Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-05-10

j.
Here is lesson OF divine providence.
Hear Abraham when ne says. The Lord
God OF heaven which took me from my
fathers house. and from the land of my
kindred and which spake unto me, and
that sware unto me. saying. Unto thy
seed will | give this land He shall send
His angel before thee. and thou shalt
Genesis. p: :. We think of this as Old
Testament history simply. We hear God
saying. AS | was with Moses | will be
with thee, and we say certainly. but not
with myself. Why it is we always think
of Gods care of the patriarchs Us mira
liyes. when God is our Father. everything
in our life is precious To Him, and the
very hairs of our head are numbered? He
Is the God of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob.
and He is your God. The angel of the
Lord is still living. We have grown world
~ wise and speak or impressions. convic-
tions. condolences, impulses. when all the
time it is the angel of the Lord speaking
to us. Have you noticed that there were
two servants. one winged one IN the air
and the other in charge OF the camels: 1t
is always so. 1t is by this double ministry
that providcnces are confirmed All
through life we see it; in The conversion
of men, in things common and IN things
unusual. You say. Il feel strong I'M
pulse to do a certain thing" II Is the an
gel of the Lord troubling the stagnation of
your heart. You say that | am impressed
that l ought to do thus and so, when it
ia the finger of God writing His purpose
on your soul. These are but the heavenly
ministers of Jehovah. Look around you
and you will find some opportunity for
service fitting into yout impulse or con-
viction, and that which yesterday you
wondered at as a coincidence fills you
with the spirit of worship to-day as YOU
Nt,,. ,nt. L
knew it not" Life without a religious
Interpretation is little less than a trag-
edy." while life thus viewed NAV have
many twists aud turns. but ends in heaven.
H.
/ find here a good picture OF real service.
When Eeazar was leaving Abraham he
said, 'Peradventure, the woman will not
be willing to follow me unto this land;
must needs bring thy son again unto the
land from whence thou camest:" And
Abraham said unto him, Beware. thou,
that thou bring not my son thither again.
The Lord God of heaven, which took me
from my fathers house, and from the land
of my kindred, and which spake unto me,
and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy
seed will / give this land; He shall send
His angel before thee. and thou shalt take
a wife unto my son from thence. And II
the woman will not be willing to follow
thee then thou shalt be clear from this
my oath; only bring not my son thithef
again." Genesis "A: SO.
1t Is the same figure that we have OF
the Waterman upon the walls. Both OF
these appeal strongly to US. We are not
free from responsibility until we have tried
at least to wiz every soul over whom we
have an influence for Christ. | cannot con.
vert even the smallest child, nor can you.
but | can try to tell them what l have
been commissioned to say, for l am my
hrof her. Haapar Nh fha de-
sire to do our Masters will that Eleazar
had. His camels are cared for, he has
entered the house OF Bethuei. He il
weary with his long journey. the savory
meat prepared for his feast appeals to
his weakness, but hear him say. And
but he said, l will not eat. until | have
told mine errand. And he said. speak
on" Genesis "a: SO. Is not this like
Paul on his missionary journey. In
Journeyings often, IN perlls OF waters, IN
perils OF robbers, in perils by mine own
countrymen. in perils By the heather, IN
perils IN the city, In perils IN the wilder
ness, in perils IN the sea, In perlls among
false brethren; IN WEAKNESS and painful.
ness, IN watchings often. In hunger and
thirst. in Hastings often, In cold and
nakedness. Corinthians IL: 1921. And
is it not like Jesus Himself. when He IS
weary by the well side, hungry with
much fasting and sends His disciple to
buy meat which He forgot to eat because
OF the woman by His side. l am sure
Rebekah saw in him the great love OF
Isaac's heart. And when they said,
Wilt thou go with this man? She said,
l will CO."
Yet there is more to the story than
this, | am sure. | know it because l
read that what was written afore time
was written for our instruction. The
great object and aim of the Bible Is to
illustrate the operations OF divine grace,
to show the works of Providence in the
minute things of life, to show US that
provision has been made for the fulfill
ment of the great scheme of Redemption.
God speaks in every way; by direct state
ment, by parable, By picture. by types.
by symbols, II by all means He may make
kaown the riches OF His grace; and here
Is whole chapter, one OF the longest III
the Pentateuch, taken up with wedding
story; there must be some reason. The
spirit of Cod would not use an entire
chapter to describe the journey OF Abra-
ham to Mt. Moriah, and another to tell
Of the death of Sarah, and another to
give an account of L wooing and we'd
ding without meaning. l think it must
be that it Is all to illustrate the mystery
of the church. In the 22d chapter OF
Genesis, the son is offered up as a sacri-
fee. at least Abraham is willing to offer
him; in the 23d chapter of Genesis
Sarah is laid aside in the tomb, while in
the oath chapter the servant is sent forth
to win a bride for the son. 1t is at least
a perfect illustration OF that New Tesla
ment story where Christ was offered. the
only begotten Son OF God. where Israel
was rejected because they would not
come home. The Holy Spirit, as serv-
ant of God. is calling forth from the
world a bride for the Son. This is the
work OF this generation. The Holy Spirit
is the one of whom Jesus spoke when He
said, But when the Comforter Is come,
whom / will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spri. of Truth, which
proceeded from the Father, He shall testi-
~ OF Me" John Is: %. One day we
shall meet the Bridegroom. our eyes shall
see Him and the wedding feast shall be
spread, and all Heaven shall resouad with
the music OF that glad day.
".
I wish in closing to take up the ap.
peal OF the Holy Spirit. and change the
wilt thou go with this Man." And [
refer to Christ as this Man. He is the
chiefest among ten thousand. | bid you
come to Him vino walked with men, ate
with sinners, smiled with little children,
wept with weary women and died with
sinful maifactors. Wilt thou go with this
Man," You who are Christians ask you
the question, for many OF you have not
gone with Him, for How can two walk
together except they are agreed" And
il you will go with Him it must be in
some better way than IN other days.
First: You must share His opinion OF
men He was always excusing weakness,
always helping the distressed and al