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BY SAMUEL BOYKIN. 50 NOS. IN A YOL. The Battle is God’s : Extract from \he Fast Day Sermon of Rev S. Landrum, of Savannah, preached Any. 21s/, 1863. The preacher took for his text the prayer of Jehoshaphat—*l2 Chron. 20th Chap.,l2ch and part of the 15th verse : ‘*o! our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have uo might against this great com pany that cometh against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. ‘* * * Be not afraid nor dismay ed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” He fir3t proceeds to clear up the text, and then developes the truth, 7he battle is God's, as true in our circumstances as well as in the case of Jehoshaphat. He then proceeds to take up his prayer as ours. “1. We appeal from all opinions to Him, to judge between us and our invaders, as to our rights in the origin and progress of the raging war. It has long been regarded as a self-evident truth, that Governments are es tablished for the security, prosperity and happiness of the people. When, therefore, any Government is perverted faom its prop, er design, becomes oppressive and abuses its power, the people have a right to change it. The Union constituted by our fathers, was one-of co-equal, sovereign States. The fa natical spirit ot the North, after long seeking to deprive us of rights and franchises guar anteed by the constitution, finally acecom plished its purpose. Security, happiness and prosperity for the South were thus lost under the Did Government, and the South ern States had the right to set up a Govern ment for themselves. Impartial history can not charge upon the South the dissolution of the Union. Ihe Southern States had a per fect right to secede from the Union when perverted from its proper design. When our independence was secured, King George 111 acknowledged the colonies as ‘‘free, sov ereign and independent States.” In 1787,. when the Constitution was formed, itdid not go into effect in any State until the people of that State, by ordinance, accepted it.— Any State could have rejected, and some did delay to accept it. In a convention of the people called for the purpose, in 1788, Georgia passed an ordinance accepting the constitution of the United States; so a con vention of the people of the State, in 1861, repealed the former ordinance of acceptance. The latter act was as clear a right as the former. So it was with all the Southern States. And yet, for the-exercise of this right, we are invaded by a vast army, and subjected to a*most merciless and barbarous war! With the confidence of conscious right we appeal to God to judge between us and our enemies as to the orign of this war. Again, the South desired and sought a peaceful retirement —asked merely the priv ilege of taking care'of herself. The new Confederacy at once sent messengers to Washington with overtures for peace—fora fair and amicable adjustment of all difficul ties.* This was done three times. The Gov ernment at Washington insultingly repelled these reasonable proposals, and insisted on devastating our land with fire, Bword and horrible insurrection. “O I our God, wilt thou not judge them ?” From the first, too, our Government has sought to have the war conducted upon civ ilized principles. To this course the enemy has at all times given a reluctant consent, and o'ewerally in practice has wholly disre garded all civilization and humanity: as in New Oaleans, Nashville, Virginia and Mis sissippi. Nothing upon earth ean surpass the beastly brutality and wickedness which the enemy has shown us. Still we have re fused to imitate the example. See the course pursued by our army in Pennsylvania, in contrast with that of the Federal army in the South. No war is wa ged upon and children, and private property is respected. Does not a righteous God behold ? Will He not discern and judge between us and our enemies? Veri ly, though He bear long, till he has scour ged and disciplined us to his yoke, He will arise and plead for the wronged. “War, being an unnatural condition of man, is productive of resultsat variance with his essential nature.” Man is made to be governed by reason and God’s laws, not by brqte force. War, by its resort to violence, ■■Jakflga-ffianon__aJ_evel with the brute, and would have thought them incapable.” Now, our men are but human, likes our foes.— Why, then, has our Government been re strained from sinking into the depths of bru tality into which the Federate have descend ed ?, Why has our Vice President gone with the noble mission of arranging for a more humane and civil conduct of the war, and been refused even an interview upon the subject? God has restrained our administra tion in goodness and mercy, and left the en emy to manifest to the world, and to all time, the wickedness of their purposes. God is the judge! 2. Like Jehoshaphat,we plead before God the inferiority of our numbers : “we have no might against this great multitude.” Ilela tively none, as compared with our enemies, (having 500,000 to 1,300,000 enrolled,) ab s dutely none without the help of God. If numbers is to decide the contest, there is no hope for us; there never was from the first. But the victory is not in mere numbers; — “the race'is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong;” it was not so with Jehosha phat—it was not so with the Dutch Repub lie, which for eighty years, waged war with the most potent empire upon earth, and du ring the progress of the struggle became it self a mighty State; not so when Frederick the Great resisted, for seven years, the com bined invasion of France, Austria, Russia, Saxony, Sweden and the German body.— Such odds had never been heard of in war. Less than five millions against a population ofTine hundred millions, and yet he succee ded. Not so when the Colonists of Ameri ca resisted the invasion of Great Britain for more than twice the time of our resolution, and with incalculably more destitution, suf fering, and reverses than we have yet known. These all confined themselves to the strict line of self-defence, and this is evidently God’s will, as shown by H's providence, in reference to us. Our duty is to stand on the defensive, throw all our energies into the cause, and trust iu God more than all else.. 3. Like Judah’s King, we are to confess to God our iguoreoce of what is best to be done for coming emergencies. “Neither know yc what to do.” • The wisdom of our wisest men has be“n foolish in this war, be cause the battle is not ours, but God’s. We were to have no war—a short war—we nee ded no Navy—other nations would be com pelled to open our ports —multitudes of views showing their ignorance. We have been led along by God’s providence in away we know not. We are still ignorant of the channel which the current of events will take. Let us acknowledge it to God, and follow the leadings of His providence, meet ing the duties as they rise. Our present duty is plain ; no man need to err therein ; it is to trust in God for deliverance, fight with all our power the invading foe, with no thought of ever yielding. This we owe to ourselves, our children, our servants and our God. 4. Would to God that the whole national heart may respond, this day, to the closing declaration of JehosTiaphat’s prayer : “Our eyes are upon Thee—our entire dependence, O! our God, is upon Thee for deliverance.” There are many who thus feel, and God will honor their dependence. Early in the strug gle this feeling was more general, and how wonderfully God met our trust! Then we became vain and self-reliant. Reverses fol lowed—West Tenn. was conquered, N. Or leans fell; then we were aroused, and once more fixed our eyes upon God, and again victory after victory crowned our battles.— But gradually our eyes turned from God to speculation—to self-glorying—to pleasure seeking. We forgot the battle is God’s, and failed to give him the glory. Then when we felt most secure, we were in greatest dan ger. Huw suddenly was our condition chan ged ! Vicksburg falls, and Lee retreats, leaving thousands of his noble dead amidst the hills of Gettysburg. The heavens gath ered blackness over us, and the day became dark. Why? We have sinned, and God has a controversy with us. This is the true philosophy of our reverses.” The preacher then proceeds to notice na tional sins, and closes by declaring that the answer to our prayer,like Jc’.ioshaphat’s, will come: God will prove that the battle is his. and in his own time and way bring about THE PASTOR’S AID: THE CHRISTIAN’S GUIDE: THE SINNER’S FRIEND. MACON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY JANUARY 8, [864. Richmond Correspondence of the Index. Richmond, Dec. 18, 1863. I heard, several days since, of a company in one of our Virginia regiments, which num bers eighty men, all of whom, except ten, are connected with the different evangelical denominations. Bible classes have been for med embracing the entire c^jnpany; and the little handful who are yet “out of Christ” give manifest tokens of deep religious im pression. These are the things which blunt and deaden the pangs of war. It is pleas ant to know that, if the lives of our heroic defenders must be perilled, there are so many instances in which the peril reaches not to the soul. And when I see Christian effort in the army bearing such a harvest, I have no heart for questions of ‘machinery.’ There is not a lever of Jesus at work among or for our soldiers, whom I would venture to thrust aside. When ail have done their utmost, how much remains to do—how much that battle or disease, stepping between may pre vent forever ! Especially should no Baptist be hindered from these vital labors, on pleas that are un essential, if not trifling. Even in this time of war, which ought to shame all secondary beliefs into the background, proofs are not wanting that our denominational sentiments stand in momentous connection with the highest purity of the gospel. Take a case in point. A divine, among the most emi nent of his “persuasion” for talents and pi ety, whose appointment to the position of ar my missionary was hailed with pleasure by the whole Christian public, not long since-*-r I am credibly informed—while preaching, in the midst of revival influences, from a town pulpit, before an audience partly of civilians, partly of soldiers, broached the opinion that “it is infinitely more difficult for jhe baptized children of believers to be lost than for other sinners!” I give you what was reported to me as his precise language. No comment is necessary to apprise you of the mischievous delusion which such lan guage may foster ; and you will feel, as I do, how important it is that the people who have embraced apostolic Christianity, without the leaven of pedo-Baptism, should multiply their witnesses for the truth a hundred fold in the army. I say this without forgetting that the Bap tist pulpit is not itself exempt from liability to error. The fearful upheaval ofsociety in cident to a revolution —the reviving of old prejudices—the engendering of new—may make its mark there as elsewhere. One of our Doctors of Divinity, for example, in the course of a recent sermon, spoteeofthe Phar isees as “the Puritans of their age.” Indeed ! I had always thought that they were, by way of eminence, its “ sacrame ital theologians” and “ high-churchmen ! Oh, that our breth ren may have grace to put away the passions of the times, when they “stand up for Je sus” in the great congregation—may suffer no shadow of hatred for the North to lall across and darken the gospel of a Saviour’s matchless love ! Rev. M. D.'Hoge, D. D., has been giving our citizens the benefit of his “Observations in Europe,” in a series of lectures delivered under the auspices of the Young Men’s Christian Association. These lectures, now racy with humor,now glowing with eloquence, possess the additional merit of ndt following in the steps of Northern tourists, who, with the want ol delicacy characteristic of their section, the names, sentiments and even household secrets of the Europeans that have been indiscreet enough to accept “Yankee” curiosity into a generous confidence ! The proceeds of these lectures are devoted to the relief of the poor families of soldiers in the service; and I am the more gratified, there fore, to state that the nett income from the first was $2,300, and from the second, sl,- 100—the third remaining yet to be deliver ed. I can attempt no report of the many in teresting things which Dr. Hoge has told us; but one fact is too significant to be pas sed over in silence. He gave it as his opin ion, that to hail from the Confederate States is a pas Sport, and to hail from the dominions of Abraham Lincoln a bar, to “good society” in England. We are recognized, then, by the country, if not by the government, as another and superior people. Let us be true to ourselves, and recognition by the govern ment will follow in due season —follow when the God that watches over our destinies I deems it best for us. [ lam pleased to learn that the attempt to I secure funds to discharge the indebtedness land enlarge the buildings of Alleghany Col- I Dge, goes on right nobly. The indefatiga- ble agent, Rev E. P. Walton, is nowin our city, and his receipts surpass his expecta tions.. Suecess, I incline to think, is at last assured ; and I rejoice in it, not only for the interests of education generally, but be cause the Board of Trustees have decided to furnish every possible facility toward qualitying our younger disabled soldiers, and the sons of soldiers deceased, for the position of teachers. So far as I know, this Baptist Inattention is the first in Virginia, to make practical acknowledgement of tho debt we owe the army of Southern defence. The policy by it is the proper doI.- icy for educational institutions everywhere, and I reckon confidently on its universal adoption. In the ripe old age of our children, it will be a pleasant thing for them to tell the young folks, gathered about the fireside of long winter afternoons, that they had for their teacher a hero of- Chancellorville or Ohickamauga, of Manassas or Murfreesboro! Allow me to correct the inaccurate repre sentation to which I gave currency, respec ting the eye-siglit of Rev. Wm. D. Thomas, Greenville, S. C. The ‘Religious Herald’ of last week informs me that “the vision of liis right eye, though seriously impaired, is not quenched, and the vision of His left eye is not affected.” Having stepped over into South Carolina to make this correction, I will tarry long enough to mention a Baptist in that State who failed to attend the session of his Asso ciation, the present year, but sent up a con tribution of $lO, in lieu of his personal pres ence. Poor fellow, he has only $160,000 worth of cotton stored away ! SEMEI. For the Christian Index. Different modes of Pastoral Vis itation.—Observations. BY A PASTOR. >: I propose to give my observation of the different modes of pastoral visitation, as ex hibited in the labors of three excellent min isters. Number one was a highly educated and literary man. In the pulpit his elocu tion was unexceptionable, but being desti* tute in a great measure of the emotional, he was not an orator. He was a greedy gleaner and a a exquisite compiler. Some thought him eloquent, some original and profound, and a few feared he was a plagerist. He al ways preached good sermons. The social el ement prevailed in his composition. He was a popular man and preacher and bad good congregations. He went among his flock fre quently, but could not be called a laboriouj pastor. He was fond of good dinners and preferred to visit those who occupied a good social position. Coveting tbc reputation of a social gentleman, he strove to earn it, and most happily did he succeed. The house of mourning, except on funeral occasions, was too gloomy for him. The sick chamber was not an appropriate place for the exhibition of his best gift, and it was not right to ob trude the solemn subject of religion in the social circle, it destroyed the interest and pleasure of the occasioa. Conversions iu his congregation were infrequent. Though he was greatly admired by his pew holders. Number Two, was also an educated, but not a literary man. He was a student, and possessed a happy tact in the use of other rneij’s ideas with a good degree of originali ty. He, too, was a successful student of el ocution, and sometimes became eloquent.— Sometimes however bis desire to display the graces of the orator, gave a stiffness and for mality to his sermon, which well nigh des troyed its religious influence. He was a pi ous and goodly man, possessing a deep and tender sympathy with the sufferings of our fallen race. lie was a good pastor. He “watched for souls.” He visited much and systematically. The poor and afflicted were cheered and comforted often by his conver sations and prayers. There was one defect, ■ however, in our pastor wMeh is worthy of note. When he introduced the subject of religion, it was* with an aspect so solemn, intonations of voice so dolorous, that the young and unconverted were reluctant tosee and hear him, supposing religion to be a most gloomy subject and one which might destroy all their prospects for happiness in the present life. Hence they feared and avoided him as nfueh as possible, without being guilty of rudeness. Notwithstanding this small defect, which is very common, our pastor was greatly beloved., and was suc cessful in building up his church, which en joyed occasionally precious refreshings from the presenee of the Lord. We very seldom meet with a better pastor than number two. Number Three, was not an educated man, nor could he be called a student. Though he was not illiterate, nor did he fail to ap preciate a good author, or to consult his books when he thought necessary. Ilis ser mons were elaborated with care, though without manscript or skeleton. He was an unctious gospel preacher, drawing his argu ments and illustrations from a powerful stu dy of the Bible. He was a man of earnestness and energy, feeling a deep concern in whatever affected the welfare of church or the spiritual inter ests of its members. He was seen among the poor and needy, the sick and suffering, the bereaved and disconsolate, pointing them to the promises, providences and purposes of.the Saviour, and praying with and for them. Nor did he neglect those who are tempted by the fascinations of worldly folly. Wherever he went and with whomsoever he conversed, he introduced the subject of re ligion, unless it were manifestly out of place, as it sometimes may seem to be. His con versations on religious subjects, though of ten, indeed generally personal and special, were social without lightness and cheerful without frivolity. Possessing naturally a happy and hopeful temperament, the joy he experienced in the hope of heaven gave a freshness, sweetness and attractiveness to all his conversations on the subject. The young did not shun him, nor the unconverted avoid him. Inferior, in many respects, to both the others, our present preacher proved emi nently successful in winning souls to Christ and maintained a larger and more attentive congregation than either. His congrega tions but seldom criticized his style, for he was an unpretentious man, nor did they dis cover he was iftt an educated man, unless the infrequency of his classical aliasionsmay have led to that conclusion, and even this may have been.considered to grow out of his preference for simplicity of Btylc and un ostentation. Western Correspondence of tlie Index- Oxford, Miss., Dec. 15th, 1863. Bro. Botkin —My Dear Sir : Accord ing to promise I sent you a brief sketch of affairs in Northwest Miss., on my return to this District. Since that time the cavalry has been on the move. About the first of December, Maj. Gen. Lee, the cavalry com mander for this Department, formed a junc tion of nearly all the cavalry in North Miss, at Salisbury on the Memphis and Charles ton It. R. The Federals were deceived by a previous feint on Pocahontas, drawing all their forces to that point, Salisbury, became an easy capture. The depot and a train of cars were burned, and between two and three miles of the R. R. was tore up. The enemy soon csrce up in heavy force, Gen. Lee fell back, and moved Westward on the South side of Wolf river. The enemy mov ed near the lire of It. R. While these movements were making General Forrest made his way into W’cst Tennessee, with a few huudred men. He is said now to have four thousand, and plenty of supplies at ’Jackson. His numbers are expectod to in crease very xapidly. But to return. Just as the enemy were crossing Wolf river at Moscow, apparently anticipating an attack upon Colliersville or Germantown,as thesec ond regimdht was nearly across the river, Gen. Lee made an attack upon them. They immediately attempted to fall hack to their fortifications on the East side of the river The attack was so sudden fjiat tho regiment in front were psevented from recrowing the bridge. They were pressed into the river and a very large number drowned, a great many were killed, and some thirty-flve sur rendered and were taken prisoners. The fight, lor a short time, was very terrific. — The bridge was torn up by the enemy, and there was no chance to come at him, but by crossing the river under heavy fire. He was forced to abandon one piece of artillery and fall back to long range. Onr troops were ordered to fall back. Col. McCulloch was of opinion that the place was almost in his hands when ordered to retire His Texas Battalion, under Col. Willis, and the 2nd Mo. regiment, both held in reserve, till late in the engagement, were eager to charge the enemy’s works. Capt. Gains, a noble and brave young man, and of rare qualifications for bis position as Brigade Adjutant under Col. McCulloch, was killed suddenly, while in the discharge of his duties on the field. — The expedition resulted in a loss to us of thirteen killed and ‘sixty wounded—tome very slight—to the enemy of forty-three prisoners and -near two hundred, the least estimate, in killed, drowned, and wounded; TERMS, $5.00 IN ADVANCE YOL. XLIII.-N0 1. a considerable number of horses captured, six or seven miles of railroad torn up, two depots, a long trestle and one train burnt.— Col. Hatch, Federal chief of cavalry, was wounded, but is said to be recovering. Gen. Chalmer’s command lies quietly as may be, in the mud, rain and- cold, South of the Tal lehatchie.* With Forrest in Tennessee, and our cav alry on the South side of the Memphis and Charleston road, the Yankees will have, a lively time, keeping it in running trim this winter. The blockade fever was sweeping every thing in Northwest Miss., a few weeks ago, but conscription in Memphis, and a little effort on the part of the Confederate author ities, has quieted the public pulse. More anon. J. B. L., 2d Mo. MO I • rnm c For the Christian Index. Revival among the Soldiers- Bro. Boykin —l have for eleven weeks been laboring in protracted meetings in which many soldiers have professed faith in the Saviour of sinners, some of whom have already begun to exercise their gifts by pub lic prayer and exhortation. The protracted meeting held in Dr. Jeter’s church, in this city, closed last night; over one hundred and fifty we have reason to believe, obtained the pearl of great price many of whom are soldiers. The letters, which I am receiving almost every day, from the army report conversions and in not a few instances, extensive revi vals. These revival influences have been enjoyed long enough to enable us to judgo of them by tbeir fruits. With rare excep tions, the walk and conversation of the con verts attest the genuineness of the work.— These young disciples seem to know What it is meant by “standing up for Jesus.” I enquired of a soldier from Alabama a few days since if he had any objections to my calling upon him to lead in prayer in the meeting that evening. “I have never prayed in public,” said lie, “but I feel it my duty to do so, and also any thing else by which my Master may be honored.” We are now securing chaplainces for a number of Baptist ministers. Rev. J. W. Jones, one of the most zealous and success ful of our army missionaries, is giving most of bis time to securing such appointments in the army of Northern Virginia. Where the government pay is insufficient to defray a brother’s expenses our Board supplements it and thus wo hope to keep many of our best ministers in chaplaincies. I have been jnuch rejoiced to see that the Board at Marion is enlarging its sphere of operations and receiving such liberal contri butions from the churches. That Board has weighty claims upon our people and its affairs are managed with ability and discre tion. The S. S. and Publication Board is en deavoring to do its part in this noble work and will receive such aid as the brethren and sisters are willing to extend. A. E. DICKINSON, Sup’t &c. From a Chaplain. Eatonton, Dec. 10th, 1863. Bro. Boykin —l wish you would use your influence with the Committee and try to get them to send bro. Van Iloose to Gen. Doles’ Brig. I have already written brother Warren a letter on the subject and also one !!> brother Van Iloose. But they may not have received either letter. There are three regiments in this brig, without chaplains.— There are, I think, 8 companies from the bounds of the Central Association, and as he is employed by the Association this would be a very fine field for him to labor in.— There is a flourishing Christian association in the Brig., and a Bible class in every company in the Brig. Gen. Rhodes will have a chapel built for services during the winter. lie also agrees to furnish rations. In Rhodes’ Division there are about 15 or 20 Methodist chaplains and only 2 or three Baptist chaplains. There is a large Bap tist influence in this Division and I think brother Van Iloose is the man to keep it up. If I return to the army I should like very much to he associated with him in the work. Let him go to Doles’ brigade by all means. I hope the Index will be enlarged. It is, in my opinion, by far the best paper that I have seen for the soldiers. It is always look ed for with great intcriSt. As ever, your brother, <s., A. M. MARSHALL, Chap. 12th Ga. Reg. .► i.— - ■■■ ■ Renew your subscription.