The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-14
Rev. P. A. Simpkin breaches
MasterfuI Sermon on Career
of Great President.
WHAT BIRTHDAY MEANS
TO LOVERS OF LIBERTY
Speaker Declares Religion of
Lincoln Is Theme of Grow
ing Interest.

The Phillips Congregational church,
preached masterful sermon Sunday
morning or the "Rcligious Life of
Lincoln. " In part the Rev. Mr.
Simpkin said:
Some days in the, year belong to hui
that is shrlned in the memories they
hold. Wide as the earth and the age are
set few days Of the anniversaries men
kccp-Christmas, Easter ana Ascension
Tie Eth day OF February is one Of
the days that has meaning OF ire
mendous reach for every lover OF liberty,
every thinker OF world problems: in par
Iicular. every true Amcrican--thc natal
day Of that child of genius and destiny
Abraham Lincoln.
uhurch'S abiding message and ministry
10 touch upon The significance of life
like his in the recurring anniversaries
ol hi: birth.
There is a specific value OF testimony
to the worlds supreme life in the cmer-
SeDcc and expenditure OF such per-
SoHality as Lincoln :,
No ono may account for the soul blsz
ing like great Eohinoor in the simple
setting aud the uncouth chasing of his
career. In no system OF training. in no
roofing of traccable selection, In no SUI
ficing human causatiou can one find the
secret Of his splendid genius and ab-
solute mastery OF life ManySidcd in the
automatic in the response OF his soul
TO tasks Hcrculcan he is great an
enigma as he is an Idol of the age and
one can but find the fingers that nodded
The rugged splcndor Of him. the fire that
burned In his wonderful lie. 10 be the
fingers and the fire Of the Eternal Mas
ter. who. lending himself 10 the genera
tions In the broken bits OF glory that
make the greatness Of the races leaders
and Saviors, was in fulness in Him who
Was born amid the lilies OF far Judea.
Splendid Life and Service
There is small wonder that the time
which Is the inheritor Oi what he
wrough, for constitutional libcrty should
idolizc his memory and lcnG itself To the
emphasis of that splendid life and scrv"
Romantic slamor is in the story OF him
who In two score years reached from The
axcheye and the forest TO the mastery of
hs time--ior no men OF statecr9lt IN his
day beyond Gladstone and Bismarck,
came within measurable distance OF him
carrying To the presidents chair the
homcly habit and simple dIrectnesS
which so perfectly represented the spirit
Of American democracy.
The pulse beats quicker To the unfold !
Ing story OF the frontier dreamer. whose |
ci9ssrooms and laboIatores were filled
the test-tubcs and reports, the acids and |
the fires of The commonplace litc ne
knew.
Pity trembles into tears as much of af-
fading that his life holds. as he passes
from marrow poverty, hy untlinchinG
strueElc with circumstances. until in the
very heart of the mighty contest ihat
set iu form abiding the lie OF The Re
public. he sits "a man Of sorrows. with |
face scanned and shadowed by the
such fashion that only an occasional |
shaft Of sunny sladncss touched IL til |
il beat 10 the eternal anthem as he leit !
the shadows forever.
%
any other of the great ones who have |
served this wonderful America, he
even Washington first OF all the train
jmpcrishable in point Of time. in mill |
tJry genius. undauntcd courage and de- |
roiiou 10 the cause OF libcrty-eNen he
yields 10 the sweet human ni,Y. the patient !
greatness and the glowing genius Of this !
man OF America. the ideal OF all his le'- |
low citizens. !
When the bitterness OF partlsanship
shall have passed. the wide land will
come To- sec that the SUCCESSORS OF this |
Illinosan. mcu like Garfield and Clcvc- |
shared many of the qualities OF great |
nc.,s that mingled in fashion unique TO
make the greatness Of Lincoln
Soul Is Thrilled.
The soul thrills TO sec him mastering
the besettiuE circumstance of youth.
elaspinS the skirts of chance. TO be
lifted toward his star" with simple but
mcrciless logic. discomfiting the brilliant
Douglass passing 10 conquer a curious
New York and a critical New Eng land
speech, and from a country town NOV
ing 10 Epit 10 himself the great admins
traitors % the decade. as easily master oil
Seward aud Stanton and Chase 1s
though they came from an environment
like his owu-and by the very weight of
his own ability making Il cabinet uni
fled I'm al the greater policies that guided
the nation in its stress. Throncd. he sits,
loved. admired. esteemed. a figure lir
ing and Increasing. whose lessons and
impulses are abiding In their power In
touch rs TO devoted patriotism, one OF
our richest hcritJ zeS
As the priests OF old. for centuries after
Thermopylac. tIught their children 10 re-
cite 1hc illuslriouS uamcS Of the three
hundred whose sacrifice made the SPOT
shey defended immortal. 50 should we
clements or that character and the
grandeur OF that service which he gave
20 America and To liberty lovers OF all
the eorth
The religion of Abraham Lincoln is A
theme of growing interest The mis-
taken idea that prevailed for yoars that
the president was devoid Of marked
religious life is rather difficult for US to
understand.
Our atmosphere and vision is so diff
fercnt. There. a man could bo measured.
largely. bE the comprehensivcnesS OF
his time. only. by churolianity.
Fifty years ago formal religion. in
cludinE church membership aud assent
20 some definite creed was the noturc
ny which man WAS measured. Lincoln
was genuine Christian simple and
thcrouShEoing in his acceptance of its
devotional privileges. uuqucstioning i'm
his following Of its IDEAL
Had Meek Spirit.
The broader and more charitable judg-
mcut OF our own day lies in his quiet
dependence upon the leading and pro%i-
donce or God. I'm his unique charity and
lofty sacrifice. the Nazarc spirit
I'ndnubt edly. in the light of the facts
th3i make up illc rose window Of his
memory, the greatest stay OF Lincoln's
life WAS found i'll Tho faifh and consoIa-
ton Of the Christian religion
II seems beyond question that i'm his
young manhood lincoln was something
of skeptic. Laruon and Henderson,
close associates Of Lincoln in Langanon
assert tho Truth of this. Before his con
gressional days. however. lincoln had be-
come regular church attendant wait
Ing upon the ministry or the Prcsbytrr-
ian church, habit kept up until his
removal TO Washington, when he became
as regular IN attendant upon The minis
try Of The Presbyterian church as his
duties would allow.
Ills religion manifested Itself In tbrco