Year: 1861




forth, to battle for freedom of conscience


and for the truth and ordinances of Gods


word. If then, in His Providence, you
should ever be placed where you will be
compelled to reel and stagger before the
shock of an overwhelming force, let the
consideration of the mighty responsibilities
which rest upon you, nerve you to one more
determined, resistless charge. Permit me
to say, that we do expect you, like those
noble sons of York, who have been already
tried in the fires, "to play the men for you,
people and for the cities of your God."-
And whilst would not, even "for small
moment" have you divested of your ind;
viduality, your sense of personal indepen'
dence, which gives such tremendous eff
cheney to the volunteer soldier and whilst
| would have you to follow with unquos
tioning obedience and affectionate devotion
your gallant Captain and his associate Of
fcers, l would solemnly admonish you moi
to put your trust 10 an arm of flesh, but in
the Lord of Hosts, "who loveth righteous.
ness and judgment; who breaketh the arm
of the wicked, abaseth the proud and
exalteth them that fear Him" He car
save by few, as we'll as by many. If
then He be with you, victory IS certain
To secure His presence and blessing, make
Him your personal friend. If up to this
hour you have been an enemy in your mind
by wicked works, I would, for your own
personal good, and for che good of your be;
loved country, entreat you to seek recod.
ciliatiou with your offended and yet long
suffering Father, by sincere repentance,
an honest and full confession of all your
sins, and by an humble and hearty faith in
Els Son. 60 further, and in the name of
Jesus, Emanuel, the Captain of Salvation,
phose you are and aoAona you are bound to
serue, charge you, before you shall have
raised your tent pole; before you shall have
put your name upon the muster roll of your
country, to enlist under the banners of king
Jesus and pledge yourselves to his service.
You have no right to postpone His claims.
1t is not safe. Death seems to have spe.
cial license at this time, making most
sweeping use of accident, disease and the
battle field and therefore you are all pecu-
liarly obnoxious to his shafts. Although
you may cordially adopt the motto Dulce
ct decorum est pro patria mort, yet permit
me to say, that dying thus, in itself, will not
prove an acceptable sacrifice to God of
infinite justice and truth for your sins nor
will the fact that your dust might mingle
with the dust of the great Washington se-
cure to your soul an "eternal communion
with his spirit in heaven" This is bads
false theology. It is Mohammedanism.-
Nothing but an interest by faith in the
blood of Jesus can save the soul. No sol.
dier, however brave and generous, can be
prepared to die, until he shall first have be
come soldier of the cross, and have put
on the pauoply Of the gospel. In the name,
then, Of my Great Captain I offer you a
complete, tried and perfectly efficient ar
NOR. Here, is helmet and breastplate,
shield and sword-all that is needful both
for offence and defence. Here too Ga Bi,
ble) is "His army regulations" a perfect
directory for every step, aye, and perfect
rule for every thought and every word. !
rejoice in the assurance, that every one Of
you will carry copy in your pocket, and
I would fain hope also in your hearts.


1t would certainly be an insult, for me
to stand up and seriously exhort you never
to speak disrespectfully of your devoted
commander. The very thought that you
would ever be guilty of speaking slightly
of him, especially in his presence, would
Eli you with shame. Let me tell you, that
it will be in6nitely worse in you to speak
reproachfully Of your glorious Captain, Je'
sus Let me then exhort you ever to res
pect his authority and to reverence his very
name.


In closing, would most solemnly charge
you, in the presence of these loved faces
and these familiar scenes, that you will re-
frain from three things: First, from all
blasphemy of the name of that God, sin
whose hands is your breath, and whose are
all your ways" second, from the common
use of all intoxicating drinks, which might
make you an annoyance to your comrades
and totally unfit you for the service of your
country and lastly, that you would avoid
card playing. There is so little concord,
between a pack of cards and the Bible,
that they can scarcely dwell together in the
same house, much less 10 the same pocket
and hence, either one or the other must be
neglected and thrown aside. You cannot
hesitate in making your election. The Bible
carried in your pocket, may, as in many other
cases, save your life in the day of battle,
and if carried in the heart, it will save the
Soul. The pack of cards, however, on the
contrary will iu the time of danger prove a
burden, at least, to the conscience. Your
speaker in his recent visit to the plains Of
Manassas, saw lying on the ground, neal
the spot where the 9th Regiment of South
Carolina Volunteers expected to meet the
enemy, pack of cards which some peniten'
soldier had thrown away, but he saw nc
cast off Bible. Aud it is a noteworthy fact
that the Yankees, in their disgraceful flight
from the Stone Bridge, when they believed
death on his Pale Horse was in hot pursuit.
after them, almost lined the road, witt
their cards, which they threw away, feeling
them, no doubt, to be grievous burden tt
their consciences.


In all these respects, nay in call that i