The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1861-11-02

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seeing that we have come very far short of
our duty, both in regard to the claims of
our own population, and the demands of
the nations which know not God. We have
wasted more of the substance committed to
US as stewards upon vanities and trifes,
than we have given to save the nations from
eternal death. Does not their blood cry
out against US? Brethren, suffer the word
of exhortation2 Has it not been the rule
with you when times were "hard, and there
was necessity for retrenchment, TO begin at
the house of Godl Lave you not said 81
can give nothing gaen you chad it by
ycuw When you haye heard the cry for
more ministers; and the thought has sug-
gested itself that it might be the duty of
yoar sons, TO preach the gospel, have not
your hearts preferred for those sons the
parsuits and prizes Of wealth and ambtiOn2
lt so, is i, strange that the Lord who loves
ou. eLr,r.
Ow coaipels you to give freely of your sons
aud your substance, for the protection OF
your ire-sdes aud your altarsf You re-
fused these gifts for the eternal salvation of
your feilow-slnners: you are now compelled
TO reiinquish them for the deliyerauce of
yourselves from that which is worse than
the death Of the body, Il tgram's heel. God,
then, has shown you that the reasons you
assigned for not sustaining His work, libe-
rally, were neither true nor real. lie has
demonstrated this, an y0ar oloR erperleace.
(2) The other way, IN which the eticien-
cy of the church is to be increased by this
war, as we humbly trust, is by making all
Gods people see what the spirit of love
truly is, and in what manner genuine love
works. The love of country-what wonders
cf heroic fortitude, and Of seIf-denial, of
lf-sacri6ce, has it not wrought within the
last few months! And yet this love of coun-
try is natural feeling of man, SO natural
that the word of God leaves it to nature,
and gives no commandment concerning it,
any more THAI concerning the love Of
mother for the child of her womb. Yet
stronger than a mothers love has this love
Of country shown itself to be for mothers,
aud even widows, have cheeDNLLy given their
Jewels to their country. WHAT then, beloved
brethren, shall we say of the love of Christ;
our love to Christ, wrought in us by the
Spirit of the living Cody Viii not that
work, by selfdenial, if it be real7, Will
this love, any more than the love of country
say, Il will give what | shall not miss y
u will give this, because | can give and
not feel il" II will serve that which love,
only with that which cost me nothing? p
No! no! Paul had no such conception of that
love, when he was willing to trust it without
commandment:-"l speak not by COM
msudinent, to prove the sincerity Of your
l,ye," q Cor. viii; S He bg& no spch
tbo8gEts sOf-itwhea hoo5 s&ss = 54sss e eYz-hpl6T
Of Chrlst's love to his people being the ex-
empar of their love to Hin. "Fory ye know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though lie was rich, yet for your sakes He
became poor, that ye through HIS poverty
might be rich" q Cor viii: 9) For the
love Of Christ cOnstraineth us, because We
thus Judge, that if one died for all, then all
died; aud that He died for al, that they
who live shall not henceforth live unto them
selves, but unto Him who died for them and
rose again" q Cory: 10, l6.) The mean
ing OF which sublime utterau e is, that the
design and the effect of ChrIst's self-Sacri-
ieing love in laying down Ills life, is the
Representation of that love in His people, or
tie production of living images of Himself,
images of Him emineutly in this, that they
shall not live unto themselves bat unto Him,
in like manner as He lived not unto Hun
self, but unto the Father. Hence ChriFt
himself makes the possession of this love
essential TO diseipleship, and the law of self
denial the fundamental law of HIS kingdom.
"If any man will come after me, let him
deay himseLf and take up His cross. and
follow me. 1t is also the law of honor IN
HIS kingdom. EWhosoever will be chief
amoug you, let him be your servant, even
as the Son of Man came not to be saved,
but to save, and to give His life ransom
for many"
Unless, therefore, brethren beloved in
the Lord, you are prepared to say that you
love your country more than Christ, you
must make up your minds to lives of self
denial for Chrlst's sake. We hope and pray
that y,u may come forth ont of this furnace
Of war purified as gold single-hearted, un-
selfish, sacrificing servants Of Christ,
your Lord.
Attn. Once more, we beg you to reflect
upon the consequences of not sustaining tie
ministry of the word among yourselves-
This war may be a long one; God can make
It long if we do not humble ourselves under
His mighty hand We say nothing of the
frightul possibility of suhjugation by the
hand of them that hate us. At the close
of the war, long or short, fifty or sixty
thousand men will be restored to the bosom
of society men, it is TO be feared, more or
less corrupted in the horrid school of the
camp, Notwithstanding all the labors of
chapains and private Christians among
them, men who have become reckless as to
that most sacred thing, human life, pro-
fame, Sabbath breakers, and what not. o.
how we should pray that our beloved coun-
trymen may not become such But if they
should be such, and should return into the
bosom of community which has itself, in
the meantime, been degenerating and be
coming more corrupt, under closed churches
and silent pulpits, what must be the result?
We sbudder and shrink from answering this
question. Oar only hope of escape from
such doom is in maintaining vigorous
IL