Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-04-19

a. TIE stsLE AND IRIS TEACHINGS.
~..-.n;ea ted 10 the New York Tribune.
4 - LETTER w.
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 1871

LETTER ".
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept ISL.
We wsre considering the I}.b.o n It's
a;.,or;eai cha racter, and as tho history o:
"S,mily. From the moment when the
.a;,.r,ai history finishes, that Of A bra'an
...;os. and thenceforli, it is the history OF
: ismiIy Of which Abraham is tho first;
- Ieeus Christ tho last person; and from
- FIRST appearance OF Abraham. the
vhols history appears to have boon ORDER
v from ago to nge expressly 20 prepare for
she appearance Of Chris. upon earth. The
history begins with tho first and mildest
isisIs Of Abraham's obedience, and tho
.eomise as reward Of his fidelity, that III
.him oil the families Of the earth should
h bos,ad." The second ,rial. which re-
ouirod the sacrifce Of his son, WINS many
wears aGterward. and tho promise was
moro explicit, and moro precisely assi5ffed
a tho reward Of his obedience. There
wero botwecn these periods two in.ermedl-
.te occasions. recorded in the 18th and 18th
chaptcrs Of Genesis ON the first Of which,
Tho word Of the Lord came to Abraham in
! vision md promised him he should hive
ischild. from whom grcnt and mighty ma
ZION should proceed, which, aftor being in
sorvisodo 200 years in n strange land.
should become tho possessors Of tho land Of
Canaan from that Of Egypt TO tho river
Eupbrntcs. On the SECOND. tho Lord mp
pared TO him and his wife. repeated the
promise that they should have child, that
sAbraha,n should surely become n great
nation, and that cali tho nations Of tho
earth should DO blessed in him." "for ]
a.. a. a. L.
command his household nfter him. and
that lhey will keep tho way Of tho Lord.
10 do justice and judgment, that the Lord
may bring upon Abraham that which lie
hath spoken Of him. from al: Of which it is
obvious that :he first Of the promises wna
made as subservicnt and Instrumental to
tho second-tha, tho great and mighty ma
ton was to be raised as tho means in the
ways Of Gods providence for producing
the sacred person Of Jesus Christ, through
whom the perfect sacrifice Of atoncnrnt
for tho original transsrcssion Of man
should DO consummated, and by which "ail
tho families Of tho en- rti should be blessed"
am 50 li,tIe verscd in controversial d.
vinity TINT know not whittier this xvii,h
chapter of Genesis has ever been nddnccd
in support Of tho doctrine Of Trinity; ihcr
is at least in il IN alteration Of those divine
persOns, and Of ono not n Iittlo remarka-
bio which know not how to explain; if
taken in connection with tho 18th, ii would
seem that ono Of tho mon entertained by
Abraham, was Sod himself, and tho other
two were angels. sent 10 destroy Sodom.
Leaving this however, let mc ask your
particular attention To- tho reason assigned
fpr hpS !,
blessing upon Abraham. 1t unfuIds 20 us
tho first aud most important part of the
supersiructGre Of moral principle. erected
upon tho foundation Of obedience 10 tho
will Of God. The rigorous :r,als of \ bra
hams obedience mentioned in this, and my
last letter, were only tests to ascertain his
character III reference 10 tho single, and
may say abstract point Of obedience. Hire
VIC have precious glcnm OF light, dsclos
ing what tho nature of this will Of Gods
was. that he should command his children
mud his household nf;er him; By which the
parental authority to instruct and direct
his descendants in tho way of the lord gas
given him rs an authority and onioincd
upon him rs a duty; and tho lessons which
no was then empowered and required to
teach his pos!crlty were. 'to doJus!icc and
Judgment" Thus rs Obedience 10 the
Will Of God, is tho first. and all conprc.
hcnsivo virtue taught in tho Bible, so the
second is Justice and Ju1gmcn, towards
Mankind, and this is exhibited rs tho re-
suit naturally following from tho other.
Jh the same chapter is related the inter
cession of Abraham with God for tho pre-.
seTvation Of Sodom from distinctions: the
city was destroyed for lis crimes, but tho
Lord promised Abraham it should be
spared il only ten righteous should be
found in it: tho principle Of mercy was
therefore sanctioned in immediate conncc-
lion with that Of Justice. Abraham had
several children; but the great promise Of
God wns to be performed through Isaac
alone, and Of tho two sons Of Isaac. Jacob
tho youngost-was selected for the
Of tho second family and nation:
it was from Jacob that tho multiplication
OF the family began. and his twelve sons
wero all included in the gcnealosy Of the
tribes which afterward constituted tho !
Jewish people. lshmacl. tho childrcd of .
kcturah, and Esau, tho eldest son Of Isaac,
wore all tho parents Of considerable fami-
lies. which afterward spread into nations;
but thoy formed TO part Of tho chosen
people, and their history, with that Of the /
ncighboring nations. Is only incidentally
noticed in the Bible, 50 Far as thew had re. /
lations Of intercourse or hostility with the /
people Of God. Tho history Of Abraham
md his descendants to tho close Of the
book Of Genesis is biography Of indi-
viduais: tho incidents related Of them arc
all OF the class belonging TO domestic life.
Joseph, indeed, became \ hiohly distiD-
Gu'shed public character in the land of
Egypt. and it was through him that his ia
Their and all his brothers were finally settled
there-~h,ch was necessary to prepare
for the existence Of their pos.or,v as
nation. and to fulfill the purpose which God
had announcedto Abraham, tina, ,hoy should
DO four hundred years jewellers in strange
land. In the lives Of Abraham, Isaac.
Jacob and Joseph, many miraculous events
arc recorded, but all those which are spc-
ken Of as happening in The ordinary course
OF human affairs have an air Of reality
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