CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Satinsky Lincoln Collection CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRAIJY 3 1924 100 647 613 The Master and His Servant COMPARATIVE OUTLINE SKETCHES — of — The Redeemer of Mankind, and the Emancipator of a Race — with — Relative Antecedent and Subsequent Events and Persons Compared — showing — The most Wonderful and Pleasing SIMILITUDES Ever Recorded in the History of Mankind By J. T. HOBSON, D.D., LL.B. Author of "The Lincoln Year Book," and "Footprints of Abraham Lincoln." Nineteen Hundred and Thirteen The United Brethren Publishing House Dayton, Ohio Copyright by J. T. Hobson 1913 Introduction A religious writer of note says: "Down deep in our nature there exists a tendency to seek among all inter- esting objects points of resemblance. This tendency to metaphor, and the universal delight in parables, com- parisons, and figures of speech, are no mere freaks of man's fancy. They have their formation in the mind and method of Deitj." Referring to Christ, the late Joseph Parker, of Lon- don, said, ''All things to him were suggestive, significant, symbolic." Christ did not think it sacrilegious to com- pare spiritual with natural things. At one time he said, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God, and with what comparison shall we compare it?'' He then compared it to the inarriage of a king^s son. If Christ made such comparisons should it be thought a thing in- credible if comparisons be made between the Head of the kingdom of heaven and the Chief ^Magistrate of a g^eat nation at the most interesting and critical time of its existence? Parker also said: "The power of com- parison is to be cherished and developed. Compare your Savior to all things beautiful, noble, and grand." Among Old Testament characters there are many striking types of Christ, whose lives, from this stand- point, are a most interesting study. Joseph, Moses, David, and Jonah are good illustrations. In choosing a modem character whose life has points of similitude to. that of Christ, the world is challenged to furnish a better one than that of Abraham Lincoln. 4 Introduction No life or character fully typifies the life and rank of the Son of God. The parables given by Christ will not hold good if too closely applied. They were given to illustrate certain phases of a subject. Parables and illustrations must not be strained beyond their purpose. Types and comparisons of Christ will fail in some re- spects. The contrasts between Christ and Lincoln are a thousand times greater in favor of Christ than the similitudes. It has been a pleasure to study, and to seek out, the corresponding points of resemblance in the manner herein presented. Events in the life of Christ sug- gested some phases of Lincoln's life, and some parts of Lincoln's life suggested some phases of Christ's life. The author did not create these remarkable similitudes. They are facts, and he is responsible only for placing them in the words and order given. The design is not to minify the character and mission of Christ, nor to unduly magnify the character and work of Lincoln. The life of Jesus Christ should be reflected in our lives. Abraham Lincoln unconsciously lived the reflected life and spirit of the Master. The author hopes he will not be unjustly criticized in attempting to place the divine character in such proximity to the human. Christ was divine and human, while Lincoln was only human, but under the divine guidance of Providence, as he be- lieved and stated at different times. It has not been the author's purpose to strain these comparisons beyond facts and reason. The facts are independently stated in two paragraphs under each sub- head, one not referring to the other, so that an independ- ent outline history of each character is given. The Introduction 5 reader can judge for himself whether or not the points of comparisons are well taken. The aiitecedent and subsequent comparisons of per- sons and events, the author thinks, are not irrelevant, but will add to the interest of the book. Many works on Biblical and Lincoln literature, as well as miscellaneous books, magazines, and newspapers, have been consulted in the preparation' of this volume, to which the author, in this general way, acknowledges his indebtedness. It is hoped that the followers of Christ, as well as the admirers of Lincoln, will find pleasure and profit in reading these sketches, and that all may have the mind and spirit of the Master, and that of one of his most illustrious servants. J. T. HOBSON. Alexis, Illinois. B Cornell University M Library The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 9241 0064761 3 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Antecedent Events. The Beginning. .The Advent of Man. .Introduction of Evil. .Bondage and Deliverance . . Subsequent History 9 CHAPTER II. The Forerunner. A Radical ^Messenger. .The Message .. Results .. A Governor's Dilemma . .After the Execution 13 CHAPTER III. Birth and Early Life of the Master and His Servant, l/owly Birth. .Honored Mother. .Charge of Doubtful Paternity .. Half- or Step-Brothers and Sisters . . Poverty's Vale . . The Carpenter's Trade.. Three Places of Abode.. Born for the Times .. Inspiration and Preparation. .Perception of Future Mission .' 18 CHAPTER IV. Group of Characteristics. Personal Appearance. .Lofty Character and Habit?.. Man of Prayer.. Derangement . . The Good Samaritan . . Grief at D -ath of a Friend . . Unknown QuaUties 29 CHAPTER V. Miscellaneous Incidents. The Widow's S'on..The Lunatic Boy.. Care for Sparrows. -Zaccheus. . The Interceding Son . . The Stranger's Discourse . . Regard for Wo- man. .Ivove for Children. ."Praise Belongs, to God" 37 CHAPTER VI. Public Mission and Teaching. The Inauguration. .Doing the Will of the Father. .Originality — Man- ner of Illustration. .Appeal to the Scriptures .. Warning Against False Doctrine. .Severe Reproofs. .The Unfortunate .. Humility ... . 44 CHAPTEE VII. Fundamental Principles Taught. Truth.. Love.. A High Standard .. The Sabbath. .Doing and Knowing.. A STiort Creed. .Forgiveness. .The Great Debt. .The Unpardon- able Sin 54 CHAPTER VIII. Rejection and Rebellion. Divided Opinions. .iMalignant Epithets .. Seeking a Sign. .Rejection of ' the Corner-stone.. A Pathetic Appeal — ^Willing to Die.. An Aban- doned Plot 66 CHAPTER IX. Dark Days. Forsaken.. A Depleted Treasury.. A Divided House. .A Man of Sor- rows . . A Burden-Bearer ' ^ CHAPTER X. Emancipation. A New Commandment. .Crossing the Line .. Proclamation of Freedom . .Weakness of the Law. .The TransBguration 79 CHAPTER XL The End Drawing Near. Going to Jerusalem. -The Triimiphal Entry.. Last Meeting with Dis- ciples and Cabinet. .A Memorial Instituted. .Gethsemane 85 CHAPTER XII. Crucifixion and Assassination. A Wicked Conspiracy .. Going to the Cross and to the Theater.. "It is Finished" .. Love of the Victims. .Rending of the Veil 90 CHAPTER XIII. Incidents and Effects of the Tragic Deaths. Impressions on the People. .Fate of the Conspirators. ."Who Shall Declare His Generation?". .Good from Evil 95 CHAPTER XIV. Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension. Preliminaries to Interment .. The Body Entombed.. Will the Body be Stolen?.. He Lives.. Forty Days.. The Ascension 100 CHAPTER XV. • Reconstruction. New Conditions. .The Foundation. .Composition of the Structure- . Two Theories 105 CHAPTER XVI. The Present Age. Our Inheritance. .Our Opportunities .. Tables Turned, Xo. 1.. Tables Turned, No. 2 109 CHAPTER XVIL Ultimate Triumphs. Light of the World.. The Greater Union.. The Good Time Coming 115 CHAPTER XVIII. Judgment. Reversal of Opinion.. The Exalted Name.. The Grand Review., The Master Rewards His Servant 118 CHAPTER XI Golden Words of The Master and His Sen.ant 122 The Master and His Servant CHAPTER I. ANTECEDENT EVENTS. The Beginning. IT is known only to the Creator how many worlds were in existence before our planet was created. Before the advent of man the earth had been supplied with air, light, and heat, and was long in course of preparation for the coming of man to develop its vast resources. The fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, the fishes of the waters, the vegetable and the mineral world awaited his coming. That portion of the earth called the Old World had long been inhabited, and had a wonderful history, writ- ten and unwritten. The discovery of the New World was, in the providence of God, one of the greatest events in the achievements of man. The long ages awaited the visitation of intelligent men to develop the vast agri- cultural and mineral resources, and throw them into the world's commerce. The Advent of Man. In" due time the first man and his helpmate, as the representatives of the human race, were created and entered upon their career to "subdue and get dominion." They were free to act, yet they were under law, and v.'ere responsible for their own welfare and happiness, and, in a large degree, that of their posterity. 9 10 Master and His Servant The advent of the white man to the newly discovered Western World, as a permanent settler, was a new and important period in the progress of human affairs. He loved libert}-, and early planted the principles of freedom in the New \^'orld. He was largely responsible to the future inhabitants for his conduct. Introduction of Evil. It was an awful crisis in the history of the newly inhabited earth when, through the consent of the federal heads of the human race, the forbidden fruit of sin was allowed a place among them. The viris of its poison affected all the succeeding generations, and occasioned untold sorrow, suffering, crime, a great deluge, mighty conflicts and revolutions in the ages following. Soon after the discovery of the so-called "Xew W^orld,"' it was very unfortunate, upon the part of some of the early settlers, that the seeds of an exotic, poison- ous plant, human slaver\% "the sum of all villainies," was allowed to take root in the virgin soil, whose fruit \\;-s destined to poison the whole country, occasion great disorders, crimes, a mighty deluge of death, and the de- struction of untold millions of property. Bondage and Deliverance. After a varied experience of many years of progress and retrogression, the Hebrew people, God's chosen representatives of the human race, became involved in Egyptian bondage. Their lives were made burdensome. They were ruled without representation. Their burdens became more and more oppressive through the tyrannj^ of King Pharaoh. The king was jealous of the rapid Antecedent Events 11 increase of the Hebrew people, and their promise of future power. The people appealed for relief, but their burdens were increased. The people rebelled. A leader, Moses, was chosen to deliver them from the unjust op- pression of the king. After a hard struggle they were delivered from their oppressors and allowed to go, and entered upon a career of independence. When Moses surrendered his commission as their leader, he delivered a very touching farewell address. After the English colonies in America had flourished for a time, although often troubled by Indian wars and other causes, they at length found themselves cruelly oppressed under the despotic power of King George III., of England. The king was jealous of the growth and prosperity of the colonies. They were unjustly taxed without representation. The, colonists appealed, but fur- ther burdens were imposed upon them. They finally rebelled. A leader, George Washington, was chosen. After a number of battles the Declaration of Inde- pendence was declared, and, finally after a long struggle, the king yielded, and the American people achieved their independence. When Washington surrendered his com- mission as commander-in-cKief he delivered a beautiful and affectionate farewell address. The seal of state chosen was the words "E pluribus Unum," with the statues of Liberty and Justice on one side, and on the other a picture of Israel escaping the tyranny of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. Subsequent History. After the delivery of the Hebrew, or Israelitish peo- ple, from Egyptian bondage they had a long and varied 12 Master and His Servant histor}-, covering many years, under diflFerent laws, and under different leaders. They were often engaged in war witli other nations, and had commotions among themselves, occasioned by the old cause — sin. They had strong men among them, who were leaders and prophets, Among the many noted reformers, prophets, rulers and leaders were Aloses, Caleb, Joshua, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, who kept the people intact by exhortations, warnings, and pro- phetic utterances of a brighter day in human history. r After the deliverance of the American people frcan the oppression of Great Britain they had a long and eventful histon,'. They were engaged in a number of wars. Great and perplexing questions had to be settled, caused, cliiefly, by the continued presence of human slavery. There were many great statesmen who cham- pioned great doctrines and theories of government. .\mong the noted statesmen were George Washington, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John C. Calhoun, Daniel \\'ebster, Andrew Jackson, ^^'illiam Lloyd Garrison, Henry Clay, Jefferson Davis, Charles Sumner, and William H. Se- ward. Some of these were truly prophets as well as reformers and statesmen. CHAPTER 11. THE FORERUNNER. A Ra(£cal Messenger. THE last prophet of the old dispensation was John Baptist. He was of good ancestry. His father was a priest, and his mother was of priestly descent. His habits were clean. He was strictly temperate, avoiding all intoxicants. He was trained for the ministry. A portion of his time was spent in solitude and self-denial, living the life of a hermit. His food was plain, and his dress was that of the old prophets. He realized that he had a great work to do, and his mission in life lay heavily upon him. He was uncompromising with the sins of his country, and his denunciation of wickedness was radical and pungent. One of the most noted reformers, near the close of the slavery system in the United States, was John Brown. He was of Puritan ancestry, the sixth in descent from Peter Brown, one of the passengers of the "Mayflower." His father was a trustee of Oberlin College. His mother was of distinguished ancestry. Richard J. Hinton, a noted author, says, "John Brown represented in his own person the best blood and character to be found in America." He was a clean man, a total abstainer from tobacco and intoxicants. He received a partial training for the ministry. A portion of his life was spent in seclusion. At a late period of his life it was declared that "he looked like one of the old prophets." "«« oosi- 13 14 Master and His Servant tion on the slaven.- question was uncompromising. His great mission of opposition to human slaver^- was an inspiration to his life. He cared nothing for the praise or condemnation of men. He held himself accoimtable to God alone, and, as he understood his will, tried to execute it. He cared nothing for law when it stood in the way of right and hvimanit\-. The Message. ToHX Baptist was aware that there was to be a great change in the religious order of things. He believed that the wrath of God was at hand, and jret that his wrath was tempered with mercy. His sterling cry was, ■Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He said, ''I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare \"e the way of the Lord." To some he said, "Oh, j^e generation of vipers." Again. "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance." Again, "The ax is laid imto the root of the trees : therefore ever}* tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn do\\Ti, and cast into the fire." He was preparing the way for the coming of One who was mightier than he, the One who would "bring de- liverance to the captives, and open the prison to them that are bound." and inaugurate a new dispensation of reform and worship in the new spiritual administration. JoHx Browx r^arded himian slavery as a great na- tional evil strongly entrenched in law, in social, religious, political and commercial relations. It had long been a source of strife. The people were expecting a crisis. He "laid the ax at the root of the tree" of slaverv. and declared that compromises were at an end, that the dowTifall of slaven,- was at hand. He actually began the The Forerunner 15 war of emancipation. He was unconsciously preparing the way for one who was to come after him, one who was mightier than he, and who would deliver a race of four millions from the galling chains of human bondage, and start a new era of national reform and progress such as the world had not yet seen. Results. While the public preaching of John Baptist was plain and uncompromising, his private reproofs were equally plain and severe. He boldly reproached sin in high- places, and at last found himself in conflict with the authorities. He rebuked Governor Herod Antipas for his ungodly living. Then, according to Josephus, as a pretext that John Baptist was a dangerous subject to the state, and fearing a rebellion through his influence, he was sent to prison, and later, but through no desire of the governor, he was ordered to be executed. John Brown had no faith in politicians, nor in churches that fellowship slavery. His reproofs, privately and publicly, were radical. Because, upon their request, he liberated some human beings about to be resold into slavery in Missouri, he was declared an outlaw, and a reward was offered for his arrest. Later, because of his boldness, and even rashness, in making a raid with an armed force upon the fortifications of slavery, he was overpowered, arrested, cast into prison as a danger- ous sTibject to the state, and sentenced to be executed. A Governor's Dilemma. Governor Herod Antipas, of Galilee, was in trouble. Although John Baptist had reproved him for his sins. 16 Master and His Servant yet he had afterwards declared that John Baptist was "a just and holy man." Now it was expected that he should order his execution; he was under oath to do so, though not morally bound, for the execution involved something not taken into account in his oath — the crime of murder. Later we find, however, that this same Herod shamefully figures as an enemy, in his official re- lation, to the Redeemer of mankind. Although John Brown had sharply reproved Gov- ernor Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, for his connection with slavery, yet Governor Wise said in a speech at Richmond, after his interview with Brown, just after the Harper's Ferry raid: "They are mistaken who take Brown to be a mad man. He is a bundle of the best nerves I ever saw. He is a man of clear head, of cour- age, fortitude, and simple ingeniousness. He is cool, collected, and indomitable. He inspired me with great trust in his integrity as a man of truth." And yet Governor Wise was expected to sign the death-warrant of such a man, an act legally right, but morally wrong. While Brown was charged with insurrection, treason and murder, in less than a year and a half Governor Wise sanctioned the treasonable acts of his own State in re- sisting the authority of Abraham Lincoln, and engaged in treason against the government on a larger scale than that for which John Brown suffered martyrdom. After the Execution. After the execution of John Baptist the work of re- ligious reform went on. Jesus Christ carried on the redemptive work initiated by John Baptist. Governor Herod Antipas declared that Jesus Christ was John Bap- The Forerunner 17 tist risen from the dead. Jesus 5aid of John Baptist, "Among all men born of woman there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist," and that "he was more than a prophet." He stands out prominently as the fore- runner of Jesus Christ, and occupies a prominent place in the scheme of human redemption. Within three years Jesus Christ surrendered his own precious life as a sacri- fice for the salvation of the human race. After John Brown's execution the work he inaugu- rated went rapidly forward. Although his body was "mouldering in the grave,'' yet "his soul was marching on." Governor Robinson, of Kansas, declared at the unveiling of the John Brown monument at Osawatomie, in 1877, "The soul of John Brown was the inspiration of the Union armies in the emancipation war.'' Horace Greeley said, "Let no one doubt that history will accord an honorable niche to old John Brown." After the Civil War was over, and its results declared, although Governor Wise had signed John Brown's death warrant, he said to a Union general: "John Brown was a great man, sir. John Brown was a great man." A little more than five years after Brown's execution Abraham Lincoln's precious life was sacrificed for the cause of human liberty. CHAPTER III. BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE OF THE MASTER AND HIS SERVANT. Lowly Birth. JESUS CHRIST, the Redeemer of mankind, was born in the little town of Bethlehem, in the hill country of Judea. The event occurred at night, in the winter, in a cavern-stable, for "there was no room in the inn," nor in a comfortable home for the birth of the wonderful Child. There was no physician present on the occasion, and tradition says that Joseph was out seeking help when Mary gave birth to her child. Later the family fared better, for it is stated that the Wise Men from the East "came into the house" and saw the young child and his mother. A large church building with an extensive base- ment, including the cavern-stable, marks the place where Christ was born. Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipator of a race, was born near the village of Hodgenville, in the hill country of Kentucky. The event occurred at night, in the winter, in a forlorn hovel with a dirt floor, pne door, and no window, for there was "no room" in the mansions of the rich or the palaces of the great for such a man to be born. A few women were there, but no physician was present when Nancy gave birth to her son. Thomas, her husband, was away from home at the time. It is said that a neighbor removed the family to his comfort- able home, and for a time cared for them. A memorial 18 Birth and Early Life 19 hall and museum has been erected on the spot where the cabin stood, marking the place where Lincoln was born. Honored Mother. Joseph, the husband of Mary, and foster-father of Jesus Christ, was called a "just man," and was of royal descent. His occupation was that of a humble village carpenter. He does not figure as prominently in the history of Christ as does the mother. Mary was an orphan. Wealth and station she did not have. Tradition says she was distinguished for industry, charity, devo- tion and modesty; that she had a melodious voice, and a face and form of incomparable beauty. She was slender, and slightly above medium height. She had a fair complexion, blond hair, a well-proportioned nose, rich hazel eyes, ruddy lips, and full of kindness when she spoke. Her religious nature was highly cultivated. When it was made known to her concerning the marvel- ous birth which was to take place, and at that time being only betrothed to Joseph, her future husband, she was greatly embarrassed, and sorely perplexed. Joseph was also puzzled and greatly mortified. The conditions, how- ever, were finally explained to the satisfaction of both Mary and Joseph. Mary finally said, "Be it unto me according to thy word." Later her overflowing heart burst forth into that noble maternity song called the Magnificat : "My soul doth magnify the Lord, , Ajid my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, For ht hath regardecJ the low estate of his hand- maiden : 20 Master and His Servant For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things ; And holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from gen- eration to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats. And exalted them of low degree." Christ had a very tender regard for his mother. What holy lessons she must have taught him at their home in Nazareth! He was an obedient son. They were much in each other's company. She and Jesus were invited guests at a marriage in Cana, where he performed his first miracle. It is supposed that Joseph was dead at this time. At the close of his life Christ made provision for the support of his widowed mother. Mary, the mother of Christ, is the most highly honored of all women. Thomas, the father of Abraham Lincoln, was an hon- orable man. His occupation for many years was that of a carpenter and cabinet maker. He was not noted for thrift, or great strength of character. He has not been so much honored by the historian and the general public as his wife. The son seemed to derive his chief char- acteristics from his mother. She was early left an or- phan. She is said to have been of medium -height, weighing one hundred and thirty pounds, with dark hair, beautiful eyes, a sweet sensitive mouth, and a kindly and Birth and Early Life 21 gentle manner. She was refined and of more than ordi- nary intelligence, reading all the books she could obtain. She daily read the Bible, and her conduct was in accord- ance with its precepts. There was much in her nature that was heroic, and she seemed at times as if looking far away, seeing what others did not see. "Ah, mothei of as grand a son As ever battled in the van. To prove the brotherhood of man, Such lives as thine are never done. We can but wonder, we who read The past with backward, searching look, Its pages open as a book. If thou foresaw where he would lead? When baby fingers touched thy breast, If ever in thy musing then Thou dreamst that hand would guide the pen Whose stroke would free a race opprest?" Lincoln loved his mother dearly. She died when he was only nine years old, but she had taught him many useful lessons. He said in his mature years, "All I am, or hope to b,e, I owe to my angel mother." "I can remember her prayers, and they have always followed me." The name of Nancy Hanks Lincoln is one of the most cher- ished in the annals of American history. Lincoln's step- mother was always precious to him, taking his mother's place in a time of great need, and after she became a widow he made provision for her support. 22 Master and His Servant Charge of Doubtful Paternity. In his infancy Jesus innocently dwelt under the charge of doubtful paternity. It was arranged in the Divine counsels that the human race should be redeemed by one under the law, and by one without sin, one upon whom the law had no claim. Such an one, therefore, must be divine and human — a God-man, having a Divine Father and a human mother. Such a being could be produced in no other way. The fact of the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ was not accepted by some at that time, and his enemies then, and ever since, have charged him as an illegitimate being. God could create a human being without a human father to accomplish his purposes as easily as he created man in the beginning without father or mother. The birth of Christ was divine and legitimate. It was prophesied by Isaiah, seven hun- dred years before, that a virgin should bring forth the world's Redeemer. The heavenly angels announced, and approved, the joyful event of his birth. Infancy is forever dignified, and motherhood greatly honored by Jesus, the sweet babe of Bethlehem. Abraham Lincoln's life was beclouded with the false charge of doubtful paternity. He did not possess the records to show when his father and mother were married. His opponents saw the opportunity to belittle him, and they spread the story that he was not only of humble origin, as he himself publicly acknowledged, but was a nameless child. "A Youth's History of the Civil War," written in the interests of the South, at the close of the Rebellion, says of Lincoln: "He had the mis- fortune not to know who his father was ; and his mother, alas, was a person to reflect no honor upon her child." Birth and Early Life 23 Authors who were friends of Lincohj"s, and who other7 wise wrote excellent histories of him, were guilty of accepting false rumors on these delicate matters without looking for the records. Authenticated facts and various records have been found which place beyond all doubt the legal marriage of Lincoln's father and mother, the birth and lawful paternity, not only of the immortal President, but also that of his "angel mother." Half- or Step-Brothers and Sisters. It is supposed that Mary was Joseph's second wife, and that there were children by the first wife, or that Mary bore children after the birth of Christ. These brothers and sisters are referred to by the Gospel writers. Therefore, Jesus had half- or step-brothers and sisters, and was reared with them in the family at their home in Nazareth, of Galilee. After the death of his wife, Thomas Lincoln was married the second time to a noble widow who had a son and two daughters. With his own sister, and these step-sisters and step-brother, Abraham Lincoln was reared. "Brother Abe" was quite a favorite of these new additions to the family at their home near Gentry- ville, Indiana. Povcrtjr's Vale. The life of Christ was characterized by poverty from his birth. He was poor, simple and plain. He was practically acquainted with every phase of the trials of the poor, the tempted and the persecuted. "He made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant," and "humbled himself," "that he might 24 Master and His Servant be touched with the feelings of our infirmities,"' "that he might be ajnerciful and faithful high priest." The early life of Lincoln was one of the poorest of the poor. He often labored as a servant, or hired hand. He said his early life was characterized by a single line of Grey's Elegy — "The short and simple annals of the poor." He was a man from the common people, and came up through the valley of poverty, and became practically acquainted with the various conditions of the poor that he might be a kind and merciful ruler. The Carpenter's Trade. The youthful Galilean dignified manual labor by fol- lowing the trade of his foster-father, that of a humble carpenter. The carpenter's trade at that time included the making of plows, yokes, and other articles. The Son of man, in the little shop at Nazareth, with his own hands, fashioned plows and yokes for the people who needed them. Being engaged in common toil helped him to know what was in man, and how to sympathize with the toiling masses. In his early life Abraham Lincoln, part of the time, followed the trade of his father, that of a carpenter and cabinet maker. Besides working on the farm, and doing general carpenter work, they made cabinets and cup- boards for the people. Years ago in that community the writer saw cupboards in the homes of old people which were made by the Lincoln father and son. The University of Illinois, at Champaign, has on exhibition an ox-yoke made by Abraham Lincoln. Coming up from Birth and Early Life 25 the common working classes enabled him to sympathize with that great majority he was afterward to represent. Three Places of Abode. Christ was born at Bethlehem, in Judea, where his early days, of infancy were spent; was reared to man- hood at Nazareth, in Galilee, and spent the active por- tion of his life at "his own city," Capernaum. He died while temporarily engaged at Jerusalem, the capital of the nation. Capernaum, the scene of so many incidents in the life of Christ, has long since passed away, its very site not being positively known. Lincoln was born near Hodgenville, in Kentucky, where his early days were spent; was reared to early manhood near Gentryville, in Indiana; spent the greater part of his active life in Springfield, Illinois. He died while temporarily residing at Washington, the capi- tal of the nation. New Salem, one of the early homes of Lincoln in Illinois, where he kept a store and postofHce, has "vanished like a mist in the morning," its very site being deserted by human habitation. Born for the Times. Jesus Christ was born for the times, "in the fulness of time," as Paul says. "The scepter had departed from Judea," according to the prophecy of the dying Jacob. The civil power and authority of the Jews had been already usurped by the Romans. All the prophecies con- cerning his coming had been fulfilled. General expecta- tion prevailed that the times were ripe for his coming. The Greek language, being almost universally used, was favorable for the diffusion of a new form of religion. 26 Master and His Servant Through all the centuries man had devised no effective plan for the redemption of the world. Reason, philoso- phy, science, and the light of nature, had failed to bring "life and immortality to light," and reconcile man to his Maker. There were some things the law of Moses could not do. In due time Christ was born into the world, who would become "the desire of all nations," and a witness to the truth. To Pilate he said, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should be a witness to the truth." Abraham Lincoln was surely born for the times, and for his peculiar mission. No man at the time of his presidency was so fitted in his temperaments for the situation of the country and the government. The slav- ery question, and its side issues, had been debated and compromised in vain. The churches and other moral agencies had failed to settle the great controversy. The people were expecting a crisis and a leader. "The ful- ness of time" came, and Lincoln stood at the helm of affairs. President McKinley said, "He was the greatest man of his time, especially approved of God for the work he gave him to do." Bishop Simpgon said, "By the hand of God he was especially singled out to guide our government in those troublesome times, and it seems to me that the hand of God may be traced in many events connected with his history." Chief Justice Waite, of the United States Supreme Court, said, "I have always thought Mr. Lincoln was a man born for his time." Lincoln said, concerning his own life, "I have found all my life, as Hamlet says, 'There is a divinity that shapes our lives, Rough hew them how we will.' " Birth and Early Life 27 Inspiration and Preparation. Christ, at his boyhood home, was being trained for his Hfe work in comparative obscurity. We know but little of his life during the thirty years spent in the obscure village of Nazareth. We know that he passed through all the natural stages of development. It is recorded that "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." He may have attended school after receiving his first lessons from Mary and the instructions of Joseph, but, as Dr. Stalker says, "It was only a poor man's edu- cation." No doubt he attended worship at the synagogue each Sabbath. "Three great books lay ever before him, tlie Bible, Man, and Nature." : Lincoln's early days were spent in comparative ob- scurity, but he was being unconsciously trained for his great mission. Many of his earliest lessons were learned from his mother's knee. His schooling was of the poor- est kind, and of short duration. He was a student of the Bible, Man and Nature. His surroundings and asso- ciations, seemingly, were not calculated to develop great- ness, but God has his purposes and chooses his own workmen. The Honorable Henry Watterson says : "Born as lowly as the Son of God, reared in penury and squalor, with no gleam of light, nor fair surroundings, it was reserved for this strange being, late in life, with-' out name or fame, or seeming preparation, to be snatched from obscurity, raised to supreme command at a supreme moment, and entrusted with the destiny of a nation . . If Lincoln was not inspired of God, then there is no such thing on earth as special providence, or the interposition of divine power in the affairs of men." 28 Master and His Servant Perception of Future Mission. The Man- of Galilee in early life had perceptions of his future mission. At the age of twelve years, when on his first visit to Jerusalem with his parents to attend the Passover, he became separated from them. They found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. After his mother had expressed her and her husband's anxiety, we have his first recorded words, "Know ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" We learn from these words that he had conceptions of his divine mission — "to be about his Father's business." He returned to Nazareth, and was subject to his parents for eighteen years longer, all the while, no doubt, study- ing great problems to be connected with his eventful mission. It is related that in his early life Lincoln had pre- monitions of some day becoming President of the United States, that he was to become a man of destiny. At the age of twenty-two, after witnessing a slave market in New Orleans, where human beings were sold to the highest bidder, he said, "If ever I have a chance to hit that institution I will hit it hard." A few years later he heard a remarkable sermon on prophecy, in which the minister spoke of the breaking down of civil and religious tyranny, and the downfall of American slavery. Lincoln afterwards commenting on the sermon said that he was deeply impressed that he should be somehow strangely mixed up with the fulfillment of the preacher's prophecies. President McKinley said, "The purposes of God, working through the ages, were, perhaps, more clearly revealed to him than any other." CHAPTER IV. GROUP OF CHARACTERISTICS. Personal Appearance. THE Gospel writers say nothing about the personal ap- pearance of the Man of Galilee, and the early fa- thers were not uniform in the matter. Some have asserted that he was in person the noblest of all the sons of men, that his face was capable of winning all hearts. Art has taxed itself to paint his beauty. The most ancient fathers, however, have acknowledged that he was not at all handsome, that his outward form had nothing that could attract consideration or respect. It was prophe- sied by Isaiah that "he hath no form nor comeliness ; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." The passage in the Psalms, "Thou art fairer than the children of men," some claim, relates to the beauty of Christ according to his divinity. Richard Watson said, "The truth probably is, that all which was majestic and attractive in the person of our Lord, was in the expression of his countenance, the full influence of which was displayed chiefly in his confidential inter- course with his disciples." We might add that, perhaps, many whom he relieved saw something beautiful in his ■ face'which others did not see. To every Christian heart he is "the chiefest among ten thousand, and the one alto- gether lovely." From all accounts Abraham Lincoln was a very homely looking man. Pie was about six feet, four inches 29 30 Master and His Servant tall, and usually weighed about one hundred and sixty pounds. Flis body was shrunk and shrivelled, and he was stoop shouldered. His forehead was narrow, but high, and his hair was dark. His cheeks were leathery and his ears were large. His lower lip was thick, and there was a lone mole on the right cheek. He had an olive complexion. His arms and legs were unusually long in proportion to his body. Mr. Herndon, his law partner for twenty years, says, "He was odd, but when that grey eye, and face, and every feature were lit up by the in- ward soul in fires of emotion, then it was that all those apparently ugly features sprang into organs of beauty, or sunk themselves into a sea of inspiration that some- times flooded his face." Walt Whitman, the poet, who was familiar with Mr. Lincoln, said : "None of the artists or pictures have caught the deeper, though subtle and direct expression of this man's face. There is some- thing else there." We may add that many whom he relieved when in great distress, saw in his kindly face what others did not see. Lofty Character and Habits. The character of the Man of Galilee was of the highest type. His personal habits were clean and in keeping with his exalted character. Having the divine nature, his human character was sinless, and the em- bodiment of all that was excellent and good. "No scholar or scientist, no poet or seer, but lauds his moral greatness and his spotless life." Pilate, the judge at his trial, said, "I find no fault in this man." All the New Testament writers, and the early church fathers, attest his noble qualities. GaHleo, Kepler, Bacon, Newton, Milton, Rousseau, and Napoleon Boneparte pay homage Group of Characteristics 31 to his high character. Benjamin Franklin said, "His re- ligion and morals are the best the world has ever seen." All Christians unite in paying the highest tributes of praise to the matchless character of Him "whose name is above every name." The moral character of Abraham Lincoln was of a high order. His private life -yvas above reproach, and his honesty was proverbial. He had no vices. He did not swear, drink intoxicants, gamble, chew or smoke tobacco. Honorable J. H. Barrett, the first Lincoln his- torian, says, "Very few in this world have ever more truly lived the life of purity, of charity, of universal good will, of gentle forgiveness, of self denying devo- tion to the interests of humanity, of kindness to the poor, of sympathy for the oppressed, and of submission to the Divine will, as enjoined by the precepts and example of Christ." Mr. Hemdon said, "Sometimes it appeared to me that Lincoln's soul was just fresh from the presence of its Creator." General Sherman said, "Of all the men I ever met he seemed to possess more of the elements of greatness combined with goodness than any other.'' Dr. Stone, his family physician, at Washington, said, "Mr. Lincpln is the purest hearted man with whom I ever came in contact." Man of Prayer. Jesus was preeminently a man of prayer. He lived the life of prayer. He not only prayed himself, but urged others to pray, and instructed them how to pray. He had much to say on the subject of prayer. He ad- vised secret prayer by saying, "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father." Just 32 Master and His Servant before beginning his first missionary journey through Galilee, Mark tells us, "In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a soli- tary, place, and there prayed." On another occasion he continued all night in prayer to God. His prayer, as recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John, is a most wonderful prayer, and its surroundings are full of great interest. His prayer on the cross for the forgiveness of his murderers is the most wonderful example of prayer on record. Mr. Lincoln was early taught to pray by his mother. He not only prayed for himself, but requested others to pray for him. He prayed for others, and advised others to pray for- themselves. In a letter he advised his old father, then on his deathbed, to pray, saying that God "would not forget the dying man who puts his trust in him." He prayed for the widow who lost five sons in the field of battle. He related how he went to his room, shut the door, got down on his knees and prayed for victory at Gettysburg. By proclamation, from time to time, he requested the people to "tender thanks for in- estimable blessings"; to "implore spiritual consolation"; to "invoke the divine guidance" ; to "pray for the restora- tion* of peace, harmony and unity" ; for the Holy Spirit "to subdue the anger," and "change the hearts of the in- surgents" ; to "lead the nation to repentance and submis- sion to the Divine will" ; to "pray for widows, orphans, mourners and sufferers" ; "to heal the nation's wounds." In his second inaugural address he said, "Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away." At another time he said. Croup of Characteristics 33 "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." Derangement. Because Christ's mission was misunderstood, and be- cause he had broken off from his occupation as a carpen- ter, spending a portion of his time in deserts, denying himself the common comforts of life, preaching and ap- pointing disciples, the charge was made by his personal friends (Mark 3:21) that he was "beside himself," and they made efforts "to take him away from the multitude, arid to remove him to his home that he might be treated as a maniac, and by absence from the causes of excite- ment, might be restored to his right mind." It should be understood that at this time these relatives and friends did not believe in his divine mission. - Because of a bitter disappointment, occasioned by death, a great sorrow of heart came to Mr. Lincoln at the age of twenty-six. His mind was plunged into the deepest gloom. A painful melancholy darkened his mind, and tortured him. He would sometimes be found alone muttering strange things to himself. He seemed to his friends to be in the shadow of madness, and a close watch was kept over him. Bowling Green and his good wife took him to their home, where he remained until he was once more master of himself. The Good Samaritan. To a lawyer Jesus mentioned a thrilling incident, teach- ing the true idea of neighborship. An unfortunate trav- eler, a Jew, had met with a misfortune, and was in a helpless condition by the wayside. If left alone he 34 Master and His Servant would perish. Some of his own people had already passed him by, offering no assistance; but a stranger, who was a Samaritan, in passing, had compassion upon him, and took him to a public house, and cared for him until the next morning. While the incident has a prac- tical lesson, yet Jesus is himself the Good Samaritan, who, when all else had passed poor humanity by, lifted us up, and cared for our spiritual necessities. One cold winter night in Indiana, while going home, Mr. Lincoln and his companions found a poor drunken man who had fallen by the wayside, and was in a help- less condition. His companions proposed to leave him alone, but Mr. Lincoln lifted him up, carried him to a house, built a fire, warmed him, and took care of him until morning. The poor fellow afterwards declared that Abe Lincoln's strength and kindness saved his life. Grief at Death of a Friend. There was a happy home at Bethany, composed of a family of three, a brother and two sisters. Here Jesus often lodged, and was a most welcome guest. The brother, whose name was Lazarus, was an intimate and personal friend of Jesus. While Jesus was away on a mission he received a message that "he whom he loved was sick." Lazarus died and was buried in the absence of Jesus. It was a sorrowful meeting of Jesus and the bereaved sisters upon his arrival four days later. The sisters wept bitterly, while Jesus endeavored to comfort them, but he was overcome, and wept also. The group of Jewish mourners were deeply affected at the sad scene, and when they saw Jesus weeping they said, "Be- hold, how he loved him!" Group of Characteristics 35 At the home of Bowling Green and family, in Illinois, Lincoln, when a young man, often stopped. Mr. Green loaned him books, and befriended him in many ways. On one occasion he took Lincoln to his home and cared for him with the solicitude of a devoted friend, through several weeks of great suffering and peril. Bowling Green died in 1842 when Mr. Lincoln was thirty-three years old. Following the first speaker at the funeral Lincoln undertook to deliver an oration over the remains of his beloved friend. When he arose to speak his voice choked with deep emotion ; he stood for a few moments, while his lips quivered in the effort to form words of fervent praise he sought to utter, and the tears ran down his yellow cheeks. He looked so utterly bereft and piti- able that every one in the audience was deeply affected at the spectacle. After repeated efforts, he found it impossible to speak, and strode away, openly and bitterly sobbing, to the widow's carriage, in which he was driven away from the scene. Unknown Qualities. There was something about Christ the people could not understand. They were often astonished at what he said, and what he did. His own disciples were, ever and anon, completely puzzled, and at one time they said, "What manner of man is this ?" He was a unique char- acter, standing solitary among men. There is still an unknown quality in Christ. The more we study Christ as a man the more we see he outgrows all human pro- portions. He stands as the hero of the ages, the em- bodiment of all excellencies, the "All in all." The great Napoleon said, "The singularity of his mysterious being. 36 Master and His Servant his appearance, his empire, his progress through the cen- turies, and kingdoms — all this to me is a prodigy, an unfathpmless mystery." It was prophesied that "his name shall be called Wonderful." Abraham Lincoln was the most remarkable character this country has ever produced. The talented Henry Watterson calls him a "strange being." He has been called "the miracle of the nineteenth century." "Poets and orators, artists and historians, have tried to depict his character, and illustrate his career.'' Julian Haw- thorn, in his history of the United States, says. "The depth of his mind, and the breadth of his sympathies have never been sounded or measured." Francis Way- land Shepherdson, of Chicago University, says, "The mystery of his existence becomes more complex and in- explicable." John T. Morse, the author of two volumes on the life of Lincoln, says, "Lincoln stands apart in striking solitude, an enigma to all men," and refers to his "strange lifetime" as "impressive, mysterious, un- measured, and unsolved." CHAPTER V. MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS. The Widow's Son. A YOUNG man, the only son of a poor widow, was in the cold embrace of death. Jesus met the funeral procession as it proceeded from the gate of the city of Nain. When he saw the poor mother in her distress he had compassion on her, and told her not to weep. He then went and touched the bier upon which the body was carried, and released the young man from the bonds of death, and joyfully restored him to his mother. A YOUNG man by the name of Armstrong, the son of a poor widow, in Illinois, was in the strong hands of the law, charged with murder. Lincoln heard of it, did not believe him guilty, and voluntarily offered his services as a lawyer to defend him. He had compassion on the poor mother, who, with her late husband, had often be- friended him. The young man was released from the bonds of the law, and restored to his mother with great joy. The Lunatic Boy. While the Master came in contact with all kinds of physical maladies and human sorrows, there was none so distressing, nor more deserving of his attention than that of those whose reason had been dethroned. One of special pity, as recorded by the sacred historians, is that of a boy whose case was indeed deplorable. How it 37 38 Master and His Servant must have affected the tender heart of Jesus as the father related the strange, uncontrollable, and miserable condition of his son. While they were talking Jesus himself witnessed the strange contortions of the boy, and administered to his relief. Among the sorrows that came to the heart of Mr. Lincoln's early life, aside from the poverty and general wretchedness which surrounded him, was the case of one of his boy companions, three years older than him- self, who, unaccountably, became violently insane. He finally settled down to harmless imbecility. All night long he would moan and sing, and Lincoln relates tliat he would often rise before daylight to cross the fields and listen, with intense pity, to the funeral dirge of reason. Care for Sparrows. Jesus in his teachings referred to the protecting care of our Heavenly Father. He said of the sparrows that not one of them should fall to the ground without the notice of the Father; therefore, if he cares for birds of little value we should not fear, for he said we are of "more value tlian many sparrows." On one occasion, while traveling with others on horse- back, Mr. Lincoln saw two little birds which had fallen from their nests, and stopped to put them back. When he came up with the party he was laughed at, but he said, "I could not have slept to-night if I had not restored those little birds to their mother." Zaccheus. When Jesus was passing through Jericho there was a great crowd following him, and many had gathered to Miscellaneous Incidents 39 see him and the multitude pass. There was a certain man living at Jericho, named Zaccheus, a publican, who desired to see Jesus, but who was at a disadvantage because he was small of stature ; therefore he ran ahead of the crowd, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him pass. In passing Jesus looked up, and saw him. What followed is most interesting, and the murmuring . people were taught a most useful lesson arising from this incident in the life of Jesus. One day a detachment of troops was marching along the street singing the "John Brown song." They were walled in on either side by a great crowd of people. In the midst of this exciting scene a man climbed a small tree near the sidewalk, but the tree swayed to and fro because of his weight, while the crowd jeered at the sight. Mr. Lincoln noticed him, and although engaged in conversation, with a droll cast of his eye, and a nod of his head in the direction of the man, he repeated the old couplet — "And Zaccheus he did climb a tree. His Lord and Master for to see," and then resumed his conversation. He did not employ this quotation irreverently. His mind was stored with poems and sayings, and the scene suggested the old couplet which, perhaps, he had learned in his boyhood days. The Interceding Son. In his earthly ministry Jesus Christ interceded for man, and he is still our intercessor. He represents our humanity at the court of heaven. We have an advocate with the Father, in the person of his Son, who "ever 40 Master and His Servant liveth to make intercession for us." In the name of ' the Son we may have our requests made known to the Father, who will supply all our needs, and, in due time, promote us to a glorious inheritance. In the meantime we may have grace to bear all of life's conflicts. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman tells of one of his friends who was a, boyhood companion of Robert Lincoln. He entered the Civil War, and went to the front. When Robert Lincoln found that he was only a private soldier he said to a friend, "Write and tell him to write to me, and I will intercede with father, and get him something better." The young soldier said : "I never took advantage of the offer, but you do not know what a comfort it was to me. Often after a weary march I would throw my- self on the ground, and say, 'If it becomes beyond all human endurance I can write to Bob Lincoln and get relief ; and I would rather have his intercession than that of the cabinet, for he is a son.' " The Stranger's Discourse. In the afternoon of the first Cliristian Sabbath two companions were walking from Jerusalem to their home at Emmaus, eight miles distant. On Friday before, Christ, whom they trusted as the Messiah, had been crucified. While they were talking about their sorrows and disappointments, a stranger joined their company. After they had related to him the cause of their sad countenances and grief the stranger gave them an en- couraging talk, which greatly cheered them. He told them that after all Jesus must have been the Messiah. How their "hearts burned within" them while the stranger continued to talk concerning the prophecies and Miscellaneous Incidents 41 their fulfillment! At length they arrived at their hum- ble abode in Emmaus, and, as it was late in the after- noon, the two friends constrained him to tarry with them. They wanted to hear more of his gracious and instructive words. The evening meal was prepared, and while the stranger was returning thanks their eyes were opened, and they saw, to their astonishment, that the stranger was none other than Jesus Christ himself ! Dur- ing Christ's , ministry many saw him and heard his gra- cious words, but knew him not because of the blindness of their hearts. One Sabbath morning, in 1860, a stranger entered, and took a seat in the Sabbath school of the Five Points House of Industry, in New York. He listened with fixed attention to all the exercises, and his countenance expressed such genuine interest that the superintendent approached him and suggested that he might be willing to say something to the children. The stranger accepted the invitation with evident pleasure. Going forward he began a simple address which at once fascinated every little hearer, and hushed the room into silence. His lan- guage was strikingly beautiful, and his tones musical, .with intense feeling. Once or twice he attempted to close his remarks, but their imperative shout of "Go on !" "Oh, do go on!" would compel him to resume. The superintendent, as he looked at the remarkable appear- ance of the stranger, felt a great curiosity to know more about him, and while the stranger was quietly leaving the room, the superintendent begged to know his name. He courteously replied, "It is Abraham Lincoln, from 42 Master and His Servant Illinois." Ah, there were many who saw Mr. Lincoln, and heard his words, but they knew not the real man. Regard for Woman. Christ recognized woman in the work of the gospel. He lifted her up from her social estrangemi^it and soli- tude. He administered to women in their moral ■ and physical maladies, and heeded their urgent requests in behalf of their loved ones. He recognized their love and devotion to himself. For the kind act of a woman he said, "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." To woman he first gave the commission to declare his resurrection. Lincoln was a true friend to woman. In his early professional life he declared for woman's enfranchise- ment. As a lawyer he often appeared for the widow and the orphan "without money and without price.'' In his presidential career he was often touched with the tender appeals of women in behalf of their loved ones. He recognized their devotion to the Union and to the sol- diers. At a Ladies' Fair, for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers, he said: "If all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the world were applied to the women of America it would not do them justice for their conduct during the war. I will close by saying, 'God bless the women of America.' " Love for Children. Christ loved and recognized children. He took little children in his arms and blessed them, and said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Upon one occa- Miscellaneous Incidents 43 sion he called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of the disciples, and taught them a beautiful object lesson of humility and dependence. Me. Lincoln loved children. He loved his own child- ren dearly. There are a number of instances recorded of his tender regard for the little ones. As Mr. Lincoln rode on horseback in the parade at the Gettysburg dedi cation, a gentleman, with a little girl dressed in white, raised the little one to the President who extended his hands, lifted her up to his face, kissed her, and handed her back to her father. "Praise Belongs to God." Jesus always sought to honor the Father. He sought not his own honor aside from that of the Father. He said upon an interesting occasion, "I seek not mine own glory." "If I honor myself my honor is nothing." He came to do the will of God, and claimed that" all honor came from, and was due the Father; therefore he dis- regarded equally the reproaches and the applause of the people. An old colored hospital nurse, a very estimable wo- man, in company with~ others, brought some valuable and beautiful presents to Mr. Lincoln. Suitable remarks were made on the occasion by different members of the company. The old lady being called upon to say a few -words, said: "Mr. President, I believe God has hewn you out of a rock for this great and mighty purpose. You have stood firm because God was with you, and if you are faithful to the end, he will still be with you." With eyes full of tears. President Lincoln said, "You must not give me the praise; it belongs to God." CHAPTER VI. PUBLIC MISSION AND TEACHING. The Inauguration. A CRISIS was approaching" in the history of Christ and the nation. There were murmurs among the people. He saw signs of approaching rupture with the priests and rabbis. After Christ had chosen his asso- ciates, or disciples, he proceeded to deliver, in the pres- ence of his disciples and a great multitude, the Sermon on the Mount, which Geikie says was a kind of inaugural address, or declaration of principles of the Christian re- public. He told the people that he came not to destroy' the law, but to obey and fulfill. He endeavored to rectify some false and mistaken notions and expectations of the Jews respecting his kingdom. What a message of blessings and good will ! How he pleads for loyalty and submission to the Divine will ! What a contrast he shows between those who heard his sayings and per- formed them, and those who heard and obeyed not! A CRISIS was approaching in the histoi-y of the govern- ment to which Mr. Lincoln had been chosen as its chief executive. He had chosen his cabinet of associate coun- selors. There were murmurs among the people. Active measures were being taken to dissolve the Union. Mr. Lincoln was fully aware of the condition of affairs, but he proceeded to Washington to deliver his inaugural address, which was delivered in the presence of a vast multitude. What noble expressions of good will he gives ! 44 Public Mission and Teaching 45 He tells his opponents plainly that they still had the old Constitution unimpaired, and that he had no purpose, directly or ■ indirectly, to interfere with slavery where it then existed. How he appeals to his "dissatisfied fel- low countrymen" for peace and union, and warns them of the consequences of war, which could only be brought about by themselves as the aggressors. Doing the Will of the Father. Jesus Christ was conscious of his divine mission, and on different occasions said that his purpose was to do the will of the Father. To his mother he said, "I must be about my Father's business." To the Jews at Jeru- salem he said, "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father." To the disciples he said, "My- meat is to do the will of him that sent me." Addressing the Father in his agony in Gethsemane, he said, "Not my will, but thine be done." Paul says, "He became obedi- ent unto death, even the death of the cross." Abraham Lincoln sought to do the will of God. He said, "I have felt his hand upon me in great trials, and submitted to his guidance." In his first message to a special session of Congress, in July, 1861, he said, "Let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear." To a religious delegation from Chicago, he said, "What- ever shall appear to be God's will I will do." To a religious delegation from Baltimore he said, "I place my whole reliance in God, knowing that he will decide for the right." Upon another occasion he said, "It is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation shall be on the Lord's side." The late Honorable John Hay, who was Lincoln's private secretary, and while Secretary 46 Master and His Servant of State under President Roosevelt, said, "There is one thing we all should never forget — that Abraham Lincoln was one of the most faithful and devoted Servants of Almighty God who ever sat in high places." Originality. Christ was an original teacher. The people had never heard anything like his teachings. They declared, "Never man spake like this man." They were "aston- ished." "To transmit unchanged," says Geikie, "the tra- ditions received from the past, was the one idea of all other teachers; but He, while reverent, was not afraid to criticize, reject, and to supplement. To venture on originality and independence was something hitherto un- known." Says Canon Farrar: "How exquisitely and freshly simple is the actual language of Christ compared with all other teaching that has ever gained the ear of the world ! There is no science in it, no art, no pomp of demonstration, no carefulness of toil, no trick of rhetoricians, no wisdom of the schools. Straight as an arrow to the mark, his precepts pierce to the very depths of the -soul and spirit. All is short, clear, precise, full of holiness, full of common images of daily life." Lincoln was an original thinker and reasoner. He E-.ald, "I am never easy when I am handling a thought till I have bounded it north, and bounded it south, and bounded it east, and bounded it west." Charles Sumner said: "He was original in mind and in character. His style was his own, formed on no model, and springing directly from himself." J. G. Holland, the historian, says, "We learned to love him for his eccentricities, be- cause they proved to us that he was not controlled by Public Mission and Teaching 47 conyention and precedent, but was a law unto himself." Mr. Hemdon, his law partner for twenty years, said, "He tore up to the deep foundation all arrangement of facts, and coined and arranged new plans to govern him- self." "His mind ran back behind all facts, things, and principles, to their origin, history, and first cause." Manner of Illustration. The Great Teacher illustrated truths by parables and other forms of illustration. How often he said, "The kingdom of heaven is like," and then, by some forcible parable, emphasized the truth to be learned. At one time he said, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God ? or with what comparison shall we compare it?" Again, "Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?" and in each instance he gave an appropriate illustration. At Nazareth Jesus gathered a wonderful harvest of imagery from nature, and be- came thoroughly acquainted with the facts of the Old Testament, all of which were suggestive afterward, and with which he delighted and instructed his disciples and the multitudes. Dr. Stalker says about one-third of the sayings of Christ which have been preserved, consists of parables. The parables of the "Lost Sheep," "Laza- rus and the Rich Man," the "Good Samaritan," the "Wedding Garment," and the "Ten Virgins," have never been excelled for their lessons of moral grandeur. Lincoln was noted for using illustrations, and telling "stories" to make plain the application of facts. His early life afforded him many incidents, and a fund of illustrations and anecdotes. Besides, he had read Aesop's Fables, Pilgrim's Progress, Shakespeare, the Bible, and Master and His Servant other books, and having a wonderful memory, his mind was well stored with many illustrations and comparisons which he used to great advantage. "That reminds me," was the introduction to many a story or anecdote which greatly pleased his hearers. Herndon says : "The world, fact, man, principle, all had their power of suggestion, and continually put him in mind of something. His power and tenacity of what is called association of ideas must have been very great.'' Appeal to the Scriptures. Christ became early acquainted with the Old Testa- ment Scriptures at his home in Nazareth. He made a special study of the prophecies referring to himself. In his ministry he often appealed to the Scriptures, using such expressions as, "It is written" ; "It is written in the prophets"; "What saith the Scriptures?"; "It is writ- ten in your law"; "It hath been said." On one occasion, "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." To the Jews at Jerusalem he said: "Search the scriptures . . and they are they which testify of me." Again, "For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me ; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words ?" Jesus put many interpretations on the Scriptures which were new to the Jewish people. He quoted, so far as reported, from twenty-two of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, in all about one hundred and forty quota- tions. Lincoln made a special study of the Scriptures in early life. His "angel mother" interested his youthful Public Mission and Teaching 49 mind with Bible stories. He made frequent use of Scripture quotations in his writings and public addresses. At one time he referred to the "good old maxims of the Bible." His "Divided House speech" is one of the strongest applications of Scripture on record. Honorable Isaac N. Arnold, who knew him intimately for twenty- five years, and who wrote a biography of him, said, "I have never yet met the man more familiar with the Bible than Abraham Lincoln." It was truly said of him that "no man, clergyman, or otherwise, could be found so familiar with this book as he. This is ap- parent both in his conversation and his writings. There is hardly a speech or a state paper of his in which allu- sions and illustrations taken from the Bible do not appear." On a noted occasion he said of the Bible, "It is the best gift which God has ever given to man." So far as the writer has found recorded, he made quotations from fourteen books of the Bible, making thirty-two in all. Warning Against False Doctrine. The Great Teacher taught the truth, but he saw how his disciples and others might be deceived, therefore he warned them to beware of false prophets, or false teachers. He told them to beware of the leaven or false doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He said, "Take heed that no man deceive you." He referred to the fact that many would be deceived by false repre- sentations. He referred to deceivers as "blind guides,'' "hypocrites," "generation of vipers," "whited sepul- chres," etc. Only those were safe who heeded his say- ings and did them, like a wise man who builds his house upon a sure foundation. 50 Master and His Servant The immortal Lincoln taught principles and truths that withstood the strongest opposition. He believed in the ultimate triumph of truth and the right. He warned the people to beware of false reasoning, and false leaders. He protested against what he called "counterfeit logic," "ingenious sophism," "base alloy of "hypocrisy," and a "sugar-coated rebellion." He said, "Let us be diverted by none of those sophisticated contrivances wherewith we are so industriously plied and belabored." He also said: "I have faith in the people. They will not consent to disunion. The danger is in their being misled. Let them know the truth, and the country is safe." Severe Reproofs. Although Christ was gentle and forbearing towards the erring, there were times when his reproofs were quite severe. He was especially severe with hypocrites and impostors. He called them by their right names. Filled with righteous scorn and noble indignation, he used bodily force in driving from the temple the sheep and the oxen, and their attendants, who had basely pros- tituted the temple for unholy purposes, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers. They did not resist, be- cause sin is weakness, and Jesus spoke as one having authority, "Make not my Father's house a house of mer- chandise," "It is written. My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." Much has been said of Mr. Lincoln's uniform meek- ness, forbearance, and kindness of heart, but there were times, when even with him, "forbearance ceased to be a virtue." He was greatly tried in many ways. On one occasion an officer, who had been discharged, called to Public Mission and Teaching 51 defend himself, but Mr. Lincoln felt that he could not interfere, even from the officer's own statement. He called the second, and the third time, going over the same ground, consuming much of the President's valu- able time. The last time, seeing the President was not convinced, he used insulting language, which was too aggravating, even for Mr. Lincoln. With a slight com- pression of his lips, he gently arose and suddenly seizing the defunct officer by the coat-collar, he marched him forcibly to the door, saying, as he ejected him into the passage: "Sir, I give you fair warning never to show yourself in this room again. I can bear censure, but not insult ! Begone, sir, I never want to see your face again." The Unfortunate. Christ was often compassed about with many un- fortunate and distressed persons. All classes, with all kinds of trouble, came to him for relief. He was ap- pealed to by the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, and the dumb. Those who were imposed upon by others came to him with their troubles. Some came in behalf of their friends who were in distress, and their appeals, many of them, were heart- touching. How patiently Christ considered all these cases, and administered relief to the worthy. Much of President Lincoln's time was taken in con- sidering the cases of the unfortunate. Persons, repre- senting all classes and ranks, with all kinds of grievances, came for redress. Women came in person in behalf of their husbands, or sons, who were wounded, in prison, or under sentence of death for desertion. Mr. Lincoln was very considerate in all these cases; and many persons 52 Master and His Servant went away from his presence saying joyfully in their ' hearts, if not in words, "God bless Abraham Lincoln." Humility. While the Master had all power and authority, there are many things recorded in which he showed the spirit of humility by performing lowly acts of service. He said, "Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant." Upon a certain occasion, as he and his disciples were together, he laid aside his outer garments, took a towel and girded himself, and after pouring water into a basin began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe them with the towel. This humble act was a puzzle to Peter, but it showed the spirit of the Master, his perfect willingness to descend to do an act of service however lowly for the example and good of others. Humility characterized the life of Mr. Lincoln even while he occupies the highest ofifice in the nation. He did not, in spirit or practice, hold himself above the lowly. An instance is related in which he was discovered .counting some money. In explanation he said : "This is something out of my usual line ; but a President of the United States has a multiplicity of duties not specified in the Constitution or acts of Congress. This is one of them. This money belongs to a poor negro who is a porter in the Treasury Department, at present very bad with the smallpox. He is now in the hospital, and could not draw his pay because he could not sign his name. I have been at considerable trouble to overcome the difficulty and get it for him, and have at length succeeded. I am now dividing and putting by a portion, labeled, in an envelope, with my own hands, according to his wish." Public Mission and Teaching 53 He proceeded to endorse the package very carefully. No one witnessing the transaction could fail to appreciate the goodness of heart which prompted the President of the United States to turn aside for a time from his weighty care to perform a menial act of service for the benefit of one of the humblest of his fellow-creatures. CHAPTER VII. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES TAUGHT. Truth. THE mission of Jesus was to reveal and to declare the truth, and he did it tenderly and fearlessly. He revealed the truth concerning those exalted duties we owe to ourselves, to others, and to God. To the unbelieving Pharisees, who questioned his credentials, he said, "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true." To the Jews at Jerusalem he said, "The truth shall make you free" — free from error, prejudice, and the bondage of sin. The principles of gospel truth, as taught by Christ, if acted upon, will free every individual soul, and dissolve every false system of rule or govern- ment on earth, and enthrone the kingdom of righteous- ness. Lincoln had a sincere regard for the truth, and pro- claimed it fearlessly. In defense of his "Divided House speech,'' when a candidate for the United States Senate, in 1858, he said, "If it must be that I must go down because of this speech then let me go down linked to the truth — die in the advocacy of what is just and right." Near the same time he said, "If I should never be elected to any office I trust I may go down with no stain of falsehood upon my reputation." When a candidate for the presidency he said, "I am nothing, but truth is everything." While President, only a month before his death, he said, concerning some of his utterances : "Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them. It is a truth which I thought needed to be told." 54 Fundamental Principles Taught 55 Love. Love was the prime factor in the Hfe of Jesus. He loved his friends. He said, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you." We should show our love for him, for he said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words." He exhorted his friends to love one another, saying, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Christ loved his enemies, and to us he says, "Love your ene- mies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.'' He also said that upon the two commands, love to God, and love to man, "hung all the law and the prophets," meaning that these two com- mandments included every other commandment. In his old age, John, "the beloved disciple," said, "We love him because he first loved us." The love of Christ was world-wide. His gospel was for "every creature." While an exile on the island of St. Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte said: "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemange, and myself founded great empires ; but -upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded his empire upon love, and, to this very day millions would die for him." Although the Jewish people rejected Christ, yet he loved them, for he was born and reared a Jew himself. Love for his fellow-man was a most distinguished trait in the character of Lincoln. General Banks said, "There is not a man on the continent or globe that will, or can say, that Abraham Lincoln was his enemy." J. G. Holland, the historian, said: "I do not believe a ruler ever lived who loved his people more sincerely than he. Nay, I do not believe the ruler ever lived who loved his 56 Master and His Servant enemies so well as he." Before his nomination and ' election to the presidency he said in a speech, directing hi'S remarks to the Southern people: "We mean to re- member that you are as good as we are ; that thefe is no difference between us other than difference in circum- stance. We mean to recognize and bear in mind that you have as good hearts in your bosoms as other people." While he was President he said: "I shall do nothing in malice. What I r'eal with is too vast for malicious dealing." In his second inaugural address he used the noble expression, "With malice toward none, and charity for all." During the Rebellion he sometimes referred to the Southern people as "our erring brethren." He loved the South, for he was born in the ^outh, of southern parentage. A High Standard. Christ set up a perfect standard of living. His life was the true model. All his teachings, and all his works were perfect. He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" — see God in nature, in his provi- dence, goodness, mercy, and grace. He further said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Not absolute perfection, but in proportion as your Father is perfect, be consistent and regular, pure and perfect in so far as it is possible for poor fallen mortals to be perfect. In commenting upon human perfection in a speech delivered in Chicago, in 1858, Mr. Lincoln said: "It is said in one of the admonitions of our Lord, 'As your Father in heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.' The Savior, I suppose, did not expect that any human crea- Fundamental Principles Taught 57 ture could be perfect as the Father in heaven, but he said, 'As your Father in heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.' He set that up as a standard, and he who did most toward reaching that standard attained the highest degree of moral perfection." Mr. Lincoln endeavored to live up to that standard, and to govern the nation ac- cordingly. The Sabbath. Jesus recognized and observed the Sabbath. It was his custom to worship and to teach in the synagogues on the Sabbath. He was accused of breaking the Sab- bath because he performed deeds of mercy and kind- ness, and acts of necessity on that day, but he informed his objectors that it was lawful to do good on the Sab- bath, and that man was above the Sabbath, that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sab- bath. Lincoln observed the Sabbath, and attended religious services on that day at Springfield, and at Washington. While he was President he issued a "Sunday Rest Order," of which the following is a part: "The President, Com- mander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for man and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best interests of a Christian people, and a due regard to the Divine will, demand that Sunday labor in the army an4 navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity," 58 Master and His Servant Doing and Knowing. It will be observed that these words are reversed from the usual order. The Great Teacher said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.'' Bishop Hall, in commenting on these words of Christ, says, "If any man shall, with a simple and honest heart, yield himself over to do the will of God, according to the measure he knows, God shall en- courage and bless that man with further light; so he shall fully know,'' that the doctrine is of God. Doiilg the will of God will give light and understanding, and is an antidote for prejudice, doubt, and skepticism. Christ greatly emphasized the doctrine of obedience as a, result of knowledge to be followed by happiness. "If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them." Know and do, and do and know, are opposite terms, but they may be put to the test by those who know, and those who do not know. At the Chicago convention, where Lincoln was first nominated for the presidency, Arnold says, it was dis- covered that there was an organized body of New Yorkers who cheered and shouted whenever Seward's name was mentioned. The Illinois delegation secured some loud shouters for Lincoln, one of whom was a Democrat, whose ability to shout and huzza had never been equaled. Whenever Lincoln's name was mentioned there would go up such cheers and shouts as never be- fore had been heard. This was kept up until Lincoln was nominated amid such a storm of applause as had never before been known. The Democratic shouter was so carried away with his enthusiasm for Lincoln that h^ Fundamental Principles Taught 59 changed his poHtics, and continued to shout for Lincoln during the campaign. A Short Creed. Christ was a member of no worldly organization, his life was an open book. He said, "I spake openly to the world, and in secret have I said nothing." He was no respecter of persons. He treated all alike, friends and foes, rich and poor, Jews and Gentiles. His gospel was for "every creature," and he acted accordingly. While he spoke of many duties to be rendered to God, and to men, he summed them up in a few words. The brief confession of faith, as expressed by Peter, was the foundation upon which he would build his Church. There could be no improvement. It was to stand for all time. Love to God and man would be the creed in substance. This creed can be applied to every phase and condition of society and human need. Christ was not a stickler for forms and ceremonies. The worship of God in the spirit, and with love in all its relations, were the supreme requirements. Lincoln was no class man. His affections were broad and liberal. He was not a member of any fraternal order, or society, so far as known. Neither was he a member of any sectarian church, although he attended church services, recognized the good influence of the churches, and upon one ocasion said, "God bless all the churches." Still he was a Christian, especially in the later years of his life. Few men outside of his cabinet he more frequently consulted than his old friend, Isaac N. Arnold, who said: "No more reverent Christian than he ever sat in the executive chair, not excepting Wash- Master and His Servant ington. He was by nature religious ; full of religious sentiment. It is not claimed that he was orthodox. For creeds and dogmas he cared Wttle. But in the great fundamental principles of the Christian religion he was a firm believer." At one time Mr. Lincoln said : "I have never united myself with any church because I found difficulty in giving my assent, without mental reservation, to the long and complicated statements of Christian doc- trine which characterized their articles of belief, and confession of faith. When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification of membership, the Savior's condensed statement of the substance of both law and gospel, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself,' that church will I join with all my heart and soul." Dr. Gunsaulus, of Chicago, a man of profound piety, and unquestioned orthodoxy, is reported to have said: "I would have Plymouth Church open the door to such a man as religiously great as Abraham Lincoln, however small he might be theolog- ically. I would make the invitation and method of en- trance into the church as wide and inclusive as her Founder made them." Forgfiveness. One of the attributes possessed by Christ was the pardoning power. He was always ready to forgive the erring who truly repented. Many cried to him to have mercy upon them, and were happily relieved of theiv distresses. For assuming this power he was sharply criticized by his enemies. They claimed he had gone beyond his authority. He did not set himself up as a magistrate, hence he did not presume to decide cases Fundamental Principles Taught 61 after the strict law of Moses. When the accusers of the poor sinful woman were brought face to face to him to entrap him in a decision, he silenced their unworthy motives, and they slank away self-condemned. He said to the woman, "Go, and sin no more." He plainly taught others the duty of forgiveness, and that if they did not have the spirit of forgiveness they could not expect for- giveness from God, nor from their fellow-man. Christ always practiced what he taught. At the close of his life he manifested a forgiving spirit toward his enemies. The last act performed by Jesus on the day of his death was to pardon a malefactor. Lincoln, as President, possessed the pardoning power in grave offenses. He often exercised this power be- cause of the kindness of his nature, but he was often criticized for so doing. He said he was "always willing to forgive on the Christian terms of repentance, and also to give ample time for repentance." Many a deserter, under sentence of death, owed the preservation of his life to the pardoning power of President Lincoln. He said, "It makes me rested after a hard day's work if I can find some good excuse for saving a man's life, and I go to bed happy, as I think how joyous the signing of my name will make him and his family, and his friends." On Monday of the last week Mr. Lincoln spent on earth, as he returned from Richmond, he stopped at City Point Hospital to shake hands with five or six thousand sol- diers to let them know that he appreciated what they had done for their country. As he passed along with the surgeon they came to a ward in which lay a Rebel who had been wounded, and was a prisoner. As the tall form of the kindly visitor appeared in sight he was 62 Master and His Servant recognized by the Rebel soldier who, raising himself on his elbow in bed, watched Mr. Lincoln as he approached, and extending his hand, exclaimed, while tears ran down his cheeks, "Mr. Lincoln, I have long wanted to see you, to ask your forgiveness for ever raising my hand against the old flag." Mr. Lincoln was moved to tears. He heartily shook the hand of the repentant Rebel, and as- sured him of his good will, and, with a few words of advice, passed on. On the day of his death he spoke kindly of the South, and rejoiced at the speedy return of peace. The last official act of President Lincoln, in the afternoon of the date of his assassination, was to pardon a Confederate spy. The Great Debt. Man had transgressed the holy law of the Divine government. He had forfeited his right to live. He was condemned to die. He could not save himself. The law was of no avail. Jesus beheld man's helpless con- dition. He came all the way from heaven to earth to become personally and practically acquainted with man's circumstances, and to exhibit his interest in his case. How he sympathizes with man! He says, "Look to me. I will make your salvation possible, and redeem you. But this is at great cost. What mil you pay me ?" Poor man! He was morally bankrupt. All his time, talents, material effects, silver, gold, houses, lands, and friends could never pay the debt. But Jesus says : "Look to me. It all depends upon you. If you will only believe in me, and live a life of consecrated service you shall live." What a joy to serve him who has redeemed us, not with silver and gold, but at a greater sacrifice, and worked Fundamental Principles Taught 63 out the scheme of redemption for us. What a joy to feel that Jesus knows all about our trials! Surely we shall not forsake his cause, but remain faithful to the banner of the cross to the end. The life of a believer is a lite of conflict. Faith is his shield. "Looking unto Jesus," the Christian soldier can wield the sword of the Spirit, and when he falls in battle he can say with Paul, "I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith." In the early period of the Rebellion a young Ver- monter, only twenty-one, standing guard as a sentinel in a dangerous place was found asleep. Army discipline must be kept. The young man was tried, and sentenced to be shot. There was much sympathy in his case. When the matter was brought to the notice of Mr. Lin- coln he concluded to visit the condemned man. William Scott was in his tent expecting to be shot the next day. He said of Mr. Lincoln: "He asked me all about the people at home, the neighbors and the farm, where I went to school, and who my schoolmates were. Then he asked about mother, and how she looked ; and I was glad I could take her photograph from my bosom and show it to him. Then Mr. Lincoln said, 'My boy, stand up here and look me in the face. You are not going to be shot to-morrow. I am going to trust you, and send you back to your regiment. But I have been put to a good deal of trouble on your account. I have had to come up here from Washington when I have a great deal to do; and what I want to know is. How are you going to pay my bill ?' '' The young man could scarcely speak, but told Mr. Lincoln he was very grateful to him for saving his life, and would try to manage to pay him 64 Master and His Servant seme way. He said that there was a bounty in the sav- ings bank, and guessed some money could be borrowed by putting a mortgage on the old farm, and he thought when pay day came, with the help of the boys, they might be able to pay him if it was not more than five or six hundred dollars. "But it is a great deal more than that," said Mr. Lincoln. Then the boy said he didn't see just how, but was sure some way could be found if he lived. Then Mr. Lincoln said : "My boy, my bill is a very large one. Your friends can not pay it, nor your bounty, nor the farm, nor all your comrades. There is only one man in all the world who can pay it, and his name is William Scott. If, from this day, William Scott does his duty, so that, if I was there when he comes to die, he can look me in the face, as he does now, and say, 'I have kept my promise, and I have done my duty as a soldier,' then the debt will be paid. Will you make that promise, and try to keep it ?" The promise was made, and there never was a better soldier than William Scott. In a battle he was shot all to pieces, and among other things, he said to his comrades, "If any of you ever have a chance I wish you would tell President Lincoln that I have never forgotten the kind words he said to me; that I have tried to be a good soldier, and true to the flag; that I should have paid my whole debt to him if I had lived; and that now, when I know I am dying, I think of his kind face, and thank him again because he gave me the chance to fall like a soldier in battle, and not like a coward, by the hands of my comrades." The Unpardonable Sin. While Christ had a forgiving spirit, he mentions one sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit, which can not be Fundamental Principles Taught 65 forgiven. He says, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men." Attrib- uting to Satan that which belongs to God, or the will- ful rejection of the truth, the sin against light, the ma- licious rejection of the only means of salvation can not be forgiven. It is closing up of the only way of pardon. Other sins may be repented of, but the willful closing of the eyes to the light means eternal blindness. We are to understand that the unpardonable sin here spoken of is not a specific sin, but is a state, a culmination of specific acts. While President Lincoln pardoned many grave of- fenses, there was one offense which he could not pardon. A gentleman from Massachusetts came to him with a petition for the pardon of a man who had been convicted -for being engaged in the slave trade, in bringing negroes from Africa and selling them in this country. He had been sentenced to prison for five years, and fined one thousand dollars. Mr. Lincoln said : "My friend, that is a very touching appeal to our feelings. You know my weakness is to be, if possible, too easily moved by ap- peals for mercy, and if this man were guilty of the foulest murder that the arm of man. could perpetrate I might forgive him on such an appeal; but the man who could go to Africa, and rob her of her children, and sell them into interminable bondage, with no other motive than that which is furnished by dollars and cents, is so much worse than the most depraved murderer that he can never receive pardon at my hands. No ! he may rot in jail before he shall have liberty by any act of mine." CHAPTER VIII. REJECTION AND REBELLION. Divided Opinions. ALTHOUGH Jesus came duly commissioned to enter upon his work, "there was much murmuring among the people concerning him; for some said, He is a good man ; others said, Nay ; but he deceiveth the peo- ple." According to some of their views he did not come from the right place. Like Nathanael, they said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" It was charged that he was an obscure man, uneducated, "the carpenter's son." They were zealous for their peculiar traditions and institutions, and they feared Jesus was not in sym- pathy with them. Jesus told them plainly, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets ; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.'' His rejection by the people of Nazareth, where he was reared, was a sorrowful event in the life of Christ. While Lincoln had been duly elected President of the United States, there were divided opinions in reference to him, both in the North and in the South. It was de- clared by some that ne was ignorant, and practically un- known, a "rail splitter," and utterly unfit for the presi- dency. The Southern people were very zealous for the institution of slavery, and prejudiced against a man se- lected from the North. They concluded that "no good thing could come from the North" to suit them for President. Mr. Lincoln told them plainly that he had 66 Rejection and Rebellion ' 67 no disposition to interfere with slavery where it already existed; that he did not propose to destroy the law, but to execute it, and that all their rights would be preserved inviolate if they remained loyal to the government. The fact that twenty-three ministers out of twenty-six, living at Springfield, were against him in his election was something he could not understand. Malignant Epithets. Out of the malice of their hearts the opposers of Christ grew more and more desperate, and boldly de- nounced him at various times and places, and under various circumstances. They charged him with being a "blasphemer," a "gluttonous man," a "wine-bibber,'' a "Sabbath breaker," "possessed of the devil," a "law breaker," guilty of treason, and worthy of death. Jesus knew the blindness of their hearts, and pitied them. He endeavored to show them their errors, loved them, and had a forgiving spirit until the end. As time passed the opponents of Mr. Lincoln grew bolder in treasonable utterances. He was more and more denounced, and every effort was made to poison the public mind against him. He was called the "Illi- nois ape," "baboon" ; The Richmond Enquirer called him "Lincoln, the beast." Robert Toombs, senator from Georgia, said in the United States Senate in January before Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated, "He is an enemy of the human race, and deserves the execration of all mankind." Later, during his presidency, he was referred to as "the smutty old tyrant at Washington." It ap- peared that nothing was too hard for some of them to 68 Master and His Servant say of him who had nothing but love and good will for his enemies. Seeking a Sign. Notwithstanding the signs given from time to time in the fulfillment of the prophecies in the coming of Christ, John's acknowledgment, the testimony at the baptism of Christ, the various miracles performed, and the many things he had told the people, they demanded a sign, even a sign from heaven, as a witness to the justness of his present and future purposes. They de- sired to have him commit himself in some way, or to make capital out of his refusal to obey their dicta;tion. He refused to comply, and said, "A wicked and adul- terous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given it." He did not propose to gratify their evil designs by exhibiting further signs and pledges at the behests of a rebellious people. He would stand by the principles he had already advanced, and in due time there would be such manifestation of, and attesta- tions to, his mission that would be even more than mere signs. The opposition to the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presidency filled the country with grave fears. What could be done to check the rising tide of disunion and secession? Could any compromises be made? He re- ceived hundreds of letters, was called upon by influen- tial newspapers, and many visitors from the North and the South urging him to declare his views of the situa- tion, and what he proposed to do. Mr. Lincoln refused to publicly express his views anew. He said: "I know the justness of my intentions, and the Utter groundless- Rejection and Rebellion 69 ness of the pretended fears of the men who are filling the country with their clamor. If I go into the presi- dency they will find me as I am on record, nothing less, nothing more. My declarations have been made to the world without reservation. They have been often re- peated, and now self-respect demands of me, and of the party which elected me that, when threatened, I should be silent." While Mr. Lincoln refused to ex- press himself to the general public, he was in close touch with influential leaders of his party, and' com- municated with them freely. Of his opponents he said: "Party malice, and not public good possesses them en- tirely. They 'seek a sign, and no sign shall be given them.' At least such is* my present feeling and purpose." Rejection of the Corner-stone. In the rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jewish church they rejected the chief corner-stone of the building in which all their hopes centered. Because they saw noth- -ing desirable in him he was ignored, and cast aside to their own ruin. Christ said of himself: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken." Peter said to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, referring to Christ, "This is the stone set at nought by you builders." Paul said that Jesus is "the chief corner-stone" of the temple of the household of faith. In the rejection of Abraham Lincoln, after being duly elected President of the United States, the Southern peo- ple struck at the chief corner-stone of the Union. Be- cause he did not come up to their ideal as a President he 70 Master and His Servant was set at naught to their own ruin. Mr. Lincoln told them what would be their fate in the event of their per- sistency, but his counsels were unheeded, and the build- ers of the Southern Confederacy wrought their own destruction, as well as that of their "peculiar institution." A Pathetic Appeal. Christ, with a heart of pity, deplored the awful fate which awaited the stubborn and rebellious Jews. His appeals to them were touching. When he stood on the hill overlooking the city of Jerusalem, his heart was touched, and he shed tears of sorrow, saying, "O Jeru- salem, Jerusalem!" He would afford them protection, even as a mother hen would protect her brood, but they hated and refused his entreaties. He said, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace, but now are they hid from thine eyes." They went on blindly to experience the awful calamity which awaited them. President Lincoln's appeal to his "dissatisfied fellow- countrymen," as he stood on Capitol Hill to deliver his inaugural address, was most touching. Having made their threats he foresaw the folly of disunion. He said : "The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors." He also said : "I am loath to close. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." He closed with the hope that "the mystic chords of memory," "touched by the better angels of our nature," "will yet swell the chorus of the Union." The South rejected his earnest appeals, and Rejection and Rebellion 71 went on to learn by a costly experience that "the way of the transgressor is hard." Willing to Die. Jesus spoke to his disciples, and others, concerning the wickedness of his enemies, and their designs, which would finally culminate in his death. He was willing to die in defense of the truth. He spoke of the manner of his death, and its results. He would surrender his life for his people. He said, "The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." In his death a great purpose would be served. On his way for the last time to Jerusalem, the capital of the nation, he told his disciples of his approaching tragic death. In all of Christ's references to his approaching death he exhibited a cool courage, and a strong resolution to go forward, showing uncom- promising loyalty to principle. Abraham Lincoln was willing to die, if necessary, for the principles of the government. In January, be- fore his inauguration in March, he said, "I will suffer death before I will consent, or advise my friends to con- sent, to any concessions or compromises which look like buying the privilege of taking possession of the govern- ment to which we have a constitutional right.." On his way to Washington, the capital of the nation, he said at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, that the country must be saved on the basis of the Declaration of Independ- ence, "but," said he, "if this county can not be saved without giving up that principle, I was going to say, I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it." In his first message to a called session of Congress in July, 1861, referring to the trust committed to him. 72 Master and His Servant he said he feU that he Ijad no moral right to shrink, nor even to count the chances of his own life in what might follow. During the progress of the Civil War he said, "I feel a presentiment that I shall not outlast the Rebel- lion. When it is over my work will be done." An Abandoned Plot. Efforts were made on various occasions to take Christ by force, and put him out of the way. When he was teaching in the temple, during the Feast of the Taber- nacles, the Pharisees and chief priests sent officers to take him by force, and bring him to them. The officers went on their mission to the temple. They listened to his words, and were so impressed with what he said that they could not gain courage to lay hands on him. Upon their return to the council the chief priests in- quired, "Why have ye not brought him?" Their reply was, "Never man spake like this man." "His discourses were inimitably powerful and convincing, and delivered with unspeakable dignity and propriety." The Pharisees and chief priests were enraged, and asked the officers if they also were deceived, and won over to the despised Nazarene. If those Pharisees, chief priests, and all the people could have fully known the mind and heart of Jesus they all would have been won over to him. It js known tha-t plans were laid at different times to kidnap or murder President Lincoln. In an article in The Youth's Companion, a story is related of an aban- dbned plot mentioned by Joel Chandler Harris in his book, "On Wings of Occasions," in which he plays with the fancy that. three Southerners having access to the White House through passes granted by Mr. Lincoln Rejection and Rebellion 73 himself, formed a plot to kidnap him. After being in Washington for several days, and in intercourse with Mr. Lincoln, so that the execution of the plot becomes apparently possible, they are so won over by the per- sonality of the President that they abandoned the plot. They then, in confidence of his generosity, told him what their intentions had been. Mr. Lincoln then said, "I don't understand why you changed your minds when you had everything in your own hands." The reply was, "Mr. President, if the plain people of the South knew you as well as we know you the war would not last much longer." Mr. Lincoln then said to the speaker : "No human being ever did, or ever can pay me a higher com- pliment. I wish all your people would take a month off, and come up here to kidnap me." It should not be over- looked that this is only a fancy sketch, but it shows the spirit of Abraham Lincoln. CHAPTER IX. DARK DAYS. Forsaken. WHILE Christ was rejected by the Jewish people, the most discouraging thing he had to endure was to be forsaken by some who had become his friends and followers. Because many of his followers were dis- appointed in him in not giving them freedom from the Roman power, and for other reasons, it is recorded, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Even Peter, one of his boldest disciples, at a critical time, denied him. Judas, another disciple, treacherously betrayed him. While the Southern people rejected Lincoln as Presi- dent, he had many enemies in the North, but the most painful fact was, as the war progressed, some of his best friends deserted him, declared he should not be re- elected President, and proposed another candidate. The hopes of a speedy peace faded, and the government hesi- tated to strike at the institution which was the real cause of the war. Good and loyal 'men could not understand it. Wendell Phillips, the talented and life-long anti- slavery orator and agitator, called Lincoln a traitor, the war a failure, and openly advocated disunion because the slaves had not been given their freedom. A Depleted Treasury. There was a time in the ministry of Christ when he was short of funds to meet his financial necessities,' and 74 Dark Days 75 the demands made upon him. It was a case of necessity that faced him. Loyalty to principle, to justice, and the cause he represented, demanded that the tribute money should be paid. After consulting with Peter in regard to the emergency, Christ resorted to an extraordinary device, which was legitimate, that the necessary money might be obtained. Upon entering the presidency Mr. Lincoln found the treasury of the United States practically empty. An emergency was on hand that required much money. The credit of the government was at stake. The situation was indeed embarrassing. In consultation with a friend an honorable scheme was devised that furnished the government with "greenbacks" necessary to carry on the war. A Divided House. jEStrs taught that if a house was divided against itself that house could not stand. This was said in answer to the charge that he cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. This was equal to say- ing that Satan cast out Satan, which would be the de- struction of his own kingdom. Their own argument recoiled upon their own heads. The statement made by Christ holds good in all kinds of government, social, political, or religious. "In union there is strength," "United we stand, divided we fall." In assuming the presidency, Mr. Lincoln found a di- vided government. Three years before he had said, "-'A house divided against itself can not stand.' I believe the goveirnment can not endure permanently half slave and 76 Master and His Servant half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — ^but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or the other." Now he finds a condition which is indeed de- plorable, a divided nation in actual combat, fighting for great antagonistic principles, which shall, ultimately "be- come all one thing or the other." A Man of Sorrows. Jesus was called the "man of sorrows." Isaiah said long before concerning him, that "his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" ; that he would be "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." This prophecy was literally fulfilled. There were many things in the life of Christ which brought intense sorrow to his soul. Near the close of his life, when all the sorrows and guilt of the world seemed to have centered in him, he cried out, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." "These words," says Scott, "are the most expressive imagin- able, and indicate the greatest dejection, anguish and hor- ror of mind which can be conceived." So great was his burden of soul that he was willing to die to be relieved of his intense sorrow. Abraham Lincoln was truly a man of sorrows. F. B. Carpenter, the artist, who for six months so- journed at the White House, and was in Mr. Lincoln's company almost daily, said of his face: "In repose it was the saddest face I ever saw. There were days when I could scarcely look into it without crying." At one time Mr. Lincoln said, "I can not fly from my thoughts; my solicitude for this great country follows me wherever Dark Days '77 I go." At another time he said, "Oh, I wish I had never been born." Sometimes when the woes of the country pressed most heavily upon him he envied the dead sol- dier sleeping in the cemetery. In her book, "My Story of the War," Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, says, "After the dreadful repulse of our forces at Fredericksburg, when the onslaught was terrible, the agony of the Presi- dent wrung from him the bitter cry, 'Oh, if there is a man outside of hell that suffers more than I do I pity him.' " A Burden Bearer. Christ bore the burdens of a sinful world. The prophet Isaiah, using the future for the past, says, "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sor- rows," and that "he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities," also "the chastisement of our peace was upon him" ; and that "the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all." It was further said, "The government shall be upon his shoulder." He bore these burdens Until the tragic end came. Peter says he "bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness." At the head of the government, representing the peo- ple, Lincoln suffered untold burdens in their behalf. At one time, as he, on horseback, reviewed the Army of the Potomac, after many defeats, the angry clamor of an unhappy North, the dead of a dozen battlefields, all seemed written on his face, an eyewitness says: "None of us, to our dying day, can forget that countenance. It was said to each other, 'Did you ever see such a look on any man's face?' 'He is bearing the burdens of the 78 Master and His Servant nation.' It's an awful loa'd ; it's killing him.' " Henry Ward Beecher said, "On his shoulder rested a govern- ment dearer to him than his own life." He bore these burdens until the country was saved, then his life was surrendered, CHAPTER X. EMANCIPATION. A New Commandment. GEIKIE, in his "Life of Christ," says : "Jesus throws down the dividing prejudices of nationality, and teaches universal love without distinction of race, merit or rank. A man's neighbor, henceforth, was every one who needed help, even an enemy." "It was the first proclamation of a universal religion." Jesus declares, "A new commandment I give unto you." The old law commanded men to "love their neighbor as themselves," but the new commandment explained this with new clearness, enforced by new motives, illustrated by new examples, and a new application, and obeyed in a new manner. It was a new characteristic of citizenship in the new kingdom. The new commandment was not the doing away with the old law, but the expansion of the old law. "I NEVER had a feeling, politically, that did not spring from the sentiments embraced in the Declaration of In- dependence," said Abraham Lincoln on a certain occa- sion. On a former occasion he said, "I think the authors of that notable instrument intended to include all men, but they did not declare all men equal in all respects. They did not mean to say all men were equal in color, size, intellect, moral development, or social ca- pacity," but "equal with certain inalienable rights, among 'which was life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi- ness." At another time, in speaking of the great prin- 79 80 Master and His Servant ciple involved in the Declaration of Independence, he said, "It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights would be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance." During the war he said : "The dogmas of the quiet past are inad- equate to the stormy present. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.'' Crossing the Line. The new commandment was to be followed by a practical application upon the part of the one who an- nounced it. This, Jesus did. Woman was degraded, and it was a disgrace for a man, especially a Rabbi, to be found talking to a woman. Even the disciples mar- velled at Jesus as he talked to a woman at Jacob's well. Race prejudice was very strong with the Jews. They seemed to think it a duty to hate the Samaritans and the publicans. They found fault with Jesus because he ate with publicans and sinners. Jesus treated all alike, male and female, saints and sinners, Jews and Gentiles, bond and free. All class distinctions were lost sight of as he "went about doing good." Abraham Lincoln emphasized the fact that all men are created equal. He not only recognized, and taught the universal brotherhood of mankind, but he acted upon that principle. This is illustrated in an incident, given by a writer, which occurred when Lincoln was in Rich- mond, Virginia, after General Grant had taken posses- sion of that city. The colored people were very demon- strative as the President walked the streets of that city. " 'May the Lord bless you, President Linkum !' said an old negro, removing his hat, and bowing, with tears of Emancipation 81 joy rolling down his cheeks,. The President removed his own hat, and bowed in silence, but it was a bow which upset the forms, laws, customs and ceremonies of cen- turies. It was a death-shock to chivalry and a mortal wound to caste." Proclamation of Freedom. In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus read the prophecy of Isaiah referring to himself, "He hath appointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives;, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Then, as he laid down the parchment, he said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears," and they "wondered at the gracious words which pro- ceeded out of his mouth." He declared freedom of con- science, of mind, and of soul, freedom of body, and freedom of worship. He declared that the truth, as embodied in him, would give freedom to all kinds of bondage. Later he gave out the world-wide proclama- tion, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Wherever man is found, regardless of his condition, this gospel of freedom is to be pro- claimed. In his Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed freedom to millions of people in slavery. F. B. Carpenter, the artist, says the proclamation was "an act unparalleled for moral grandeur in the history of mankind." The London Spectator said, "We can not read it without the renewed conviction that it is the noblest political document known to history." In his immortal Gettysburg address Mr. Lincoln said, "This 82 Master and His Servant nation, under God, shall have a new baptism of free- dom." Bishop Simpson said: "The Proclamation of Emancipation not only freed the slave, but freed the nation. Free speech was restored. The pulpit and the press were unshackled. The dark blot that had rested on our national honor was removed, and the nation stood proudly a united and free people among the nations of the earth." Weakness of the Law. The Apostle Paul says the law of Moses was "but a shadow of good things to come." The moral law in itself was inadequate, and could not "make the comers there- unto perfect." Again Paul says, "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." Christ did what the law could not do. The laws of the country can not make men honest. There must be a higher law to effect hon- esty. Freedom in Christ is above all other laws. It is "the perfect law of liberty," and makes "free indeed." The end of the law centered in Jesus Christ. Mr. Lincoln recognized the fact that as a matter of civil administration, he had no lawful power to effect emancipation in any State. He says it was done as an act of "military necessity." By the laws of all civilized countries the property of traitors and rebels becomes forfeited to the State. Upon this theory slave property should be forfeited to the Government, and then the Government could declare such persons as had been held Emancipation 83 as slaves free. What the civil law could not do Mr. Lincoln could do as "an act of justice," "upon military necessity," backed up by "the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God." "The Declaration of Independence was the assertion that all men are created free. Mr. Lincoln's Proclamation of Emancipation was the demonstration of this great truth." The Transfiguration. A SHORT time before the death of Christ, as he stood on a mountain, his glorious majesty was revealed. Over his countenance came a light which shone as the bright- ness of the sun, and his garments shone with a strange light. His whole form shone with such matchless splendor that those who witnessed it gazed with un- bounded admiration. In connection with this scene a bright cloud overshadowed the party which filled them with a strange prophetic rapture. By this divine mani- festation, the "Man of Sorrows'' was strengthened for his coming trials, and the faith of those who witnessed it was strengthened. Peter, one of the witnesses, referred to it years afterward, saying, "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty . when we were with him in the holy mount." Only a month and ten days before Mr. Lincoln's death, as he stood on Capitol Hill to deliver his second inaugural address, a strange incident occurred. J. H. Barrett, a Lincoln biographer, says: "The bright sun- light, hitherto obscured all the morning, broke from the clouds, as if by miracle, and illuminated his face and form, as he bowed acknowledgment to the boisterous greeting of the people. With wonder and joy, the mul- 84 Master and His Servant titude accepted the omen as something more than un- meaning chance." Another writer says, "The sunhght bfoke through the clouds, and fell upon him with a glory afterwards felt to have been an omen of the martyr's crown which was so soon to rest upon his head." Mr. Lincoln was much impressed by the strange scene. Miss Anna Dickenson, an "eye witness," after- ward, in a lecture delivered in the House of Representa- tives, Mr. Lincoln being present, eloquently referred to the sun-burst as a happy omen. CHAPTER X. THE END DRAWING NEAR. . Going to Jerusalem. JESUS often spoke of his death, and he now turns his face from Galilee towards Jerusalem for the last time. Luke says, "And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem," He apprehended all that a;waited him when he should arrive, but his resolu- tion did not fail him. He looked beyond, and regarded the blessed results. He looked to the issue, and tri- umphed in prospect. He had "the joy set before him" continually in his eye, and his suffering and death were regarded merely as preparatory to it. The Honorable Murat Halstead says: "It is said that Abraham Lincoln, on the night the assassin killed him, chatted with his wife in the box at the theater where they sat together hardly conscious of the passing play, and they discussed plans, for the country was to have peace, and they were interested with each other, for they had not been able to think of their own future. The promise of peace to them was specially blessed, and the talk of Lincoln then and there was of going to Jerusalem. It is pathetic that this seems to have been the last thought in the long burdened brain before the murderer's pistol was fired ; his head fell on his bosom, and there was for him 'Jerusalem, the Golden.' " 85 86 Master and His Servant The Triumphal Entry. On Sunday before his crucifixion, which is now cele- brated as "Palm Sunday," Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Jewish capital. It was known that he was coming and a grand reception awaited him. The excitement became intense. The applause upon the part of the poor Gali- leans, and his despised followers, was great as they cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord !" "Hosanna in the highest!" The multitude caught up the joyous strain. Out of respect they spread their outer garments in the way, and cut branches from the palm trees, emblems of joy and victory, and strewed them in the way. They hailed Jesus as their deliverer in whom all their hopes centered. The whole city was filled with intense excite- ment, occasioned by the triumphal entry, which was gall and bitterness to the proud Pharisees, but they were powerless to stay the flow of enthusiasm. On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Lincoln's as- sassination, he entered Richmond, the Confederate capi- tal, which had just surrendered to the Union forces. As soon as his arrival became known, from all sides the colored people, whom he had delivered from bondage, crowded around him in wild enthusiasm. Men, women, and children joined the increasing throng, shouting, hal- lowing, and dancing with great delight. Men threw up their hats, the women waved their bonnets and handker- chiefs, clapped their hands, and the air rang with a tumultuous chorus: "Glory to God!" "Glory, glory!" "Bless de Lord!" "God bless you, Massa Linkum!" The streets became almost impassable on account of the increasing multit'*