Woodbury .Augustus :'
Sermon suggested by the death of Abraham Lincoln
Providence ,R . I . , 1865

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SERMON
SUGGESTED BY THE ASSASSINATION OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
PEEACHED IN THE WESTMINSTEE CHUECH, PEOVIDENCE, R. 1.,
Sunday, Apbil 16, 1865,
BY
AUGUSTUS WOODBUB.Y.

PROVIDENCK.
SIDNEY S. BIDEE AND BROTHER.
1865.

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SEEM ON

SUGGESTED BY THE ASSASSINATION OF

ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

PREACHED IN THEWESTMINSrEB CHURCH, PEOTIDENCE, E. I.,

Sttnday, ApbUi 16, 1865,

AUGUSTUS WOODBUEY.

PKOVIDENCI!!:
SIDKIiT S. BIDES AND BBOIHEB.
1865.

Enowles, AKiaoNT & Co., Pbihteks.

At a meeting of the "Westminster Congregational Church and
Society, held April 16th, 1865, the following resolutions were unani
mously adopted: —
Resolved, That, as members of the "Westminster Congregational
Church and Society, in common with our loyal fellow citizens, and
our fellow Christians of every narae, we would hereby express our
profound and heartfelt grief for the sad event, which, by the hand of
an assassin, has deprived the nation of its honored and beloved
President. Mesolved, That we will cherish the memory of Abraham Lincoln as
that of a good, true and just man, an honest and sagacious statesman,
a wise and humane ruler, and a faithful servant of the Most High God,
in promoting the welfare of the children of men.
Eesolved, That we hereby pledge and consecrate ourselves anew to
the unwearied support of the great principles of liberty and justice,
for the sake of which the President has faUen a sacrifice, until every
vestige of barbarism, injustice and slavery shall have disappeared
from our country, and the land shall enjoy her peace.
Eesolved, That we offer our cordial sympathy to the family of our
deceased ruler, in their severe affliction, and earnestly pray that God,
in his infinite mercy, will give them consolation in their bereavement,
and that the truths of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ wiU be
their stay and comfort.
Eesolved, That the Church in which we worship be appropriately
draped for the space of three months, as a slight token of our sorrow,
and a mark of respect for the memory of our departed Chief Magis
trate. Seth Padelfoed, President.
"WiLUAM B. Dabt, Secretary.

SERMON

The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice
of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.— John v, 25.
Two interpretations of this passage have been given.
The advocates of the theory of the resurrection of the
body are disposed to find, in the language, a warrant
for their belief, confirmed by the words of the 28th
verse : " The hour is coming in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice, and come forth."
Those who believe that the Gospel of Christ is per
forming a spiritual work in the hearts and souls and
lives of men ; that Christ speaks the word which calls
those who were dead in trespasses and sins to a life of
righteousness and virtue ; that the soul has its resurrec
tion; that the spirit of man is to be endued with
power to break its bonds, and rise into newness of life
when it hears the Divine Word, regard the language
as strengthening them in their faith. The words,
" All that are in the graves shall hear his voice " —
are but a repetition of the same thought, expressed in
stronger and more emphatic terms. The Divine Word
has such exceeding power, as to call up from death to
life not only those that were dead, but those also who
were buried. If they had done good, they should
1*

receive resurrection unto life. If they had done evil,
they should be condemned by the enlightened con
science of mankind, and by the just judgments of God!
When Jesus came and taught his truths, He lighted
up the darkness of the world, applied new principles to
the conduct of men, awoke those that were asleep, and
called the dead to life !
Consider then, first, what that which we call death,
is — that familiar, yet mysterious event. It is, in its
m'ost obvious aspect, the cessation of bodily activity.
The body, at its death, returns to its original dust. It
moulders away. It enters into the soil in which it is
buried, or, if it be burned, it is turned to ashes. St.
Paul, who rarely uses language incorrectly, has ex
pressed the exact truth, when he speaks of this " earthly
tabernacle " as being " dissolved." The word which be
employs means to " disband," to " dismiss," to " dis
unite." It is as though the spirit had dismissed the
body as of no farther use. The connection was forever
dissolved. There was no more union between the two.
The body and the spirit had done with one another.
They needed not to act together any longer. Is it
possible that, after the lapse of uncounted ages, these
original elements are to be again combined, are to have
the gift of immortality bestowed upon them, and are to
be re-united as a body to the renewed spirit ? What
then, meanwhile, is the spirit to be engaged in ? Is it
to be unconscious and inert, with no vital power, wait
ing for that final day, when all things earthly will come
to an end ? Is it then to take upon itself the body
which it had lost so long ago ? Must it be compelled
to delay all active life, all enjoyment of the bliss of
Heaven, the praise of God, the loving service of man,

the Sublime duties of the heavenly Hfe, until It can
again secure the body which once it had ? Is Heaven
to be a place of silence and Hell a solitude, until the
last great day? It certainly derogates and detracts
largely from our ideas of the power of the spirit to
believe, that the blessed life and the grand attainments
of Heaven are dependent upon the re-union with the
spirit of the body which was its feeble instrument dur
ing its brief sojourn on the earth. Whatever some
among the Apostles may have thought, I doubt if
Jesus or Paul ever believed or ever taught any such
doctrine. St., Paul taught a resurrection, not of a natural, but
of a spiritual body. The natural body would die and
return to the dust. It would fall away, like the husk
or outer shell of the seed. But the principle of Hfe, the
spirit, would rise out of that decay, and ascend up on
high, wearing the spiritual body. What was that
body ? It was the form which the spirit would take
upon itself, which. Indeed, it would produce from itself,
shaping itself according to the proportions, the quality,
/the attainments, the power of the spirit. " There are
. celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial." What particu
lar form the spirit will take from out of the Infinite
variety of the Divine mind, it is not for me or any
other person to say. But, I think, that there can be
no difficulty in believing, that the predominating facul
ties of the spirit will make their own forms; that the
spiritual body will be shaped according to the produc
tiveness of the spirit in beauty, goodness and virtue.
If the spirit of a man or woman is vicious, vile and
wicked, it will assume a eorresponding form. If it is
faithful, true, lovely in its consecration to things beau-

8
tiful and divine. It will clothe itself in the beautiful
garments of the heavenly life. Perhaps, as sometimes
happens, the noble and beautiful soul is here allied to a
deformed, decrepit, ungainly body. But, in the spirit
ual world, it will take upon itself its native grace,
nobility and beauty. The spiritual body will be the
form of the spirit. Shall we, by such means, recognize
our friends ? Most certainly we shall, and much more
readily, it seems to me, than though we took again the
bodies that now we have. For what Is It that we love
to recognize in our friends here ? Is it not the Innate
grace and virtue that shine out of the eyes and give
expression to the face, and illuminate every feature of
of the countenance? Who are our friends Indeed?
Are thoy not those, with whom we have most affinity
in thought, temper and spirit ? Do we chose them for
their outward or their inward beauty ? Do we know
them, except as we know the character of their minds
and souls ? How can we recognize them in Heaven,
except through the medium of their high spiritual
qualities ? The beauty of the soul which here attracted
our admiration and love, will ' be more attractive still
in the heavenly life, and will draw us more closely to
its love. Do we need the medium of the body to be
thus again united ? Having a " house not made with
hands," " a building of God eternal in the heavens,"
we certainly shall not sigh to occupy again " the
earthly house of this tabernacle " which has been once
"dissolved." I am aware that there is a difficulty In understanding
this truth, because of our liability to carry into our
thoughts of the heavenly life, the same Ideas which we
have respecting the functions of the body and the spirit

9
here. The body Is, here, the instrument of the spirit.
We are in communication with each other through the
medium and by means of the senses. We speak to,
hear, and see each other, and we cannot understand
how otherwise we can do our proper work in the world.
But I do not think that we are justified in carrying the
same ideas into our communication with one another,
in the world to come. We know nothing about our
methods of intercourse there. But, presuming that they
will be the same there as here, we have scarcely made
the attempt to ascertain what they really are, and have
contented ourselves in the belief, that we shall require the
same sensuous medium; and so many have hoped, and
have believed, indeed, that the body will have its res
urrection, and be rendered incorruptible and immortal.
What methods of Intercourse the Divine love will be
stow upon us. In the heavenly life, we cannot tell. We
would not, indeed, assume to be able to determine.
But we can well believe, that they will be such as will
conduce most effectually to our highest spiritual welfare,
and' our completest spiritual growth.
There is another thought connected with the subject.
We are apt to look upon the bodily senses as methods
of expression only. We must also bear in mind, that
they are methods of constraint likewise. We are
sometimes fettered by the senses. We sometimes chafe
against the power which holds us fast. Our souls
sometimes cry out, " Would that I had wings like a
dove, that I might fly away from this earthly scene."
We seek to stretch beyond ourselves, and to rise up
into a purer atmosphere and a more blessed state of
being. But we soon find that such longings are vain.
We^earnestly seek to be free, and we are made, some-

10
times painfully, to feel that we are bound. If the
senses sometimes affi)rd us enjoyment, if they are also
the instruments of our labor ; they are also sometimes
our masters, and the enjoyment which they give is but
the recreation which they furnish to alle-viate our seiv
"V'itude. We are subject to constraint here, and the
hour of our freedom is yet to come. Is it possible, then,
that In the future life, we are to be bound by the same
constraint, limited by the same force, confined by the
same bonds? The spirit struggling with difficulties
and temptations here, hopes that its freedom hereafter
will be for its glory and joy. But the spirit, which
here conceals Its iniquity and baseness, must be un
veiled hereafter, and left free to pursue its evil tenden
cies ; must pass through the experience of shame and
sorrow, for Its discipline and purification. Thus, the
future life, either to satisfy our aspirations, or to cor
rect our wickedness, must be a life of freedom.
Consider, once nM)re, if you please, the fact that the
spirits of just and good and true men — of saintly and
excellent women departed — exercise an influence upon
the world after they have left their earthly state. We
are encompassed with a " great cloud of witnesses."
We are guided by unseen agencies. We are watched
over by Invisible beings. " Are they not all minister
ing spirits ?" Every thoughtful man knows, that he is
not living to and within himself alone. Every studious
and devout reader of the Bible knows and feels, that
there comes down to him, from those holy men of whom
he reads, an Influence to Instruct and elevate his life, —
nay, he feels that they are a part of himself. Abraham,
and Moses, and- David and Isaiah, and the prophets of
the olden time ; Christ, and the Evangelists and the

11
Apostles of the later time, live again in him and he
holds sweet counsel with them over the inspired pages
of the Divine Word ; he Is purified and blest by their
presence with him. There are saints and martyrs, too, ,
and the brave and good of all ages, that come and
teach us all to live as bravely and faithfully as they.
When we read the biography of a good and great man,
when we contemplate his character, what is it that
touches us, and instructs us and lifts us up? What is
it but the spirit of the departed that, for the time, con
verses with our spirits ?
But, it Is necessary to bear in mind, there is a certain
experience, even in the present earthly life, which may
well be called death. There is a species of deadness —
there is a kind of burial, even while the body Uvea.
The soul may be dead. The best part of human na
ture is burled beneath the worst part. Pure desires,
holy aspirations, the spirit of prayer, the love of virtue,
truth and God, may all be so weak as not to exhibit
any signs of vitality, or life or power. Life seems to
have departed from the soul. As a person of feeble
physical constitution succumbs to the power of disease,
so one of feeble moral and spiritual nature falls beneath
the attacks of sin. Or, it may be that the difficulties
and troubles of this earthly life overpower and subdue
the spirit. Faith and hope disappear. Virtue is but a
dream, liberty a delusion, justice an impossibility, truth
a vain and empty pretense. The soul dies within the
body of doubt, disa|)pointment and despair.
We read, in the New Testament, of those who are
" dead in trespasses and sins." There are, unquestion
ably, those whose evil propensities so predominate aa
to warrant the declaration, that they are naturally dis-

12
posed to wickedness. They seem to have a genius for
crime. They are born with the stamp and stain of
depravity upon their souls. Education, culture, asso
ciation, the power of law, of society, of public opinion,
exercise all their influence in vain. The tendency is so
deeply seated and Ingrained within the souls of such
persons, as to pervert all their faculties. The mind is
turned away from the truth. The conscience is dark
ened and cannot see the way of righteousness. The
will Is enervated for any act of goodness. But, on the
other hand, the faculties of mind, soul and body are
wonderfully active in the practice of evU. The pas
sions, appetites and desires are all turned towards the
commission of sin. The mind sustains, the conscience
approves the wrong.- The will is almost Irresistible in
its power to carry to a horrible consummation the most
criminal plans. Is not the soul. In such a case, dead?
Ignorance has oppressed it. FoUy has ensnared it.
Passion has strangled It. Sin has slain it. It is dead
and buried In the grave of earthliness !
" The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God^
and they that hear shall live." There is a resurrection
from the dead. The spirit freed from the body, hears
the voice of the Son of God, and rises into newness of
life. The spirit within the body hears that voice and
lives. If weak. It Is strengthened, as it feels the new and
divine impulsion which is applied to it. Christ comes
to the timid and trembling soul and gives It courage,
vitality and power. His voice is a voice of comfort
and encouragfement to the struggHng, doubting, des
pairing spirit. He helps it out of Its difficulties, teaches
it how to trust In God, awakens its hope, inspires its
faith. It is the voice of Jesus, that animates the droop-

13
ing spirit and bids it live. To tlie soul dead in tres
passes and sins, it is a voice of warning, as the Son of
God admonishes of the consequences of wrong-doing,
and of "the second death," from which there is no res
urrection. It is a voice of persuasion and entreaty, as
He calls the sinning soul back to its duty and its love.
It is even a voice of forgiveness and mercy, a voice full
of pity and compassion — a voice plaintive and sad as
when a mother would woo a disobedient child back to
its obedience. What benignity to the sinner breathes
through the Gospel ! What freedom from a spirit of
animosity or vengeance ! How willing is Jesus to
receive, how ready is the Father to pardon the sinner
returning tearful and penitent, to ask for forgiveness !
But will the soul that is dead in sin refuse to hear that
voice, still prefer its error and sin, and still pursue its
course of malevolence ? What then saith the Scrip
tures? "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh ;
for. If they escaped not who refused him that spake on
earth, much more shall not we escape, If we turn away
from Him that speaketh from Heaven." Ah ! let us
rather believe, that " they that hear shall live " — that
the Son of God will not speak in vain to the souls of
guilty men !
In the hour of its resurrection, the soul rises into
new and better life. It is freed from its weakness, its
despair, its doubt, its sin. It takes upon itself strength,
hope, goodness. It puts on the robes of righteousness,
of joy, of peace. It forsakes the evil way, and walks
thence forward in the paths of virtue. It comes out
of the darkness into God's exceeding light, the beautiful
day of the divine love. It gives up its own willful pur
poses, and surrenders itself wholly to the will of Go.d,
2

14
Its weakness is gone. The clouds that were about it
have dispersed. Dead to sin, it is alive unto God.
Then, indeed, it truly Uves, for it has heard the one
all-animating voice !
The truth of the spiritual resurrection which I have
endeavored to illustrate, and to which I have turned
your thoughts, as most fitting to this occasion, is the
only sure source of consolation in the hour of bereave
ment. There is some essence of life. In a good and
true man or woman, which cannot die. The frail body,
overcome by disease, overtaken by accident, overborne
and destroyed by the blow of open hatred, or the secret
assassination, must be always subject to death. But
the spirit that dwells within the body for a time, can
not die. It rises out of the grave. It is not subject to
death, neither, indeed, can be. Separated from the
body, it enters into heavenly life and heavenly blessed
ness. It puts on its heavenly garments, and in the
courts above, dweUs forever free from the accidents,
misfortunes, pains and troubles of the earthly life. It
still lives, moreover, in the world. It stUl diffuses its
influence among all the communities of men. It broods
over the hearts and souls of those who still remain upon
the earth, and gives to their lives a blessing whose
value they may not be able to estimate. There can be
no death to virtue. It may be subject to great perse
cution, it may fall by the hands of traitors, it may be
carried to the cross. But it is the body only that can
become the object of such indignities. The tortures of
persecution, the sword of violence, the agony of the
cross, only affect the body. The spirit rises above all
such enmities and violence, and, with ever renewed
strength, goes out into the world of living men, and

15
moves through all ranks and conditions, with its benef
icent impulses and inspirations. From the scaffold
where the champion of liberty lies bleeding and lifeless,
proceeds a voice which rouses the nations to a better
manhood. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
Church -of God. The cross, to which the hands of
cruel men affixed the innocent Christ, becomes the
symbol of the world's redemption. Have any of the
champions of human freedom died ? Is the martyr,
who was slain for the Word of God and the testimony
which he bore, without life ? Is Jesus dead ? Do they
not all live more forcefully in the spiritual power which
they exercise ? And is not the Christ with His disci
ples, even unto the end of the world ?
In what other words than these could I speak to you
this morning ? From what other source could I seek
consolation for the terrible affliction which has come
upon us ? The intelligence of yesterday struck us all
aghast. The crime of assassination, we had thought,
was a stranger to the American mind and conscience.
When it was committed, and our kind, humane, beloved
ruler was the victim, we were shocked and stunned into
silence. The blow, which was so fatal to the President,
seemed to shatter our own hearts. How willingly would
we have died, if he could have been spared. Why
Divine Providence should have permitted such an
atrocious deed, we cannot tell. Why this man, on
whom we have so much and so trustfully depended, in
whom we have confided so completely, and under whose
guidance we had hoped, by the blessing of God, to
witness a national resurrection, — why he, above all
others, should thus be selected so unerringly for the
sacrifice, — we do not know. Words are powerless to

16
express our grief Our loyal communities weep copious
tears. We had learned to love him so weU, — we had
learned to look through the ungraceful form, feature,
bearino- and utterance, to the noble, beautiful, honest,
true and graceful soul within ; he seemed so important
to us and so necessary for the national welfare, that we
cannot, even now, endure to think that he Is dead. Are
we evermore to be deprived of the wisdom of his coun
sels ? Shall we no longer be guided by that shrewd,
sao-aclous, honest, truthful intellect ? Are we no more
to feel the tranquillizing influence of his calm, tender,
cheerful, humane heart ? We ask each other, — we ask
ourselves almost In fear : What next shall we do ? To
whom shall we go ? Who will lead us through the
mazes of the future ? What mind so stable for justice, —
what heart so fixed in its love of liberty, wIU now direct
us ? What soul so reverent and so strong in its faith
in God and His truth, will now teach us the way of
national salvation ? Had we been among the disciples
of Jesus, the day after the crucifixion, we should have
heard them discoursing in tones of sorrow which could
not be comforted. For their hope, their love, their all
was gone. What darker day than that could have
dawned upon the world ? But the third day was
brighter. The resurrection morning came, and the
Eternal Father taught the disciples then, as He has
been teaching the whole race of man since — as He is
teaching us now — that truth and nobleness and justice
cannot die ; that the Christ has risen ; that the Son of
God had a voice that could call the dead to life. We
seek our comfort from the same source. There must
also be a day of resurrection for us. The truth of
Christ and of God cannot fail, and we must patiently

17
wait the development of the Divine plans. The disci
ples waited, and they were rewarded by an increase of
power. The church has waited for these many centu
ries, and the church has been blessed beyond compare.
We, too, must wait in patience and faith, until God
shall indicate His will.
It is impossible, to-day, to speak at length of the
character of Mr. Lincoln. The estimate which we are
to make of It must be formed in some calmer hour than
the present. I can only sketch, in brief, the outline
which, on some subsequent occasion, I will endeavor to
fill. During my absence from you, in the early days
of the war, I enjoyed the privilege of seeing Mr. Lin
coln almost daily. He was a frequent visitor in our
camp, and we were enabled to observe his character in
Its most familiar aspects. He walked about among the
soldiers In the freest manner, and with a kind word for
every one whom he met. I saw him at graver times.
On the Tuesday after the battle of Bull Run, he visited
our quarters, in company with Mr. Seward, to hear the
story of our regiment, to inspect its condition, to ex
amine Its flag rent with the bullets of the foe, and to
inquire into the losses which we had suffered. As he lis
tened to the tale, his grave face grew graver still, and It
seemed as though he felt the affliction as a personal
bereavement, so warm was his sympathy, so sincere his
sorrow. A man of the people himself, he fully appre
ciated the sacrifices which the people were making for
himself and the country. He had reached, in despite
of the most unpropitious circumstances, the highest
position within the attainment of an American citizen.
Yet his elevation had detracted not a whit from his
simplicity. Undaunted by failures, unspoiled by suc-
2*

18
cesses, he passed through all fortunes, and, at the
height of his glory, stiU simple, unaffected and sincere,
he has died without a stain. His heart was affectionate,
generous, magnanimous and trusty. His mind was
clear, perspicuous and exact. Honest and guileless,
just and truthful, he went forward on his course of
duty, if slowly, always surely. He has conducted our
public affairs through difficulties from which the most
experienced statesman might well shrink, and with a
success of which the ablest might be proud. He has
exhibited a caution and a courage, a skill and wisdom
which the impatient and the unwise could not compre
hend till they witnessed the permanent results which
he had wrought out. He has been subjected to slander,
ridicule, misrepresentation and calumny of the meanest
and most malignant kind — making no answer — tiU, by
his patient continuance in well-doing, he has outlived all
the slanders of his foes, and has proved, by a complete
triumph, the honesty of his intentions, the wisdom of
his plans, the firmness of his purposes, and the ability
of his performance. Withal, he has shown such loyalty
to liberty, such devotion to the rights of his humblest
fellow-citizens, such love of justice, such faith in truth
and such trust in God, as to attract and command the
esteem and love of all the loyal people of the Republic
and the friends of freedom throughout the world. All
classes and conditions of men unite in paying homage
to his excellence.
Amidst the lamentation of the hour, one or two
thoughts become prominent. The first Is this : — Mr.
Lincoln has died for the sake of a great, true and just
principle. He has been " slain for the word of God
and the testimony which he held." He stands, forever-

19
more, before the eyes of mankind, as one of the chief
martyrs of freedom — chief among those whose life blood
has been licked up by the flames or devoured by the
sword. It is for his unswerving devotion to the cause
of his country's deliverance, and to the liberty of all
within its borders-7-for his genuine, unselfish patriot
ism and humanity, that his life has been wrenched away
from him. How false and foolish the words of the
murderer : " Sic semper tyrannis ! " " Thus always
to tyrants !" He was the farthest possible from being
a tyrant. No man was ever so free from a love of des
potic power. Up to the very last moment, his mind
was given to thoughts of pacification, and plans for the
welfare of those who madly and wickedly sought to
take his Hfe. He loved justice indeed, and he endeav
ored to do justice. But he loved mercy no less. He
has done all that he could to remove the foul stigma
which slavery has put upon the Republic. He has
ever been the faithful friend of the oppressed. We
thank God, that he has been spared so long, and that
he has done so much for the welfare of those who were
ready to perish — that he has done his work with such
perfect fidelity. He has been the redeemer of an
entire race of men. The people whom he redeemed
felt a gratitude of which we scai-cely know. They
rejoiced in him. They trusted in him, as no man was
ever trusted before. They thought that he could do
everything, for had he not already wrought miracles in
their behalf? He did not disappoint them. With
unpretending goodness, he struck off their chains, in
voking upon the solemn act of Emancipation, " The
considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious
favor of Almighty God."

20
They were not unmindful of the gift which they
received. You remember__ what was the character of
the President's reception at Richmond — how those
enfranchised people thronged his steps, calling down
blessings upon his name, with tears of joy streaming
down their swarthy cheeks, and praises to God burst
ing from their grateful lips. In their eyes, the homely
features of the President were transfigured, and they
hailed him as a Messiah — a man really sent from God.
If they had had palm branches, they would have strown
them in the way, and shouted " Hosanna !" The last
time I saw Mr. Lincoln, was about a year ago, when I
stood by his side, as the 9th corps passed in review
before him, on its way to the Virginian campaign.
In that corps was a division of colored regiments —
nearly six thousand men — the first colored troops that
had ever passed through Washington. As those sol
diers caught sight of the tall man who, with head un
covered, witnessed their march, a spirit of wild enthusi
asm ran through their ranks. They shouted, they
cheered, they swung their caps, in the exuberance of
their joy. The good President looked smilingly on,
courteously acknowledging their expressions of affec
tionate respect. They were now freemen. They had
a glorious object to live for. They would now make a
history for their race, and there was the man who had
done it all for them ! That was a sight at which many
eyes grew moist and dim. To no persons in all the
country, will the tidings of his death cause a sincerer
and profounder sorrow, than to the freedmen and their
families. His enfranchised spirit goes up to the gates
of Heaven with the blessings of those who were ready
to perish, as his passport to the realms of eternal bHss.

21
His memory will be cherished among the simple-
hearted people whom he has freed, as the memory of
a sainted benefactor. He will live in the grateful
remembrance of mankind, as the ruler of the Ameri
can Republic, who, in the day of compromises, stood
faithful to justice ; in the day of treason, was always
loyal to liberty ; and, in the day of national distress,
preserved his country from destruction and saved
her from the sin of slavery ! We read what he says
in his inaugural address, with a sorrowful interest : —
" 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
up by the bondman'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.' " How little
did he think, how little did we think, that, in the dawn
ing of the day of peace, his sacrifice — the blood of the
innocent — should be the culmination of the woe we
were to suffer. Yet, if ever he did think of it, there
can be no question, that he was ready— entirely ready,
always ready — for that sacrifice. If it were necessary
that he should die for the people, whom he had deliv
ered, he was fully prepared. He could say, with St,
Paul : " Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and
service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all."
The second thought upon this painful theme is this :
The sacrifice assures the victory of freedom. Hence^-
forward, the cause of the rebels is stripped of all dis
guises and shows itself the monstrous, vile, loathsome,

22
crime that it reaUy is. There can be no sympathy
now, among reasonable or humane men, with a cause
which seeks such instruments and perpetrates such
iniquity. " A struggle for independence " is now
proved to be only a name for cold-blooded murder and
midnight assassination. Among our own communities,
it is deprived of every vestige of support, except from
those who rejoice in blood. The abettors of the rebel
lion, — wherever they may be, whoever they may be, —
hereafter become accessories of this great crime, and
are to be so marked, by a just and indignant people.
In the nations across the sea, also, the cause of the re
bellion must sink beneath the execrations of the civilized
world. The most hardened and the most prejudiced of
the allies of despotism in Europe are not yet prepared
to sympathize with such an enormity of wickedness.
The barbarism of slavery, in striking this blow, — for
this is the power which is behind all this war, and
bloodshed and murder, — has committed suicide. The
cause of the South is doomed to be forever, after this,
the horror of the human race.
Yes, my friends, the sacrifice assures the victory of
justice. It has been so in the past. Many and many
a time has the cause of liberty and truth seemed to
depend upon a single man's Hfe. Yet, when that life
has been extinguished, the cause has still gone forward
to triumph. The spirit of the martyred statesman,
leader, soldier of freedom, has still breathed upon those
who remain, and they have girded up their loins with
renewed energy and a more resolute determination, and
the invisible power of the great man departed, has led
them on to victory. Encompassed with dangers, Mr.
Lincoln has been spared by divine mercy, to witness

23
the triumph of a portion of his great plans, and to have
the assurance of greater triumphs stiH. He has led us,
as Moses led his delivered countrymen, to the very
border of the promised land. He caught a sight of the
glory, but was not permitted to enter in and enjoy it.
It Is a terrible calamity. But Divine Providence is
always wise and good. I can recall no parallel in re
cent history, more striking than the death of William
of Nassau, Prince of Orange. The people of the Neth
erlands, in the 16th century, accepted the Protestant
principles of the Reformers. They wished to be free
from the dominion of a despotic church. Philip II, of
Spain, bigoted, cruel and tyrannical, endeavored to force
upon these people, then under his jurisdiction, the
accursed institution of the Inquisition. The people
revolted against such an attempt to deprive them of
their religious liberties. William was their great leader,
and, by his wise administration as a statesman, his
bravery and skill as a soldier, he succeeded in baffling
the plans of the despotic Philip, and of securing, in
part, the independence of his country. In 1580, Philip
offered a large reward for his assassination. Several
attempts were made upon his life, which were unsuc
cessful, till at last, on the 10th of July, 1584, he was
shot dead, in his house at Delft, a short time after din
ner, as he was passing from the dining room to an
adjoining staircase. The assassin was soon captured,
and executed. The character of William was that of a
great deliverer, and had many traits strikingly similar
to that of Mr. Lincoln. Silent as to his plans, he car
ried them forward with unwearied constancy. Exact,
practical and just, he was steady in the pursuit of the
chief object of his life. He was fearless in spirit, saga-

24
clous in mind, quick in perception, but cautious In
maturing results. He was constant in disaster, hope
ful in defeat, magnanimous in victory. He had a rare
faculty in managing men, and a rare honesty in
regulating himself. He was eloquent as a speaker,
" sometimes impassioned, oftener argumentative, al
ways rational." So able, upright and truthful was he,
that " there was always a hope, even in the darkest
hour, for men felt implicit reliance, as well on his intel
lectual resources as on his integrity." " His tempera
ment was cheerful. In his hours of relaxation, he was
always animated and merry, and this jocoseness was
partly natural, partly intentional. In the darkest hours
of his country's trial, he affected a serenity which he
was far from feeling, so that his apparent gaiety, at
momentous epochs, was even censured by dullards,
who could not comprehend its philosophy nor applaud
the flippancy of William the Silent." Unaffectedly
pious and fearless, he took little or no precautions
against danger. " God, in his mercy," he said, " wiH
maintain my Innocence and my honor, during my life,
and in future ages. As to my fortune and my life, I
have dedicated both, long since, to His service. He
win do therewith what pleases Him, for his glory and
my salvation." Such a man, the " Father WIHIam "
of his people, feH by the hand of a hired assassin.
" But the victory M^as to the dead hero, not to the Hv-
ing monarch." WIlHam, says the historian, " was a
conqueror in the loftiest sense, for he conquered liberty
and a national existence for a whole people." A nation,
deprived of its beloved head, mourned as those who
were bereft of hope. Yet, the cause for which he
died was not thus defeated. The spirit of William,

25
having a glorious resurrection, led on his country — ^the
" United States of the Netherlands " — to the heights of
national greatness. It became, in after years, " the first
naval power and one of the most considerable common
wealths in the world." Mr. Lincoln — the " Father
Abraham " of our affections — pursued by the same ma
lignant hate, has fallen in the same holy cause, has
achieved the same glorious triumph. " Liberty and a
national existence for a whole people " are now assured
to us by this great sacrifice. The week which we
began with rejoicing, ends in gloom. But, out of the
gloom arlseth the light of the resurrection morning.
The dead shall live. The voice of the Son of God
calls us aU to life. The national resurrection comes
through this great sacrifice.
Yes, a national resurrection ! For this great afflic
tion, with those seasons of sorrow through which we
have before time passed, is for our purification as a
people. We have slumbered in times past. The na
tion seemed dead. It had no great word to speak, no
great. work to do, for the welfare of the human race.
The Union as It was, existing and enlarging itself for
the strengthening of slavery, was the natural body, in
which the spirit of liberty was gradually sinking to
destruction. But Divine Providence does not permit a
people to perish whose death would be a misfortune to
mankind. The Son of God 'calls them tip to life. The
Divine Word Is spoken. It will be heard. The nation
is not dead, but sleepeth. It arouses itself at the voice
which calls It unto life. Its eyes are opened. Its
heart Is quickened. Its mind Is enlightened. Its con
science is vitalized. It begins to love justice and
liberty. It repents of its sins, and, inspired by the new
3

26
power which It feels, it becomes the most potent instru
ment, In the hands of Divine Providence, for the
enlightenment and elevation of the human race. What
magnificent achievements it then aspires to! What
greatness it becomes capable of ! What virtue It seeks
to practice ! It has become free from its old body of
sin, and lives henceforth to righteousness and God.
This, then, is our day of resurrection, my brethren.
The Union as it is to be, existing and enlarging itself
for liberty, is the spiritual body which we, as a nation,
are to put on. We have come back to Hfe, — ^not the
old worldly, selfish, cowardly life, that once we had,
but — to a brave, generous, just and true life, fuU of
vigor and full of promise for the future. We have,
indeed, been smitten and chastised. The heart of the
Republic has wept even tears of blood. The best and
bravest have been given up. The noblest man of our
American Democracy has been stricken down. Slavery
and treason had clothed the Republic with cerements
for its burial. We have cast them aside, and are put
ting on the garments of salvation. Surely aU this
experience cannot be for naught. It cannot come and
go and leave no trace behind. These habiliments of grief,
these sorrowful countenances, these tearful eyes, are
not the hollow manifestations of a people's ostentatious
woe. They are the sincere expressions of our sorrow.
They are also the pledges of our future fidelity to the
memory of him whom we mourn, and to the principles
which he practised. We can take no step backward.
Our present ruler can take no step backward. Inau
gurated into office under such solemn auspices, he will
not retreat from the grand career which now opens

27
before him. We all hear the voice of the Son of God
speaking to our souls. We hear and Hve !
I have only this more to say; dear friends, we must
consecrate ourselves anew to the principles for which
our President has died. The truths which he has Hved
to iUustrate and died to seal, are the truths for which a
greater than he has lived and died. Pledging our cor
dial support to his successor, let us go forward in the
course, which the iUustrious dead would have us pursue.
The end Is not doubtful, If we are stIU faithful to him
and to ourselves, if we are stiU trustful in our God.
Let us be comforted in our sorrow, and believe that
there is a day coming to us — a great and notable and
glorious day of the Lord — a day of national resurrec
tion, when we shaU come forth and live in newness of
spirit, a just and free and righteous people, for the weU-
beuig of the world. Again, I recall the words of the
inaugural address — fitting words to be spoken on the
verge of the unseen grave that was opening before him
who spoke : " With malice towards none, with charity
for aU, 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
orphans ; to do all which may achieve and cherish a
just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all
nations." O day of resurrection ! shine In upon our
souls for our strength and peace forever !