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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 11