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THE BAPTIST BANNER.
BY DAYTON, ELLS & CO.
VOLUME V.
gta • gajrtfeff gaaw,
devoted to religion and literature,
Is published every Saturday, at Atlanta. Geoigifi. at the
subscription price of five dollars per year.
DAYTON, e ELLS;& CO.,
Proprietors.
A. C. DAYTON. JAS. N. ELLS. 8. D. NILES
[for" The Baptist Banner.]
FORGET-ME-NOTS.
Forget mb not! Wee, Harry flowers,
Forever to the skies—
Like a meek maiden at her prayers —
They lift their soft, blue eyes.
Along the lanes, in woodland paths,
From mossyJieds they start,
Perchance with modest smiles to cheer
Some lonely wanderer’s heart.
They come when spring’s first footstep wakes
The nectared violet;
They linger till pale autumn's brow
With chilly dews is wet.
All through the long, bright summer days
They lurk in dewy glades,
Smiling by .fern-fringed rivulets,
Beneath magnolia shades.
These souvenirs of sweet spring time
With lavish hand are strewn -
Some, on the strand where pink-tinged shells
Echo moan,
While others tremble on frail stems.
Adown the mountain side,
Where vines their clustered amethysts
(n emerald settings hide.
Some droop where loving mosses cast
A veil on rugged stones,
Like charity, which mantles all
The faults of erring ones:
They come to breathe a lesson sweet
To all, in hall or cot—
’Tis this : God looks from their meek eyes.
Baying, “ Forget Me Not! ”
N’IrtWPoaTE.
M_ UMBIMMIM liSIISH 111 llf I If
[For T/te Baptist Banner.]
ADA MAYFIELD.
BY A LADY.
CHAPTER V.—[Continued.]
TTNCLE Mark, did not I understand
vJ you to say, when the mourner be
lieves on God, lie will send His peace imo
his soul?”
“ Yes; but let me give you the testimony
of Scripture again: ‘He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life.’ ‘He that
believeth on Him is not condemned.
‘ When the eunuch believed ho was bap
tized, and went on his way rejoicing.’ Jesus
say s, ‘He that believeth in me, though he ]
were dead, yet shall he live.’ ‘ Whosoever
believeth in Him shall receive remission of
sins.’ ”
“ Well, uncle Mark,” replied Lewis, in a
constrained voice, “ I don’t know whether
you call me a mourner or not, but I know
that I am exceeding sick ot my former sin
ful life, and desire above all things to be a
Christian. If 1 could feel as secure of
heaven as some of you seem to be, and re
joice as you do sometimes, and bo as con
tented and happy as you are all the lime, I
would be willing to give up all the pleasures
and emoluments of the world—l would be
willing even to take Uncle Jupe’s place, if
1 could feel as secure of salvation as he (
does—yes, 1 would be willing to give my
self up to go anywhere, and do anything, if
I could only realize what you Christians say
you do. 1 didn’t feel so humble, though,
till to-day. Now, I believe in the Bible—
believe that Christ died for sinners; but,
oh! instead of peace and joy, I feel so
wretched —too vile, too wicked, for even I
Christians to notice, much less God.”
Here he arose and walked the floor in an ,
agitated manner. Tears prevented Mr. •
Mayfield and Ada from speaking for some'
time, while Lucy wept aloud in abandon-i
ment of grief for her brother’s distress. Fi-:
ually he sat down by her, and mingled his
tears with hers.
,l My poor boy,'’ said uncle Mark, alter
a pause, “ 1 tear you believe only with the
head, not with the heart. You have given
a mere intellectual assent to the truths of
Scripture, but your heart docs not respond
to the same. If you will examine the
Scriptures you will find that the sinner
never becomes too vile f-r God to notice,
nor good enough to be pardoned upon his
own merits. The thief, as vile as human
nature can be, was freely pardoned so soon
as he confessed Christ to bo the only Sa
viour. Die blood of Christ cleanseth from
all tin, no matter how atrocious. My dear
boy, the Bible is true; the fault is with
yourself, not with God. You say you be
lieve ; but you have not the faith required
4. mgfigevs AH® WAXX&>'S JS®WSBMUP».
in the Scriptures. Your repentance is sin
cere, for you say you loathe your former
sinful course; but you have not believed
unto salvation. I fear you are still wishing
to do something to bring yourself .into
God’s notice. You desire to wash away a
little of your vileness—to purify your cor
rupt heart a little—to think better thoughts
and perform better deeds —so as to become
fit for God’s purposes. But you cannot do
it; you can not wash away the guilt of one
wicked thought even. It is the blood of
Christ alone that cleanseth from sin, not
your good deeds. You must come to God,
vile as you are —banish all thought of per
forming any meritorious act —humble your
self at the foot of the cross —resign yourself
entirely into His hands, to do with accor
ding to His good pleasure —beg for mercy
alone through the merits of Christ, believ
ing with all your heart that He is able and
willing to save all that com i u.ito God
through Christ. God will iot save yon
while you believe that Christ died to save
you, and believe also that j >u must do
something to merit this salvition. lou
must throw self entirely out < f the scale,
and depend upon the blood of Christ alone.
May God grant you this saving , ; faith, my
dear boy, and send His precious peace into
your soul !
CHAPTER VI.
rnHEIR conversation was in errupted by
1 a rap at the front door, announcing
visitors —a very 'unusual occur ence at un
de Mark’s on the’Sabbath'; for .11 the neigh
bors knew his opinions and ha its too well
to intrude upon the sanctuary »f his quiet
home on this sacred day. Ar. Mayfield
answered the summons himsell for his ser
vants were all at their cabins enjoying this,
their rest day.
« Good evening, Mr. Harris ; walk into
the parlor, sir,” was his"'slutati m, while he
led the way, opening a blind t > admit the
breeze.
Mr. H. apologized for intruding upon
their quiet by saying that he found it re
markably dull in the country o i a Sabbath,
when there were no afternoon services to
attend.
“Ah ! yes,” Mark; “ some
of my young folk did complait terribly of
it for a while, but I believe they have be
come reconciled to it at last;” and he went
out to summon his “young folk,” knowing
that Ada was the sole attraction, and that
the alleged dullness was only a laine excuse
for so soon repeating his visit of Friday.
But, as he was there, he must be treated
politely, and’uncle Mark trusted to circum
stances to direct the conversation into thej
riuht channel, and to make even this unusual |
visit productive of good, cither to the guest
or to some one ot the family-.
After passing the usual compliments with
his guest, Lewis, who still wore rather a|
dejected lobk, walked out on the back piazza. I
He was soon joined by Lucy, and drawing
her hand through his arm, they commenced
walking up and dow n the long piazza and
hall which connected the dining room with
the main body of the house. They made
two or three turns in silence. But Lewis)
presently reverted to the subject that was J
in all his thoughts. “I do not quite under
stand uncle Mark, yet, Lucy. I don’t '
know what he means by saying I must be
jieve, when Ido believe. 1 believe all that
js written in Ihe Bible, but I do not fn I that
any of the promises recorded there will ap
ply to my case."
“That is the trouble, Lewis; you believe
these promises are true, no doubt, but you
do not rely upon them; you give them all
away to others; you think God promises
this to such a one, but you do ‘not reflect
for a moment that you are in the same case
To just such as you the promise is given—
‘Come unto me nil ye that labor and an •
heavy laden, and I will give you rest,’ but
you do not trust in it. You remember,
when we were small, one summer while we
were staying here, you and Ned and I had
been absent from the house all one after
noon. Nobody could give any account of
us, and mother became so uneasy she start
led to look for us herself. She found us in
the lower pool, playing, where w e had been
for several hours. We knew we were doing
wrong, and thought, as a matter of course,
she was going to punish us. So we began
to cry, as she came up, instead of going’out
HIS BANNER OVER US IS LOVE.
ATLANTA, GA., JANUARY 9, 1864.
to her and begging her forgiveness. As
soon as'she could be heard, for our crying,
she promised us, i.' we would come out, she
would not punish us. You whispered to
Ned'and me .to go along, that she meant
it [for us, cut refused to come yourself.—
Now, you didn’t believe mother, Lewis,
and you had no right to disbelieve her; for
you never knew her to break a promise, or
speak that which was not true.”
“ Oh ! yes, I (ZZtZbeßeve her, but I thought
she meant only yot and Ned; for I was most
to blame, as I was the oldest, and led vou
in.”
“There was no reason why you should
think she meant us only • forjshe didn’t say
she would forgive the yonngest, or those
who were least to blame, but she merely
looked at us, and said, if we would come
out she would forgive us. We were all in
the same case, ai d she made the same
promise to all. Ned and I took her at her
word, and went out to her, when she ki ;sccl
us,and told Hannah to take us to the house,
and put on some dry clothes. But she
staid a long time and waited, before you
came. Don’t you rememberjit ?”
“ Indeed I do,” replied thejyoung man, as
the tears gathered in his eyes, “and I re
member, also,, she Jid’not”add anything to
her promise, or ev»n repeat it, but held out
her hand, and said, on.e or twice, ‘ come! ’
And when I did come, at last, she seemed so
rejoiced I could nut help crying again, to
think I had been so obstinate.”
“ Now, Lewis, you treat God in the same
way. You believed mother spoke the truth,
for she never spoke anything else, but you
could not trust her promise for yourself.—
You gave it all away to Ned and me, who
were exactly iiqthe same case, and received
the very same premise that you did. So you
believe God speaks the truth, and that He
will pardon the rt penting one ; but you do
not trust in it so as to apply it to your own
ease. You read, ‘ the Lord is nigh unto
them that are of a broken heart, and saveth
sucl> as be of a contrite spirit.’ You
find j ourself in the very situation described,
but you think the promise intended for
some one else who is exactly in the same
case, just as you thought mother meant us,
to the exclusion of yourself; so, as uncle
Mark said, you do not believe, there
fore ”
“ But, stop a moment, Lucy, stop • That
passage is not in the Bible, is it ? I never
heard it before!” and he[faced about, sud
denly, and looked into her eyes with an ex
pression of unfeigned delight.
“ Certainly, it is ! and you have heard it
before, but not in faith ; therefore you do
not remember it. Let me get my Bible,
and 1 will show it to you.”
She darted off, and returning with the
Book, soon showed it to him, by the light of
the setting sun—Psalms xxxiv: 18. TAey
balanced the Book on the railing, and con
tinued to read and t&ik,[Lewis, in his rap
ture, talking so loud as to attract the atten
tion of Ada, as she passed into-the dining
room to attend to the supper-table. She
glanced at his face; he luoked at her at .he
same instant; their eyes met. She could
not be mistaken in the expression >f his
eyes—a light, as if from heaven, ill nnina
ted them —joy beamed in every glance;
and though no word was .spoken, sle un
derstood him perfectly. He contin led to
talk to Lucy, and she went m in o the!
dining room ; but as she passed arou id the I
table she felt as if skimming the air She I
performed her accustom d service n echan '
iealfy, w ithout noticing what she was Joiag,
and might have made many ludicrou ; blun
ders, if it had not been for the obsarvantl
eyes of little Hattie, who was fol owing
her sister round, and watching every mo
tion.
“La, sister!” sh< suddenly exclaimed,
“how funny! You are putting preserves
in a pick’e-dish.”
“Oh ! yes, honey ; I was not thinking. 1
will chargept.”
“Sister, what ms.es you keep I.rugh
iing?”
“ Ain I laughing?”
“ Yes, ma’am, just a little bit, just so,”
I imitating a smile as near as she cou J.
; “It is because lan happy, honev.”
“ What makes you happy right now”’
pertinaciously queried the little cue.
“ I don t know t at you would under
stand, my dear, iff were to tsil }cu,” she
Isaid, stopping to caress the little, rosv
cheek.
“ Why, sister, is it hard to know ?—hard
er than my lesson ? Why ”
Here Uncle Jupe appeared at the door
with a bunch of wild flowers in his hand
and calling ont, “See, honey, what I got foi
you,” relieved Ada, for the present, frorr
further questioning; for the little out
bounded to the door, and forgot all about
the subject in her delight with the present
from “ Grandsire.” He had to tell her
where he “gathered them; then Chari it
must put them in a vase of water and’plact
them on “sister’s” bureau, while she fol
lowed him, chatting all the while. By the
the time she got them arranged to her no
tion, supper was announced, which effcC
tually silenced her; for the little ones at
uncle Mark’s were too well trained to talk at
the table, unless[spoken[,to.
“ It is our custom, Mr. Harris,” said Mr
Mayfield, as they entered the parlor again,
after supper,7“ to read by turns, on Sab
batffevenings, either in the Bible or sonu
religious work. It may[seem to you to bi
an old-fashioned notion of mine; but wt
have derived great pleasure and profit from
it. I hope it will not appear tedious oi
prosy to you.”
“No, sir; do not fear that. 1 beg you
will make no change on my account. Indeed
it will give me pleasure to join with you in
the exercises.”
So many'questions'were propounded to
night by the different members of the circle,
that it proved to be more of a conversa
tion than a ' reading. Lewis’ elevation of
spirits was plainly discernible to all in this
affectionate family, and gave a lively tom
to the conversation.
“ To what denomination do}you belong,
Mr.Hlarris ?” queried Mr. M., during the
evening.
“To none. lam not a member of any
church.”
“ Ah ! 1 inferred from you"remarks, this
evening, that you were a professor of reli
gion.”
“ I do indulge a hope, though a very
faint one, that my sins have been par
doned.”
“ Then, why do you not make it known ?
—why not join a church and enter into ac
tive service of the Lord ? Is it because
you are in doubt which is the church?”
‘“No, sir, not at all. My mother is a
Baptist, and taught me to read the Bible foi
myself, and in that Book I find no doctrines
but such as the Baptists hold, and no
churches mentioned but such as correspond
to theirs. I am perfectly satisfied 'upon
that subject; but lam afraid I may be de
ceived with regard to a change of heart. 1
know there is a change'; I am not what 1
was before ; but my evidences of accep
tance are not so clear as 1 would like tc
have them before I take such an important
step as uniting with a church. It is a very
serious affair, Mr. Mayfield.”
“So it is; and I wonld not advise any
one to take such a step without giving it
due consideration. I hope you will'not br
offended ii I ask you a few questions. 1
never willingly .neglect an opportunity of
doing my Master service.”
“Not at all, sir. In fact. I court, rathei
than shun, conversation up in this subject.
But you ace the only one tha - has ever mar i
fested any desire to talk upon the subject to
me.
“ You say the evidence of your accep
tan .e is not sufficiently bright. But, small
as your hope is, from whom Jid you receive
it?”
“ From God, sir. It is the free gift of
His love.”
“ D > you nut suppose G d knows what
it requires to qualify you f r an entrance
into His visible kingdom? and do you sup
pose He would half way prepare you for it,
and then leave you to finish ‘he preparation
yourself
“ No, sir. But I have heard some per
sons, in relating their experience, say there
was not a cloud to dim their hones, and 1
have heard members of the church rejoicing
with a fullness of joy I never felt. If I could
only feel as happy as some of them seem to
be, I would dot hesitate another day.”
“ AIU my dear sir, do y u expect your
evidences to be brightened while you re
main hi rebellion to God’s commands?”
“ 1 was r.ot aware, sir, that I was in re
bellion”
“ What does God require of all who have
TERMS—Five Dollars a-year.
received His pardoning grace, and passed
■ from death unto life ?”
“To glorify Him by publicly testifying
, to the truth, of religion—to come out from
, the world, and unite with the people of God
iii His service. I know it is wrong for a
prefessor of religion to remain in the
■ w r orld; but you do not understand me, sir.
My hope, is so faint I am afraid to trust it.”
“ Yes, I understand you perfectly. You
are afraid, or not willing—that is it—to
trust the grace God has seen fit to give
you. How much do you think that little
grace that you treat so contemptuously is
worth, Mr. Harris? Let us test its value,
iou say it is too small to trust; but, small
as it is, what would you take to have it
blotted out from your heart, and you
placed exactly where you were before you
felt it?”
“ Why, nothing, sir! not all the world 1
sir! ” replied he, with a start of alarm.
[to be continued.]
the Baptist Banner.]
Heart Jewels.
Enshrined, in the deep recesses of the
hearts of noble beings we find pure, brilliant
jewels, that are of priceless value, and shi
ning so brightly that they seem to shed a
holy light on all the other gems with which
the person is ennobled. These jewels were
not wrought by art, nor fashioned by hu
man hands,’but were formed by kind Na]
tire; and they are far brighter than the
sparkling [diamond* The language that
mortals speak is hardly adequate to tell the
value o*‘ these precious gems. The posses
sion of br’lliant diamonds, rubies, or pearls
may exceedingly please us, yet how much
happier would we be to be conscious of
these “ Heart Jewels" safely housed in the
inmost depts of our heearts.
“ In some lonely cot,
Where the wealth of earth is not,”
we can often see these lovely jewels shed
ding light on every thing around, and ma
king all things far lovelier. Os these jewels
Trust aid Constancy go hand in hand.—
Trust never gives way to doubts and fears,
but is ever willing to make known that we
may breathe the thrilling secrets of our
hearts, with the assurance that they will
not be wafted as on the summer winds to
distant ears. How soothing to know we
hold the hand of one who has supreme
power < ver this bright jewel! How we
dread a heart that we cannot trust! We
seem to shrink and recede until we know
we arc out of the power of their ready
zrasp. Constancy is indeed a “ Heart Jew
el," never faltering, but ever the same, lov
ing to cherish, and still as true, though the
winds of foiLune may come and compel all
the wea th to seek other hands that are ever
ready to welcome it. Would that it were
mure commoa ! but, like many other bles
sings, it is ra-ely seen.
As another desired jewel, we will present
Faith. When the azure vault of heaven is
darkened o’er, as a symbol of coming
strife, how phasant it is to believe that all
things are for the best. When the storms
of sorrow lower, let us ever be mindful that
•he Lest way to escape from the blast is to
have f’ai» h.
Tut the most desirable of shining “Jewels
of the II art "is Hope. It is this that illu
mines t e future with golden rays, and
'ights up the trodden path for all weary
feet. T hat were life without it? When
da: k de l pair eems near, how could we bear
ourselves up ? ’Twere useless to despond.
Hope so ira into the effulgent splendor of
the haven of r >bt, with trembling pinions.
It lurks in the sunlight of home, and in the
smiles of lov’d ones. Traveling the rug
ged paths of life, Depa’r would often rest
at our resting place, were it not for a cool
draught at the stream of Hope.
How desirable, then, must be these
“ Heart Jewels" that shine brighter than
he gems filled with the treasures of earth !
Rubies, pearlq and diamonds, with all their
dazzling beauty, will not shine as purely
and brighly as these “Heart Jewels"
CLAUDIA.
Houston Ft male College.
The most important Prayer.—What is 1
it? Why this: “Lead us not igto tempta- ■
tion, bu‘ deliver us from evil.” If more 1
i would fi orn tl e heart utter this prayer daily,
) temptations v’ould be escaped and evils
igreatly lessei cd, for God would hear the
jprtyer, and prevent the commission of the
i evil.
NUMBER 7.
