3
CHRISTIAN HERALD.
JU
tant influence on his life. The one Ebal and Gerizim, the summits of Gerizim similarly to the recital of voluminous that it constitutes the
was the sudden death of his friend which áre two miles apart in a the blessings for obedience. Such life-study of the learned class in
and fellow-student Alexis. Some line. Bright rivulets, fed; as the a scene, transacted about twelve China. God put all the fundamen
say this young man was assassinat natives say, by no fewer than hundred years before the first tal laws for the government of his
ed in Erfurt, and others that he eighty springs, run down the slopes Punic war, and one thousand years people on two pieces of stone, such
and sparkle over the sunny glen; before Socrates, is unique in the that Moses could carry them down
was struck dt»d,
Luther’s side. The other was that, gardens musical with many birds history"of the world, for" whim did the patldess steeps'of Sinar one
as Luther was returning from surround the walls of Wablus, the any other nation thus pledge itself under each arm; and Christ’ con
Magdeburg to Erfurt, when near modern representative of Shechem, to a high religious life as the re densed these “ ten words ” into one
Thou shalt love
the tatter city, he was overtaken in which nestles close under _ 111 e cognized condition of its prosperi word—“ love.”
ty
?
Even
the
curses
pronounced
the
Lord
thy
God
with all thy
shadow
of
Gerizim
;
figs,
walnuts,
a fearful thunder-storm, and as
some think, his friend Alexis was mulberries, oranges, lemons, pome- are peculiar to Israel > for they are heart, and soul, and strength ; and
struck d o wn by bis sid e. — He was- --gr anat e s;- vin es,-aud^- plu i m». fil li ng. -dixac-.U.d utAtmidy- against idolatry,
so much alarmed that he then and the scene with rich luxuriance, the but against disobedience to parents, law we are to repeat at our She
there made a solemn vow that if more striking by its vivid contrast inhumanity to the blind, to stran chem, and, in the words of the Book
the Lord would spare his life, he with the barren, stony mountains gers, widows or orphans, dr the of Common Prayer, are to “ engrave
would become a monk, and thus around. Gerizim, on the south side removal of the landmarks of a on our hearts.”
dedicate himself to God. I think of dike valley bowers 1’00(1 feet neighborTModern.. “
3. Israel signalized its entrance“'-“
slowly
striving
toward
a
standard
above
it
in
a
huge
dome
of
chalk
it most probable that Alexis was
on the promised land by a solemn
struck by lightning.— Lutheran hollowed into many caves at its so generous, pure and lofty.”
rededication to a life of obedience
’
With this description, 1 content to the law of God. The. religion of
foot, and surmounted by dark blue
Observer.
limestone, rising in ledges and myself with a very brief suggestion obedience is the foundation of
The Reading of the Law.1
shelves to the summit. Ebal, on of the practical lessons it conveys to national well-being. This was the
BY LYMAN ABBOTT.
the north side, rises in a gentler us in our own time and «for our own foundation which Alfred the Great .
slope of steel-blue* rock,“with pre-" life.
laid, on which England was built.
The scene which has been selec
cipitous
cliffs atop, 200 feet higher
1.
God
is
a
law-giver.
The
the
This
was the foundation which the
ted for our study to-day has been
so admirably described by Dr. than Gerizim; its north side, like ologians of the past century placed Puritan fathers in New England
— — Cunningham Geikie2 that I make -that—of—the_ other Jiill. rich in perhaps too great an emphasis on laid, on which America was built.
no apology for transferring his springs from the dip of the strata ; this fact; we are therefore in dan For want of this foundation”"the
graphic description of this column but its south side, even when richly ger of placing too little emphasis French Republic perished before its
instead of attempting one of my covered with corn in summer, de upon it. Law is the essential con founders had died. Let it be ours
pendent on rain and irrigation .for . dition o£-weU’being; lawlessness is to see that our country does not
F ~ own:
“God had commanded through its fertility. Thousands of flowers disintegration and death. Obedi- become removed from its founda
Moses that the tribes should, as of every color springing up amongst ence may not bo the highest virtue, tion, that our State without a
soon as practicable, assemble at the grass, in the valley itself and but it is the first virtue. Obedience Church does not become a State
Shechem, in the center of the land, on the slopes, in the meadows and to law is the first condition of a without the religion of obedience
to renew their allegiance to him on the open ground, make the spot righteous .childhood;1 of good citi and allegiance to God.
4. A purpose and pledge of
and to hear once more the pro still more delightful. Wherever zenship;2 of acceptance with God.3
water
reaches,
either
naturally
or
VVe
are
to
obey
his
law
not
because
clamation of the conditions on
obedience to God’s law is the true
otherwise,
it
is
paradise
;
but
above
we
like
it,
not
because
we
see
it
is
and only safe inauguration of every
which he gave them the country.
that
limit
the
barrenness
is
well-
for
our
interest
to
do
so
;
not
work and every life: the nation,
Accordingly, /ill the nation, includ
nigh
complete.
Yet
it
is
a
won-
prompted
by
hope
nor
impelled
by
ing the women and children, and
the family, the individual. If in
*drous
valley
in
the
thirsty
East.
fear,
but
because
it
is
his
law
and
even the multitude of other races
your time you have never recited
we
are
his
children.
Liberty
is
hot
“
Having
selected
huge
stones
God’s law of love and pledged
which had come up with them from
lawlessness
;
it
is
such
sincere,
sim
and
made
them
smooth
with
a
yourself to obedience to it, do so
Egypt, were led on a stupendous
ple,
genuine,
habitual,
native
obe
coating
of
plaster,
Joshua
caused
an
Dow. If you never have done this
pilgrimage from the banks of the
dience
to.law
that
law
has
ceased
abstract
of
the
law
to
be
inscribed
as an individual, do it to day.
Jordan at Gilgal to the valley be
to
be
a
statute
without,
to
which
on
them,
and
then
set
them
up
on
Shechem is long since reached by
tween Mounts Ebal and Gerizim,
by
force
of
will
we
conform,
and
Mount
Ebal.
An
altar
of
unhewn
you.
Build your altar ; read God’s
in the midland hills. It was a
has'become
a
nature
within,
from
law; dedicate yourself and yours to
spot sacred in the history of Israel, stones "was next raised close by
which
without
conscious
effort
our
obedience.
for there Abraham and Jacob had them, that their erection might be
life
proceeds.
in turn pitched their tents, and consecrated by burnt sacrifices and
5. The altar and the stones with
This is the lilterty to which we the law upon them went together.
there the latter had bought the peace-offerings. The trilies which
field in which they Were to bury had sprung from the lawful wives are called by the gospol; the liberty Neither prayer without obedience
the mummy of Joseph, as he had of Jacob then took up their place of the Psalmist, to whom God’s nor obedience without prayer is
commanded their forefathers hun on Mount Ebal, while those de law was *not a regulation imposed iteligion; but prayer and obedience.
dreds of years before. The well scended from the handmaids of from without, but a life .developed —Christian Union.
that Jacob had dug was also be Leah and Rachel, with Reuben, from within. “ The law of the
fore their eyes, and the oak be stood on the slopes of Mount Lord is perfect, converting the
1 was once in a large company
neath which he had buried the Gerizim; the priests, with the Ark, soul; the statutes of the Lord are
idolatrous images and ear-rings of occupying the valley between the right, rejoicing the heart; the com- where very severe things were spo-
his encampment. The valley itself, two hills, surrounded by the elders, rnandment of the Lord is pur(Ç ken oí an absent gentleman, when a
■person seasonably observed that
perhaps the most beautiful spot in officers, and judges of the nation. enlightening the eyes.”
2. The law for us is as simple though the Lord was pleased to ef
Palestine, was worthy of the grya£ The whole law as given by Moses
national act they had assembled to was now read aloud to the vast though a profound and far-reaching fect conversion and edification by a
perform.
Running north and multitude—those on Mount Ebal one. It is all comprised in one variety of means, he had never
south, with a width of from a responding with a loud Amen to word—“ love.” Confucius left the known anybody convinced of error
quarter to half a mile, it is hemmed the rehearsal of the curses for laws he prescribed for the govern by what was said behind his back.
in between the twin mountains disobedience, and those on Mount t ment of mankind in a system so —John Newton.
*
1
’
”