The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-01-29

NFSLSst ceremonies oh the
"a Tcsta;ncnt scriptures.
hw YosK CITY.-Thc following sermon
Ritled, The Ccspe! IN the Old Iesta-
ment," was prcached by the famous evan
geilst, DR.. j. Ni,bur Chapman, from the
text, And when the fowls came down
upon the carcasseS, Abram drove them
away" Genesis w: II.
In all parts OF the word o. God. both IN
the Old Testament and the New, VIC lind
Gods provision made for cleansing thc
sinner. If, III the light Of ali that hfs
been said we EEL ourselves condemned
and that il the Gay or awards came to-
morrow We should suffer loss and lose our
crown, though we shall be saved, yet so
MS by fire" this thought should come to
US az an inspiration. that all oar sins may
be b.otted cut and our IranSgreSS!ons for
given. Il Is os great cheer, therefore, Tor
US to study the subject now given. 1t IL
not necessary s:mpiy that We should la
miliariZe ourselves with the New Testa-
ment; this Is, or course, essential: but II
= we would know Gods ability TO cleanse
we ought 20 know the Old Testament
Scriptures, with their types and ceremo.
nies.
The birds o; the Bible form an interest
ing subject FOR investigation. The first
mention of them in the Old Testament IL
Ia Genesis i: 2l-"Aud God created great
whales, aad every living creature that
nipveth, Iich the waters brought forth
abunGantly, after their kind, and every
winged tow! alter 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
been the sweetest, their p.unage has been
the brightest, their teaching has been the
best. The eagle mounting up lar above
Nthe Sarth. and building its nest above the
clouds, is. picture OF Christian cxhllara-
ton. Isaiah mad K IN mind when he said:
They that wai! upon the Lord shall re-
new their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as cages; tdcy shall run and
not be weary; they shall walk and not
faint" The same Ord, preparing It's nest
and pushing out its little ores so That they
may learn to fly. offers splendid ilustT-
ton of the providence O. God. in thus
seeming severe. but with the outcome a.
ways glorious Every man who has come
TO know God in Christ mu, certainly say,
with the apostle Paul. AN ihirSs work 10
gether for good, TO them that love God. y
When Elijah was at the brook Chcfith,
and the waters had passed from his VISION,
aud he himself was on 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
~ sparrow falieth to the ground but Your
heavenly Father knoweth it,
But as we read the Old Testament sto-
ries We find that there are also birds of
prey. They, too, have their lessons. but
the stories 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 has 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 oar being called
from the land OF sin and death. When he
separated himself from Terah, his father
>-ip-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 forsate the world. In Abrams sep
aration from Lc: lie is perfect illustration
of the demand made in the New Testa-
ment that We must, If VIC would be filed
with the Holy Spirit of God, separate our
selves even from the flesh.
There is great battle wagipg. 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. 3l8. and pursued
them unto Dan. And he divided himself
against them, he and his servants by
fright. 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 h"other
Lot, aud his goods, and the women also,
and the people"
1t is here We find a real tes! Of Abram.
Many man has gone down just where
Abram stood. God Is always giving US
tests OF character
Read very carefully the twenty-6rst to
the twepty-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
6Sag of Sodom. | have lit up Inine hand
unto the SorS.~the most high God, the
possessor. OF heaven and earth, that l
viii not take from thread even TO i shoe
lachet. and that [ 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 Manre; let them take
their portion 1t always pays to stand
for God as against men IN this world.
This is clearly taught i'll Genesis XIV: l--i5
Lord came unto Abram in 4 vision. say
ing. Fear not, Abram; | am thy shield.
and thy exceeding great reward. And
Abram said, Lord God. whGt wilt Thou
give me, seeing | 60 childie,s. aHd the
steward of my house is this Ele2er of
Damascus, And Abram said Behold, 10
NE TLou hast given no seed: aad %. one
5Ssse11ft N my house is mine heir And. be-
hold, the word OF the Lord came unto him.
saying, This shall rot he thine hcir. hut
he that Shall come forth out Of tiine Own
bowels shall! be thine heir. And He
brought him forth abroad, and said. Look
S>pw toward heaven. aud tell the stars. If
Z ihou 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 os the Chaldees, to give thee this
land to inherit it, And ,he safd. Lord God.
whereby shall | know that shall fnherit
its And He said unto him. Take Me y
heifer Of three years Old. and she goat
of three years old. and ram of three
wears old, ard turtle dove and Il Young
pigeon. And he took unto him all these.
and divided them in the midst and laid