Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-10-25
REV. DR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent New York DiVlne'S Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject: IAN Angelic Rescue"

kluu, Olu, gracious, du6CLlOndL0 IhtueTt tu6
other 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 mount
ain air has painted his cheek rubicund. He
is twenty or twenty-five or, as some sup
pose, thirty-three years of age, neverti e.
less boy, considering the length of life to
which people lived in those times and the
fact that son never is anything but boy
to father. | 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
1.-THE boys" we're twenty-five aud thirty and
thirty-fve 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, 1t is
Isaac's walk, and Isaac's apparel. and
manners, and Isaac's prospects, and Isaac
prosperity, The fathers heartstring5 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 proud y he looked at his only
son.
Well, the dear old man hal borne a great
deal of trouble, and it had left IFS marx
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 shalt get decrept, Isaac is
strong enough to wait on him. 1.-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 VI
are that the ship that has been in such a
ofo &c NJ In OF int fI,ob
Are you not rejoiced. that glorious old Abra.
ham is through with his troubles? No, moi
A thunderbotl 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 humiliation, God said, "Abraham'
The old man answered, Here am" God
said to him. ''Take thy son, thy only son
Isaac, whom thou lowest, and get thee into
the land of Moriah and offer him there as
burnt Offering" In other words, slay him;
cut his body into fragments; put the frag-
mens on wood; set fire to the wood and lei
Isaacs body be consumed to ashes.
"Cannibalismi Murder" says some one.
mot so, said Abraham. hear him solilo.
quizs: "Here is the boy on whom I have de.
pended Oh, how loved him! He was
given in answer to prayer, and now must
surrender him2 o Isaac, my son. Isaac, how
shall part with your But then it is always
safer to do as God asks me to. / have been
in dark places before, and God got me out:
l will implicitly do as God has told me,
although it is very dark, can't sec 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 sadded. 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 a two or three days Journey"
hear the AK hewlng 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 or. There are four of them
Abraham, the father; Isaa', the son, and
two servants. Going along the road I see
Isaac looking up into his fathers face and
saying: Father, what is the matter? Are
you not well? Has anything happened2 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-
good people in 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 q pan of
Goals or a lamp and in the other a sharp,
keen knife. Here are all the appliances for
sacrifice, you say. No, there is one til ag
wanting. There is no victim-no pigeon OF
leifer CT lamb. Isaac. not knowing that he
g to be the victim, looks up into his fathers
Ia and asks question which must have cut
the cid man to the bone, "AIy father!'' Thu
father said "My son, Isaac, here l am" The
Jon said, "Behold tho fire aud the wood, but
where is the lamb!" The fathers liz quiv-
cred, and his heart tainted, and his knees
knocked together, and his entire body, mind
and soul SILVER 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 thousand rushing
tendernesses and says, "My SOD, God will
provide Himself lamb"
The twain are now at the foot of the hill, ,
the place which is to be famous for q 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 off Isaac's back and sprinkle il over
the stones, so as to help and invite the flame.
The altar is done-it is all done. Isarc has
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 Iause. The son
looks around to see il 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 hs may break 10 his son
the terrific news that he is to be the victim.
All, Isaac never looked more beautiful
than on that day to his father. AS the old
man ran his emaciatel fingers through his
sons hairhe said to HIMSELF "How shall I
give him up? What will his mother say
when I come back without my boy?
thought he would have been the comfort of
my declining days. l thought he would
have been the hope OF ages to come. Beau
tiful and loving, and yet 10 die under my
own hand. God, is there not some other
sacrifice that will do? Take my life and
spare hisl 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 alp"
His son said: ayes, father; thought you
had something on your mind. Tell it." The
father said. "My son, Isaac, thou art the
lamb" "Oh," you say, "why didn't that
young man, if he was twenty or thirty years
of age, smite into the dust his infirm father?
He could have done it," All, Isaac knew by
this time that the scene was typical o. a
Messiah who was to come, and so he male
no struggle. They fell on each others necSs
and walled out the parting. Awful AMI
matchIess scene of the wilderness! The
rocks echo back the breaking of their hearts.
The cry, my SOD, my SOM" The answer,
"My father, my fatherl"
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 70 this wonder
full obedience to the true God. You know
that victims for sacrifice were always bound,