A SERMON
PREACHED IN ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, DETROIT,
ON THE EVENING OF StEXAGESIMA SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 23, 1862,
B Y TH.E RECTOR,
THE REV. WILLIAM E. ARMITAGE.
D IE T IR 01  T:
PUBLISHED BY RICHMONDS & BACKUS.
O. S. GULLEY'S STEAM PRESSES.
1862.




This Sermion is printed, at the request of some who heard it, who
have so urged the possibility of its helping the good cause a little,
that the writer could not well refuse to listen to the motives and the
hope with which it was preached, in  the ordinary  course of his
duties.




S E R M O N.
-4 —---
" Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not."-JEReMIAH 45: 5.
TrosE were dark days in which Baruch, the son of
Neriah, received this word from the Lord by the mouth
of Jeremiah the prophet. It was the fifth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, who had come to the throne as the
vassal of the king of Egypt, when the land was but the
battle-ground of the Egyptians and Chaldeans.  The
people were divided.  Having lost their independence,
they could lot agree in the choice of masters, and therefore were preyed upon by their powerful neighbors in turn.
Amid all the miseries from these causes, the few servants
of the LoRD among them were grieved and wearied by
the general apostasy. They saw the LoRD's hand in the
judgments which had come upon' them; and they believed
that the LOnD would deliver them, if the blended people
could be brought to turn to Him again. With what hope
must Jeremiah have heard the command to "' write in the
roll of a book all the words that had been spoken against
Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations;"
when it was added, "it may be that the house of Judah
will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them;
that they may return every man from his evil way; that
I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." With what
alacrity did he call Baruch, his scribe, to write from his
mouth all that the LornD had spoken, and send him to read
it in the ears of all the people. On a fast day, when the
Temple was thronged, Baruch stood at the entry of the




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new gate, and read the roll. He was called to read it the
second time before all the princes, who seemed to be
moved by it. But knowing the king's temper, they counseled him and his master to hide themselves, before he
received it at their hands.  And it was well that they
were hidden, for Jehoiakim, as the roll was read to him,
cut off piece after piece and cast it into the fire that was
on the hearth; and when it was all consumed, commanded
his officers to "take Baruch the scribe, and Jeremiah the
prophet," designing instant revenge.
And now in this danger and confinement the characters
of the two men were disclosed. Both stood in the same
condemnation, to the king; both were servants of GOD;
both grieved over the nation's apostasy, and prayed for
revival an-d deliverance; both had expected much, or
rather had hoped for much, from the reading of the roll;
and now both were disappointed.  But while Jeremiah
was patient, and willing to suffer for the cause of GOD
and his country, since that was required of him, Baruch
was crying "Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added
grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no
rest." It was not from difference of natural tempera.
ment merely; but while Jeremiah forgot himself, had
worked and hoped for GOD and his country, and not, for
himself, Baruch had been seeking for himself great things.
He had been ready enough to write and to read the roll;
eager in looking forward to the revival which it seemed to
promise; but he had never lost sight of himself in it all.
He had hoped to play some chief part, to better his own
fortunes. And so the disappointment, which his master
felt as a patriot and a servant of GOD, was to him personal
and selfish. Jeremiah had the comfort that such was the
Loud's will, and he could bear patiently.  Baruch fretted




and pined, because there was no comfort in expecting
great things, and then being forced to hide himself to save
his life. The LORD'S message to him was, in effect, While
thy country is in ruin, seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. I will bring evil upon all flesh.
In the coming days great things will be nothing worth. I
will give thee thy life in all places whither thou goest, and
thou shall often have cause for joy that even so much is
sure to thee.
Are not our days, my brethren, like that fifth year of
Jehoiaklim, king of Judah? Days of national distress, in
which national existence is in peril? Worse than foreign
invasion is the domestic treason which has brought us into
civil war; and I do not know that the miseries of that
ancient people were more or greater than our own, past
and present and to come.  And many a righteous soul
among us must have some degree of Jeremiah's feeling fbr
our country. I suppose that, then, the Chaldean and
Egyptian parties in Jerusalem were busy in mutual recriminations, exposures, denunciations, tracing to one another
all the common woes, and using falsehood when truth
would not serve the turn. But Jeremiah went below all
such causes to their root in the people's forgetfulness of
GOD. All his efforts and prayers, as well as his inspired
acts and words, were aimed at arousing them to their
peril from that cause. It grieved him, it vexed his soul.
that the nation's conscience was dead, and that the LoRD'S
offers were spurned or unheeded.  And this should be the
Christian patriot's attitude now in this country. Every
man who believes in GOD and loves his country, for that
country's sake should be a better servant of GOD than he
has ever been. It is a cheap and easy patriotism to talk;
it is a time for every one to do. And no man, woman, or




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child, is without opportunity of doing, if we will keep the
prophet's example in mind. Whoever is called to serve
in the field, or in any sphere of administration, let him do
it heartily, as to the LORD and not to men; seeking, by
Christian fidelity, to gain GoD's blessing on the work. If
no such charge is laid upon us, we may find somelthing to
do at home for the good cause, perhaps in the care of our
soldiers or their families. But, whatever it be, let it be
done, not grudgingly, or of necessity, for GOD loveth a
cheerful giver to country as well as to Himself. But, if
we can do nothing else, we can give to our cause the help
of prayers and efforts for holy living. Every man who
adds himself to the number of daily intercessors with
GOD for the removal of His judgments from us; of those
whose conscientious living lessens so much the general corruption, wins back so much of the Divine favor; of those
who feel with their whole souls that all our evils flow from
forgetfulness of GOD, and so look beyond all means and
policy to that return and zeal which should control means
and policy-every man who adds himself to the number
of real, living, working, praying, consistent Christians, and
does all he can to make ours a Christian land, is therein a
patriot.  Who, do you think, did the most for Judah, in
the days of Jeremiah?  Who was doing the most, when
Baruch and he lay hidden?  You heard in the first lesson
to-night, (Jeremiah 36 ~ 11, 12,) the names of the princes
and great men of the time.  You can conceive of their
efforts to save the country-but was not the hidden
prophet, day by day appealing to the LoRD, interceding,
imploring, confessing, accomplishing more than they all?
We nlus&. learn, my brethren, to see GOD in our history;
the forsaking of GOD in our corruptions; the punishment
of GoD in our fearful war; the need of return to GoD, of




the awakening of the nation's conscience towards GOD, as
the sole hope of peace and lasting union. And, therefore,
we ought all to be zealous in these times, for the increase
of the Saviour's confessed disciples among us. Besides all
other pleaders, your country now takes up the Gospel call
to the life of repentance and faith. She cries to every
one of us, Be a Christian in all earnestness of heart and
soul, and though you be hidden from the public eye, you
may have power with GOD, and do for me more than
many a man whose name is ringing through the land.
Would to GoD, that these days were writing in His book,
the names of some of us, as helpers of our country, wielding the prophet's sacred and powerful weapons!
Such, beloved, is the lesson of Jeremiah's patriotism.
And now we must notice that flaw in his companion,
which forbids us to join them  in the same praise. Baruch
may have shared his master's convictions, and even his
prayers and intercessions; but all the while he was seeking great things for himself. He hoped much, and desired
much for his country, but no less that return of her prosperity would bear himself to honors.  I am afraid that
there are more Baruchs than Jeremiahs among us now.
When the war began, the first enthusiasm called forth
many instances of real self-sacrificing patriotism; which
was content to leave home and fair prospects, and serve in
the ranks, not even pausing to ask for office. And there
has been more of this good spirit, I think, among the pri.
vates of our army, than among the officers, whose selfseeking, in. too many instances, has done great harm by
putting unfit men in posts of responsibility.  Seeking
great things for themselves, they have found very small
things for themselves and their country.  Presumptuous
ambition carried them straight on to failure and contempt.




But time, and military discipline, will correct these evils in
our army, in a measure at least; but let us ask of GoD
that He will mercifully avert from our loved ones in the
field all evil consequences from  the  incapacity, still
unexposed.
But leaving the Baruebhs of the army, let us look at
those nearer home.  We have had to bear the reproach of
a people greedy of gain; and though some of those casting this stone live in very brittle houses, we have had to
confess that the reproach was deserved.  The only " great
thing" we seem to have cared for has been wealth, every
other prize, even public office and power, being no more
than a means to obtain it.  We knew all this, but we could
hardly have realized the thorough possession of us by this
evil spirit, until the war revealed it.  We had learned to
laugh about patriotism, and the fourth of July, and so on,
which was a bad sign for us. But, I think, that we would
have expected that the danger of the overthrow of our
union and constitution, would have disclosed real patriotism, and set self-sacrifice {or its sake very generally in the
place of the greed of gain. The worst revelation of the
war, the proof and the worst symptom of our corruption,
has been, that our danger has done no such thing.  On
the other hland, the war has been almost welcomed as a
golden  opportunity of gain.  Business prospects were
rather dull at first, except to the few who were placed in
sight of immediate profits from the government's necessities.  But as those became more definite, and more public,
the clouds lifted.  The many saw avenues to profit opening before them, and rushed, at once, to secure their
chances.  Within the limits of integrity, we have no fault
to find with this eagerness of trade. It was legitimate and
right, that the war should do us all possible good, to atone




somewhat for its far surpassing evils. But 0 where was
the love of country among us?  What had become of
honor, of integrity, of common honesty, when the greed of
gain could drive American citizens to cheat, and plunder,
and lie, as we have heard from  day to day?  What
treachery, what inhumanity, what depravity, what willingness for even murder, must fraud and selfishness hide
within them-if they would strip our soldiers to the winter by clothing them  in rotten fabrics; if they would
send our troops to dangerous coasts in vessels condemned
for the navigation of quiet rivers; if they would put
stores of water, on which many lives depend, in casks
which would ruin it for use; if in arms, in ammunition,
in means of transport, in horses, in food, in clothing,
in everything which our army touches or needs, they
would sacrifice comfort, health, life, success, country, all
to their paltry gains.  It is on record for all future
time and for the judgment dacy, that when our country was
in extreme peril, when thousands of her sons rose in her
defence, there were found among us men so selfish, so besotted in selfishness, as to seek great things for themselves
at the expense of fearful immeasurable injury to hundreds
and thousands, and perhaps to our cause. I know not
my brethren, whether any of you have had part in this
iniquity. I do not, and cannot suspect you of it.  Had I
suspected any one of you, as your pastor set here to watch
for your souls, I should have implored you, privately, as
now publicly, to touch not a single farthing of such ill-gotten gains.  They will never profit one hand that has
gathered them. Men may hug themselves for their sharpness, and heap up the treasure wrung from their country
and her citizens by fraud; but the canker of the LoRD's
curse is on every coin, and will cling to them in its




o10
spending.  Better a thousand times be their prey, a
wronged and shivering soldier bearing the added hardships of their wickedness, than one of them- rich, if such
possessions be riches, but in the LoRD's sight thieves and
robbers, to be condemned forever, unless -with penitence
towards Him, they restore the wages of iniquity.
But I did not choose my subject only to add my
denunciations of public corruption to those which have
been heard from  all scides.  We have passed beyond
Baruch in the scale of self-seeking.  HIe was not so bad. as
the men we have been compelled to notice.  And so, recalling nothing that has been said, lest there may have
been some unsuspected need of hearing the truth spoken
of the worst offenders, let us consider how near we all are
to Baruch's danger in this crisis of our country.  He was
a patriot, but with the alloy of selfishness; and Judah
then needed pure and unselfish patriotism.  And this is
our need now-unselfish patriotism —-the love of our country, in whatever lot of life we are, without seeking great
things, or anything, for ourselves.  I know how rare disinterestedness is, how almost wild it seems to expect it in
these days, but, as a minister of Christ, I must press it
upon you, my people, as a need and a duty, whatever be
the spirit of the times.  You need not follow the multitude; you may be honorable exceptions, if you will. This
is no time for men to be seeking great things, when all is
in danger which would give value to any of them.  Our
country should have all our help, of whatever kind; and
we are unworthy citizens if we withhold it until we can
sell it to her.  Your own fortune may not be growing just
now; you may feel your business depressed by the war.
Well, then, there begins your opportunity for patriotism.
Consider it a sacrifice required of you, like Jeremiah's




11
forced concealment, and bear it patiently, as he did.
Many are disposed to murmur and grumble; many imore
to find fault with the administration of affairs,; many are
keeping:up the wretched party-spirit which has brought
our woes upon us; but all this should have come to an
end long ago. The war is upon us.  We cannot help ourselves. To make the best of it, to contribute all we can
to unanimity, is surely the wise course. Let us count it
unmanly to be selfishly complaining, when we are all suffering as a nation. And this may shield you froma the
temptation, which may come in this state of dissatisfaction
and depression, ato make money out of the government."  Now, my brethren, we have admitted that an
opport"uniy of supplying some of the government's necessities may be a legitimate piece of business. But I beseech
you, not doubting you, but fearing the power of prevailing
sophistries, not to give a shadow of approval to any enterprise, which in the slightest degree takes. advantage of the
government's necessities. Beware of the lightest influence
of the notion, that it is right for you to charge the government more than you dare to charge your fellow-merchants.
Some of you may think that I had better let business
alone; but it is right for me to urge upon you, now, that
the country should be favored instead of overcharged, by
her citizens. It is high time that the principle should be
established among us, that they should give to the country,
instead of making her give to them.  The tone of public
morals should be elevated, until, wild as the hope may be,
men will seek public contracts when they can save for the
government, instead of looking on them  as fine chances
for themselves.
You may urge two thoughts against me. The first is,
that, in the present corruption, such patriotic unselfishness




12
will be quite wasted; what you save or give will be
thrown away in some other quarter: and the second is,
that you may as well have the money as any one else.
And it is the prevalence of just such notions, such excuses
and palliations, such claims, " that a man can't expect disinterestedness in trade," that "trade is one thing, and
fine ideas of morality and virtue another," which seems to
require the repetition of the LoRD'S word to Baruch.  If
trade be so far from the true standard of right and wrong,
then the sooner you leave it the better.  But you should
not so slander your calling. You are as capable of highminded, honorable, conscientious dealing, as men of any
walk in life. There is no inherent wickedness in tradeno inevitable need of tricks, and sharpness, and selfishness.  Whenever you condescend to either, you do wrong
to trade as well as to yourselves.  Never allege such
excuses for violating your own conscience. If your honesty saves, or your patriotism  gives to the government a
dollar, you shall not lose the reward of honesty and
patriotism, if your neighbor robs it of a thousand.  And
as to its being as well for you to have the money as
any one else, do you not blush as you say it?  Right and
wrong are in your own balance, are right and wrong to
you, whatever they may seem to others. Better let all
your neighbors get rich, outstrip you in the race, if they
can, than let your selfishness wrong your country of a
farthing.  Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek:
them not, saith the LoRD. The nearer you can come to
forgetfulness of yourself and your own selfish interests, in
this crisis of our nation, the nearer you come to true and
worthy patriotism. I beseech you, brethren, whatever
your opportunities, if they be no more than the cheerful
payment of your taxes, to school yourselves to feel that




you must now think of your country next to your GOD,
and be ready to make sacrifices for her if she demands,
or if not, to bear your part of her burden without complaint or selfish murmuring.
There is a beautiful German legend, to borrow the recent
illustration of another, on another subject, "that on the
return of every spring-time the Emperor Charlemagne
comes from his grave to bless the land over which he once
held sway; that up and down the Rhine he walks, flinging
his blessing on gardens, and vineyards, and fields, to multiply the vintage and the harvest."  So, will we hope, may
the memory of the Father of his country, whose birth-day
was wisely celebrated yesterday, come forth among us on
each of these anniversaries and bless us with his great and
good example. The almost prophetic wisdom of his Farewell Address, I trust, stirred many hearts yesterday, and
recalled them from the tangled paths of our present politics
to the sure ground on which our fathers stood. I trust that
many eyes, half blinded by prejudices and misunderstandings, were lightened to see the worth of our country, our
Union, Constitution, government, as they looked for a while
on the services of him who was foremost in their creation.
And, above all things, I trust that many minds recalled his
unselfish patriotism, of which there is no more illustrious
instance. If you would know a man who never needed
Baruch's admonition, that man was George Washington.
Before his elevation to the head of the army, he wrote to his
brother: "It is my full intention to devote my life and fortune in the cause in which we are engaged, if needful."'
The Congress, when they appointed him Commnander-inChief, voted him a monthly stipend; but he at once replied,
"I beg to assure the Congress, that as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept this arduous




14
employment, at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any profit from it. I will
keep an exact account of my expenses. Those, I doubt
not, they will discharge; and that is all I desire." Accordingly, at the close of the war, he gave in the account
of his expenditures, and they amounted, in seven years, to
ten thousand pounds sterling, "a sum," said a British journal of the time, "which would scarcely have answered the
demands of one of our commanders-in-chief a single month."
Nor did he show his disinterestedness in money matters
only. Hie was doubted, and censured, and criticised, as
the head of our army now is-may GOD give him strength
to stand his ground as well —no idea of escaping from all
this ever swerved him a moment.  He suffered keenly.
A selfish man would have yielded, and refused to suffer
longer.  Mount Vernon must have had many charms
for the commander at Valley Forge; but for his country's
sake he bore all that envy, malice, ignorance and rashness
brought against him, being sustained by that grace which
he daily sought from Heaven, and he has been rewarded
by the affection which wonders now that he could ever
have been opposed. And then that crowning act of renunciation of great things-his retirement to private life,
when he might have grasped the sceptre of power for a lifetime, with the acclamations of a grateful people, has almost
drawn the world to say with Lord Erskine, v "I feel for him
an awful reverence."  It was a good thought to make much
of his birth-day; and we may hope and pray, that, all over
the land, our citizens may have been roused to the difference between the patriotism which seeks for itself, and that
like his, knowing no self before country; between the
patriotism  of Baruch and that of Jeremiah; between
the spirit which " thinks only of the best modes in which




15
public calamity can be turned to private gain," and that
which will claim no wages, refuse no suffering, for the sacred
cause whose success will be recompense enough when shared
with the whole rescued people.
"Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not."
The precept, my brethren, like all given in GOD'S Word,
is of universal application. I have chosen, to-night, to turn
it to our country's present claims upon us; and I beg you
not to dismiss the subject from your thoughts until you
realize your own concern in it, and your ability to be both
active and unselfish patriots, whatever your lot in lifeactive, by prayers and Christian living, if you can do no
more; and unselfish, in the cheerful readiness to bear your
share of the common burdens, and to help on the good
cause even with sacrifices,'if needful."  But let me close
by commending the principle to you, for your guidance in
all relations. It is the very mind of Jesus Christ, the Great
Exemplar. The natural heart enthrones self for its deity;
and no man can be either good, or wise, or great, until that
idol is cast down.  Ask yourself, what is the general tenor
of your life? Are you living for yourself?  Are you seeking great things for yourself? Have you not the habit of
considering the claims of GOD your Saviour, of His Church,
of your fellow-men, of your country, of your community
upon you? Are you thinking and planning and toiling
every day, only for yourself?  Then, oh my friend, you
know not what life may be. You have never tasted its
purest joys. The best part of your soul is undeveloped.
Begin, at once, to live for others and for GoD. Count it
unworthy to be selfish and self-seeking.  This transitory
world is no place for seeking great things, which soon
shall surely perish. Seek them not. Seek to make the
world better and happier for your living in it. Seek to be




16
like Him who "pleased not Himself;" who spared Iimself no toil, no shame, no pang for your redemption. And
every act of self-denial, every sacrifice, every generous,
unselfish, loving word or deed, shall bring you a reward
in His future kingdom from our dear LORD, a thousand
fold more precious than all the great things which now
allure your seeking.