She asks for two months by herself upon the
mountains before her death. What a time for him! At the end of the
two months God held him still to his vow; he did not shrink; she
submitted, and was slain. But you will want me to tell you in
conclusion where the gospel is in all this. Gospel! I say that the
blessed gospel is in the Old Testament as well as in the New. I say
that the Word of God is one, and that His message is here this night
for you and me, as distinctly as it is at the end of the sacred
volume. Observe, as I have told you before, that Jephthah is the son
of the harlot. He hath mercy on whom He will have mercy. He calls
them His people who are not His people; and He calls her beloved
which was not beloved. God at any rate is no stickler for hereditary
rights. Moreover, it does not follow because you, my hearers, have
God-fearing parents, that God has elected you. He may have chosen,
instead of you, instead of me, the wretchedest creature outside,
whose rags we will not touch. But to what did God elect Jephthah?
To a respectable, easy, decent existence, with money at interest,
regular meals, sleep after them, and unbroken rest at night? He
elected him to that tremendous oath and that tremendous penalty.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105