The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1895-11-08
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
rHE NOTED DivINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
sutloctl Dan Angelic Rescue"

ethef ufhvei ohedleuf, religious son. From
hls pfonlHd appearance You can tell that
TINS son has boon much in the fields. and
irom bis shaggy dress You know that he
mas been watching the herds. Tho mount.
ain air has painted hls cheek rubieund. ne
o. twenty or twenty-five or, as some SUP.
pose, thiry-threo years Of age, neverthe.
Hess Q boy considering the length Of NE 70
which people lived In those times and the
TACT that son never As anything but bow
20 "a father. i remember that my father
used 10 come into the house when the chill
dren were home on some fostal occasion
ana say "Where are the boys2" although
the boys were twenty-five and thirty and
thirly-hyo years of age. So this Isaac is
only @ boy 10 Abraham, ana this fathers
heart Is In him. IL is Isaac here and Isaac
there. II there "a any fostiyity around the
fathers tent, Isaac must enjoy It. Il is
lsaac's walk. and Isaacs apparel. and
manners, and Isaac's prospects, and Isaao's
prosperity Tho fathers heartstrlngs ara
all wrapped around that boy and wrapped
again, until nine-tenths OF the old mans
life Is In Isaac. / can Just imagine how
lovingly and proudly he looked at his only
son.
Well the dear old man had borne great
deal OF trouble, and II had left its marx
upon him. In hieroglyphics Of wrinkle tho
"a
But now his trouble seems all gone. and we
are glad that be Is very soon 10 rest forever
II the old man shalt get deerepit, Isaac Is
strong enough 70 wait on him. 1.-THE father
get dim Of eyesight, Isaac will lead him by
the hand. If the father become destitute
Isaac will earn him bread. How glad we
are that the ship that has been In such
stormy sea Is coming at last into the harbor.
Are you not reioiced that glorious old Abra-
ham is through with HIS troubles2 No. mol
A thunderbolt From that clear eastern
sky there drops into that fathers font a
voice with an announcement enough to turn
black hair white and to stun the patriarch into
instant humiliation. God said, "Abrahamln
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 iet
lsaac's body be consumed to ashes.
"Cannibalsm! Murderm saws some one.
''Not so, said Abraham. I hear him solllo-
quize: Here is the boy on whom have de-
pended! Oh, how I loved himl He was
gwen IN answer 20 prayer, and now must
surrender him2 o Isaac, my son! Isaac. how
snail part with YOu2 But then Il Is alwavs
safer to do as God asks me to. I have been
in dark places before, and God got me out.
Will implicitly do as God has told me.
although 1t is very dark. I can't see nv
way, but l know God makes no mistakes.
and to Him commit myself and my darling
son."
Early in the morning there is a stir around
Abrahams tent. 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 a 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
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 1 see
Isaac looking up into his fathers face and
sayings Father, what is the natter Are
you not well2 Has anything happened? Are
you tired2 Lean on my arm" Then, turn
ing around to the servants, the son saws.
"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 tho
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 lamp and in the other a 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 father!" The
/ father said, "Aly son. Isaac, here | am. ~ The
! uofd tDahnIH a., 4 n
/ where is the lamb2" The fathers lin duiv-
| cred, and his heart tainted, and his knees
| knocked together, and his entire BODY, mind
and SOU shiver in sickening anguish as he
struggles to gain equipoise, for he does not
want to break down. And then no looks
into his sons face with q thousand rushing
tendernesses and says, "My son, God will
| provide Himself a lamb"
The twain are now at the foot Of the hill
the place which is to.be famous for a most
| tTanscendent 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 Isaae's back and sprinkle it over
the stones, so as to help and invite the flame
| Phe alter is dOue-it is all done. Isaac has
helped to build it. With his father he has
discussed whether the top of the table il
even and whether the wood is properly pre-
pared. Then there is a PAUSE. The SOL
| looks around TO see II there is not some liY.
ing animal that can be caught and butcheret
for the Offering. Abraham tries to CHOKE
down his fatherly feelings and suppress hi
grief in order that he may break to his sol
the terrific news that he is to bo the victim.
All Isaac never looked more beautiful
than on that day to his father. AS the oil,
man ran his emaciatei fingers through hi
sons hair he said to himself: chow shall
give him up2 What will his mother sa
when l come back without my boy?
thought he would have been the comfort 0
my declining days. 1 thought he woult
have been the hope of ages to come. Beau
tiful and loving, and yet to die under m
own hand. God, is there not some othe
sacrifice that will do2 Take my life an
spare his Pour out my blood and saw
Isaac for his mother and the world" Blu
this was an inward struggle. The fathe
controls his feelings and looks into his SON
face and says, "Isaac, must / tell you alp
His son said: eyes, father; [ thought yol