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THE OLD TESTAMENT.

THE FULFILMENT OF THE PROPHECIES
AS SEEN BY MR. MOODY.

Vital Importance of Faith in the Whole
Bible - A book that Cannot be Divided -
How the Seed of Abraham have been
Blessed.

Mr. Moody's sermon yesterday afternoon in the
First Presbyterian Church was on "The fulfilment
of prophecies in the Old Testament concerning
Christ," and in beginning, he apologized for talking
so much about this part of the Bible, giving as a
reason that he considered it important because so
many professing Christains have not their faith
well grounded in this particular. The curch was
crowded so much that the aisles were impassable,
and the pulpit platform was inadequate to hold the
great number of visiting clergymen. I am very
anxious, said Mr. Moody, to have everybody know
that all this Bible is the word of God, and that it
cannot be divided. The Bible is all one book, and it
is true from first to last. For the first ten
years of my Christian life I did not believe the
Old Testament, but I think I have been a
much better man since I came to believe the whole
book. Let us turn again to the 24th chapter of
Luke. There was Christ in disguise meeting His
apostles after the resurrection, and as a perfect
stranger strengthening thier faith by expouding
to them all the things that were written in Scripture
regarding Himself. He did not take a part of the
Scripture, but all of it, beginning at Moses. I would
have liked to have been at that little meeting. There
one would have heard preaching worth listening to.
Then we find Him there in that little upper room
telling His apostles all things must be fulfilled
which were written in the law of Moses and in the
prophets and in the psalms corcerning Him. And
then it says, He opened their understanding, that
they might understand the Scripture. Oh, may He
do the same for many a one here to-day. In the 3d
chapter and 18ty verse of acts we read: "But these
things which God before had showed by the mouth
of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, He
hath so fulfilled," and in the 21st verse: "Whom
the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the
mouth of all His holy prophets since the World
began."

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM.

Why, the first promise of God to man away back
there in the Garden of Eden was that the seed of the
woman should crush the serpent's head. In the
12th chapter of Genesis and the 2d and 3d verses
we find God saying to Abrah: "I will make of thee
a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy
name great. And I will bless them that bless thee,
and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall
all families of the earth be blessed." You know, all
the human rae was in Adam, and if this promise
does not tell of Jesus Christ, what does it mean, I
would like to know? Is not Christ making all the
families of the earth that accept Him blessed?
Jesus Christ sprung from the seed of Abraham.
This covenent God made with Abraham was unconditional.
A great many of the promises we find in
the Bible have conditions to them, but this had not.
This promise, made four thousand years ago, has
been literally fulfilled.

Two hundred years after this we find his descendant
Joseph going down there and ruling all Egypt,
and another descendant, Daniel, the prime minister
of Nebuchadnezzar, ruling over Babylon. So we see
rulers rising up from among the scattered Jews
to-day. Look at Gambetta and Beaconsfield, for instance.
All this is according to the Word of God.
Why, Moses, the greatest law-giver the world has
ever known, came out of Abraham. Even in Arabia
to-day they reverence the grave of Abraham as the
resting place of one who was the friend of God.

ALL CHRISTIANS BELONG TO ISRAEL.

Further on in Genesis we find that because Abraham
was willing to sacrifice his only son God promised
to bless him additionally, and multiply his
seed as the stars of heaven and the sand which is
upon the sea shore. Here he was, a man a hundred
years old, and hitherto childless; and yet God was
going to make his descendants fill the earth. How
was it to be except through Christ? I suppose it is
the righteous who are like unto the stars of heaven,
and the unrighteous that are as the sands of the
sea. You know that all Christians are of the seed of
Abraham, for no one is a Christian unless spiritually
born of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is so
descended. This cannot be revoked or set aside,
because it is the word of God. Why did God so
honor Abraham? Because of his faith. Oh, let us
have more faith. It is better than eloquence, better
than wisdom, better than all else that exists. Think
of the millions of faithful servants of God who have
lived these four thousand years, and think of them
as Abraham's children. Hos specially honored!

THE HARP OF A THOUSAND STRINGS.

Turning to the days of Jacob we find that old man
about to die, blessings his two grandchildren, the
sons of Joseph, and foretelling that of them should
come the sent one, and that until then the sceptre
should not depart of Judea. Now, Christ had to
be born just the time he was to have this happen. If
Christ had been born just a little later the Scripture
would not have been fulfilled, for at His birth the
Jewish Senate was in session considering how they
would avert the impending overthrow of their power.
Augustus Caesar was conqueror, and a Roman was
about to given the power of life and death over
the Jewish nation. As soon as Christ came the power
of the Jews departed. He was the last of their race
of rulers. If they had accepted Him they would not
now be a scattered nation without a ruler, a country,
or a literature. Later on the Scripture says:
"With Him shall be the gathering of the people."
This was seventeen hundred years before Christ
came, and what name is there to-day than can gather
the people like that of Jesus Christ? Look at the
crowds that are thronging these meetings. Do you
suppose it would be so if I talked about anything
but Jesus Christ. The subjects of art, or literature,
or science, may draw occasional crowds; they
may be popular once in a while, but by-and-by
they will lag, and the mind soon tires of them. The
ladies of the Temperance Union tell me they grow
tired talking about temperance, and have to stick
to the Gospel. Yes, you see we may hear so much
of temperance that it ding dogs in the ears and has
no effect, but the word of God is fresh every time.
There is something in the name of Jesus Christ that
stirs our hearts, and we want to hear Him talked
about. If you ministers want full churches preach
Jesus Christ constantly. All these worldly things
are only one-stringed instruments, but the Gospel
is a harp of a thousand strings, and makes perpetual
harmony for discordant souls. Man will
never be able to exhaust, or explore, or fully present
Jesus Christ as presented in the Bible.

Balaam prophested: "I shall see Him, but not
now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh; then shall
come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out
of Israel." Here is that star of Bethelhem that led
these wise men to the Saviour's manager. Balaam
was an ungodly man, who wanted to die well after
living badly. There are pelntly like him. No
wonder he fell into perdition backwards, as it were,
double-minded man that he was. Yes, he shall see
Christ hereafter, but not nigh. Every scoffer in
Baltimore will see Christ ultimately. He is coming
by and by. The word has ben recorded that to Him
every knee shall bow, and so it shall. The day of
Christ's kingdom is coming, and things will be very
different then. None of the wicked will get very
near Him. Do you know what led those wise men
to follow that star? It was because they knew that
by the Scripture it prophesied the Messiah. Ah,
how He has become to us the Bright and Morning
Star.

SOME WONDERFUL THINGS.

I must go along rapidly. Will you turn for a moment
to the 22d Psalm, the 7th and 8th verses: "All
they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out
the lip, they shake the head, saying: 'He trusted
on the Lord that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver
Him.'" Now, when Jesus Christ hung on the
cross and was mocked, that was literally fulfilled.
The very words to be used were foretold a thousand
years before. So, in the 16th verse we read: "The
assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me; they
have pierced My hands and feet." Was not that fulfilled;
and the words of the 18th verse that they
would cast lots for His garmets? Then, again,
about the gall and vinegar in the 69th Psalm and
21st verse? But now I come to Isaiah, who seeemed to
get a clearere view of Christ than any othe rof the
prophets. He foretold the annunciation; and, by-the-way,
every time that Gabriel came to earth it
was to tell about Jesus Christ. One, when
he was questioned, he said: "Why, God said
so." Ah! up, then, in heaven they don't know
what doubt is. We oughtn't to have any of
it down here. Oh, may God help us to get
rid of it. When old Zacharius asked Gabriel to give
him a sign that he was to be the father of the forerunner
of the Messiah, he was told that he would be
dumb until it happened, and he was. We've a great
many dumb Christians now-a-days who are waiting
for some token outside of themselves. In the ninth
chapter of ISaiah we read: "For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be
called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase
of His government there shall be no end."
Has not this been fulfilled? Was not Jesus Christ
the most wonderful personage that ever walked the
earth? How wonderful his birth, the star, the shepherds,
the manger, the magl. All the world had to
be set in motion in order that He should be born at
Bethlehem. How wonderful His life, how more
wonderful His death, how exceeding all in Wonder
His wonderful resurrection. How wonderful his
ministry and His miracles. He never taught opinions
like men do now-a-days. He did not speculate.
He simply taught the truth. Oh! how wonderful
His death. I lay down my life, He said, and I take
it up again, and so He did. How marvelious!

Oh, it is a mystery to me how people doubt in this
nineteenth century with an open Bible before them!
Let us cast aside every obstacle and believe that
God will do just as He said He would. If we come to
something we do not understand, let us not be mystified,
but consider that God can be trusted for it,
and if God said it, that is enough. Let us have more
faith, and accept and reverence the Word of God
without reservation.

A MODEL WOMAN.

Rev. Dr. Naylor's Sermon on the Character of
Deborah.

Rev. H. R. Naylor, D. D., pastor of Madison Avenue
M. E. Church, preached last night to a large congregation.
The subject of his sermon was "A Model
Woman." His text was as follows: "And Deborah,
a prophetess, the wife of LApidoth, she judged
Israel at that time; and she dwelt under the palm
tree of Deborah, between Rama and Bethel, in
Mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came
up to her for judgement." - Judges, iv., 4-5. Said
Dr. Naylor: Who knows Lapidoth? All that gives
him prominence is, that his wife's name is Deborah.
Wives often immortalize their husbands. This
woman was, undoubtedly, prudent, amiable and
virtuous as wife, mother, neighbor and friend. This
is the first instance in the world's history of a
woman being invested with supreme authority. We
find her occupying the offices of prophet or judge,
military instructor, poet and sacred singer. How
beautiful and simple! Her canopy, the shade of
her own palm tree: her rule of judgment, law and
testimony; her guiding star, the inspiration of the
Almight; her aim, God's glory and the people's
welfare; and her reward, the testimony of her own
conscience, the respect of the nation and the smile
of Heaven.

WOMAN AND THE NATION.

In the deliverence wrought out by Deborah for
her people we may catch a glimpse of how much a
woman may do in shaping the character of the
nation. She found her people degraded and enthralled.
During eighty years they had tolled without
reward. All functions of government were in
the hands of irresponsible tyrants. Not a weapon
of war of defence did they possess. She wrought
out for them independence and liberty. History in
every age proves that a nation's women may be
mightier than its cannon. A nation's women are
more potential than a nation's king. A nation's
women are more powerful that a nation's laws.
True, few women are permitted to marshal forces
like Deborah or Boadicia. Few are permitted to
occupy thrones like Britain's queen, but thousands
there are none the less queens in influence and
power. In every land where nobility of action,
chilvalrous deeds and burning words have had a
place, may each be traced to woman's influence.
Woman, true and elevated, has ever elevated man,
and woman degraded had ever been the author of
his degradation.

DEBORAH'S COMMON SENSE.

There were three elements in the character of
Deborah, which her sisters in every land of age
might wisely emulate. In them we see the model
woman.

First, she had a large share of common sense.
This was the basis of her character, and it is the
basis of womanly character to-day, the solid granite
upon which a useful life is built. There may be
beauty, social position, culture, affluence, but the
usefulness of each depends largely upon this. Such
a woman sees life as it is; she early comprehends
it is a great reality and gets ready to meet it; she
sees in it coming joys and prepares to enjoy them;
she realizes the coming of great difficultires and
prepares to cope with them. Such a woman would
rather have two rough hands than two helpless
ones; she would rather have a homely form than a
congested liver; she prefers large feet to crippled
ones; a useful life to an ornamental one; a well
stored mind to a bejeweled body; she is not
ashamed of her father's toil; she has no idea that
she is a woman at fifteen nor an old maid at twenty,
nor does she deem it an unpardonable sin to be
found unmarried at forty; she knowns there may be
a worse condition than that of single blessedness.

DEBORAH'S TRUE INDEPENDENCE.

Deborah listened to the voices of duty, and then
obeyed. Though the doing was unprecendented and
unpopular, she dared to do right. The love-sick
swain may sing of woman being the tender tendril
and he the strurdy oak; but the true woman is more
the oak than he. She possesses the truest independency.
She does her own thinking. She does
not desire to be singular; neither does she shrink
from appearing so if conscience dictates. She does
not brand all fashion a a nuisance; but all that are
such she dares to discard. The common-sense, independent
woman or girl does not talk twaddle.
She disdains the frivulous emptiness of what is
called fashionable talk, and her conversation is
about something. Such a woman is too independent
to be useless. Work with her is not servile, undignified,
degrading. She does not accept the modern
thought-that work may be good for mother, but injurious
to daughter. She dares to believe that
muscle need not be monopolized by men and sevants.
She thinks it quite as ladylike to darn a
stocking as to make a flower, to make a dress as to
embroider it, to make bread or coffee as to make
music, and quite as much as accomplishment to be
able to dress a living baby as a dead doll. This
truly independent woman conscientiously denounces
all the frivolous, artificial bases of life as
degrading nonsense, contrary to the will of God,
upon which it is utterly impossible to construct a
healthy social order in society.

DEBORAH'S CROWNING GLORY.

Deobrah lived for God's glory. Her life was devoted
to His service, and, without this, we should
never have heard of her. How true it is, that without
this, woman may be, often is, a cheerful, attractive
friend, loving sister, devoted wife or loving
mother. Accomplished in mind and body, a
sunbeam shedding light and happiness all through
her social sphere. But lacking this element, she
resembles the faril but beautiful bark without bal
last, which, when caught in a storm, speedily becomes
a wreck. So she, and in her going down she
bears with her the precious cargo of all her influence.
Woman may not be able to transmit her
spirit to her children, relatives or friends, but the
influence of her holiest affection follows the footstep
of husband, brother, son or daughter, with a
power which cannot be reckoned by human
measurement. The religion of our homes is the
religion of our women. Nay, woman's heart is the
moral pulse of the world. As it throbs, so the
national heart throbs. And every church everywhere
could be made to blaze with living light by
the sanctified, untied and active lives of its women.