St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-04-29

-ut. the life, and kindle
new ideals and as.
piratiors, it soon fades and the darkness
of the old conditions prevails. Man re
ceives more light only as he is obedient
and faithful to the light which he al
ready has.
To every soul, undoubtedly, there
comes sometime a CLEAN of light, q
yision--be it ever SO faint and vague
OF something higher and better. TIC
cherish such light. such vision; to be
Obedient to it; to struggle towards it
means increasing light and better self
This is specially true in respect to
spiritual things.
God longs to reveal Himself to the
heart of. man. This has always been SO
from the days OF Adam. when God
walked with him in the garden and COM
muned with him, until the present day
of full revelation through His dear Son.
But it has only been as man has yielded
to the first faint glimmerings and turned
resolutely towards the dawning light,
that he has seen the day break and has
walked in larger liberty and fuller
knowledge of God, and received blessing
at His hands.
1t was so with Abel as the thought of
God unfolded in his life and heart and
found expression at last in the more
excellent sacrifice and perfect accept
ance with God. 1t was so with Enoch.
who early saw the light and entered on a
pilgrimage with God which finally ended
In Heaven. 1t was SO with Noah, who
heard God speak, and was obedient unto
His command and reaped the reward OF
eminentiy so of Abraham who, in the
midst of an idolatroCs people. with a
father and grandfather corrupted by the
heathenish Chaldean worship of the
hosts of heaven, caught glimpse Of
God, and turned resolutely from the
false, to worship the true and living God.
And. dear reader, it may be so with you,
if you, too. will be obedient to the Heav-
emily vision which God will give you.
and will seek earnestly to know Him,
whom to know Alright is life eternal
The Scripture record of Abraham's
life begins really at his seventy-fifth
year. when God called him to sever fam
lily ties and separate himself from the
ido!atrous people in whose midst he had
been dwelling. From this point on his
career is closely followed. but of the
years preceding the call we only know
that he was probably born at Ur of the
Chaldees; that he lived there until after
the death of his brother Haran; that he
and his brother Major were married
there and that from that place Terah re-
moved with Abraham and Sarah. his
wife. and Lot to Paran, where. Is or 20
years later, Terah died We also know
that Terah was a worshiper of other
gods. and probably his father before
him, being corr.pted by the idolatrous
practices of the people with whom they
dWelt.
OF the first IS years of Abraham's life
then We have practically no knowl-
edge, but there can be no doubt
that the influences which pre-
vailed over his life were any
thing but helpful. The atmosphere of
his home was tinctrred with heathen-
ism. for his father served other gods, and
in Ur of the Chaldees. where he prob
ably spent the first SO or go years of his
life, every condition led away from the
knowledge and service of the true God.
But it is only reasonable to suppose
that in spite of Abraham's idolatrous
environment he maintained condition
Of mind and heart and life which made it
possible for God to reveal Himself to him
and at last call him out to live the sep
arated life of faith and obedience to
Him. Sometime during the period of
'esidence at Ur there had come the
clearer revelation of God and the inner
convictions which led to positive stand
against idolatry and its corrupting ten
iencies.
1t may be, nay it is probable, that the
religious convictions of the young man
because of his long and
vigorous life he may be considered
7oung at even so or 60 years of age
would arouse opposition and persecu-
ion. and this suggests reasonable ex-
'lanation of the removal of Terah and
'art of his family from Ur of the Chal- |
lees to Haran.
AS we have said. Scripture tells of |
Abraham's CALL but what of his awaken
ming? What of thu circumstances and |
Influences which led up to the call? May |
We not reverently and earnestly search |
the lines and read more of the |
life of this great patriarch than Scrip |
ure records?
Day has broken over the CITY of I1r |
# the Chaldees, and people singly and |
n groups are beginning to move through
he streets. Some are hurrying to the |
hops which since the suns first waking |
all have been open for trade. Others |
re bending their steps towards the |
,reat temple in the midst of the city,
7here at the beginning of the day they
nay pay their obligations to Mulita. the
reat goddess Of fertility and birth.
Among the number of these worshipers
observed a young man of noble face
nd splendid physique. His rich robes
nd dignifed bearing indicate that he be-
ongs to family of some wealth and DO
ltion, and as he proceeds on his way we
ave opportunity of studying his face.
he earnest, frank expression in the eyes
Thich look straight out before him
'ithout fear or hesitancy; the broad,
Ugh brow suggestive Of mental vigor
nd breadth Of view; and the strong.
I'm lines about the mouth and chin