Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-06-23


Sermon. And in SO doing, hereby dedicate
/ &c to NY friends who have soaghi &c pubiiea.
ton. aud to oar volunteers at Fort Wright and
other points in souiharn Tennessee and to ihs
cause o. Confelsrate frss3em % ihs South,
hoping that by ihe blessing Of ibe God oi
Truth and Right it may contribute s7ne little
at least to ths adsaacsnent of be greet
cause. R. C. GRasBY.l
Be strong ana o. good aaursas. fear u1t BE- sfraid
0s th-m; Or the I1-s tay cod De H is inat do.h 90
VIII thro- be VIII n1l ial. ihaei naz rsa,i sae'-
Dceer5E0ng BIS.
To the good man, in darkness aud iaiigsr,
these ere uor1s Of special and pecul.a1ceuso-
lation. However great may BE- rte ureatsn-
ed esisnity OF fearful lae impondiug f1ucsr, t
Is enough Tor the good man 90 know l.A God
is with bin, and will not fail bin nsc iqsaks
him.
Tbs words 0f ny text commend themselves
to as on three distinct grounds; hrst, the7 ere
the address Of Sod 10 curseli; sec,nd, ipsy
are addressed 70 us through Moses uAder 81
cumsiahces Of marked Interest; and -urds 'e-
cause Of their Tsli1bie inatTuc.lcr. N
Many regard the early hisi7ry tle Etle
asa mere history pertsiHing -.-s any cider
history @ things i1al we're, bu- havias 20
rpecisi relation 10 tie present B1t tasIs IS
an important difference between Inspired cr
sacred and DToiaue history. The iaia.red nia-
tory of the Bible represents God 81 BE true
relation 10 the transactions sud ereHts re-
corded, and inah's true depeudsrea npon God
IN bis uiEhticss Hchiarm ea'f tnls ia the
F irae philosophy 81 history, ID yol haFe Z no
where ssce but iu The Bitis. Z o Illustrate toy
I meaning. the war history zoe Bible written
5v the rrefsHs histor e. would be q true
record oT the facis v CD exeiu3ed. L
r-orif be- As all eutt hisiorr is. = reliable
reco-d Of the facts uithoUt God. But the war
history OF tie B5is teaches ms clearly and
distinctly wbsT. God is, what be does, and
whom he favo-s in time Of war. And thus
I von ser thar without the war history Of the
Bible ws would have, at present, no light 30
guide OF ilfalliable voice 90 instruct us IS we
( excbauzs the dress o. the citizen for that Of
i %. saldier In this war history of the Bible
Hhieb Fou have in Joshua, Judges, Samuel,
Kings and Carouicles, and which are consid-
cred 20 dry auG uliBts-estipE 20 tEe ordinary
reader, in tais history say, we 5sve just the
instruction we ueed iE this our rsordimary
and perilous time Of war. Without such
record the Bible would signsilv fail 60 be % us
at present the book Of iH6trdcti0n we need.
But nov these records OF mntiiiated hosts and
mighty battles, of signal victories and sore
defeats, SO long nsglec ed IN orr , Bblarea3iHgs
az Of 20 value and dead ietter-tbese aii ap-
pear to uq now I'm their true light cf living
value They reveal 20 us God il the battle
field as well as The sanctuary and teach us
how to confde in him ss The God 1f battles.
Thev exhibit 70 Us 70 living characters rrne
natrfotisn and zeal bravery. Thew show that
the race is not always TO the swift nor the
battle to fhs strong, but that God controls The
destinies o. tue battle fell, and nake5 trium-
phsni those that contend for the right.
It is an Ga maxim Of ths Torid that ''might
makes riglt - but ibis iniC elitV Of the CAM
and heresv Of human ambition we have stri-
kingiv and instuctiVeiv revised To The early
and war history Of the Bible The great les
son which God has ever been and Is still
teaching is, that right is night" and that
truth is 0muipetsHt. This lesson, amid tue
/ binding influences of self-intersss ana ambi-
ton, the world has been very slow o. learn
f TIE most notable epochs 0f history ere
really Important from the extent to which
they have tended to impress upon
Ithe mind and heart of the world this
great lesson. Take a. Instances The follow
4 ing, viz. the apostolic, tbs magaa ch1rig, the
f Lafheran reformation, and shat of rs. These
/ spochs or rras Of history, as they deserve %
be called, exhibit signal instances Of the power
I Of might against right, AID 10 every instance
{ have demonstrated tha. sight e might Let
us look for a moment AZ each Of these. IL
; the sB5stJiic age voH have direct snd noted
contest between might and right. or the one
hEn5 you have the emba-tied hosts OF political
power. and an the implements OF physical
+ force simsd directly at 5ne destruction Of truth
and Fi zhteousneEs. TIE sioraal aHd only Son
of God, lsft bis celestial abode and assumed
cur nature and dwslt Cor g time OF earth to
teach Us an the eternal and abiding principles
of rf-ft as involved DO cur rsis lions 70 Gsd
and humanity. For the discr miHatisn Of
these, as the worlds code Of right and
rule Of faith, twelve men were seIeczi and
.ollmissi1n ned r. 20 foltb asa special =sHc5
af divine appointment These, With hers and
there few believers. constituted the church,
Z or school ue Christ TO teach the world " tas
rigatn This little church, constituting the
! kinedcm Of God on earth and the light Of Che
world, stood in direct an-agon sm % All the
might of wcrllv power TO crush Ii. Here you
( have a. once a most fearful confetti of uisht
( against right And whc, looking a the state Of
the case and iudgidE from the risible data could
imagine for moment that the infant
church, the light Of the word and the visible
depository Of truth and righteousness, With
/ out purse or sword, Sta's paronse or power,
might triumph over the combined and mighty
hosts 0f the worlds ecclesiastical and civil
Dowsr2 But 20 6 UGE. Rome, The living en-
bod.meDt Of all The military and civil power
af the world, aud bad never LOST q battle, row
. forlh proudly, the acknowledged mistress
/ "a fi,. ,,., - and vet With en- her proWsss and
49, ~ coui.' neither destroy or conquer
s tbir grsrBe1 and infa-t Church After ten
successive bloody efforts to C,->Iloy lne eaaIen5
I she was herself conquered BY the c,'uIe9. ~
+ th. short period OF three hundred years the N
/ fsut church Of God, which had been prosecuted
/ from the msnger 10 the cross, and ihence y
I an the ecclesiastical and civil powers OF ea-pi
waived her banner in triumph over
J the tombs Of the CGsarsl Here you
/ have constituting a distinct epoch ana
era in the history Of the world the FIRST
great riumph OF right over might II FUR
nishos lasting and living demonstration tast
might IS not rigbt, aud that The right must
/ finally and infsili5l7 prevail over the force OK
might. And here let me ask. what and where
Z in was the power OF the infant and feeble
/ church, certainly feeble externally considered
/ thus to meet aud conquer i0 deadly combat the
combined forces Of worldly power? Il was
I the Inherent power OF truth and The conscious
/ mss Of right. Truth is real and living power.
4 It is the celestial object o. Gods affection and
Z the emblem Of his presence and power The
/ conscious rectitude of truth is the essence or
. all patriotism and vaior. in this yon have
beroism which 5eGss an danger, and valor
uncouauerabie- That people il whose souls burn
the living fire Of the power and consciousness
I Of truth, may be cverccma for the time by the
EEs
( BY this conquer or gubiagsis them So Is was
with She church. To hsr d5a5ly conflicts with
the powers oe physical force, she was, for the
time, east d0wH but never conquered. God
was with Der, and her consciousness Of truth
snd right made her brave and UnconqueTable
even unto death.
2. Next o She apostolic epoch asiliustrstire
OF the fact that might makes lot right, and
that the right win sooner or later always pre-
vail, You have The magna cLarfz, which means
literally the great p RI. Here in an t1s bis
tory Of the world you have the most distinct
and remarkable exhibit % the essenti8 Brinci-
pies Of civil liberty. As &c has been called In
historg, so il IS to dlY, tbe great charter Of
civil liberty. But ia The origin of msgna
charta, as 10 the sP0st1lic era, Won have again
the great contest 0f might against right, and
tie direct efiort 10 establish tie fact that the
might makes the right. The cowardlv and
perfdjous John, King of England, had been
cverawed BY the papai power and forced 20
take ths oath Of Loyalty TO the pope. Having
now, instead Of an eIemy, become The friend
and fav0rite OF that pcwer which then ruled
she world, King John determined 70 Indulge
Eitsout restraint bis passion of lust ard
power. In 20 doing, De suaye3 against him
the barous OF better class Of bis re ln, and
through them the mass Of the people. Here
YOU hare ia John, as the kiug. The combined
power OF England and the papscv for toe dis
tinct purpose Of crushing out Tbs rebellion Of
the barous and their Eympathizars, in resisting
the encr0acbments or tyranny Of the REAL or
executive power. Truly here was a wide and
fearful odds between The contsnding parties.
Z was now truly migAt against right. TIE
bsrous, though but aban3ful compared with the
hosts Of pspsl and regal power against chem.
; were brave azj FIRM 10 The consciousness Of
right Tbey set forth their grievances and de-
, manded their rights in tie hsuc of God and
bun snity, and determined 70 suffer tbs doom
Of rebels and traitors at The hands Of their enc
nv rather than yield OF abandon the right.
" Il is needless" say the ancient writer's. $50
enuuerate the barous who composed the army
of God and HoiY Church. Thsv. were tie
whole nobility - England. Their foilo1zerr
: c6mprehended al the ysomsDrv and free peas
snfrY. while The accession af The capitol was
a pledge Of tie adherence ol tbe citizens and
hurgessss.v On ihs 18Th dsV Of June, 1915
2 almost the precise day o. the month Of oul
meeting to-dsy, both parties advanced to Che
, rIain Of tbe Runnymeie Cd The banks Of ths
Thsmes, where lhey encampai 70 fuH view Of
each other, and thus eneamped5 instead o. en-.
: "a faa A y q