Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-10-18
AN ANGELIC RESCUE.
A GRACIOUS FATHER AND AN CBE-
DENT AND RELIGIOUS SON.

Abraham's Supreme Trial Of Faith and the
Saving Of Isaac From Being offered as a
sacrihce-Rev. DIR. Talmage's Mastery
Sermon.
NEW YORK, Oct. 13.-In his sermon
for today Rev. DR.. Talmage chose for
his subject Abraham's supreme trial Of
faith and the angelic rescue Of Isaac
from being offered by his father as a
sacrifice. The text was Genesis xii, T.
"Behold the fire and the wood, but
where is the lamb"
Here are Abraham and Isaac, the one
kind, old, gracious, affectionate father,
the other a brave, obedient, religious
son. From his bronzed appearance you
can tell that this son has been much in
the fields, and from his shaggy dress
you know that he has been watching the
herds. The mountain air has painted his
cheek rubicund He is 20 or % or, as
some suppose, 33 years Of age, never
theless a boy, considering the length Of
life to which people lived in those times
and the fact that son never is any
thing but boy to a father. l remember
that my father used to come into the
house when the children were home on
some festal occasion and say, where
are the boys;" although "the boys"
were 20 and 30 and 30 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. If there is any
festivity around the fathers tent, Isaac
must enjoy it. 1t is Isaac's walk, and
Isaacs apparel, and Isaac's manners,
and Isaac's prospects, and Isaac's pros
perity. The father heartstrings are all
wrapped around that boy and wrapped
again, until nine-tenths Of the old man S
life is in Isaac. can just imagine how
lovingly and proudly be looked at his
only son.
The Sacrifice.
Well, the dear old man had borne a
great deal Of trouble, and it had left its
mark upon him. In hieroglyphics Of
wrinkle the story was written from
forehead to chin. But now his trouble
seems all gone, and we are glad that he
is very soon to rest forever. If the old
man shall get decrepit, Isaac is strong
enough to wait on him. If the father
get dim Of eyesight, Isaac will lead him
by the hand. If the father become des-
titute, Isaac Will earn him bread. How
glad we are that the ship that has been
in such a stormy sea is coming at last
into the harbor. Are you not rejoiced
that glorious old Abraham is through
with his troubles? No, no. A thunder
bolt 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 patri-
arch into instant annihilation. God
said. Abraham ~ The old man an
swered, Here ami" God said to him,
"Toke thy son, thy only son Isaac,
whom thou lowest, and get thee into the
land Of Moriah and offer him there as a
burnt Offering" In other words, slay
him; cut his body into fragments; put
the fragments on the wood; set fire to
the wood and let Isaac's body be con-
sumed to ashes.
"Cannibalism Murder" says some
one. "Not so, j." said Abraham. l hear
him soliloquize: Here is the boy on
whom l have depended Oh, how l
loved him He was given in answer to
PRAYER, and now must l surrender him:
o Isaac, my son Isaac, how shall l part
with you? But then it is always safer
to do as God asks me to. l have been
in dark places before. and God got me
out. will implicitly do as God has
told me, although it is very dark.
can't see my way, bat l know God
makes no mistakes, and to him com
NIT myself and my darling son."
Early in the morning there is str
around Abraham tent. A beast Of bur
den 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 off on two
or three days journey. D." 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 Oh. There are four Of them
Abraham, the father; Isaac, the son,
and two servants. Going along the road
| l see Isaac looking up into his father
face and saying: Father, what is the
matter? Are you not we'll? Has anything
happened? Are you tired? Lean on my
arm" Then, turning around to the
servants, the son says, "Ah, father il
getting old, and he has had trouble
enough in other days to kill him y
Looking For tho Lamb.
The third morning has come, and Il
is the day Of the tragedy. The two sery
ants are left with the beast Of burden
while Abraham and his son Isaac, al
was the custom Of good people III those
times, went up on the hill to sacrifice
TO the Lord. The wood is taken off the
beasts back and put on Isaac's back
Abraham has in one hand a pan of Goals
or lamp and in the other a sharp
keen knife. Here are all the appliances
for sacrifice, you say. No, there Is on'
thing wanting. There is no victim-n'
piCeon or heifer or lamb. Isaac, no
knowing that he is to be the victim
looks mp into his fathers face and ask
question which must have cut the ole
man to the bone, my father" The ia
ther said, "My son, Isaac, here am. -
The son said, behold the fire and th'
wood. but where is the lamb?" The Ia
theirs lip quivered, and his heart FAINT
ed. and his knees knocked together, anC
| hi, entire body, mind and soul shiye
in sickening anguish as he struggles t.
gain equipoise, for he does not want t
break down. And then no looks into hi
sons face with a thousand rushing ten
dernesses and says, my son, God vii
provide himself lamb "
The twain are now at the foot OF th'
hill, the place which isto be famous 10
a most transcendent occurrence. The,
gather some stones out Of the field ant
build an altar Of three or four feet high
Then they take this wood off Isaac
bock and sprinkle it over the stones, S