TEXAS Sr.HE Lrnn.\HY
3G
ina their families it was certain that the parting to many was for- cr~r: that hundred:: must perish in thl' enemy's land; some by cliscase and ·some in the fi<'ld of battle. Their mrful situation called for the zealous and ner~r-tiring labor~ of some pious preacher, and cert~ i11 ly no one will be so hardy as to deny but that they were as much ent1tlecl to divine service as those who were ingloriously indulging in ca:-;c ancl luxury by their fimides at home. If so entitled, why should the min- ister be censured who bestowed it? When an indi,·idual in the peacl'- ful walks of life is supposed to be dying or is known to be clnn_gerom:ly ill, tll(> prayers ancl exhortations of some pious man are considered of grec1t importanet> and no doubt are oft.en efficacious in preparing the miml of the m1happy person for his earthly dif'solution a11d his final rest. There are alway:; ministers in plenty who will perform this task with becoming solemnity and will preach an affecting discourse over the poor remains or the person when cleacl; hut when a hundred Soldi,e·rs are stretched ou their beds of straw and strngling with the great De- stroyer "that must suhdne at length., who then for the lorn of God, shall step forward and comfort them in th<'ir utmost need; tl'ach them to bend their thoughts on eternal thinl!s and in the name of the )ferliator pray for the salvation of their souls? .And are they not en- titled to this as much as citizens at home? are not the souls of the former as precious to Goel as those of the latter? Sure!~· it will not he contended by any that hecau:::e of their hearin:r arms they should be excluded from the prayers of the righteous and the mercy of Heaven. In the particular case before us, we are willing to admit for argument sake (and of course only for that purpose) all that l\I r. Brantly or any other man can desire, that the men under the command of Genl. FIO)'d were inflamed to the war by the Yery worst of passions and in defence of a most unholy Government, yet because of this very lament- able and fatal situation (if it had really existed) they must have stoocl the more in need of some good man to awaken them to a sense of their dangerorn; relation to their )Inker, and hrin:r them to repentance. But where was the person in those clays who was willi11g- to encounter the hardship!> & «!angers attemlin).! the discharge of this duty? Let no man attempt it who bears not within him the umlouhted evidences of a regeneratf1l heart, ancl feel,; stron:r in the Lord: for the path is a ~erilous one w)l(>re h~·potric~· cannot stand a11cl dismay and con- fusion may come upon him. There was 011c zealous nu.rn of Goel how- <'r<'r who was no k•ss reacly than qualifiecl to to I sic.I tread in this path. ~II had c·onfidenc·e in his piety, and genuine piety is ne,·er wanting 111 <"nu_rage. The H<'rd. Elijah ~lose)~-was this indiYidual. AJlll how was 111s conducted rewarded?- bv the o-ratitude of the annv · the applause of his fellow citizens, m1cl the ion<lenmation of "\Villfo~1 T. Brant)~-. . But .th!s Rerer~nd ~entlema11 ma:v possibl_,. be rencly to sa~' tha_t he dul not <hsp~1te ,nth )Ir. )fosel~· the propriety of those i:;enices ~~·)11~-h h~ r<'ncl~r~il m the .~apac·ity of a chaplain, but that it was his_ "'gomg mto 1111l1tar~· lluty- whic-h hl' considerPd "a dc>sertion of the ;.tamlarcl of_ hi ~ ~reat Captaiu & :\Ia:-:trr." Now wlwthcr )[ r. )foscly deserrcd tins ~<'ntente d<'pentls t•ntircly upon the nature of the war that hr wa:: engaged in. If an u11j11.;;/ one, he was wrong in fighting, hut if the war was ,-j_qht eor,.~ his fighting was not incon:-istent with the d1ri,:tian princ·iph·. 'l'he applau~c or c·ensur<' therefore which he will
Powered by FlippingBook