Probably the most well-known sermon preached to drum up the patriotic passion of any citizen was given by Pastor Peter Muhlenberg. Muhlenberg’s sermon was taken from the scriptures of Ecclesiastics, chapter Three; it was titled, A Time for Everything. Throughout the first eight verses of the text, there is a repetition of contrast stating, a time to love, a time to hate, a time to keep and throw away, then ending in the last verse, “…a time for war and a time for peace”. When Muhlenberg came to the final portion of his sermon he stated, “In the language of the holy writ, there was a time for all things, a time to preach and a time to pray, but those times have passed away.”
There is a time to fight, and that time is now coming!” As he exclaimed those last words he removed his clergy robes revealing the military uniform of a Continental Colonel. “Who among you is with me?” He shouted.
Three-hundred men from his congregation followed and joined the Continental Army and soon became a part of the 8th Virginia Brigade.
There will not be doubt on my part if I were sitting in the same pews that Sunday morning, my actions would have been any different. As moving or patriotic it had been, at its roots is an unsettling fact.
First the time to preach and pray has been said to of, “passed away” as Muhlenberg put it. This time will not come until God establishes his new kingdom of heaven and earth. His statement here shows he was giving a call for recruitment not a sermon. He was preaching his words and not Gods. Muhlenberg’s thoughts for rights and liberty were the same as those posed in the constitution as being God given, but in reality more god given. The god of self, and the god of man. The rights were fought for because they wanted them, not because God gave them.
There is a time to fight, and that time is now coming!” As he exclaimed those last words he removed his clergy robes revealing the military uniform of a Continental Colonel. “Who among you is with me?” He shouted.
Three-hundred men from his congregation followed and joined the Continental Army and soon became a part of the 8th Virginia Brigade.
There will not be doubt on my part if I were sitting in the same pews that Sunday morning, my actions would have been any different. As moving or patriotic it had been, at its roots is an unsettling fact.
First the time to preach and pray has been said to of, “passed away” as Muhlenberg put it. This time will not come until God establishes his new kingdom of heaven and earth. His statement here shows he was giving a call for recruitment not a sermon. He was preaching his words and not Gods. Muhlenberg’s thoughts for rights and liberty were the same as those posed in the constitution as being God given, but in reality more god given. The god of self, and the god of man. The rights were fought for because they wanted them, not because God gave them.
