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Stonewall Jackson & Self Control

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• The title of the message is "Stonewall Jackson and the Christian Grace of Self-Control." So look in 1 Corinthians 9, verse 24: "Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize, so run that you may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate or self-controlled in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Now, I want you to hold this passage and turn right over to 1 Peter chapter 1 and look at verse 6. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 6. I'm sorry, it's 2 Peter 1 in verse 6. 2 Peter 1 in verse 6.

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• Here the Apostle Paul is telling us as Christians what we're to add to our faith. And in verse 6 in 2 Peter 1 verse 6 he says this, "And to knowledge you're to add temperance, and to temperance you're to add patience, and to patience you're to add godliness." Now, read this passage. Because I want you to understand that the word temperance here is actually the word self-control as well. Self-control is a term that is easily pronounced.

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• It is often given as advice, but it is very seldom acted upon. Self-control is a virtue that everyone wishes to possess, but no one wishes to exercise. And the reason we do not wish to exercise self-control is simply because we're selfish and we want what we want when we want it. I've heard people say, "I want it and I want it right now." Well, the Bible tells us in Romans 13 and verse 14, "But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." And the truth of the matter is most people make provisions for their flesh. They want to satisfy their flesh. If you've lived very long, you will have discovered one truth, and that is that our flesh will not lie as silently and as obediently upon the altar as in Isaac, because our flesh will scream and cry and demand satisfaction. Now, I'm talking about self-control. I want you to understand that self-control in the Bible is listed under the terms temperate and temperance.

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• You could say they are synonyms. The Greek word for self-control is egkrateia, which literally means to be strong in a thing, to have mastery over, to be self-controlled. So when we're talking about self-control, we're talking about having mastery over yourself. According to the Word of God, temperance is indeed a fruit of the Spirit, and you'll find that in Galatians 5 and verse 23. Temperance, or self-control, is also a Christian grace that is being added to our biblical character in 2 Peter 1 and verse 6. Moreover, according to Titus 1 and verse 8, self-control is a qualification for a pastor. But it may also surprise you that in Titus 2 and verse 2, self-control is to be a characteristic of aged men, old men, older men. So obviously, there is a great deal in the Bible about self-control. But when you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 9, the Apostle Paul says in verse 24, and this is the classic passage on self-control, He says, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize."

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• Now, look what he says. There's only going to be one winner. So run that you may obtain. Now, verse 25. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate or self-controlled in all things."

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• Now, if you're going to be running in a race, you're not going to be loading up a special meal and ice cream and hamburgers right before you run. I mean, it's just impossible. So, he is saying, you're going to be temperate in all things. Now watch.

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• "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible one." In other words, here's the spiritual truth. He says, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." He's not a shadow boxer. "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." So obviously there is a great truth here in the Bible concerning self-control. And Paul is making it exceedingly clear that if we are going to accomplish anything, especially a spiritual goal, there has to be self-control. If there is no self-control, you're just simply beating the air. Now, Stonewall Jackson is an excellent study in the biblical truth of self-control. Stonewall Jackson is unusual in the sense that even as an unconverted youth, he understood and he realized the necessity of self-control. It was only after his conversion to Jesus Christ that self-control became one of the most prominent graces in his life.

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• It was Stonewall Jackson's uncle, Cummings Jackson, that helped mold and develop young Thomas's character. I don't know if you remember or not, but Stonewall's father had died earlier. His mother died when he was seven years old. So after that, he went to live with his uncle Cummings, and Cummings then took the young boy and raised him and taught him. I want to just give you two quick quotes by Dabney. You must remember that Robert L. Dabney was aide de camp to Stonewall Jackson. Robert L. Dabney was a Presbyterian pastor, a theologian, a scholar. And here's what he said concerning the raising of Stonewall Jackson. When he went to live with his uncle Cummings, he said this, "He received all the privileges of a son of the family. The relation existing between him and his uncle was, from the first, remarkable."

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• "He treated the little boy more as a companion than as a child, soothing for him all the ruggedness of his nature, imparting to him his plans and thoughts as though he was an equal or counselor, making him his delighted pupil in the rural arts in which he himself was an unrivaled adept, and always rather requesting than demanding his compliance with the discipline of a household. The child was thus stimulated to work for his own self-government at a very early period, and left to an independence of action more suited for a man."

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• "But he did not disappoint his uncle's confidence. His peculiar method with the boy may be perhaps accounted for in part by the singular temperament of the race, passionately attached to the idea of independence, in part by the relaxation of parental restraints which usually prevailed in new countries, and partly by the profound sagacity of the guardian who saw at a glance the noble nature with which he had to deal." In other words, here is a young boy that is being taught from seven years old the absolute importance of self-control. When Stonewall Jackson went to West Point, there he demonstrated the consistency of self-control over and over.

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• In fact, Dabney says this, "Thomas showed no quickness of aptitude for any of his studies except arithmetic. In this, he always outstripped his schoolmates, seemingly without effort. In all other branches, his acquisitions were made only by patient labor."

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• Now, young people, I want you to listen. "If he professed to be prepared for a recitation, all might be certain that he was thoroughly prepared. From the first, the intense honesty of his nature and the sober judgment with which he preferred the substance to the name of an acquisition were singular. Nothing could induce him to leave a lesson behind him unmastered."

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• Now let me just stop right here. I'm going to finish the quote momentarily. But I want you to note that he preferred the substance to the name of an acquisition. He was not satisfied with just having the name; he wanted the substance. If you were to take this and apply it today, I could give you a number of illustrations. I know people who have graduated from college.

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• They have a degree and they can't teach their way out of a wet paper bag. They just simply got the degree. That's all they wanted. I know people that have black belts in the martial arts. They can't fight. I know people who claim to be expert marksmen who really cannot even shoot. Here's what is being emphasized. Stonewall did not want a title. Stonewall did not want the name. Stonewall wanted the substance. He wanted reality. Now listen to this. This is amazing.

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• "If he had not been able to finish a previous lesson at the same time with his classmates, he would continue to study the old lesson while they proceeded to the next. And when called upon for his share of the succeeding or the new recitation, he would flatly declare that he knew nothing about it, that he had not yet had time to begin it, and that all of his time had been occupied upon the other."

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• "He was thus not seldom nominally behind his class, but whatever he once gained was his forever. His knowledge, though limited, was perfect as far as it went. His temperament at that time was cheerful, amiable, and generous, and his demeanor instinctively courteous. His truthfulness was at all times proverbial." So what he studied, he grasped. What he studied, he understood. He may have been behind the others, but in the end, he was probably far ahead of the others simply because they may have had the name, but not necessarily the substance.

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• Nothing could induce Stonewall Jackson to leave a lesson unmastered. He must master it and he would master it. In fact, one of his maxims that he used throughout the rest of his life was this: "One could always do what he will to accomplish." One could always do what he will to accomplish. On one occasion, Jackson met a friend from West Point and Jackson admitted to the friend that he regretted being ignorant of Latin. He then added, "But I think it probable that I shall someday repair this and become as familiar with Latin as with Spanish." His friend expressed doubt and believed that if the languages were not impressed upon the memory from a child, that they would be impossible to learn, to which Jackson replied, "No, if I tip it, I will become a master of the language. I can accomplish whatever I will to do." So here's a man

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• who understood not only determination, but self-control. Jackson's self-control was not only manifested in the educational realm, it was also manifested in the moral and physical realm as well. He always preferred the simplest foods, and he never took any stimulant. He did not use tobacco, nor did he drink coffee, tea, or wine. His abstinence was from principle. Let me just give you a couple of illustrations.

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• During the winter of 1862, when Stonewall was reconnoitering in front of the enemy, when a fire was absolutely out of the question, he became chilled. In fact, he became so chilled that his medical attendant was concerned for him, and he urged him to take some type of stimulant. They could not have a fire. And the only thing that was available was some brandy or some other spirits. And so the doctor just insisted that Stonewall take some to prevent him becoming sick. So finally, Stonewall consented. And as he took the brandy, he began to drink it down and make all kinds of faces and sounds and almost gagged. And the doctor said, "I'm sorry, General Jackson, is it that unpleasant?" To which Jackson replied, "No, no, I like it. I always did."

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• "That's why I never touch the stuff." And then on another occasion, Jackson had been walking with a brother officer who also was a godly man. And at the termination of their walk, since they were tired, the other godly officer suggested to Jackson that they have a glass of brandy and water in light of their fatigue, to which Jackson replied, "No," said Jackson, "I'm much obliged, but I never use it. I'm more afraid of it than federal bullets." Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Jackson's strength was in the fact that he was afraid of temptation. Jackson knew his weaknesses. And he would not yield in those areas where he knew that he was weak. And consequently then, his weaknesses became his strengths. Jackson always had absolute control over himself even in regard to food. He controlled his appetite.

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• He had very little sympathy for people who overindulged or who ate things that they should not eat. I've heard people say, and you have too, "Well, I'm going to eat this because I like it, but I know that I'll pay for it later." Well, "I know this is not good for me, but I want it. I'm going to eat it anyhow." You've heard people say that. Jackson had no sympathy for anyone who overindulged or ate things they should not.

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• And when those around him complained of having headaches and stomach problems in consequence of their indulgence, he said this, "Do as I do, govern yourself absolutely and you will not suffer. My head never aches. If a thing disagrees with me, I never eat it." He knew what he could eat and what he could not eat. When Jackson was in Mexico, his self-control was exhibited in two distinct ways.

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• One was in regard to beautiful women, and the other was in regard to military danger. While he was in Mexico, during the war with Mexico, there was one Spanish family there that extended hospitality to Stonewall on a regular basis. He was always grateful for the hospitality, and he always thanked and admired the family. But Stonewall reluctantly and positively discontinued his visits to that home. He would not go back to that home, no matter how much he enjoyed their hospitality and no matter how good of friends he was with the man who owned that home. Later, when Stonewall was asked why he ceased visiting that home, here's what he said with a blush.

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• that he found the fascination of some of the female charms which he met there was more likely to become too strong for his prudence unless he escaped them in due time. Now, let me just point this out. Do you realize? Stonewall was observing a biblical principle. Did you know that the Apostle Paul wrote Timothy in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, in verse 22, and he told Timothy, "Flee youthful lust." And when Paul wrote that to Timothy, Timothy was probably in his 40s. Flee youthful lust.

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• Now I want you to watch this. If it refers to lust, our duty is to flee. Get out of there. Get out of the way. If Satan is bothering us, according to the book of James, chapter 4, verse 7, the Bible says, "Submit yourself unto God, resist the devil, and he'll flee from you." So when it comes to the devil, it's fight. Resist him, and he'll flee from you. When it comes to the world, the Bible says in 1 John 5, verse 4, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

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• So what's these three things? If it's lust or temptation, flee. If it's Satan, fight. If it's the world, faith. And when Stonewall said those women were too beautiful and too charming for him, and unless he escaped in due time, he was being careful that he did not sin against God. He was controlling himself. During the war with Mexico also Stonewall was in charge of a section of artillery for which all practical purposes was totally disabled. Many of his men and his animals had been killed and Stonewall only had a couple of artillery pieces that were functioning and it looked like the Mexicans were going to overwhelm him. And so he continued to man those guns and keep firing on the approaching Mexicans until finally they turned to run and go back within the gates of the city. And when Stonewall saw that, he just simply took those artillery pieces and he attached them to the limbers of the ammunition box, followed more closely, and then continued to fire upon the retreating Mexicans. Years later, when he was teaching at Virginia Military Institute, this scenario came up and one of his students asked him, "Major," he was a major at that particular time, he said, "Major, why did you not run when your command was disabled?"

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• Stonewall smiled and said, "I was not ordered to do so. Had I been ordered to run, I would have run. But I was ordered to hold my position and I had no right to abandon it."

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• Now, can you imagine in the face of overwhelming odds, in the face of danger, he still held his position. Stonewall Jackson's pastor, Dr. White, encouraged all of his men to lead in public devotions and in public prayer. Stonewall at this particular time had never really prayed publicly. So he came to his pastor and he said this, "You're my pastor and the spiritual guide of the church, and if you think it my duty that I shall pray, then I shall waive my reluctance and make the effort to lead in prayer, however painful." So just a short time later, Dr. White called on Stonewall Jackson to lead in public prayer. And Stonewall Jackson arose to do so. And he found it so painful to himself and so embarrassing to himself and to the church, but he finally made it through his first public prayer. Dr. White saw the distress that was placed upon Stonewall in leading with prayer. And for the next several weeks, he was not called on to pray anymore. Finally, Stonewall approached his pastor and he asked him why he had not been called on to pray anymore.

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• And Dr. White said to him, "Well, I saw the distress that it placed upon you." And he said, "I was willing to spare your feelings and spare you and your embarrassment. So I did not call upon you anymore." To which Jackson replied, "Listen, yes, but my comfort or discomfort is not the question. If it is my duty to lead my brethren in prayer, then I must persevere in it until I learn to do it right. And I wish you to discard all consideration of my feelings in the matter and call upon me." Later on, Dr. White did call upon him. And he did lead the church in public prayer. And he kept doing so until he became eminent in public praying as well as private praying.

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• Here's a man who said, "I'm going to control my emotions. I'm going to do my duty regardless of my feelings." Stonewall Jackson was married twice. His first wife, Eleanor Junkin, died suddenly only after 14 months of marriage. And Stonewall was most concerned that he did not question God's wisdom or God's justice in taking his wife. And he was also most concerned that he would always have a Christian attitude in regard to the death of his wife. And so very obviously, throughout the whole ordeal, he never for a moment lost the dignity of a Christian in grieving for his wife.

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• He understood 1 Thessalonians 4 in verse 13, where Paul said, "But I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not as others who have no hope." If I said nothing else, and I've got a lot to say, but if I said nothing else, does not Stonewall Jackson's self-control rebuke us? Just stop and think how impatient we are. And we scream and murmur and complain when things do not go our way and when things do not go the way that we plan. We're so impatient and we're so out of control. Just thinking about the grace of God in his life should convict us.

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• One of my greatest sins is impatience, and I know that. I used to tell people, though I still do, I hate railroads and railroad tracks. You know, even trying to come to church this morning, train, blocking the road, standing still. And when you get to this railroad track and you see four or five engines, you know that train's a mile or two long, and you just have to sit there. Now, I've learned to pray while I sit there. But if I had a book with me, it wouldn't bother me, you know? But I always tell people, if there's ever another revolution, I want to be the one that blows up the railroad tracks and the trains, you know? Just because I despise them, you know? I know they're necessary. You know I'm teasing. But I'm just saying, are we not all like that to a certain extent? How impatient we are.

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• After Stonewall's first wife died, he took a trip. In fact, he took a cruise after her death. And it was a cruise that lasted for a number of months. He had scheduled to be back on time for his classes at VMI, Virginia Military Institute. But when the time came for school to start and for Stonewall to be teaching his classes, Stonewall was not there. One week passed, two weeks passed, three weeks passed, and finally the ship came limping in. Stonewall's first visit was to his deceased wife's parents and family. And while he was there, one of his sister-in-laws said this after they excitedly hugged each other.

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• She said, "But Major, have you not been miserable? Have you not been perfectly wretched since the beginning of the month?" "Why, no," he answered in amazement. "Why should I be?" When she replied, "You know that you're so dreadfully punctual, and the session had begun, and the time you promised to return had passed, and we suppose that you were beside yourself with impatience." "By no means," he replied. "I had set out to return at the proper time."

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• "I had done my duty. The steamer was delayed by an act of divine providence. I was perfectly satisfied." I usually tell people the way I was raised, if you're not 15 minutes early, you're late. And that's a fact I hate. I hate not being on time. I despise it. Let me just show you why very quickly. Suppose Henry and I agree to meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. And Henry shows up at 10:30.

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• Stop and think about this. Henry has just stolen 30 minutes of my time. It's theft. Now, when God sovereignly delays you, that's one thing, but if you're not on time just simply because of your own laziness or your lack of planning, then that's sin. And Stonewall said, "No, I was perfectly satisfied." When the drums of war began to beat very loudly, Jackson was discussing the inevitability of the war with a friend who was visiting with him and who spent the night with Jackson. After a frank and open discussion that war was inevitable, both of them went to bed. When his friend awoke the next morning, he was depressed and melancholy, and he was surprised to see Jackson as cheerful as ever. Explaining his own anxieties and his own depression, he asked Jackson how he could remain so calm and cheerful in light of the fact that he knew that war was imminent. Jackson replied, "Why should the peace of a true Christian be disturbed by anything which man can do unto him?"

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• "Has not God promised to make all things work together for good to them that love him?" He wasn't upset. He trusted in God. Stonewall evidenced self-control even in his great and plentiful victories. Many of these victories would have caused most men to gloat, to boast, and to brag. Stonewall remarried. He married Anna Morrison. And during the war, he wrote to Anna and he said this, listen carefully. "Yesterday we fought a great battle and gained a great victory for which all the glory is due to God alone."

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• "Though under a heavy fire for several continuous hours, I only received one wound, the breaking of the largest finger on my left hand. But the doctor says the finger can be saved. My horse was wounded but not killed. My coat got an ugly wound near the hip. My preservation was entirely due, as was the glorious victory, to our God to whom be all the glory, honor, and praise. While great credit is due to other parts of our gallant army, God made my brigade the more instrumental than any other in repulsing the attack. Now listen, let this be for your information only. Say nothing about it. Let another speak praise and not myself." So here Stonewall was saying, "Boy, God used me. And God used my brigade. But this is just for your information. Don't say anything about it to anybody."

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• You know, he understood a principle. In Proverbs 20 and verse 6, the Bible says, "Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man who can find?" And then the scripture in Proverbs 27 verse 2 says this, "Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger and not thine own lips." And so Stonewall, even in the realm of his great victories, exercised self-control.

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• He was not going to brag or boast. And whatever he did, he gave honor and glory to God for what God had done. During the entire war, of course, he died before the war was over, but during the entire war, while he was alive, he never took a furlough. He never took time off. He was encouraged to take one, but he did not. Now, his wife, Anna, and their daughter did visit him some, but he refused to take a furlough. When he was encouraged to obtain one, here's what he said, "I can't be absent, as my attention is necessary in preparing my troops for hard fighting, should it be required, and as my officers and soldiers are not permitted to visit their wives and families, I ought not to see mine."

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• "It might make the troops feel that they are being badly treated, and that I consult my own comfort regardless of theirs. Every officer and soldier who is able to do duty ought to be busily engaged in military preparation by hard drilling, in order that, through the blessing of God, we may be victorious in the battles which in His all-wise providence may await us. If the war is carried on with vigor, I think, under the blessing of God, it will not last long."

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• Here's a man who said, "I love my wife and I love my child. But I'm not going to ask for a furlough. Other men can't get them. And I'm not going to make the men think that I prefer my own comfort over their comfort." When Stonewall was wronged by the powers above him, he still maintained his self-control. He did not whine, complain, or bellyache. He simply offered his resignation. What had happened?

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• was the government at Richmond, Virginia had endeavored to move his troops from a desk in Richmond without any firsthand knowledge of the battlefield condition and without consulting him. And so Stonewall then simply offered his resignation.

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• Now, no one wanted him to resign, not even the governor. And so the governor sent an ambassador to Stonewall to ask him not to resign. To which Stonewall said this concerning the order. He said, "The order was given without consulting me. It is abandoning to the enemy what has cost much preparation, expense, and exposure to secure. It is in direct conflict with my military plans. It implies a warrant of confidence in my capacity to judge when General Loring's troops should fall back, and it is an attempt to control military operations in detail from the Secretary's desk at a distance."

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• He also added, that he had no personal grudge to satisfy, though he believed he was wronged. He did not lodge a complaint against the Secretary of War. He believed the Secretary of War was a firm man and a considerate man, and that he must infer from that order that it was going to be an example of his intended system of management to which General Jackson could not submit.

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• And so, therefore, he just merely offered his resignation. Now, I want to show you something. His self-control in this incident exemplifies biblical truth. I want you to listen carefully. Proverbs 16 and verse 32. God says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." God says, if you are slow to anger, you're better than the mighty. If you rule your own spirit, you have a greater ability than the greatest warrior who's able to capture an entire city. Stonewall was ruling his spirit. In Proverbs 25 and verse 28, the scripture says this: "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls." Now, let me tell you something. If a city is broken down without walls, you can walk in, get what you want and walk out. If you can control your spirit, listen carefully, if you can control your spirit, I cannot make you angry. I cannot upset you. I cannot make you mad.

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• I cannot make you jealous. I can't do anything to you. If you can control your spirit, if you can't control your spirit, then I can control you. It's just that simple. And Stonewall understood this. And guess what happened? The odious order was rescinded. And when the order was rescinded, Jackson withdrew his resignation. After the incident was over, he forgot it. He did not hold a grudge. He did not try to retaliate. He did not hold any animosity toward the Secretary of War.

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• He stood on principle, and he did not allow his emotions to rule him. You've got to remember that Stonewall Jackson was a man who was very deliberate. He did not do things in haste. General Banks, the Union general, was in that area, and Stonewall was planning on attacking General Banks and just wiping him out, he and his men. But then Stonewall got the information that General Shields with a large body of troops was marching rapidly to reinforce General Banks. Dabney records that when Stonewall got that information, he was in his tent.

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• And he said he instantly started pacing back and forth and he said out loud, "But let me think. May I not execute my purpose still?" He said at that particular point, his hand went to the hilt of his sword. Dabney said fire was shooting out of his eyes. He said finally, he released the hilt of the sword and he said, "No, no, I must not do it. It may cost the lives of too many of my brave men. I must retreat and wait for a better time."

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• He was not going to be provoked. He was not going to be pushed into doing something that he knew that he should not do. Jackson always seemed to be in control. He would never allow his desires or his emotions to force his hand.

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• Now, let me ask you a question. How different is General Jackson from us? Do you realize that most of us live by our feelings, live by our emotions? We're not run by principle. "Well, why were you not in church last Sunday?" "Oh, I just didn't feel like going." Oh. So now your feelings determine what's right and what's wrong, what you should do and what you should not do. "Well, why didn't you fulfill your duty today? Why didn't you work? Why didn't you do?" "Well, I just didn't feel like doing it." God demands that we run our lives by principle, not by feelings, not by emotions, not by circumstances, not by situations.

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• You do what you're required to do. Now, I want to show you, I want to show you how greatly Stonewall Jackson's self-control really was. I want you to turn in your Bibles. I want to show you some verses first. I want you to turn to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 19. Stonewall Jackson was one of the most loving, kind, gracious and compassionate men that you will ever meet. But Stonewall Jackson would never allow his tenderness, his loving kindness, or his mercy to be out of control.

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• He always even kept those things within their proper bounds. For instance, Deuteronomy chapter 19. Look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 12. Look what God says. This is about the avenger of blood. Here's a man that is a murderer and he flees to the city of refuge. There's a trial that is held and the murderer is found guilty. And so he's handed over to the city of refuge, but don't you—I mean, he's handed over to the avenger of blood. So Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 12, "Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence"—that's the murderer—"and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die." Now, look what God says.

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• "Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee." Thine eye shall not pity him. I have heard people say, "Boy, I pity those murderers on death row." I don't. God says there are some times you are to have no pity. You would have no mercy. You would have no sympathy. I want you to look in 2 Chronicles, chapter 19.

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• I could multiply illustrations here, but these two will be sufficient. Look at 2 Chronicles, chapter 19 and verse 2. 2 Chronicles, 19 and verse 2. I want you to note what happens. 2 Chronicles, chapter 19. And we'll read verse 1. Jehoshaphat is the king. Watch what happens. "Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to the king, to King Jehoshaphat, 'Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.'" Now, what Jehoshaphat had done, he'd gone up to help the king of Israel. The king of Israel was a wicked reprobate.

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• And here's what Hanani is saying. Jehoshaphat, you've got to understand something. There are some people you cannot have mercy upon. There are some people you cannot be sympathetic toward. There are some people that you absolutely cannot help. Dr. Hunter McGuire was Stonewall Jackson's personal physician. He was with Stonewall daily for two years. And Dr. McGuire said this. That which impressed him more greatly concerning Stonewall Jackson than anything else

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• was his tenderness, his love, his sympathy. He said it impressed him far more than his great prowess as a warrior.

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• Now I'm telling you this so I can tell you what Stonewall said and what Stonewall did so that you can understand it in the context. You see, there was a time during a retreat when the Union batteries were shelling the Confederate rear as the Confederate Army was withdrawing. Since those shells were hitting among some of the Confederate soldiers, it threw them in temporary confusion. The Union cavalry noticed that, and they made a charge into the rear of the Confederate ranks. Well, General Turner Ashby saw what was coming down, so he took a number of soldiers. Some were on horses, he dismounted them.

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• The others he lined up behind trees and rocks. And as the Union cavalry came through, they unleashed a torrent of fire upon these Yankee cavalrymen. They were running so fast that their momentum carried them past Ashby's men to the next regiment which was commanded by Colonel Patton. Colonel Patton saw what was happening. He had his men lined up and when the few Yankee cavalrymen that got through Turner Ashby's men, when they got to Colonel Patton's men, they were all mowed down or captured except for one man. Out of the entire Yankee cavalry charge only one man escaped with his life. All the rest were either killed or captured.

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• Now Colonel Patton was giving a report to General Jackson and he just made the statement as he was giving the report that he saw the party of his foes shot down with regret. Jackson took note of it, but he finished taking the official report. And when he had finished taking the official report, he looked at Colonel Patton and he asked, "Colonel, why do you say that you saw those Federal soldiers fall with regret?" To which Patton answered, "They exhibited more vigor and courage than anything which had been attempted by any part of the Federal Army, and that natural sympathy with brave men led me to wish that in the fortunes of the fight, their lives might have been spared." To which Jackson replied, "No, kill them all. I don't want any of them to be brave." You say, "How could he say that?"

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• Well, let me tell you something else. On another occasion, he saw a brave Union soldier upon his horse and Jackson told his men, "Shoot the brave officers. And the cowards will flee, taking the rest of the men with them." Now, let me tell you something, there is indeed a time for tenderness and mercy. But not during the heat of battle. Do you understand that the more quickly and the more decisively a victory is won, the less lives will be lost? And Jackson understood that.

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• He was a tender man, he was a compassionate man, he was a sympathetic man. But he understood that even our sympathies, our mercies, our tenderness, had to be controlled as well. That's why God said concerning the murderer, "Thine eye shall not pity him." That's why God said, "If any man will not work, neither should he eat." I have no pity. I have no sympathy on someone who's too lazy and slothful to work.

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• Now, if a man has lost his job, not due to any problem in his life, I don't mind helping him. I don't mind helping someone who's sick. I don't mind helping someone who's in need in a real general and genuine need. But just to help somebody who's—I was in Los Angeles, California. And I was preaching there and I was riding with the pastor. And here's a man standing with a cardboard piece of paper that said "Help destitute. Need money," and I looked at the pastor, I said,

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• "Do you ever give to these people?" He said, "No." He said, "They make more money than I do." He said, "Some of these people make over $100,000 a year begging."

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• For I don't know how many, four or five years in a row? Where were we? What state was that? California? Saw this one woman with her children out with this Volkswagen bus, "Help, broke down, need gas money." She'd been there five years with the same sign and the same children. That's what she did. I'm just saying you have to understand that there are times that your sympathy and your tenderness have to be controlled. You can't just give to people who are wicked and wrong and are basically stealing.

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• But in every area of his life, Jackson evidenced and exhibited the grace of self-control. He did add to his knowledge temperance or self-control. However, let me point this out. There was one time—one time that the poised, collected, cool, and controlled General Jackson said he had no control. You remember at Chancellorsville, he was wounded. Shot several times. One of them, one of the bullets broke the bone, shattered the bone in his left arm. Another one hit him here, another hit here. They were carrying Jackson off the battlefield on a litter, on a stretcher.

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• Four men running, trying to get him to a waiting ambulance. Lieutenant Smith's foot got caught in a vine and he tripped. And as he tripped, he dropped his end of the litter. And General Jackson hit the ground on that already broken, emaciated arm, renewing the flow of blood. Jackson let out one piteous groan. Lieutenant Smith said, "General Jackson, are you all right?" Jackson replied, "Mr. Smith, do not concern yourself about me." They got him into the ambulance. They got him to the hospital where his arm was amputated.

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• And later, after he had regained his thoughts, he was telling Beverly Tucker Lacy, who was his chaplain, this. Listen carefully. "After a little while, he said that he thought when he fell from the litter that he should die upon the field. And he was able to get himself up in the hands of his heavenly father without a fear. He declared that he was in possession of perfect peace while expecting immediate death. It has been," he said, "a precious experience to me that I was brought face to face with death and found all was well."

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• "I then learned an important lesson. That one who has been the subject of converting grace and is the child of God can, in the midst of the severest sufferings, fix the thoughts upon God and heavenly things and derive great comfort and peace. But that one who has never made his peace with God would be unable to control his mind under such sufferings, so as to understand properly the way of salvation and repent and believe on Christ. I felt," said Jackson, "that if I had neglected the salvation of my soul before, it would have been too late then." He had no control.

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• He was in such pain, such suffering. His mind could not understand what was being said. He said, he was being witnessed to or preached to. So the gallant, self-controlled Stonewall Jackson admitted at the time of his death that it is possible to be in so much pain that one is unable to control his mind or his thoughts.

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• Now let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We must understand and see with Stonewall the fallacy of putting off salvation. We must understand that God has not promised us another day. Are you listening? God has not even promised us an easy death. I've heard people say, "I'm going to repent and believe right before I die." First of all, repentance does not belong to you, and faith does not belong to you. They're the gift of God. And if God doesn't give it to you, you don't have it. And secondly, how do you know that you're going to be in possession of your mind before you die? You don't know that. You see, the Bible says in Acts 17, verses 30 and 31, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." Why does God command every man to repent? Here's why. "Because He, God, hath appointed a day in which He, God, will judge the world in righteousness by that man, Jesus Christ, whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead."

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• So just as surely as God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He's going to judge every man by Jesus Christ. It is insane and wicked, as well as demonstrating a lack of self-control, to put off seeking Christ for salvation. God does not promise us another day or an easy death. I've known people who went into a coma, never awoke. You put off seeking Christ, and you are the one who will suffer for your lack of obedience and your lack of self-control.

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• The second application is this. We must learn to live by principles and not by emotions or feelings. Do right because it's right to do right. Principles never change. Your feelings change every day. I woke up with sinus. I can feel it. I don't like it. I can't speak well with all the drainage. And yet, at the same time, the principle that I'm to live by does not change no matter how I feel, whether I feel good or bad. We have to learn to live by principles. The third application is this. Self-control is not only a grace and a fruit that must be added to our lives. It is a virtue that must be learned and increased with patience and practice. The only way that you really gain self-control, other than by the grace and the power of God, is by patience and by practice. I will not allow my emotions or my thoughts or my feelings to run wild. I will control them in every instance, in every circumstance. And as you do here and here and here and here, pretty soon you develop a habit of self-control.

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• It's something that must be learned and added to our faith. And I would say this every time I think of Stonewall Jackson and the way he controlled himself, I'm convicted in my own life. Because I see where I fail. And I hope you see where you fail and that you see your need of the Christian grace of self-control. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we do bow to thee this day. We thank you for your love, for your grace, for your mercy, your goodness and kindness.

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• Help us, Lord, to learn and to emulate the graces in good and godly men. The Apostle Paul said, "Follow me as I follow the Lord Jesus Christ." There's nothing wrong with following men who follow Christ. We know, Father, that Jesus Christ is our most excellent example. But he's also given us others to whom we can look just for encouragement. And we're thankful, Father, for the self-control that was exhibited in the life of Stonewall Jackson. Help us today to be more holy, more godly.

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• In Christ's name we pray. Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-7000.

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• You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:48:16Z