The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-13
TWO ABRARAMS THE
THEME Of DR.. PAOEN
Abraham the American, and
Abraham the Jew, Topic
of Sermon.
RELIGIOUS SIDE OF THEIR
LIVES is PRESENTED
Address Was Eloquent and EN.
ceedingly Interesting to
the Large Audience.

To the large asscmblage OF members
that attended the services Sunday night
at the First Presbyterian church. Rev.
William NJ. Paden, the pastor. discoursed
upon tho text. And the Lord had blessed
Abraham I'm all things" Gen, xxivsl
The minister called attention to the fact
thnt today is the anniversary OF the birth
OF Abraham Lincoln. and stated that he
mad chosen the particular text means
Of Illustrating the religious side of the
lives OF Abraham the American and Abra-
ham the Hebrew. The address was an
eloquent one and exceedingly interesting
Mr.. Padcn said. in part:
And so he Is willing TO bless us all.
Tho story OF Abraham life is a staple
unvelling OF the eternal truth that c(ery
man Ire Ia plan or God lie is a Mp
py man who finds and falls In with this
plan with all his heart, Herein consists
the greatness OF the Father OF the Faith
Iul and the Inspiration Of Hebrew history,
Great Men Clearly Chosen.
AS IT was in the beginning. 1t ever has
been. Is now and ever Will be. l believe
that the great men and great nations or
the modern world are clearly chosen and
called TO special service for God and hu-
nanity, as were the chiefs and clansmen
OF 6Od ancient people. or these modcrnS,
none have been more highly favored than
those who speak our mother tongue We
nave been blessed above others that we
is presumably true OF our own favored
people. He nath not dealt more kindly
with any nation. not ever his ancient pco-
pie We too, arc children OF the promise.
children OF Destiny. 1t only remains for
us 10 Keep our promise and. as God shall
Civ" us grace, TO fulnll our destiny, and
we may make the name American as
great as the greatest In the calendar OF
nations and as good the best in the
honor roll OF Gods chosen people.
The text | have chosen is u concrete
suggestion OF the truth | wish TO teach
AS God has used blessed nations whose
records are not written here. SO he has
used and blessed men whose names are
not written here. There is no question In
my mind but that God who blessed Abra-
ham the Hebrew In all things. also blessed
Lincoln the American. in all things The
one could no more have been what he was
without the blessing of God than the 9TH
er Moreover. | am willing to confess
mat ! am quite as much Interested In
Gods way OF making great Americans as
l am In his way OF making great He
brcws. The question. therefore which |
wish TO raise is not how did God bless
him whom many call the greatest or the
Hebrews but how did God bless him
whom i do not hesitate TO call the most
beloved American.
Began Life at the Bottom.
God blessed our Abraham in the thor
ouShneSS or the schooling which He gave
his humanity. Lincoln began lIfo at the
bottom OF the very depths No pride OF
blood ever thrilled his soul. He must
needs be content with simple human ma
ture- As he was born OF the people he
was raised with tho people, and always
trusted and stood up for the people When
once he dreamed that. I'm pushing through
crowd he overheard one say. He is a
common-loolin' fellow ne awoke reply
ing, Friend the Lord prefers common
looking people, that Is why he made so
many of them Lincoln never distrustcd
the ultimate justice Of the people and
probably entered into and represented the
feelings OF the average American rs no
one else has ever done. Charles G. Ic-
land declares that From his childhood
Abraham Lincoln was possessed even to
unreason, with the idea that Whatsoever
was absolutely popular. was founded on
reason and right He was born with his
ear 10 the ground and had through life |
the Marvellous gift OF keeping I'm touch |
with the people.
Knew Disappoin tment
Lincoln knew all that a human heart |
may know. without breaking, OF disnp-
pointed affection. More than once he was |
almost cngulfed in his horror Of great
darkness. His feelings were intense to |
the verge of insanity. But as the saddest |
and greatest OF the prophets says 1t is |
good for a man TO bear the yoke in his |
No university diploma could |
ever have done so much TO make this |
otherwise self-sufiicing man pity as n IA
ther pitieth his children.
so II In his first hand relations |
with humanity that he learned 10 walk |
alone For as, with all his humor. Lin |
coin had an almost melancholy sense OF |
Of all his contemporaries by far the most
lOnCly'