The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-24
TOPICS IN THE CHURCHES.
slanday SCIaoO1 Lesson
Christian Endeavor work.

ship for twenty-five Years. To calmly. quickly.
obediently. believingly lay him on Gods altar
as a whole burnt offering argued the sublimest
faith Of all the ages. . A revelation to
Abraham himseif-this certainly was. He was
rot aware until then OF the tenacity OF his own
trust. His ability to bear the brunt OF such an
unexpected and awful deprivation disclosed IL
to him. Though the son OF promise should be
taken. his faith famed up In triumph. He be-
lieved God would restore him or fulfill the prom
Use by other means. . " a spectacl, TO angels
this scene undoubtedly was. As two Of them
witnessed Abrahsm's JOY al the annunciation
of the near advent Of his son. so a cloud OF them
may have witnessed his unhesitating renuncis-
ton OF that son at the call Of God. From thu
gallery Of the sky they looked down upon the
arena Of earth. and saw the patriarch act well
his part. The exemplary power Of this
tragic sight upon humanity at large. as well
as upon Hebrews in particular. who shall ever
measure IL? This thrilling and scenic. but un-
studied paragraph-every soul of man has been
the better for the reading OF IL. What parents
have been nerved by IL TO give back 10 God the
children He called for. Our Affections seem light.
and but for a moment. when compared with
Abraham's. That he endured heartens us to
believe we can too. An acted parable
the scene is evidently intended to be. That IL
is so educative is sufficient justification Of II.
~ fNNANiVS IL iHiIHltdDie n1tlltl Inc anguish
Of the Infinite Father as He gives his Son to be
the substitute in. penalty for a lost world. IL
portrays the inenable grace. meekness. patience.
obedience. of the incarnete Son OF God. Abra-
nam. Isaac and the altar stand for the atone
ment itself-help Us to understand. appreciate
and believe IT, With human sacrincs
Abraham was perfectly familiar. especially IN.
Offering OF children by their parents. He had
observed II In Mesopotamia and Canaan. II n.
was not himself tempted to practice II. his de-
scendants might have been. But the cruelty
was forever forefended by those words. Lay
not thine hand upon the ladi' Abra-
hams faith swept out on this occasion 10 en-
brace Immortality and the resurrection. Paul
significantly says that when Abraham unloosea
Isaac from the altar he received him back In =
figure. OF as a hgure-of WHAT II could be moth
ing else than the resurrection. His son 70 an
intents was dead. but was alive again. II ths
doctrine was not sufficiently developed In Abra-
hams day for him to see the figure" We an
least do. Primary teachers must uss
tact In this lesson. The tragic phase Of 4, m..,
be passed over lightly. 1t won't do to srspn-
icaliy picture a father tying the hands and fac,
OF his little boy, laying him on an altar ana
lifting a cleaning knife over him. Rather tell
the incidents OF the journey-why they toox
wood with them Git was dry. and they feared
they might find only green wood ON Mount
Moriah); why they took fire with them inc
matches in those days: difficulty OF kfndlinr
nre; means OF preserving it, Describe the pla-.
tthe very spot where the temple was 10 stand
or. perhaps. where Jesus cross stoodD Teu
how. when Abraham thought his son must suffer.
he saw the ram caught In the thicket by HE
horns. and God accepted IL in place Of Isaac.
SO. though we deserve TO suffer. Jesus suffers
In our place. and we go free.