study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第38节
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memorable address in 1787； when he stood eighty… one years old； before
the convention assembled to frame a constitution for the new government。
He reminded them that at the beginning of the contest with the British they
had had daily prayers in that room in Philadelphia for the Divine
protection； and said： 〃I have lived for a long time； and the longer I live the
more convincing proof I see of this truth； that God governs in the affairs of
men。 And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice； is it
probable that an empire can rise without His aid？ We have been assured；
Sir； in the sacred writings； that 'Except the Lord build the house； they labor
in vain that build it。' I firmly believe this； and I also believe that without
His concurring aid we shall proceed in this political building no better than
the builders of Babel。 I therefore beg leave to move that； henceforth；
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prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our
deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to
business； and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to
officiate in that service。〃
George Washington sounded a familiar note in his farewell address：
〃Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity；
religion and morality are indispensable supports。 A volume could not trace
all their connection with private and public felicity。 Let us with caution
indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion。
Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds
of peculiar structure； reason and experience both forbid us to expect that
national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles。〃 Thomas
Jefferson； of whom it is sometimes said that he was indifferent to religion；
had yet done his great work under inspiration； which he himself
acknowledges in his inaugural address； when he speaks of the nation as
〃enlightened by a benign religion； professed indeed； and practised in
various forms； yet all of them inculcating honesty； truth； temperance；
gratitude； and the love of man； acknowledging and adoring an overruling
Providence； which by all its dispensation proves that it results in the
happiness of man here and his greater happiness hereafter。〃 Greater than
Jefferson had appeared John Marshall； greatest of our Chief Justices； like
in spirit to that John Marshall Harlan； whose death marked the year which
has just closed； of whom his colleagues said that he went to his rest each
night with one hand on the Bible and the other on the Constitution of the
United States； a description which could almost be transferred to his great
predecessor in that court。 Moreover； when Lincoln came； Joseph Story； the
greatest teacher of law which our country had produced； had only just died
from his place on the Supreme Bench； In his Phi Beta Kappa address at
Harvard （1826）； in a brilliant and masterful analysis of 〃The
Characteristics of the Age；〃 he had paid tribute after tribute to the power
of religion and the Bible。 He had declared his belief that the religion of the
Bible had 〃established itself in the hearts of men by all which genius could
bring to illumine or eloquence to grace its sublime truths。〃 Of the same
period with Lincoln was also Webster； who was called the 〃concordance of
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the House。〃 Many of his stately periods and great ideas came from the
Bible。 Indeed； there is no oratory of our history； which has survived the
waste of the years； which does not feel and show the power of the
Scriptures。 The English Bible has given our finest eloquence its ideas； its
ideals； its illustrations； its phrases。
The line is unbroken。 And it leads to this tall figure； crowned with a
noble head； his face the saddest in American history； who knew
Gethsemane in all its paths。 The heart of the American people has always
been touched by his early years of abject poverty。 But there were
compensations。 He had few books； and they entered his blood and fiber。 In
his earliest formative years there were six books which he read and re…read。
Nicolay and Hay name the Bible first in the list； with Pilgrim's Progress as
the fourth。 Mr。 Morse calls it a small library； but nourishing； and says that
Lincoln absorbed into his own nature all the strong juice of the books。＇1＇
How much he drew from the pages of the Holy Book let any reader of his
speeches say。 Quotation； reference； illustration crowd each other。 The
phrases are familiar。 The man is full of the Book。 And what the man does
is part of the work of the Book。
＇1＇ American Statesman Series； Abraham Lincoln； i； 12； 13。
One of his biographers says that there is nothing in the life or work of
Lincoln which cannot be explained without reference to any supernatural
influence or power。 That depends on what is meant by supernatural。 There
were no miracles； no astounding visions nor experiences。 But there ran
into Lincoln's life from his young manhood onward this steady and strong
current of ideas and ideals from the Bible。 In his second inaugural address
he worded the thought that was the deepest horror of the Civil War that
on both sides of the strife men were reading the same Bible； praying to the
same God； and invoking His aid against each other！ In that very brief
inaugural Mr。 Lincoln quotes in full three Bible verses； and makes
reference to two others； and the whole address lasted barely four minutes。
There could be no mistaking the solemn importance of the fact to which
he referred in the inaugural； the presence on the other side of men who
held their Bibles high in regard。 〃Stonewall〃 Jackson was devout beyond
most men。 The two books always at his hand were his Bible and the
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Manual of the Rules of War。 Robert E。 Lee was a cultured； Christian
gentleman； as were many others with him； while throughout the South
were multitudes who loved and reverenced the Bible as fully as could any
in the North。 As we look back over half a century； this comes out plainly：
that so far as the American civil war was a strife about union pure and
simple； having one nation or two here in our part of the continent； it was
matter of judgment； not of religion。 There grew around that question
certain others of national honor and obligation； which were not so clear
then as now。 But men on opposite sides of the question might read the
same Bible without finding authoritative word about it。 In so far； however；
as the war had at its heart the matter of human slavery； it was possible for
men to differ only when one side read the letter of the Bible while the
other read its manifest spirit。 Written in times when slavery was counted
matter of course； its letter dealt with slavery as a fact。 It could be read as
though it approved slavery。 But long before this day men had found its
true spirit。 England had abolished slavery （1808） under the insistence that
it was foreign to all right understanding of God's Word。 Lincoln knew its
letter well； he cared for its spirit more； and he found his strength not in the
familiar saying that God was on his side； but in the more forceful one that
he believed himself to be on God's side。 So he became a point around
which the great fluid idea crystallized into strengtha point made and
sustained by the influence of the Bible； which he knew only in the King
James version。
We have spoken of some wide movements and of men around whom
they crystallized； finding in them the influence of the Bible。 It will be well
to note two outstanding traits of the Bible which in English or any other
tongue would inevitably tend to strong and favorable influence
