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Os baptist >fWS® «S® sgffigß KvJ W flfc fi! M Bffl w w _ 1, w ‘The entrance of Thy Word giveth light.’ JAS. NATHAN ELLS, Editor. ATLANTA, CxhlOßGrlA: SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1863. The Memory of the Dead. How beautiful is the memory of the dead ! What a holy thing it is in the human heart, and what a chastening influence it sheds upon human life I How it subdues all harshness that grows up within us in the daily intercourse with the world ! How it melts our unkindness, softens our pride, kindling our deepest loves, and wakes our highest aspirations ! Is there one who has not some loved friend gone into the eternal world, with whom he delights to live again in memory ? Does he not love to sit down in the hushed and tranquil hours of exist ence, and call around him the face, the form, so familiar and cherished—look into the eye that mirrored not more clearly his face than the soul which he loves—to listen to the tones which he loves to listen to — the tones which were once melody to his ears, and have echoed softly in his ear, since they were hushed to his senses ? Is there a spirit to which heaven is not brought nearer, by holding some kindred soul ? How friend follows friend into the happy dwelling-place of the dead, till we find, at length, that they who loved us on the heavenly shore are more than they who dwell among us! Every year witnesses the departure of some whom we knew and loved ; and when we recall the names of all who have been dear to us in life, how many of them we see passed into that city which is imperishable. The blessed dead! how free from stain is our love for them. The earthly taint of our affection is buried with that which is corruptible, and the divine, in its purity, illumines our breast. We have now no fear of losing them. They are fixed for us eternally in the mansions prepared for our reunion. We shall find them waiting for us in their garments of’ beauty. The glo rious dead ! how reverently we speak their names ! Our hearts are sanctified by their words, which we remember. How wise they have now grown in. the limitless fields of truth ! how joyous they have become by the undying fountains of pleasure ! The immortal dead ! how unchanging is their lover for us! How tenderly they look down upon us, and how closely they sur round our beings! How earnestly they rebuke the evils of our lives ! Let us talk pleasantly of the dead as those who pursue no longer the fleeting, but have grasped and secured the real. — With them the fear and the longings, the hope and the terror, and the pain arj? past; the fruition has begun. How unkind that when we put away their bodies, we should cease the utterance of their names. The tender-hearted dead, who struggle so in parting from us ! why should we speak of them in awe, and remember them only in sighing? Very dear were they when hand clasped in hand, and heart responded to heart. \\ by are they less dear when they have grown worthy a higher love than ours, and their perfeete I souls might receive even our adoration! By our hearth-side, I and by their grave side, in solitude, and amid the multitude, think cheerfully and speak lovingly of the Dead. To Clerk* of Association*. We would esteem it a favor if the Clerks 1 of Baptist Associations, in this and adjoin ing States, would at once forward to The Baptist Banner the times and places of meeting for the current year. We design publishing a table for reference. V\ orthy of Imitation.—The congrega tion of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta recently contributed fifty dollars to send ‘ The Banner * to sick and wounded soldiers. Are there not other congregations who will do likewise? Personal.—Correspondents of S. M. Pyles will address him at Milford, Baker county, Ga.; and those of W. Jeff. Speairs, at Starrsville, Newton county, Ga. —— ♦- Isaac W. Ensign makes his bow edito rial, gracefully, in the last number of the Educational Journal, at Forsyth. The 1 paper has our best wishes; may its ‘Ensign’ long wave and flourish ? K&i® SB A K’S SISK 38 ASt St . The Orphan*’ Ottering. We trust that the lady who penned the following note will not be offended at seeing it in print. As sure as we live, we shall seek an opportunity of taking her dear [ little boys by the hand : Cave Spring, Ga., Jan. 12, 1863. Editor of The Baptist Banner: Dear Brother: Enclosed you will find one dollar, a Christmas present from my little boys, Arthur Virginius and Victor Bird Burton. These dear children have been made orphans by this cruel war; their father was slain at the battle of Gaines’ Mills, before Richmond: and now since he is dead, I feel a greater desire than ever to raise them for Jesus. I have told them of our soldiers, far away from home with out any good books to read; and I have told them that many little children are sending money to you to furnish a good paper for the soldiers, and they are very anxious to con tribute their little all. Hoping that it may be “ breatl cast upon the waters,” and that it may prove to be a great blessing to some poor sol dier, as well as to my little orphan boys, I cheerfully send it. Respectfully, <_y our sister in Christ, Mrs. V. B. Burton. Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 7, 1863. Messrs. James N. Ells & Co. : Gentlemen—Believing it just as essential to furnish mental aliment to our Soldiers, as to contribute to any other of their wants, enclosed please find twenty dollars —the ! “ Amateurs’ ” mite for the purpose of cir culating your valuable paper. Very truly, yours, Wm. H. Barnes, Manager Atlanta Amateurs. The ‘ Amateurs ’ will accept our thanks in behalf of those to whom this donation will be applied. This organization will long be held in grateful remembrance for the material ‘ aid and comfort ’ often afforded those who are struggling to be free. ■ Rev. P. A. II ugiies.—This brother has received a commission from the Coosa Baptist Association, as Missionary to the Confederate Army—to preach, and distrib ute reading matter, wherever he can work to advantage. He left this city on Tuesday for Chattanooga, and fora while will labor in Bragg’s army. The body of Christians by whom he has been appointed, aiming to benefit our noble defenders and the Confed erate cause, will highly appreciate any fa cilities afforded their Missionary by officers of the Army and all with whom he may come in contact. Elder Hughes is also an authorized Agent for The Baptist Banner. ——- —— The Soldier’s Friend, a new paper just started in this city, by A. S. Worrell, has • been received. It is neatly printed, and its articles are prepared exclusively for the soldier’s eye. Its claims are set forth in the announcement in another column. — The Confederate Baptist.—Rev. Mr. Breaker has withdrawn from the editorship of this new journal. Il is now edited by Dr. Reynolds. Newnan Baptist Church.—Rev. Jesse M. Wood has entered upon his duties as Pastor of the Baptist Church at Newnan. We hope this valued contributor will soon resume his very interesting ‘Occasional Tall? ’ n our columns. Childhood. The Spring-time of lire : the halcyon morn of our earthly day : undimmed by the storm-laden clouds that burden and darken the skies of riper years. It has its griefs and tears, aud they are many and frequent, and to the heart of a child they may appear great and weighty ; but they are as April showers, quickly succeeded by bright sun shine, and the rainbow of hope is seen through the glistening tears. Our blessed Lord was once a child on this earth ; and though He was, doubtless, well acquainted with the divine mission He was sent to execute, we delight to think of Him as a child, engaging with other child-| ren in the simple sports so congenial to their nature; acting at all times as peace maker when angry words were spoken and j passions excited ; thus early going about ! ‘his Father’s business.’ This too is the precious seed time of our earthly life. When the first violets of fan- : ey and reason peep above the soil, and as yet the ill, rank weeds of malice and all un charitableness do not appear, let the pre cious seeds of love to God and love to man ■ be carefully sown and lovingly tended and watched as they spring quickly up in the moist virgin soil. Let daily prayers arise ! that showers of heavenly grace, and the ■ dews of the divine Spirit, may fall on the I little garden, and ensure a harvest of sweet ■ flowers and lasting fruit. To a child there is no past ; all is present, or future. Content to enjoy themselves children little reck how’ fast old Time flies on ; and little care they when the poet ' sings, , "Ye sunny, sunny hours of childhood ! How soon, —how soon ye pass away ! ” Impatient rather are they that the hours should more qui.-kly fly. and bring the hap py future, to them so bright ; like the far distant horizon, glorious with crimson-tint ed clouds—the ‘flowers of the skv*, as said ,a little one to me once, asking if God 'would let her gather them when she went! ;to heaven ! God bless the children ’ “Os such is the Kingdom" S. Glad Tidings from the Arny.—Al religious revival of much interest has been in progress in the 49th and 14th Georgia regiments, since the battle of Fredericsb’g, conducted by Rev. Mr. Hyman, chaplain of the former, and Rev. Mr. Barrett, army evangelist. Services are held three or four nights in every week, and between one and two hundred enquirers present themselves for prayers. Glory to God for the news ! The War. The news from Murfreesboro’ is altogeth er satisfactory. Bragg has fallen back in good order to a stronger position, and in tends to maintain it. The northern papers sry that Rosencrans will be forced to evac uate either Murfreesboro’ or Nashville. It seems to be the general opinion that there will yet be a severely contested fight somewhere in that region. Our forces have again and again repulsed the enemy, with immense slaughter, at Vicksburg. The contest, however, is not yet ended, and the contest forthat city will be bloody and destructive. Help, Lord ! 1 All quiet upon the lines ’ of the Rappa -1 hannock. It is not fully known to what 1 point the enemy has gone. Lee is about. ! Old Stonewall is at his post. Stuart is up on one of his ‘ grand rounds,’ and the whole army in excellent trim to meet their assailants. Take courage, Confederates. We have abundant cause of gratitude to the Giver of 1 all good for His great mercies. i _—. —_. Run the Blockade. —Another steamer ' has arrived at a Confederate port, bringing ' a heavy mail, several passengers, and a valuable cargo. When she left Nassau, there were six very swift English steamers freighted with goods for the South, ready i to sail. 1 [For Th* Baptist Banner.} ; Atlanta, January 9th, 1862. • Dear Brother Ilornady, Agent Colportage: As I have this day closed my labors as . i Colporteur to the hospitals in this city, for the purpose of entering upon a more exten sive field of labor as Missionary to the Con ’ federate Army, under the appointment of > the hoping that in this way 1 may be more useful in the cause of Christ and our common country, 1 now make my report for the last month and ’ twenty one days’ labor in the Colportage work. 1 have preached five sermons, and prayed with the sick at different times by .' their request. A good portion of the time i (as you know) I was without reading mat i ter for distribution, except The Banner and | The Index occasionally, but 1 have lately i distributed a considerable quantity oftracts, I camp hymns and Testaments, for which the I soldiers, with few’ exceptions, expressed . great In my religious con versations among them, I have found many bright Christians and many penitents. I think it due the “Ladies’ Relief Socie : ty ” of Atlanta, to note the fact that many heretofore wicked men have been led to ac ’ knowledge the goodness of God in sending those angels of love and mercy to soothe their sorrows by the ample provision- at the car-shed, and their friendly visits and con s soling words in the hospitals. Yes, it has i broken up the great deep of their hearts, and opened their fast-sealed eyes to see 1 themselves as sinners, and they say, “ I am sorry that I ever sinned.” Are not these dear ladies preaching Christ and Him cru cified, when they are feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, or visiting the sick beds of suffering humanity ? They may not bo aware that they are preaching, but I wish 1 could preach so loud. Brother 11., pray for your unworthy brother in Christ, P. A. Hughes. - I [Original.] Notes ou tlie Gospel of Mark, I With a Revision of the Common English Version. BY N. M. OBAWYORD. CHAPTER X. 1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the borders of Judea and be yond the Jordan: and again the multitude* come together unto him; and as he was wont be j taught theifrngain. 2 And the Pharisees came • to him and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife ? trying him. 3 And he an -1 - swered and said unto them, What did Moses! command you ? 4 And they said, Moses per mitted to write a bill of divorce and to p»t her I away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, On account of your hardness of heart, h* wrote you this commandment: 6 but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a manleave his father aud mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 and they two shall be one flesh: so that they ' are no more two, but one flesh. 9 What, thera , fore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples i . asked him again, concerning the same 'matter, j ill And he saith unto them. Whosoever shall | put away his wife and marry another, commit-| !teth adultery with her. 12 And if a woman; shall put aw’ay her husband and be married to another, she committeth adultery. 13 And they brought little children to him j [that he might bless them ; and his disciples re* buked those that brought them. 14 But when i Jesus saw it he was much displeased, and said ; unto them. Suffer the little children to come unto me and torbid them not: for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 V eriiy I say unto you, I Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein ' 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. 17 And as he was going forth on a journey there came one running who kneeled to him’, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him. Why callest thou me good ? There is none good but one, that m, God. 19 Thou' , know est the commandments, Do not commit 1 ; adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not beari false witness, Defraud not, Honor thy father and mother. 2j> And he answered and said unto him 1 eaeher, all these have I kept from my vouth. 21 And Jesus, ooking on him, loved him; and said I unto him, One thing thou lackest: go sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the nonr and thou shalt have treasure in heaven- and' ; come, take up thy cross and follow me. 22 Andi i T 1 i at I th ? 1 “y in «’ and went away U-t ‘ t °‘? e had ,great possessions. 23 And I few ttud SH *duntO his disciples, ! - tk^ e y that have riches enter! ' into the kingdom of God! 24 And the disci-1 [ pies were astonished at his words. But Jesus ! answereth again and saith unto them, Children, | iow hard it is for them that trust in riches to ' enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier i tor a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom oi uroo. 2b And they were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves. Who then Ca -H be uru ed ? 27 And Jesus lo<)k iogupon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 28 And I eter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all and followed thee. 29 And Jesus an swered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children or lands, far my sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, amid persecu tions ; and in the world to come eternal life. 31 But many that are first shall be last, and the last first. NOTES. I. Erom thence, i. e., from Capernaum, 9; 33, and from Galilee. Borders of Ju dea, n. 3 : 7. This is the Savior’s last jour ney up to Jerusalem. Having given his disciples the private instruction which he desired, he again teaches the multitude. 2 Trying him.— On the question pro posed there was great difference of opinion. The Pharisees were divided into two parties upon it. The followers of Hillel permitted divorces for any cause; those of Shammai, for adultery only. Whatever answer he ; might give, they expected him to be eni • broiled with the opposite party. 3. The wisdom and authority of Jesus : are seen in his reply. He first refer* them to their own law. 4. See Deut. 24 : 1,2. 5. For your hardness, <£'c. — On account ' of their stubbornness, Moses gave them a permission not included in the orginal law of marriage. This was probably intender . ness to the wife who, under the customs of 1 the age and country, would have been sub ject to intolerable cruelty if compelled to live with a husband who hated her. For there appears then to have been no alterna tive between cohabitation and divorce, and the wife, when hated, was no better than a slave. 6. From the beginning.— From the per mission of Moses, he goes back to the law of God at the original institution of mar riage. When man was created the woman was not created, but was created in the man. ■ Afterwards, as there was no companion ment for man, the rib of Adam was “built” into a woman, that there nrght be suitable companionship for man. 7. For this cause. — Because marriage makes the wife bone of the husband’s bone and flesh of his flesh, Gen. 2 : 23, he must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. — The wife is nearer than the parent, v. 8. 8. One flesh. — The tio between the parent and the child still leaves them two, but marriage makes one flesh of what had before been two, thus restoring the original creation of Adam before the woman was taken out of him. “ This is a great mys tery.” Eph. 5 : 32. 9. God hath joined, <fcc.—The union is ordained, ratified, and completed by God : man cannot break it without lawlessness and violence. 10. In the house. — Where they were in private. Asked him.— To obtain more full and precise information. 11, 12. Divorce, leading to re-marriage, however permitted by the civiblaw, is adul tery in the sight of God. Divorce by the wife was an innovation upon the laws of Moses, which had crept in from the neigh boring nations. In this conversation Christ states the general law ; he elsew here allows an exception in case of adultery, Mutt. 19 : 9. With her.— The second (so-called) wife. 13. Touch them, and as appears from “Matt. 19: 1, to pray forthem. Rebuked. Probably because they thought it beneath the dignity of their Teacher to be called on to notice little children. 14. Displeased.— They did not understand his spirit and purpose; and had exercised authority which did not belong to them. & c - —As he then condescended to receive the little children, we may learn that there are none beneath his favorable regard. To such, Jc..— He does notjsay “To them” 'or “Theirs,” as in Matt. 5 : 3, 10, to show that the kingdom belonged to these indi i vidually •or to little children generally, but to such, to those wno may be classed as little children. What is here said is true of the kingdom of God both in its external and in its spiritual development. Regen eration, making us as little children, is req uisite for admission now into the visible kingdom, and hereafter into the kingdom of glory. The natural babe is here taken as the symbol of the spiritual, as in 9: 36. In wickedness be ye babes, but in under standing be men.” 1 Cor., 14; 20. ' 15. I say. d-c., n. 3: 28. As a little child.— Not as a little child receives it, but i receives it with the simplicity and confi dence which characterizes little children. 1 For to receive the kingdom requires a de gree of intelligence which the babe Lu. 18: 15) possesses not. But by regen eration we obtain the genuine childlike dis -1 position. and th us receive and so enter the king dom. There is nothing said here, and noth ing can be inferred hence, in favor of infant baptism ; and it is astonishing that any one who believes that we are all born in sin land “ by nature the children of wrath,” can maintain that a babe must be baptized be cause he belongs to the kingdom ! Yet ex tremes meet. Babes are baptized to wash , away original sin and because they are i without sin ! 16. Blessed /Aew.—The example of Jesus ought always to be followed : in loving and blessing and caring for infants, and in not baptizing them. 17. One came.— He was a young man and a ruler, Matt. 19: 20 ;Lu. 18: 18.— Owing to his connexions, wealth, and good character, he had been appointed, at an early age, ruler of the synagogue at his ' place of residence. His running indicated his earnestness ; and he kneeled, as a token' t both of his reverence for Jesus, and of hisij 1 desire to obtain eternal life. Good Teacher. !—Words of complimentary address in com l mon use. What shall Ido, Jc.— r Thc ques tion shows the legal notions of the enquirer. He thought he could do something to merit the great blessing. 18. Why callest, dec.— Jesus takes occa sion from the word to turn the enquirer’s attention from subordinate and derived to Supreme and Essential Goodness: the for mer may, by God’s grace, be found in man, . the latter in God only. Jesus is God, but , (he young man attributed to him only the ’ goodness which belongs to man. 19. The commandments.— As the enqui _ rer approached him in a legal spirit, Jesus, L to lead him to the truth, at first refers him 3 to the law. 20. All these, de.— The answer manifests the confidence of security which, neverthe- , less, is false, and proves the spiritual blind- - ness of the young man. x 21. Loved him.— Morality, even where it s does not spring from a sanctified heart, and e though it may fall short of perfect obedi ence, is yet lovely. One thing thou lackest. . his obedience, the Saviour gives him a com s mand which wilt show him how utterly his 1 heart is averse to that God whose law he , professed to have continually kept. Go, e sell, efic.—This command will test his love - and search out the plague in his heart.— He had rendered a certain external obedi s ence, but lacked that love which is the es i sence of all obedience. Jesus gives the command as God, and the result shows that the young man loved money and not God. t Treasure in heaven. — The heart and the a treasure are together. If we give up earth z ly good because our heart is in heaven, we - may be sure that we have treasure there, f Take up thy cross, n. 8 : 34. 22. Sad.— lnstead of the commendation > he expected, he receives a command which r shows him all the hollowness of his proses- - sions and the vanity of his trust,. For he 1 had great possessions ; which he loved too t much to give up for Jesus. It is not the holding of property, but the lack of love, - that ruins men. < 23. How hardly, de.— Because “ the love -of money is the root of all evil,” 1 Tim. i 6: 10, and “ the deceitfulness of riches . chokes the word.” Matt. 13 : 22. 24. Astonished.— Regarding riches as a ’ blessing sent from God, which it is, they 3 did not understand how its profession could interfere with the reception of a yet greater 3 blessing. That trust in riches.— Replying 3 not to their words but to their visible as : tonishment, he repeats the sentiment so as > to explain the former declaration. Thedif -3 ficulty is that the rich man is so apt to trust in his riches. We must give up this trust, 3 and sometimes it seems impossible to do , this without the loss of the wealth itself. 1 25. Easier for a camel, Ac. —That is, im- 1 possible without divine interposition. s 26. Astonished beyond measure.— His first ■ statement appeared to give the rich some chance, but the second cuts oft* all hope.— i Who then can be saved?— The love of mon : ey is not peculiar to the rich ; for the poor i man cleaves to his little with as much te nacity as the rich to his much ; and he who i has nothing is as anxious to get something I as he who has a great deal is to keep what he has. Is not, then, entrance into the king- , dom an impossibility? 27. With men, &c.— Yes, it is an irnpos ! sibility for human nature ; but God comes I in the gospel to relieve human nature; and • he can bring even the rich into the kingdom, > but to do so he takes away their confidence i in their riches; as with Abraham, Joseph, : Daniel, Joseph of “Arithmea, Ac. 28. We have left all.— Peter applies these searching truths to himself and his col leagues. “ Whatever we had, we gave it i up to follow thee; how then shall it be I with us? 29. 30. To abandon any thing dear in I this life for Christ’s sake brings a hundred fold —i. e., a large counterbalanoe of bless ing even here. For when friends or re.la- 1 tions are lost to us on account of the gospel ’ we receive other fri< nds and kindred by brotherhood with Jesus; and if we lose our own house, the homes of Christians are open to receive us. Amid persecutions.— It is remarkable that the strength of Chris ; tian affection, the abundance of Christian liberality, and the unity of Christian spirit ara never so manifest as when persecution is most malignant. In the enumeration of those forsaken it is worthy of note that wife is singular (as also father, mother,') — ■ ’thus excluding the idea of polygamy ; while of those received no mention is made of of fathers, because we are to “call no one father on earth, for one is your father ttho is in heaven,” Matt. 23: 9 ; nor of wife, be cause the union and the love of husbaed and wife are essentially distinct from those of the Christian brotherhood. 31. Many that are first, to leave house, &c., shall be last to receive eternal reward, and v. v.; and many that are lowest in 'earthly dignity and station shall be highest in heavenly ; as the apostles who from be ing fishermen here shall hereafter “sit up on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Mt. 19: 28. For the bestowal of blessings is not of debt, but of grace. The religion of Jesus Christ is as suita ble to the mind of vast comprehensions as it is to the humblest, feeblest follower. — There is precisely the same spirit of piety and the same spirit in the manifestation of that piety, in each. ‘Jesus Christ and Him crucified,’ is the only hope ofa fallen world. —* • • Money due the Office, may be sent by mail a our risk—always mail it in presence of a friend (other than the P. M.,) or procure a friend to mail itforyou—never register. Contributors should write only on one side of each leaf; and number the pages, 1,2, 3, <fcc. Those wishing papers changed, should give the Post-Office they wish changed from, as wel. as the one to be changed to.