Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President) had many interesting quotes.

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my ax. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

Wanting to work is so rare a merit that it should be encouraged. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

Abraham Lincoln's "House divided" speech was given in 1858 after accepting the Illinois Republican Party nomination for senator of the United States. The speech started as follows.
A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

The "house divided against itself cannot stand" is from Mark 3:25 (and also Matthew 12:25) in the Bible.

Here is a Lincoln quote from his second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, soon before he was assassinated on April 14.
Both (North and South) read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. … The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

Lincoln used a number of Bible passages in this address (omitted here).

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

Poet John Lydgate said this, but Lincoln adapted it and made it popular.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? [kjv]

τι ουν ερουμεν προς ταυτα ει ο θεος υπερ ημων τις καθ ημων [gnt]

Many use this verse as a "battle cry" or puffed-up-in-pride "badge of honor". Some pastors (and others) promote this misconception.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

If God is the primary customer, then the customer is always right.

Man's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of man (humanism).
God's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of God (theism).

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

There is a saying that goes as follows.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Lincoln (and others) are often given credit for this quote. Since no record of this has been found, it appears that Lincoln may have been paraphrasing Proverbs 17:28.

Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. [kjv]

Abraham Lincoln was asked "How long should a man's legs be?". The context was his opponent Stephen Douglas was short and he was tall.

A man's legs must be long enough to reach the ground. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

The "short" of it is that the quote is not just a "tall tale".

Day of Thanksgiving proclamation by Lincoln

"Proclamation: For a day of Thanksgiving, Praise, and Prayer."
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens" to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.

Note: Later moving Thanksgiving to the 4th Thursday rather than the last Thursday, on average, provided a few more shopping days until Christmas.