kneel and take the Lord's name on my sinful lips, therefore I would fall on my face in the dust, and in broken accents say, "Lord, have mercy. Lord, save a wretch condemned to die." The law still sounded in my ear, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." Alas! I knew not what to do to escape the vengeance due to me. Time passed on, in which I heard a Methodist minister preach from this sentence, in the parable of the barren fig tree, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" That, I thought, was just my case; and at the intercession of the gardener, "Spare it this year, till I shall dig about it and dung it." And while thus digging and unearthing it, I thought I saw every root and fiber of my poor, sinful heart, that it was a sink of sin, and all pollution; there was no soundness therein. O the anguish that then filled my wounded soul! I thought my doom was fixed, and the day of grace was past, and there was no mercy for me. "God, be merciful to me, a poor sinner," was my prayer. Time passed on until the latter part of my nineteenth year, when darkness, gloom and despair seemed to possess my inmost soul. I went out to the woods to try to pray for mercy. I knelt down, and could only say, "Lord, save, or I perish. Lord, save a poor, justly condemned sinner/" I got up and went to another place, pleading with similar words for mercy. I did feel my condemnation just, and could say with the poet,
"And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well."
"Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, if according to justice." I went to another place and attempted to kneel, but before my knees touched the earth my feeling changed; the gloom and burden of trouble were gone, my mind possessed a calm, joyous peace. and I was made to say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." The feeling did not last long. I began to reflect, my burden is gone, and I am deceived. O what agony of soul I felt for about one week! I desired, if deceived, that the Lord would in mercy show me my true state. One evening while I was singing the hymn, "Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive," the Lord appeared to my mind's view with smiling face. His hands held out to me, impressed my mind with these words, "Thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee." This filled my soul with overflowing praises to the Lord. Then I thought my troubles and trials were all over; but O how mistaken! From that time to the present, O what doubts, fears, gloom, sin, temptation and imperfection!
This is all the hope I have lived upon for fifty-seven years. When temptation comes in like a flood, I am driven back to the year 1824, to review this little hope, which sometimes seems sufficient, if I were called to die. At other times, darkness, gloom, and almost despair, seem to be my lot, so that I can truly say, Not by works of righteousness which I have done, but if saved, it is according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is all my hope, a sinner saved by grace.
CALL TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY.
Soon after I joined the Hill Grove Church of United Baptists, of Mead County, Ky., the church made me moderator and deacon, and about the same time (1830) the mission spirit was introduced among the Baptists of Kentucky, which caused the Old Baptists to declare nonfellowship for the principles of the general union of Regular and separate Baptists, entered into during the year 1801, and which was as follows: The preaching that Christ tasted death for every man, should be no bar to communion. This opened the way for the introduction of means and instrumentalities, together with all the inventions and traditions of men for christianizing the world, all of which the Regular party, in the year 1839, or 1840, declared unscriptural, and left the union, I among the rest. In the mean time, while the above was transpiring, my mind was led to the importance of the gospel ministry, and was so impressed with it that I could not shake it off, day nor night. The impression was such, being Moderator for the church, that I would sometimes, when no preacher was with us, in opening meeting, venture an exhortation to the brethren and sisters, which, I suppose, caused them to give me liberty to exercise publicly in the church, by prayer and exhortation, sometimes complying, and sometimes not doing so. When failing, I was chastised in mind for neglect of duty. It now became a matter of serious prayer to the Lord to decide this doubt for me, and to show me my duty. When I would look at myself, a mere boy in age, with but reasonable mother wit, and scarcely any education, so that I could barely read and write, and possessing no acquired ability, I could truly say with Moses, "I am not eloquent; I am slow of speech, slow of tongue, and they will not hear me." Then I thought of God's answer, "Who made man's mouth?" I did believe that God calls and qualifies his ministers for the work he has assigned them, but the doubt with me was, Am I one? If this doubt could be removed, I could willingly venture, believing the Lord would fulfill his promise, "I am with thee, even to the end of the world." But these impressions of mind I feared were all a delusion, and if so, I would be like Ahimaar, who desired to bear tidings to David, but having none to bear he could only say, "I saw a great tumult." I knew this would be my case, if running without tidings, I could only say tumult, thereby wounding the cause, and bringing disgrace on the church. I looked for the time to come when these doubts and fears would all be removed, so that I could go forth to the work without let or hindrance, if these impressions were of the Lord. That time has never come. When the church gave me license to preach, when and where the Lord cast my lot, I thought she acted prematurely. My reasoning was unavailing; I had to submit to her decision. Shortly after this, I decided to move to Missouri. Then I thought I would keep this all secret, and my trouble would leave me, and I would have peace of mind. But how mistaken I was. When I moved to Andrew Co., Mo., in 1843, the same impression was with me, so I could not be at ease day nor night. Often have I awakened myself in the dead of night, while preaching. My wife has told me that she frequently heard me take a text, and preach a discourse without awaking. To carry out my intentions, when I gave my letter to the Nodaway Church, of Andrew Co., Mo., I had previously torn off my license, that the church might not know that I was a licensed preacher; but my mind became so impressed that I could oppose no longer; I had to submit to the lead of my mind, and leave the result with the Lord. In my little effort in the way of preaching, I have been a mystery to myself. Sometimes preaching is the sweetest and easiest work I ever attempted; at other times it is as far the other way - no life, light or energy, and when done, I would feel so mortified and ashamed of the effort that I would wish to be alone. Perhaps I have had more encouragement from the brethren than I deserved. So that, up to the present, I keep trying to preach, and trying to quit. If any of my brethren have traveled this road, they can understand me. Or am I alone? O! is there any one like me?
I was ordained Sept. 20, 1848, by Elders John M. Evans and Strother Ball. I can, I think, truly say, that from my first impression on this subject, to the present, in my attempts to preach, my desire has been for the glory of God, the good of the cause, and the edification of the church, by preaching the free, sovereign, discriminating grace of God, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
A few thoughts on the doctrine of grace, as set forth in the bible. I understand from the bible that the Lord Jesus Christ, in covenant relation, was set up as Head of the church, and that a definite number were chosen in him, and grace given them, before the world began - 2 Tim. i.9; Col. i. 16-18; Eph. i. 3, 4. That choice was so definitely fixed, it cannot be added to, nor diminished. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." - Ephesians i. 5. It was for them, and them only, that Christ, being the near kinsman, had the right of redemption, and did redeem them. For, "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word." "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Therefore the atonement made by Jesus Christ was full and complete, for all the legatees of the new covenant; for Jesus bowed his head and said, "It is finished," in order to accomplish the work of redemption. "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel." "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Paul says, "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." So here we have God, Man, Mediator. It was in this Mediatorial Sonship, soul, body and spirit, that he stood in our law place, satisfied the demands of the law, by which he hath brought in everlasting righteousness. "The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Jesus teaches the necessity of regeneration, or the new birth. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John iii. 3. Now, in order that they may see, enter into, and enjoy the things of that spiritual kingdom, they are called with a holy calling; not according to their works, but according to his own purpose and grace. "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." The apostle Paul says, "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and in sins." Jesus says, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them to me is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." Well might the apostle say, "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." For ye shall see him as he is. "We know that if this earthly house of our tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." So, when this tenement is dissolved by death, the immaterial, vital, never-dying principle, which has been born again, quickened and made alive, a new creature, call it what you may, soul, mind, or spirit, flies home, there to wait the resurrection of the body, for it does not sleep in the grave with the body, but the body awaits the sound of the trump of God. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Then those living shall be changed, and caught up with those risen, spiritual bodies, to meet the Lord in the air, and so ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these things. Farewell.
PAUL P. CHAMBERLAIN
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