Sarah, although his wife, was indeed by birth his halfsister. Generous like the Egyptian king, Abimelech loaded Abraham with presents, even inviting him to dwell in whatever part of his land he might choose. But he strongly recommended him in future to take precautions that Sarah should be known and recognised as his wife.

11. BIRTH OF ISAAC AND EXPULSION OF

HAGAR.

[GENES. XXI.]

The hundredth year of Abraham's life had commenced, when the fulfilment of God's promise came as it had been predicted. A son, who received the name of Isaac, was born to Abraham, the heir to his rich possessions, the heir to the blessings vouchsafed by God to the race of the patriarch he was to transmit the worship of the true God to future generations. Sarah, who had shown so little faith, had a glorious old age; God had indeed blessed her; she now felt that she was justly called Sarah, the mother of nations. And the infant Isaac grew, and Abraham gave a great feast on the day he was weaned.

Ishmael, the son of Hagar, now a youth about sixteen years old, felt bitterly towards his brother Isaac, the chosen heir of his father, and he openly mocked him. Sarah's spirit was roused; she had never loved the child of the bondwoman, though she had tolerated him within her tent. Now, full of pride and jealousy, she resolved upon expelling Hagar and her son from the home which had sheltered them so long. Just as sixteen years ago she had pleaded her cause before Abraham, so she pleaded it again. The patriarch's gentle spirit felt the injustice of Sarah; he loved his son Ishmael, although he knew

that to Isaac belonged the privileges of the firstborn. But God commanded Abraham to listen to the voice of Sarah; while He promised His Divine protection to Ishmael also, who was to be, like Isaac, the father of a great nation. Abraham, obedient as usual to the behest of the Lord, rose early in the morning and sent Hagar and her son from his tent. His heart must have smitten him as he gave her bread for the journey, and slung the skin of water over her shoulder. The bondwoman, leading her son by the hand, set forth upon her weary way, and came to the desert region near Beer-sheba, evidently taking the direction of her native Egypt. Here the trials of the wanderers commenced. The water in the skin was spent, and thirst began to torment them. Thirst in the parched and sandy desert, where the heat is oppressive, and the foot aches with the burning soil, is indeed the height of agony. Ishmael, fainting from weariness and exhaustion, seems to have felt this fearful torture more strongly than his mother. Hagar, taking her son in her arms, placed him beneath a shrub, and, in woful despair, sat down at some distance from him, for she said: 'I will not see my child die.' What a scene of sadness-mother and son lying down to die in the wilderness! And Hagar lifted up her voice and wept. God heard that cry of anguish, and He called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her: What aileth thee, Hagar?' Then followed words of reassurance and comfort, sweet words to the bleeding heart of the poor fugitive: Rise, take the boy, and hold him by thy hand, for I shall make of him a great nation.' God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw before her the cool and delicious waters of a fountain; she hurried to it, and filling the skin gave her son to drink.

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Ishmael grew strong and powerful, and lived in the district of Paran: the wild desert was his home, the bow his weapon, and liberty the soul of his existence. His

mother chose for him an Egyptian wife, one of her own country women.

Abraham continued to dwell in the land of Gerar, and concluded a covenant of peace with king Abimelech. The latter was soon called upon to prove his peaceful intentions towards Abraham. Among nomad chiefs, whose wealth consists mainly of flocks and herds, the possession of a well is of the utmost importance. Abimelech's servants had violently taken away the well of water which the patriarch had dug for his own use; as soon as the king heard of this act of injustice, he ordered his men at once to restore the well. To ratify the covenant, Abraham offered up a sacrifice, and called the place where the vows of friendship had been exchanged, Beer-sheba. He moreover marked the spot by planting a tamarisk, and he there worshipped the Lord, the everlasting God.

12. INTENDED SACRIFICE OF ISAAC.

[GENES. XXII.]

Faith in God and obedience to His commands were the two noblest and brightest qualities in Abraham's character. From the early days of his wanderings he had evinced, with few exceptions, a steady and unflinching reliance and trust. He had left his own house, he had given up his family ties, to journey into a strange land. He had pitched his tents in the south and the north, in Egypt, in Hebron, and in Gerar, and wherever he went he invoked the name of the Lord. He had proved himself a warrior, and had defeated mighty armies. He had pleaded on behalf of the doomed cities; he had seen the anger and experienced the mercy of the Divine Judge. He had delighted in the youthful Ishmael, and had yet without murmuring sent him forth with his mother. But greater

than all previous struggles was the final trial imposed upon him whilst dwelling in peace and prosperity, the friend of the king, and honoured as a nomad chief in the land of the Philistines. Had the Bible only recorded this one act of faith, Abraham would be transcendently great in his obedience; but relating it as the last and the severest of his tests, it gloriously crowns a long and virtuous life; it gives the finishing stroke to the picture of sublime and childlike trust. The event is narrated in the Bible with inimitable beauty and simplicity.

And it was after these things that God tried Abraham, and said to him, Abraham; and he said, Behold here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thy only one, whom thou lovest, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell thee. And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clove the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose, and went to the place which God had told him. On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.'

We must pause a moment to refer to that place seen on the third day by Abraham. The land of Moriah was doubtless the district round about the city of Jerusalem, and the hill was that one later hallowed by the Ark of the Covenant deposited there by David, and by the Temple which was erected there by Solomon. The spot destined to be the dwelling-place of God's glory was consecrated by the grandest act of piety and faith.

When Abraham saw the mountain from afar, he felt that the time for the sacrifice was at hand; so ' he said to his young men, Remain here with the ass, and I and the youth will go thither, and we will worship and return to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burntoffering and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the

fire in his hand, and the knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, My father; and he said, Behold here I am, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?' To that question, so terrible to the father's tortured heart, the simple answer was given, breathing faith alone: My son, God will look out for Himself a lamb for a burnt-offering.' The text continues: 'And they went both of them together; and they came to the place which God had told him; and Abraham built there an altar, and arranged the wood, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.'

It was enough; Abraham had been tried, and had shown himself worthy indeed of the great and holy mission God had entrusted to him. The sacrifice, although not offered in reality, had been accepted by the Lord, and the horror of shedding the blood of his dearly beloved son was spared to the patriarch. Thus it was proved that God detests human sacrifices, even if meant to testify the most ardent piety; and the Law is inexorable in denouncing them as an abomination. Abraham had been ready to sacrifice his dearest hopes, his paternal love, his brightest promises, when he raised the knife to kill his son. Could God require more? The angel of the Lord stayed his uplifted hand, and called to him from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. And He said, Lay not thy hand upon the youth, nor do to him anything; for now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not withheld thy son, thy only one, from Me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, in the back-ground, a ram was entangled in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of

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