I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side.
Interpretation
Lincoln emphasizes the importance of aligning with righteousness in one's beliefs and actions.
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln expresses his belief that divine support is given to those who pursue righteousness and justice. He reflects on his own responsibility and that of the nation to ensure they are acting in accordance with moral principles, suggesting that true guidance and strength come from being on the side of what is just and right.
In practice
In a speech about community values, you might reference Lincoln to encourage moral integrity.
I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
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.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
I shall ask for the abolition for the punishment of death until I have the infallibility of human judgment demonstrated to me.
Nothing, not even human life, is more precious to us than our myths about ourselves.
To believe only possibilities is not faith, but mere Philosophy.
One cannot prescribe to anyone whether he should follow an ethic of absolute ends or an ethic of responsibility.
God is better served in resisting a temptation to evil than in many formal prayers.
Throw a stone into the stream and the ripples that propagate themselves are the beautiful type of all influence.
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