Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-02-05
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
4 DiscoURsE ENTITLED "rAE COS:
PEI IN THE OLD TEsTAMENT:"

a DISCOURSE ENTITLED "rAs COS:
PEI IN THE OLD TESTAMENT"
The Rev. Dr. Wilbur Chapman Explains
How Gods Ability to Cleanse is IL
1astrated Id tha catan,dnfea of the
DID fsstahaeht Scriptures.
New YORK CITY.-The following sermon
entitled, The Gospel in the Old Hesta-
ment, was preached by the famous evan
geilst, Dr.. j. Wilbqr, Chapman, from the
text, And when The fowls came down
upon the carcasses, Abram drove them
away. Genesis XIV: IL.
In all parts OF the word Of God, both In
the Old Testament and the New; we lind
Gods provision made for cleansing the
sinner: II; Ill the ligllt iii all That has
been said we feel ourselves condemned
and that if the day OF awards came to-
morrow we should suffer loss and lose our
crown, though we shall be saved, yet so
as by lire. this thought should come to
us as an inspiration, that all our sins may
given, It is Of great elieei; therefore, for
US to study the subject now given: 1t is
not necessary simply that we should fa-
aniliarize ourselves with the New Testa-
ment; this is, OF course: essentials but it
we' would know Gods ability to cleanse
we ought to know the Old Testament
Scriptures, with their types and eeremo-
hies.
The birds Of the Bible form an interest
ang 4, subject for Investigation; The first
an Genesis il 2l~" And Tod created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought forth
abundantly, after their kind; and every
winged fowl after his kind: and God saw
that it was good Since that time they
arc to be seen flying through many Of the
stories OF holy, writ. Allied with lessons of
sweetness and power. Their songs have
been the sweetest, their plumage has beeh
the brightest, their teaching has been the
best. The eagle mounting up Tar above
the earths and building its nest above the
clouds, is a picture of Christian exhlara
ton. Isaiah had it IN mind when he said:
They that wait upon the Lord shall re-
with wings as eagless they shall run and
not be weary: they shall walk and not
faint" The same bird. preparing it's nest
| and pushing out its little ones so that they
| may learn to fly, offers a splendid illrstra-
ton OF the providence of God, in thus
| seeming severe. but with the outcome al
ways glorious, Every man who has come
! with the apostle Paul. ''An things work to.
gether Tor good. TO them that love God. .
When Elijah was at the brook Cherith,
and the waters had passed from his vision
and he himself was OF the verge of star
vation. the birds fed him. Every little
sparrow that comes fitting through the
air is a reminder of what Jesus said: Not
u sparrow falleth to the ground but youi
heavenly Father knoweth it,
But as we read the Old Testament sto
rIes we find that there are also birds oi
prey. They, too, have their lessons, but
! the stories they tell arc not so bright and
happy. This lesson in the text is along
this line.
Abram IS wonderful study for the
Chrlstian., In the great events of his life
| he perfectly typifies the experience through
which every Christian has passed. NVhcr
God called him from Ur OF the Chaldees
he was an illustration of our being callet
from the land Of sin and death. When ht
separated himself from Terah, his father
in-law, it emphasized what Jesus said, g,
man must forsake father and mother ant
his own life il he would be My disciple
Every Christian, il he is to be used of God
must forsake the world. In Abrams sep
aration from Lot he is perfect illustratio,
OF the demand made in the New Testa
ment that we must. II we would be fillet
with the Holy Spirit of God, separate our
selves even from the flesh
There is great battle waging, as we fin,
when we read the connection OF the tex
with other verses of Scripture. 1t is writ
ten in Genesis xiv: I4-l6-''And whe1
Abram heard that his brother was take1
captive he armed his trained servants
born in his own house. 3lS, and pursue
them unto Dan: And he divided hinlsel
against them, he and his servants, b
night. and smote them, and pursued then
unto Hobah. which is on the left hand Q
Damascus. And he brought back all tn
goods, and also brought again his brothe
Lot, and his goods, and the women also
and the people,
It is here we find real test of Abran
Many man has gone down just wher
tests of character.
Read very carefully the twenty-frst t
the twenty-fourth verses of the fcurteeDt
chapter of Genesis, and notice Abrams a,
swer: And the king Of Sodom said unit
Abram, Give me the persons and take til
goods to ,thyself.r And -Abram said to th
king of Sodom, / have lift up mine han
unto the Lord, the most high God, til
possessor OF heaven and earth. that
will not take from thread even to sho
. ]achet and that | will not take anythin
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say,
have made Abram rich; save only tbs
which the young men have eaten. and tt
! Amer, Eschol and Mamre; let them tai
their portion 1t always pays to star
for God as, against men in this worl
This is clearly taught in Genesis XIV: /
, "After these things the word of II
Lord came unto Abram in vision. sa
,, ing. Fear not. Abram; / am thy shiel
and thy exceeding great reward Ar
| Abram said, Lord God, what wilt The
+ give me. seeing l go childless, and Il
steward of my house is this Eliezer
Damascus? And Abram said, Behold
: me Thou hast given no seed: and 10, OF
e born in my house is mine heir. And. b
. hold, the word of the Lord came unto hi,
saying, This shall not be thine heir, b
he that shall come forth out of thine ov
e bowels shall be thine heir. And T
, brought him forth abroad. and said. Lo,
now toward heaven, and tell the stars,
, thou be able to number them; and He sa
J unto him. So, shall THY seed be. And
/ believed in the LORD; and He counted
h to him for Righteousness. And He sd
: unto him. am the Te!-d that brought tn
out of Ur Of the Chaldees, to give thee Il
land to inherit it. And he said. Lord &c
whereby shall know that I shall inhs1
it? And He said urn:o him.. Take Me
heifer of three years old, and she go
e of three years old, and a ram of thu
!. years old and turtle dove and YOU
pigeon. And he took unto him all the
l. and divided them in the midst. and Ia
5. each piece one against another, but
It birds divided he not.