Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-16
LINCOLN MEMORIAL SERMON
DR.. o. o. Smith Discusses Elements Of
Greatness in His Character.
VETERANS ATTEND THE SERVICE
MInister Fakes for His Text the
Word "There was n Man lent
from GOd"-AHnouncements
of the Churches.

Elements OF Greatness in the Charsc-
ter Of Abraham Lincoln was the subject
OF the memorial sermon delivered yester-
day morning by DR.. Otterbein o. Smith.
pastor, OF the First Congregational
church Sunday. The morning service was in
commemoration Of the Lincoln ami
versary and was attended By many mem
bers OF the old soldiers organizations
Lincoln's favorite hymn, "Your Mission"
by Helen II. Gates. was sung as a duet
by. the Misses Edith and Alma Smith. Al
the close of the services America was
sung by the congregation.
Or. Smith took as his text, There was
a man sent from God" John 1:vi. The
address was based on four elements Of
greatness In the great emancipation.
Abraham Lincoln" said DIR. Smith, was
great in his inheritance, great in his
birth, great In his intellect and great In
his soul life, and because Of these facts,
despite adverse surroundings, became
Americas greatest son.
There can be nothing said that will in
crease the light of his great life, but
our hearts will be warmed and quickened
by recalling the struggles of this great
soul to preserve the nation and give free
dom 10 those who were bound.
was great in his inheritance De-
cause he came OF a family who had been
a clean, earnest, helpful element in the
development of the community in which
they liVed.a
He was great In his birtllright because
he had a pure-minded. Cody mother. No
man ever attained greatness who did not.
We may be sure that into the current OF
his noble nature flowed the prayers and
hopes of she who passed through the val
10y in which lies the shadow that he
might live. 1t is not where q man is born
that makes his birth noble or ignoble. but
the nature OF the mother who gives him
birth. II matters little that Abraham
Lincoln was born in a log cabin. 1t
seems significant and prophetic that his
mother In her backwoo cabin should
have been led to give her son the maine
of Abraham. father of the faithful He
was not only great in his blrthright IN
that he was born of a pure. Cody
mother, but also in the atmosphere of
patriotism which surrounded him. Few
Of us realize that the birth OF Lincoln
was but thirty-three years removed from
the Declaration of Independence, but sucl,
was the case, so that the fires Of patriot
ism we're burning fresh and warm in the
hearts Of the people.
lie showed the greatness OF his intellect
- NNeiAoSihb q btnluJ LOT learning. mere
was nothing of romance or fascination in
his carly life, Those days were days OF
toll and struggle with poverty ever at the
door. He went to school but very little
about n year in all, aud that n poor dis.
trict school, The fact that he was nomi.
mated when but IS years of age for the
legislature shows the power of his intellect
and the Improvement he had made, or the
people would not have recognized in him
a man OF promise at such an early age.
"lie was great In his soul life. because
only a great soul could have stood the terri
BILE storm which beat upon him every hour
OF those long years Of the war. No words
can tell the story OF those dark days. The
days Of suffering, the nights OF anguish
and the endless strife and criticism, by
even his friends, made for this noble heart
a daily crucifixion.
Every day the splendor OF this great life
is being actualiEed in the increasing forces
that make up the ongoing of this mighty
nation of ours and let us hope that the
time will never com when the eyes of the
leaders az this nation will be turned from
the character Of this great soul"
ID ~ Ill