Year: 1876

NINETEENTH STREET ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


BY REV. MR. JACOBS


large part OF the book Of Exodus, said Mr. Jacobs
yesterday points TO an important era in the Abrahamc
history 1t opens with graphic detail Of the people
OF Israel in the land Of Egypt and the redemption
which about to take place Their physical thral-
dom and their less mental and spiritual degraGa
tion had begun increase and God sought to bring
forth from servitude to liberty from this bondage
which had turned them away from the truth so that
Jewish tradition has it that all the tribes except that
of Lew had become degenerate as the Egyptians
themselves If you place your best amid vicious
surroundings you will make him eventually as bad as
his surroundings. How often do we see this
illustrated in daily experience Even 1t with
the children Of Israel for the laws Of nature be
changed for with all their instructions about God being
surrounded by the heathensm Of Egypt they be-
corrupt as their oppressorS II was not merely
physical bondage that they suffered, but mental and
moral also. And the Lord always measures means by
the end to be accomplished. And now Moses, having
passed forty years In the wilderness stands before tho
mount of God and there behods a wonderful sight-a
bush burning but not consumed And he approached
he heard the voice of God bidding HIM go to Egypt
and demand of the King the release OF his people His
patriotism burns within him. He who had slain
Egyptian for smltng Hebrew; he who would have
delivered Israel doubtless 5y military iorce mad they
fulfil that mission 70 which he had been dedicated.
81 am the Lord God OF thy fathers OF Abraham Isaac
and Jacob Exodus, In 81, was the reminder Of God
10 him that hts mission was divine one and would
he successful 1t gives us lesson also said Mr. Jacobs
that ses--1s--.s - lsssss=.~- ----'s


GOD sfEAKs TO us STILL


through naufe through revelation and through human
agencies We are often asked Why IL thai the voice
OF God longer speaks to men il did in the Hebrew
daysY This inquiry is made with a seeming air OF
triumph, as II II were unanswerabe. Because pro-
phetic judgment is longer needed and s longer
ercised 1t not follow that God does cannot
speak Mr. Jacobs illustrated by referring to the
voice Of God being heard by many in the driving storm
and in the sephyrs gentle blow In tho quiet now Of the
hrao in AhQ m Of IN ind
TO all creation and in His judgments upon the
children OF men. The heavens declare His glory
the armament showeth His handy work. Day
unto day uttereth speech, and night unto
night showeth knowledge. There is voice that
may be heard and yet their melody nls the
was when God spoke to Moses out OF the bush that
burned and was not consumed tina, God speaks to US
still through nature. This bush was according TO
tradition, thorn bush, and It has been likened to
Israel under persecution and oppression-burnng but
not consumed.


The voice Of God speaks through revelation also.
We can't turn TO page without seeing the Testimony
OF II and without hearing the voice OF God speaks
TO men from pole TO pole, and it Is Am that Am; |
shall be that shall be- Ii speaks Of his power and
saving gface and says ~ with them In this caam-
ity, as shall be in every other. am He that hath
existed, that exists and that shall all
eternity" We hear that voice in every page Of Billie
history still procaimng TO every son OF Israel Il
the God OF thy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"
and the portion OF scripture from which the text has
been selected demonstrates that Gods and
perceptole throughout the universe And thus we
lind that


SPOKE fsRAKL MOSES


with three distinct signs He cast the rod the earth
and II became a serpent Now the rod was ancient
symbol Of authority and power and its conversion TO
serpent symboized from that moment the crushing OF
serpent worship, OF which Egypt was the most con-
spicuous adherent and propagator The second sign
thrustng the eprous hand into the bosom and draw
ing IL forth white as snow. In this there was les
concerning the condem nation Of the moral eprosy
OF Israel because Of their surroundings And the
hdrash says this moral leprosy Is evil speaking lying
and fasehood These are tho moral lazars in thus
world. and these are the habits tha, make us moral