The collection consists of a printed sermon preached at Sugar Creek Church on February 28, 1862. The sermon speaks to conditions in the South during the Civil War. Lafferty sees the war struggles as evidence that the citizens of the South have fallen away from grace. He identifies as particular problems ingratitide towards God, converting the bounty of God into a curse, intemperance and profanity, unfair business practices, failure to support and serve in the army and a failure to trust in God.