Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-01-29
GOSPEL IN OLD TESTAMENT"
Sunday Sermon By Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur
Chapman.
How Gods Ability to Cleanse Is Illustrated In
the Ceremonies Of the Old Testa.
ment Scriptures.

ment Scriptures.
NEW YORK CITY.-The following sermon
entitled, "The Gospel in the Old Testa
ment," was preached by the famous evan
gelist, DR.. j. Wilbur 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 find
Gods provision made for cleansing the
sinner. If, in the light of 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 fire." this thought should come to
us as an inspiration, that all our sins may
be blotted out and our transgressions for
given. 1t is of great cheer, therefore, for
us to study the subject now given. 1t is
not necessary simply that we should fa-
miliarize ourselves with the New Testa-
ment; this is, of course, essential; but if
we would know Gods ability to cleanse
we ought to know the Old Testament
Scriptures, with their types and ceremo-
MES.
The birds of the Bible form an interest
ing subject for investigation. The first
mention of them in the Old Testament is
in Genesis i: 2l-"And God 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
are to be seen flying through many Of the
stories OF holy writ, filled with lessons of
sweetness and power. Their songs have
b,,
the brightest, their teaching has been the
best. The eagle mounting up far above
the earth, and building its nest above the
clouds, Is picture of Christian exhilara-
ton. Isaiah had it IN mind when he said:
They that wait upon the Lord shall re-
new their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run and
not be weary; they shall walk and not
faint" The same bird, preparing its nest
and pushing out its little ones so that they
may learn to fly, offers splendid iliustra-
tion OF the providence of God in thus
seeming severe, but with the outcome al.
ways glorious. Every man who has come
to know God in Christ must certainly say,
with the apostle Paul, "All things work to.
gether for 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 on the verge OF star,
walton, the birds fed him. Every little
sparrow that comes fitting through the
air is a reminder of what Jesus said: Not
a sparrow falleth to the ground but your
heavenly Father knoweth it,"
But as we read the O,d Testament sto.
ries we find that there are also birds of
prey. They, too, have their lessons, but
the stores they tell are not so bright and
happy. This lesson in the text is along
this line.
Abram is wonderful study for the
Christian, In the great events of his life
he perfectly typifes the experience through
which every Christian has passed. When
God called him from Ur Of the Chaldees
he was an illustration Of our being called
from the land of sin and death. When he
separated himself from Terah, his father.
in.law, it emphasized what Jesus said, "A
man must forsake father and mother and
his own life if he would be My disciple"
Every Christian, if he is to be used of God,
must forsake the world. In Abrams sep,
aration from Lot he is perfect illustration
of the demand made in the New Testa-
ment that we must, If we would be filled
with the Holy Spirit Of God, separate our
selves even from the flesh.
There is great battle waging. as we find
when we read the connection of the text
with other verses of Scripture. 1t is writ
ten in Genesis xiv: l4-l6-"And when
Abram heard that his brother was taken
captive he armed his trained servants,
born in his own house, 3lS, and pursued
them unto Dan. And he divided himself
against them, he and his servants, by
night, and smote them, and pursued them
unto Hobah. which is on the left hand OF
Damascus. And he brought back all the
goods, and also brought, again his brother
Lot, and his goods, and the women also,
and the people"
1t is here we find a real test of Abram
Many a man has gone down just where
Abram stood. God is always giving us
tests of character.
Read very carefully the twenty-frst to
the twenty fourth verses of the fourteenth
chapter of Genesis, and notice Abrams an
swer: And the king of Sodom said unto
Abram, Give me the persons and take the
goods to thyself. And Abram said to the
king of Sodom, have lift up mine hand
unto the Lord, the most high God, the
possessor of heaven and earth, that
will not tax from thread even to shoe
lachet, and that l will not take anything
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say. |
have, made Abram rich; save only that
which the young men have eaten, and the
portion of the men which went with me,
Amer, Eschol and Mamre; let them take
their portion" 1t always pays to stand
for God as against men in this world
This is clearly taught in Genesis xv: l-l0
AFTER these things the word of the
Lord came unto Abram in a vision, say
ing, Fear not, Abram; l am thy shield,
and thy exceeding great reward. And
Abram said, Lord God, what wilt Thou
give me, seeing l go childless. and the
steward of my house is this Eliezer of
Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, TO
me Thou hast given no seed; and 10, one
born in my house is mine heir. And, be-
hold, the word of the Lord came unto him,
saying, This shall not be thine heir, but
he that shall come forth out of thine own
bowels shall be thine heir. And He
brought him forth abroad, and said, Look
now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if
thou be able to number them; and He said
unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he
believed in the Lord; and He counted it
to him for righteousness. And He said
unto him, am the Lord that brought thee
out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this
land to inherit it. And he said. Lord God.
whereby shall know that l shall inherit
it? And He said unto him, Take Me
heifer of three years old, and she goat
of three years old, and a ram of three
years old, and a turtle dove and young
pigeon. And he took unto him all these,
and divided them in the midst, and laid
each piece one against another, but the
birds divided he not"
God never deserts His people. He some
times delays, but never forsakes, and there
is a promise of blessing which comes to
every one who will walk uprightly. No
tice the eighth verse of this fifteenth chap
ter of Genesis: "And he said, Lord God,
shall / know that / shall inherit
it?" Abram does not put this test to God
believes that God may fail him, but be-
cause it was the custom in those days for.
one to give pledge of the fulfllment of a
promise, he asks, "How shall / know"
Gods answer to him is a very strange
one-it is found in the verse that follows:
"And He said unto him, Take Me heifer
of three years old, and a she goat of three
and snd o, turtle Gu dove IA" and young pigeon
Thus, seated opposite the altar we find
Abram waiting-a wonderful Illustration
of faith in God. II is still early in the
ofTo bof H,,,,