The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-05
MUST SURRENDER ENTIRELY ID GOD Bishop A. Coke Smith Breaches
 Forceful Sermon A LESSON FROM ABRAHAM Faith is an Absolute Trust in One We Know and on Whose Love and
 Wisdom We Implicit
 ly Rely.
A LESSON FROM ABRAHAM

Bishop A Coke Smith of Norfolk, Va, preached yesterday morning at the First Methodist church and at night at the Five Points Methodist church. He was greeted by large congregations at both services. The bishop is man of com manding stature and is said to bear striking resemblance to Abraham Lhn- coin. He has all the graces of an orator, and a sonorous voice and speaks with great feeling.
 The large First Methodist church was filled to overfowing yesterday when Bishop Smith announced his text. An excellent programme of music was rem dered by the choir and hymns were sung in which the vast concourse of people present joined in.
 Bishop Smith waxed eloquent at times and drew several. pictures from the scenes of real life that touched his hear CTS to tears.
 The substance of his sermon follows:
 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as 1t is said to this day; in the count of the Lord it shall be provided (margin, In the mount of the Lord he shall be seen). Gen. xxii IA, R. VI.
 Founder of peculiar people Abraham is a character for all time and all peo- pie. He has become the universal pat tern of faith To trace the development of his faith will well repay the student.
 We study today the supreme test of his faith, the offering of Isaac. Some diff culties suggest themselves which 1t may be well to note Can God tempt man? He does try men, not for His information. but for our good. perfect moral creature cannot be created.
 Would God command one to do wrong deed? Human sacrifice was wrong in itself. As we shall see, it was to free Abraham from error that this command came to him.
 Does God delight in tortnring us? Did He harrow Abraham's feelings just to see him suffer? Some times we hold such ideas of God. We look upon Him as requiring surrender of what is pleasant simply because He dislikes to see us happy. A study of this incident wifi rid us of such errors and show us our Fathers real attitude toward us.
 In discussing the character and con- duct of a. man, and Gods dealings with him the circumstances of his time must | be taken into the account. Many Old Testament worthies did what we cannot do. Noah drunk; Abraham, Jacob, etc, polygamists. Davids cruelty to enemies. | Our fathers did what we may not do. The history of morals is a developing his tory. We are not yet at the top.
 Historical Perspective. | I, l,o ba nf a child was regarded as the highest evi- dence of devotion. Some heather fathers | made such offering. 1t was not shocking | to Abraham as to us. In thinking of his l devotion to Jehovah he doubtless ques- tioned whether his was as great as that of heather fathers to their gods. Would he give up his son? No doubt such ques- tlonng arose with Abraham Do we not know how supposltitious tests suggest | themselves to us? Do 1 want to die?' | "Would I bear torture?' etc. When such thoughts come to us they must be answered or our peace is gone. How was this question of devotion to be set | tied in Abraham's case? It must either | be answered or he must turn back from | following God. What we conceive to be our duty must be attempted or we are at war with conscience. Some times our | impressions wrong. Preacher who ] felt he must go to certain house and 1 speak to the people about their souls. and found the house unoccupied. Had he not gone he would have been miser- able-taught him lesson for the future.
 The offering of a child in sacrifice was wrong. But the motive of devotion to God was right What was needed was to separate the right motive from the l false expression. The giving of his best 1 his alto God was right. That God demanded of him and demands of us. | So Christ said "He that eometh unto me and hateth not his father" etc. He that forsaketh not all that he hath" 1 etc. Here is the motive-a spirit of ab- solute devotion. How is it to be ex- pressed? Is 1t to be taken literally?
 So God bade Abraham to offer Isaac. The command was put-in strongest terms It involved not only absolute devotion but seeming contradiction So many of Gods commands seem to us before we att tempt their fulfllment. "Forsake all," feed hungry clothe naked" How are we to do this? "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" "Oner him for a burnt offering" There is a way out of such seeming contradictions, but iG by the way of present obedience.
 Abraham obeys. Three days of agony. At last reaches the place. Prepares to slay Is arrested. Now l know" means "now thou knowest" No uncertainty in Abraham's mind now. He has both his son and the assurance that he him. self holds back nothing from God.
 God never demands anything of us ex- cept that He may enlarge and enrich us
 Some lessons have already emerged from this incident but others may be more formally suggested.
 I. God would have us to have implicit