The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-03-26
A Beautiful Extract.

We have seldom met with anything
more beautiful than the following passage
from q sermon recently delivered to his
congregation by DR.. Pise, of New Albany,
! Ia4iaka5 HE text was from Genesis xviii,
IL and 1s:
Three thousand six hundred years ago,
in the1and of Palestine, fifteen miles north
of where now stands the Holy City, as the
shadows Of evening were Iengthening and
tie sun sinking in the west, young man,
friehdless aud destitute, strobe along with
his loins girded and a staff in his hand.
Yet lie was no common man. Mighty des-
TIMES centered in him. He was the last Of
tho three patriarchs, the father of the heads
and princes Of the twelve tribes of Israel.
jacob ''the chosen and loved of God-the
undoubted heir Of glorious promises" was
the SOLITARY traveller. He fled from the re-
sentiment Of an angry brother who sought
his life. AS the shadows of evening deep
ened he came to a certain place"-near
to the spot where, perhaps, Abraham, years
before bad erected an altar unto the Lord,
and thus consecrated it as sLoly ground"
Night at length set in stretching his
wearied limbs upon the ground, and rest
ing his head npon Q pillow, of stone, the
weary. traveller slept. The world was shut
out from bis view, but a bright vision of
heaven burst upon his sight. Heaven
opens, the tread of angels falls upon his
eur. liz sees LUG uhuA Oh UO0 ABOVE uIm
and celestial spirits all around him. As
morning dawned the sleeper awoke. and he
said, .slrely the Lord is In this place and 1
knew, it not" OF the stones on which he
rested his weary head be raised pillar,
and, pouring oil upon it, consecrated it and
lifting his hands in, holy prayer, he uttered
in that wilderness temple the vows of self
conservation, and, dedicated to God the
1.-THE of all thar should be his when he
came again to worship there. ~.
7 After o lepgthened absence, marked BY
vitude upder q treacherous and exacting
master, Jacob returned to that memorable
spot, rich in Hocks and herds, and with q
numerous household, to pay the vows which
ile had made in the hour of his adversely,
and IA rear again the memorial of his God.
holy. ground by divine command be purified
his h9psehold from all stains. T. The patri-
archals family then, in Solemn procession,
moved on in reverens silence to the sacred
spot, hallowed by the vision of the Al
mighty snd the presence Of his angels.
+ AN holy places are, IS yves the pillar
erected by Jacob in thesolitagy wilderness,
'tmemosiaIs fof God.' a. Although among
Goa's baneieuta chosen people every spot
Asfsaefed where an altar had been reared
and fBelosed, their synagdgues during their
cspSlVitiesin foreign lands, their oratories
iUE' pfEv1po uoNOGOhsI JSb Vncr0 was only
one place Awhefo the greater solemnities OF
their religion coald be enacted. But great
er is che grace esd glory or tie new dis
pensatioRg God declared by the voice of
his prophets that Gin every place shall in
cense be offered unto my name and q pure
ofEering."5 40 10 llla1i.I p.' - ~l'ts,H
Though now no visible shechinah por-
trays bis glOry-no visible ark enslrines
the symbols of the covenants, NO mercy
seat between the adoriDg cherubim, no al
tar steamiDg with the blood of an emble-
matte sacrifce-all the realities are here of
which thesawere only the figures: As You
approach and enter the sacred place look
TO your steps as those who tread upon holy
ground. WHILST worshfpiRg remember
that you are in che presence Of the Search
or Of Hearts.