an, and no man stands
higher in the community; he is just as good a man and citizen as any
member of the church. He gets along all right without religion--I won't
bother about it." So he let it alone and went his way. The very virtues
of that group of men were a baleful influence in that community--led
young men into the dreadful mistake that men do not need religion--that
religion is not a manly thing. A good man who is not a Christian does
ten-fold more harm, in a community, to the cause of Christ, and to the
lives of men than the worst, and lowest man in it; so it was here!

When the call to war came, these very men were the first to go. As a
rule they were the leaders, in thought and action, of their
fellow-citizens, and they were high spirited, intensely patriotic, and
quick to resent the invasion of their rights, and their State. In
whole-hearted devotion to the cause, they went in a spirit that would
make them thorough soldiers.

=The Example of Lee, Jackson and Stuart=

Now when these men got into the army the "esprit de corps" took
possession of them. They got shaken down to _soldier_ thoughts, and
judgments. They began to estimate men by their personal value to the
cause that was their supreme concern. In that army, three men held the
highest place in the heart and mind, of every soldier in it--they were
General Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jeb Stuart--each the highest in his
line. All the army had, for these three men, reverent honor,
enthusiastic admiration, and absolute confidence. We looked up to them
as the highest types of manhood--in noble character, superb genius, and
consummate ability. They were by eminence the heroes--the beloved
leaders of the army. There were many other able, and brilliant leaders,
whom we honored, but these were set apart. In the thoughts, and hearts
of all the army, and the country as well, these three were the noblest
and highest representatives of our cause; and every man did homage to
them, and was proud to do it. But, as was known, with all their high
qualities of genius, and personal character, and superb manhood, each
one of these three men was a devout member of Christ's Church; a sincere
and humble disciple of Jesus Christ; and in his daily life and all his
actions and relations in life, was a consistent Christian man. All his
brilliant service to his country was done as duty to his God, and all
his plans and purposes were "referred to God, and His approval and
blessing