The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-22

| AN, 1l- it not have been
~ if the man who
/ -SAS&l1 knew God, who
i -A 49, had heard Him
- speak, who had
obeyed Him and
been miraeulously
delivered from death, should have not
become the teacher of the man who
longed to know God. and who was to
become the father OF Gods chosen peo-
] pie and the ancestor of the Christ?
| Often have we heard OF the strange
| leadings which have brought the seek
e. after God and the teacher Of God to
/ gether Paul had such wonderful ex-
/ perience as he went into Damascus
blind and found Ananias who should
speak the words to restore his sight.
Cornelius seeking after the truth at
/ Caesarea had the vision and sent the
messengers that brought Peter from
Joppa to be his instructor. And 50
it has always been, God does not leave
man ID grope about in darkness alone
but sends the light and the teacher Of
the truth And 50 it was with Abra-
/ ham
In Ur Of the Cha1dees. where idola-
| try was rife and where Terah, the
/ father of Abraham, was given to the
worship of the false gods. it could not
/ be expected that Abraham would find
the light which he sought. He must
be driven forth. and IN the story Of
sAbraham's Awakening" we have sug-
gested how this crisis in his life may
have come. The crisis came at the
point Of loyalty to the highest and best
light which he possessed and it is
here that the crisis always comes.
And Abraham fed from Tr and
though he knew rot whittier he went,
Providence directed his footsteps, as
God will always do for those who seek
Him.
Footsore and weary On the after
| noon of the third day since lie had left
Tr, Abraham threw himself down at
the foot of a great palm tree that grew
by the river side, for he had journey
/ ed along the path which skirted the
Euphrates, fearing to strike OFF over
the wide stretches Of sand that ex-
tended off in the distance away from
the refreshing waters. The scant pro
visions which he had taken with him
had been supplemented with the fruit
Of the palms and other trees that grew
luxuriantIy along the rivers side, but
now as he partook Of his last cakes he
Jet ~ In
next meal he wondered how far he
/ had come in the three DAYS Of his wan
/ dering and how mlteh farther he would
| have to go to fad a safe refuge.
He wondered what he was going tc
/ DO and what was going to become q
him All! how il the. .darF hours OF
uncertainty the myriad questions risa
specter- like before ones mind.
/ II Abraham hal known how to pray
to the unknown God, whom he lon5ed
to know, he would have done 50. He
knew how they called on the gods il
the temple and besought. their favor
but such would not do. he felt, in ad-
dressing the true, but unseen, God.
All! if Abraham had only known ii
the attitude and longing Of his hear
to know the God of Whom he was as
yet ignorant, and yet of Whom he had
4 a vague consciousness, was real pray
er and was heard and felt by God
Whose observing eye and unfailing ear
never miss the faintest aspiration an6
breathing of the human heart towards
Him. And God saw and understood
But Abraham as he sat there weary
and discouraged knew it not AL
seemed hopeless
| Suddenly he started and lifted hi:
head from the folds Of his tunic dc
he hear his name spoken? Impossible
But as he listened, again came tbs
sound, and realizing now that he wa
not mistaken, he sprang to his fee
and started in the direction of tbs
voice.
"Ah, here you are spoke the voice
again, as he rounded the clump O.
bushes and came upon a strange,
standing there.
Astonishment and perp1exity render
ed Abraham speeehless and all hi
A. t013u w Nlo W . ii 9 zdt Tie man. f1t
had never seen him before and h
II was certain the man had never me
him, and yet how did he know HI;
name and discover that he was there
But to Abraham's questioning look
the other only simply said:
81 have come for YOU
For me- Abraham managed at las
to exclaim, and yet his anazement wa:
not so great as to make him fnsensiblt
to the sweetness and comfort which
came to his heart as he realized tina
some one in some way knew of him II
his loneliness and need and was gofns
to help him.
For you" quietly responded til,
stranger. .tThis morning while ii
prayer the Lord God of Heaven AM
earth appeared in vision to the age
patriarch. Noah, and spoke to him
saying: Send out into the way tina
1eadeth down TO Tr Of the Cha1dees
/ and there you shall find man NAMED
Abraham, who seeketh Me. Him shall
| thou instruct III the matters pertain
ing to the worship and service of tn,
true God And I am come in obedi
ence TO my masters command. Let u:
hasten, for the day Is far spent AM
We have some distance to go.''
Ard On saving he turned and uaT1-a,