The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-18

! received the con mand OF the Lord Abraham
lcokeo upon Isaac rs dead man, and his rescue
was like his restoration from the dead. On the
drst day OF the journey Isaac was slain, and on
the third day be wss received back from the
dead, as was Christ.
ChIist died for us because God fret loved u.s.
II He has provided the substitute, will we not
accept 1t and at least obey? w can rest assured
that there is enough for all. We must acknow-
ledge that we have forfeited all claims upon
life, and are worthy of death. We must be ready
TO die fer our faults, and then thankfully accept
the substitute which God has provided. Justice
has claims on all Of us-not equally-ior each
ofus has his particular way of SHINING, although
every way leads alike from God and salvation.
Yet, although we cannot justify ourselves, O
Lamb has been provided by God, and not one
OF us need be offered up as a sacrifice. So we
should confess that we deserve TO die,
and at once receive with 10y the substitute,
relying upon it. When Justice comes with her
scales aud weighs us in the balance, and finds
us wanting, all we can say is JehOUdhjireh
When the rusty bolts of the deep vaults of
memory are drawn back and hideous ghosts
come forth and point their skeleton fingers at
us, there is nothing that can allay them but the
words JebOUdhJreh SO to deaths challenge,
and on the last day, when we behold the great
white throne, we can rejoice in knowing that
our iniquities are obliterated, and answer, JehO-
Udh,jiTehi
Let us learn our duty. We should believe in
srite of mystery, and obey in spite of difficulty.
We must trust in God, as did Abraham, although
there is much to which we can give no
reply save lDdJ VI OetOOuUEutNs 10 dll
our doubts He will provide an answer some day.
Why Is there so much mystery Why is there
an atonement for all, and 80 few avail them.
selves of II? How can we reconcile Gods
sovereignty and mans responsibility We may
say much about the majesty of the atonement
and resurrection, and understand little about it.
But we must believe, and God in time will give
an al swer to everything.
we must obey when it is difficult to obey.
Faith Is of no avail, save when 1t produces
works. If we are the children of Abraham we
must show ike obedienCe-a passive obedience
OF submission, and an active obedience of sacrl-
fice. We must give up dear son or daughter,
learning q lesson from Abraham in such be-
reavements. Our child is not so great as Abra-
hams. We are not called upon to in6ict the
blow ourselves, as was Abraham. We must give
dear to us, learning to say, "Thy will be done.n
And when we ask, How can we endure ii? faith
responds, JehoU0h.jtTeh!
The path of duty is often difficult. Why should
it not be smoother and pleasanter? ''The Lord
will PROVIDE" If we do right, all Will go right
if we do wrong, nothing will go right. III we
lose every thing in striving to do right, we still
have the promise, JehoUdh.jireh, and God has a
whole eternity in which TO fulfil His promises.
The spirit of the Hebrew children who were
cast into the fiery furnace; the spirit of the
early Christians and of modern missionaries
who undergo persecution, when word will save
them, Is the old spirit of JebOUdb- -jireh. In your
late struggle, many entered from mere reckless
ness but how many with deep love Of country,
OF liberty and of truth, and with a burning
sense OF the gross injustice inflicted upon q
whole race for which Christ died as for them
selves! And when the great crisis came, how
many felt that they were risking those who were
as precious to them as was Isaac to Abraham.
Yet they had the promise, Jehoudh;j ;jireh, the
Lord will provide. We must abide upon this
promise in many of the events of our lives.
And when we all come to the final trial, though
death may seem terrible in prospect, this pro
mise will console us-the Lord will provide.