American Minute with Bill Federer“Wherefore is all this evil upon us? Is it not because we have forsaken the Lord?” -Harvard President Samuel Langdon, 1775 |
Son of a butcher, his family died when a plague swept England, leaving him an estate.
He attended Emmanuel College, was ordained, married and sailed for Massachusetts where he pastored the First Church of Charlestown.
At age 31, he died of tuberculosis on SEPTEMBER 14, 1638. His name was Rev. John Harvard. The College at Cambridge was renamed for him. Ten of the twelve presidents of Harvard prior to the Revolutionary War were ministers, as were fifty percent of the 17th-century Harvard graduates.
“After God had carried us safe to New-England, and wee had builded our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, rear’d convenient places for God’s worship, and settled the Civill Government: One of the next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance Learning and to perpetuate it to Posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry to the Churches, when our present Ministers shall lie in the Dust.
In 1692, the motto of Harvard was: “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae” (Truth for Christ and the Church). The word Veritas on the college seal references divine truth, and was embedded on a shield, which can be found on Memorial Church, Widener Library, and numerous Harvard Yard dorms. The shield has on top two books facing up and on the bottom a book facing down, symbolizing the limits of reason and the need for God’s revelation. Get the book America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations Harvard’s Rules & Precepts, September 26, 1642, stated: “1. When any Scholar…is able to make and speak true Latine in Verse and Prose… And decline perfectly the paradigims of Nounes and Verbes in the Greek tongue…(he is allowed) admission into the college. and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and Learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisedome, Let every one seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seeke it of him Prov. 2,3.
seeing the entrance of the word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple, Psalm, 119:130. else let them know, that (notwithstanding their Learning) God may give them up to strong delusions, and in the end to a reprobate minde, 2Thes. 2:11, 12. Rom. 1:28.
6. None shall…frequent the company and society of such men as lead an unfit, and dissolute life. Nor shall any without his Tutors leave, or without the call of Parents or Guardians, goe abroad to other Townes. 7. Every Scholar shall be present in his Tutors chamber at the 7th houre in the morning, immediately after the sound of the Bell, at his opening the Scripture and prayer, so also at the 5th houre at night, and then give account of his owne private reading… But if any…shall absent himself from prayer or Lectures, he shall bee lyable to Admonition, if he offend above once a weeke.
“All persons of what degree forever residing at the College, and all undergraduates…shall constantly and seasonably attend the worship of God in the chapel, morning and evening… All the scholars shall, at sunset in the evening preceding the Lord’s Day, lay aside all their diversions and…it is enjoined upon every scholar carefully at apply himself to the duties of religion on said day.”
“We have rebelled against God. We have lost the true spirit of Christianity, though we retain the outward profession and form of it. We have neglected and set light by the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and His holy commands and institutions. The worship of many is but mere compliment to the Deity, while their hearts are far from Him. By many, the Gospel is corrupted into a superficial system of moral philosophy, little better than ancient Platonism…
We will rejoice in His salvation, and in the name of our God, we will set up our banners!… Wherefore is all this evil upon us? Is it not because we have forsaken the Lord? Can we say we are innocent of crimes against God? No, surely it becomes us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, that He may exalt us in due time… My brethren, let us repent and implore the divine mercy. Let us amend our ways and our doings, reform everything that has been provoking the Most High, and thus endeavor to obtain the gracious interpositions of Providence for our deliverance…” America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations
If God be for us, who can be against us? The enemy has reproached us for calling on His name and professing our trust in Him. They have made a mock of our solemn fasts and every appearance of serious Christianity in the land… May our land be purged from all its sins! Then the Lord will be our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, and we will have no reason to be afraid, though thousands of enemies set themselves against us round about. May the Lord hear us in this day of trouble… We will rejoice in His salvation, and in the name of our God, we will set up our banners.” For God’s Glory Alone Ministries thanks Bill Federer and www.AmericanMinute.com
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