Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter One: The Hole of the Pit
Chapter Two: The Divine Summons
(1) This Call Involved Hardship
(2) But this Call was Eminently Wise
(3) This Call was Accompanied by Promise
(4) This Call Teaches us the Meaning of Election
(5) This Call Gives the Key to Abraham's Life
But it was the Separation of Faith
(1) At First, Then, Abraham's Obedience was only Partial
(2) Abraham's Obedience was Rendered Possible by his Faith
(3) Abraham's Obedience was Finally Very Complete
Chapter Four: The First of the Pilgrim Fathers
(1) The Tent
(2) The Altar
(3) The Promise
Chapter Five: Gone Down Into Egypt
See How One Sin Leads to Another
Chapter Six: Separated from Lot
(1) Who was Lot?
(2) The Necessity of Separation
(3) How the Separation was Brought About
(1) God Always Comes Near to his Separated Ones
(2) God Will Do Better for those Who Trust him than they Could do for Themselves
(3) God Bids us Appropriate his Gifts
Chapter Eight: Refreshment Between the Battles
(1) Here is the Unselfish and Successful Interposition of a Separated Man, on the Behalf of Others
This Priesthood Came of God, and was Ratified by an Oath
This Priesthood was also Catholic
This Priesthood was Superior to all Human Orders of Priests
This Priesthood Partook of the Mystery of Eternity
This Priesthood Receives Tithes of all
Chapter Ten: The Firmness of Abraham's Faith
(1) God Spoke to Abraham about his Fear
(2) God Spoke to Abraham about his Childlessness
He Believed before he Underwent the Jewish Rite of Circumcision
He Believed in face of Strong Natural Improbabilities
His Faith was Destined to be Severely Tried
His Faith was Counted to him for Righteousness
Chapter Eleven: Watching with God
(1) Watching by the Sacrifice
(2) The Horror of a Great Darkness
(3) The Ratification of the Covenant
Chapter Twelve: Hagar, The Slave Girl
(1) The Quarter Whence These Reasonings Came
(2) The Sorrows to which they Led
(3) The Victim Whose Life-Course was so Largely Involved
Chapter Thirteen: Be Thou Perfect!
(1) The Divine Summons
(2) The Revelation on which this Summons was Based
(3) The Covenant which was Divinely Proposed
It Referred to the Coming Child
Chapter Fourteen: The Sign of the Covenant
(1) Separation
(2) Purity
(3) Obedience
Chapter Fifteen: The Divine Guest
May it not be that Christ Comes to us Often in the Guise of a Stranger?
But God Never Leaves us in his Debt
Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?
Chapter Sixteen: Pleading for Sodom
(1) The Burden of the Divine Announcement
(2) The Impression which this Announcement made on Abraham's Mind
[1] There was a Natural Anxiety about his Kinsman, Lot
[2] There was also a Fear Lest the Total Destruction of the Cities of the Plain Might
(3) The Elements in Abraham's Intercession
Chapter Seventeen: Angel Work in a Bad Town
The Reasons which Justified this Supreme Act of Destruction
(1) It was a Merciful Warning to the Rest of Mankind
(2) Moreover, in this Terrible Act the Almighty Simply Hastened
(3) Besides, this Overthrow Only Happened after Careful Investigation
(4) There is this Consideration also—That, During the Delay
(5) It is Worthy of Notice that God Saved all Whom he Could
The Motives of the Angels' Visit
(1) The Proximate, or Nearest Cause was their own Love to Man
(2) The Efficient Cause was Abraham's Prayer
(3) But the Ultimate Cause was God's Mercy
Chapter Eighteen: A Bit of the Old Nature
It was also Very Dishonoring to God
It Also Stood Out in Poor Relief Against the Behavior of Abimelech
Chapter Nineteen: Hagar and Ishmael Cast Out
But we Must be Prepared to Wait God's Time
The Immediate occasion of this open rupture
We Cannot but Recall the use Which the Great Apostle makes of this Incident
But There is a Still Deeper Reference
The Remaining History is Briefly Told
Chapter Twenty: A Quiet Resting Place
Is not this an Emblem of our Lives?
We None of us Know What Awaits Us
(1) Let Us Live by the Well
(2) Let Us Shelter Beneath the Covenant
Chapter Twenty-One: The Greatest Trial of All
But God Sends us no Trial, Whether Great or Small, Without First Preparing Us
God Often Prepares us for Coming Trial
The Trial Touched Abraham in His Tenderest Point
It was also a Great Test of his Faith
It was a Test of Abraham's Obedience
This Test did not Outrage any of the Natural Instincts of his Soul
The Influence of Abraham's Behavior was Felt by his Son
Can we Wonder that Abraham Shrank from Disclosing all the Facts?
But at Last the Discovery Could no Longer be Withheld
All Who Believe are the Children of Faithful Abraham
Chapter Twenty-Two: Machpelah, and its First Tenant
(1) We are First Arrested by Abraham's Tears
It is not Wonderful that Abraham Wept
(2) Notice Abraham's Confession
(3) Notice Abraham's Faith
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Soul's Answer to the Divine Summons
It is Our Privilege to talk with God About Everything in Life
(1) A Lesson to those who Carry the Summons of god
(2) The Summons Itself was a call to a simple
(3) How to Deal with this summons
Chapter Twenty-Four: Gathered to his People
At the Basis of his Character was a Mighty Faith
To Faith he Added Virtue, or Manly Courage
And to Manly Courage he Added Knowledge
And to Knowledge he Added Temperance, or Self-Control
And to his Patience he Added Godliness
And to Godliness he Added Brotherly Kindness
And to Brotherly Kindness he Added Charity, or Love
And his Sons, Isaac and Ishmael, Buried him in the Cave of Machpelah