The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-31

| deauX, shows that, rs far as we can
possibly judge, he must have con-
verSed with Daniel. the prophet. The
first ZoroaSter taught the existence of
two Gods-the God of Good and the
God of Evil-the God of Light and
the God of Darkness. But the second
Zoroaster taught that there was but
one God: that under that one God
there were two spirits-the spirit of
Good or Light and the spirit of Evil
or Darkne sS-both created spirits
and that these were in Ssential and
inevitable and continual contest: but
that finally the Spirit OF Right should
overcome the Spirit of WTong-that
light should triumph over darkness
| and that there would pe a judgment
OF the human race and separation of
light from darkness for evermore.
This was, as far as we can gather, and
most probably from their surround
ings, the system professed by these
Magi. They were amongst the fire.
WOrshipperS of the East, but they
were not idolatrous fire e-worshipperS;
they worshipped fire as symbol; they
Worshipped fire as a symbol Of the
power of God. But, you may ask, how
could these men, from the mere ap-
pehrance of a star in the heaveS, no
matter how extraordinary that star
might be, no matter though they had
never heard of anything like it in the
annals of their astronomy, imagine
that there was a newborn King OF
the Jews, and be so certain of it that
they should undertake a long, and in
that day dangerous, journey to find
him out and do homage? We must
bear in mind that they had two prOphe-
cieS. The first was the prophecy of
Daniel, that seventy weeks OF years
should intervene between a certain
period-the going out of certain de-
cree-and the coming OF the Messiah.
The jews had their weeks Of years as
of days, and seven years fOrmeda week
of years. SO that they had 400 years
from the going out of the decree -
which time they knew-until the COM
ing of the Messiah. Again, their own
Gentle prophet, Balaam, spoke Of the
coming of the Messiah, and connected
it with the appearance of a star for
he said that the star should rise out of
Jacob, and a Scepter sprung up from
Isreal, and that out of Jacob should
come a ruler. That they must have
hlONll OOlllSGllIilS VI OllC u dlIOlOllo VI
the west-Of what the Roman his
torianS, TacituS and SuetOnius spoke,
and of what Cicero in his essay, " De
Divinatione, spoke - that at that
time ruler should come out of Judea.
So that having the time desig-
mated by Daniel the prophet, the sew
enty weeks Of years, and the appear
ance of the star spoken Of by Balaam,
In ,crI,
the East and West, when they saw the
star in the heavens they resolved to
follow its light. And so it led them
to Jerusalem, and they went to the
seat and center of ecclesiastical author
ity, for God, when: He acts in an extra
ordinary manner, leads the soul to that
authority, as He led the soul Of Saul 4;
not acting in an extraordinary manner
longer than was necessary. So that
the Magi, though led by the star, were
led to the living, speaking authority
that God had LETT upon this earth, in
order to ascertain where He was to be
born, and who was to be the King of
the Jews. We observe in their con-
duct the evidence of great faith despite
great obstacles and great difficulties in
that faith. When they go to Jerusa-
lem they see no evidence whatever of
| the birth Of the newborn king. No
| heralds announce him in the streets, no
banners fly from the towers, there is
| no joy, no evidence whatever that even
the people have heard the fact. Do
they doubt ? They appear before
| HerCd. Do they speak like doubling
men :? Do they say, We have seen a
| strange star in the east; is it some law
| &c,
| star we knew not of that has just
flashed across our vision Pare we mis-
taken, and do you yourselves believer
No. They say "Where is He that is
born King of the Jews, for we have
seen a star in the east, and have come
to adore Him." This is the certainty
of faith. But you may say, May not
| faith have its doubts ?" No. Divine
faith has it's difficulties, but not its
doubts. If believe upon the word of
God, that word made manifest to me
| through our church, which [ believe
to be unerring, that a revelation is
made to me OF the truth, believe it
firmly, constantly, undoubtingly. May
[ not have a difficulty? Yes, many
difficulties, but difficulties are not
doubts.
THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC.
Abraham had no doubt. He was
required to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Take thine only son''-every word a
dart to his paternal heart-"Take
thine only son Isaac, whom thou low
est and offer him up on a mountain
which 1 will show you. 1 do not even
tell you where" There could be NO
doubt about this command. But had
he no difficulties? Yes. "How can
sacrifice Isaac? How can God make
him the father of future generations
if now my right hand must smite
him? How can a tender and loving
God expect that / will lift that right
hand to smite my only son whom /
love? How caIi I reconcile these two
orders?" But the order is certain
"God can settle this difficulty as He
pleases. He can give back Isaac to
me if He pleases. He is the master
of life and death, and He can settle
this difficulty as He pleases." The
command is certain. To give you
perhaps clearer illustration of it and
a familiar one. If you see sum in
mathematics done on the blackboard
by some professor Of ability, you have
no doubt whatever of its correctness
But you examine it and encounter
| certain formula which you don't IN
derstand. You have, therefore, diff.
ficulty, but not a doubt. The Magi
had their difficulties but they never
doubted what God revealed to them
They journey to Bethlehem. Here is
another difficulty-almost. one would
say, insurmountable. What? His
palace hall? This stable; tr, if he
had been removed from the stable
some bed of poverty. Certainly
What? His courtiers? This pool
man-this poor woman-these poor
shepherds. His throne is a man
ger. Can this be the newborn
king of the Jews? But, being
wise men, they reasoned with them
selves, "After all to Him, il
divine, it is the same. What is thu
difference between palace halls anC
heaven itself? What difference doe.
it make to the great God between two
little things? Infinitely above al
grandeur in heaven and on earth i.
God; and whether He selects a palace
or stable to Him it makes but littl,
difference! And when He came spe
cially to elevate the doWn-trodden, i
was appropriate that He should deif1
that poverty which was a crime be
should never look again with DISCUS
and contempt upon poverty since tn,
Lord God had doomed the vestment
of poverty in order to exalt it." AnC
therefore they entered, and, believing
adored Him. and laid at His feet tn
treasures of gold, and frankincens