SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15482, 13 December 1913, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

THE GOSPEL OF THE MORNING. 11T DR. A. C. DIXON'. . And Abraham rose up early in the morning, ana saddled- his ass, and tool: two 'of hi 3. young men with him. and Isaac his son ana Ware the wood tor the burnt onerine' and rose up, aad went unto the place of which God had tola him. (Gen. xxii., a.) There is in this early hour's experience a testing of faith; and we are told, in Romans iv., 20, 21, that " Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief 5 but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, tie was ablealso to perform." One oi the most pathetic things about this chapter is the iaci mat the name of Sarah is cot mentioned. Abraham bor& tnu burden aioue wan jus God. He would not break lija wilss heart by telling Her 01 the trial tiiiuu<;n winch no was yoing, and be aid not elpect to break tier Heart m tue evening oy returning without Isaac. In tienesu xx., 0, we read that he said to the young men: " Abide ye nerc with the ass'; aud 1 and the lad will go yonaei' ana wo.smp, and come again, to you." " 1 and the lad will .come t<j you." tie expected to bring the lad back with him. ihe explanation of this is given in Hebrews xi., iii where we are. told that. Abraham behevibthat God was "able to raise him up, eveu from the dead; lrom whence also he received him in a figure." > •God had promised that in Isaac all the families of the earth should be oit^A; and Abraham believed that this promise would be lulhlled, though it required a miracle. Surgeons place their patients on the table, ana give them anesthetics which virtually kill tuem tor a time. They do this because they have faith in science, founded upon the laws of nature, aud they expect the patient to recover from this temporary death. Abraham believed in Goo, as able to raise from the dead, just as implicit}- as the surgeon believes in the law of God which, through the anesthetic, produces temporary death. He did not try to explain how it might be done; all that belonged to God. He . simply believed that God could do the humanly impossitio for those who trust and obey. There was also in this early morning hour the testing of obedience." God had commanded a thing that was revolting to a father's heart; but Abraham regarded God's will as supreme. His standard of right was the will of Gcd. He believed that it was right simply because God willed it; for the infinitely holy God could not do wrong. God knew that Abraham would stand the test, and that the result would be just what it was; and, instead of encouraging human sacrifice, He thus won Abraham entirely from this practice of the age. by teaching him that the living child, thoroughly devoted to Him, was what He desired, rather than the killing of the body. The substitution of the lamb suggested the great principle of the substitutionary sacrifice which would come by and by on Calvarv. Abraham "by faith saw that day and'was glad.''' t. But the test of obedience was in the fact that the command contradicted the promise. How could God bless the families of the earth through Isaac according to the promise, if Abraham is to sacrifice according to the command? The sturdy hero of faith does not concern himself about.the promise,

That Is God's Responsibility. ■' He is concerned only with the command which imposes responsibility upon himself. He will obey implicitly, "arid leave God to fulfil the promise in His own Way. In our lives the command and the promise may seem to be in conflict. The promise says : " My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory 'by Christ Jesus;" while the command bids us to be honest, faithful, true, whatever be the loss or gain. Suppose a man with a family of .eight. children: ho has a small income; he does not see how those childien can be reared and educated. One day a proposition is made to him that he sign a certain document, and the result will be £10.000 in his own pocket. That amount of money will make him easy in his circumstances, and enable him to educate his children; but to sign his name to that document would involve a dishonest act. He dffcs not even stop to consider it. He says: " If I give my children no education, and leave thorn not a penny they shall have at least the. heritage of 'an honest, truthful father." Men are often tempted thus to do wrong on the right side. They would help God take care of them bv adopting the maxims and methods of diplomatic dealing in the business world; but though thev make money, they lose character. " Usually God's promises inspire us to obedience. ' There is reward in doing His will. But in too ease of Abraham the promise discouraged obedience, for it looked as if there could be no fulfilment, if obedience resulted in the death of Isaac. It is ours to obey, and God's to fulfil the promise. Let us do our part, and God will never fail to do His. There is, again, in this early morning hour the testing of love, as it'is seen in the spirit of sacrifice. It ought to be easy for anybody to give up sin, which pollutes, poisons, and kills. When we find sin in our lives, we should hasten to take God's side against it, and in His strength cast it out. But the testing which Hies our love for God comes when we are called upon to give up what wo know is good, there, was no harm in Abraham's preserving Isaac .15 the son of his love; bat now God requires of him his most precious possession, and he does not shrink from it. y there is no hesitation With a readiness,, that seems almost more than human, he consents to lay on the altar the one whom he and Sarah love above their lives. He expects to receive him back ; but the test of giving him to sacrifice is still severe. m