The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-02-22

The Numerous volumes o. sermons
found in his library sho~ that he had
ample material from which 10 choose
IN selecting n sermon The oniy vis-
ItoT admitted on Sunday outalde OF
near relatives was Speaker TrsmbuII.
who vas accustomed to spend an
hour or 90 with the President on sun
day evenings Writing from Mount
Vernon. June 80. 1871. Washington
says: This ts the ere Of my depart
are for George Town. and. being Sun
day. ought TO have been = day Of rest.
bu; Il Is not 30 wfth me
either from company or business.
the latter occasioned By = constant
succession OF company during the
whole OF last week: . web. Obliged
ne 10 postpone many matters until
this day. which Ought. and but for
that reason. would have been done In
the course OF IL"
Not only in church attendance and
church work and in Sabbath-keeping
did Washington show his religious
principles. but in many other ways
TAils camping AZ Fort Necessity in
1884. II was his custom TO have pray
srs in the camp. He himself read
the burial service over General Brad
dock by the light Of n torch while the
army paused In their retreat In
May, 1714, after Parliament had
closed the port Of Boston. the Vir-
ginia House of Burgesses set apart
June l as "a day of fasting, humilia-
ton, and prayer" for divine help in
preserving their civil rights The
note is made in Washington's diary:
June /, Wednesday. Went to church
and tasted all day" In his farewell
address. when retiring from the Pres
idency. he calls attention to that
humility and pacific temper of mind,
which were the characteristics of the
Divine Author of our blessed relig-
ion," and says that reason and. ex-
perience both forbid us to expect that
national morality can prevail in ex-
clusion Of religious principle"
AS to Washington's private re-
ligious life. we may Judge from the
evidence of his writings and the tes-
timony of those close to him. Rob-
ert Lewis, his nephew, says: II &C
cidentally witnessed Washington's
private devotions in his library, both
morning and evening. On these oc-
casions | saw him in a kneeling pos
ture, with Bible open before him"
When Mrs. Washington's sixteen
year-oid daughter, Martha Gusts.
lay dying at Mount Vernon, Wash
ington knelt beside her and tearfully /
prayed that her life might be spared. |
At Valley Forge Washington was
frequently seen to retire to a secluded |
grove. Mr.. Potts, a Quaker, followed |
him On one occasion, and saw him on |
his knees in prayer. He returned |
and told his family he was sure the
American cause would prevail, be-
cause he had seen their commander
in prayer. Washington believed in
a particular" as we'll as what might
be termed a general Providence.
He wrote thus: "By the all-power-
ful dispensation of Providence I have
been protected beyond all human
or expectation; for l had
four bullets through my coat and two
horses shot under me, yet escaped un-
hurt, although death was leveling my
companions on every side of me-: In
making the zone fight more, the best
and the last, he showed himself a
good soldier. Although, as he said,
ne died hard" he was mot afraid
% CO." and showed the Submission
IF sincere Christian to the will of
he great Disposer.''
In view of his life, the epitaph cut
n the stone over his tomb at Mount
Vernon seems an appropriate one. 1t
'eads as follows: 81 am the resur-
lection and the life; he that believeth
n me, though he were dead, yet shall
lie live,"-Annie Rachel Hunter, in
Service