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Handsome
Indeed!
Abraham
Lincoln was admired by many, but he also had many
critics. But
even persistent critics in the Government, like
Pennsylvania's Thaddeus Stevens,
sometimes praised the President's benevolence.
House
Speaker Schuyler Colfax recalled that Stevens
"used to tell, with great gusto, this story of
his own personal experience. Mr. Stevens had gone with
an elderly lady from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
(his district), to the White House, to ask the pardon
of her son, condemned to die for sleeping on his post.
The President suddenly turned upon his cynical
Pennsylvania friend, whom he knew had so often
assailed him for excessive lenity, and said, 'Now,
Thad, what would you do in this case if you happened
to be President?'”
“Mr.
Stevens knew how many hundreds of his constituents
were waiting breathlessly
to hear the result of that elderly woman's pilgrimage
to Washington. Of course, Congressmen who desired to
be re-elected liked to carry out the desires of their
constituents. Stevens did not relish the President's
home-thrust, but replied that,
as he knew of the extenuating circumstances, he would
certainly pardon him.”
“‘Well,
then,’ said Mr. Lincoln, after a moment's writing in
silence, ‘here, madam, is your son's pardon.’
“Her
gratitude filled her heart to overflowing, and it
seemed to her as though her son had been snatched from
the gateway of the grave. She could only thank the
President with her tears as she passed out, but when
she and Mr. Stevens had reached the outer door of the
White House she burst out, excitedly, 'I KNEW it
was a lie! I KNEW it was a lie!'”
“‘What
do you mean?’ asked her astonished companion.
“Why,
when I left my country home in old Lancaster
yesterday, the neighbors told me that I would find
that Mr. Lincoln was an UGLY man, when in fact... he
is really the most handsome man I have ever seen in my
life!’”
“And
certainly, when sympathy and mercy lightened up those
rugged features, many a wife and mother pleading for
his intervention had reason to think him handsome
indeed." *
Interestingly,
the Scriptures do not contain an exact description of
the physical appearance of Jesus Christ...
Perhaps it is a prophecy given some 700 years
before His birth that provides the closest thing to a
portrait: “For He shall grow up before Him as a
tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah
53:2).
Yet,
many would describe Jesus as the most handsome Man
that has ever lived.
Why?
Because
Jesus died so that we might live! (1 Thessalonians
5:10). He
paid the price for our sins on the cross so that we
may have forgiveness and the hope of eternal life if
we accept His offer on His terms.
Jesus
will save those who: believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). His
redeeming blood will continue to cleanse those who
continue to walk in the light of
His Word (1 John 1:7).
And
certainly, when God’s mercy is understood and
accepted, many have reason to think Him handsome
indeed!
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* Allen Thorndike Rice, editor, Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln, (Schuyler Colfax).
http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/inside.asp?pageID=6&subjectID=6
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