The free press., 1895-10-31
REV. DIX. TALMAGE.
THIS EMINENT DIvIEE's SUNDAY
SERMON.
Subject: can Angelic Rescue"

! this son mas been ulucn IN tne ueluS, du
from his shaggy dress you know that h
hiss been watching the herds. The mount
ain air has painted his cheek rubicund. FL
Is twenty or twenty-five or, as some sup
pose, thirty-three years of age, neverthe
less boy, considering the length of life t.
which people lived in those times and tn
fact that son never is anything but DO
to father / remember that my fathe
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" were twenty-five and thirty ant
thirty-fve years of age. So this Isaac !
only boy TO Abraham, and this father
heart is in him. 1t is Isaac here and Isaa'
there, If there is any festivity around th
fathers tent, Isaac must enjoy it. 1t Il
Isaac's walk, and Isaacs apparel, ant
manners, and Isaacs prospects, and Isaac
prosperity. The fathers heartstrings are
all wrapped around that boy and wrapped
again, until nine-tenths of the old man.
life is in Isaac. I can just imagine how
lovingly and proudly he looked at his onll
son.
Well, the dear old man had borne great
deal of trouble and it had left its mari
| 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 Ii
strong enough to wait on him. If 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 a
stormy sea is coming at last into the harbor.
Are you not rejoiced that glorious old Abra-
ham is through with his troubles2 No, mol
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 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 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.
'Not so" said Abraham. I hear him solilo-
quize: "Here is the boy ON whom have de-
pended! Oh, how loved him! He was
given in answer to prayer, and now must
surrender him? o Isaac, my son! Isaac, how
shall part with you2 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. 1 can't see my
way, but l know God makes no mistakes.
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 OH On two or three days journey" :"
hear the AK hewing and splitting amid the
wood until the sticks are made the right
length and the right thickness and then
thew fasfanpd fba hanat af h1r J,t,
They pass ons 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 natter Are
you not we'll? Has anything happened? 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 off the beasts back and put on Isaac s
back. Abraham has in one hand a pan of
Goals or a lamp and in the other O 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 or lamb. Isaac, not knowing that he
Is to be the victim, looks up into his fathers
face and asks question which must have cut
the old man to the bone, "My fatherr' The
father said my son. Isaac, here am" The
son said, "Behold the fire and the wood. but
where is the lamb2'' The fathers lip ouiy.
cred, and his heart tainted and his knees
Knocked together, and his entire body mind
and soul shiver in sickcnihg 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 son, God will
provide Himself lamb"
The twain are now at the foot OF theYhill
the place which is to be famous for a most
transcendent occurrence. They gather seme
stones out of the field and build All altar of
three or four feet high. Then they take this
wood OIL 1saac's back and sprinkle it over
the stones, so as to help and invite the flame
The altar is done-it is all done. Isaac has
helped to build it. With his father he has
discussed whether the top of the table i:
even and whether the wood is properly pre-.
pared. Then there is pause The sor
looks around to see II there is not some iv-
ing animal that can be caught and butchere6
for the offering. Abraham tries to choke
down his fatherly feelings and suppress hi
grief In order that he may break to his son
the terrific news that he is to be the victim.
A., AL, 1Sudc uoVer looked more Deaut1fu
than on that day to his father. AS the ole
mar. ran his emaciated fingers through his
sons hair he said to himself, "How shall
give him upp What win his mother say
when come back without my boy?
thought he would have been the comfort o
my declining days. l thought he would
have been the hope OF ages to come. Beau
tiful and loving, and yet to die under m,
own hand. o God. is there not some othel
sacrifice that will do? Take my life ant
spare his Pour out my blood and saw,
Isaac for his mother and the worldr' Blu,
this was an inward struggle. The father
controls his feelings and looks into his sont
face and says, 'Isaac, must / tell you alp
His son said; "Yes, father; l 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 tha
young man, if he was twenty or thirty year,
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 of q
Messiah who was to come, and SO he mad,
no struggle. They fell ON each others neck
and walled out the parting. Awful ant
matchless scene of the wilderness TIL,
rocks echo back the breaking of their hearts
The cry, my son, my son!" The answer
"My father, my father"
Do not compare this. as some people have