Abraham Lincoln Chapter 10 Outline

1) What do you think: “city upon a hill,” or “place of shadows” (Winthrop & Meacham, p. 39)? Do you think of the U.S. as a kind of Promised Land (p. 47)? Chapter 1

In the fall of 1620, 102 English puritans set sail, “seeking religious freedom, new lands, and better livelihoods – found themselves in the midst of a storm at sea.” All the things these English puritans were searching for can be traced back to the scripture. Matthew 5:14-16 (New International Version) states, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that
they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Their “city upon a hill” was an idea that has lit the world for several centuries. The “city upon a hill” would serve as a source of light for the world. According to Meacham, “Shine it would, but is has also long been a place of shadows – of persecution, of slavery, of poverty” (p. 39). While these English puritans “city upon a hill” was a beacon of hope for many, it did have shortcomings and these shortcomings included persecution, slavery, and poverty. William Bradford stated, “So they committed themselves to the will of God” and they fought on. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “The civilization of New England has been like those fires lit in the hills that, after having spread heat around them, still tinge the furthest reaches of the horizon with their light.” The United States is a promised land. In 1620, a group of English puritans sailed through a severe storm to reach new lands seeking religious freedoms, new lands, and better livelihoods. The United States is certainly not perfect, but we are a promised land for many people, just like the English puritans, seeking a better place to worship freely and seek a better life. One can certainly draw hope and inspiration from Winthrop’s sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity.”
1) Lincoln on the will of God (p.
116-121). How did he view God? Chapter 3 There is no doubt that Abraham Lincoln is a man of extreme courage and faith. Meacham on Lincoln, “A melancholy man who never joined a church, Lincoln intuitively understood the drama of sin and redemption better than most traditional believers” (p. 120). Lincoln showed both and faith when he signed the Emancipation proclamation. Lincoln stated, “The Rebel Army is driven out, and I am going to fulfill that promise” (p. 117). President Lincoln made the promise to himself and his Maker. Lincoln’s first presidential inauguration begged the nation for, “forbearance, asking for ‘intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land’” (p. 115). Christianity was certainly important to President Lincoln. He stated, “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” (p. 116). Lincoln stated that God will prevail. According to Meacham, in Lincoln’s second inauguration made the case that Americans cannot expect the blessings and protection of God without answering for their transgressions against him (p.
120). It is obvious, through reading American Gospel, Lincoln was a man of strong faith. While President, the country was engaged in a great civil war in which “countrymen are the only casualties.” During this time, President Lincoln quoted the 19th Psalm, “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (p. 121). President Lincoln is both a man of courage and faith. While he never officially joined a church, his life was Christ-centered and he apparently trusted in the Lord, even in the toughest times. Abraham Lincoln is a great leader, a leader that we can all look to as a man of courage and faith.