from the ,google ,print project47       
,the ,spirit ,proper to the ,times4   ,a
 ,,sermon  ,,preached ,,in ,,king',s    
,,chapel1 ,,boston1  ,,sunday1 ,,may    
#ab1 #ahfa4  ,,by  ,,james ,,walker1    
,d4,d4   ,,printed ,,at ,,the ,,request 
,,of ,,the ,,wardens ,,of ,,the         
,,society4  ,,boston3 ,,press ,,of      
,,geo4 ,c4 ,,rand  ,,avery1 ,,no4 #c    
,,cornhill4 #ahfa4     ,,sermon4        
,with such sacrifices ,god is well      
pleased4--,hebrews xiii4 #af4   ,i am to
 speak of public spirit1 as manifested  
in a willingness to make sacrifices for 
the public good4  ,the necessity for    
making sacrifices would seem to be      
founded in this3 as we cannot have every
 thing1 we must be willing to sacrifice 
some things in order to obtain or secure
 others4 ,wicked men recognize and act  
upon this principle4 ,can you not recall
 more than one person in your own circle
 of acquaintances who is sacrificing his
 health1 his good name1 his domestic    
comfort1 to vicious indulgences8        

,worldly people recognize and act upon  
this principle4 ,look at that miser3 he 
is hoarding up his thousands and his    
tens of thousands1 but in order to do   
so1 is he not sacrificing every thing   
which makes life worth having8 ,it is a 
mistake to suppose that religion1 or    
morality1 or the public necessities1    
ever call upon us to make greater       
sacrifices than those which men are     
continually making to sin and the world1
 to fashion and fame1 to the lust of the
 flesh1 the lust of the eyes1 and the   
pride of life4  ,in times of ease1 and  
abundance1 and tranquillity1 the public 
takes care of itself4 ,there are few    
sacrifices on the part of individuals   
for the public good1 because there are  
few occasions for such sacrifices4 ,they
 are not made because not called for1   
because not needed4 ,moreover1 private  
benevolence is apt at such times to     
become less active1 and1 for the same   
reason1 that is to say1 because less of 
it is required4  ,this state of things  

is seized upon by those who are eager to
 put the worst possible construction on 
human nature and human conduct1 as      
evidence of extreme degeneracy4 ,how    
often are we to be told that our present
 troubles are sent upon us in order to  
lift the whole community out of the mire
 of money-getting propensities1 where   
every thing like public spirit was in   
danger of being swallowed up and lost8  
,i protest against this wholesale abuse 
of what has been1--at best1 a gross     
exaggeration4 ,the whole truth in this  
matter is told in a few words4 ,by      
constitution1 by habit1 by              
circumstances1 our people are intensely 
active2 and this activity1 for want of  
other objects1 has been turned into the 
channels of material prosperity4 ,if1   
therefore1 you merely affirm their      
excessive eagerness in acquisition1 ,i  
grant it2 but if1 not content with this1
 you go on to charge them with being    
niggards in expending what they have    
acquired1 ,i deny it1 emphatically1     

utterly4 ,read the history of what has  
been done in this commonwealth1 in this 
city1 during the last twenty-five years 
for humanity1 for education1 for science
 and the arts1 for every form of public 
use or human need1 and then say1 if you 
can1 that public spirit has been dying  
out4 ,our people have never been        
otherwise than public spirited1 and     
hence the promptness and unanimity of   
their response to this new call to      
public duty4 ,hence also our confidence 
in it1--not as an excitement merely1    
which a day has made1 and a day may     
unmake1 but as an expression of         
character4  ,let us1 however1 be just to
 the excitement itself1 considered as   
the sudden and spontaneous uprising of a
 whole community to sustain the         
government4 ,we need demonstrations of  
this kind1 from time to time1 to        
reassure us that all men have souls4 ,it
 is worth a great deal merely as an     
experiment1 on a large scale1 to prove  
that the moral and social instincts are 

as much a part of human nature as the   
selfish instincts4 ,but he must be a    
superficial observer who can see nothing
 in this vast movement but the play of  
instincts4 ,it is a great moral force4  
,not a little of what passes for loyalty
 or patriotism in other countries is    
blind impulse1 growing out of mere      
attachment to the soil1 or the power of 
custom1 or a helpless feeling of        
dependence on things as they are4 ,if my
 father in his grave could hear of this 
war1 said a ,spanish peasant1 his bones 
would not rest4 ,yet what earthly       
interest1 what intelligible concern had 
,spanish peasants in the rivalships and 
struggles of princes who thought of     
nothing but their own or their family   
aggrandizement4 ,of such loyalty1 of    
such patriotism1 there never has been   
much in this country1 and there never   
will be4 ,the loyal and patriotic       
,states have risen up as one man to     
maintain the government1 because the    
government represents the great ideas of

 order and liberty4 ,it is not an       
excitement of irritation merely1 or of  
wounded vanity1 or of a selfish and     
discomfited ambition4 ,it is1 as ,i have
 said1 a great moral force1 a reverence 
for order and liberty2 an excitement1 if
 you will have it so1 but an excitement 
resting on solid and intelligible       
principle1 and one1 therefore1 which    
trial and sacrifice will be likely to   
convert into earnest and solemn purpose4
  ,i suppose some are full of concern as
 to the effect which trial and sacrifice
 will really have on this new outbreak  
of public spirit4 ,they fear that       
suffering for our principles will abate 
our confidence in them1 or at least our 
interest in them1 and so the ardor will 
die away4 ,so doubtless1 it will in some
 cases1 for every community has its     
representatives of the seed that was    
sown on stony ground2 but it will be the
 exception and not the rule4 ,human     
nature1 if it has fair play1 will never 
lead a single individual to think less  

of a privilege or blessing1 merely      
because it has cost more4 ,when has     
religion interested men the most1 and   
the most generally8 ,precisely at those 
times when men were religious at the    
greatest sacrifices4 ,indeed1 it is on  
this principle that we explain the decay
 of a proper love of country among us   
for the last twenty or thirty years2 it 
is because we have had so little to do  
for our country4 ,a foreign war1 even a 
famine or a pestilence1 if it had been  
sufficiently severe1 would have saved us
 from our present trouble and           
humiliation4 ,so long as the people     
think and feel together1 they hold each 
other up1 and the sacrifices in which   
they express their public spirit1       
instead of wearing it out1 will purify  
it and keep it alive4  ,and this is not 
all4 ,from the language sometimes used  
in speaking of sacrifices for the public
 good1 it might almost be supposed that 
the making of them is simply painful1   
simply distressing4 ,but is it so8 ,of  

course both instinct and duty impel us  
to look out for ourselves2 but is it not
 equally true that both instinct and    
duty impel us to help one another1 and  
provide for the common weal8 ,a generous
 and noble deed1--simply painful1 simply
 distressing6 ,i will not deny that a   
long life of selfishness1 meanness1 and 
servility may bring here and there one  
to look on things in this light1 but not
 until he is1 in the language of        
,scripture1 without natural affection4  
,public spirit1 so an eminent jurist has
 defined it1 is the whole body of those 
affections which unite men's hearts to  
the commonwealth4 ,what ,i insist upon  
is1 that these are real and natural     
affections1 and that1 in acting them    
out1 we find a real and natural         
satisfaction4 ,who will say that the    
happiest moments of his existence have  
not been those in which he was conscious
 of living for others1 and not for      
himself8 ,there are many things in the  
present aspect of our public affairs to 

fill us with regret and anxiety1 but a  
gleam of light shines through the cloud4
 ,every man and woman and child will be 
moved to act more unselfishly1 more     
nobly2 life will cost more1 but it will 
also be worth more4  ,it is extremely   
difficult to do justice to this human   
nature of ours1--capable at once of such
 mean and little things1 of such noble  
and great things4 ,there is1 however1   
one distinction which all1 ,i suppose1  
will accord to it3 ,i mean its tendency 
to rise up and meet great emergencies4  
,in every soul that lives there is an   
untold amount of latent energy and      
public spirit which only waits for the  
occasion to call it forth4 ,read the    
history of the ,netherlands1--a people  
made up1 for the most part1 of merchants
 and manufacturers1 of traders and      
artisans1 growing rich and apparently   
thinking of little else4 ,a blow is     
struck at the free institutions which   
they had inherited from their ancestors2
 immediately a new spirit reveals       

itself1 and all ,europe rings with the  
story of their heroic daring and        
suffering4  ,the sacrifices which the   
country asks for in time of war are     
those of property1 labor1 and life2 and 
she does not ask in vain4  ,we are      
continually reminded that this rebellion
 has taken place at a moment of great   
national prosperity1 to blast it all4   
,the sacrifices of property1 in a       
thousand ways1 must be immense2 every   
man1 however1 from his diminished       
fortune1 is ready to distribute1 and not
 grudgingly or of necessity4 ,his public
 spirit makes him love to give4 ,i doubt
 whether it is common for rich men to   
think any better of themselves merely   
because they are rich2 but if they can  
make their riches1 and their financial  
skill1 available to save the ,state1    
they will think better of themselves1   
and they will have a right to do so4    
,there is a natural jealousy of wealth1 
especially when it takes the form of a  
passion for accumulation1 which         

demagogues and fanatics know how to use 
for bad ends4 ,one of the incidental    
benefits resulting from a great national
 struggle is1 that all these social     
misunderstandings and heart-burnings are
 suspended1 are healed4 ,the people see 
and feel and acknowledge that a real    
title to nobility is found1 not in      
wealth itself1 but in wealth generously 
and nobly bestowed4  ,others are        
manifesting their public spirit by      
sacrifices of time and labor4 ,and here 
,i wish ,i could find fit terms in which
 to acknowledge the services and        
sufferings of women4 ,you have heard of 
the ,spartan mother equipping her son   
for battle1 and giving him1 last of all1
 the shield1 with the brief and stern   
farewell1 ,with it or on it4 ,we expect 
no such stoicism now1 but we expect what
 is better4 ,we expect that ,christian  
mothers1 with hearts bleeding for their 
country1 and bleeding for their         
children1 will say1 ,it is the will of  
,god that they should go1 and1          

furthermore1 that they will go1 having  
always been taught at home that there   
are many things worse than death4 ,and  
then how many fingers are busily at work
 in all classes1 rich and poor alike1 to
 provide for the comfort of those who   
go8 ,they even ask for the privilege of 
tending the sick and wounded4 ,how many1
 brought up in ease and affluence1 would
 follow in the steps of her whose tender
 voice1 the very rustle of whose dress  
by the bedside of the dying soldier was 
as a glimpse of heaven4 ,i have heard   
men call this romance4 ,but is it well1 
or right1 or tolerable1 in times like   
these1 to look round for side motives1  
when the motive avowed is reasonable and
 probable8 ,i believe1 as ,i believe ,i 
live1 that many who never knew what it  
is to work before1 are ready to thank   
,god for the chance they now have to    
live to some purpose4  ,but will our men
 fight8 ,there is no denying that this  
word sounds disagreeably in a ,christian
 discourse2 still1 ,i have no misgivings

 in respect to it1--no extravagances to 
take back2 not the beginning of a doubt 
but that there are wars which1 on one   
side at least1 are necessary1 and just1 
and holy4 ,the ,bible contains no       
express and unqualified prohibition of  
war2 neither can such prohibition be    
said to be intimated or implied in any  
text or in the general tenor of         
,scripture1 without making it           
subversive1 at the same time1 of civil  
government4 ,besides1 ,i remember that  
the first person not a ,jew1 in whose   
favor our ,lord wrought a miracle1 was a
 ,roman centurion2 and that the first   
person not a ,jew admitted into the     
,christian church1 was also a ,roman    
centurion2 and not a syllable is said   
against their calling1 neither is there 
a shadow of evidence that they ever     
changed it4 ,undoubtedly it is the      
legitimate and certain tendency of the  
spirit of the gospel1 as it is more and 
more diffused in the world1 to introduce
 universal peace2 but the spirit of the 

gospel acts from within outwardly1 and  
not from without inwardly4 ,thus the    
stop to be put to war is to be expected1
 not so much by chaining down those     
irrepressible instincts which lead men  
to resist wrong1 as by eradicating the  
disposition to do wrong4 ,wars will     
cease when all men are ,christians1 and 
perfect ,christians2 but this will not  
be to-day nor to-morrow4  ,accordingly1 
,i am not surprised that the call to    
arms has been responded to with such    
enthusiasm1--or that it is sustained by 
the whole moral and religious sentiment 
of the community4 ,men are ready to     
offer up not only their money and their 
labor1 but also their lives4 ,are you   
afraid that your sons and brothers will 
be cowards merely because they are not  
duelists8 because they have never been  
engaged in a street-fight8 because      
prayers were made at their departure8 or
 because they have carried their bibles 
with them8 ,did ,cromwell's soldiers    
flee before the cavaliers because they  

were sober and ,god-fearing men8 ,our   
people have no love for fighting1 as a  
pastime2 let it1 however1 become a      
serious business1 and they will show    
that their veins are full of the blood  
that flowed so freely in other days4    
,these are some of the ways in which a  
people may manifest their public spirit1
 and in which our people are manifesting
 it now4 ,with such sacrifices ,god is  
well pleased4 ,i have given a definition
 of public spirit from the jurists1 but 
,i like still better the ,bible         
definition4 ,in the words of the        
prophet1 ,they helped every one his     
neighbor1 and every one said to his     
brother1 ,be of good courage4  ,in      
looking back on what has been said1 ,i  
find ,i have not spoken against anybody1
 not even against our enemies4 ,perhaps 
we have had enough of invective2 at any 
rate the pulpit may spare it4 ,god is my
 witness1 ,i feel no vindictive         
resentment1 no bitter hostility against 
those who have been swept away by this  

terrible delusion4 ,moreover1 ,i confess
 to being greatly moved by the          
circumstance that in some respects what 
is true of us is true also of them4     
,they seem to be of one mind2 their     
religious men appeal with confidence to 
the righteous ,judge2 their women are   
working day and night to help forward   
the cause4 ,if it were a mere question  
of interest1 or passion1 or prejudice   
between us and them1 it might be said   
that one side is as likely to be        
self-deceived as the other4 ,but it is  
not4 ,by striking at the principles of  
all constitutional and free government1 
and this too avowedly for the purpose of
 founding society on the servitude of an
 inferior race1 on whose toil the more  
favored races are to live1 they have put
 themselves in opposition to the settled
 convictions and the moral sense of good
 men all over the world4  ,to the       
student of history it is no new thing   
that a whole community should be given  
over to believe a lie1--not the less    

mad1 because all mad together4 ,the     
process by which this state of things is
 brought about is always substantially  
the same4 ,egotism1 vanity1 disappointed
 ambition1 sectional jealousies1 a real 
or supposed interest or expediency      
induce them to wish that a wrong course 
were the right one4 ,they try to        
convince themselves that it is so1 and  
all such efforts to sophisticate the    
conscience1 if persisted in1 are        
punished by entire success4 ,the        
spectacle does not inspire me with hate2
 it fills me with wonder and profound   
melancholy4 ,do these men think that by 
altering their opinion of right they can
 alter the nature of things1 or make    
wrong come out right in the great and   
solemn issues which are before us8 ,we  
stand where their own great men stood in
 the best days of the republic4 ,as     
regards the leading rights and interests
 at stake1 our consciences are but the  
echo of the conscience of the ,christian
 world4 ,the fathers of the ,revolution1

 one and all1 are looking down with     
sorrow and indignation on this attempt  
to break up and destroy their work4     
,nevertheless1 it can do no good to     
begin by overvaluing ourselves1 or      
undervaluing our enemies4 ,we know that 
the behests of a righteous ,providence  
will be accomplished1 but we do not know
 in what way4 ,it is more than probable 
that in the troubles and distractions   
which have come upon the country we     
ourselves have something to answer for4 
,for this reason reverses and           
humiliations may be in store for us1    
before we are accounted worthy to carry 
out the ,divine judgments4 ,but there   
can be no doubt as to the end4 ,a       
struggle has been forced upon us by a   
doomed people1 if the laws of nature do 
not fail1 if there is any meaning in the
 moral sentiments of mankind1 or any    
justice in heaven4         99       99  
99       99       99