To doubt that his soul was full to overflowing of the sacred sentiments which those words expressed; to doubt his belief that in answer to the prayers of the people from whom he was taking his final leave much good could and would come to him which otherwise might not be received; to doubt his own firm faith that God would, in answer to his own prayers, minister good to those from whom he was about to be separated, is to dishonor the name of Abraham Lincoln and to commit an unspeakable offense against the sacred truth of which he was a living personification. If nothing else than this beautiful and gracious request had ever been spoken or written by Abraham Lincoln respecting the subject of prayer, humanity would stand uncovered in his presence, overawed by his sublime and abiding faith in God and in scriptural intercession. With bated breath an anxious world listened to those words, moved as it at no other time had been with the realization that God's chosen man was responding to the divine call and going forth to tasks as great as any which in the past had engaged the efforts of others, and more difficult than any which the foremost of his contemporaries could perform. And in harmony with this avowal of his own longing for the fellowship of intercession, and his confidence in prayer, there came from his lips and pen, as the years went by, and difficulties accumulated, and darkness gathered, expressions of a faith that never faltered through all the years of his earthly life. To the multitudes that came to meet him as he passed through the great centers on his journey to the Capital, he spoke in terms and tones befitting such a chieftain at such a crisis, and at every point he turned the thought of those who heard him to the ability of God to save the nation, and to His willingness to do so in answer to the supplications of the people. As Mr. Lincoln stood erect and hopeful, although in the agony of ever-darkening apprehensions, he directed the thought of the American people to the importance of seeking and striving to merit and secure the gracious favor of Almighty God as in the following impressive words of his first official declaration: "Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present needs." During the months and years that followed, the President's calls of the nation to their knees in prayer were frequent and urgent. In many ways he expressed his desire to be remembered in the prayers of praying people. To Hon. L. E. Chittenden, one of his trusted counsellors, he said: "It makes me stronger and more confident to know that all Christians in the loyal states are praying for our success, that all their influences are working to the same end. Thousands of them are fighting for us, and no one will say that an officer or a private is less brave because he is a praying soldier.” Dr. William H. Roberts states that during eighteen months while a soldier in the Union Army and stationed at Washington, he often saw President Lincoln at the prayer meeting of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, sometimes in the lecture room, and at other times in the pastor's study to avoid having his hour of prayer interrupted by persons seeking governmental favor. A clergyman from New York during a call at the White House said: "I have not come to ask any favors of you, Mr. President, I have only come to say that the loyal people of the North are sustaining you and will continue to do so. We are giving you all that we have,—the lives of our sons as well as our confidence and our prayers. You must know that no pious father or mother ever kneels in prayer these days without asking God to give you strength and wisdom. "The tears filled Lincoln's eyes as he thanked his visitor and said: 'But for those prayers I should have faltered and perhaps failed long ago. Tell every father and mother you know to keep on praying and I will keep on fighting, for I know that God is on our side.' "As the clergyman started to leave the room, Lincoln held him by the hand and said: 'I suppose I may consider this a sort of pastoral call.' ""Yes,' replied the clergyman. "Out in our country,' continued Lincoln, 'when a parson makes a pastoral call it was always the custom for the folks to ask him to lead in prayer, and I should like to ask you to pray with me today; pray that I may have strength and wisdom.' The two men knelt side by side before a settee and the clergyman offered the most fervent appeal to the Almighty Power that ever fell from his lips. As they arose, Lincoln grasped his visitor's hand and remarked in a satisfied sort of way, ""I feel better." "2 No father will fail to feel strong heart throbs of tender sympathy as he peruses the following statement by Mrs. Pomeroy, the army nurse who ministered to the Lincoln family at the time of Willie's death: "The third day, and the sick one's better, he had to go into his office, for he had not been there for several days. Looking on the little sufferer he said: 'I hope you will pray for him and if it is God's will, that he may be spared. And also pray for me, for I need the prayers of many.' The fourth day and the sad duty done, that of laying his dear son 'Willie' out of sight, my heart prompted me to say, 'Look up for strength,' and he kindly answered, 'I will go to God with my sorrows.' Never in personal conversation did Abraham Lincoln rise to a higher level than when he thus humbled himself before his God and became, for the time, naught else but a sinful mortal in need of human intercession and divine grace. It was no hard task requiring special effort for the President to issue a proclamation asking the people to unite in prayer for the nation, for the army, and for the government; but to say, "Pray for me," was a heroic act which few men in like position 2 The True Abraham Lincoln, pp. 383-384. Lincoln Scrap-book, p. 54. ever have achieved. How closely this request of Mr. Lincoln resembles that of the great Apostle in his letter to the Ephesians, when he says: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . for all saints and for me also" (Eph. 6: 18-19); just as his request for the prayers of his neighbors in his farewell address at Springfield resembles the words of Paul to the Church at Rome, "Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." Respecting Mr. Lincoln's faith in prayer, and his interest in a personal religious experience, Mrs. Pomeroy, through William M. Thayer, places the world under obligations by the following statements: "He inquired very minutely into the method of speaking with sick and dying soldiers-what she said to them-how they answered her-how many of them became Christians? He accompanied her many times to the hospital and witnessed her effective management and talked with the soldiers and encouraged them. On learning that the managers of the hospital, who were Roman Catholics, had forbidden the Protestant nurses to pray with the soldiers, or read the Bible to them, he promptly removed the restriction, and allowed Christian women henceforth to hold prayer meetings, read the Bible to the 'boys' and pray with them, as much as they pleased, adding: 'If there was more praying and less swearing it would be far better for our country, and we all need to be prayed for, officers as well as privates, and if I was near death I think I should like to hear prayer.' " MANY PRAYED FOR HIM Next to his own pastor, the Rev. N. W. Miner, D.D., pastor of the First Baptist Church, Springfield, Illinois, may be regarded as having been Mr. Lincoln's most highly esteemed friend and counsellor in religious matters. Their re 4 Romans 15:30. William M. Thayer, From Pioneer to White House, p. 353. lation of personal friendship extended over a period of many years and any word of information from Dr. Miner respecting Mr. Lincoln is of special value. There is, therefore, peculiar interest in the following: "In the early part of the winter of 1861, a meeting was held in the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, and was largely attended by the most respectable and best people of the city. Many fervent prayers were offered for our beloved country, and for the man whom Providence had raised up to guide the ship of state over a rough and stormy sea. Mr. Lincoln listened attentively to the earnest prayers which were made with thrilling interest. At the close of the meeting I passed down the aisle in which he was standing and taking me by the hand he said, with deep emotion: 'Mr. Miner, this has been a good meeting. I hardly know how it could have been made better. I feel very grateful for the prayers offered in my behalf and hope they may be answered.' Mr. Lincoln's expression of appreciation of the services above mentioned is an unqualified declaration of his interest in the prayer service of the church. In the following Dr. Miner tells of another conversation with Mr. Lincoln, at the White House: "During my visit I said to him: 'Well, Mr. Lincoln, you have this encouragement. Christian people all over the country are praying for you as they never prayed for mortal man before.' ""I believe that,' he said, 'and this is an encouraging thought to me. If I were not sustained by the prayers of God's people I could not endure the constant pressure. I should give up hoping for success.' "'" The following is of rare value because it contains a very significant statement of Mr. Lincoln's estimate of secret prayer, and also because it comes from one of his most esteemed and cherished friends: "When reminded that he was daily remembered by those Lincoln Scrap-book, pp. 51-52. 7 Ibid. |