The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-24
GEN. LEE tULOGIztD
BY S0UTHSIOt PASTOR
DR. Light Tells OF Christian Character
OF Famous Confederate
Chicftain.
LOFTY DEVOTION TO DUTY
Minister Says That Southern Leader
VIII Always stand Tor Faith In
God and For Compo~urc in Adver-
sity.

Last night at Central Methodist
Church DR.. J. Fl. Light spoke 10 the
young people Of his congregation on
the Christian character of General
Lee The anniversary Of whose birth
was celebrated last week
The text for the discourse was from
Isaiah: "A man shall he . as the
shadow of a great rock in a weary
land"
The speaker referred 10 the fact
that in the desert where the shifting
sands always bury any living thing,
when a great rock rises TO obstruct
the movement Of the sand. vegetation
starts and life fourishes and an oasis
gathers.
Such an Office a great man often
serves for his generation and for all
generatons. So Abraham stood
against the drift of the polytheism OF
his day and preserved for all ages
the idea OF one God. So Moses stood
against the permanent enslavement of
his people in Egypa So stood Elijah
amid the drift toward the popular
Baalism of his day and allowed faith
in the true God time 10 root itself and
become the permanent possession OF
his people.
so II is that in every generation
and in many community some man
has stood in his place against the
popular drift and has given a great
reform or righteous movement time
to establish itself
Had Faith I'm God
For his generation and country.
probably more than any other man.
stood Robert Il. Lee as the shadow of
a great rock in a weary lsnd--and
that not more, probably not so much.
by his skill in the command of armies
as by the lofty devotion to duty and
unfinching faith In God that charac-
terized him. ~
Some spots are forever hallowed as
the places of final spiritual struggle.
where men went in with open minds to
settle some question of present, per-
sonal obligation. and came out again
with the question finally answered.
Some such spot must be somewhere
about the buried city OF Memphis in
Egypt. where the great leader went
apart to decide whether or not he
should cast in his lot with his enslaved
and oppressed people. Such spot is
the cell OF Socrates rought hewn out
OF the rocky hill side. where he made
his decision to stand fast by the re-
form he had instituted, Such a place
is some secluded spot on the slopes of
Olivet where man went in. one night
to spend the hours of mental struggle.
and make the final decision.
Some such spot as that, is the lit
tie chamber in old manson at Airing
ton. where General Lee went in TO de
eide the question of his duty, He ear
ricd the offer of the command of the
armies OF a great and powerful coun-
Try on the eve of battle. He must de-
eide His wife who waited in the room
below heard his anxious step as he
paced back and forth debating the
question. Then tho periods of silence
when in prayer he plead for guidance
from God.
Decides Question of DUTY.
ut was a great Struggle. It meant
certain turning aside from the path
of glory and fame, of power and on
portunity, to take his place as a pri-
waite citizen among his own people.
Even when he was offered place In
the ranks OF the States defenders.
his place WAS subordinate one, II
was not ut frst. by any means, thai
he came 10 the supreme command in
the armies OF Virginia and the South.
After the hours had passed he
came out Of his chamber with hts