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Show SERMON BY REVEREND CARVER "LINCOLN THE EMBODIMENT OF PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY." Theme at First Presbyterian Church Sunday Evening In Honor of One Hundredth Anniversary. At the First Presbyterian church, last evening, speaking from the theme, "Lincoln the Embodiment of Practical Christianity," Rev. Carver said, in part: RothchiM. In his recent life of Lincoln, Lin-coln, speaks of hlra especiall as a leader of men: the schools have long proclaimed him as our greatest master of sententious eloquence; we have heard him called the great president, the great lawyer, the unmatched story teller, the inimitable war leader, but to night 'we view him from another angle an-gle and Bee in him the embodiment of Christian character. This trend of his nature has been overlooked owing to a popular misconception that cheerfulness cheerful-ness and Joy are incompatible with a deep religious nature. In all the thought about Abraham Lincoln this one fact must not be overlooked over-looked If we are to have any adequate conception of his character. He had a deep spirited nature and from Ms live religious faith he drew his greatest great-est strength and consolation. It was this spiritual reality in his life that gave to him the power to endure so much of discouragement In his struggle strug-gle to make the most of himself and his country, for he had to develop his many resources before he could be a powerful aid to his people In time of need. Lincoln had a strange and varied religious environment. His mother was a member of the church of tho Disciples, 'his father was a Baptist, his wife was a Presbyterlau and he in Springfield was a teacher In the Presbyterian Sunday school and in Washington was a constant pew holder and attendant at the New York Avenue Presbyterian church, where his wife was a member. This in brief was his outward church affiliations, but there was a deep spiritual reality in the man's life which should - place him among the most earnestly spiritual men of our nation. The more we study the great leader's life the more we are Impressed with his power of endurance, and in this he, too, "endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ' He endured disadvantage disadvant-age to win an education. He says that all told he attended school only about a year, but he used shovels, hearthstones and boards to write and learn problems upon and would walk forty miles to. borrow a book. To the Ignorant poopl and even to his father, these habits of study only gave him (he reputation of laziness. He endured all kinds of rebuff in his attempt to better his condition Bocially. His homely face and awkward form, his home made clothes and single suspender suspend-er caused much ridicule, but he endured endur-ed it all. His career as surveyor, storekeeper, soldier, postmaster, lawyer law-yer and legislator was in each instance commenced in face of much opposition, but h kept on and won. Eveu as president he was the recipient of continual con-tinual opposition, all of which he bore with quiet grace. Now, it Is even with more admiration that we view his great character, and great, as he was as a leader he was even greater as a man. . Ho was among profane men constantly in youth, yet was nover himself profane. He was reared among drinking men,' yet ' was constantly con-stantly an advocate of temperance. Ho was ever subject to bitter attacks and harsh Judgments, yet ho wa3 free from back-biting, malice, hatred, and revenge. re-venge. Now, where did he secure the strength to so endure unsullied In his upward progress against discouragement, discourage-ment, obstacles and temptation? The answer Is to be found in his religious nature. His spiritual nature was founded upon up-on his firm belief in God When a notable no-table man said to him that he hoped the Lord was on his side, Lincoln replied, re-plied, "I know the Lord is on the side of right, but God is my witness that it is my constant anxiety and prayer that both this nation and myself should be on the Lord's slde.,r When he was leaving Springfield to go to live in Washington, he said to tho crowd that gathered on the cold, damp day to bid him farewell: "I now leave, not knowing know-ing when or whether ever I shall return, re-turn, with a task before 'me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Washing-ton. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him I can not succeed. With that assistance assist-ance I cannot fall. Trusting Him who can go. with me and remain with you and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you as I hope you will in your prayers commend us, I bid you an affectionate farewell." To Mr. Bateman, State Superintendent Superintend-ent of Schools, he in 1560 said: "1 am nothing, but truth is everything. I-know I am right for I know liberty is . right, for Christ teaches it and Christ is God." And after the memorable mem-orable visit to the battlefield of Gettysburg, Get-tysburg, he wrote, speaking of the great number of dead: "When God took my son in death I was deeply impressed, but still I did not give my heart to Christ or .really love Him. but when I stood on that battlefield 1 gave my heart to Christ." Lincoln had a great love and reverence, rev-erence, for the Bible. He was a constant con-stant student of It. To Joshua Speed he eald: "I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this book on reason that you can and the balance on faith and you will live and t die a better man." "Again when tho colored man of Baltimore gave hlra a Bible he said: "In regard to this great book I have only to say that it Is the best gift which God has given to men " In this regard we recall that the Bible Bi-ble was one of the four books read by him In childhood. 4 Lincoln waj a man of prayer. He remembered the nation, the army, and even the enemy in prayer. Often he spoke of the victories of Gettysburg and Vlcksburg as direct, answers to his prayer and w hen the Emancipation Proclamation was Issued he said: "I had promised God I would do It," In this connection it is helpful to read the proclamation issued by him proclaiming pro-claiming April 30th. 18C3. as fast and prayer day, in which he speaks touching! touch-ing! y of. those too proud and wise to pray: and to read his announcement to the nation of the victory at Gettysburg, Gettys-burg, in which he "especially desires that He whose will, not ours, should ever be done, be remembered everywhere every-where and reverenced with profound-est profound-est gratitude." It was from such a vital faith that Lincoln drew his strength to continually continu-ally endure in hope and chocrfulness Now let the lesson coine home to each of us. If we expect to endure temptation tempta-tion and trial we, too. must draw from a more vital reality than Indifference and doubt. The immediate, causes and great problems so potent In the developing devel-oping of his great character are now no more, but America today calls for patriotism as loyal and minhood as unsullied to solve our present-day problems .as when ,ln his day war-drums war-drums were sounding and the battle flags were unfurled. The church an.l nation calls for men and holds forth great laurels for those who are worthy. ' Never was there a greater opportunity to an open door to true greatness through the embodiment of Christian character. |