Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

[Jim Watt]

 *"TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES
Jim & Marie Watt
PO Box 25116 -- Federal Way WA 98093-2116
Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com
Web: www.2rbetter.org -- June 29, 2008
*

*"LINCOLN'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS"*

Abraham Lincoln -- March 4, 1865

(From "Intercessors for America", July/August 2008 - Vol. 35, 7/8)


 *Various church and civic leaders speaking at the May 1, 2008 National Day
of Prayer observances in Washington, DC referenced Lincoln's Second
Inaugural Address. The issues which Lincoln addressed are all pertinent
today; injustice and prolonged war, racial discord and political division,
economic upheaval, Christians praying "against" each other, the divine
attributes and judgments of God, and "binding up the nation's wounds." We
felt prompted to include Lincoln's historic speech for summer reflection and
prayer. -- *

*Gary Bergel*


 Fellow-Countrymen .... On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago
all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded
it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered
from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent
agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war -- seeking to
dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties
deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation
survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the
war came.


 One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed
generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These
slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this
interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and
extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the
Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to
restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the
war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither
anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before
the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a
result lest fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to
the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem
strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing
their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that
we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither
has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the
world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe
to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American
slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs
come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills
to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as
the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any
departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God
always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this
mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.


 Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the
bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and
until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn
with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be
said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."


 With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right
as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are
in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the
battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and
cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.



 *NOTE:* Gary Bergel has rightly discerned both the relevancy and the
unusual importance of this address. God raised up Abraham Lincoln for a time
in the history of our nation that cannot but cause Americans to ponder and
marvel at His wisdom and timing on our behalf.


 I was born in of American parents in Arkansas, one of the states of our
nation that made their decision one way concerning this problem. Now my wife
Marie and I reside in the state of Washington, as Americans holding dual
citizenship with Canada.


 Canada and the United States hold in common the longest undefended border
between any two nations in the world. Canadians watch with great interest
American elections, as well as their economic and political decisions. I
remember as a boy of 13 running to a neighboring farm in Langley, BC to
learn the latest election results south of the border in 1936. We did not
have a radio in those post-depression years.


 Former Prime Minster Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada once said, "Canada's
role with its neighbor to the south, is much like a mouse sleeping with an
elephant. If the mouse twitches in its sleep, it is of little import. But if
the elephant twitches in his sleep, it can be catastrophic!"


 There have been many prophecies regarding the high purposes of God for
these two nations. According to some American prophecies, we learn that the
War of Independence for the USA in 1776 was permitted by God. He had
designed a leading role for America for the end times. But he also had a
role for Canada. He cautioned America to aid 40,000 United Empire Loyalists
to emigrate to Canada at that time so they could remain under the British
flag. Just as people formerly fled from Britain and Europe to find residence
in a nation that would grant them freedom in their choice of religion, so
Americans should in turn help any of their people to do likewise concerning
Canada. God intimated that just as He would use America in their
independence -- so He had reserved Canada for the last days to spear-head
world evangelism and missions. Pastor David Yonggi Cho of Seoul, South Korea
strongly confirmed this in 1975, 1979 and 1984 in Kelowna, BC; Toronto,
Ontario and Halifax, Nova2skagitattic.com Scotia.


 So now, looking back on the American Civil War presided over by Abraham
Lincoln as President, we indeed have much to ponder and meditate upon. And
how would God have us apply the lessons we glean? Certainly Prayer and
Fasting -- the twin challenges of "Intercessors for America" for the past 35
years, can be strengthened in this application. And certainly thanksgiving
can be offered up to God for placing Abraham Lincoln as "Commander-in-Chief"
of our nation back in 1860-65. Thank God for this unusual man of God placed
in this critical position at that specific time.


 Should we not then pray then in the present critical time for our nation,
that God would again unusually intervene to place a man of God as
commander-in-chief of our nation this year? Jim Watt


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