Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

The Revival in the Confederate Armies

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-10-30

Synopsis: John Weaver examines the spiritual dimension of the War Between the States, arguing that a theological shift in the North toward humanism and abolitionism led to cultural and political conflict. He highlights the great revival that swept the Confederate armies, where an estimated 150,000 soldiers were genuinely converted, producing courage and perseverance against overwhelming odds. The sermon calls for a return to the Word of God and prays for God to 'do it again' in our day.

[John Weaver] I'm going to be dealing with a historical message on the revival in the Confederate armies, and I think you will associate that maybe even with a little bit of Reformation day-to-day anyhow. So look at Psalm 44. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old. How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantest them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hast a favor unto them. My King, O God, command deliverances for Jacob.

[John Weaver] Through thee will we push down our enemies. Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day, and praise thy name forever."

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to be covering this passage before I close, but I want you to note, he said, we have heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in times of old. So here then in verse one is a rehearsing of the mighty works and the mighty acts of God, and specifically in reference to His providential dealings with His people, and specifically in reference to even the redemption of His people. So today I'm going to be dealing with the revival in the Confederate armies.

[John Weaver] And when you and I consider the War of Northern Aggression, we must conclude in reality that It has no parallel in history. When you stop and think about the amount of land mass involved, the huge number of troops, the devastation, the battles, the sieges, the marches, the contending armies, the enthusiasm, the conquest, and even the men themselves make that period of history absolutely unique.

[John Weaver] Now, many people have studied the war from every conceivable angle. It doesn't matter if you want to consider it economically, if you want to consider it politically, if you want to consider it governmentally, all angles. But very few have ever looked at this war from the spiritual angle. In fact, there is indeed, I'm going to show you, a great, vast spiritual implication to this war as well. But I want you to understand that America as a nation was in a great period of spiritual decline, especially from the 1830s to the 1850s. Churches were dissolving, denominations were breaking up, and generally speaking, it did not look good for our nation. There were many statesmen who recognized the fact that if the churches could not hold together, then certainly the nation could not hold together. There are many statements that quote-unquote prophesied the fact that there was going to be a split in the Union, and so there was. But it may surprise many people to realize that before the War of Northern Aggression, practically all denominations were national.

[John Weaver] When I say national, it was just the Baptist Church. It was not the American Baptist, the Northern Baptist, the Southern Baptist. No, no. It was just the Baptist church. It's just like the Presbyterians. You didn't have the PCA, the Orthodox Presbyterian, the Presbyterian United. No, no. It was just the Presbyterian church. So, before this war, most of our denominations were national, and there was indeed a national cooperation between the churches, whether they were in the North or in the South.

[John Weaver] And the interesting thing is denominations that differed theologically would still cooperate together for the furtherance of Christianity and they would do so without any hesitation whatsoever. The real reason for this was because at that period each church basically held and each denomination basically held to the supremacy of the scriptures and that salvation was in Jesus Christ and in him alone. So the Bible then was viewed as the infallible word of God.

[John Weaver] However, during this period of time, abolitionism, modernism, liberalism, transcendentalism began to slip into the churches and to the nominations, especially in the North. Consequently, there was no longer any corporation between the North and the South. because there was no basis for any fellowship or any harmony. In fact, the rift became so great that many of the southern theologians realized that there was a theological war taking place. Now listen carefully. James Henley Thornwell who lived from 1812 to 1862, who was a prominent Presbyterian theologian and author, stated the differences between the North and the South very concisely. Listen to what he said. This was his analysis, not just his, I might add, but most other southern pastors agreed with him. Here's what he said. The parties in this conflict, he's talking about the war now between the north and south. The parties in this conflict are not merely abolitionists and slaveholders. They are atheists. Socialists, Communists, Red Republicans, and Jacobins on the one side, that's the North, and the Friends of Order and Regulated Freedom on the other, that's the South.

[John Weaver] In one word, the world is the battleground, Christianity and atheism the combatants, and the progress of humanity is at stake." Now listen to what he said. He said, it's not just a war between the abolitionists, that is, those who wish to free the slaves, and the slaveholders, that is, those who wish to keep the slaves. Oh, no. He said it's far deeper than that. In reality, he said, it boils down to a war between Christianity and atheism, and the world is the battleground, and the outcome is going to determine which direction we're going to face and which direction we're going to go. You see, the truth of the matter is this, that in reality, the war of northern aggression was really and truly sparked by a theological revolution that had taken place in the north.

[John Weaver] The spiritual side of this struggle is just as valid and just as important as the economic and the political and the governmental. Does it matter if you want to say, well, there are economics involved? Sure, there are economics involved. Well, there were states' rights involved. Sure, there were state rights involved. Well, there were views of government involved. Sure, there were views of government involved. But you've got to remember, folks, your view of economics, your view of politics, your view of the government, all of this is determined by what? Your theology. It's determined by your view of God, or lack thereof, or your view of scriptures, or lack thereof.

[John Weaver] And what many people have not really understood is this. They have not understood or perceived the political consequences of a theological shift. In other words, once your theology changes, everything else changes as well. I've said it before that a theological change must always precede a cultural change. Let me just say it very bluntly. You cannot have a change in culture until you have a change in theology.

[John Weaver] So what happened in the North was this. The North changed theologically. It left the Word of God. Now, not everyone in the North left the Word of God. Surely there were some believers in the North. You understand that. But I'm talking about generally speaking in the North as a whole. Unitarianism had taken over. A denial of Christ. A denial of the Bible. A denial of spiritual things. Man's reasoning was elevated. Basically speaking, humanism had taken over the churches and the denominations of the North. So since they changed theologically in the North, it means they changed culturally in the North.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. If you really believe that you're right, and if you really believe that your theology is right, what do you want to do? You want to proselytize other people. That is, you want to make converts. Well, the North wanted converts to humanism and abolitionism as well. And therefore, by the way, it took over many churches. In fact, it took over Oberlin College, which was begun by Charles Granson Finney, or Finney's evangelism was stolen by Tome and several of these other men at Oberlin College, and abolitionism was being spread throughout the country through the churches.

[John Weaver] It was an evangelistic zeal, so to speak. So basically what the North wanted to do was this. They wanted to force their theology and their culture upon the South. And they were doing so through abolitionism, humanism, listen, and reconstructionism. The period of reconstruction after the war was over was nothing less than a military enforcement of the Norse theology and culture upon the South. That's all it was. It was a military enforcement of the Norse theology and culture upon the South.

[John Weaver] Now let me just try to lay the groundwork for you so that you can see how the churches and denominations actually divided. The Presbyterian church was the first to divide. In fact, the Presbyterian denomination divided twice, once in 1837 and then once in 1857. In both instances, abolitionism was a prime issue.

[John Weaver] Now there were other issues involved. I'm not going to go into the old likes versus the new likes, but still abolitionism was a prime issue. So the Presbyterian church then is split in 1837 and then in 1857 as well. The Methodist Episcopal church split in 1844. The Baptists split in 1845. Do you realize there was no such thing as a Southern Baptist church until 1845? And do you realize the reason the Southern Baptist churches came about was because of the North's pushing of abolitionism and humanism upon the South? And the Southern people said, look, if that's what it's going to be, we'll just leave and start our own. And basically, that's what happened in 1845. Now, Charles Hodge was a very eminent Presbyterian theologian.

[John Weaver] And in fact, I have several of his volumes, his volume on systematic theologies, three volumes I might add, are quite excellent. But Charles Hodge said this. that abolitionism must operate to produce the disunion of the states and the division of all ecclesiastical societies. We shall become two nations in feeling, which must soon render us two nations in fact."

[John Weaver] Now listen to what this Presbyterian preacher said. He said, abolitionism, which is nothing more than modernism and humanism, He said pretty soon it's going to divide all the churches, and then it's going to divide the nation. Why? Because he said we're going to be two different societies in feeling, which ultimately is going to make two different societies in fact. One of the greatest warnings that was ever issued to this country was issued by a preacher, William S. Plummer, on the eve of a split in the Presbyterian Church in 1837. Plummer has some wonderful books out as well. But listen to what Plummer said.

[John Weaver] Should the assembly legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin? Because you see, this was being forced now on the churches and all the denominations by the abolitionists in the north. So he says, should the assembly, that is the assembly of the Presbyterian Church, legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin? The southern churches would all feel themselves instructed by the Apostle Paul to withdraw from such 1 Timothy 6.5. Thus, our church would be rent asunder.

[John Weaver] Then nothing will be left except to rend the star-spangled banner in twain. Soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. Can it be that the righteous judge of all the earth has so dreadful a controversy with the Presbyterian Church of the United States as to give her up to the folly and madness of being the first to hoist the gate and let the flood of destruction roll in?

[John Weaver] This man said this in 1837. What did he say? He said, when The church is split wide open. There's nothing else left but to rend the star-spangled banner and pretty soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. He knew what was going to happen in this country. A correspondent for the Charleston Mercury wrote in 1845 at the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention. Here's what he said. From all appearances, the separation of the church is inevitable.

[John Weaver] We could hope otherwise, but so it is and we must submit. When we are forced out of the church by northern fanatics, we shall next be forced out of the union by the same nefarious acts. Isn't that amazing? 1845. He says when we're forced out of the church, we're going to be forced out of the union. Men at that time understood that it was a theological war and it was a cultural war.

[John Weaver] Now I could multiply quotes, but I'm sure just from these that you can see the churches were at their lowest ebb and the southern churches, although they were affected by the splits, at least still held tenaciously to biblical principles. They still believe the Bible. And they still believed that the Lord Jesus Christ alone was the only Lord and the only Savior.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point out the fact that one of the most amazing things to me about the war of Northern Aggression is the South held out as long as it did against such tremendous odds. You've got to remember the South fought for four long years. Now, without going into detail, may I remind you that numerically we were outnumbered four to one. There were four times as many men in the North to fight as there were in the South. The North had greater manufacturing abilities. In fact, practically all the manufacturing was in the North. They had greater firepower. They had greater financing. They had greater resourcing. They had greater advantages in a multitude of ways. Yet it took them four long, hard years to subdue the South. Why?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and listen to me. I want you to remember First Manassas. That is the first battle. First Bull Run, as some call it. We say First Manassas. Don't you remember Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers for how long? Three months. Why? Well, it's going to be a piece of cake to whip the South. All we need is 75,000 men and all we need is three months. That's it. And do you remember that first battle? From the north march down to Manassas.

[John Weaver] Here were the congressmen, here were the civilians, with their wagons, with their picnic lunches, and here all these folks from Washington D.C. settled down on the grass to watch the North whip the South while they enjoyed their picnics. That was their attitude. It was going to be a picnic. Well, you know the story. It wasn't the North whipping the South. The South whipped the socks off the North. And the men threw their weapons down, they left their howitzers, they left their cannon, and they ran as quickly as they could right back to Washington, D.C. And all those civilians, a lot of them were trampled. And a lot of them were hurt in the escape.

[John Weaver] But the point I'm trying to make is this. It was going to be a piece of cake for the North to whip the South. Or so they thought. So my question is this. How could the South hold out for four long, hard, strenuous years against such odds? Militarily? Economically? The firepower? You say, but Brother Weaver, the South had better generals. I agree. The South did have better generals. But let me ask the question, why? Did the South have better generals? You say, but Brother Weaver, you've got to understand this. Southern men were greater and better fighters. That's true too. But why were they greater and better fighters? It was not just simply because the South was defending their hearths and homes. I'm going to tell you up front.

[John Weaver] I believe that one of the answers lies in the fact that God graciously, mercifully and sovereignly sent revival in the southern armies where multitudes of men were swept in the kingdom of God. If you know anything about the Bible at all, you know it is God who gives strength. It is God who gives courage. It is God who gives boldness. It is God who gives character and consistency. It is God who enables one to persevere even under the most extreme circumstances. And when one understands the grace of God and His duty to stand for truth and righteousness and justice, it increases and solidifies the fighting spirit.

[John Weaver] Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 14, let me just, I'll quote it. Nehemiah 4 and verse 14, I want you to listen to this. Nehemiah was building the wall and the people were about to be attacked by their adversaries and here's what Nehemiah commands. Listen, he tells the people, be not ye afraid of them. That is the enemy. Be not ye afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

[John Weaver] Now, what did he say? He said, You remember the Lord your God, who is great and powerful. What is he saying? It is God who is going to give you the strength. It is God who is going to give you the courage and the boldness and the perseverance. And now you trust in Him and fight for your wives and your houses and your children and your land.

[John Weaver] In 1 Corinthians 16, in verse 13, the Apostle Paul says, Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit ye like men, and be strong. I'm just trying to show you that when there are biblical principles, when truth and righteousness are involved, if you are a child of God, it increases and solidifies your fighting spirit. Do you realize that historically, Christian men have always made their greatest fighters? That's a fact. And by the way, If you will study any war that you want to, from 1776 on down, that our country has been involved in, it has been Southern men who have done most of the fighting.

[John Weaver] And the South, remember, has been known as the Bible Belt. Now listen to this. Historically, Christian men have made the greatest fighters. Why? Because they normally fight based upon principles. But they fight and are prepared to die and are unafraid to die for those very principles. That's what made them the better fighters. Oliver Cromwell, the Ironsides of England, gathered about him Christian men who went into battle singing psalms and hymns, whose watchword was the Lord of Hosts. And it was Oliver Cromwell who said, truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best. Hedley Vickers, who is an excellent Christian soldier himself, said this, I have often heard it said that the worst man, the better soldier. Facts contradict this untruth.

[John Weaver] Were I ever as a leader of a forlorn hope allowed to select my men, It would most certainly be from among the soldiers of Christ who should fight so fearlessly and bravely as those to whom death presents no terrors." Did you hear what he said? If I were to be able to pick my men in a forlorn hope, that is a hope that has absolutely no chance of making it, he said, I'd pick Christian men. Why? He said, who's going to fight the best.

[John Weaver] Those who are not afraid of dying and those who are prepared to die and those who recognize truth and righteousness and are willing to give their lives for it. Do you realize even the enemies of the saints recognize the fierceness and the determination of Christian men in fighting for a righteous cause? I get tickled every time I read this. This was said concerning the southern men. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats. Now stop and think about this. It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats, except it be a band of Scottish Presbyterians rising from their knees in prayer to do battle with a firm conviction that what they're about to do is the will of God. said they fight a whole lot more fiercely than the band of brigands led by the vicious cutthroats.

[John Weaver] Captain Dabney Carr Harrison, who was a Confederate pastor, professor, chaplain, and soldier. He was told this by some of his men, I'm quoting, they said to him, you should be braver than the rest of us. He looked at them and asked, why so? Because, they said, you have everything settled for eternity. You have nothing to fear after death. He replied, well, gentlemen, you're right. Everything is settled for eternity and I have nothing to fear. And Captain Dabney Carr Harrison exemplified that fearlessness at Fort Donaldson where he fell mortally wounded.

[John Weaver] Three balls passed through his hat. and without harming him, a fourth cut his temple, and the fifth went through his right lung, which was the fatal wound. Before he died, he wrote in his diary on February 16, 1862, on Sunday, he said, I die content and happy, trusting in the merits of my Savior Jesus, committing my wife and children to their Father and mine. Soon he passed into a deep sleep, but even then, He could not keep his mind from his men for awakening out of the deep sleep.

[John Weaver] Almost startled, he sat erect in his bed and shouted, Company K, you have no captain now, but never give up and never surrender. With that, one of the men caught him and laid him back down on the bed. where he died peacefully. How in the world can you prevail against men who will not give up and will not despair even in death? Here was a man who was challenging his men, although he was dying, to never give up and to never surrender. Colonel Lewis Minor Coleman, who was fatally wounded at Fredericksburg, lingered 98 days before he died.

[John Weaver] And I might add, in grievous pain. Before he died, he gave charges to all those around him and thanked his loving and faithful wife, and then said this to one of his men. Tell General Jackson and General Lee, they know how Christian soldiers can fight, and I wish they could see now. how a Christian soldier can die. Colonel Coleman died trusting only in the merits of Jesus Christ. You see, one who does not know the power and conviction of the converting grace of God cannot grasp the significance of this truth.

[John Weaver] Let me say that again. One who does not know the converting power and the converting grace of God cannot grasp the significance of this truth. Why should any child of God fear death when he knows, according to the Bible, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord? In Philippians chapter 1, do you remember the Apostle Paul was thrown into prison? And finally, by the way, he did lose his head with the axe. But every time he got thrown in prison, there was always that possibility that he was going to die. Here's what he said in Philippians 1 verse 21 through 24.

[John Weaver] Let me just read it. Paul said, For me to live is Christ. And to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I know not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."

[John Weaver] Now, listen to what he said. I'm in prison. I might get my head cut off. He said, I'm in a strait, I'm in a pickle, I'm in a tight. He said, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better for me, so he said. Nevertheless, he said to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. In other words, I probably need to stick around, teach a little more and preach a little more.

[John Weaver] But he said, if I'd rather have my brothers. I'd rather be with Christ. So you see what Paul is saying for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. In other words, it's not going to hurt me to die. It's not going to hurt me to live. If I live, I'm going to live for Christ. If I die, I'm going to die for Christ. Either way, I belong to Christ and there's not going to be any problem in my life or in my death. So understandably, then, it was better for Paul to die and be with Christ.

[John Weaver] But he said, nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for God's people. At first Manassas, it was Jackson, Stonewall Jackson, who received a painful wound in his hand. And yet he remained calm and deliberate He continued to command with great resolution and courage. The mini-balls were whizzing by, cannons were exploding everywhere. A few days after the battle, it was Captain John Imbleton who asked him, Major Jackson, how is it that you remained so calm and appeared so cool, an utterly insensitive danger in such a storm of shell and bullets as rained upon you when your hand was hit." Jackson replied, Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.

[John Weaver] God has determined the time of my death. I do not concern myself about it, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. After Paul's he added, Captain, that is the way all men should live. And then all would be equally brave. Listen to what he said. My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. Jagger said, I just didn't go to battle as I had go to bed. That bothered me.

[John Weaver] I'm not concerned about dying. God has determined my time. I'm not even to worry about it. The only thing I'm going to be concerned is to be ready whenever that time may overtake me. Before you object and say, but Pastor, you're talking about the revival and these great revivals in the Confederate armies. Pastor, I too would be willing to make a decision for Christ if I faced imminent death on a daily basis.

[John Weaver] First, these were not decisions. These were genuine conversions.

[John Weaver] Secondly, each of us do face death on a daily basis, because we don't know when we're going to die. I thought my time had come last week. I fell, Doc, flat on my back. Knocked the breath out of me. Took me five minutes to get up. Then I could barely walk, but I was thankful I at least could get up. But, you know, just that quickly. We do face death on a daily basis.

[John Weaver] But thirdly, allow me to give you an illustration of the genuineness of these conversions. Dr. J. William Jones kept the names of 410 men that he baptized. After the war was over, he followed up on the men that had survived the war, and he found out of the 410 names, only three were not persevering in the faith. What? Only three did not continue? Let me tell you something, folks.

[John Weaver] I can assure you there is no pastor today. There is no church today. that can boast of such a high percentage of persevering conversions. Out of 410 men, only three who did not continue in the faith. These were real, genuine conversions. These men had been thoroughly convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit. God sent revival in the Confederate armies. A writer from the 2nd Palmetto Regiment to the Southern Christian Advocates says this, God's hand was in this great achievement.

[John Weaver] And I believe that the most irreligious man in our Patriot Army will frankly acknowledge the fact. So evident was it, it is believed, and improvement has since taken place in the morals of our troops. At least I can say as much for this regiment. Whilst during the campaign we have occupied, now listen, whilst during the campaign we have occupied the advanced post, the post of honor and danger, and this for weeks in the very face of the enemy.

[John Weaver] God has given us a grateful sense of security and our religious services have gone on. Even while interrupted by the booming cannon and bursting shell, lying in our trenches, expecting every moment that the storm would break in all of its fury upon us, we worshipped God. I wish that you would read Christ in the Camp by J. William Jones. and their great revival in the southern armies by W. W.

[John Weaver] Bennett, it will amaze you how those men sat on logs and on the dirt and finished their prayers and finished listening to preaching when cannon exploding around them. Unbelievable. And here's what he said. We worship God in our trenches. In other words, when we couldn't get out, it did not stop us. It did not hinder us. We still continue to worship God. Listen to this. In another instance, it is reported during a skirmish. Some of our men were ordered to the front as sharpshooters and directed to lie on the ground and load in fire as rapidly as possible.

[John Weaver] After a short time, the ammunition of one of these men was expended, and though his position was very dangerous as it was, it would have been certain death to procure a fresh supply of ammunition. In this condition, says an eyewitness, the soldier drew from his pocket his Bible, and while the balls were whizzing about him and cutting the grass at his side, he quietly read its precious pages for a few minutes and then closed his eyes in prayer. Here you are. Lying on the ground, men shooting at you everywhere. You can't get up and get more ammunition. So what does the soldier do? Pulls out his Bible and reads it. Then prays.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you folks. I don't believe I'd have waited to pray until I ran out of ammunition. I'd have been praying before, but he just lies there. and praise. Such composure and such contentment can only be found in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, there were many great helps in the revivals that swept the Confederates. There were coal porters. That is, there were those men who gave books and tracts and papers. There were hospital workers A lot of the men were converted in the hospital. There were officers, listen, John Gordon of Georgia, one of the most godly men, led a number of his men to Jesus Christ, General Gordon. Of course, everybody knows about General Lee, General Jackson, General Ewell, some of these other men, they did everything they could to promote the revival in the armies. There was missionaries. There were godly officers, as I've mentioned. and there were godly men in the ranks, but the brunt of the work fell upon the chaplains. Now, many of these chaplains labored under strenuous loads.

[John Weaver] Some of these men only preached and prayed and counseled and helped heal, but they also fought. You know, the amazing thing to me as I read and study, there is indeed a parallel Because during the American Revolution, the preachers were so hated and despised by the British, and likewise, the Southern preachers were hated and despised by the Northerners. And the reason why is they held that these pastors were the instruments in keeping up the spirit of resistance and rebellion, as they call it.

[John Weaver] One Yankee critic said, and I'm quoting now, he believed that the most unmitigated set of villains they have in the South are the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian preachers all talking secession, drinking mean liquor, and advocating the cause of Jeff Davis and the devil. Isn't that amazing? So the most unmitigated set of villains in the South were the preachers. It was Chaplain T.D. Witherspoon.

[John Weaver] of the 42nd Mississippi Regiment that was captured at Gettysburg. And the only reason he was captured was because he would not leave the sick and wounded and dying. Yankee Colonel Fish ordered the chaplain thrown into a dark underground dungeon where drunken soldiers and deserters were. The lieutenant, when given the order, protested to the colonel and said, but sir, this man is a minister of the gospel. You won't send him there. Colonel Fish shot back, why not?

[John Weaver] The preachers are more to blame for this war than any others. The best thing we could do would be to hang a few of them when we capture them. So very obviously, the North did not care too much for the Southern pastors. Regardless of the dangers, many of the chaplains believed it was their place to be in the front lines with their men to whom they were ministering.

[John Weaver] It was Chaplain I.T. Titchener of the 17th Alabama Regiment who gave this report on the Battle of Shiloh. Listen to what he wrote. He says, During this engagement, we were under a crossfire on the left wing from three directions. Under it, the boys wavered. I had been wearied and was sitting down, but seeing them waver, I sprang to my feet, took off my hat, waved it over my head, walked up and down the line, and they said, preach them a sermon. I reminded them that it was Sunday, that at that hour, 1130, all their home folks were praying for them, that Tom Watts, governor and former regimental commander, had told us he would listen with an eager ear to hear from the 17th.

[John Weaver] and shouting his name over the loud roar of the battle, I called upon them to stand there and die if need be for their country. The effect was evident. Every man stood to his post, every eye flashed, every heart beat high with desperate resolve to conquer or die. Significantly, chaplain Tishner added, the regiment had, after the battle was over, thirteen 117 wounded or missing, but the dead of the enemy that lay in front of it was 352.

[John Weaver] The chaplain did not add that which appeared in the newspaper account that he himself fought with coolness and courage of a veteran killing a Yankee colonel, a major, and four privates. So Chaplain Fitchner then picked up a rifle and fought as well. Chaplain L.W. Allen said, my speech to my men in the presence of the enemy is this. They're the Yankees boys. Our cause is just.

[John Weaver] Trust in God and charge them. Well, he was certainly trying to encourage them. Do you understand that these chaplains, and they were Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, all different kinds. But these chaplains understood the necessity of standing and working together on key issues. Unlike most pastors today, they did not attack each other, but they worked together and they were glad to see the others prosper, even when they themselves were not prospering. That which bound them together was the Word of God, and the doctrines of grace. Dr. William J.

[John Weaver] Hogue wrote of his visit to Fredericksburg in the spring of 1863 during the revival in Marksdale's Mississippi Regiment. He wrote this, listen carefully, this is funny to me. The Reverend Dr. Burrus of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, was to have preached that night But as he would remain some days, and I could only say a day, he courteously insisted on my preaching. And so we had a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services under the direction of a Methodist chaplain in an Episcopal church. Now, where else could you have such camaraderie? Such camaraderie could not possibly exist today due to the fractured nature of the Church and the abysmal ignorance of theology. But although these men differed denominationally, their theology was basically the same. Moreover, these men only worked together, but they aided each other in the placement of new converts. When Presbyterian pastor Beverly Tucker Lacy had some converts who insisted on immersion as the proper mode of baptism, he did not hesitate for a moment, but he contacted a Baptist chaplain, Brother Webb, who eagerly came and baptized the new converts.

[John Weaver] After he had baptized them, Brother Webb said to Dr. Lacy, Brother Lacy, You remind me of a hen setting on duck eggs. She carefully nurses the eggs until the little ducks appear and diligently watches over them and cares for them. But someday she goes near the water and the whole brood of little ducks plunge in while she has to stand clucking on the bank. Yes, said Brother Lacey, I cannot follow them in, but I go with them to the water's edge.

[John Weaver] I receive them with open arms when they come out, and I am ever ready to hail them as my spiritual children and do all in my power to help them serve our common Master and reach the home of our common Father above." Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Here is a Presbyterian willing to help the Baptist. The Baptist is willing to help the Presbyterian. Again, it was Pastor Lacey who wrote to the Central Presbyterian from the Army of Northern Virginia. Listen to this statement. Since the arrival of the Army at its present location, that's just one location. Since the arrival of the Army at its present location, about a thousand have professed faith in Christ and more than 2,000 are earnestly inquiring in the way of salvation. in its present location. One little encampment, over 1,000 converted, 2,000 seeking Christ.

[John Weaver] Another chaplain reported that in the Second and Third Corps alone, men are being converted at the rate of 200 per week. And he said the work is widening and deepening so far as man can judge. The chaplain was correct in his judgment. In order to illustrate his sentiments, listen to this. A.E. Dickinson of Richmond, Virginia wrote, I wish all the members of our churches could be here and hear how fervently the soldiers pray that the revival of religion in the army may reach the churches at home, that their brethren at home may be turned from the sins of extortion and speculation, and that all may be brought to humble themselves before God. So here are the soldiers and the field in desperate situations praying that God would send the revival to the churches at home. Dr. W.W.

[John Weaver] Bennett in his book, The Great Revival of the Southern Armies, by the way, which was written in 1876, on page 413, he estimates based upon first-hand accounts and from the records of the Chaplains Association, that there were approximately 150,000 men who were converted during the course of the war. Did you hear that? 150,000 men. No wonder it took them four long years to whip the South. Because here were men that were fighting now, not just to protect their homes and their lands, but they were fighting from biblical principles and from truth and righteousness and justice. By the way, what type of men preached to the soldiers? I can assure you it was not the lazy, indolent, effeminate type.

[John Weaver] There may have been a few who went there temporarily, but they got sent packing very quickly. J. William Jones, who classified himself as the army evangelist, who was riding, trying to get more men to fill the vacancies for the chaplain, he wrote and said this, send us the names of good men. And here I repeat, we want none others. Our object being not merely to fill up the regiments with nominal chaplains, but to fill the vacancies with efficient working men. We want effective gospel preachers whose burden shall be Christ and Him crucified.

[John Weaver] It is a common mistake that anybody will do to preach to soldiers. The great business of the chaplain is to preach Christ publicly and from tent to tent. and the temporal welfare of soldiers should be made subordinate to this. We want men physically able as well as willing to endure hardships and privations.

[John Weaver] Now listen, if a chaplain would live up to the full measure of his usefulness, he must be with his regiment on the weary march, frequently resigning his horse to some foot sore soldier, which means he walks himself, lie with them around the bivouac fire after evening prayers are over, be drenched on the outpost, or face the pelting snowstorm, divide with some hungry soldier his last hard cracker, or in a word, share with his regiment whatever hardships they may be called to endure. Now, if a brother is not physically able to endure these hardships, he best not enter the work. But there is no question that many a delicate brother would have his health permanently improved if he would thus learn to endure hardness as a good soldier. What did he say?

[John Weaver] Don't send us any namby-pamby, sickly, weakling, effeminate, wimpy men. We don't want them! And they won't last. It was straight gospel preaching that God used to waken these men's need of Jesus Christ. It was the preaching of the law that awakened them to their sins and the preaching of the gospel that gave them the remedy for their sins. It was when these men preached justification by faith alone, when they preached the atonement of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] It was these things that answered their cries, what must I do to be saved? The old Puritans used to have a saying that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. And that's exactly what happened. They preached the law, demonstrated the men were sinners, and then they preached Christ, saying that Christ is the only answer for sin. And they did so in power and in humbleness and in faith.

[John Weaver] And God honored that preaching. And God raised up a generation of courageous, godly heroes. Let me submit to you something today, folks. I submit to you that one of our leading problems in this day and age is our lack of real, genuine, saved, sanctified, and Holy Spirit-filled pastors and teachers to teach us the Word of God. Would to God there were men around today, preachers I'm talking about, as there were in the 1860s, who knew the Word of God and applied the Word of God and were willing to fight for truth.

[John Weaver] Not just spiritually, but physically, if necessary. Let me put it to you again, folks. God does not use wimpy preachers. That's a fact. I can't, but you watch the TV preachers. I get so sick at the sweet, syrupy smile, the sentimentalism. I can't hack it. I can't handle it. Do you remember when little Samuel started coming to Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Judah? You know what they did? They sent men out to meet little Samuel, the preacher, and here's what they asked him. Comest thou peaceably? When is the last time a city council has ever sent to a preacher who's about to enter, are you coming peacefully, preacher? Do you know why the elders of the city sent to Samuel and said, comest thou peacefully? You'll read that in 1 Samuel 16. Do you know why they said that? Because in 1 Samuel 15, he had taken a sword and hacked Agag to pieces. They thought, hmm, he might be coming to do that to some of us. We better check and see if he's coming peacefully.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you folks. We've got men today who are in the pulpits who are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ashamed of the Word of God. Our Lord said it very plainly in 1 Samuel 2 in verse 30. Them that honor me will I honor, saith the Lord, and those that despise me shall be lightly steamed. You know what our Lord said in Mark 8 in verse 38?

[John Weaver] Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, And this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy angels." Our Lord said, if you're ashamed of me, I'm going to be ashamed of you. I get so frustrated at the opportunities a number of these preachers have when they're on TV, they're asked about the the storms or ask about whatever, and they give some little wimpy answer instead of quoting the scripture.

[John Weaver] The reason we're in the trouble that we're in today in America is because we do not have men that will preach the whole counsel of God. I suppose there could be no greater compliment to the men of the South than that which was given by a Yankee chaplain in speaking to his regiment on the state of religion among the Southern troops. Listen to what this Yankee chaplain said concerning the state of religion among the Southern troops.

[John Weaver] Quote, you may call this fanaticism, enthusiasm, or what you will, but remember You are fighting an enemy that comes from the closet to the battlefield, that comes from its knees in prayer to engage in deadly strife, that comes in the belief that its battles are the battles of Jehovah, that his smile is resting upon its banner and will ensure success. What power to make every man a hero and every hero, if need be, a martyr.

[John Weaver] Did you hear what he said? You're fighting men who are coming from their prayer closets, who are coming from their knees, who believe that their cause is just. They have the blessing and the power of God upon them. They're courageous. They're ready to fight. They're willing to die. It's that power that will make every one of them a hero, and if necessary, make every hero a martyr.

[John Weaver] He'll give his life for truth. Do you realize even those who fought against us recognize the power of Christianity and the Word of God? Let me ask you, how can we be so blind And how can we be so ignorant? Should we not remember that that which once made us great as a nation, as a people, as a culture, was the Word of God and the worship of Jesus Christ? I keep telling people this over and over.

[John Weaver] We will never reclaim our heritage. We will never reclaim our history. We will never reclaim our culture until we go back to the foundation upon which our history, our heritage, and our culture was built. And that foundation is the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, in Psalm 44, and I want you to look at it, Psalm 44. I want you to see what the prayer is really about. Look at Psalm 44. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days and times of old. In other words, God, we've heard all these mighty stories. We've heard how you providentially delivered your people. We've heard about your power and blessings. And specifically, verse 2, how thou didst drive out the heathen with thine hand and plantest them. How thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. In other words, God, it was your sovereign providence that kicked the heathen out and gave us the land. Then they said, for they got not that land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arms save them, but thy right hand and thine arm in the light of thy countenance, because thou hast a favor to them. Now, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] Did not the children of Israel fight? Well, of course they fought. But what they're saying in verse 3 is this, it was not our power, it was not our might, it was God blessing us and giving us the victory. Now watch this. Verse 1 we've heard. Verse 2, we've heard specifically. Verse 3, Lord, although we thought, we know it was not our ability, it was Your ability. And then he says in verse 4, Thou art my King, O God.

[John Weaver] Command and deliverance is for Jacob. What is he saying? He's saying, God, listen, we've heard all that You have done in time past for Your people. Lord, You've changed not. You are still our King. O God, command and deliverance is for Jacob. Here's what he's saying. God, You've done it in time past. Do it again! And that's what we need to cry. Do it again, O Lord. Do it again.

[John Weaver] And then he goes through thee. As you give us grace and power through thee, we will push down our enemies. Through thy name, we will tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow. Neither shall my sword save me, but thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long." God, do it again. Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Jacob. Can we not cry, Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Thy people in America. Command deliverances for Thy people in the South.

[John Weaver] Do it again, O Lord. Do it again. Father, we bow before Thee this day, and we've heard with our ears some of the great things Thou didst in times past. We know that Thou dost not change. Thou art the immutable, sovereign God of heaven and earth. And Lord, we pray that You would enable us to humble ourselves under Thy hand and Thy mighty power, that we might cry, Do it again, O Lord, do it again. Command deliverances for Thy people. Give us your grace, your mercy, and your power. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

The Revival in the Confederate Armies

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1906134345
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-10-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	88

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Rehearsing God's Mighty Works

Weaver introduces Psalm 44 as a pattern for remembering God's past deliverances and applies it to the revival in the Confederate armies.

I'm going to be dealing with a historical message on the revival in the Confederate armies, and I think you will associate that maybe even with a little bit of Reformation day today anyhow. So look at Psalm 44.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 44:1-8

"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old. How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantedst them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God, command deliverances for Jacob."

"Through Thee will we push down our enemies. Through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day, and praise Thy name forever."

Now, I'm going to be covering this passage before I close, but I want you to note, he said, "We have heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days in times of old." So here then in verse one is a rehearsing of the mighty works and the mighty acts of God, and specifically in reference to His providential dealings with His people, and specifically in reference to even the redemption of His people. So today I'm going to be dealing with the revival in the Confederate armies.

The Uniqueness of the War and Its Spiritual Neglect

The War of Northern Aggression is unparalleled in history, yet its spiritual angle has been largely ignored.

And when you and I consider the War of Northern Aggression, we must conclude in reality that it has no parallel in history. When you stop and think about the amount of land mass involved, the huge number of troops, the devastation, the battles, the sieges, the marches, the contending armies, the enthusiasm, the conquest, and even the men themselves make that period of history absolutely unique. Now, many people have studied the war from every conceivable angle. It doesn't matter if you want to consider it economically, if you want to consider it politically, if you want to consider it governmentally, all angles. But very few have ever looked at this war from the spiritual angle. In fact, there is indeed, I'm going to show you, a great, vast spiritual implication to this war as well. But I want you to understand that America as a nation was in a great period of spiritual decline, especially from the 1830s to the 1850s. Churches were dissolving, denominations were breaking up, and generally speaking, it did not look good for our nation. There were many statesmen who recognized the fact that if the churches could not hold together, then certainly the nation could not hold together. There are many statements that quote-unquote prophesied the fact that there was going to be a split in the Union, and so there was. But it may surprise many people to realize that before the War of Northern Aggression, practically all denominations were national.

Pre-War Denominational Unity and Theological Decline

Before the war, denominations were national and cooperated, but abolitionism, modernism, and humanism infiltrated the Northern churches, causing division.

When I say national, it was just the Baptist Church. It was not the American Baptist, the Northern Baptist, the Southern Baptist. No, no. It was just the Baptist church. It's just like the Presbyterians. You didn't have the PCA, the Orthodox Presbyterian, the Presbyterian United. No, no. It was just the Presbyterian church. So, before this war, most of our denominations were national, and there was indeed a national cooperation between the churches, whether they were in the North or in the South.

And the interesting thing is denominations that differed theologically would still cooperate together for the furtherance of Christianity and they would do so without any hesitation whatsoever. The real reason for this was because at that period each church basically held and each denomination basically held to the supremacy of the scriptures and that salvation was in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. So the Bible then was viewed as the infallible word of God. However, during this period of time, abolitionism, modernism, liberalism, transcendentalism began to slip into the churches and to the denominations, especially in the North. Consequently, there was no longer any cooperation between the North and the South, because there was no basis for any fellowship or any harmony. In fact, the rift became so great that many of the southern theologians realized that there was a theological war taking place. Now listen carefully. James Henley Thornwell, who lived from 1812 to 1862, who was a prominent Presbyterian theologian and author, stated the differences between the North and the South very concisely. Listen to what he said. This was his analysis, not just his, I might add, but most other southern pastors agreed with him. Here's what he said. "The parties in this conflict," he's talking about the war now between the North and South. "The parties in this conflict are not merely abolitionists and slaveholders. They are atheists, Socialists, Communists, Red Republicans, and Jacobins on the one side," that's the North, "and the Friends of Order and Regulated Freedom on the other," that's the South.

The War as a Theological and Cultural Conflict

Southern theologians saw the war as a battle between Christianity and atheism; a theological revolution in the North drove the conflict.

"In one word, the world is the battleground, Christianity and atheism the combatants, and the progress of humanity is at stake." Now listen to what he said. He said, it's not just a war between the abolitionists, that is, those who wish to free the slaves, and the slaveholders, that is, those who wish to keep the slaves. Oh, no. He said it's far deeper than that. In reality, he said, it boils down to a war between Christianity and atheism, and the world is the battleground, and the outcome is going to determine which direction we're going to face and which direction we're going to go. You see, the truth of the matter is this, that in reality, the War of Northern Aggression was really and truly sparked by a theological revolution that had taken place in the North.

The spiritual side of this struggle is just as valid and just as important as the economic and the political and the governmental. Does it matter if you want to say, well, there are economics involved? Sure, there are economics involved. Well, there were states' rights involved. Sure, there were states' rights involved. Well, there were views of government involved. Sure, there were views of government involved. But you've got to remember, folks, your view of economics, your view of politics, your view of the government, all of this is determined by what? Your theology. It's determined by your view of God, or lack thereof, or your view of scriptures, or lack thereof.

And what many people have not really understood is this. They have not understood or perceived the political consequences of a theological shift. In other words, once your theology changes, everything else changes as well. I've said it before that a theological change must always precede a cultural change. Let me just say it very bluntly. You cannot have a change in culture until you have a change in theology.

So what happened in the North was this. The North changed theologically. It left the Word of God. Now, not everyone in the North left the Word of God. Surely there were some believers in the North. You understand that. But I'm talking about generally speaking in the North as a whole. Unitarianism had taken over. A denial of Christ. A denial of the Bible. A denial of spiritual things. Man's reasoning was elevated. Basically speaking, humanism had taken over the churches and the denominations of the North. So since they changed theologically in the North, it means they changed culturally in the North.

Now let me ask you a question. If you really believe that you're right, and if you really believe that your theology is right, what do you want to do? You want to proselytize other people. That is, you want to make converts. Well, the North wanted converts to humanism and abolitionism as well. And therefore, by the way, it took over many churches. In fact, it took over Oberlin College, which was begun by Charles Grandison Finney, or Finney's evangelism was stolen by Tome and several of these other men at Oberlin College, and abolitionism was being spread throughout the country through the churches.

Denominational Splits and Prophetic Warnings

Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists split over abolitionism; leaders like Charles Hodge and William Plumer warned of national disunion.

It was an evangelistic zeal, so to speak. So basically what the North wanted to do was this. They wanted to force their theology and their culture upon the South. And they were doing so through abolitionism, humanism, listen, and reconstructionism. The period of reconstruction after the war was over was nothing less than a military enforcement of the Northern theology and culture upon the South. That's all it was. It was a military enforcement of the Northern theology and culture upon the South.

Now let me just try to lay the groundwork for you so that you can see how the churches and denominations actually divided. The Presbyterian church was the first to divide. In fact, the Presbyterian denomination divided twice, once in 1837 and then once in 1857. In both instances, abolitionism was a prime issue.

Now there were other issues involved. I'm not going to go into the old lights versus the new lights, but still abolitionism was a prime issue. So the Presbyterian church then is split in 1837 and then in 1857 as well. The Methodist Episcopal church split in 1844. The Baptists split in 1845. Do you realize there was no such thing as a Southern Baptist church until 1845? And do you realize the reason the Southern Baptist churches came about was because of the North's pushing of abolitionism and humanism upon the South? And the Southern people said, look, if that's what it's going to be, we'll just leave and start our own. And basically, that's what happened in 1845. Now, Charles Hodge was a very eminent Presbyterian theologian.

And in fact, I have several of his volumes, his volume on systematic theologies, three volumes I might add, are quite excellent. But Charles Hodge said this: "...abolitionism must operate to produce the disunion of the states and the division of all ecclesiastical societies. We shall become two nations in feeling, which must soon render us two nations in fact." Now listen to what this Presbyterian preacher said. He said, abolitionism, which is nothing more than modernism and humanism, he said pretty soon it's going to divide all the churches, and then it's going to divide the nation. Why? Because he said we're going to be two different societies in feeling, which ultimately is going to make two different societies in fact. One of the greatest warnings that was ever issued to this country was issued by a preacher, William S. Plumer, on the eve of a split in the Presbyterian Church in 1837. Plumer has some wonderful books out as well. But listen to what Plumer said.

"Should the assembly legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin?" Because you see, this was being forced now on the churches and all the denominations by the abolitionists in the North. So he says, "Should the assembly," that is the assembly of the Presbyterian Church, "legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin? The southern churches would all feel themselves instructed by the Apostle Paul to withdraw from such" (1 Timothy 6:5). "Thus, our church would be rent asunder." "Then nothing will be left except to rend the star-spangled banner in twain. Soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. Can it be that the righteous judge of all the earth has so dreadful a controversy with the Presbyterian Church of the United States as to give her up to the folly and madness of being the first to hoist the gate and let the flood of destruction roll in?"

This man said this in 1837. What did he say? He said, when the church is split wide open, there's nothing else left but to rend the star-spangled banner and pretty soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. He knew what was going to happen in this country. A correspondent for the Charleston Mercury wrote in 1845 at the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention. Here's what he said. "From all appearances, the separation of the church is inevitable.

We could hope otherwise, but so it is and we must submit. When we are forced out of the church by northern fanatics, we shall next be forced out of the union by the same nefarious acts." Isn't that amazing? 1845. He says when we're forced out of the church, we're going to be forced out of the union. Men at that time understood that it was a theological war and it was a cultural war.

Now I could multiply quotes, but I'm sure just from these that you can see the churches were at their lowest ebb and the southern churches, although they were affected by the splits, at least still held tenaciously to biblical principles. They still believed the Bible. And they still believed that the Lord Jesus Christ alone was the only Lord and the only Savior.

The South's Resilience and the Role of Revival

Despite being outnumbered and out-resourced, the South held out for four years; Weaver attributes this to God-sent revival producing courageous Christian soldiers.

Now, let me just point out the fact that one of the most amazing things to me about the War of Northern Aggression is the South held out as long as it did against such tremendous odds. You've got to remember the South fought for four long years. Now, without going into detail, may I remind you that numerically we were outnumbered four to one. There were four times as many men in the North to fight as there were in the South. The North had greater manufacturing abilities. In fact, practically all the manufacturing was in the North. They had greater firepower. They had greater financing. They had greater resourcing. They had greater advantages in a multitude of ways. Yet it took them four long, hard years to subdue the South. Why?

Now, I want you to stop and listen to me. I want you to remember First Manassas. That is the first battle. First Bull Run, as some call it. We say First Manassas. Don't you remember Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers for how long? Three months. Why? Well, it's going to be a piece of cake to whip the South. All we need is 75,000 men and all we need is three months. That's it. And do you remember that first battle? From the North march down to Manassas.

Here were the congressmen, here were the civilians, with their wagons, with their picnic lunches, and here all these folks from Washington D.C. settled down on the grass to watch the North whip the South while they enjoyed their picnics. That was their attitude. It was going to be a picnic. Well, you know the story. It wasn't the North whipping the South. The South whipped the socks off the North. And the men threw their weapons down, they left their howitzers, they left their cannon, and they ran as quickly as they could right back to Washington, D.C. And all those civilians, a lot of them were trampled. And a lot of them were hurt in the escape.

But the point I'm trying to make is this. It was going to be a piece of cake for the North to whip the South. Or so they thought. So my question is this. How could the South hold out for four long, hard, strenuous years against such odds? Militarily? Economically? The firepower? You say, but Brother Weaver, the South had better generals. I agree. The South did have better generals. But let me ask the question, why did the South have better generals? You say, but Brother Weaver, you've got to understand this. Southern men were greater and better fighters. That's true too. But why were they greater and better fighters? It was not just simply because the South was defending their hearths and homes. I'm going to tell you up front.

I believe that one of the answers lies in the fact that God graciously, mercifully and sovereignly sent revival in the southern armies where multitudes of men were swept into the kingdom of God. If you know anything about the Bible at all, you know it is God who gives strength. It is God who gives courage. It is God who gives boldness. It is God who gives character and consistency. It is God who enables one to persevere even under the most extreme circumstances. And when one understands the grace of God and His duty to stand for truth and righteousness and justice, it increases and solidifies the fighting spirit.

Christian Courage in Battle

Examples of Stonewall Jackson, Dabney Carr Harrison, and others show that faith in Christ removed fear of death and inspired bravery.

Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 14, let me just, I'll quote it. Nehemiah 4 and verse 14, I want you to listen to this. Nehemiah was building the wall and the people were about to be attacked by their adversaries and here's what Nehemiah commands. Listen, he tells the people,

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:14

"Be not ye afraid of them."

That is the enemy.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:14

"Be not ye afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

Now, what did he say? He said, you remember the Lord your God, who is great and powerful. What is he saying? It is God who is going to give you the strength. It is God who is going to give you the courage and the boldness and the perseverance. And now you trust in Him and fight for your wives and your houses and your children and your land. In 1 Corinthians 16, in verse 13, the Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 16:13

"Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit ye like men, and be strong."

I'm just trying to show you that when there are biblical principles, when truth and righteousness are involved, if you are a child of God, it increases and solidifies your fighting spirit. Do you realize that historically, Christian men have always made the greatest fighters? That's a fact. And by the way, if you will study any war that you want to, from 1776 on down, that our country has been involved in, it has been Southern men who have done most of the fighting.

And the South, remember, has been known as the Bible Belt. Now listen to this. Historically, Christian men have made the greatest fighters. Why? Because they normally fight based upon principles. But they fight and are prepared to die and are unafraid to die for those very principles. That's what made them the better fighters. Oliver Cromwell, the Ironsides of England, gathered about him Christian men who went into battle singing psalms and hymns, whose watchword was the Lord of Hosts. And it was Oliver Cromwell who said, "Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best." Hedley Vickers, who is an excellent Christian soldier himself, said this, "I have often heard it said that the worst man, the better soldier. Facts contradict this untruth.

Were I ever as a leader of a forlorn hope allowed to select my men, it would most certainly be from among the soldiers of Christ who should fight so fearlessly and bravely as those to whom death presents no terrors." Did you hear what he said? If I were to be able to pick my men in a forlorn hope, that is a hope that has absolutely no chance of making it, he said, I'd pick Christian men. Why? He said, who's going to fight the best. Those who are not afraid of dying and those who are prepared to die and those who recognize truth and righteousness and are willing to give their lives for it. Do you realize even the enemies of the saints recognize the fierceness and the determination of Christian men in fighting for a righteous cause? I get tickled every time I read this. This was said concerning the southern men. Listen carefully.

It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats. Now stop and think about this. It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats, except it be a band of Scottish Presbyterians rising from their knees in prayer to do battle with a firm conviction that what they're about to do is the will of God. Said they fight a whole lot more fiercely than the band of brigands led by the vicious cutthroats. Captain Dabney Carr Harrison, who was a Confederate pastor, professor, chaplain, and soldier, was told this by some of his men, I'm quoting, they said to him, "You should be braver than the rest of us." He looked at them and asked, "Why so?" "Because," they said, "you have everything settled for eternity. You have nothing to fear after death." He replied, "Well, gentlemen, you're right. Everything is settled for eternity and I have nothing to fear." And Captain Dabney Carr Harrison exemplified that fearlessness at Fort Donelson where he fell mortally wounded.

Three balls passed through his hat, and without harming him, a fourth cut his temple, and the fifth went through his right lung, which was the fatal wound. Before he died, he wrote in his diary on February 16, 1862, on Sunday, he said, "I die content and happy, trusting in the merits of my Savior Jesus, committing my wife and children to their Father and mine." Soon he passed into a deep sleep, but even then, he could not keep his mind from his men for awakening out of the deep sleep. Almost startled, he sat erect in his bed and shouted, "Company K, you have no captain now, but never give up and never surrender." With that, one of the men caught him and laid him back down on the bed, where he died peacefully. How in the world can you prevail against men who will not give up and will not despair even in death? Here was a man who was challenging his men, although he was dying, to never give up and to never surrender. Colonel Lewis Minor Coleman, who was fatally wounded at Fredericksburg, lingered 98 days before he died.

And I might add, in grievous pain. Before he died, he gave charges to all those around him and thanked his loving and faithful wife, and then said this to one of his men. "Tell General Jackson and General Lee, they know how Christian soldiers can fight, and I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die." Colonel Coleman died trusting only in the merits of Jesus Christ. You see, one who does not know the power and conviction of the converting grace of God cannot grasp the significance of this truth.

Genuineness of the Conversions

The revival produced lasting conversions; J. William Jones tracked 410 baptized men and found only three did not persevere.

First, these were not decisions. These were genuine conversions. Secondly, each of us do face death on a daily basis, because we don't know when we're going to die. I thought my time had come last week. I fell, I, flat on my back. Knocked the breath out of me. Took me five minutes to get up. Then I could barely walk, but I was thankful I at least could get up. But, you know, just that quickly. We do face death on a daily basis.

But thirdly, allow me to give you an illustration of the genuineness of these conversions. Dr. J. William Jones kept the names of 410 men that he baptized. After the war was over, he followed up on the men that had survived the war, and he found out of the 410 names, only three were not persevering in the faith. What? Only three did not continue? Let me tell you something, folks.

I can assure you there is no pastor today. There is no church today that can boast of such a high percentage of persevering conversions. Out of 410 men, only three who did not continue in the faith. These were real, genuine conversions. These men had been thoroughly convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit. God sent revival in the Confederate armies. A writer from the 2nd Palmetto Regiment to the Southern Christian Advocate says this, "God's hand was in this great achievement.

Means and Workers of the Revival

Colporteurs, hospital workers, godly officers, and especially chaplains labored under fire, preaching Christ and even fighting alongside the men.

Now, there were many great helps in the revivals that swept the Confederates. There were colporteurs. That is, there were those men who gave books and tracts and papers. There were hospital workers. A lot of the men were converted in the hospital. There were officers, listen, John Gordon of Georgia, one of the most godly men, led a number of his men to Jesus Christ, General Gordon. Of course, everybody knows about General Lee, General Jackson, General Ewell, some of these other men, they did everything they could to promote the revival in the armies. There were missionaries. There were godly officers, as I've mentioned, and there were godly men in the ranks, but the brunt of the work fell upon the chaplains. Now, many of these chaplains labored under strenuous loads.

Some of these men only preached and prayed and counseled and helped heal, but they also fought. You know, the amazing thing to me as I read and study, there is indeed a parallel. Because during the American Revolution, the preachers were so hated and despised by the British, and likewise, the Southern preachers were hated and despised by the Northerners. And the reason why is they held that these pastors were the instruments in keeping up the spirit of resistance and rebellion, as they call it. One Yankee critic said, and I'm quoting now, he believed that "the most unmitigated set of villains they have in the South are the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian preachers all talking secession, drinking mean liquor, and advocating the cause of Jeff Davis and the devil." Isn't that amazing? So the most unmitigated set of villains in the South were the preachers. It was Chaplain T.D. Witherspoon

of the 42nd Mississippi Regiment that was captured at Gettysburg. And the only reason he was captured was because he would not leave the sick and wounded and dying. Yankee Colonel Fish ordered the chaplain thrown into a dark underground dungeon where drunken soldiers and deserters were. The lieutenant, when given the order, protested to the colonel and said, "But sir, this man is a minister of the gospel. You won't send him there." Colonel Fish shot back, "Why not? The preachers are more to blame for this war than any others. The best thing we could do would be to hang a few of them when we capture them." So very obviously, the North did not care too much for the Southern pastors. Regardless of the dangers, many of the chaplains believed it was their place to be in the front lines with their men to whom they were ministering.

It was Chaplain I.T. Tichenor of the 17th Alabama Regiment who gave this report on the Battle of Shiloh. Listen to what he wrote. He says, "During this engagement, we were under a crossfire on the left wing from three directions. Under it, the boys wavered. I had been wearied and was sitting down, but seeing them waver, I sprang to my feet, took off my hat, waved it over my head, walked up and down the line, and they said, preach them a sermon. I reminded them that it was Sunday, that at that hour, 11:30, all their home folks were praying for them, that Tom Watts, governor and former regimental commander, had told us he would listen with an eager ear to hear from the 17th.

and shouting his name over the loud roar of the battle, I called upon them to stand there and die if need be for their country. The effect was evident. Every man stood to his post, every eye flashed, every heart beat high with desperate resolve to conquer or die." Significantly, chaplain Tichenor added, "the regiment had, after the battle was over, thirteen killed, 117 wounded or missing, but the dead of the enemy that lay in front of it was 352." The chaplain did not add that which appeared in the newspaper account that he himself fought with coolness and courage of a veteran killing a Yankee colonel, a major, and four privates. So Chaplain Tichenor then picked up a rifle and fought as well. Chaplain L.W. Allen said, "My speech to my men in the presence of the enemy is this. They're the Yankees boys. Our cause is just.

Trust in God and charge them." Well, he was certainly trying to encourage them. Do you understand that these chaplains, and they were Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, all different kinds. But these chaplains understood the necessity of standing and working together on key issues. Unlike most pastors today, they did not attack each other, but they worked together and they were glad to see the others prosper, even when they themselves were not prospering. That which bound them together was the Word of God, and the doctrines of grace. Dr. William J.

Interdenominational Cooperation and Gospel Preaching

Chaplains of different denominations worked together, united by the doctrines of grace; straight gospel preaching led to mass conversions.

Hoge wrote of his visit to Fredericksburg in the spring of 1863 during the revival in Barksdale's Mississippi Regiment. He wrote this, listen carefully, this is funny to me. "The Reverend Dr. Burrows of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, was to have preached that night. But as he would remain some days, and I could only stay a day, he courteously insisted on my preaching. And so we had a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services under the direction of a Methodist chaplain in an Episcopal church." Now, where else could you have such camaraderie? Such camaraderie could not possibly exist today due to the fractured nature of the Church and the abysmal ignorance of theology. But although these men differed denominationally, their theology was basically the same. Moreover, these men not only worked together, but they aided each other in the placement of new converts. When Presbyterian pastor Beverly Tucker Lacy had some converts who insisted on immersion as the proper mode of baptism, he did not hesitate for a moment, but he contacted a Baptist chaplain, Brother Webb, who eagerly came and baptized the new converts.

After he had baptized them, Brother Webb said to Dr. Lacy, "Brother Lacy, you remind me of a hen setting on duck eggs. She carefully nurses the eggs until the little ducks appear and diligently watches over them and cares for them. But someday she goes near the water and the whole brood of little ducks plunge in while she has to stand clucking on the bank." "Yes," said Brother Lacy, "I cannot follow them in, but I go with them to the water's edge. I receive them with open arms when they come out, and I am ever ready to hail them as my spiritual children and do all in my power to help them serve our common Master and reach the home of our common Father above." Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Here is a Presbyterian willing to help the Baptist. The Baptist is willing to help the Presbyterian. Again, it was Pastor Lacy who wrote to the Central Presbyterian from the Army of Northern Virginia. Listen to this statement. "Since the arrival of the Army at its present location," that's just one location. "Since the arrival of the Army at its present location, about a thousand have professed faith in Christ and more than 2,000 are earnestly inquiring in the way of salvation." In its present location. One little encampment, over 1,000 converted, 2,000 seeking Christ.

Another chaplain reported that in the Second and Third Corps alone, men are being converted at the rate of 200 per week. And he said the work is widening and deepening so far as man can judge. The chaplain was correct in his judgment. In order to illustrate his sentiments, listen to this. A.E. Dickinson of Richmond, Virginia wrote, "I wish all the members of our churches could be here and hear how fervently the soldiers pray that the revival of religion in the army may reach the churches at home, that their brethren at home may be turned from the sins of extortion and speculation, and that all may be brought to humble themselves before God." So here are the soldiers in the field in desperate situations praying that God would send the revival to the churches at home. Dr. W.W.

Bennett in his book, The Great Revival of the Southern Armies, by the way, which was written in 1876, on page 413, he estimates based upon first-hand accounts and from the records of the Chaplains Association, that there were approximately 150,000 men who were converted during the course of the war. Did you hear that? 150,000 men. No wonder it took them four long years to whip the South. Because here were men that were fighting now, not just to protect their homes and their lands, but they were fighting from biblical principles and from truth and righteousness and justice. By the way, what type of men preached to the soldiers? I can assure you it was not the lazy, indolent, effeminate type.

There may have been a few who went there temporarily, but they got sent packing very quickly. J. William Jones, who classified himself as the army evangelist, who was writing, trying to get more men to fill the vacancies for the chaplain, he wrote and said this, "Send us the names of good men. And here I repeat, we want none others. Our object being not merely to fill up the regiments with nominal chaplains, but to fill the vacancies with efficient working men. We want effective gospel preachers whose burden shall be Christ and Him crucified. It is a common mistake that anybody will do to preach to soldiers. The great business of the chaplain is to preach Christ publicly and from tent to tent, and the temporal welfare of soldiers should be made subordinate to this. We want men physically able as well as willing to endure hardships and privations.

Now listen, if a chaplain would live up to the full measure of his usefulness, he must be with his regiment on the weary march, frequently resigning his horse to some foot sore soldier, which means he walks himself, lie with them around the bivouac fire after evening prayers are over, be drenched on the outpost, or face the pelting snowstorm, divide with some hungry soldier his last hard cracker, or in a word, share with his regiment whatever hardships they may be called to endure. Now, if a brother is not physically able to endure these hardships, he best not enter the work. But there is no question that many a delicate brother would have his health permanently improved if he would thus learn to endure hardness as a good soldier. What did he say?

Don't send us any namby-pamby, sickly, weakling, effeminate, wimpy men. We don't want them! And they won't last. It was straight gospel preaching that God used to waken these men's need of Jesus Christ. It was the preaching of the law that awakened them to their sins and the preaching of the gospel that gave them the remedy for their sins. It was when these men preached justification by faith alone, when they preached the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was these things that answered their cries, "What must I do to be saved?" The old Puritans used to have a saying that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. And that's exactly what happened. They preached the law, demonstrated the men were sinners, and then they preached Christ, saying that Christ is the only answer for sin. And they did so in power and in humbleness and in faith.

The Need for Courageous Preachers Today

Weaver laments the lack of bold, Word-centered preachers and calls for men who will preach the whole counsel of God without shame.

And God honored that preaching. And God raised up a generation of courageous, godly heroes. Let me submit to you something today, folks. I submit to you that one of our leading problems in this day and age is our lack of real, genuine, saved, sanctified, and Holy Spirit-filled pastors and teachers to teach us the Word of God. Would to God there were men around today, preachers I'm talking about, as there were in the 1860s, who knew the Word of God and applied the Word of God and were willing to fight for truth. Not just spiritually, but physically, if necessary. Let me put it to you again, folks. God does not use wimpy preachers. That's a fact. I can't, but you watch the TV preachers. I get so sick at the sweet, syrupy smile, the sentimentalism. I can't hack it. I can't handle it. Do you remember when little Samuel started coming to Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Judah? You know what they did? They sent men out to meet little Samuel, the preacher, and here's what they asked him. "Comest thou peaceably?" When is the last time a city council has ever sent to a preacher who's about to enter, "Are you coming peacefully, preacher?" Do you know why the elders of the city sent to Samuel and said, "Comest thou peacefully?" You'll read that in 1 Samuel 16. Do you know why they said that? Because in 1 Samuel 15, he had taken a sword and hacked Agag to pieces. They thought, hmm, he might be coming to do that to some of us. We better check and see if he's coming peacefully.

I've got news for you folks. We've got men today who are in the pulpits who are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ashamed of the Word of God. Our Lord said it very plainly in 1 Samuel 2 in verse 30. "Them that honor Me will I honor, saith the Lord, and those that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." You know what our Lord said in Mark 8 in verse 38?

Scripture Reading — Mark 8:38

"Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with His holy angels."

Our Lord said, if you're ashamed of Me, I'm going to be ashamed of you. I get so frustrated at the opportunities a number of these preachers have when they're on TV, they're asked about the storms or asked about whatever, and they give some little wimpy answer instead of quoting the scripture.

The reason we're in the trouble that we're in today in America is because we do not have men that will preach the whole counsel of God. I suppose there could be no greater compliment to the men of the South than that which was given by a Yankee chaplain in speaking to his regiment on the state of religion among the Southern troops. Listen to what this Yankee chaplain said concerning the state of religion among the Southern troops.

Conclusion: A Prayer for God to 'Do It Again'

Using Psalm 44, Weaver prays that God would again send deliverance and revival to His people in America.

Now, in Psalm 44, and I want you to look at it, Psalm 44. I want you to see what the prayer is really about. Look at Psalm 44. "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old." In other words, God, we've heard all these mighty stories. We've heard how You providentially delivered Your people. We've heard about Your power and blessings. And specifically, verse 2, "How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantedst them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out." In other words, God, it was Your sovereign providence that kicked the heathen out and gave us the land. Then they said, "For they got not that land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor to them." Now, wait a minute.

Did not the children of Israel fight? Well, of course they fought. But what they're saying in verse 3 is this, it was not our power, it was not our might, it was God blessing us and giving us the victory. Now watch this. Verse 1 we've heard. Verse 2, we've heard specifically. Verse 3, Lord, although we fought, we know it was not our ability, it was Your ability. And then he says in verse 4, "Thou art my King, O God.

Command deliverances for Jacob." What is he saying? He's saying, God, listen, we've heard all that You have done in time past for Your people. Lord, You've changed not. You are still our King. O God, command deliverances for Jacob. Here's what he's saying. God, You've done it in time past. Do it again! And that's what we need to cry. Do it again, O Lord. Do it again.

And then he goes, "Through Thee," as You give us grace and power, "through Thee, we will push down our enemies. Through Thy name, we will tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow. Neither shall my sword save me, but Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long." God, do it again. "Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Jacob." Can we not cry, "Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Thy people in America. Command deliverances for Thy people in the South."

Do it again, O Lord. Do it again. Father, we bow before Thee this day, and we've heard with our ears some of the great things Thou didst in times past. We know that Thou dost not change. Thou art the immutable, sovereign God of heaven and earth. And Lord, we pray that You would enable us to humble ourselves under Thy hand and Thy mighty power, that we might cry, "Do it again, O Lord, do it again. Command deliverances for Thy people." Give us Your grace, Your mercy, and Your power. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Theological Roots of the War

Summary: The War of Northern Aggression was fundamentally a conflict between Christianity and atheism, sparked by a theological shift in the North.

Evidence: Weaver quotes James Henley Thornwell: 'The parties in this conflict are not merely abolitionists and slaveholders. They are atheists, Socialists, Communists, Red Republicans, and Jacobins on the one side, and the Friends of Order and Regulated Freedom on the other.'

Sovereignty of God in History

Summary: God providentially sent revival to the Confederate armies, enabling them to persevere against overwhelming odds.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'I believe that one of the answers lies in the fact that God graciously, mercifully and sovereignly sent revival in the southern armies.'

Christian Courage and Fearlessness in Death

Summary: Genuine faith in Christ removes the fear of death, making Christian soldiers the bravest fighters.

Evidence: Stonewall Jackson said, 'My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has determined the time of my death.'

Genuine Conversion and Perseverance

Summary: The revival produced lasting, genuine conversions, evidenced by the high perseverance rate among baptized soldiers.

Evidence: Dr. J. William Jones kept the names of 410 men he baptized; after the war, only three were not persevering in the faith.

The Primacy of Gospel Preaching

Summary: The revival was fueled by straight gospel preaching—the law to convict of sin and the gospel to offer Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It was straight gospel preaching that God used to waken these men's need of Jesus Christ... the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel.'

Need for Bold, Godly Preachers

Summary: The church today suffers from a lack of courageous, Word-centered preachers who are unashamed of the gospel.

Evidence: Weaver laments, 'We've got men today who are in the pulpits who are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.'

Prayer for God to Repeat His Mighty Works

Summary: Believers should cry out to God to 'do it again'—to send revival and deliverance as He did in the past.

Evidence: Weaver prays, 'Do it again, O Lord, do it again. Command deliverances for Thy people.'

Key Arguments

The war was a theological conflict, not merely political or economic.

Summary: The North's embrace of humanism and abolitionism was a theological revolution that forced a cultural and political war upon the South.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Your view of economics, your view of politics, your view of the government, all of this is determined by what? Your theology.'

Denominational splits foreshadowed national division.

Summary: The breakup of national denominations over abolitionism was a prophetic warning of the coming national rupture.

Evidence: Charles Hodge said, 'abolitionism must operate to produce the disunion of the states and the division of all ecclesiastical societies.'

Revival, not military prowess, explains Southern resilience.

Summary: The South's ability to fight for four years against superior numbers and resources is attributed to the spiritual strength from revival.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'How could the South hold out for four long, hard, strenuous years against such odds?' and answers with the revival.

Christian faith produces the best soldiers.

Summary: Historically, Christian men make the greatest fighters because they fight on principle and are unafraid of death.

Evidence: Oliver Cromwell said, 'Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.'

The Confederate revival produced genuine, lasting conversions.

Summary: The high perseverance rate of converts demonstrates the authenticity of the work of God in the armies.

Evidence: Out of 410 men baptized by J. William Jones, only three did not continue in the faith.

Chaplains were essential to the revival and often fought alongside the men.

Summary: Chaplains preached, counseled, and even took up arms, modeling courage and commitment.

Evidence: Chaplain Tichenor 'fought with coolness and courage of a veteran killing a Yankee colonel, a major, and four privates.'

Interdenominational cooperation was possible because of shared theology.

Summary: Despite differing on secondary issues, chaplains united around the Word of God and the doctrines of grace.

Evidence: Weaver describes a service: 'a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services under the direction of a Methodist chaplain in an Episcopal church.'

Modern pulpits lack bold, uncompromising preachers.

Summary: The church's decline is due to preachers who are ashamed of the gospel and fail to proclaim the whole counsel of God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The reason we're in the trouble that we're in today in America is because we do not have men that will preach the whole counsel of God.'

Scripture References

Psalm 44:1-8

Context: Weaver reads and expounds this passage as the foundation for remembering God's past works and praying for present deliverance.

1 Timothy 6:5

Context: William Plumer warned that if the assembly declared slaveholding a sin, southern churches would withdraw, citing this verse.

Nehemiah 4:14

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to show that remembering the Lord gives courage to fight for family and home.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Context: Paul's command to 'quit ye like men, be strong' is used to illustrate biblical principles that solidify a fighting spirit.

Philippians 1:21-24

Context: Paul's desire to depart and be with Christ is cited to show why Christians do not fear death.

1 Samuel 2:30

Context: God honors those who honor Him; used to rebuke preachers who are ashamed of the gospel.

Mark 8:38

Context: Jesus warns that He will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of Him; applied to timid preachers.

1 Samuel 16 (implied context of 1 Samuel 15)

Context: The elders of Bethlehem asked Samuel if he came peaceably because he had hacked Agag to pieces; used to contrast bold preachers.

Historical References

James Henley Thornwell (1812-1862)

Context: Prominent Presbyterian theologian who analyzed the war as a conflict between Christianity and atheism.

Charles Hodge

Context: Eminent Presbyterian theologian who warned that abolitionism would divide churches and the nation.

William S. Plumer

Context: Presbyterian preacher who in 1837 warned that a church split over slavery would lead to national bloodshed.

First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Context: The first major battle where the South routed the North, shattering Northern overconfidence.

Oliver Cromwell

Context: English military leader who gathered Christian soldiers and said, 'he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.'

Captain Dabney Carr Harrison

Context: Confederate pastor and soldier who died at Fort Donelson, exemplifying fearlessness in death.

Colonel Lewis Minor Coleman

Context: Fatally wounded at Fredericksburg, he said, 'I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die.'

Stonewall Jackson

Context: Confederate general who felt as safe in battle as in bed because God had determined his time of death.

Dr. J. William Jones

Context: Army evangelist who documented the revival and tracked the perseverance of converts.

Chaplain I.T. Tichenor

Context: Chaplain of the 17th Alabama who rallied his men at Shiloh and fought, killing several enemies.

Important Quotes

Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.

Significance: Oliver Cromwell's maxim supports the argument that Christian devotion enhances martial valor.

I die content and happy, trusting in the merits of my Savior Jesus, committing my wife and children to their Father and mine.

Significance: Captain Harrison's dying words demonstrate the peace and assurance of a genuine convert.

Tell General Jackson and General Lee, they know how Christian soldiers can fight, and I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die.

Significance: Colonel Coleman's charge highlights the consistency of Christian courage in life and death.

You may call this fanaticism, enthusiasm, or what you will, but remember you are fighting an enemy that comes from the closet to the battlefield, that comes from its knees in prayer to engage in deadly strife.

Significance: A Yankee chaplain's admission underscores the spiritual power behind the Southern fighting spirit.

The most unmitigated set of villains they have in the South are the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian preachers all talking secession, drinking mean liquor, and advocating the cause of Jeff Davis and the devil.

Significance: This Northern criticism reveals the perceived influence of Southern preachers in sustaining the war effort.

We want effective gospel preachers whose burden shall be Christ and Him crucified.

Significance: J. William Jones's call for chaplains emphasizes the centrality of gospel preaching in the revival.

Discussion Questions

How does the theological shift in the North (humanism, abolitionism) compare to theological shifts in our own day?

Context: Weaver argues that a change in theology always precedes a change in culture.

In what ways can remembering God's past works strengthen our faith for present challenges?

Context: Psalm 44:1 is used as a model for rehearsing God's mighty acts.

What does the fearlessness of Christian soldiers like Stonewall Jackson teach us about facing death?

Context: Jackson said he felt as safe in battle as in bed because God had determined his time.

Why is the perseverance of converts an important test of genuine revival?

Context: J. William Jones found that only 3 out of 410 baptized men did not continue in the faith.

What can we learn from the interdenominational cooperation among Confederate chaplains?

Context: Chaplains of different denominations worked together, united by the doctrines of grace.

How does the example of chaplains who both preached and fought challenge our view of pastoral ministry?

Context: Chaplain Tichenor fought and killed enemies while also ministering to his men.

What are the marks of a bold, God-honoring preacher according to this sermon?

Context: Weaver contrasts wimpy, ashamed preachers with those who preach the whole counsel of God.

How should we pray for revival in our own nation and churches?

Context: The sermon concludes with a prayer from Psalm 44: 'Do it again, O Lord.'

Applications

Remember God's past works to fuel present faith.

Summary: Believers should rehearse the mighty acts of God in history to strengthen their trust in His power today.

Evidence: Weaver uses Psalm 44:1 to call for remembering what God did in the Confederate revival.

Recognize the theological roots of cultural conflict.

Summary: Christians must understand that cultural and political battles are often driven by underlying theological shifts.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'You cannot have a change in culture until you have a change in theology.'

Cultivate fearlessness in the face of death.

Summary: A firm trust in God's sovereignty over life and death should make believers courageous in any circumstance.

Evidence: Stonewall Jackson's example of feeling safe in battle because God determines the time of death.

Preach the whole counsel of God without shame.

Summary: Pastors and teachers must boldly proclaim the law and the gospel, not shrinking from hard truths.

Evidence: Weaver rebukes preachers who are ashamed of the gospel and calls for men who will preach Christ crucified.

Pursue genuine conversion and perseverance.

Summary: Churches should aim for conversions that produce lasting fruit, not mere decisions.

Evidence: The high perseverance rate of Confederate converts is held up as a model.

Work together across denominational lines on essential doctrines.

Summary: Christians should unite around the gospel and the Word of God, setting aside secondary differences for the sake of the kingdom.

Evidence: The cooperation of Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal chaplains is praised.

Pray for God to send revival again.

Summary: Believers should cry out to God to repeat His mighty works of deliverance and spiritual awakening.

Evidence: The sermon ends with a prayer: 'Do it again, O Lord, do it again.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:13:06Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:52:26Z

Clean Transcript

The Revival in the Confederate Armies

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I'm going to be dealing with a historical message on the revival in the Confederate armies, and I think you will associate that maybe even with a little bit of Reformation day today anyhow. So look at Psalm 44. "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old. How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantedst them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God, command deliverances for Jacob."
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"Through Thee will we push down our enemies. Through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day, and praise Thy name forever."
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Now, I'm going to be covering this passage before I close, but I want you to note, he said, "We have heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days in times of old." So here then in verse one is a rehearsing of the mighty works and the mighty acts of God, and specifically in reference to His providential dealings with His people, and specifically in reference to even the redemption of His people. So today I'm going to be dealing with the revival in the Confederate armies.
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And when you and I consider the War of Northern Aggression, we must conclude in reality that it has no parallel in history. When you stop and think about the amount of land mass involved, the huge number of troops, the devastation, the battles, the sieges, the marches, the contending armies, the enthusiasm, the conquest, and even the men themselves make that period of history absolutely unique.
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Now, many people have studied the war from every conceivable angle. It doesn't matter if you want to consider it economically, if you want to consider it politically, if you want to consider it governmentally, all angles. But very few have ever looked at this war from the spiritual angle. In fact, there is indeed, I'm going to show you, a great, vast spiritual implication to this war as well. But I want you to understand that America as a nation was in a great period of spiritual decline, especially from the 1830s to the 1850s. Churches were dissolving, denominations were breaking up, and generally speaking, it did not look good for our nation. There were many statesmen who recognized the fact that if the churches could not hold together, then certainly the nation could not hold together. There are many statements that quote-unquote prophesied the fact that there was going to be a split in the Union, and so there was. But it may surprise many people to realize that before the War of Northern Aggression, practically all denominations were national.
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When I say national, it was just the Baptist Church. It was not the American Baptist, the Northern Baptist, the Southern Baptist. No, no. It was just the Baptist church. It's just like the Presbyterians. You didn't have the PCA, the Orthodox Presbyterian, the Presbyterian United. No, no. It was just the Presbyterian church. So, before this war, most of our denominations were national, and there was indeed a national cooperation between the churches, whether they were in the North or in the South.
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And the interesting thing is denominations that differed theologically would still cooperate together for the furtherance of Christianity and they would do so without any hesitation whatsoever. The real reason for this was because at that period each church basically held and each denomination basically held to the supremacy of the scriptures and that salvation was in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. So the Bible then was viewed as the infallible word of God.
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However, during this period of time, abolitionism, modernism, liberalism, transcendentalism began to slip into the churches and to the denominations, especially in the North. Consequently, there was no longer any cooperation between the North and the South, because there was no basis for any fellowship or any harmony. In fact, the rift became so great that many of the southern theologians realized that there was a theological war taking place. Now listen carefully. James Henley Thornwell, who lived from 1812 to 1862, who was a prominent Presbyterian theologian and author, stated the differences between the North and the South very concisely. Listen to what he said. This was his analysis, not just his, I might add, but most other southern pastors agreed with him. Here's what he said. "The parties in this conflict," he's talking about the war now between the North and South. "The parties in this conflict are not merely abolitionists and slaveholders. They are atheists, Socialists, Communists, Red Republicans, and Jacobins on the one side," that's the North, "and the Friends of Order and Regulated Freedom on the other," that's the South.
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"In one word, the world is the battleground, Christianity and atheism the combatants, and the progress of humanity is at stake." Now listen to what he said. He said, it's not just a war between the abolitionists, that is, those who wish to free the slaves, and the slaveholders, that is, those who wish to keep the slaves. Oh, no. He said it's far deeper than that. In reality, he said, it boils down to a war between Christianity and atheism, and the world is the battleground, and the outcome is going to determine which direction we're going to face and which direction we're going to go. You see, the truth of the matter is this, that in reality, the War of Northern Aggression was really and truly sparked by a theological revolution that had taken place in the North.
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The spiritual side of this struggle is just as valid and just as important as the economic and the political and the governmental. Does it matter if you want to say, well, there are economics involved? Sure, there are economics involved. Well, there were states' rights involved. Sure, there were states' rights involved. Well, there were views of government involved. Sure, there were views of government involved. But you've got to remember, folks, your view of economics, your view of politics, your view of the government, all of this is determined by what? Your theology. It's determined by your view of God, or lack thereof, or your view of scriptures, or lack thereof.
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And what many people have not really understood is this. They have not understood or perceived the political consequences of a theological shift. In other words, once your theology changes, everything else changes as well. I've said it before that a theological change must always precede a cultural change. Let me just say it very bluntly. You cannot have a change in culture until you have a change in theology.
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So what happened in the North was this. The North changed theologically. It left the Word of God. Now, not everyone in the North left the Word of God. Surely there were some believers in the North. You understand that. But I'm talking about generally speaking in the North as a whole. Unitarianism had taken over. A denial of Christ. A denial of the Bible. A denial of spiritual things. Man's reasoning was elevated. Basically speaking, humanism had taken over the churches and the denominations of the North. So since they changed theologically in the North, it means they changed culturally in the North.
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Now let me ask you a question. If you really believe that you're right, and if you really believe that your theology is right, what do you want to do? You want to proselytize other people. That is, you want to make converts. Well, the North wanted converts to humanism and abolitionism as well. And therefore, by the way, it took over many churches. In fact, it took over Oberlin College, which was begun by Charles Grandison Finney, or Finney's evangelism was stolen by Tome and several of these other men at Oberlin College, and abolitionism was being spread throughout the country through the churches.
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It was an evangelistic zeal, so to speak. So basically what the North wanted to do was this. They wanted to force their theology and their culture upon the South. And they were doing so through abolitionism, humanism, listen, and reconstructionism. The period of reconstruction after the war was over was nothing less than a military enforcement of the Northern theology and culture upon the South. That's all it was. It was a military enforcement of the Northern theology and culture upon the South.
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Now let me just try to lay the groundwork for you so that you can see how the churches and denominations actually divided. The Presbyterian church was the first to divide. In fact, the Presbyterian denomination divided twice, once in 1837 and then once in 1857. In both instances, abolitionism was a prime issue.
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Now there were other issues involved. I'm not going to go into the old lights versus the new lights, but still abolitionism was a prime issue. So the Presbyterian church then is split in 1837 and then in 1857 as well. The Methodist Episcopal church split in 1844. The Baptists split in 1845. Do you realize there was no such thing as a Southern Baptist church until 1845? And do you realize the reason the Southern Baptist churches came about was because of the North's pushing of abolitionism and humanism upon the South? And the Southern people said, look, if that's what it's going to be, we'll just leave and start our own. And basically, that's what happened in 1845. Now, Charles Hodge was a very eminent Presbyterian theologian.
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And in fact, I have several of his volumes, his volume on systematic theologies, three volumes I might add, are quite excellent. But Charles Hodge said this: "...abolitionism must operate to produce the disunion of the states and the division of all ecclesiastical societies. We shall become two nations in feeling, which must soon render us two nations in fact."
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Now listen to what this Presbyterian preacher said. He said, abolitionism, which is nothing more than modernism and humanism, he said pretty soon it's going to divide all the churches, and then it's going to divide the nation. Why? Because he said we're going to be two different societies in feeling, which ultimately is going to make two different societies in fact. One of the greatest warnings that was ever issued to this country was issued by a preacher, William S. Plumer, on the eve of a split in the Presbyterian Church in 1837. Plumer has some wonderful books out as well. But listen to what Plumer said.
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"Should the assembly legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin?" Because you see, this was being forced now on the churches and all the denominations by the abolitionists in the North. So he says, "Should the assembly," that is the assembly of the Presbyterian Church, "legislate and decide that slaveholding is a sin? The southern churches would all feel themselves instructed by the Apostle Paul to withdraw from such" (1 Timothy 6:5). "Thus, our church would be rent asunder."
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"Then nothing will be left except to rend the star-spangled banner in twain. Soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. Can it be that the righteous judge of all the earth has so dreadful a controversy with the Presbyterian Church of the United States as to give her up to the folly and madness of being the first to hoist the gate and let the flood of destruction roll in?"
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This man said this in 1837. What did he say? He said, when the church is split wide open, there's nothing else left but to rend the star-spangled banner and pretty soon the Potomac will be dyed with blood. He knew what was going to happen in this country. A correspondent for the Charleston Mercury wrote in 1845 at the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention. Here's what he said. "From all appearances, the separation of the church is inevitable.
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We could hope otherwise, but so it is and we must submit. When we are forced out of the church by northern fanatics, we shall next be forced out of the union by the same nefarious acts." Isn't that amazing? 1845. He says when we're forced out of the church, we're going to be forced out of the union. Men at that time understood that it was a theological war and it was a cultural war.
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Now I could multiply quotes, but I'm sure just from these that you can see the churches were at their lowest ebb and the southern churches, although they were affected by the splits, at least still held tenaciously to biblical principles. They still believed the Bible. And they still believed that the Lord Jesus Christ alone was the only Lord and the only Savior.
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Now, let me just point out the fact that one of the most amazing things to me about the War of Northern Aggression is the South held out as long as it did against such tremendous odds. You've got to remember the South fought for four long years. Now, without going into detail, may I remind you that numerically we were outnumbered four to one. There were four times as many men in the North to fight as there were in the South. The North had greater manufacturing abilities. In fact, practically all the manufacturing was in the North. They had greater firepower. They had greater financing. They had greater resourcing. They had greater advantages in a multitude of ways. Yet it took them four long, hard years to subdue the South. Why?
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Now, I want you to stop and listen to me. I want you to remember First Manassas. That is the first battle. First Bull Run, as some call it. We say First Manassas. Don't you remember Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers for how long? Three months. Why? Well, it's going to be a piece of cake to whip the South. All we need is 75,000 men and all we need is three months. That's it. And do you remember that first battle? From the North march down to Manassas.
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Here were the congressmen, here were the civilians, with their wagons, with their picnic lunches, and here all these folks from Washington D.C. settled down on the grass to watch the North whip the South while they enjoyed their picnics. That was their attitude. It was going to be a picnic. Well, you know the story. It wasn't the North whipping the South. The South whipped the socks off the North. And the men threw their weapons down, they left their howitzers, they left their cannon, and they ran as quickly as they could right back to Washington, D.C. And all those civilians, a lot of them were trampled. And a lot of them were hurt in the escape.
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But the point I'm trying to make is this. It was going to be a piece of cake for the North to whip the South. Or so they thought. So my question is this. How could the South hold out for four long, hard, strenuous years against such odds? Militarily? Economically? The firepower? You say, but Brother Weaver, the South had better generals. I agree. The South did have better generals. But let me ask the question, why did the South have better generals? You say, but Brother Weaver, you've got to understand this. Southern men were greater and better fighters. That's true too. But why were they greater and better fighters? It was not just simply because the South was defending their hearths and homes. I'm going to tell you up front.
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I believe that one of the answers lies in the fact that God graciously, mercifully and sovereignly sent revival in the southern armies where multitudes of men were swept into the kingdom of God. If you know anything about the Bible at all, you know it is God who gives strength. It is God who gives courage. It is God who gives boldness. It is God who gives character and consistency. It is God who enables one to persevere even under the most extreme circumstances. And when one understands the grace of God and His duty to stand for truth and righteousness and justice, it increases and solidifies the fighting spirit.
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Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 14, let me just, I'll quote it. Nehemiah 4 and verse 14, I want you to listen to this. Nehemiah was building the wall and the people were about to be attacked by their adversaries and here's what Nehemiah commands. Listen, he tells the people, "Be not ye afraid of them." That is the enemy. "Be not ye afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
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Now, what did he say? He said, you remember the Lord your God, who is great and powerful. What is he saying? It is God who is going to give you the strength. It is God who is going to give you the courage and the boldness and the perseverance. And now you trust in Him and fight for your wives and your houses and your children and your land.
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In 1 Corinthians 16, in verse 13, the Apostle Paul says, "Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit ye like men, and be strong." I'm just trying to show you that when there are biblical principles, when truth and righteousness are involved, if you are a child of God, it increases and solidifies your fighting spirit. Do you realize that historically, Christian men have always made the greatest fighters? That's a fact. And by the way, if you will study any war that you want to, from 1776 on down, that our country has been involved in, it has been Southern men who have done most of the fighting.
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And the South, remember, has been known as the Bible Belt. Now listen to this. Historically, Christian men have made the greatest fighters. Why? Because they normally fight based upon principles. But they fight and are prepared to die and are unafraid to die for those very principles. That's what made them the better fighters. Oliver Cromwell, the Ironsides of England, gathered about him Christian men who went into battle singing psalms and hymns, whose watchword was the Lord of Hosts. And it was Oliver Cromwell who said, "Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best." Hedley Vickers, who is an excellent Christian soldier himself, said this, "I have often heard it said that the worst man, the better soldier. Facts contradict this untruth.
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Were I ever as a leader of a forlorn hope allowed to select my men, it would most certainly be from among the soldiers of Christ who should fight so fearlessly and bravely as those to whom death presents no terrors." Did you hear what he said? If I were to be able to pick my men in a forlorn hope, that is a hope that has absolutely no chance of making it, he said, I'd pick Christian men. Why? He said, who's going to fight the best.
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Those who are not afraid of dying and those who are prepared to die and those who recognize truth and righteousness and are willing to give their lives for it. Do you realize even the enemies of the saints recognize the fierceness and the determination of Christian men in fighting for a righteous cause? I get tickled every time I read this. This was said concerning the southern men. Listen carefully.
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It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats. Now stop and think about this. It has been said there is nothing more ferocious than a band of brigands led by vicious cutthroats, except it be a band of Scottish Presbyterians rising from their knees in prayer to do battle with a firm conviction that what they're about to do is the will of God. Said they fight a whole lot more fiercely than the band of brigands led by the vicious cutthroats.
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Captain Dabney Carr Harrison, who was a Confederate pastor, professor, chaplain, and soldier, was told this by some of his men, I'm quoting, they said to him, "You should be braver than the rest of us." He looked at them and asked, "Why so?" "Because," they said, "you have everything settled for eternity. You have nothing to fear after death." He replied, "Well, gentlemen, you're right. Everything is settled for eternity and I have nothing to fear." And Captain Dabney Carr Harrison exemplified that fearlessness at Fort Donelson where he fell mortally wounded.
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Three balls passed through his hat, and without harming him, a fourth cut his temple, and the fifth went through his right lung, which was the fatal wound. Before he died, he wrote in his diary on February 16, 1862, on Sunday, he said, "I die content and happy, trusting in the merits of my Savior Jesus, committing my wife and children to their Father and mine." Soon he passed into a deep sleep, but even then, he could not keep his mind from his men for awakening out of the deep sleep.
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Almost startled, he sat erect in his bed and shouted, "Company K, you have no captain now, but never give up and never surrender." With that, one of the men caught him and laid him back down on the bed, where he died peacefully. How in the world can you prevail against men who will not give up and will not despair even in death? Here was a man who was challenging his men, although he was dying, to never give up and to never surrender. Colonel Lewis Minor Coleman, who was fatally wounded at Fredericksburg, lingered 98 days before he died.
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And I might add, in grievous pain. Before he died, he gave charges to all those around him and thanked his loving and faithful wife, and then said this to one of his men. "Tell General Jackson and General Lee, they know how Christian soldiers can fight, and I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die." Colonel Coleman died trusting only in the merits of Jesus Christ. You see, one who does not know the power and conviction of the converting grace of God cannot grasp the significance of this truth.
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Let me say that again. One who does not know the converting power and the converting grace of God cannot grasp the significance of this truth. Why should any child of God fear death when he knows, according to the Bible, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord? In Philippians chapter 1, do you remember the Apostle Paul was thrown into prison? And finally, by the way, he did lose his head with the axe. But every time he got thrown in prison, there was always that possibility that he was going to die. Here's what he said in Philippians 1 verse 21 through 24.
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Let me just read it. Paul said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I know not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."
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Now, listen to what he said. I'm in prison. I might get my head cut off. He said, I'm in a strait, I'm in a pickle, I'm in a tight. He said, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better for me, so he said. Nevertheless, he said to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. In other words, I probably need to stick around, teach a little more and preach a little more.
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But he said, if I'd rather have my druthers, I'd rather be with Christ. So you see what Paul is saying: for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. In other words, it's not going to hurt me to die. It's not going to hurt me to live. If I live, I'm going to live for Christ. If I die, I'm going to die for Christ. Either way, I belong to Christ and there's not going to be any problem in my life or in my death. So understandably, then, it was better for Paul to die and be with Christ.
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But he said, nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for God's people. At First Manassas, it was Jackson, Stonewall Jackson, who received a painful wound in his hand. And yet he remained calm and deliberate. He continued to command with great resolution and courage. The mini-balls were whizzing by, cannons were exploding everywhere. A few days after the battle, it was Captain John Imboden who asked him, "Major Jackson, how is it that you remained so calm and appeared so cool, an utterly insensitive to danger in such a storm of shell and bullets as rained upon you when your hand was hit?" Jackson replied, "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.
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God has determined the time of my death. I do not concern myself about it, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me." After pause, he added, "Captain, that is the way all men should live. And then all would be equally brave." Listen to what he said. My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. Jackson said, I just didn't go to battle as I had go to bed. That bothered me.
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I'm not concerned about dying. God has determined my time. I'm not even to worry about it. The only thing I'm going to be concerned is to be ready whenever that time may overtake me. Before you object and say, "But Pastor, you're talking about the revival and these great revivals in the Confederate armies. Pastor, I too would be willing to make a decision for Christ if I faced imminent death on a daily basis."
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First, these were not decisions. These were genuine conversions.
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Secondly, each of us do face death on a daily basis, because we don't know when we're going to die. I thought my time had come last week. I fell, I, flat on my back. Knocked the breath out of me. Took me five minutes to get up. Then I could barely walk, but I was thankful I at least could get up. But, you know, just that quickly. We do face death on a daily basis.
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But thirdly, allow me to give you an illustration of the genuineness of these conversions. Dr. J. William Jones kept the names of 410 men that he baptized. After the war was over, he followed up on the men that had survived the war, and he found out of the 410 names, only three were not persevering in the faith. What? Only three did not continue? Let me tell you something, folks.
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I can assure you there is no pastor today. There is no church today that can boast of such a high percentage of persevering conversions. Out of 410 men, only three who did not continue in the faith. These were real, genuine conversions. These men had been thoroughly convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit. God sent revival in the Confederate armies. A writer from the 2nd Palmetto Regiment to the Southern Christian Advocate says this, "God's hand was in this great achievement.
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And I believe that the most irreligious man in our Patriot Army will frankly acknowledge the fact. So evident was it, it is believed, and improvement has since taken place in the morals of our troops. At least I can say as much for this regiment. Whilst during the campaign we have occupied," now listen, "whilst during the campaign we have occupied the advanced post, the post of honor and danger, and this for weeks in the very face of the enemy.
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God has given us a grateful sense of security and our religious services have gone on. Even while interrupted by the booming cannon and bursting shell, lying in our trenches, expecting every moment that the storm would break in all of its fury upon us, we worshipped God." I wish that you would read Christ in the Camp by J. William Jones, and The Great Revival in the Southern Armies by W. W.
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Bennett, it will amaze you how those men sat on logs and on the dirt and finished their prayers and finished listening to preaching when cannon exploding around them. Unbelievable. And here's what he said. We worship God in our trenches. In other words, when we couldn't get out, it did not stop us. It did not hinder us. We still continue to worship God. Listen to this. In another instance, it is reported during a skirmish, "Some of our men were ordered to the front as sharpshooters and directed to lie on the ground and load and fire as rapidly as possible.
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After a short time, the ammunition of one of these men was expended, and though his position was very dangerous as it was, it would have been certain death to procure a fresh supply of ammunition. In this condition," says an eyewitness, "the soldier drew from his pocket his Bible, and while the balls were whizzing about him and cutting the grass at his side, he quietly read its precious pages for a few minutes and then closed his eyes in prayer." Here you are. Lying on the ground, men shooting at you everywhere. You can't get up and get more ammunition. So what does the soldier do? Pulls out his Bible and reads it. Then prays.
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I've got news for you folks. I don't believe I'd have waited to pray until I ran out of ammunition. I'd have been praying before, but he just lies there and prays. Such composure and such contentment can only be found in Jesus Christ.
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Now, there were many great helps in the revivals that swept the Confederates. There were colporteurs. That is, there were those men who gave books and tracts and papers. There were hospital workers. A lot of the men were converted in the hospital. There were officers, listen, John Gordon of Georgia, one of the most godly men, led a number of his men to Jesus Christ, General Gordon. Of course, everybody knows about General Lee, General Jackson, General Ewell, some of these other men, they did everything they could to promote the revival in the armies. There were missionaries. There were godly officers, as I've mentioned, and there were godly men in the ranks, but the brunt of the work fell upon the chaplains. Now, many of these chaplains labored under strenuous loads.
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Some of these men only preached and prayed and counseled and helped heal, but they also fought. You know, the amazing thing to me as I read and study, there is indeed a parallel. Because during the American Revolution, the preachers were so hated and despised by the British, and likewise, the Southern preachers were hated and despised by the Northerners. And the reason why is they held that these pastors were the instruments in keeping up the spirit of resistance and rebellion, as they call it.
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One Yankee critic said, and I'm quoting now, he believed that "the most unmitigated set of villains they have in the South are the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian preachers all talking secession, drinking mean liquor, and advocating the cause of Jeff Davis and the devil." Isn't that amazing? So the most unmitigated set of villains in the South were the preachers. It was Chaplain T.D. Witherspoon
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of the 42nd Mississippi Regiment that was captured at Gettysburg. And the only reason he was captured was because he would not leave the sick and wounded and dying. Yankee Colonel Fish ordered the chaplain thrown into a dark underground dungeon where drunken soldiers and deserters were. The lieutenant, when given the order, protested to the colonel and said, "But sir, this man is a minister of the gospel. You won't send him there." Colonel Fish shot back, "Why not?
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The preachers are more to blame for this war than any others. The best thing we could do would be to hang a few of them when we capture them." So very obviously, the North did not care too much for the Southern pastors. Regardless of the dangers, many of the chaplains believed it was their place to be in the front lines with their men to whom they were ministering.
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It was Chaplain I.T. Tichenor of the 17th Alabama Regiment who gave this report on the Battle of Shiloh. Listen to what he wrote. He says, "During this engagement, we were under a crossfire on the left wing from three directions. Under it, the boys wavered. I had been wearied and was sitting down, but seeing them waver, I sprang to my feet, took off my hat, waved it over my head, walked up and down the line, and they said, preach them a sermon. I reminded them that it was Sunday, that at that hour, 11:30, all their home folks were praying for them, that Tom Watts, governor and former regimental commander, had told us he would listen with an eager ear to hear from the 17th.
#61 | 41:45 to 42:33 | cleaned
and shouting his name over the loud roar of the battle, I called upon them to stand there and die if need be for their country. The effect was evident. Every man stood to his post, every eye flashed, every heart beat high with desperate resolve to conquer or die." Significantly, chaplain Tichenor added, "the regiment had, after the battle was over, thirteen killed, 117 wounded or missing, but the dead of the enemy that lay in front of it was 352."
#62 | 42:35 to 43:11 | cleaned
The chaplain did not add that which appeared in the newspaper account that he himself fought with coolness and courage of a veteran killing a Yankee colonel, a major, and four privates. So Chaplain Tichenor then picked up a rifle and fought as well. Chaplain L.W. Allen said, "My speech to my men in the presence of the enemy is this. They're the Yankees boys. Our cause is just.
#63 | 43:11 to 43:49 | cleaned
Trust in God and charge them." Well, he was certainly trying to encourage them. Do you understand that these chaplains, and they were Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, all different kinds. But these chaplains understood the necessity of standing and working together on key issues. Unlike most pastors today, they did not attack each other, but they worked together and they were glad to see the others prosper, even when they themselves were not prospering. That which bound them together was the Word of God, and the doctrines of grace. Dr. William J.
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Hoge wrote of his visit to Fredericksburg in the spring of 1863 during the revival in Barksdale's Mississippi Regiment. He wrote this, listen carefully, this is funny to me. "The Reverend Dr. Burrows of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, was to have preached that night. But as he would remain some days, and I could only stay a day, he courteously insisted on my preaching. And so we had a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services under the direction of a Methodist chaplain in an Episcopal church." Now, where else could you have such camaraderie? Such camaraderie could not possibly exist today due to the fractured nature of the Church and the abysmal ignorance of theology. But although these men differed denominationally, their theology was basically the same. Moreover, these men not only worked together, but they aided each other in the placement of new converts. When Presbyterian pastor Beverly Tucker Lacy had some converts who insisted on immersion as the proper mode of baptism, he did not hesitate for a moment, but he contacted a Baptist chaplain, Brother Webb, who eagerly came and baptized the new converts.
#65 | 44:34 to 46:14 | cleaned
After he had baptized them, Brother Webb said to Dr. Lacy, "Brother Lacy, you remind me of a hen setting on duck eggs. She carefully nurses the eggs until the little ducks appear and diligently watches over them and cares for them. But someday she goes near the water and the whole brood of little ducks plunge in while she has to stand clucking on the bank." "Yes," said Brother Lacy, "I cannot follow them in, but I go with them to the water's edge.
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I receive them with open arms when they come out, and I am ever ready to hail them as my spiritual children and do all in my power to help them serve our common Master and reach the home of our common Father above." Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Here is a Presbyterian willing to help the Baptist. The Baptist is willing to help the Presbyterian. Again, it was Pastor Lacy who wrote to the Central Presbyterian from the Army of Northern Virginia. Listen to this statement. "Since the arrival of the Army at its present location," that's just one location. "Since the arrival of the Army at its present location, about a thousand have professed faith in Christ and more than 2,000 are earnestly inquiring in the way of salvation." In its present location. One little encampment, over 1,000 converted, 2,000 seeking Christ.
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Another chaplain reported that in the Second and Third Corps alone, men are being converted at the rate of 200 per week. And he said the work is widening and deepening so far as man can judge. The chaplain was correct in his judgment. In order to illustrate his sentiments, listen to this. A.E. Dickinson of Richmond, Virginia wrote, "I wish all the members of our churches could be here and hear how fervently the soldiers pray that the revival of religion in the army may reach the churches at home, that their brethren at home may be turned from the sins of extortion and speculation, and that all may be brought to humble themselves before God." So here are the soldiers in the field in desperate situations praying that God would send the revival to the churches at home. Dr. W.W.
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Bennett in his book, The Great Revival of the Southern Armies, by the way, which was written in 1876, on page 413, he estimates based upon first-hand accounts and from the records of the Chaplains Association, that there were approximately 150,000 men who were converted during the course of the war. Did you hear that? 150,000 men. No wonder it took them four long years to whip the South. Because here were men that were fighting now, not just to protect their homes and their lands, but they were fighting from biblical principles and from truth and righteousness and justice. By the way, what type of men preached to the soldiers? I can assure you it was not the lazy, indolent, effeminate type.
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There may have been a few who went there temporarily, but they got sent packing very quickly. J. William Jones, who classified himself as the army evangelist, who was writing, trying to get more men to fill the vacancies for the chaplain, he wrote and said this, "Send us the names of good men. And here I repeat, we want none others. Our object being not merely to fill up the regiments with nominal chaplains, but to fill the vacancies with efficient working men. We want effective gospel preachers whose burden shall be Christ and Him crucified.
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It is a common mistake that anybody will do to preach to soldiers. The great business of the chaplain is to preach Christ publicly and from tent to tent, and the temporal welfare of soldiers should be made subordinate to this. We want men physically able as well as willing to endure hardships and privations.
#71 | 51:02 to 51:22 | cleaned
Now listen, if a chaplain would live up to the full measure of his usefulness, he must be with his regiment on the weary march, frequently resigning his horse to some foot sore soldier, which means he walks himself, lie with them around the bivouac fire after evening prayers are over, be drenched on the outpost, or face the pelting snowstorm, divide with some hungry soldier his last hard cracker, or in a word, share with his regiment whatever hardships they may be called to endure. Now, if a brother is not physically able to endure these hardships, he best not enter the work. But there is no question that many a delicate brother would have his health permanently improved if he would thus learn to endure hardness as a good soldier. What did he say?
#72 | 51:22 to 52:13 | cleaned
Don't send us any namby-pamby, sickly, weakling, effeminate, wimpy men. We don't want them! And they won't last. It was straight gospel preaching that God used to waken these men's need of Jesus Christ. It was the preaching of the law that awakened them to their sins and the preaching of the gospel that gave them the remedy for their sins. It was when these men preached justification by faith alone, when they preached the atonement of Jesus Christ.
#73 | 52:14 to 52:52 | cleaned
It was these things that answered their cries, "What must I do to be saved?" The old Puritans used to have a saying that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. And that's exactly what happened. They preached the law, demonstrated the men were sinners, and then they preached Christ, saying that Christ is the only answer for sin. And they did so in power and in humbleness and in faith.
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And God honored that preaching. And God raised up a generation of courageous, godly heroes. Let me submit to you something today, folks. I submit to you that one of our leading problems in this day and age is our lack of real, genuine, saved, sanctified, and Holy Spirit-filled pastors and teachers to teach us the Word of God. Would to God there were men around today, preachers I'm talking about, as there were in the 1860s, who knew the Word of God and applied the Word of God and were willing to fight for truth.
#75 | 53:18 to 54:03 | cleaned
Not just spiritually, but physically, if necessary. Let me put it to you again, folks. God does not use wimpy preachers. That's a fact. I can't, but you watch the TV preachers. I get so sick at the sweet, syrupy smile, the sentimentalism. I can't hack it. I can't handle it. Do you remember when little Samuel started coming to Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Judah? You know what they did? They sent men out to meet little Samuel, the preacher, and here's what they asked him. "Comest thou peaceably?" When is the last time a city council has ever sent to a preacher who's about to enter, "Are you coming peacefully, preacher?" Do you know why the elders of the city sent to Samuel and said, "Comest thou peacefully?" You'll read that in 1 Samuel 16. Do you know why they said that? Because in 1 Samuel 15, he had taken a sword and hacked Agag to pieces. They thought, hmm, he might be coming to do that to some of us. We better check and see if he's coming peacefully.
#76 | 54:06 to 55:30 | cleaned
I've got news for you folks. We've got men today who are in the pulpits who are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ashamed of the Word of God. Our Lord said it very plainly in 1 Samuel 2 in verse 30. "Them that honor Me will I honor, saith the Lord, and those that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." You know what our Lord said in Mark 8 in verse 38?
#77 | 55:32 to 55:57 | cleaned
"Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with His holy angels." Our Lord said, if you're ashamed of Me, I'm going to be ashamed of you. I get so frustrated at the opportunities a number of these preachers have when they're on TV, they're asked about the storms or asked about whatever, and they give some little wimpy answer instead of quoting the scripture.
#78 | 55:57 to 56:32 | cleaned
The reason we're in the trouble that we're in today in America is because we do not have men that will preach the whole counsel of God. I suppose there could be no greater compliment to the men of the South than that which was given by a Yankee chaplain in speaking to his regiment on the state of religion among the Southern troops. Listen to what this Yankee chaplain said concerning the state of religion among the Southern troops.
#79 | 56:36 to 57:13 | cleaned
Quote, "You may call this fanaticism, enthusiasm, or what you will, but remember you are fighting an enemy that comes from the closet to the battlefield, that comes from its knees in prayer to engage in deadly strife, that comes in the belief that its battles are the battles of Jehovah, that His smile is resting upon its banner and will ensure success. What power to make every man a hero and every hero, if need be, a martyr."
#80 | 57:14 to 57:49 | cleaned
Did you hear what he said? You're fighting men who are coming from their prayer closets, who are coming from their knees, who believe that their cause is just. They have the blessing and the power of God upon them. They're courageous. They're ready to fight. They're willing to die. It's that power that will make every one of them a hero, and if necessary, make every hero a martyr.
#81 | 57:51 to 58:23 | cleaned
He'll give his life for truth. Do you realize even those who fought against us recognize the power of Christianity and the Word of God? Let me ask you, how can we be so blind and how can we be so ignorant? Should we not remember that that which once made us great as a nation, as a people, as a culture, was the Word of God and the worship of Jesus Christ? I keep telling people this over and over.
#82 | 58:23 to 59:15 | cleaned
We will never reclaim our heritage. We will never reclaim our history. We will never reclaim our culture until we go back to the foundation upon which our history, our heritage, and our culture was built. And that foundation is the Word of God.
#83 | 59:17 to 59:38 | cleaned
Now, in Psalm 44, and I want you to look at it, Psalm 44. I want you to see what the prayer is really about. Look at Psalm 44. "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old." In other words, God, we've heard all these mighty stories. We've heard how You providentially delivered Your people. We've heard about Your power and blessings. And specifically, verse 2, "How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantedst them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out." In other words, God, it was Your sovereign providence that kicked the heathen out and gave us the land. Then they said, "For they got not that land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor to them." Now, wait a minute.
#84 | 59:40 to 1:00:36 | cleaned
Did not the children of Israel fight? Well, of course they fought. But what they're saying in verse 3 is this, it was not our power, it was not our might, it was God blessing us and giving us the victory. Now watch this. Verse 1 we've heard. Verse 2, we've heard specifically. Verse 3, Lord, although we fought, we know it was not our ability, it was Your ability. And then he says in verse 4, "Thou art my King, O God.
#85 | 1:00:36 to 1:01:04 | cleaned
Command deliverances for Jacob." What is he saying? He's saying, God, listen, we've heard all that You have done in time past for Your people. Lord, You've changed not. You are still our King. O God, command deliverances for Jacob. Here's what he's saying. God, You've done it in time past. Do it again! And that's what we need to cry. Do it again, O Lord. Do it again.
#86 | 1:01:04 to 1:01:35 | cleaned
And then he goes, "Through Thee," as You give us grace and power, "through Thee, we will push down our enemies. Through Thy name, we will tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow. Neither shall my sword save me, but Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long." God, do it again. "Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Jacob." Can we not cry, "Thou art my King, O God. Command deliverances for Thy people in America. Command deliverances for Thy people in the South."
#87 | 1:01:36 to 1:02:31 | cleaned
Do it again, O Lord. Do it again. Father, we bow before Thee this day, and we've heard with our ears some of the great things Thou didst in times past. We know that Thou dost not change. Thou art the immutable, sovereign God of heaven and earth. And Lord, we pray that You would enable us to humble ourselves under Thy hand and Thy mighty power, that we might cry, "Do it again, O Lord, do it again. Command deliverances for Thy people." Give us Your grace, Your mercy, and Your power. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
#88 | 1:02:32 to 1:03:24 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:13:06Z

The Revival in the Confederate Armies

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines the spiritual dimension of the War Between the States, arguing that a theological shift in the North toward humanism and abolitionism led to cultural and political conflict. He highlights the great revival that swept the Confederate armies, where an estimated 150,000 soldiers were genuinely converted, producing courage and perseverance against overwhelming odds. The sermon calls for a return to the Word of God and prays for God to 'do it again' in our day.

Introduction: Rehearsing God's Mighty Works

Weaver introduces Psalm 44 as a pattern for remembering God's past deliverances and applies it to the revival in the Confederate armies.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 44:1-8

"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days and times of old. How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thine hand and plantedst them. How Thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God, command deliverances for Jacob."

The Uniqueness of the War and Its Spiritual Neglect

The War of Northern Aggression is unparalleled in history, yet its spiritual angle has been largely ignored.

Pre-War Denominational Unity and Theological Decline

Before the war, denominations were national and cooperated, but abolitionism, modernism, and humanism infiltrated the Northern churches, causing division.

The War as a Theological and Cultural Conflict

Southern theologians saw the war as a battle between Christianity and atheism; a theological revolution in the North drove the conflict.

Denominational Splits and Prophetic Warnings

Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists split over abolitionism; leaders like Charles Hodge and William Plumer warned of national disunion.

The South's Resilience and the Role of Revival

Despite being outnumbered and out-resourced, the South held out for four years; Weaver attributes this to God-sent revival producing courageous Christian soldiers.

Christian Courage in Battle

Examples of Stonewall Jackson, Dabney Carr Harrison, and others show that faith in Christ removed fear of death and inspired bravery.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:14

"Be not ye afraid of them."

That is the enemy.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:14

"Be not ye afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 16:13

"Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit ye like men, and be strong."

Genuineness of the Conversions

The revival produced lasting conversions; J. William Jones tracked 410 baptized men and found only three did not persevere.

Means and Workers of the Revival

Colporteurs, hospital workers, godly officers, and especially chaplains labored under fire, preaching Christ and even fighting alongside the men.

Interdenominational Cooperation and Gospel Preaching

Chaplains of different denominations worked together, united by the doctrines of grace; straight gospel preaching led to mass conversions.

The Need for Courageous Preachers Today

Weaver laments the lack of bold, Word-centered preachers and calls for men who will preach the whole counsel of God without shame.

Scripture Reading — Mark 8:38

"Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with His holy angels."

Conclusion: A Prayer for God to 'Do It Again'

Using Psalm 44, Weaver prays that God would again send deliverance and revival to His people in America.

The Revival in the Confederate Armies

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1906134345
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-10-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	88

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Rehearsing God's Mighty Works: Weaver introduces Psalm 44 as a pattern for remembering God's past deliverances and applies it to the revival in the Confederate armies.
The Uniqueness of the War and Its Spiritual Neglect: The War of Northern Aggression is unparalleled in history, yet its spiritual angle has been largely ignored.
Pre-War Denominational Unity and Theological Decline: Before the war, denominations were national and cooperated, but abolitionism, modernism, and humanism infiltrated the Northern churches, causing division.
The War as a Theological and Cultural Conflict: Southern theologians saw the war as a battle between Christianity and atheism; a theological revolution in the North drove the conflict.
Denominational Splits and Prophetic Warnings: Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists split over abolitionism; leaders like Charles Hodge and William Plumer warned of national disunion.
The South's Resilience and the Role of Revival: Despite being outnumbered and out-resourced, the South held out for four years; Weaver attributes this to God-sent revival producing courageous Christian soldiers.
Christian Courage in Battle: Examples of Stonewall Jackson, Dabney Carr Harrison, and others show that faith in Christ removed fear of death and inspired bravery.
Genuineness of the Conversions: The revival produced lasting conversions; J. William Jones tracked 410 baptized men and found only three did not persevere.
Means and Workers of the Revival: Colporteurs, hospital workers, godly officers, and especially chaplains labored under fire, preaching Christ and even fighting alongside the men.
Interdenominational Cooperation and Gospel Preaching: Chaplains of different denominations worked together, united by the doctrines of grace; straight gospel preaching led to mass conversions.
The Need for Courageous Preachers Today: Weaver laments the lack of bold, Word-centered preachers and calls for men who will preach the whole counsel of God without shame.
Conclusion: A Prayer for God to 'Do It Again': Using Psalm 44, Weaver prays that God would again send deliverance and revival to His people in America.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The war was a theological conflict, not merely political or economic.

The North's embrace of humanism and abolitionism was a theological revolution that forced a cultural and political war upon the South.

Weaver states, 'Your view of economics, your view of politics, your view of the government, all of this is determined by what? Your theology.'

Denominational splits foreshadowed national division.

The breakup of national denominations over abolitionism was a prophetic warning of the coming national rupture.

Charles Hodge said, 'abolitionism must operate to produce the disunion of the states and the division of all ecclesiastical societies.'

Revival, not military prowess, explains Southern resilience.

The South's ability to fight for four years against superior numbers and resources is attributed to the spiritual strength from revival.

Weaver asks, 'How could the South hold out for four long, hard, strenuous years against such odds?' and answers with the revival.

Christian faith produces the best soldiers.

Historically, Christian men make the greatest fighters because they fight on principle and are unafraid of death.

Oliver Cromwell said, 'Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.'

The Confederate revival produced genuine, lasting conversions.

The high perseverance rate of converts demonstrates the authenticity of the work of God in the armies.

Out of 410 men baptized by J. William Jones, only three did not continue in the faith.

Chaplains were essential to the revival and often fought alongside the men.

Chaplains preached, counseled, and even took up arms, modeling courage and commitment.

Chaplain Tichenor 'fought with coolness and courage of a veteran killing a Yankee colonel, a major, and four privates.'

Interdenominational cooperation was possible because of shared theology.

Despite differing on secondary issues, chaplains united around the Word of God and the doctrines of grace.

Weaver describes a service: 'a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services under the direction of a Methodist chaplain in an Episcopal church.'

Modern pulpits lack bold, uncompromising preachers.

The church's decline is due to preachers who are ashamed of the gospel and fail to proclaim the whole counsel of God.

Weaver says, 'The reason we're in the trouble that we're in today in America is because we do not have men that will preach the whole counsel of God.'

Scripture References

Psalm 44:1-8: Weaver reads and expounds this passage as the foundation for remembering God's past works and praying for present deliverance.
1 Timothy 6:5: William Plumer warned that if the assembly declared slaveholding a sin, southern churches would withdraw, citing this verse.
Nehemiah 4:14: Weaver quotes this verse to show that remembering the Lord gives courage to fight for family and home.
1 Corinthians 16:13: Paul's command to 'quit ye like men, be strong' is used to illustrate biblical principles that solidify a fighting spirit.
Philippians 1:21-24: Paul's desire to depart and be with Christ is cited to show why Christians do not fear death.
1 Samuel 2:30: God honors those who honor Him; used to rebuke preachers who are ashamed of the gospel.
Mark 8:38: Jesus warns that He will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of Him; applied to timid preachers.
1 Samuel 16 (implied context of 1 Samuel 15): The elders of Bethlehem asked Samuel if he came peaceably because he had hacked Agag to pieces; used to contrast bold preachers.

Historical References

James Henley Thornwell (1812-1862): Prominent Presbyterian theologian who analyzed the war as a conflict between Christianity and atheism.
Charles Hodge: Eminent Presbyterian theologian who warned that abolitionism would divide churches and the nation.
William S. Plumer: Presbyterian preacher who in 1837 warned that a church split over slavery would lead to national bloodshed.
First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run): The first major battle where the South routed the North, shattering Northern overconfidence.
Oliver Cromwell: English military leader who gathered Christian soldiers and said, 'he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.'
Captain Dabney Carr Harrison: Confederate pastor and soldier who died at Fort Donelson, exemplifying fearlessness in death.
Colonel Lewis Minor Coleman: Fatally wounded at Fredericksburg, he said, 'I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die.'
Stonewall Jackson: Confederate general who felt as safe in battle as in bed because God had determined his time of death.
Dr. J. William Jones: Army evangelist who documented the revival and tracked the perseverance of converts.
Chaplain I.T. Tichenor: Chaplain of the 17th Alabama who rallied his men at Shiloh and fought, killing several enemies.

Important Quotes

Truly, I think he that prays and preaches best will fight the best.

Oliver Cromwell's maxim supports the argument that Christian devotion enhances martial valor.

I die content and happy, trusting in the merits of my Savior Jesus, committing my wife and children to their Father and mine.

Captain Harrison's dying words demonstrate the peace and assurance of a genuine convert.

Tell General Jackson and General Lee, they know how Christian soldiers can fight, and I wish they could see now how a Christian soldier can die.

Colonel Coleman's charge highlights the consistency of Christian courage in life and death.

You may call this fanaticism, enthusiasm, or what you will, but remember you are fighting an enemy that comes from the closet to the battlefield, that comes from its knees in prayer to engage in deadly strife.

A Yankee chaplain's admission underscores the spiritual power behind the Southern fighting spirit.

The most unmitigated set of villains they have in the South are the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian preachers all talking secession, drinking mean liquor, and advocating the cause of Jeff Davis and the devil.

This Northern criticism reveals the perceived influence of Southern preachers in sustaining the war effort.

We want effective gospel preachers whose burden shall be Christ and Him crucified.

J. William Jones's call for chaplains emphasizes the centrality of gospel preaching in the revival.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the theological shift in the North (humanism, abolitionism) compare to theological shifts in our own day?

[Context]

Weaver argues that a change in theology always precedes a change in culture.

[Question]

In what ways can remembering God's past works strengthen our faith for present challenges?

[Context]

Psalm 44:1 is used as a model for rehearsing God's mighty acts.

[Question]

What does the fearlessness of Christian soldiers like Stonewall Jackson teach us about facing death?

[Context]

Jackson said he felt as safe in battle as in bed because God had determined his time.

[Question]

Why is the perseverance of converts an important test of genuine revival?

[Context]

J. William Jones found that only 3 out of 410 baptized men did not continue in the faith.

[Question]

What can we learn from the interdenominational cooperation among Confederate chaplains?

[Context]

Chaplains of different denominations worked together, united by the doctrines of grace.

[Question]

How does the example of chaplains who both preached and fought challenge our view of pastoral ministry?

[Context]

Chaplain Tichenor fought and killed enemies while also ministering to his men.

[Question]

What are the marks of a bold, God-honoring preacher according to this sermon?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts wimpy, ashamed preachers with those who preach the whole counsel of God.

[Question]

How should we pray for revival in our own nation and churches?

[Context]

The sermon concludes with a prayer from Psalm 44: 'Do it again, O Lord.'

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:52:26Z