lines on this subject, and must cease, for I fear it is
unprofitable. I will only add this remaik: when
vre are passing through any great suffering indi
vidually or nationally, we are apt to conclude that
no one has ever traveled that rough # and thorny
road before us—that our sufferings are^ peculiar ;
but if we read history we shall find thousands of
way marks indicating that we are in the beaten
track ; and as Christians, if we will but read the
word of God, we shall find examples of sufferings
and trials corresponding to all that we have as yet
passed through, or shall be called on to endure.
Coldness and barrenness of mind, with no travel
in religion, seems now, if I judge others by myself,
to be the prevalent complaint among Christians,
and it is in such form and degree that I have never
witnessed it before ; but we must not conclude that
no one else ever witnessed it. Isaiah, though a
prophet of the Lord, could, and did sing praises
unto God, aud call upon others to do so at times,
when looking into the future at the glory and
beauties of Zion ; through a revelation from God he
seemed to be lifted up in imagination far above all
sublunary things, yet at other times he said, be
cause he felt it sensibly, “My leanness, my lean
ness, wo unto me !” It was just as important that
he should be made to experience this dearth in his
feelings and just a3 much to the glory of God as it
was when his soul was full of songs and rejoicings.
If we could find no instance on record in God’s
word answering to our present state of mind, we
might capitally doubt our being the children of
God ; and while Isaiah was in deep trouble and
anguish of soul when he spoke of his leanness, and
although it certainly was no bed of roses to him,
yet what comfort it is to us, when brought into the
same straight, to know that God brought him into
that condition. But the Christian feels that he is
in the fire, and is solitary and alone, ax.d contrasts
his present state with th 9 time “ when his candle
shined upon my head, and when by his light I
walked through darkness; as I was in the days of
my youth, wheu the secret of God was upon my
tabernacle; when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my children about me.” That was a
pleasant season tiuly, and the child of God can
look back with delight to that moment; and if it
had been best for him to always have remaiued in
that condition, God would have so ordered it; but
we must Dot forget that we are called upon to glo
rify the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord
in the isles of the sea, and since we are called
upou to glorify his name in these seveie and soli
tary places, let us have patience and fortitude, and
not be found complaining at our lots. No chas
tisement seemeth to be joyous ; but after we have
been chastened by a father in love, though it may
be with severity, it yields the peaceable fruits of
righteousness ; we are willing to submit to His
will, and realize that our own wills are contrary to
what is right.
But someone is ready (o say, I have a harder
lot than any one else; I cannot live under it. If
you think so, read the book of Job, and then make
an honest confession. He suffered the loss ot all
earthly possessions, and then was afflicted as it is
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
the lot of few mortals to suffer, and yet under it all,
he sinned not, and his prosperity was greater after,
than before his sufferings. Read Paul’s trials and
sufferings, and with what patience he received
the stripes, imprisonment, false accusations, and
sufferings by land and sea, together with the loss
of all his earthly treasures, and did he say, “I
can’t stand all this, and I shall be obliged to give
up all and quit this warfare that has brought such
trials upon me.” No; he gloried in it all, and
counted it all loss, and not fit to be even compared
with the riches that were in Christ Jesus. There
are none in our day who have yet been called
upon to suffer as he, and yet, after all, and to
crown all, he was, we are told, crucified ; and did
he say that he could not suffer for Christ’s sake ?
that it woulcf be better to give it all up, and make
no more pretensions to serve God? No; he said,
lam ready. The sufferings of our Savior, all will
admit, are without a parallel in intensity, and for
no wrong done by him, and yet shall we complain ?
poor sinful mortals, at a little suffering compara
tively ? But I fear, says one, that our religious
rights arbin jeopardy, and that we shall not be al
lowed to worship God according to his word un
molested. Suppose your fears are well founded, what
then ? Are we better than those who have gone
before us ? We claim to bo akin to Paul and all
those worthv names who adorn the book of God,
and shall we shrink at their sufferings, and thereby
not count ourselves worthy of them ! The Wal
denses, it is stated in their history, were driven to
the caves and dens of the mountains, and yet were
happy in the privilege, even there, of worshiping
God ; are we any better than they ? But the Scrip
tures tell us that Christians “ were stoaed, they
were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with
the sword ; they wandered about in sheepskins and
goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented.” 1
do not think these calamities will befall us in our
day ; but suppose they should, remember we claim
kin with all the hosts of martyrs who have gone
before us, and are no better than they. But if these
things should take place, the grace of God was suf
ficient for them, and it will be for us. Let us not’
then be overburdened with anticipated troubles; we
have enough of real ones; but let us try to do our
duty as occasion requires, in whatever direction
that duty lies. Let us commit our country and its
interest into the hands of God. Let our sons go to
battle for the right in his name; and if they fall in
the sanguinary strife, let our tears flow over cur
brave defenders, and still look to the God of bat
tles. Let U3 not give way to repining ; if Gcd ever
loved us, he will love us to the end. Then let us
not be afraid of what man can do unto us. God
is our refuge and strength, he is our shield and
buckler, our high tower, a present help in all our
troubles ; he will never leave us, but will be with
us through life, and save us in death. *
ANONYMOUS.
Tjgrrel Cos., Ga., March 25, 1862.
Dear Brother Beebe : —Feeling disposed*to
write you a few lines on private business, I have
concluded to add a few lines for the Messenger, di
rected particularly to the brethren, and those dis
posed to read with regard to our national trou
bles, and how we are to receive and bear up under
them. Troubles are much more easily borne if we
expect their coming,and are prepared to meet them.
As to their cause, they, perhaps, like almost every
other thing, have a direct or excitmg cause, as well
as a remote or original cause ; and from the original
to the exciting cause, there may be manifest fre
quently a routine of many intervening causes. Sin,
no doubt, is the exciting cabseof our present trou
bles, though it may have been acted out in many
ways, and at diverse times, and the ultimately ac
complishing of God’s glorious design of punishing
sin, the original cause.* As to the original cause,
we have no agency in it; yet the Christian feels to
praise God because he punishes sin. As to the ex
citing cause, we, the sufferers, are the active agent3
©r doers of it. Then if we be Christians, or want
to act like Christians, the important question is
how shall we, or ought we, be found acting and
doing at this time ? Shall we be found distrusting.
God, or murmuring because of this distress 1 Is it
uot the punishment of sin ? Should we not rather
be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live,
and take the. admonition of his holv word, not to
despise the chastening of the Lord, and not faint
when we are rebuked of him ? For we know that no
chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but
on the contrary, is grievous; yet it afterwards yields
the peaceable- fruits of righteousness to them which
are exercised thereby. Therefore, brethren, hear,
the exhortation further : Lift up your bands which
hang down, and the feeble knees, and make strait
paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be
turned out of the right way. It is not very com
mendable in a high toned patriot to shrink or faint
under troubles like the present,.while his motive
may only be earthly attainments. How much less
the Christian, who waits for heavenly rewards. But
say some, these times have come so unexpectedly,
it seems as if they took us asleep, aud before we can
awake we are overcome. Our Savior told us to
watch ; and be has further said, Blessed are they
that hear his word and keep it. But we find it is
not blessed to leave the watch-tower vacant, and
especially if we are rioting and eating and drink
ing, and be drunken. Says another, lam not to
be blamed for not being prepared for these nation
al troubles; for many of our religious teachers
have preached or taught that a millenium was just
entering upon us, or just ready to enter,
of our politicians seemed to think that a Southern
Confederacy could be formed without much trouble
or expense, and we would become the most pros
perous and- wealthy people on earth; and hence
says the individual, I was deceived, and therefore,
not prepared. Here, perhaps, may be found a por
tion of our wrongs. The flesh naturally craves af
ter pleasure in this 4ife, in the flesh, and teachers
may be plentifully found who will preach so as to
please this fancy. But Christ tells us, “In the
world you shall have tribulation, but in me ye shall
have peace ;” and again, it is.through much tribu
lation we are to enter into the kingdom. Christ
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