January 19, 1807 --Robert E Lee is born in Stratford, Virginia. He will distinguish himself throughout the War Between the States as a Christian general and a Southern gentleman. When President Abraham Lincoln offers him a commission to fight on the side of the Union, he will refuse. An Episcopalian, General Lee saw to it there were prayer meetings held throughout the War, and he never allowed his army to fall short of hearing the Word of God. He saw that the Bible was distributed and on many occasions, they were given as gifts from him. He ordered his surgeons to treat the wounded, both the Federal and the Confederate, alike.
The following is a narrative published after the War:
"I was at the Battle of Gettysburg myself, and an incident occurred there which changed my views of the Southern people, I had been a most bitter anti-Southern man, and fought and cursed the Confederates desperately. I could see nothing good in any of them. The last day of the fight, I was badly wounded. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetery Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, He his officers rode by me very close. As they came along, I recognized him and though faint from loss of blood and exposure, I raised up my hands, looked Lee in the face and shouted as loud as I could, ‘Hurrah for the Union.’ The General heard me, looked, stopped his horse, dismounted, and came towards me. I confess that at first I thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up, he looked down at me with such a sad expression on his face that all fear left me and I wondered what he was about. He extended his right hand to me and grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes, he said, ‘My son, I hope you will soon be well,’ If I live to be a thousand I shall never forget that expression on Lee’s face. There he was retiring from a field that cost him and his cause almost their last hope, and yet he stopped to say a word like that to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by.
"As soon as the General left, I cried myself to sleep there upon the bloody ground."
Part II – The sanctity of the home under STORM AND SIEGE
When the strength of a nation lies in the strength of the home, I see as a Primary enemy of the home to be our nation’s present Economic policy. I see a national economy so based as to make a great hardship on the average family unless both husband and wife work outside the home. Would it not be in the best interest of the country to encourage employers to give a livable salary to a husband and to encourage wives and mothers to be "keepers at home?"--See: Titus 2:5
A Second formidable foe of the Family lies in the World of Fashions, for when fashion-de-signers purposely style clothes in direct conflict to the Principles of Biblical Morality, and even acknowledge the same, women professing godliness have no business "keeping in fashion."
When Madame DuPuis designed the mini-skirt, she went on record as saying she designed it "to show it is for sale during the daytime as well as at night." Yet, how many multitudes of professing "Christians" dressed "in fashion!" And, though the style has changed in favor of a longer hemline, how many new conforming to the present fashion have any convictions against the former style?
The designers of the pantsuit have openly declared their intention is "to do away with the distinction of the sexes." Our society is a living testimony to their progressing success.
Who can take an unbiased look at the condition of the home today and with an honest heart and say that styles of clothes we wear have no bearing on our behavior? Dress your son in a slovenly manner and send him off to school, and he will exhibit a slovenly attitude toward his school and his studies. His self-respect will likely fall into disorderliness which will be exhibited in unruly behavior.
A Third column engaging in open conflict with the Home is the Equal Rights Amendment, which is clearly the exertion of a small group of Sodomites (homosexuals) to gain a place of respectability in the community. (See the December 1st issue where we fully document all you have heard against the passage of this bill.) Consequently, this is a matter of Right vs. Wrong; of Righteousness vs. Unrighteousness; of Godliness vs. Ungodliness; of Morality vs. Immorality. It would be the height of the Ridiculous to argue how this would tear asunder the Family unit.
The greatest attack, however, is not from without: before the most powerful external force can harm the Family, there must be a weakening of the family fiber, and those families which exhibit moral weakness very often do so because of a husband who will not "play the man."
There is a chain of Command God has ordained for the Home. "Wives," exhorts the Apostle, "submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the Husband is the HEAD of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and He is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it.... " And again, "Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the Wife see that she reverence her husband." --Ephesians 5:22-25,33.
Unfortunately, most husbands in today’s society do not assume the active role as Head of Their Home. But, regardless, God, Who has put the husband in this place of Responsibility will require him to give account how he has executed his office.
Where will it all end? The Prophet Isaiah tells us the Sanctity of the Home will again one day be recognized, for he prophecies of a day yet coming when "Seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, ‘We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name to take away our REPROACH." –(4:1) From this, it appears women may be allowed to get their own way and may be allowed to make havoc of society only to turn back in the day of ruin to acknowledge their reproach.
May God have Mercy and Pity on us and on our Children, if this be the case!
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"...The Pastor may urge on you unpalatable truth --he may utter sharp reproofs; but recollect, he has no choice; remember he is ‘a man under authority.’ Put the Question: ‘Has he said anything that Christ has not said?’ If he has: disregard him: If he has not, blame him not, --he has but discharged his duty to his Master and to you; and recollect, you cannot in this case disregard the servant, without doing dishonor to the Master. If he had been appointed to you; to "speak smooth things" to you, you might reasonably find fault with him for his
uncompromising statements, and his keen rebukes. But he ’watches for your souls.’ Your spiritual improvement, your everlasting salvation is his object; and therefore, he must not, to spare your feelings, endanger your souls."
-A Commentary on Hebrews, by John Brown, p. 710