Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-10-14
AN ANGELIC RESCUE.
A GRACIOUS FATHER AND AN ODE
DENT AND RELIGIOUS SON.

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 beiEe offered by his father as a
sacrifice. The text was Genesis xxi, 7,
"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 25 or, as
some suppose, SO years of age, never
theless q boy, considering the length of
life to which people lived in those times
and the fact that son never is any
thing but Il boy to father. I remember
that my father used to come into the
house when the children were home on
som" festal occasion and say, ''Where
are the boys:' although 1.-THE boys
were 20 and 30 and 80 years Of age. So
this Isaac is only a boy to Abraham, and
this fathers heart is in him. It is Isaac
here and Isaac there. If there is any
festivity around the fathers tent, Isaac
must enjoy it. It is Isaac's walk and
Isaac's apparel, and Isaac's manners,
and Isaac's prospects, and Isaac's pros
perity. The fathers heartstrings are 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.
The Sacrifice.
Well, the dear old man had borne q
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
10y 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, 'Eere I amp 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 q
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, said Abraham. hear
him solil0quize: ''Here is the boy on
whom [ have depended Oh, how I
loved him! He was given in answer to
prayer, and now must I surrender him:
o Isaac. my son !! Isaac, how shall part
with you? But then it is always 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 it is very dark. I
can't see my way, but I know God
makes no mistakes, and to him [ COM
NIT myself and my darling son. -
Early in the morning there is a stir
around Abraham S 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 I 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
see Isaac looking up into his fathers
face and saying: Father, what is the
matter: Are you not well? Has anything
happened? Are you tired? Lean Oh my
arm Then, turning around to the
servants, the son says, ''Ah, father is
getting old, and he has had trouble
enough in other days to kill him -
Looking For the Lamb.
The third morning has come, and it
is the day of the tragedy. The two serv
ants are left with the beast of burden,
while Abraham 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 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
a question which must have cut the old
man to the bone, my father ~ The ia
ther said, "My son. Isaac, here [ am -