The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-10-19
FAITH OF ABRAHAM.
DR.. TALNAGE ON THE ANGELIC
RESCUE.
II the Last Pinch God Comes to the
Relief.

| us D-OlLeu appearance YOU can le!! lu6l
this son has been much in the fields, and
! from lis shaggy dress you know that he
has been watching the herds. The mount
ain cir has painted bis cheek rubicund. He
! is twenty Or twenty-five or, es some sup
! pose, thi-ty-thres years CT age. neverthe-
i less q boy, considering the length OF life to
! Thich people lived IL those times and tho
; fa:I that e son neveI is anything but boy
+: to q father. 7 remember that my father
! used to come into the house when tbs chill
! d:en were home on some festal occasion
and saE. "Where a-e the hoysf' although
! "tne boys were twenty-five and thirty and
only boy 10 Abraham. and this fathers
heart is in him. It is Isaac hera and Isaac
! There. # there is any iestivity around the
! fathers tent, Isaac must enjoy il. It IS
Esaac's walk. scd Isaao's apparel. and
manners, and Isaac's prospects, and Isa!c's
! prosperity. The fathers heartstrines are
! ali wrapped around that boy and wrapped
again, until nine-ten+hs Of the old r2an' 5
! life is in Isaac. 7 can just imagine how
lovingly and proudly he locked at his only
! son.
Well, the dear old man hal borne great
| deal OF trouble, and It had left its mark
upon him. In hier9siErhiHs of wrinkle the
! story was written fco3. f":ahead to chin.
But now his trouble seems a.! gone. and we
ere glad that be IS very soon to rest forever.
1.-THE old nan sha!! get ,:ccrepit, Isaac is
strong enough to wait or him. 1fthe father
get dim Of evesght Isaac will lead him by
the hand. Il the father become destitute
Isaac will earn him bread. How glad re
are that the ship that has beer in such
stormy sea IS coming NJ last into the harbor
Are YOU not reioiced that glorious old A5ra-
ham is through with his troubles? No; no!
Sh.,n nI-St NIL ~ SLo4 y.
slSy :&ers drops irto thar fathers tent a
voice with an announcement enough 10 turn
black hair white and to strr the patriarch into
instant anrihilation. God said "Abrahan.n
Tie old man answered. Here an God
said to hin: Take thy son. thy only son
Isaac, whom thou lo,"ss. and get thee into
the land Of Moriah and ofer him there as
burnt Offering" III other words. sla: him;
cut bis BODY into fragments; pus iae frag-
mems on wood; s.: fire 70 tbs VOL and let
Isaac's body be coosrnel to ashes.
'C2nnibalisn! MG.aeIh says some one.
Not So" said Abraham. hear him sojilc-
! quize: Here IS the boy cn whom have de-
pended. Oh, how + loved him! Hs was
| surrender him? 0 Isaac. my son, Isaac. how
shall part with you? But then it is always
safer to do as God asks The to. have been
il dark places before, and God got me ont
| T will implicitly do as Col has told me,
although it is very dark. 7 can't see my
way, but know God MAKES DO mistakes,
and TO Hin commit myself and ny darling
son"
Early in the n morrinS there is g SIX around
Abrahams teot. beast Of burden IS fei
! and saldled. Abraham makes no disclosure
! Q: the awful secret. At the break Of day he
! says: Come. come. Isaac. gat up: We arc
IF y y ir,,r -
hear the AK hswing and splitting amid the
wood until the sticks arc made the right
length and tho right thickness. AMI then
| they are fas ened on the beast of burden.
They pass or. There are four Of them
Abraham. the father: ISaa'. the so@. and
two servants Going al0uS the ROAD see
Isaac looking up into his fathers face and
| saying; 'Father, what is the natter Are
YOU not well" Has anything happened? Are
You tirel2 Lean On Fly arm TheD, turn.
! ing around to the servants, the son says.
'Ah. father IS getting CID. and he has had
trouble enough IN other days TO kill him
! The third morning has come, and il is the
| day OF the tragedy, The Two servants are
| left with this beast Of burden. while Abra-
! ham and his son Isaac. as was the custom Of
! good people in those times. went mp On the
! hill 10 sacrifice to the Lo.5 The wood is
| taken OFF the beasts bl"E and put on Isaac S
back Abraham has l.: one hand 2 pan Of
Goals or lamp AMI il the other a sharp
keen knife. Here are all the appliances for
sacrifice. you say. No, there is one thing
wanting. There is no victiE2-n3 .rigeon or
heifer CT lamb. Isaac. not knowing that he
is to be the victim. locks VI into his fathers
face and asks question which must i.aye cut
father said. "}Iv son. Isaac. hare | an The
-ui1 tERaLo!5 20 fira a,,I tI,n y,-hr5 tnt
where is the iamh?' The fathar's LIP quiy-
cred. and bis heart tainted. and his knees
knocked together. aud his entire body mind
and soul shiver in sickeniug anguish rs he
struggles TO caiu equipoise. for he does not
want to break down. And then ne looks
Ito his sons face with q thousand rushing
tendernesses and says. "Iy son. God will
provide Himself lamb.
The twain are now at the ioct rf the hill,
the place which is to 6s famous for Il most
transccndent occurrence. They gather some
three or four feet high. Then they take tLis
wood off Isaae's back and sprinkle it over
tAe stones, 50 as to help and invite the flame
The altar is doue-it is al done. Isaac has
helped to build it. With his father he has
discussed whether the top OF the table is
even AMI whether The wood is pro perry Pre-
pared. Tneu there Is 4 litr5o. The ,o,,
looks around to sec If there il no1 son" liv-
ing animal that can bo caught and butchcred
for the offering. Abraham tries ~ choke
down his iatheriy feelings and suppress his
grief in order that he may break 20 his son
the terrific news that he is to be the victim.
All, Isaac never looked more beautiful
than On that iay to his father. As the old
man ran his cmaciatel fingers through his
sons hair he said TO himself: How shall
give him up? What viii his mother say
when i como back without ny boy? [
thought ne would have been the comfort Of
my declining days. ! thought he would
have been the hope Of ages TO come. Beau
ttful and loving, and yet 10 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 worldT' But
this was an inward struggle. The father
controls his feelings and looks into his sons
face and says, "isaac, must tell you all?"
His son said: "Ies, father; T thought YOU
had something On your mind. Tellit. The
father said. MY son, Isaac, thou art the
lamh!'' "oh.n you say, why didn't that
0f age. snite into the dust his inflrm father?
He could have done it, Ah, Isaac knew by
this time that the scene was typical o. a
Messiah who was to come, and SO ne made
no struggle. They fell on each others necks
end walled out the parting. Awful and
cnatchless scene Of the wilderness! The
rocks echo back the breaking Of their hearts.
The cry, MY son. my son. Tbs answer,
t'My father. mT fathes!!''
d. not "onrarc ;h'=. - Snrua pe0if.e have,
~ !t;;:;n.emran willing - Ill: NJ his
daughter, l!,:l:ScG;a. t" peas t;i2 S1l*.
There is rr,tning cLnll,aran.e t. tfiE TruIor-
nj ohedience - The true G1;!. loH know
snat victims for saori:n ware always i,";lnd.
80 tdal they might not s:1us- n"w;y. raw
iHgS. the Glartyr. when be Wa '!yin.: f2r
Chris sake said - ;hc blacksmith who
he'd tho InanacEes. ';Fasten thcs2 chains
tight now. ;o- nv fe>i, may str::S'e might
iIy.' So Isaa"s arms wcr. fas: 2ned. mis-
feet are ;io'. The old nan, raii"in: al his
.:rang!k. LIS him on T. q l.i:.. ": y.l2d.