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THE BAPTIST BANNER. BY JAS. N. ELLS & CO. VOL. IV. She gapttet ganntr, DEVOTED TO RELIGION’ AND LITERATURE, Is published every Saturday, at Atlanta, Georgia, at the subscription price of three dollars per year. jAiiiS is. ELLS & CO , Proprietors. THE MUSIC OF NATURE. There’s music in the rivulet, And music, in the Hood ; • And music in the water fall That echoes from the wood. There’s music in the sunny grove, And music in the rain, Quick pattering on th’ forest boughs, And all is bright again. There’s mmic on the up’and slope, And music down the d>-ll; The loving herds, the bleating fold, Its pretty tinkling bell. There’s music in the joy of birds, And in the hum of bees; And music in the waving corn Danced over by the breeze. There’s music in the ocean-stream, When foamy billows roar; And more when, rippling peacefully, It seems to trip me shore. There’s music in the stilly eve, And in the hush of night; And music in the r sing morn, And when the noon is bright. There’s music in the voice of love, And joy that others share; And in the voice of gratitude, And in the voice of prayer. On me, O God ! thy grace impart, To prize what Thou hast given : Teach me to ponder what Thou art, At early dawn and even The music of a grateful heart Is music heard in heaven. THE ANGEL OF THE LEAVES. “ Alas’, ahis ! ” said the sorrowing tree, “my beautiful robe is gone! It has been torn from me. Its faded pieces whirl upon the wind ; they rustle beneath the squirrel’s foot as he searches for his nut; they float upon the passing stream, and on the quiv ering lake. Woe is me ! for my fair green I vesture is gone. I<> was the gift of the Angel of the Leaves’ I have lost it; and my glory has vanished, my beauty has , d'.sapp ared. “Aly naked limbs shiver in the chilly air. ’L’lie keen blast comjs pitiless among ; 1 them. ’l'he winter is corning; I am desti tute. How shall 1 account to the Angel | wh<> clothed me for the loss of his beautiful . gift’” The Angel had been listening. In sooth j ing accents he answered the lamentation : , “My beloved tree, be ♦om sorted. lam , with thee still, though every leaf has for saken thee. The voice of gladness is hushed among thy boughs, but let my whisper console thee. Thy sorrow is but for a season. Trust in me; keep my promise in thy heart. Be patient, and full of hope. “ I'he sap, that has for a while gone down, will make thy roots strike deeper and spread wider. It. will then return to nourish thy heart. Buds shall shoot forth, on every side of thy boughs. I will unfold for thee another r<»l>e. I will paint it and lit it in every part. It shall be a comely raiment. Sadness shall be swallowed up in j «y. Now, my beloved tree, fare thee well for a season.” The Angel was gone. The winter drew near ; the wild blast whistled for the storm; the storm came, and howled around the tree. But the word of the Angel was hid den in her heart ; it soothed her amid the threatening:* of the tempest. The ice cakes rattled upon her limbs; they loaded and weighed them down. At length the scowling face of winter began to lose its features ; the raging storm grew faint, and breathed its last. Thc reign of spring had come. Iler blessed ministers were abroad in the earth—they hovered in the air—they blended their beautiful tints, and east a new-created glory on the face of the heavens. The tree was rewarded for her trust. — Tin* Angel was true to the object of his; love. He returned ; he bestowed on her I another robe. It was bright, glossy, and 1 unsullied. The dust of summer had never lit upon it; the scorching heat had not faded it ; the moth had not profaned it. The tree stood again in loveliness; sin* was dressed in more than Iter former beau tv ; she was very fair; joy smiled around her on every side. The birds flew back toi her bosom. They sang on every bra. eh a hymn to the Angel of the Leaves. If we only loved our friends as well be fore thex die. as we do afterwards, what a beatific world this would be. For soften ing the heart, an hour’s stroll in a grave void is worth all the sermons that were ever preached. Ths fountain of content must spring up in the mind; and he who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek hip puiess bx changing anything but his owi vti >ll, will waste Ins life in fruitless eilorts and multiply the griefs which hr proposes to remove. W Hix we are alone, w e have our thoughts t» wat.h; in the family, uur temper; in c mpany, our tongues. A ABO SFAMMiX MISSIONARY MASS MEETISG. Remarks of Rev. Mfr. Dickinson, At the Mass Meeting held in Griffin, Ga., during the Baptist Slate Convention. [Reported for the Baptist Banner.] Rev. Air. Simner said: I have the pleasure of introducing the Rev. A. E. Dickinson, of Richmond, Va., who will make some statements to the audience in behalf of the Foreign Missionary Board. Rev. Mr. Dickinson then addressed the meeting, as follows : Brother Moderator— l will state, first of all, that, believing it to be most subservi ent to the great interests which we have before us, I have offered brother Sumner, the representative of the Domestic Mis sionary Board, the greater portion of the time allotted by the convention to him and myself. I regret, brother Moderator and brethren, that I stand beiore you to-night to represent the Foreign Missionary Board, because, but for rny presence, one of the Secretaries would have been here to per form that service. Brethren are generally informed as to the design and prospects of that Board.— They have seen from the religious papers about all that has been done. It is pleas ing, however, my brethren, to witness the kind providence of God in the present as pect of our missionary work. Some time since, fears were entertained by the reli gious classes of this country fo# our mis sions and missionaries; but we hat e seen that the same gracious Hand that began this work, and through Its various exigen cies and trials has carried it on, has inter posed to save our missionaries. We are told that one of our brethren in the mis sionary field has recently been appointed interpreter to a foreign consul, with a sala ry amply sufficient for his expenses and those of his family ; and, by giving a few' hours of each day to that service, he is en abled to spend the balance of his time in preaching the Gospel to the thousands by *hom he is surrounded. Another one of these missionaries has lately visited London arid made gp appeal in behalf of himself and his comrades, and that appeal was met with a most cheerful and generous response. In addition to this, our Baptist friends in Baltimore have lately held a meeting, in which upwards of twenty-five hundred dol lars were raised for the support of the mis sionaries who have been sent by our board, and an auxiliary board has been organized in that city, by which funds will be collect ed and transmitted to our brethren in for eign lands without the expense and risk which would be incurred by sending them from Richmond. Thus, in various ways, has God inter posed, and proven himself better to us than we had feared. And sooner than this work should come to a close—sooner than this mission that we have organized, under the commission given to us in the word of God, should perish for bread—we have reason to ; believe that the ravens themselves would be commissioned by God to carry to our brethren the food that is necessary to sup port their bodies. I'here are two or three things that I wish to ret r to, briefly, as something calculated to encourage us in this work, even iu these times. It has often been said that “ God reigns ; and, my brethren, when w’e have said that, then we have said something which is sufficient, amply sufficient, were there nothing else, to Comfort and encour age us even m times like these. Does God reign ? Is He looking down upon us now, the same as wln u our missionaries went forth and our hearts leaped with joy at the prospect of their labors amongst the heath en -. It God reigns—reigns over all—then what have we to fear? And to God, who thus reiyns over the heathen, over our en emies, and over us, in heaven and on earth to His heart this work of foreign mis sions is infinitely nearer and dearer than can be to our hearts. It you have planted a little flower, watered it, and nurtured it, I iml eared for it, y <»u will find your interest* in it increasing with all the care and atten lion you give to it. If you adopt into your family a poor orphan child, you will' find * [that as from day today you take care ot him and spend your money for his comfort ; and improvement, he is becoming nearer , . and dearer to you ; and the very fact that! I you do so much for him, makeshim the j object of greater interest to you. Now what has done, and spent, on this i mission field ? He has given his Son ; He has called His people, and moved their ) hearts to send forth laborers, by hundreds and thousands, to cultivate it; and He has preserved it amid dangers, and carried it on, through innumerable penis, to the pi esent tune. Must it not, therefore be inconceivably near and dear to His heart ? And th m, we all have reason ;o believe, from the h story of our missions, that God will overrule these times of gloom and darkness, for the good of this work. L »ok hack over the history of the Church, and see how u has been. Look at the dis.ipLs netore I hn>t ha i been taken up into heaven: they had hopes of having a peaceful and .happy tone; but God thought it best to send a.U.ctions and persecutions amongst ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1863. HIS BANNER OVER US IS LOVE. | them. They were driven from their homes into various lands, and thus the word of the Lord was greatly increased, and believers multiplied. I have sometimes thought > that in after ages it will be seen that, even in these times, God is afflicting and chasti sing us that He may stir us up—that He may cause us to feel more interest in giving 5 the Gospel to those for whom we plead to- * night. * I stood, the other day, by a broad and 1 beautiful river, and could not for my life tel] whether it was flowing in this or that * direction ; and as I looked on, sometimes the waves would seem to go one way, and f then another ; yet these waters were not stationary —they were going on to their > great home in the ocean. you go to some vast piece of machißWpand look on ’ and see the bands and wheels in motion, , and the various parts at work, it seems to you to be all confusion; but you wait a I little and behold the result—and see that the mind which invented that machinery is bringing out some blessed result to human ity. So, my hearers, God is a God of . providence, and He will see that all things shall work together for the salvation of His , people, and for filling the earth with His glory. I a»k you, then, my brethren, to believe that these missions are the work of God, and to labor and pray for them. If we had no other reason lor believing that our missions will be sustained, there is one, to my mind, amply sufficient—and that is this : The history of the Church, in . all ages of the world, demonstrates the fact that we make progress in extending the Gospel at home only in proportion as we feel an interest iu spreading it abroad.— Just in proportion as the desire for the success of the Gospel abroad burns in our hearts, so are we moved to pray and to labor for its success at home. And when a man ceases thus to feel, and thus to look upon the heathen abroad, the flame of heavenly love grows less bright and less warm in his own heart. A man who lived oy a thoroughfare in Virginia, sometime' since, had in his yard a fine well of water, i<» which the passers-by would resort, in the heat of summer, to quench their thirst. But his poor selfish heart le<( him to give orders that the gate should Le ovked and the people forbidden to come into his yard lor water. In a short time he found that water, once so clear and refreshing, all dis tasteful to him and injurious to his health, so that he had to send tor a physician— who informed him that the well needed to be agitated, that the water was stagnant, and that if'the gate should be again thrown open and the passers-by allowed to drink from it, the water would soon become as sweet and as refreshing as it had ever been. And so, my hearers, if we draw from the waters of life, to give to others, they be come sweet and delicious to us, and prove a blessing to our own souls. There was a man, some years ago, in this country, who for a long period had been in a most distressing state of mind ; he could have no peace; he was troubled i by day and by night on account of the re-' ligious state of his mind. Whenever called I upon to pray in a prayer-meeting, he would | 'hake his head and say “ I am not worthy.” He was in the condition of the man de scribed in the song, who said, “ ’Tis a point I long to know— Oft i causes anxious thought,— Do I love the Lord, or no ? Am I his, or am I not ? ” One day, as he sat in gloom and darkness, thinking of his awful condition, he resolv ed that if he died and should be lost, he ■ would at least make an honest effort to j save those who had not the Gospel. This [ new idea of laboring for the salvation ot ) the heathen came into his mind ; and after I spending twenty-five years in that good ; work, he remarked, that from the day he! had resolved so to labor, he had never been I distressed about his own religious con ii-, tion. My brethren, if every dollar that! has been given for the spread of the Gospel in heathen lands had perished in the ocean and had never reached those for whom it i was intended, in far-off lands or on the !is es of the sea, we would yet have been ten thousand times blessed in our own souls by our prayers and contributions. But I do not intend to enter upon any protracted remarks. Aly brethren and friends, in the name of the Foreign Mission Board ; in the name of those dear men who, to-night, in China and in Africa, are perhaps thinking about you, and wondering whether , amid these times, stirring "and try ing and; distressing as they are, you ever think and' '.care for them; in the name of those hun dreds of millions of souls who need the ■ Gospel just as much as any of us ; and in the name of the Great Head of the Church. 1 implore you to send to them this blessed : ' Word. I call upon you to remember but a few ■ years ago, wnen. seated among the jungle.- ■ ofl idia. and looking upon her darling babe*. I a Christian mother was called upon to allo* I her children to be sent back to this country lto be educated. Her reply to this uas, “ I I can not give up my children. She xxa' 5 told she must, then, go back with them.— : “I cannot,” she said, “ give up this xxork i which G<>d has given me to do ; I cannot , give up the poor souls which He has c >in t mitted to my charge.” She *a 3 tu.d that ’ she must decide the question. She decided to remain, and let her children be sent back. She then looked upon her children with that tenderness which only a mother’s heart can feel; she kissed their sweet lips, bade them a final adieu, and said, “ Now 1 give up my children, fur I cannot leave the work which Gyd has given me to do.”— Thus was the heart of Airs. Comstock rent and torn for her devotion to these people —and have you no heart to feel and to pray that their s >uls may be, saved? i~r~ htti n >imihii 11 - T ■mini in m i imiihmh [-Fur the, Eaptt't Eann.r.] RED LEVIED SOUL, “ Old things have passed away, and be hold all things have become new.” Pre cious reality ’ A sinner, dead in trespass, es and sin, condemned by the law, doomed to eternal banishment and punishment, has, by the Spirit of God, become apprised of his awful condition; he thinks deeply, re pents sincerely, believes firmlyf is baptized faithfully, and the light of gospel liberty, in all its effulgent glory, beams into his soul. He is a new creature, having receiv ed the heavenly gift; he no longer glories in his shame, but in the religion of Jesus. Old things have passed away ; his love of the world, the flesh and the devil, have been supplanted by the love of God and of his Christ. All things have become new, in deed ; the glorious centre of light and heat appears more wonderful and radiant; the silvery moon reflects much softer light; the twit kling stars are celestial gems; the gentle zephyrs are the whisperings of the God of love; the rippling streams are His miniature mercies; the rushing waters His bountiful blessings; the cloud capped moun tain His majestic power; the boundless . ocean His incomparable and incomprehen sible greatness; the beautiful earth His be neficent love; and His redeeming grace the wonder of angels. With such views of In finite power, greatness and love, the re deemed soul presses onward, buoyant with love, hope and joy—no pleasures so sweet as those resulting from the exercise of Christian duty, no joys so great as those re sulting from a conscientious discharge of Christian obligation. How glorious, how transporting the thought of never-ending and undiminished joys in the presence oi the “ Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” A redeemed soul! in effable joy ! What tongue can express, what pen describe, what imagination con 1 ceive, the happiness of those whom God has called to be partakers of the “heaven ly gift”? Sinner, O sinner! tremble; . . “wait not for the marrow’s sun,” delay not [ an hour, but seek Jesus while “He may be 1 found, and call upon Him while lie is near,” that you too may live a pious life, and re receive at last the great reward of a “ re deemed soul.” Xavier. [For the. E ip ist Banner.] Missionary’s Report. Hardeeville, 8. C., April 20, 1862. Dear Brother Wood: Perhaps you would like to hear, from j your missionary, something concerning his | labors since the first quarterly report; and i it is my pleasure to inform you that I am I again in the field—a new field on the coast. I left Atlanta at the time I told you I would, J but being in bad health, I concluded to visit I the coast, in the hope of doing some good in my Master’s vineyard, and at the same time improve iny health. I am getting j stronger every day, and have found much! work to do. I spent one day in Alacon, where I visited the sick in the hospitals,! i and distributed some tracts, which were I gladly received. I found many bright) Christians in this ci‘y among the soldiers,) and also some very w icked men —who said ' they knew they ought to do better, but thej could not see how one could do so these war . times. They said they were thankful to ■ these good people who had manifested so much interest in their spiritual welfare. I then went on 2o Savannah, and spent one d.iv there. 1 labored in the hospitals there in company with brother Odom, one of | brother Hornady’s faithful colporteurs. I ! c >ulJ see the fruits of the labors of the mis sionaries. These men of G< d hid labored faithfully, and yet the soldiers were not satisfied. Tney still desire more. They were as glad to see me as if they had no spiritual help at all. But I left for more destitute portions us the army. I came to this village, where 1 was welcomed by the commanding officer and men. Having ,I some tracts and a few Testaments with me, TERMS — Three Dollars a-year. 1 can turn them, I trust, to good account, for the soldiers are eager to have them.— The commanding officer requested me to preach to the soldiers yesterday (Sabbath.) 1 did so, and to an attentive congregation. Some of them set med much affected. The sick in the hospitals wish me to visit them often, and pray with them. This portion of the army complain of being neglected by ministers and colpor teurs. A major told me that his command had not heard a sermon in five months, and desired me to visit them; he said they would be glad to see me. I promised him to visit them, and shall do so, by God’s help. 1 find the soldiers highly pleased with The Baptist Banner; as the brethren of the Coosa Association have made some arrange ments with the editor, I shall be able to let them read it occasionally. Religious papers are worth more to the soldier than tracts, although they are glad to get tracts at any time in the absence of a religious paper.— There are no murmuring or complaining among the soldiers here. They say they will be satisfied with their lot as soldiers, until their country is free. This portion of the army is in good condition and high spirits, and well provided for in food and clothing. Your brother in Christ, P. A. HUGHES. Rib!es and Test aments for Army. We have been requested to copy the fol lowing appeal from the Christian Index: Camp Lawton’s Brigade, ) April 1, 1863. ) Allow me, through your columns, to make an appeal to the immediate friends of Lawton’s Brigade, which is composed of the 13th, 25th, 31st, 38th, 60th and 61st Regiments, various parts of the State. Your central position will afford better ac cess than through any other channel. There is but a single chaplain in the brig ade, who, I think, is disposed to be faithful, and who, I would fain hope, is doing good. ‘Just now—and for some time past —an unusual interest is manifest, among the sol diers, in religion, and we can but hope that the work is genuine, for it wouhl seem the camp would, of all others, be the last place a here the devil would attempt a sham of this sort. There exists an astonishing and gratifying thirst for religious reading; within a few days, seven or eight hundred dollars have been contributed for reliyious journals, Bibles and hymn books. There is a sad destitution among them for want of Bibles and Testaments, and I now write to beg the friends most interested to make such contributions as they may have at home, of small size Bibles and Testaments, and send them to you in Alacon, that they may be concentrated, and 1 am sure jou will box and forward them to my address, and I will see th t they are distributed.— Many idle copies are to be found, and though they have been used, the precious Truth >lll only be ende-ired to the soldier the more, by having been read by “loved ones ” at home. This is one of the largest brigades in the service, and Georgia has just reason to be proud of it as a body of troops who, on ev ery occasion when their valor has been tried, have proven equal to the contest. Lend them your aid to become valiant soldiers of the Cross. Geo. F. Cooper, Sr. Surg. Brig. To Soldiers Families in the Co.needer act. —The subscriber offers three hundred tierces of fresh beaten Rice, by the single tierce, to the families of soldiers in actual service, or those who died in the military service of the Confederate States, at ten i cents per pound. Applicants, whether by person or letter, must furnish evidence of their claim in I writing, from some person known to, or certified by, undoubt'd authority. If money be sent by check, the Rice will I be shipped according to instructions, dray age alone being added, arid the surplus j change will be transmitted in the same manner. G. B. Lamar, Savannah, Ga. Papers will serve the soldiers by giving the above a few insertions. I A New Idea— Cotton Cards.— We are informed that there is a farmer in Wash ington county, x* ho spins his cotton filling w ithout the aid of cards. The process is simple. He goes to the ginhouse or lint room, puts the light flakes of cotton ginned into a basket, not packed, carries it to the spinning wheel, and the thread is made with rapidity. With a little practice, more thread can be made in a day than with the aid of <otton cards. It kerseys are desired to be made, put cow hair into the gin with the seed cotton, and it will be thrown into the lint room nicely mixed. The same process as above will give him the fil!fr>g i he desires. Will our farmers practice upon , the important idea thrown out ? NO. 25.