Sunday, July 19.—This morning Dr. Quintard preached to a crowded house. Almost every general in the army was present. I saw General Polk; he is really a noble-looking man. One of his daughters was with him. She is very pretty.
Dr. Q. preached a very fine sermon. His text was, “For we are journeying unto the place of which the Lord hath said, I will give it you.” In the afternoon Dr. Cannon preached a sequel to it; an excellent one.
The first was reminding us that, whether in peace or war, there was a journey we were all taking, that sooner or later would come to an end; and warning us to prepare to enter into that land which the Lord has prepared for those who keep his commandments. The last was telling us about the blessed rest which God had prepared for his people. How many such teachings do we despise!
“It is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
We fall down and worship, but certainly not the Maker and Ruler of all things. There are few who would like being called the enemies of God, and yet has he not said, He that is not with me is against me? And are we not commanded to worship him with our whole heart? I know of many, apparently good men, who do not seem to think that they have any right to confess Christ before men; and these men know in their hearts that the Bible is no fable, and yet they reject its teachings every hour of their lives. When I ask these men why they live so, the answer often is that there are so many wicked men in the church. I sometimes ask them if that is the answer they intend giving the Judge of all on that great day when we shall have to give an account, not of what our neighbors have done, but what we ourselves have? I scarcely think the excuse will avail, that we went astray because our neighbor did, and because some in the Church
“Have erred, and some are slow to lead us right,
Stopping to pry, when stuff and lamp should he in hand.”
We do not reason thus about our worldly affairs. Why should we not use common sense regarding our spiritual ones? “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” There is no more sublime sight than the man of intellect and great mind, bowing in adoration to his Maker.
A good moral man without religion is like a mariner trying to find his way through the seas without a compass.
“God never meant that man should scale the heavens
By strides of human wisdom. In his works,
Though wondrous, he commands us in his word
To seek him rather where his mercy shines.”
