The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-10-20

without waiting for his father to reply,
he added, impulsiyely: and He shall
be my God, too"
Well spoken, my lad" responded
the father, warmly. patting him on the
head. Thy brothers here may well
follow thy example
There was no response to this chal'
1enge, and Jacob was too busily en-
gagged in the preparations for the sac
rifce to take note of the shadow
which passed over the faces of the
older boys. Already there was be-
ginning to creep into their hearts a
feeling Of jealousy towards the son
OF Rachel 1t needed 10 very observ-
ing eye 70 discover the deeper aifec'
lion which the father felt towards the
only son of his beloved wife, and to
have him held up before their eyes
as an example made them angry.
But all Joined in the solemn serv.
ice. and everyone, the wives and chill.
dren. the servants and their families,
and the women and children who had
been taken captive at Sheeherh, were
present as Jacob 0 Tered the sacrifices
Of the best Of the sheep and the cat.
tie upon the altar,
Even the aged Deborah, the nurse
Of Rebekah, Jacobs mother, who when
she had heard that Jacob had re-
turned to Canaan insisted on making
the journey to the place where he vas
soiourning. was there, having been
carried up the rocky path to the place
before the altar. Jacob, having I'm.
ished making the offerings, proclaimed
to all assembled that the God whom
they w~orshiped that day was the
only God, the true God of Heaven.
He it was" he went on TO declare,
who spoke to me in this place as
| fed and said: 4 am the Lord God
Of Abraham thy father, and the God
OF Isaac; the land wherein thou lest
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
and thy seed shall be as the dust Of
the earth, and thou shalt spread
abroad to the west, and to the east,
and to the north. and to the south;
and in thee and in thy seed shall all
the families of the earth be blessed.
And behold, | am with thee, and will
keep thee in all places whittier thou
goest, and will bring thee again into
this land; for | will not leave thee,
until | have done that which | have
spoken to thee Of And God has done
all that He has promised, and will
yet fulfill His word in respect to the
inheritance of the land. Only fear God
and obey Him."
As Jacob finished and the assembled
people stood in reyerent ~silence-even
the babes in the arms of their mothers
seeming to feel the influence Of the
solemn occasion and shilling their cries
the clear. shrill voice of Deborah was
heard, saying:
Hear We the words of Jacob. Now
do | understand the words spoken to
Rebekah by God concerning Jacob,
saying that he should be stronger than
his brother Esau. Stronger in faith,
and mightier In power with God. Unto
Abraham HBn aGssuttthe RRlefssIng promised
claimed it from God. All, that Re.
bekah had lived to see this hour"
Again silence fell and the people
continued with bowed heads while
the smoke of the sacrifice rose heaven.
ward. All at once on the outskirts of
the company a sob was heard, and
presently there appeared a Shech-
emite m with her two children. a
BOY and girl, making her way towards
The altar. AS she came before Jacob
she bowed herself to the ground, and
then cried:
Gods blessing for all the families
OF the earth, did you say? May not
that blessing reach even me? Nav
not the God of Abraham, and of Isaac.
and of Jacob, be my God? l would
have my children grow up to know
the true God"
Was there given Jacob in that mo.
ment the faintest glimpse of the ner.
feet sacrifice which was to make one
all people in Christ Jesus?, Was it
the consciousness of his own guilt
and need and Gods mercy towards
him? Whatever it was, Jacobs heart
responded to the appeal, and he re.
piled, pointing to the slain lamb on
the altar:
Through the sacrifice we all have
acceptance with God. If thine heart
is right toward Him He will receive
thee"
Deeply impressed by all the stirring
incidents of the afternoon, the com.
pany departed, and as Deborah was
borne back to her tent, she remarked
to Jacob:
Surely, it has been good to be here,
God hath met with us this day. Now
shall! my spirit depart in peace, for
mine eyes have beheld a foregleam OF
The promised Blessing"
And that night the vision of angels
vas Deborah's portion, and with the
angels her spirit assembled to the pres.
of God, and all that they found
'esting in her tent the next morning
vas the ~lifeless body, and on her face
he smile that was left there when
greeted her Heavenly visitors
nd gladly joined them In their nm.