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NUMBER 13
VOLUME XLV.
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Correspondence.
Miu.edceville, March lGtb, 1SG4.
Her. J. O. A. dark.
Dkak Sir : The uiidereigned having
), e8r d with great pleasure vour discourse
delivered in the Methodist Church in this
city on last Sabbath, and believing its
publication would be productive of much
good, we respectfully solicit a copy for our
disposal.
With sentiments of esteem,
JAS. M. CHAMBERS.
T. L. GUERRY,
W. F. WRIGHT.
J. H. JOHNSON,
J. W. A SANFORD.
O. A. FULWOOD.
Milledgevh.le, March 17tli, 1S64.
Messrs. Chainlets, Guernj, and others.
Gentlemen : Your kind note has been
received. The sermon is at your disposal,
lour obedient servant,
J. O. A. CLARK.
TEE 1HT1 OF PRAYING FOR RULERS:
A Sermon preached in Avgusta, Ga.,
M June, 1861, on the first Fast pro-
dunned by President Davis—in Macon,
My, 1SG1, as the Commencement Sermon
of the Wesleyan Female College—and in
Ailkdocville. March 12th, 1863, djiring
the late called session of (he General As-
mlbj of Georgia, by Rev. J. O. A.
Clark, of the Georgia Annual Confer
ence.
I exhort, therefore, [that, first of all, supplica
tions, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men : For kings, and for
all that are in authority; that we may lead a
<juiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty. For this is good and acceptable in
tbusight ot God our Saviour; Who will have
all man to be saved, and to come unto the
irioivledge of the truth. For there is*one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesns ; Who gave himself a ransom
for.all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto
I am ordained a preacher, and au apostle, (I
? p<‘ak the truth in Christ, and lie not,) a teacher
of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 1 will there
fore that men pray every where, lifting up^holy
hands, without wrath and doubting.” I. Iim.,
ii, 1—3.
In onr text, my brethren, there is a
( hty enjoined oi unceasing obligation.
1‘rayer is the means which God has
ordained to convey the blessings of His
providence and grace. Every where
die duly made most imperative;
and eveiy where are the largest prom
ts given to earnest prayer. 1 hat
me *i ought always to pray, that men
should pray without ceasing, and thal
Ille u should pray every where, are some
u: die precepts binding to its observ
ance. The promises which encourage
Us are such as these : 11 Ash, and ye shall
ftcette; seek and ye shall find; knock,
il shall be opened unto you.”
"Whatsoever ye ask, believing, ye shall
"ectice."
I here never was a lime that called
!J!nre urgently upon us to humble our-
‘hes befoie the Lord, in sincere ac-
know ledgui eu i of His sovereignty, prov-
J1 ence and grace, for we have fallen
u P°n iroubulous times. We are con-
Ending for the right of self-goveru-
*nont, Jor our altars anil our hearths :
u Getber we shall be freemen, or vas-
' as > is the great question now belote
In this contest, all our rights, na-
social, individual •, all our iuler-
material, spiritual, commercial, ag-
ric, dturul, educational, are more or less
u ke. No patriot, no philaritbro-
no benefactor, no Christian can
ij ( 'h on unibcnighled and unmoved.
0vv long shall this war last? At what
c ° st °f blood and treasure shall our In*
< e perulence be achieved ? How many
P ( ’ Ur brave sons shall perish upon the
'hi of bailie? How many widows.
atl< ’ orphans shall fill the land with
^I'nids of mourning and lamentation?
. la ^ the work of God cease in these
dubious times ? Shall the aggressive
*°verrjents of the Church be abandon-
• Shall the missionary of the cross
MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1864.
*
be recalled ? Shall the educational and
benevolent enterprizes of the Church
languish, and droop and die r Shall
iniquity abound ? Shall the love of ma
ny wax cold?
Such questions, ever present to the
patriot and the Christian, must fill his
heart and mind with anxious cares, and
drive him, for their answer, to the
1 hrone of Grace, as the only sanctua
ry for himself and countrj". As there
fore we are sinful, and need mercy ;
as we are weak, and need grace; as
God is our only hope, a very present
help in time of need ; as infinite wis
dom alone can guide us safely in the
struggle ; as infinite love alone can
cause all these things to work together
for our good ; and as infinite power
alone can defend and deliver us, what
more appropriate to the day, the occa
sion, the times, than the exhortation of
the Apostle in the text ? Prayer—earn
est, importunate prayer—is the great
want of the times. Far that party con
quers in the strife which has God on
its side; and that party has God on
its side which- offers up the effectual,
fervent prayer. Wherefore I'call upon
this audience of Southern men and
Southern women ; upon all holy men
of God whose duty it is to wait at the
alia r; on the old men who iri other!
clays have fought the battles of the
country ; on the youug men in whose
stout arms and brave hearts rest the
hopes of the new-born nation ; on the
mothers in Israel whose life in the past
lias been full of the alms deeds which
they did ; upon the young women, both
married and unmarried, on whom the
griefs and burdens of the war fall heav
iest—I call upon all, young and old,
men and women, boys and maidens,
to join me in supplications, prayers, in
tercessions, and giving of thanks for
all men; for kings, and for all that are
in authority ; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty.
It is not easy to distinguish the dif
ference in the meaning of the terms
used by the Apostle. They all, no
doubt, refer to different parts of prayer
properly 5Q called. By supplications,
we may understand deprecations of
wrath ; by prayers, petitions for posi
tive blessings; by intercessions, plead
ings in behall of others ; and by giving
of thanks, the offering of praise for what
ever of good others have received at
the hands of the Lord. But for whom
shall all these be made ?
I. For all men. None are excepted.
Religion is not selfish. It is love to
God, and love to our neighbor. Prayer
should he made for all, because all are
sinful and need mercy. Has mercy
been shown to us ? Then should we
ask that the same mercy should be
shown to all. Again, prayer ought to
be made for all‘men, because all are
ignorant and weak, and need wisdom
and grace. Has our ignorance been
enlightened ? and have our weakness
been strengthened by grace? Then
love to God and love to our neighbor
will incite to intercessions for all who
stand in need of the same blessings.
In fine it is our duty to pray that all
etnbiaced in the term, salvation—all the
saving benefits of.Christ’s atonement—
should be realized by all men. Now,
the Apostle assigns certain special
reasons why this should be done.
I st. Because this is good and accepta
ble in the sight of God our Saviour. It
is good and acceptable in the sight
of Him, to whom we are indebted for
all that we have, and all that we hope
to he. To please Him, should be our
chief delight. We do this, when we
“extend the arms of mighty prayer, in
grasping all mankind.”
2d. He will have all men to he saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth. Not that it is the absolute will of
God that all men should be saved—
whatever he wills thus shall surely be
done—but it is God’s wish, it is God’s
desire. For God so loved the world
that He gave his only begotten son, thal
whosoever believeth on him, tpigbt not
perish, hut have everlasting life. Has
the love of God provided salvation for
all ? Is it His wish that all should be
saved? May all be saved upon the
terms of the gospel ? Are we co-work
ers with God in saving souls ; and are
large promises given to our labors and
prayers? Then ought we to prfiy thal
all should be saved. Then ought we
so to work with God, in this joint com
panionship, that the souls >f many may
be saved from death, through our in
strumentality, t° he the seals of oui
discipleship, and the crowns of our re
joicing. r _ .
3d. There is one God. He created
all He made of one blood all the na
tions. All are, therefore, dear hi! Him ;
and all ought to be dear to us. Fora
men are not only our neighbors, but all
men are offf brothers, bone of our bom.,
flesh of our flesh, sprung from the same
parent stem, having the one God over
all and blessed forever, as our common
father and creator. There is a common
brotherhood in all the race; and reli
gion consists in good will to all the broth
erhood. Hence supplications should
be made for all.
4th. There is one Mediator Let ween
God and men , the man Christ Jesus. C h rist
alone, who was very man, as well as
very God, is mediator between an of
fended God and guilty man. And since
He is the one mediator, all have a com
mon interest in His one mediatorship,
intercessions should be made for all the
guilty.
5 th. He gave himself a ransom fur all,
to .be test ified in due time. He is the one
atonement, satisfaction and ohlation;
He is the common Saviour of all. “By
the grace of God he tasted death for
every man.” There was not one Sa
viour that died upon the cross for one
nation, and another Saviour that died
for another nation; not one.who died
lor the rich, and another for the poor;
not one for the bond, and another for
the free ; not one for ourselves, and an
other for our enemies. No: he is the
one ransom for all. “For inasmuch as
all the children were partakers of flesh
and blood, he himself likewise look
part of the same; that through death
he might destroy him.that had the pow
er of death, that is, the devil; and de
liver them, wbo. through fear of death,
were all their life lime subject to bon-
dc*ge.” To ransom all from bondage
to sin and death, was the one great de
sign of his offering upon the cross.
Glorious truth I “And it is to be testi
fied in clue time. The hour is coming
when it shall be witnessed, proved,
demonjtrated ; when it shall be receiv
ed in all its fullness and all its richness.
The glorious doctrine, whereof St. Paul
was a witness, and whereof he was or
dained a preacher and an apostle, a
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and ver
ity, shall win its way, against all gain-
sayers, to universal approval, and uni
versal acceptance. Let us then pray
for the salvation 'of a world lost in sin
and wickedness. Let us pray that the
kingdom of God may speedily come.
In our supplications,.prayers, interces
sions, and giving of thanks, let us make
mention of all men ; for, in so doing,
we do show forth the praises of Him
who hath called us out of darkness into
His marvellous light; and we do prove
ourselves to be the children of Him
who causes the sun to shine upon the
evil and the good, and who sends the
rairi upon the just and the unjust.
II. Having thus shown that all men
are to be mentioned in our supplica
tions, the Apostle, in the second place,
gives a specific direction to our prayers,
viz : “for kings and tor all that are in
authority.” Wherefore was this spe
cific direction given ? Wliv was this
class singled out above all others ?
There must be some special and
weighty reason lor tt ; otherwise it
would not have been done. What was
that reason ?
Jt cannot be that the -souls of kings
are any more precious, than the souls
of other men. The reasons already
given why prayer ought to be made
for all, preclude such a thought. The
salvation of one soul must be just as
precious, as the salvation of another,
to that God, onr Saviuor, who will have
allmcn to be saved, and to that mediator
who gave himself a ransom for all. Hence
the soul of the peasant is just as dear’lo
God, as that of the proudest monarch.
And we know that the great ones of
earth can be no dearer than the mean
est subjects, the humblest menials, the
most degraded slaves, to Him on whom
was the spirit of the Lord ; to Him who
was anointed to preach the gospel to the
poor, who was sent to heal the broken heart
ed, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering oj sight to the blind, and
to set at liberty them that are bruised.—
But the question still recurs, why was
this specific direction given to pray
for king’s, and all in authority.
It must be because all rights ol life,
property, and personal liberty depend
more or less upo.n the character and
actions of kings and princes. It is be
cause the destinies of a people for good
or evil are more or less bound up in
the conduct of rulers. It was this fact
that made the wise man bear record,
“when the righteous are in authority, the
people rejoice; but when the wicked bear-
elh rule, the people mourn.” It was the
knowledge of this that caused the same
wise man, who was himself a crowned
king, to give utterance to the following
opinions : “As a roaring lion and a
roaring bear, so is a wicked ruler over the
poor people”—“The prince that wanlelh
understanding is also a great oppressor”
—“If a ruler hearken to lies, all h is ser
vants arc wicked A Hence how impor
tant is it, as good king David has said,
“He that rultlhocer men must be just rul
ing, in the fear of God.” And hence,
mo, how important is it to offer suppli
cations, prayers, intercessions andgiv
ing of thanks tor all the rulers ol the
earth to Him, by whom kings reign,
and princes decree justice ; lo Him by
whom prit.ces rule, and nobles, and
all the judges upon the earth ; lo Him,
to whom afone belongelh counsel and
sound wisdom, who alone is under
standing, and who alone hath all
strength.
Nor is this all. We are not only re
quired to pray for our rulers, but we
are everywhere commanded to hold in
reverence the powers that be. To
honor the king is no less a command,
than the command lo fear God. “ Thou
shaft not curse the ruler of thy people,"
was a command given to the Jews in
Moses’ day, amid the thunders and
lightnings of Sinai. King Solomon as
sures us that this was ta be observed
not only in its letter, but in its spirit;
“Curse not the king,” says the wise
man in Proverbs, “no, nol+ven in thy
thoughts.” St. Peter denounces the
p
habit of speaking evil of rulers as wor
thy of condign punishment. Among
those who are reserved unto the day of
judgment lo be punished, he mentions
the presumptuous and self-willed who
are not afraid to speak evil of dignities
—a presumption of winch even angels
are not guilty, who, though greater in
power and might, bring no railing ac
cusation against them before the Lord.
S'. Jude tells us that these presump
tuous and self-wiiled persons are not
afraid to do what the highest dignity in
heaven dared not do. For -even Mi-
cheal, the archangel, when contending
w ith the devii about the body of Moses,
brought no railing accusation against
him, but merely said, “The Lord re
buke thee.”
My bretheren and friends, in our
supplications, prayers, and interces
sions tor all men, for king’s, and for
all that are in authority, we have great
need to confess our faults, and offer
the prayer of penitence for ourselves.
For we have sinned, we have much to
confess and bewail as a people. In
the past we have given scarcely any
heed to the exortation of the Apostle.
Abuse of rulers has been the charac
teristic sin of the American people,
So common, was this sin in the past,
that, were foreigners to judge of Amer
ican rulers by the tone of the Ameri
can press, by what is heard upon the
hustings, on the streets, around the fire
side, and, alas ? too often in the pulpit
itself, they might with reason conclude
that the vilest, the very worst of men ;
men who out Herod, Herod in mean
ness ; men who in corruption, profliga
cy, and wickedness, leave Nero and
Domitian far behind* had been always
exalted to the highest offices. This
sin found us out, and was fearfully
visited upon the’ Government of the
late United Slates. In this sin we who
so recently formed a part of the same
government were partake-s ; May
God help us to repent ofit in sackcloth
and ashes.
Nowhere, since governments were
instituted among men, did any people
enjoy larger freedom of speech and oi
the press, than the people of the late
United States. Used wisely and dis
creetly, there is no greater blessing to
be enjoyed by a people. But when
abused ; when, with loosened reins,
it runs into a licentiousness that exhib
its itseif in .the wholesale and indis
criminate abuse ofthose iri authority,
it becomes the Fruitful parent of mis
chief—it is the Tandora’s box that
sends forth a countless troop of evils
Lo curse the land. In America this
liberty, this blood bought right of the
free, degenerated into licentiousness,
producing an - abundant crop of noxious
herbs and poisonous weeds. It occa
sioned the downfall of the Republic;
it rent the nation in twain. We may
ascribe the failure of the old Union to
this cause, or to the other cause. Cer
tain 1 am that if no other cause had
been at work to bring about its disin
tegration, this alone in time would have
effected it. For no free government on
earth is stable which lives not in the
affections of the people. And no gov
ernment on earth has any real place
in the affections of the people whose
rulers are subjected to wboisale and
indiscriminate abuse. In a free gov
ernment, where the people have the
choice of their own rulers, the vilest
men are the most likely lo be exalted
whenever this evil exists. For good
men, esteeming a good name, a spot
less reputation, more precious than the
spikenard with which the adoring Mary
anoimed the head of her Redeemer,
will shrink from a position that sub
jects them to abuse only.
Now who did not, with painful heart,
and with sad forebordings, witness the
the workings ol this leaven of corrup
tion ? It silently, surely, rapidly work
ed its way, corrupting the whole body
politic. Long since was it the case
that the best men, the greatest states
man, the brightest intellects stood no
chance of elevation to the chief magis
tracy. Plausable men, available men,
pliable men, were sought after, and
placed in the highest offices by the
demagogues, the. fanatics, the soph-
isters, the tricksters, and the wire-pul
lers of the party, the wigwam, arid the
caucus. The contagion so spread as
to become no longer sufferable. It
culminated when, on the Oth of Nov.
1S60, the nation beheld the triumph of
the sectional candidate of a sectional
pprty. The tr umph of thal party which
came into power proclaiming an irre
pressible conflict between the diff rem
social systems ot the nation, between
the institutions of its Northern and
Southern sections, made it no longer
possible for the Southern States, with
honor or profit to themselves, to abide
in the same government. To have
submitted was degradation. Hence
eleven of the Southern Slates,* the bet
ter to secure the ends for which gov
ernments are instituted, the protection
of its citizens in the possession and en
joyment ol their rights of life, liberty
and property, lo avoid the jealous
ies and strife growing out of dissimilar
institutions, and of separate and con
flicting interests, and to form a better
and more perfect union among them
selves, withdrew from the old.Union,
and fi rmed a new Union of l omogene-
ous Stales, under the name and style
of the Confederate States of America. To
this new government—to this new born
nation, every true Southern man trans
ferred his allegiance, pledging lo iis
success his life, his fortune and his sa
cred honor.
To onr appointed rulers a ml the
constitution ol our choice and making,
we pledged co-operation, loyalty, obe
dience, and faith. We promised be
fore high heaven, and called upon God
lo witness and record the vow, that
we would obey the Constitution of the
Confederate States, as the supreme
law' of the land, while these facts are
yet green in the memory of us all, and
while these vows are yet warm upon
our lips, I call earnestlv upon this au
dience to join me in offering supplica
tions, prayers, intercessions and giving
of thanks for the government at Rich
mond and our Confederate rulersthere;
for the government of the several
States, and especially for the Governor
and Legislators of our own State that
the Governments, State and Confeder
ate may unite heart and soul, with one
accord and with one purpose to secure
our national independence. God Al
mighty, of Thine infinite mercy, ban
ish envy, jealousy, hatred, variance,
ambition ; and let the President of these
Confederate States, and members of
the Confederate Congress, and the
Governors and Legislators of the sev
eral Slates, work together harmonious
ly to secure the triumph of out arms
over a common foe, both Gov ernments,
Stale and Confederate being restrained
in all their plans by Constitutional law,
and by a noble and generous emula
tion to avoid strife, conflict, division,
and whatever else of hellish malice
endangers the succes of our common
cause.
We are told, my brethren, I hat the
prudent man foreseeth the evil and, hidefh
himself. Are not our eyes opened to
the sins of the past ? lo the evil we
have done ? Alas, how seldom in form
er clays did ever the professed people
of God remember the exhortation of
the apostle? If a ruler chanced to be
of our party, now and then a pra} r er
for him may have ascended from sel
fish lips. But if he happened to be of
another parly abuse was meted out to
him, with no sparing hand. Blinded
to whatever of good there was in his
administration, we have too ofien
sought for what was evil, and, it is to
he lea red, too often rejoiced when we
found it. Oh, may God give us sin
cere repentance, and help us to put tar
away the evil of our doing ! may He
help us to avoid the rock on which
the late United States government was
wrecked ! to shun the breakers which
dashed in pieces the noblest vessel
hitherto launched upon the sea of po
litical life !
lt is in view of its great impor
tance, ye people of the Confederate
States, that I would urge upon you the
exhortation of the apostle, with all the
strength, and earnestness I can com
mand. If voice could reach every
mountain lop, and hill-side, and valley;
every city, and village, and hamlet,
from the majestic Potomac, on the
North, to the nohle gulf which washes
our boundary on the South ; from the
Atlantic wave on the east, to where
the Rio Grande on the west rolls along
his waters towards the gulf; 1 would
urge upon all the observance ot the
exhortation of the apostle, as the sheet-
anchor of the hopes of the new born
nation. I would say, let the abuse of
rulers no more be heard in our bodies.
Let unceasing mention be made ol
them in our supplications, prayers,- in
tercessions, and thanksgiving, every
where, at all times, in alt places, in the
closet, aiound the family altar, at the
meeting for social worship, and in the
great congregations, upon holy-day.—
Let us do this ; and our new experi
ment of self-government will under
God, succeed ;'a glorious and a bril
liant destiny in the future awaits the
Confederate Slates of Amejica. But
it we fail in this ; if we fall into the sins
of the past ; if the exhortation be un
heeded in all coming lime, rum, dis
aster, and disgrace will be the result.
I have thank God, seen signs of good
that have thrilled my heart and soul
with joy, and lightened up my hopes.
May 1 not be deceived ! May not these
signs prove short-lived, ephemeral, il
lusive—signs which always appear
above the horizon at a nations birth,
when a sense of common danger im-
p Is to watchfulness and prayer; when
the hazard <*f a new and untried ex
periment calls forth the best talents,
the best patriotism, and the best states
manship to fill the highest offices in
the land ; signs which too often, when
the danger is passed, and prosperity,
wealth, and national glory have suc
ceeded, disappear forever and leave
behind no trace oflight. Now many
heretofore unusedlo pray for their rulers
are daily beseiging the tiiercy seat in
their behalf. God grant thauhis good
work may never cease ! God grant
that our Aarons and Hurs may never
grow weary in holding up the hands
of ihose in authority. Then will our
liberties be preserved ; then will the
abolition Amalekiles, who now war
against our rights, be overthrown ; and
then will our new nation become a
praise, and a glory in all the earth.
My friends, the words just spoken
were spoken at a much earlier day of
this struggle. This sermon was preach
ed on the occasion of the first fast pro
claimed by President Davis in 1S0I.
Then we were a united people ; no
conflicting legislation was known ; no
factious opposition was heard. But
now how changed : the heart of the pa
triot sinks within him as he hears the
abuses and euises that are being daily
heaped upon our rulers, State and
Confederate, and beholds the efforts
which are being made to promote dis
cord and stir up strife, these things un
less rebuked, must end in the ruin of
that cause for which so much precious
blood has been shed. Loi d Uod have
mercy upon us ! Leave us not, neither
forsake us, Oh God of our salvation.
Leave us not to fall by our own divis
ions, and to perish by our own follies.
Open our eyes to see where we are go
ing, and whither we are drifting. Hear
the cries of the sorrowing ones who all
over this grief stricken land are crying
lo Thee, that the sacrifices which they
have made, the tears wWch they have
shed, and the blood which their sons
have [loured out like water may not be
in vain. Stay ihe hand of the factious,
arrest the lawless, rebuke the selfish,
cast down the ambitious, defeat him
who would pull dbwn this glorious
structure of constitutional freedom
which his own fiahds helped to build
up. We say constitutional liberty—not
a liberty of violence, not a liberty of
lawlessness, not a liberty without res
traint—but a liberty defined, regulated,
and restrained by constitutional law, as
found not only in Stale constitutions, but
in the constitution if the Confederate
States to which latter, as to the Supe
rior power, the several States for the
sake of the common good have surren
dered a portion of their liberties, and
sworn to obey all the constitutional en
actments of the Confederate Congress
as the Supreme law of the land.
Ts it not enough, my countrymen,
that we have to fight a common enemy
who comes to lay waste our homes,
spoil us of our goods, roll our churches,
insult our women, reduce us to slavery,
and send down to the dea:h of felons
the leaders in this struggle for Southern
freedom? A bleeding country, the wid
ows and orphans ol this cruel war, our
martyred dead whose, bones moulder
along the banks ot the Cbickahominy,
the Antietam, and the Chickamauga,
plead with us to forget our private
griefs, to forgive our private wrongs,
to lay aside our private quarrels, to
banish our mutual jealousies, to crucify
our wounded pride,•find join in one un-
faultering purpose to die or be free
men, and rescue ourselves, our wives
and little ones from the gulling yoke of
Yankee tyranny. Where is the patri
ot? Where is the sage? Are we bereft
at once of our patriotism and our sen
ses? Are we given over to madness
that we may peri-sh one common ru
in ? Gracious God, spare, O, spare us !
If we must fall—if we deserve to be
condemned with an overthrow—‘let us
perish by thy hand, O God ; send upon
us famine, ihe pestilence which walk-
eth in darkness and destruction which
wastelh at noon-day ; let our Northern
enemies overrun our fair land and send
us all down to one common grave ; but
when we die, if die .we must, may we
die a united people, a band of patriot
brothers, martyrs to the same glorious
cause, no father betraying a son to
death, no brother’s band stained with
a brother’s blood. God of our fathers,
at thy footstool we humbly bow; we
offer Thee the sacrifices of broken
spirits, arid of penitent and contrite
hearts. Be entreated, O, be entreated,
as we offer Thee our supplications,
piayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks in behalf of our rulers at Rich
mond and Milledgeville, and implore
for Thy mercy’s sake in Christ Jesus
our Lord, that wise, prudent and har
monious counsels may prevail, and
that our loved Southern lanrl may he
saved from civil strile and fratricidal
war.
We are now prepared, my brethren,
to see more clearly how much depends
upon the performance of the duty in
the textj and what precious interests
are bound up in it; for we come now
to consider the argument presented by
the Apostle to enforce its observance.
Why should special mention be made
of rulers? The. answer is, “that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable file in
all godliness and honesty.”
Memorable words are these ! Does
the leading of a quiet and peaceable
life depend upon the character of our
rulers? And is the peifbnnance of the
duties which we owe to God, and to
our feilovy. men, affected by tbe con
duct of those jn-ljutbority ? If this be
so, then we vvihmfet^oot why the Apos
tle cave this specific discretion to Tim
othy, and to the church of God, in all
times.