The Newtown bee., 1901-09-20

l ftlll Ully Scl NdIU tlIlu UIlc SOI O1 Clly handmaid;" and alluding to the stat ute that if a servant should refuse liberty when the year of release ar- rived his master might with an awl faSten his ear to the door-pOst of his house and he should be his servant forever, he adds: "Thou hast pierced my ear.' In the name of his God he set up his banners and whithersoever they were borne they were borne to victory. Eastward, westward, north ward, southward, nothing could stand before the advance of his invincible, all-conquering legions. At the begin ming of his reign he acquired Jerusalem for his capital, brought the ark to Mt Zion and instituted there a service of song, which descended to later times and has left to mankind that invalu- able legacy, the book of Psalms. Later when less occupied with the affairs of war, he turned his thoughts toward the building of "a house for
 THE MIGHTY GOD OF JACOB"
 The prophet Nathan informed him that the honor was reserved for his son, who after his departure should succeed him on the throne, and also that although he could not be permit ted to build house for Jehovah, yet Jehovah would assuredly builda house for him and that his house or poster ity should forever occupy the throne that Jehovah had given him.
 Here then according to sacred his tory,-and if this history be not cred ible what history is?-are three cove nants or solemn engagements, the first made with Abraham to the effect that through Christ he should be heir of the world, the second made with the entire Hebrew nation at Mt Sinai to the effect that he would be their God and Saviour, and the third made with the beloved David to the effect that he should never want a man to sit upon his throne. Now every covenant requires two parties and wherever there is a promise1 there is promisce and wherever there is a promiSee there is a promiser. And if this is history and these transac. tions actually occurred then in each instance the contracting party was none other than God himself. And who else is capable-I do not say oi performing such covenants-but even of entertaining such projects requir. ing centuries and millenniumS fol their accomplishments, involving the raising up of a numerous nation from a single pair, their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, their settlement ir d country previously occupied by other and stronger nations and their restor ation to this land after many years o1 exile from it? Which is easier to be-
 licve that all this foresight of futurity and this correspondence between his torical events and long anterior pre- announcements of them are mere Hebrew folklore or priestly fabrica tiOn or that they are conclusive prOO of the wise counsels, determinate pur pose and efTectual operation of hin without whom not sparrow falletl to the ground?
 The covenant made to Abraham
 was, moreover, as the writer to the
 Hebrews observes, confirmed by ar oath "For when God made promise tt
 Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, say
 ing, Surely blessing 1 will bless thee
 and multiplying I will multiply thee.
 And this oath is intended for our as
 surance. "Wheren God, willine
 more abundantly to show unto tn,
 heirs of promise the immutability o
 his counsel confirmed by an oath, tha
 by two immutable things, in which i was impossible for God to lie, w might have strong consolation, wh'
 have fled for refuge to lay hold upol l the hope set before us in Christi"
 l Similar confirmation was also giveI to the covenant with David. ''Onc } have 1 sworn by my holiness that : will not lie unto David. His see' . shall endure forever and his throne a / the sun before me. 1t shall be eStat r liShed forever as the moon and as } faithful witness in heaven" Ant ) when the deportation of Judal ; to Babylon was ciCse at ham