Year: 1873

what is Meant by Standing still and


Seeing the Salvation OF God-Sermon


by Rev. $. M. Isnacs.


Yesterday small congregation gathered in the
Forty-0urth street synagogue and listened to
discourse by Rev. $. NJ Isaacs on the difference
between going forward and standing still 10 see
the salvation OF God. 1t is the duty he said OF the
spiritual teachers to guide and instruct their
people in the way to heaven and to glorify their
Father above, and yet, he remarked 1t is very diff
cult to do this in these times. While some guides
speak to the children OF Israel that they 20 for
ward there are others who, in the words OF his
text bid them 'stand still and see the salvation or
God" These words, Mr. Isaacs said, were spoken
thousands of years ago, when the lsraelires, just
come out of Egypt, had arrived at the banks OF the
Red Sea and were hotly pursued by the hosts OF
Pharaoh Noses their leader and guide, bade
them stand still and the salvation OF God. Mr..
1saacs, IN expounding the phrase .Stand ye STILL"
said 1t did not mean to do nothing, TO be careless
about our surroundings NC. Some men would
stand still though the whole fabric of


JUDAISM WENT TO PIECES.


They are The drones OF Judaism. This phrase can
not apply to the Lord, who is ever active whose
eye never slumbers nor his eyelids sleep. When
applied to business 1t means to be firm. And in
this sense Isaiah and Habbakuk speak OF the
Almighty as standing still. Stand still in your
business; stand still in your religion; remain firm
and unmoved and you shall see the salvation OF
God. IL is well to stand still sometimes ana take
glance at the scenes and circumstances around
you. You may go too last and be wrecked and
have neither mast nor rudder to aid you. We call
on You, he said, to remain firm to Jewish principles.
There are some who would have you go forwardu
with the progress OF the age. They would cut
down the Jewish tree. and wonder why we do not
unite with them But our calling is too precious.
Our strength Is to stand still and see the salvation OF
God. But some are troubled to know which is the
way. To many the ways or God are smooth and
pleasant, but to others they are rugged and thorny
The just man pursues his path steadily and
silently. and looks back to the tlme when he came
here poor and penniless and stranger in a
strange land He can trace the way Of God, which
he has followed to the best OF his ability until IN
He is still Jew, and is not moved by riches or
posItGn to to- give up , his religion Israel shan be
Called, perhaps, TO drink deeply OF


THE BITTER CUP or SORROW


or adversely, he takes 1t from the hand or his
heavenly Father, whose ways may be sometimes
mysterious and inscrutable ana appear para
doxica. Such men convert misery into happiness.
But the exact reverse OF this picture may be seen.
also, in our day, and among our coreligionIsts
Men search into the deep things OF God and refuse
to accept anything that accords not with their
reason. To them the commands OF God are OF no
value. Is IT any wonder then that some stray
spect FOR the living and none for the dead. II you
ask them who Is dead they answer in careless
manner, "Oh, such man." They are ready to be-
come Unitarians or Deists, as If Judaism was moth.
ing more than Unitariansm; whereas Judaism
diners from both 1t and Deism as vastly as any
thing can do.


Mr.. lsaacs strongly urged his people to stand
firm to the ways OF Judaism. They would have
been turned away long ago had the Guardian or
Israel slumbered or slept. Forbid IL, Heaven, he
said, that we should now turn away from the faith
given to our fathers. We. whose future glory is
foretold by patrlarchs and prophets and sages of
old; we. who expect to return to our Holy Land
shall we forget these things or turn away from
them and take up with that which is more fashion,
able and popularY 1t Is for us to


STAND FIRM


and to cling to the word Of truth and there shall
we be blessed ourselves and be blessing to Others


MI. ISaacS then gave a few words Of religious
counsel 10 a young man who had just been per
mitted to read the law publicly for the first time
He would have him remain firm to his religious
principles and to the Bible. And, now that the
Jewish law and religion recognized him as man.
he must not expect to go through the world III
sunshine only. He must think OF God come to the
sanctuary and OBEY his parents and his end would
bp