Newspaper Page Text
right to employ a chaplain, when they reflect that
they must, for striving the public, have six dollars
j.er day ; Liu when the seivice of God is to be per
formed, his servant is to have at the iate of five
hundred dollars a year; which to me evinces that
they think they have no legal right to the paltiy
sun: given, or that they think meanly of the thing
itself, unless they believe their chaplain can live on
his prayers. But it is nv>st. hkely that few care
for anything but the name and the election of
tiie chaplain depends more on intrigue than on the
talents he holds ; and added to this, there may be
another reason for the election of a Baptist, namely,
that as this denomination las uniformly opposed
religious establishments, Cutigress is determined to
know whether principle or interest had tnostiriflucnce
in this opposition ; and if this is the case, no doubt
tiiev lautra to see that thev have lost, all their ob
} ctions to religious establishments when the loaves
and fishes fall into their own dish.
But let us suppose that a Catholic should have
a preference at the next election, (by this I do not
mean to cast any reflection on that body pf people)
will Baptists ia the house be quite satisfied ? I
presume not. And it certainly may be predicted
that if this egg should hatch a fiery flying serpent
I mean that if this precedent of Congress should
end in an anti-christian establishment within the
United States, that the Baptist would not be the
established darling, and God forbid they should.
But their present acquiescence may and will be
pled as a reason why they should then hold their
peace. And be it in future time remembered that
until the Congress took the liberty to set up an
anti-christian establishment, the Baptists never
were benefited by any established religiou (so
called).
[TO BE CONTINUE I "*.]
—~*ssc- - - -SMr— ■ ■
The doctrine of justification through faith could
never stand its ground long at a time. This is to
me a proof of-its truth and excellent tendency. It
is not at all for the purpose of a corrupt world ;
and therefore it is no wonder it should be rejected
as often as it makes its appearance.
[ Thomas Adam.
* OBITUAHIBS.
I.: ■ ■ ■ a ~——
Midway, Ala., Feb. 10, 1862.
Bro. Beebe : —I hope you will not consider me as
intruding on your kindness by asking your correction
of the errors in the obituary of Sister Rogers, by its
republication from the original, as follows :
DIED —At her residence, near Midway, Barbour
co., Ala., on Dec. 18th, 1861, Sister Sarah A., wife
of David L. Rogers, in the thirty-sixth year of her
age, after an illness of fourteen days, during which
lier infant babe was laid in its tomb, and on the Bth
day following the dear mother was laid by its side,
leaving a husband with seven children—five sons
and two daughters—with many relatives and friends
to mourn the irreparable loss of one so useful indus
trious and domestic and affectionate wife, a tender
mother, and a kind neighbor. Sister Rogers had for
many years enjoyed the connection, love and fellow
ihipf-of the dear saints, as an Old School Baptist, firm
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
in the faith and principles of the gospel of Christ;
but, having filled up the measure o f her days and
suffering on earth, could deliberately speak of her
departure, with her readiness at the Lord’s time, and
so calmly departed, as though fallen asleep. Accor
ding to her previous request, Elder J. J. Dickson at
tended her funeral, preaching a sermon before burial
from 1 Thess. iv. 14—“ For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him.” May God in mercy
sanctify the Christian admonitions of a dear mother
to the good of the dear children and family, is the
prayer of A BROTHER.
■> -SSa*. ——
DIED—At her residence in Columbia, Ark., on the
7th of January, after two weeks’ illness of pneumonia,
Mrs. Missouri® E. Diiegiioun, wife of Mr. A. J.
Dreghorn, and daughter of Mr. Thos. Ligon, of Mer
riwether co. Ga., in the twenty-first year of her age.
But a little more than two years since, she left the
paternal roof and her native State to share the for
tunes of one with whose life and devotion she had
blended her own—having previously, and in the
dewy freshness of her youth, consecrated herself to
her Savior, as a member of the Baptist Church. —
Henceforth the graces of Christianity, enriching and
ennobling those of a natural amiability, gave beauty
and attraction to her whole life. It was thus that, as
a daughter, wife and mother, her pure and gentle
virtues awakened the hearty affection of many true
friends, whose kindly and constant attentions be
guiled the hours of pain, and soothed her passage to
the giave. That passage was marked by the calm
ness, fortitude aud trust of the true believer. Con
scious, and even cheerful to the last, not more than
fifteen minutes before she ceased to breathe, she uni
ted heartily in the prayers of her pastor, and parted
from him with the assurance that her whole desire,
as to herself and her loved cnes, was that God’s will
should be done. Without a struggle, and almost im
perceptibly, her waiting spirit passed away, leaving
to bleeding hearts the sweet impression of her virtue
and its persuasive call to that future greeting,
“ Where no farewell tear is shed.”
J. M. C. B.
RE C EIPTS.
[From Feb. 8 to Feb. 28. [
GEORGIA. —Mrs. A. Gibson, 1; D. F. Montgome
ry, 5 ; Elder D. L. Hitchcock, 2; Mrs. M. M. Adams,
1; M. 11. Hutchinson, I; J. C. Coleman, 2; W. J.
Baggett, 1; G. W. Drummund, (to March 15, 1863)
2; Hiram Dennis, 4; N. Center, 1; Jas. M. Brown,
(Accept thanks.) 2 ; John Farrar, 1; J. 11. Wellborn,
P. M., 2; J. Livingston, 1 ; W. Mann, 1; Mrs. M.
Crawley, 1; Miss T. Middlebrooks, 1; U. M. Almand,
1; D. 11. Adams, 1 ; J. Patten, 1,30 ; J. T. Renfroe,
2 ; R. S. Foster, 1 ; W. Webb, 3,25 ; F. M. McLeroy,
2;J. TANARUS, Moore, 1; L. Pratt, 1; (Your letter says 2,
but there was but 1 in it.) B. Bruer, (one for last
year, and one for next,) 2; Win. Wagoner, 1; P. C.’
Thrash, 2, $47,55
ALABAMA. —Silas Nordan, 2 ; Elder J. J.
Dickson, 3 ; Elder Wm. Crutchei 1; Joseph
Culpepper, 3, 9,00
MISSISSIPPI.—E. D. Sinclair, 3, 3,00
TENNESSEE.—EIder P. Culp, 1, 1,00
VIRGINIA.—EIder R. C. Leacbman, 5,
(Present, accept thanks.) 5,00
FLORIDA.—T. S. Evers, 2, 2,00
TEXAS. —J. Dollahite, 1; Mrs. L. Carter, 2, 2,00
Total, $69,55
|ktni.
, [For the “Southern Baptist Messenger.”]
John the Baptist.
BY R. ANNA PHILLIPS.
“Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another?”
\
John tho Baptist—the great of womipi born,
The light that told the c jming Star of morn,
The Herald of the Lord—whose welcome voice
That made the waiting hearts of faith rejoice,
Rang loud and clear o’er Judea’s wildest hill,
Saying, “ Prepare, the prophecies fulfill
That point to Christ. Lo! one among you stands
To-day, the latchet of whose shoes these hands
Are not worthy to unloose. lie that sent,
And ’powered me to baptize a witness lent
To verify his Son. Behold on whom
The Spirit of the Lord was seen to come,”
When nearly came a voice from heaven that said,
As Jordan’s bosom felt the Messiah’s tread,
While he the law of righteousness appeased :
“ This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased
The voice that cried—as ’neath the law’s stern red
The Savior bowed—“ Behold the Lamb of God.”
The more than prophet, unto whom was sealed
The Holy Ghost—to whom the Lord revealed
His Son, by sign and word—in prison pined,
While all the powers of earth and hell combined
To crush him quite. The Tempter’s fatal power
Was closing round him in that fearful hour.
Perchance, at first, from midst the stench and gloom,
He sighed alone for the mountains’ breath and bloom;
Then midst the freshness of the olive lower,
To point to Christ at morn and evening hour ;
To lift his voice once more o’er Judea’s land,
; And cry “ Repent; heaven’s kingdom is at hand 1”
While round him thronged the waiting multitude,
That ’neath his touching language, sink subdued ;
And thence to J ordan’s gently yielding waves;
For true repentants find them liquid graves.
Or yet, perchance his aged mother’s moan
For her loved son, had pierced his dungeon lone.
Her stricken form, her low and piercing wail
Did o’er his faltering heart at first prevail;
And bowed beneath its weight of bitter tears,
(While Jesus, to relieve no more appears,)
The Tempter gained a point. Methinks I hear
The smothered voice of Doubt and shadowy Fear,
As round they hover, darkening all the rays
Os Faith and Hope, through long and weary days.
At last the night of Doubt’s dark shadows roll,
Like unwinged mountains, on his fainting soul:
And now he cries, “ How can my soul believe?
Why comes he not to cheer, if uot relieve ?
Is he the very Christ, the heir of heaven ?
Into whose hands all power on earth is given ?
Am I the servant of the Lord indeed?
Then why my soul’s strong prayer doth he not heed?
Why hath he to another country passed,
While I in Herod’s prison dark am cast?
Doth Jesus know ? And am I here thus bound
And fettered in this gloomy prison found ?
My strength must be of him. My faith expire*
Ah ! I am all undone if he retires,
And leaves me thus. The mocking scribe
’ derides my words ; believing ones imbibe
My fearful gloom. Doth His All-Seeing Eye
Her? penetrate, apd see me suffering to die ?
175