ONE NATION UNDER GOD Volume 1, Number 4b January 1997 A monthly e-newsletter on America's godly heritage. A service of Books for a Better America. In this issue: o Additional Resources o Abraham Lincoln's "Ten Guidelines" o Favorite Hymns of Lincoln o The Conversion of Abraham Lincoln o Quote: Lincoln's Defense of the Bible o Anecdotes o Footnotes o Pass the Word Along o Subscribe/Un-Subscribe Instructions ------------------------------------------------------------ Internet Resources ------------------------------------------------------------ -Declaration Foundation -The WallBuilders ------------------------------------------------------------ Abraham Lincoln's "Ten Guidelines" ------------------------------------------------------------ "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. "You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. "You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. "You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. "You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. "You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more that your income. "You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred. "You cannot establish security on borrowed money. "You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. "You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. [1] (A couple of subscribers after they received the newsletter told me that these guidelines are not from Lincoln. They were "actually authored by the Rev. William J.H. Boetcker, and were originally entitled the 'Ten Cannots.'") ------------------------------------------------------------ Favorite Hymns of Lincoln ------------------------------------------------------------ A few months ago I was listening to the radio when they announced that they were going to play Abraham Lincoln's favorite hymn. I quickly got out my recorder and taped the following hymn by Isaac Watts: "When I can read my title clear To mansions in the skies, I'll bid farewell to ev'ry fear And wipe my weeping eyes. "Should earth against my soul engage, And fiery darts be hurled, Then I can smile at Satan's rage And face a frowning world "Let cares, like a wild deluge come, And storms of sorrow fall! May I but safely reach my home, My God, my heav'n my all. "There shall I bathe my weary soul In seas of heav'nly rest, And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast" [2] While I couldn't find evidence of this hymn being his favorite, I did find that this was one of the hymns of Lincoln's youth, along with "Am I a Soldier of the Cross," "At the Cross," and others[3]. Once, Lincoln was called to the deathbed of an old woman to draw up her will. There he helped to comfort her by quoting various passages of scripture and a number of hymns including "Rock of Ages." [4] A MIDI file of two of the tunes used with the above quoted hymn can be found on the web version of this newsletter at . I'd like to give a special thanks to Ken Boyd from Bravura Products and Services, for letting me use the files from his impressive CD of hymns. I encourage you to take a look at his HymnSys CD. Besides, MIDI files of hymns, the CD also contains hymn histories, a biographical database, the Bible and a search utility. Right now you can get the beta version of this program for a special price. You'll find it at ------------------------------------------------------------ The Conversion of Abraham Lincoln ------------------------------------------------------------ "The church was filled that morning. It was a good-sized church, but on that day all the seats were taken. Mr. Lincoln came into the church after the services had commenced, and there being no vacant seats, chairs were put in the altar in the front of the pulpit, and Mr. Lincoln and Governor French and wife sat in the altar area during the entire services, Mr. Lincoln on my left and Governor French on my right. I had chosen for my text the words: 'Ye must be born again,' and during the course of my sermon I laid particular stress on the word must. I noticed that Mr. Lincoln appeared to be deeply interested. A few days after that Sunday Mr. Lincoln called on me and informed me that he had been greatly impressed with my remarks on Sunday and that he had come to talk with me further on the matter. I invited him in, and my wife and I talked and prayed with him for hours. Now, I have seen many persons converted; I have seen hundreds brought to Christ, and if ever a person was converted, Abraham Lincoln was converted that night in my house. His wife was a Presbyterian, but from remarks he made to me he could not accept Calvinism. He never joined my church, but I will always believe that since that night Abraham Lincoln lived and died a Christian gentleman." [5] "When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me; I was not a Christian. When I buried my son -- the severest trial of my life -- I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ." [6] "The Rev. Mr. Willets, of Brooklyn, gave me an account of a conversation with Mr. Lincoln, on the part of a lady of his acquaintance, connected with the "Christian Commission," who in the prosecution of her duties had several interviews with him. The President, it seemed, had been much impressed with the devotion and earnestness of purpose manifested by the lady, and on one occasion, after she had discharged the object of her visit, he said to her: " Mrs. - ---, I have formed a high opinion of your Christian character, and now, as we are alone, I have a mind to ask you to give me, in brief, your idea of what constitutes a true religions experience." The lady replied at some length, stating that, in her judgment, it consisted of one's own sinfulness and weakness, and personal need of the Saviour for strength and support; that views of mere doctrine might and would differ, but when one was really brought to feel his need of Divine help, and to seek the aid of the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, it was satisfactory evidence of his having been born again. This was the substance of her reply. When she had concluded, Mr. Lincoln was very thoughtful for a few moments. He at length said, very earnestly, "If what you have told me is really a correct view of this great subject, I think I can say with sincerity, that I hope I am a Christian. I had lived," he continued, "until my boy Willie died, without realizing fully these things. That blow overwhelmed me. It showed me my weakness as I had never felt it before, and if I can take what you have stated as a test, I think I can safely say that I know something of that change of which you speak; and I will further add, that it has been my intention for some time, at suitable opportunity, to make a public religious profession." [7] ------------------------------------------------------------ Quote: Lincoln's Defense of the Bible ------------------------------------------------------------ "It seems to me that nothing short of infinite wisdom could by any possibility have devised and given to man this excellent and perfect moral code. It is suited to man in all conditions of life, and includes all the duties they owe to their Creator, to themselves and to their fellow-man." [8] ------------------------------------------------------------ Anecdotes ------------------------------------------------------------ + At one of the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, "so the tradition persists, in the opening of one of his first speeches Douglas tried to be somewhat humorous at Abe's expense: 'When I behold my honorable opponent, I am reminded of the Holy Writ where it says, "How long, O Lord, how long."' The people laughed rather heartily. When Douglas had finished his speech and Lincoln took the platform he said, 'When I behold my honorable opponent, I, too, am reminded of the Scripture where it says, " The wicked shall be cut short in his day."'" [9] + "Something led Mr. Lincoln one evening to mention the fact that David Tod, the war Governor of Ohio, who declined his invitation to succeed Chase as Secretary of the Treasury, had occasion to visit Washington in 1863, on government business. During an interview the President remarked: 'You are perhaps aware, Governor, that my wife is a member of the Todd family of Kentucky, and they all spell their name with two d's. How is it that you use but one?' 'Mr. President, God spells his name with one d, and one is enough for the Governor of Ohio.'" [10] + "Some time in the earl part of the war a clergy man said in his presence that he "hoped the Lord was on our side.' "I am not at all concerned about that," replied Mr. Lincoln. 'For I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right, but it is my constant anxiey and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side.'" [11] ------------------------------------------------------------ Footnotes ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. G. Frederick Owen, "Abraham Lincoln: The Man and His Faith" (Wheaton, Illinois, 1976), pp. 161,162. 2. "Great Hymns of the Faith," ed. John W. Peterson Grand Rapids, MI: Singspiration Music,1980 3. John Lair, "Songs Lincoln Loved" (Boston: Little, Brown and Co. and New York: Duel, Sloan and Pearce, 1954) pp. 6-8. 4. Ibid. p. 10 5. Owen, pp. 70-71 6. Ibid. p. 163 7. F. B. Carpenter, "The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House" (Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1995), pp. 187-188. 8. Owen, p. 71 9. Ibid. p. 93 10. "Abe Lincoln Laughing: Humorous Anecdotes from Original Sources by and about Abraham Lincoln," ed. P. M. Zall, (University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: 1982) p. 138. 11. Ibid. p. 92 ------------------------------------------------------------ Pass the Word Along. ------------------------------------------------------------ This newsletter has now over 450 subscribers from around the world! 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