During the summer of 1863, this story was recorded in the midst of the revival in the Confederate Army.
"In the retreat of our army from Middle Tennessee one of the soldiers," says Dr. W. A. Mulkey, a surgeon in the army, "was struck by an unexploded shell, the ponderous mass sweeping away his right arm and leaving open the abdominal cavity, its contents falling upon his saddle. In a moment he sank from his horse to the ground, but soon revived, and for two hours talked with as much calmness and sagacity as though he were engaged in a business transaction. Soon several of his weeping friends gathered around him expressing their sympathy and sorrow. He thanked them for their manifestations of kindness, but told them that instead of weeping for him they ought to weep over their own condition; for, sad to say, if, even among the professors of his company, there was one who lived fully up to the discharge of his Christian duties, he was not aware of it. He said, 'I know that my wound is mortal, and that in a very short time I shall be in eternity: but I die as has been my aim for years- prepared to meet my God."
-from The Great Revival in the Southern Armies by Chaplain W.W. Bennett
Showing posts with label Revival in the Confederate Army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revival in the Confederate Army. Show all posts
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Obtaining Liberty and Peace
I have come across another letter describing the Lord's work in Revival in the Confederate Army. This man raises a concern that should be on our hearts today, for our own military and our governments. This is an extract from a letter written while near Fredericksburg by a chaplain. This minister writes:
" A deep and powerful conviction of sin prevails, and religion has become the chief topic of conversation with many. Many of the noble sons of Alabama, who have stemmed the tide of man battles in defence of civil liberty, are now bowing humbly at the Cross, endeavoring to throw off the shackles of sin, and seeking liberty from the thraldom of Satan. How many parents' hearts will be gladdened when the glorious news of a revival in our camp reaches them! We feel assured that we have the prayers of the parents and friends of these noble soldier boys, and we ask an interest in your prayers and the prayers of all true lovers of religion, that God will carry on the good work he has so graciously begun until this entire brigade and entire army shall become the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, and our every heart shall be attuned to His praise. O, for an humble, Christian army! We can never obtain liberty and peace until we humble ourselves in the dust before God. Should we not strive earnestly and faithfully for this end? Let us all strive faithfully for this glorious result, and peace will wreathe our banners here, and unalloyed happiness be our portion in the life to come." J.W.H.
" A deep and powerful conviction of sin prevails, and religion has become the chief topic of conversation with many. Many of the noble sons of Alabama, who have stemmed the tide of man battles in defence of civil liberty, are now bowing humbly at the Cross, endeavoring to throw off the shackles of sin, and seeking liberty from the thraldom of Satan. How many parents' hearts will be gladdened when the glorious news of a revival in our camp reaches them! We feel assured that we have the prayers of the parents and friends of these noble soldier boys, and we ask an interest in your prayers and the prayers of all true lovers of religion, that God will carry on the good work he has so graciously begun until this entire brigade and entire army shall become the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, and our every heart shall be attuned to His praise. O, for an humble, Christian army! We can never obtain liberty and peace until we humble ourselves in the dust before God. Should we not strive earnestly and faithfully for this end? Let us all strive faithfully for this glorious result, and peace will wreathe our banners here, and unalloyed happiness be our portion in the life to come." J.W.H.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A scene of Revival
I have been reading back over some of Christ in the Camp by John William Jones about the Revival in the Army of Northern Virginia. I came across a letter written by Rev. Dr. Wm. J. Hoge that described his experiences of the Lord's work around Fredericksburg. This quote is long, but I didn't put the whole letter here just part. Rev. Hoge writes:
"In my last visit, it was my high privilege to preach six times to crowds of men eager to hear the Gospel. Five of these sermons were to the Stonewall Brigade; the first, Saturday night. The camp was muddy, the air harsh, the night dark- just the night to chill the preacher with forebodings of empty seats and cheerless services. But as I made my way through the streets of the tented city to the substantial church erected by this enterprising brigade, I was suddenly greeted by a burst of sacred song which lifted my heart. It sounded over the camp like a bell. A prayer-meeting had been appointed for the half hour before public worship, and the house was already full: so full that its was not without difficulty that I made my way to the pulpit; so full that when General Jackson and General Paxton came to the door, they modestly retired, least they should displace some already within; so full that one of the men aptly compared the close packing to that of 'herrings in a barrel.'
One could not sit in that pulpit and meet the concentrated gaze of those men, without deep emotion. I remembered that they were veterans of many a bloody field. The eyes which looked into mine, waiting for the Gospel of peace, had looked as steadfastly into eyes which burned with deadly hate, and upon whatever is terrible in war. The voices which now poured out their strength in singing the songs of 'Zion' had shouted in the charge and the victory. I thought of their privations and their perils, of the cause for which they had suffered, of the service they had rendered the country, the Church of God, and whatever I hold personally dear, and what could I do but honor them, lobe them, and count it all joy to serve them in the Gospel?
I missed, indeed, some faces which would have beamed their welcome upon me; some voices with which, in other days, mine had joined in family worship and 'in the great congregation.' But I remembered how they lived, how they fought, how they died- in faith, the blessed faith of Christ; that 'all the ends they aimed at were their country's, their God's, and truth's, and that they are now enrolled in 'the noble army of martyrs.' I remembered, too, with just gratification, that their rallying, charging and dying at the very crisis of our fate, at Manassas, contributed not a little towards earning for their brigade its immortal name, 'Stonewall'.
While we were singing, one thought frequently came to me: If such meetings were common throughout the army, what a school of sacred music it would be! Surely men thus trained, returning to their homes, would break up that slothful and wicked habit, so prevalent in our Churches, of the men remaining stupidly mute while God's praises are sung.
While preaching to these men, their earnestness of aspect constantly impressed me; the absence of that rather comfortable and well-satisfied air which often pervades our congregations, as if mere custom or prospect of entertainment had assembled us. These men looked as if they had come on business, and a very important business; and the preacher could scarcely do otherwise than feel that he too, had business of moment there!"
"In my last visit, it was my high privilege to preach six times to crowds of men eager to hear the Gospel. Five of these sermons were to the Stonewall Brigade; the first, Saturday night. The camp was muddy, the air harsh, the night dark- just the night to chill the preacher with forebodings of empty seats and cheerless services. But as I made my way through the streets of the tented city to the substantial church erected by this enterprising brigade, I was suddenly greeted by a burst of sacred song which lifted my heart. It sounded over the camp like a bell. A prayer-meeting had been appointed for the half hour before public worship, and the house was already full: so full that its was not without difficulty that I made my way to the pulpit; so full that when General Jackson and General Paxton came to the door, they modestly retired, least they should displace some already within; so full that one of the men aptly compared the close packing to that of 'herrings in a barrel.'
One could not sit in that pulpit and meet the concentrated gaze of those men, without deep emotion. I remembered that they were veterans of many a bloody field. The eyes which looked into mine, waiting for the Gospel of peace, had looked as steadfastly into eyes which burned with deadly hate, and upon whatever is terrible in war. The voices which now poured out their strength in singing the songs of 'Zion' had shouted in the charge and the victory. I thought of their privations and their perils, of the cause for which they had suffered, of the service they had rendered the country, the Church of God, and whatever I hold personally dear, and what could I do but honor them, lobe them, and count it all joy to serve them in the Gospel?
I missed, indeed, some faces which would have beamed their welcome upon me; some voices with which, in other days, mine had joined in family worship and 'in the great congregation.' But I remembered how they lived, how they fought, how they died- in faith, the blessed faith of Christ; that 'all the ends they aimed at were their country's, their God's, and truth's, and that they are now enrolled in 'the noble army of martyrs.' I remembered, too, with just gratification, that their rallying, charging and dying at the very crisis of our fate, at Manassas, contributed not a little towards earning for their brigade its immortal name, 'Stonewall'.
While we were singing, one thought frequently came to me: If such meetings were common throughout the army, what a school of sacred music it would be! Surely men thus trained, returning to their homes, would break up that slothful and wicked habit, so prevalent in our Churches, of the men remaining stupidly mute while God's praises are sung.
While preaching to these men, their earnestness of aspect constantly impressed me; the absence of that rather comfortable and well-satisfied air which often pervades our congregations, as if mere custom or prospect of entertainment had assembled us. These men looked as if they had come on business, and a very important business; and the preacher could scarcely do otherwise than feel that he too, had business of moment there!"
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Concerning Prayer
John Angell James, in his book The Anxious Inquirer, has pointed out some very helpful instructions for prayer. He is speaking, again, mainly to unbelievers that are anxious about their soul and about salvation, but I believe these words of advice are helpful for us all as well. James writes:
"Attend with regularity and seriousness upon the preaching of the gospel. Sermons are invaluable helps to the anxious inquirer. Hear the word preached with a deep conviction that it will do you no good but as God blesses it, and therefore look above the minister to God. Pray before you go to hear sermons; pray while you hear; and pray after you have heard. Go from the closet of private prayer to the place of public worship, and from the place of public worship back again to prayer. Apply the word as you hear it to yourself; hear with attention, hear as for your life, hear as for salvation."
And again:
"Attend meetings for social prayer. The prayers of good men not only bring down blessings from God, but breathe the spirit of true piety. The prayer-meeting is an atmosphere of devotion. Inquirer, frequent prayer-meetings, then; it is there the solemn impressions of sacred things are strengthened. You are there prayed with, and prayed for; you there learn what advanced Christians feel and desire, and their prayers are some of the best instructions you can receive; there you may find your own heart knit together in love with the people of God."
"Attend with regularity and seriousness upon the preaching of the gospel. Sermons are invaluable helps to the anxious inquirer. Hear the word preached with a deep conviction that it will do you no good but as God blesses it, and therefore look above the minister to God. Pray before you go to hear sermons; pray while you hear; and pray after you have heard. Go from the closet of private prayer to the place of public worship, and from the place of public worship back again to prayer. Apply the word as you hear it to yourself; hear with attention, hear as for your life, hear as for salvation."
And again:
"Attend meetings for social prayer. The prayers of good men not only bring down blessings from God, but breathe the spirit of true piety. The prayer-meeting is an atmosphere of devotion. Inquirer, frequent prayer-meetings, then; it is there the solemn impressions of sacred things are strengthened. You are there prayed with, and prayed for; you there learn what advanced Christians feel and desire, and their prayers are some of the best instructions you can receive; there you may find your own heart knit together in love with the people of God."
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Concerning Faith
I have recently started reading through Being Born Again by John Angell James. This book was a little hard to find, it was originally titled The Anxious Inquirer. This book was given to soldiers in the Confederate Army along with many other tracks and books. This book is meant to be used to point someone who is anxious about their soul to the Scriptures. I have found many things the author points out are good for someone who has already placed their hope in Christ as well. Here are a few lines starting with some words on faith. James writes:
"See then the importance, the tremendous importance, of faith in Christ. It is the hinge on which salvation turns; it is that, without which all knowledge, and all impressions, and all convictions, and all duties, will leave us short of heaven at last. Fix it deeply in your mind, therefore, that FAITH IS THE SAVING GRACE, or in other words, it is that state of mind with which salvation is connected; being brought into this state, you would be saved though you died the next hour, and without this you would not be saved, even had you been for years under the deepest concern."
"Faith is not a belief in your own personal religion--this is the assurance of hope--but it is a belief that God loves sinners, and that Christ died for sinners, and for you among the rest; it is not a belief that you are a real Christian, but that Christ is willing to give you all the blessings included in that term; it is the belief of something out of yourself, but still of something concerning yourself. The object of faith is the work of Christ for you, not the work of the Spirit in you. It is of great consequence that you should attend to this, because many are apt to confound these things. If I promise a man alms, and he really believes what I say, and expects relief, I, in the act of promising him, am the object of his faith, and not the state of his own mind in the act of believing. If therefore you would have faith, or possessing it, would have it strengthened, you must fix and keep your eye on the testimony of Christ which you find in the gospel."
Lastly James writes about prayer:
"Prayer is the first step in the divine life, prayer the second, prayer the third, and indeed it is necessary through the whole Christian course."
"See then the importance, the tremendous importance, of faith in Christ. It is the hinge on which salvation turns; it is that, without which all knowledge, and all impressions, and all convictions, and all duties, will leave us short of heaven at last. Fix it deeply in your mind, therefore, that FAITH IS THE SAVING GRACE, or in other words, it is that state of mind with which salvation is connected; being brought into this state, you would be saved though you died the next hour, and without this you would not be saved, even had you been for years under the deepest concern."
"Faith is not a belief in your own personal religion--this is the assurance of hope--but it is a belief that God loves sinners, and that Christ died for sinners, and for you among the rest; it is not a belief that you are a real Christian, but that Christ is willing to give you all the blessings included in that term; it is the belief of something out of yourself, but still of something concerning yourself. The object of faith is the work of Christ for you, not the work of the Spirit in you. It is of great consequence that you should attend to this, because many are apt to confound these things. If I promise a man alms, and he really believes what I say, and expects relief, I, in the act of promising him, am the object of his faith, and not the state of his own mind in the act of believing. If therefore you would have faith, or possessing it, would have it strengthened, you must fix and keep your eye on the testimony of Christ which you find in the gospel."
Lastly James writes about prayer:
"Prayer is the first step in the divine life, prayer the second, prayer the third, and indeed it is necessary through the whole Christian course."
Monday, January 12, 2009
Revival in the Confederate Army
Well, the last couple of quotes have been rather lengthy, as a friend recently gave me some helpful comments about my attempt at blogging. I will try and keep them a little less lengthy. Oh, and sometimes the whole quote is in italics, I have no idea how it happened or how to correct it, so I do apologize for that.
This quote is again from Christ in the Camp from Rev. J.C. Clopton while he was laboring at the Rockbridge Hospitals.
"As I go along among the hospitals my heart is pained at seeing so much to be done and so few laborers. Sometimes I see several physicians going around together to consult about the physical man- to see if the body can be saved from the power of disease, while scarcely any one seems to be concerned about the disease of sin or the death which never dies." p.212
This next quote is from the same book and is an account of the conversion of Lieutenant-General Ewell.
"I have it from a well-authenticated source that the conversion of Lieutenant-General Ewell, Jackson's able lieutenant, was on this wise: At a council of war, one night, Jackson had listened very attentively to the views of his subordinates, and asked until the next morning to present his own. As they came away, A. P. Hill laughingly said to Ewell, "Well! I suppose Jackson wants time to pray over it." Having occasion to return to his quarters again a short time after, Ewell found Jackson on his knees and heard his ejaculatory prayers for God's guidance in the perplexing movements then before him. The sturdy veteran Ewell was so deeply impressed by this incident and by Jackson's general religious character, that he said: "If that is religion, I must have it;" and in making a profession of faith not long afterwards he attributed his conviction to the influence of Jackson's piety."
-J.W. Jones
This quote is again from Christ in the Camp from Rev. J.C. Clopton while he was laboring at the Rockbridge Hospitals.
"As I go along among the hospitals my heart is pained at seeing so much to be done and so few laborers. Sometimes I see several physicians going around together to consult about the physical man- to see if the body can be saved from the power of disease, while scarcely any one seems to be concerned about the disease of sin or the death which never dies." p.212
This next quote is from the same book and is an account of the conversion of Lieutenant-General Ewell.
"I have it from a well-authenticated source that the conversion of Lieutenant-General Ewell, Jackson's able lieutenant, was on this wise: At a council of war, one night, Jackson had listened very attentively to the views of his subordinates, and asked until the next morning to present his own. As they came away, A. P. Hill laughingly said to Ewell, "Well! I suppose Jackson wants time to pray over it." Having occasion to return to his quarters again a short time after, Ewell found Jackson on his knees and heard his ejaculatory prayers for God's guidance in the perplexing movements then before him. The sturdy veteran Ewell was so deeply impressed by this incident and by Jackson's general religious character, that he said: "If that is religion, I must have it;" and in making a profession of faith not long afterwards he attributed his conviction to the influence of Jackson's piety."
-J.W. Jones
Monday, January 5, 2009
Revival in Confederate Army
"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No
soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so
that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:3&4I recently heard a sermon that included this text, and as I have read have found a few quotes from the Lord's work in the Confederate Army that help understand or illustrate this text. This first account is described by Rev. Dr. M.D. Hoge about a Captain in the Fifty-sixth Virginia Infantry named Rev. Dabney Carr Harrison. Dabney Harrison seemed to be called to the ministry and after seeing I believe his own brother and three cousins killed early in the war, decided he himself must take up arms and join the ranks. I pick up with this,
Rev. Hoge writes, "It is unnecessary to dwell on the hardships of Captain Harrison's winter campaign in the West- hard fare and harder lodging, and constant exposure to the wet and cold. Whatever he bore, many thousands bore with him; and there are multitudes of whom that may be said which is so true of him- no one ever saw him falter, no one ever heard him murmur. A brief extract from one of his letters may serve to show the pleasant spirit in which all these privations and annoyances were met:
" 'Bowling Green, Kentucky, January 18, 1862. "My Dear Father: I have been forcibly reminded to-day of an incident in Ruxton's travels. Out on a prairie he found a wretched-looking man, all alone in a pouring rain, stooping over a few smouldering embers, and singing:
"How happy are we, who from care are free. Oh! why are not all Contented like me?"
" My tent is on a hill-side, and has a flue instead of a chimney. It rained hard all last night, has rained all of to-day, and is raining yet. The water has risen in my tent, the fire has been drowned out, the floor is nearly all mud, and I have been writing all the morning in a chair stuck deep in this mud. My bed is kept out of it by some fence rails, and my larder is a basket on the ground at the bed's head, containing a piece of pork and a bag of flour. There is not a negro in Virginia that would not despise such lodgings, but I am "contented." I sleep soundly, work hard, eat heartily, and am fattening.'
"A day or two later he writes: 'I have just finished a large stone chimney to my tent, and shall have it floored with poles to-morrow; then I shall be in great state.'
"On Monday night, February 10, six days before his death, he thus closes a long letter from the camp before Fort Donelson; 'Oh, how all these adventures, with their perils and deliverance's, their privations and blessings, do drive us to our God! I want no other strength than the Lord Jehovah; no other Redeemer than our blessed Saviour; no other Comforter than His Holy Spirit. I believe that when we do our duty the Lord will fight for us. I feel a constant, bright and cheery trust in Him. I think of my precious wife and little ones, and long for their society and caresses; but I am satisfied that it is right that I should be here, and I await the development of His will. I think His mercy in making us His children, in spite of all our ill-desert, ought to make us willing meekly to bear all that He chooses to lay upon us.' " p.122-126 Christ in the Camp. J. William Jones, D.D.
Here is one more quote that I believe helps understand this text as well. This is a letter that Gen. Robert E. Lee wrote to his son, W.H.F. Lee, after he was released from a Northern Prison about the recent death of his wife.
"Camp, Orange County, April 24, 1864.
" I received last night, my dear son, your letter of the 22d. It has given me great comfort. God knows how I loved your dear, dear wife, how sweet her memory is to me, and how I mourn her loss. My grief could not be greater if you had been taken from me. You were both equally dear to me. My heart is too full to speak on this subject, nor can I write. But my grief is for ourselves, not for her. She is brighter and happier than ever--safe from all evil, and awaiting us in her heavenly abode. May God in His mercy enable us to join her in eternal praise to our Lord and Saviour. Let us humbly bow ourselves before Him, and offer perpetual prayer for pardon and forgiveness. But we cannot indulge in grief, however mournfully pleasing. Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If victorious, we have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left us to live for. I have not heard what action has been taken by the department in reference to my recommendations concerning the organization of the cavalry. But we have no time to wait, and you had better join your brigade. This week will, in all probability, bring us active work, and we must strike fast and strong. My whole trust is in God, and I am ready for whatever He may ordain. May He guide, guard and strengthen us, is my constant prayer.
Your devoted father, R. E. Lee."
Christ in the Camp J.William Jones p.p. 74-75
Monday, December 8, 2008
"Soldiers! let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God, asking through Christ the forgiveness of our sins, beseeching the aid of the God of our forefathers in the defence of our homes and our liberties, thanking Him for His past blessings, and imploring their continuance upon our cause and our people."
Gen. Robert E. Lee. General Order No. 23 Christ in the Camp. p. 58
"It was a solemn sight to see one of those earnest, crowded congregations by our feeble light in that rude chapel. We had no brilliant gas-jets, softened by shaded or stained glass. The light was reflected from no polished surface or snowy wall; one or two rough-looking specimens of candles (we thought them magnificent) adorned the pulpit, and perhaps, three others were in the room, subject to the caprices of the wind. But there was a sort of spell in the flicker of those lights and the solemn stillness of the vast crowds, and as they would flare the lurid gleam would reveal many an earnest face and brimming eye."
Rev. W.S. Lacy speaking of the Forty-Seventh N.C.. Christ in the Camp p.261
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Here are a few quotes that deal with the Revival in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Hopefully these will be helpful to show how the Lord worked in that great Revival.
"Denominational distinctions should be kept out of view, and not touched upon. And as a general rule, I do not think that a chaplain who would preach denominational sermons should be in the army. His congregation is his regiment, and it is composed of various denominations. I would like to see no question asked in the army of what denomination a chaplain belongs to; but let the question be, Does he preach the Gospel?"
Gen. Stonewall Jackson - letter to the Southern Presbyterian Gen. Assembly concerning the need for Chaplains in the Army. Christ in the Camp p.94
"We want our best men here- men of courage, faith, experience- holy men- hard working men- sympathizing men- self-denying men- men baptized afresh every day by the Holy Ghost for the work. No place here for slow men, mere reasoners and expositors, however learned or eloquent; war has no time to wait for such men- the soldier has no time to wait for such men- he may die tomorrow."
Rev. Dr. Rosser while in Ewell's Corp. Christ in the Camp p.339
"At the Union prayer-meeting, one afternoon, that gallant soldier and pious man, Gen. Stonewall Jackson, was present, and led in prayer. At the supper table some professing Christians, when told of it, expressed regret at not having been present. Had they known that Gen. Jackson was to have been there, they would certainly have gone. Alas! they forgot that a greater than Jackson or any other mere man, had promised to meet with His people, even the Lord of Life and Glory."
Rev. Dr. James B. Taylor. Christ in the Camp p.215
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