Abraham Lincoln's Faith In Prayer.


When President Lincoln left his home in Springfield, Ill., February 11,

1861, on his way to Washington, he made the following farewell address

to his friends and neighbors: "My friends, no one not in my position can

appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all

I am. Here I have lived more than a quarter of a century; here my

children were born, and here one of them lies buried. I know not how

soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is perhaps

greater than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days

of Washington. He would never have succeeded except for the aid of

Divine Providence, upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I

cannot succeed without the same Divine aid which sustained him, and on

the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support; and I hope you,

my friends, will all pray that I may receive that Divine assistance,

without which I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain.

Again, I bid you all an affectionate farewell." That simple but earnest

request sent an electric thrill through every Christian heart, and

without doubt, in response to it, more prayer was offered for him

throughout his administration, than for any one who ever before occupied

the Presidential chair.



At a Sabbath-school convention in Massachusetts, a speaker stated that a

friend of his, during an interview with Mr. Lincoln, asked him if he

loved Jesus. The President buried his face in his handkerchief and wept.

He then said, "When I left home to take this chair of state, I requested

my countrymen to pray for me. I was not then a Christian. When my son

died--the severest trial of my life--I was not a Christian. But when I

went to Gettysburg, and looked upon the graves of our dead heroes who

had fallen in defense, of their country, I then and there consecrated

myself to Christ. _I do love Jesus."_ Rev. Mr. Adams, of Philadelphia,

stated in his Thanksgiving sermon that, having an appointment to meet

the President at 5 o'clock in the morning, he went a quarter of an hour

before the time. While waiting for the hour, he heard a voice in the

next room as if in grave conversation, and asked the servant, "Who is

talking in the next room?" "It is the President, sir." "Is anybody with

him?" "No, sir; he is reading the Bible." "Is that his habit so early in

the morning?" "Yes, sir. He spends every morning, from 4 o'clock to 5,

in reading the Scriptures and praying."



_It was the Lord who Guided the mind of Mr. Lincoln in his extraordinary

act of the Emancipation of the Slaves of America._ The Lord had prepared

it, and chose him as the means whereby to accomplish it.



_Were not his Prayers and efforts specially blessed by the Lord in

wisdom, for the guidance of our Nation_?



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