Tags: A House Divided, Abraham
Lincoln, Civil War, Union, Confederacy, Slavery, the Founders, modernist, modernism,
Christian heritage, Civil War, Almighty Ruler, Battle of Bull Run, General Pope, Robert E
Lee, General McClellan, Emancipation Proclamation, Walt Whitman, Lydia Bixby, Heavenly
Father, Congress, Army of the Potomac, General Meade, Thanksgiving Proclamation,
Gettysburg, July 3 1863, General Grant, Vicksburg, Hezekiah, Assyria
The inevitable war was a contest to
determine the future of a nation. It was a drama intended to discover whether or not
people could govern themselves. Lincoln assumed that the government should rest itself on
the Judge of all men. The outcome of the dilemma before him was in God's hand. God was the
only One who would be able to determine who was right. The truth of the matter was very
important to the people who inhabited our land at that time. Many laid their lives down to
discover it.
The whole matter was a black-and-white
issue in Lincoln's mind as he asserted in his inauguration speech, "Why should there
not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better, or
equal hope in the world? In our present differences, is either party without faith in
being in the right? If the Almighty Ruler of nations, with His eternal truth and justice,
be on your side of the North, or on yours of the South, that truth, and that justice, will
surely prevail, by the judgment of this great tribunal, the American people. While the
people retain their virtue, and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness
of folly, can seriously injure the government, in the short space of four years.
"My countrymen, one and all, think
calmly and well, upon this whole subject. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. .
.Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet
forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our
present difficulty."
It is as if Lincoln is talking from the
eons of forgotten time, to send to us a message for this very day! There are those who
contend that God has never been the foundation of our liberty. I am afraid that Abraham
Lincoln would tend to disagree.
The inevitable war proceeded on, as the
lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers garnished the countryside with their blood. It
was a war that did not go well at all for the Northern cause through much of its span.
One example of the multiple Union
defeats occurred on August 1862 at the second battle of Bull Run. This loss was as tragic
as the first battle that occurred at the same location. The Union General Pope in this
instance saw 14,000 of his 80,000 men slaughtered in that contest, while General Lee lost
9,000 though he put only 54,000 on the field.
A storm fell over Washington as the
broken pieces of the dilapidated Army staggered into the city. Thousands fled the Capitol
in fear, as the Federal Treasury was barricaded with hundreds of barrels of cement. Lincoln
ordered clerks in the civil departments enrolled into the army and began military drills
to facilitate it. Important papers were gathered into bundles to be carried away on
horseback if necessary. It was a dark day for the President as he saw the hopes of the
Union cause slowly fade away.
During this dark time of his Presidency,
Lincoln groaned, "Chase says we can't raise more money; Pope is licked and McClellan
has the diarrhea. What shall I do? The bottom is out of the tub, the bottom is out of the
tub!"
These are hardly the words of one who
assumed public office for power, and personal glory. They certainly are not expressions
from one who has determined he will take the "politically correct" position! He
was loosing in a war that was unpopular and lacking in support in the North: a war that
would eventually save the Union - one that would free the slaves.
It was in a despondent mood that Lincoln
signed the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It preceded that infamous document that
would proclaim freedom for those many who had spent their lives in bondage. The war was
anything but a profitable venture for the Union. At times it even appeared that they might
lose it all.
Receiving repeated criticism from every
corner upon taking this momentous and courageous step he wrote, "The will of God
prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God.
Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the
same time. In the present Civil War it is quite possible that God's purpose is something
different from the purpose of either party; and yet the human instrumentalities, working
just as they do, are the best adaptation to effect His purpose. I am almost ready to say
that this is probably true; that God wills this contest, and wills it shall not end yet.
By His mere great power on the minds of the new contestants, He could have either saved or
destroyed the Union without human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun, He
could give final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds."
The outcome of human affairs is in
God's hand. Those who love righteousness do not fear, God Himself will uphold the truth.
Remain faithful to your calling. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper
time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9 niv)
Lincoln was one of unmistakable
persistence in pursuing the program of righteousness. In 1863 Walt Whitman wrote, "I
think well of the President. He has a face like a hoosier Michael Angelo, so awfully ugly
it becomes beautiful, with its strange mouth, its deep cut, criss-cross lines, and its
doughnut complexion. . . I do not dwell on the supposed failures of his government; he has
shown I think an almost supernatural tact in keeping the ship afloat at all." This
only could have occurred through the tenacity of a servant of God who refused to back down
but instead pursue his goal to the bitter end.
In a widely publicized letter to Lydia
Bixby who had been informed she had lost all her five sons in battle, Lincoln wrote,
"I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to
beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering
to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
"I pray that our Heavenly Father
may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only with the cherished memory
of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a
sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."
Abraham Lincoln was one who could attest
to the cost of freedom, for he paid it himself. Carl Sandburg wrote of him, "As a
living human target who daily walked with a lurking and elusive shadow of death, as a
Chief Magistrate who had twice had his hat shot off by an unknown would-be assassin,
Lincoln was completely entitled to be a spokesman for the boy phantoms who had fought his
war and no longer answered roll call."
He also knew the benefit to all mankind
that would result from the actions of those who dared to stand for what is honorable
before the Lord. Before Congress on December 1, 1862, Lincoln pronounced, "We say we
are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union.
The world knows we know how to save it. We - even we here - hold the power, and bear the
responsibility. . . Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain,
peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and
God must forever bless."
Abe was a man who was interested in
putting himself in the current of God's blessing. His heart was set on pleasing the One
through which all life flows. It is the nation that places itself in the center of
righteousness; that history will look upon as the one that truly extended itself beyond
its own selfish ambitions to become a blessing to all mankind. This is the nation that Lincoln
through much struggle and sacrifice helped build for all of us.
Eventually the course of the conflict
turned around. With great amounts of courage General Lee had spent most of the war
defending Richmond, the capitol of the South. Now leaving this vital city virtually
undefended, Lee pursued the bold attempt of entering Union territory with the expressed
goal of capturing Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and eventually Washington itself.
Lee was questioned regarding the wisdom in leaving such an important military position so
vulnerable to which he replied, "In that case we shall swap queens."
The ambition of the distinguished
general was clear, and his victory would no doubt leave the North reeling with its tail
tucked behind its legs. It was a time of decision, when the fate of both participants
would be sealed in the pages of time for eternity. It was do-or-die for the Union cause,
as the soldiers in blue suddenly found themselves defending their own homes.
Lincoln's instruction to the officer in
charge of the Army of the Potomac, General Meade, was clear and concise - forget Richmond
and get Lee. So Meade relentlessly followed Lee with his orders to "find and
fight" the enemy until he was subdued.
It was at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863,
that the two finally met to resolve the matter before the eyes of the world. Both sides
fought bravely as the blood flowed over the pastoral landscape. In the end it was the
courage of the Northern soldiers in a desperate fight to protect their land that
prevailed. The first truly great Union victory was won by the fallen soldiers. So, General
Lee scurried back to his home Virginia while the wild cheers of the victorious mob filled
the land in the North.
During the same period of time General
Grant had scored a decisive victory deep in the South at Vicksburg that lay at the banks
of the Mississippi. This gave the Union control of that vast river through which so much
vital commerce progressed. The North had virtually split its adversary in two.
Elated with joy over these two
conquests, on July 15, 1863, Abraham Lincoln released a Thanksgiving Proclamation in which
he arose as a man of faith to express his gratitude in a manner that rivaled Old Testament
prose. "It has pleased Almighty God," the document asserted, "to hearken to
the supplications and prayers of an afflicted people, and to vouchsafe the army and the
navy of the United States victories on land and on sea so signal and so effective as to
furnish reasonable grounds for augmented confidence that the Union of these States will be
maintained, their constitution preserved, and their peace and prosperity permanently
restored. . . It is meet and right to recognize and confess the presence of the Almighty
Father and the power of His Hand equally in these triumphs and these sorrows. . ."
It was in the same vein as Hezekiah, who
was faced with the threat of annihilation in the clutches of Assyria (II King 19-20), that
Lincoln projected an attitude of piety invoking the name of Almighty God and giving Him
sole glory for the dramatic victory that had now turned the course of the war around.
Don Wigton
is a graduate of the prestigious music department at CSULB where he studied under Frank
Pooler, lyricist of Merry Christmas Darling, and sang in Pooler’s world renown
University Choir alongside Karen and Richard Carpenter. During this time Don was also the
lead composer of the band, Clovis Putney, that won the celebrated Hollywood Battle of the
Bands. After giving his life to God, Don began attending Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa to
study under some of the most prominent early Maranatha! musicians. Subsequently he toured
the Western United States with Jedidiah in association with Myrrh Records.
Eventually
Don served as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Bakersfield to witness thousands of salvations
through that ministry. As the music/concert director, Don worked for seven years with most
major Christian artist of that time while producing evangelical concerts attended by
thousands of young people seeking after God. Don’s Calvary Chapel Praise Choir
released the album Let All Who Hath Breath Praise the Lord on the Maranatha! label.
The next
years of Don’s life were spent as the praise leader of FirstBaptistChurch in Bakersfield
during a time of unprecedented church renewal. Don teamed with the leadership to
successfully meld the old with the new through a period of tremendous church growth.
During this exciting time, Don’s praise team, Selah, produced the CD Stop and
Think About It.
Today Don is
the leading force behind Wigtune Company. This
webbased project located at www.praisesong.net has provided several million downloads of
Don’s music and hymn arrangements to tens of thousands of Christian organizations
throughout the world. More music can be found at Don's Southern
Cross Band website at www.socrossband.com.
The book Holy
Wars represents Don’s most recent effort to bless the church with biblical
instruction and direction in praise and worship. This heartfelt volume is an offering not
only to God’s people, but also to God Himself.
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This
first of five books looks into a pivotal moment in American history that changed the world
forever. It was a time when the United States was on the brink of destruction. It was and
era when an American prophet and patriot stood up to eco the words of Christ: "A
house divided cannot stand." Today we live in a similar era today where America is
torn asunder between truth and error. And the wrong decision will bring dire
consequences!
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We pray that these materials have provided
all of you with untold blessings!
"I might not be a religious
man myself but I know good music when I hear it, and this is very good! . . . I don’t think that I have ever given such high
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was formed as a service to the body of Christ to encourage scriptural
worship. To accomplish this goal Wigtune Company offers free contemporary Christian praise
and worship music, contemporary Christian rock and hymn mp3 and chart material along with
a free on-line worship study book for personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday
schools, pastors, music ministers and ministry training. In order to bridge the gap
between the old and the new the worship study book gives solid theological and
historical support to the use of traditional Christian hymn-singing in conjunction with
praise chorus singing.
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was formed as a service to the body of Christ to encourage scriptural
worship. To accomplish this goal Wigtune Company offers free contemporary Christian praise
and worship music, contemporary Christian rock and hymn mp3 and chart material along with
a free on-line worship study book for personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday
schools, pastors, music ministers and ministry training. In order to bridge the gap
between the old and the new the worship study book gives solid theological and
historical support to the use of traditional Christian hymn-singing in conjunction with
praise chorus singing. 
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