The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-30
REV. DIR. TAIIMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "An Angelic Rescue"

LETT. benold the nre and the WOOD
out where Is the lamb:"-Gcnesis xii, Z.
Here are Abraham and Isaac, the one
KIND, old. gracious, affectionate father, th
other brave, obedient, religious son. From
MS bronzed appearance you can tell tina,
this son has been much in the fields, ans
from his shaggy dress you know that HI
has been watching the herds. The mount
ain air has painted his cheek rubicund. HI
Is twenty or twenty-five or, as some sup
pose, thirty-three years OF age. neverthe
less boy, considering the length of life tc
which people lived in those times and the
fact that son never is anything but boy
to father. I remember that my father
used to come into the house when the chill
dren were home on some festal occasion
and say, "Where are the boys?" although
'the boys" were twenty-five and thirty and
thirty-flve years of age. So this Isaac is
only boy to Abraham, and this fathers
heart is in him. 1t is Isaac here and Isaac
there. II there is any festivity around the
fathers tent, Isaac must enjoy it. It is
Isaac's walk, and Isaac's apparel. and
manners, and Isaac's prospects, and Isaac's
prosperity. The fathers heartstrings are
all wrapped around that boy and wrapped
again, until nine-tenths OF the old mans
life Is In Isaac. I can just imagine how
lovingly and proudly he looked at his only
SON.
Well, the dear old man hal borne great
deal of trouble, and it had left its mark
upon him. In hleroglyphics Of wrinkle the
story was written from forehead to chin.
But now his trouble seems ali gone, and we
are glad that he is very soon to rest forever.
II the old man shall get decrepit, Isaac is
strong enough to wait on him. II the father
get dim Of eyesight, Isaac will lead him by
the hand. II the father become destitute
Isaac will earn him bread. How glad We
are that the ship that has been in such q
stormy sea Is coming at last into the harbor.
Are you not rejoiced that glorious old Abra-
ham is through with his troubles? No, no!
A thunderbolt! From that clear eastern
sky there drops into that fathers tent a
voice with an announcement enough to turn
black hair white and to stun the patriarch into
instant annihilation. God said, "Abraham!"
The old man answered. "Here I am" God
said to him: "Take thy son, thy only son
the land Of Moriah and offer him there as a
burnt Offering" In other words, slay him;
cut his body into fragments; put the frag-
ments on wood; set fire to the wood and let
Isaac's body be consumed to ashes.
"Cannibalism! Murder!" says some one.
'fNot So" said Abraham. hear him solilo-
quize: "Here Is the boy on whom have de-
pended! Oh, how I loved him! he was
gwen in answer to prayer, and now must I
surrender him? Isaac, my son! Isaac, how
shall part with you? But then it Is always
safer to do as God asks me to. have been
in dark places before, and God got me out.
I will implicitly do as God has told me.
although 1t Is very dark. I can't see my
way, but know God makes no mistakes,
and to Him commit myself and my darling
son."
Early in the morning there is a stir around
Abraham's tent. A beast Of burden Is fed
and saddled. Abraham makes no disclosure
OF the awful secret. At the break Of day he
says: "Come, come. Isaac, get up! We are
going of on two o. three days Journey"
I hear the Ak hewing and splitting amid the
wood until the sticks are made the right
length and the right thickness, and then
they are fastened on the beast of burden.
They pass on. There are four Of them.
Abraham, the father; Isaac, the son, and
two servants. Going along the road see
Isaac looking up into his fathers face and
saying: Father, what is the matter? Are
you not well2 Has anything happened9 Are
you tired? Lean on my arm" Then, turn.
ing around to the servants, the son says,
@Ah, father Is getting old. and he has had
trouble enough in other days to kill him.
The third morning has come, and it is the
day Of the tragedy. The two servants are
left with the beast Of burden, while Abra-
ham and his son Isaac, as was the custom Of
good people in those times, went up on the
hill to sacrifice to the Lord. The wood is
taken OF the beasts back and put on Isaac's
back. Abraham has in one hand q pan Of
Goals or lamp and in the other sharp,
keen knife. Here are all the appliances for
sacrifice, you say. No, there Is one thing
wanting. There Is no victim-no pigeon or
heifer cr lamb. Isaac, not knowing that he
Is to be the victim, looks up into his fathers
face and asks a question which must have cut
father said, "My son, Isaac, here I am" The
son said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but
where is the lamb?" The fathers lip quiv-
cred, and his heart tainted. and his knees
knocked together, and his entire body, mind
and soul shiver in sickening anguish as he
struggles to gain equipoise, for he does not
want to break down. And then he looks
into his sons face with 4 thousand rushing
tendernesses and says, "My son, God will
provide Himself lamb"
The twain are now at the foot OF the hill :,
the place which is to be famous for a most
transcendent occurrence. They gather some
stones out Of the field and build an altar of
three or four feet high. Then they take this
wood of Isaao's back and sprinkle it over
the stones, so as to help and invite the fame
helped to build it. With his father he has
discussed whether the top Of the table is
even and whether the wood Is properly pre-
pared Then there Is a PAUSE. The son
looks around to see II there Is not some liv-
ing animal that can be caught and butchered
for the Offering. Abraham tries to choke
down his fatherly feelings and suppress his
grief In order that he may break to his son
the terrific news that he is to bethe victim.
All, Isaac never looked more beautiful
than on that day to his father. As the old
man ran his emaciated fingers through his
sons hairhe said to himself: "How shall 7
Sive him up9 What viii his mother say
when I come back without my boy? I
thought he would have been the comfort Of
my declining days. thought he would
have been the hope Of ages to come. Beau
tiful and loving, and yet to die under my
own hand. o God. Is there not some other
sacrifice that will do? Take my life and
spare his! Pour out my blood and save
Isaac for his mother and the world" But
this was an inward struggle. The father
controls his feelings and looks into his sons
face and says, "Isaac, must tell you au?'
His son said: eyes, father; thought you
had something on your mind. Tell It," The
father said. "My son, Isaac, thou art tine
lamb!" "Oh." you say, "why didn't that
young man, If he was twenty or thirty years
of age, suite into the dust his inflrm father2
He could have done it," Ah, Isaac knew by
this time that the scene was typical OF a
Messiah who was to come, and 80 he made
no struggle. They fell on each others necks
and waited out the parting. Awful and
matchless scene of the Wilderness! The
rocks echo back the breaking Of their hearts.
The cry, my son, my son" The answer,
S'My father, my father"
Do not compare this. as some people have,
to Agamemnon willing to offer up his
daughter, Iphigenia, to please the gods.
There Is nothing comparable to this wonder
full obedience to the true God. You know
that victims for sacrifice were always bound,
Ill, IL .t thor, rninhf n Of Of crnla rrau Pam.