““The theme of the next sentence is the heart of his message: “The Almighty has His own purposes.” This is what Lincoln believed now, and why he thought the war had taken the course it had. Events were not ruled by North or South—even their prayers were not fully answered, he admitted—but the war had unfolded according to the purposes of God. This because men do not contend with myth or principle or an absent sovereign, as Lincoln once believed. Instead, there was a God, a divine person, who ruled nations—and he was, as the preachers said, offended with America.””
