close to his breast and tenderly caressing her withered cheek. "Abram," she said with trembling voice, "I shall never see you again."

Pressing her still more closely to his breast and raising his right hand with his finger pointing upward he said: “Mother," and not another word was uttered. That silent gesture was more eloquent than words and was prophetic of their reunion in a better world.

Elizabeth Keckley says: "When Willie died, as he lay on the bed, Mr. Lincoln came to the bed, lifted the cover from the face of his child, gazed at it long and earnestly murmuring: 'My poor boy, he was too good for this earth. God has called him home. I know that he is much better off in heaven, but then we loved him so. It is hard, hard to have him die.'

99941

41 Behind the Scenes, p. 103.

T

V

LINCOLN'S RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

HE foregoing array of evidence proves beyond all question that Abraham Lincoln firmly believed in the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God, and in the commonly accepted doctrines of the Christian Church. His own statements in official papers, public utterances, private correspondence, and personal interviews, respecting these matters are so clear and unequivocal, so pronounced and earnest, as to answer fully and forever all inquiries respecting his religious belief.

Equally abundant and convincing is the evidence of his personal religious experiences and life. That he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and became the recipient of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is as certain as any historical fact. Evidence of this is cumulative and complete and includes all kinds of authentic, valid testimony.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S CONVERSION

Written statements in Mr. Lincoln's own handwriting constitute evidence touching this matter which no one can reasonably deny or doubt. Next in value and strength to such testimony are the authentic statements of trustworthy persons who were closely associated with Mr. Lincoln and were highly esteemed and trusted by him. Of such persons there was not one more trustworthy or more fully trusted than Rev. James F. Jaquess, D.D., pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, in Springfield, Illinois, and later Colonel of the 73rd Regiment Volunteer Infantry, during all the history of that famous regiment.

President Lincoln's high estimate of the character and worth of Colonel Jaquess was forcefully expressed at the time of his assignment by the President to one of the most important and peculiarly difficult and successful missions of the war, the Jaquess-Gilmore Embassy of Peace, of which an extended account appears elsewhere in this work and should be read in connection with the subjoined statement by Colonel Jaquess respecting an interview between Mr. Lincoln and himself in Springfield, Illinois.

COLONEL JAQUess' Statement

was made at a reunion of the 73rd Regiment of the Illinois Infantry, held September 28-29, 1897, in Springfield, and is as follows:

"The mention of Mr. Lincoln's name recalls to my mind an occurrence that perhaps I ought to mention. Very soon after my second year's work as a minister in the Illinois Conference I was sent to Springfield.

"One beautiful Sunday morning in May, I was standing in the front door of the parsonage when a little boy came up to me and said: 'Mr. Lincoln sent me around to see if you was going to preach today.' Now, I had met Mr. Lincoln, but I never thought any more of 'Abe' Lincoln than I did of any one else. I said to the boy: 'You go back and tell Mr. Lincoln that if he will come to church he will see whether I am going to preach or not.' The little fellow stood working his fingers and finally said: 'Mr. Lincoln told me he would give me a quarter if I would find out whether you are going to preach.' I did not want to rob the little fellow of his income, so I told him to tell Mr. Lincoln that I was going to try to preach.

"The church was filled that morning. It was a good-sized church, but on that day all the seats were filled. 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.' Mr. Lincoln came into the church after the services

had commenced, and there being no vacant seats, chairs were put in the altar in front of the pulpit, and Mr. Lincoln and Governor French and wife sat in the altar during the entire services, Mr. Lincoln on my left and Governor French on my right, and I noticed that Mr. Lincoln appeared to be deeply interested in the sermon. 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."

There is every reason for giving this remarkable story unquestioning credence. That it was voluntarily related by Colonel Jaquess at the time and upon the occasion designated is beyond question. It is recorded here just as given by him in the printed proceedings of a reunion of Colonel Jaquess' regiment. It is also certain that the Colonel was absolutely incapable of fabricating such a story. Furthermore, the incident explains the apparently mysterious eagerness with which President Lincoln welcomed, considered and favored the seemingly preposterous mission proposed by Colonel Jaquess in 1863. Such an incident as is mentioned in this Jaquess statement could not have failed to cause Mr. Lincoln to hold the minister with whom he had such an interview in high esteem and to cherish for him the confidence and love which he manifested toward him. It is well known that Mr. Lincoln approved of, and enjoyed a sermon aflame with fervid enthusiasm. He was greatly interested in and deeply moved by the preaching of Rev. Peter Aked whose burning eloquence was not unlike that of Dr. Jaquess. Hence, the diligence with

Minutes of the proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Reunion Survivors 73rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry Volunteers, p. 30. The Christian Advocate, November 11th, 1909.

which Mr. Lincoln sought to be assured that Dr. Jaquess would preach on that Sabbath morning in May, 1849, and his profound interest in the sermon to which he listened.

The prolonged silence of those who knew of this event in Mr. Lincoln's life is quite understandable and does not justify any doubt of the story itself. It was like Mr. Lincoln to make no mention of this event to any person; and it was just like Dr. Jaquess to regard the affair as confidential, and to leave the question of publicity at the time wholly with Mr. Lincoln. Some preachers would have proclaimed the event from the housetop, but Mr. Lincoln never would have sought such an interview with a minister of that caliber and character.

It was with reference to this same subject of the new birth that Nicodemus had his memorable private interview "at night" with the Master, and we have no information that either Jesus or Nicodemus ever gave the affair any publicity, until after the lapse of half a century the story was told in the Gospel by John.

Mr. Lincoln's subsequent period of doubt concerning religious matters was strictly normal, and does not to any degree discredit the account of the declaration of his acceptance of Christ during the interview in the Jaquess' home. As elsewhere stated, people of Mr. Lincoln's temperament and mental make-up usually come into a large and satisfying faith by passing through a period of doubt. Therefore, instead of discrediting the Jaquess' story, Mr. Lincoln's later season of doubt confirms the account of that event in his life and bears witness to his surrender to Christ, as stated by Colonel Jaquess, and to the sincerity of subsequent efforts to keep the covenant he made at the time of that surrender. That surrender of his will and heart naturally called for the approval of his reason and led to investigation of Christian evidences which followed, and which was so honest and thorough as to seem to be unsettling; but which, in fact, was the process by which a strongly intellectual nature reached settled and satisfactory convictions.