Document Text
The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God can not be for, and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party---and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to effect His purpose. I am almost ready to say this is probably true---that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By his mere quiet power, on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.
Close Reading
During the Civil War, Lincoln never let go of his innate fatalism. In Meditation on the Divine Will, Lincoln provided deep thought regarding the violence of the war going on around him and the despair at being unable to bring an end to the bloodshed. Every sentence of this brief document is a reaffirmation of Lincoln’s fatalism, but it was not a document for the nation. As Samuel Calhoun and Lucas Morel wrote, “it is important to emphasize that the document was not intended for publication, but rather reflected Lincoln’s private thoughts.”
The document began, “The will of God prevails.” There cannot be a more fatalistic opening to a document in the works of Abraham Lincoln. With the nation in the midst of the war, in which Lincoln is unsure of success or failure, Lincoln must have pondered what exactly was the will of God (Burlingame, 3799). However, the idea of providence or fatalism is that no one, least of all Abraham Lincoln, knew God’s will. Perhaps this is why early in the war he began using words like “providence,” “God,” and “Divine Power” (146). When something is so overwhelming that man struggles to comprehend it, then the easiest explanation is to put it on God. Given the difficulties facing Lincoln during the war, he can be forgiven for seeking an easing to his burdens by laying some onto God.
Lincoln continued, “In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God.” This assertion was true then and remains so today. Lincoln was alluding to the fact that at the time of writing the Meditation on the Divine Will, he was not convinced the Union would win, but he trusted in God’s will. At the time, both the Union and the Confederacy believed that providence would deliver victory. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that God’s will would not favor either side. This can be seen when Lincoln wrote, “it is quite possible that God’s purpose is something different from the purpose of either party.”
The ultimate argument of fatalism in this “meditation” is written in four words, “God wills this contest.” Lincoln, writing amidst the violence and horror of the Civil War, may have looked back at the beginnings of this contest and truly believed that the war was God’s will. When Lincoln took office, seven states had already seceded from the Union and war was unavoidable for all intents and purposes. Lincoln continued, “He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began.” Lincoln believed he had done everything he could have to avoid the conflict, yet he was powerless to overcome providence.
Lincoln concluded, “He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.” This must have been a troubling thought for Lincoln as there was no clear end in sight to the war. With no end in sight, the loss of the Union was still a possibility. Contrarily, this fatalistic approach may have been of some comfort to Lincoln. The weight of leadership during such a difficult time may have been lessened if it was taken out of Lincoln’s hands and placed in the hands of God.
The theme, stated so simply in the opening statement, that “the will of God prevails” was not only an example of Lincoln’s thoughtfulness and staunch fatalistic belief, but also a way to lessen the burden upon his shoulders. Lincoln’s fatalism dates to long before the outbreak of the war, but a time as trying as the Civil War much have surely reinforced such an idea. This vision of the private Lincoln, is reaffirmed by Richard Carwardine’s s description of Lincoln’s faith when he discussed the strong belief in predestination and that the events of the war were preordained by God (44).
The document began, “The will of God prevails.” There cannot be a more fatalistic opening to a document in the works of Abraham Lincoln. With the nation in the midst of the war, in which Lincoln is unsure of success or failure, Lincoln must have pondered what exactly was the will of God (Burlingame, 3799). However, the idea of providence or fatalism is that no one, least of all Abraham Lincoln, knew God’s will. Perhaps this is why early in the war he began using words like “providence,” “God,” and “Divine Power” (146). When something is so overwhelming that man struggles to comprehend it, then the easiest explanation is to put it on God. Given the difficulties facing Lincoln during the war, he can be forgiven for seeking an easing to his burdens by laying some onto God.
Lincoln continued, “In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God.” This assertion was true then and remains so today. Lincoln was alluding to the fact that at the time of writing the Meditation on the Divine Will, he was not convinced the Union would win, but he trusted in God’s will. At the time, both the Union and the Confederacy believed that providence would deliver victory. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that God’s will would not favor either side. This can be seen when Lincoln wrote, “it is quite possible that God’s purpose is something different from the purpose of either party.”
The ultimate argument of fatalism in this “meditation” is written in four words, “God wills this contest.” Lincoln, writing amidst the violence and horror of the Civil War, may have looked back at the beginnings of this contest and truly believed that the war was God’s will. When Lincoln took office, seven states had already seceded from the Union and war was unavoidable for all intents and purposes. Lincoln continued, “He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began.” Lincoln believed he had done everything he could have to avoid the conflict, yet he was powerless to overcome providence.
Lincoln concluded, “He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.” This must have been a troubling thought for Lincoln as there was no clear end in sight to the war. With no end in sight, the loss of the Union was still a possibility. Contrarily, this fatalistic approach may have been of some comfort to Lincoln. The weight of leadership during such a difficult time may have been lessened if it was taken out of Lincoln’s hands and placed in the hands of God.
The theme, stated so simply in the opening statement, that “the will of God prevails” was not only an example of Lincoln’s thoughtfulness and staunch fatalistic belief, but also a way to lessen the burden upon his shoulders. Lincoln’s fatalism dates to long before the outbreak of the war, but a time as trying as the Civil War much have surely reinforced such an idea. This vision of the private Lincoln, is reaffirmed by Richard Carwardine’s s description of Lincoln’s faith when he discussed the strong belief in predestination and that the events of the war were preordained by God (44).
Further Information
More information about this document and other aspects of Lincoln's religion can be found at the PBS website via their God in American section.
Bibliography
Burlingame, Michael, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (2 volumes, originally published by Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008) Unedited Manuscript by Chapter, Lincoln Studies Center, Volume 2, Chapter 34 (PDF), 3798-3799.
Calhoun, Samuel W. & Morel, Lucas E., “Abraham Lincoln’s Religion: The Case for his Ultimate Belief in a Personal, Sovereign God,” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 33, no. 1 (2012), 38-74.
Carwardine, Richard. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Lincoln, Abraham, Meditation on the Divine Will, [2 September 1862], , in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (8 vols., New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 5: 403-404 http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/.
People & Ideas: Abraham Lincoln. God in American. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/ godinamerica/people/abraham-lincoln.html
Calhoun, Samuel W. & Morel, Lucas E., “Abraham Lincoln’s Religion: The Case for his Ultimate Belief in a Personal, Sovereign God,” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 33, no. 1 (2012), 38-74.
Carwardine, Richard. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Lincoln, Abraham, Meditation on the Divine Will, [2 September 1862], , in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (8 vols., New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 5: 403-404 http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/.
People & Ideas: Abraham Lincoln. God in American. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/ godinamerica/people/abraham-lincoln.html