been spared the performance of the tragedy with his own hand. He was not only to lose his son, but he was to strike the fatal blow.

The act was also to be done deliberately. The command was not that he should rush upon his son immediately and slay him under impulsive emotions of first feelings: but he was to take him the distance of forty-two miles from the place where he then stood. "Get thee into the land of Moriah." The journey took them three days to accomplish, during which period he had time for consideration with the desire of his eyes constantly in view. How the iron must have entered his soul when Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Every step of the journey must have added to his poignant grief. The anticipation of a trial is generally the most painful part of it. When the trial comes unexpectedly upon us we have strength equal to the day to sustain us under it, but when we look forward to it the mind becomes more and

more depressed. Thus God mercifully hides our future sorrows from us that we may not be unfitted by exhaustion to endure the burden, for there is no strength promised for anticipation. Again, Isaac must be offered a sacrifice, he must be killed by rule, killed with all the pomp and ceremony, and with all the composure of mind, with which the father was accustomed to offer the burnt offerings; this added to the trial, for if there had been any excited unwillingness it would have detracted from the virtue of obedience.

Let us observe

II. The remarkable end to be served by Abraham's trial, which ends are also served by the trials of all God's people. We shall mention three.

1. It was a test of faith. Abraham's faith had been often tried before. It was a trial of faith to leave his country, his kindred, and all the dear associates of his childhood and youth. It was a trial of faith to sojourn in a strange country, amongst strange people of which and of whom he knew

nothing. It was a trial of faith to have the promise of a son delayed for at least five-and-twenty years. It was a trial of faith to undergo the painful duty of circumcision, and to seal the covenant with blood. But the greatest trial of his faith was reserved for the present instance. Reason might have argued, "How can a father immolate his own son? How can a man reputed for his tender feelings appear such a monster among fathers? What will Sarah think of the cruel act? And above all, what will become of God's promise: In Isaac shall thy seed be called'?" All this reasoning must be overcome if faith was to prove triumphant.

Our faith in God would never be vindicated here, did we not meet with trials. The commendation given by the apostle of the faith of the cloud of witnesses is that it "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness was made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." It is easy enough to swim with the tide; but it requires life, and energy, and confidence to stem the torrent.

2. It was to be a test of love to God. Abraham in leaving his country proved that he loved God better than his father; now he was to prove that he loved God better than his son. The object that we love the most, has the precedence of all other objects in our minds. All others, if need be, must be sacrificed to the honour of that one. God in Christ ought to be the chief object of our affections. If we love Him as we ought, all other feelings will be made subservient to this. Our Saviour insisted upon this when He said, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." You may say that it is a hard test. It is not harder than God has manifested towards us; when He asks it, He only asks a return in the species which He has given. 3. Abraham's trial was a test of obedience. God did not I want the life of Isaac. He did not intend to impose the

execution of so cruel an act on the "father of the faithful; but the command was explicit, all was real to Abraham's mind, the deed was executed in his intention, his self-denial was really and openly declared. We have no reason to infer that he expected deliverance, for God had concealed from him His design of providing a substitute until he had given a full proof of his readiness to obey the Divine command. "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." Disobedience is sin; obedience is religion. All the duties which God requires from us are required as a proof of our willingness to obey Him. The duty of repentance, of faith, of self-denial, of charity, of keeping the Sabbath day, of attendance on Divine ordinances, of prayer, of praise, of perseverance in goodness adds nothing to God. Those things are intended as tests of our obedience, hence of our love to Him.

In this account of Abraham's trial we see the beautiful triumph of faith over every difficulty and opposition. He did not confer with flesh and blood; all natural feelings were discarded; he thought of nothing but of confident submission to the will of God, knowing that He could from the very dust of Isaac multiply his "seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore."

We talk of heroes and of heroism. We admire acts of valour on the field of strife, and revere the memory of those who have been renowned for deeds of blood; but true heroism in the sight of God is the heroism of courageous self-denial and the obedience of confidence. The excellencies of Abraham's character are not so much held up for imitation by his valorous act of conquering and redeeming the spoil from the Kings who had invaded Sodom and the neighbouring cities, as in the simplicity of his self-denying faith. It was this in the midst of trial that made him a great man as well as a good man. If we would be great in the estimation of God, let us imitate the self-denial of Abraham.

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The Second Sunday in Lent.

MORNING SERVICE.-First Lesson: Gen. xxvii.

Verse 38.-" And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father! And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”

THIS chapter is one of the most remarkable recorded in the pages of sacred history. It contains a melancholy fact, and a deep mystery. The fact shows us that sometimes even good people resort to questionable means to obtain their favourite ends; and the mystery shows us that God for some wise purposes unknown unto us condescends to allow such means to succeed that His designs may be accomplished. In tracing the history of Jacob and Esau we find that a decided preference was given to the former even before they were born. Whilst they were yet in their mother's womb, the Divine counsel was made known to her that the two sons she should bring forth were designed to be the heads of two mighty nations, who would differ in their manners and struggle for the supremacy and that, contrary to the general mode of dispensing the possessions of the family, the dominion should go to the younger, and the inheritance be entailed upon him. This intimation might have influenced the mind of Rebekah in the favouritism which she also manifested towards Jacob. It is also probable that she acquainted her beloved child with the purposes of God in his behalf, and that both were influenced by an expectation of the Divine promise in their behaviour towards Esau, which now comes under our consideration.

When Isaac intended to bequeath the blessing to Esau, it grieves the heart to think how that aged husband and father should be imposed upon by a fallacious plan suggested by the

mother and carried into operation by the son to avert the channel of the benediction. We are, indeed, stricken with horror to hear one lie added to another, and the sacred name of God introduced, as it were, to sanctify the cheat. It was not enough for Jacob to practise the fraud of appearing in his brother's raiment, nor even to violate the truth in the most direct terms, saying, "I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me;" but, when questioned as to the quickness with which he had obtained the venison, he presumptuously replied, "The Lord thy God brought it to me:" and, again, when interrogated more closely by the suspecting father, "Art thou my very son, Esau?" he said, "I am." "We attempt not," says Gurney, "a justification of such insidious conduct as this. Let it meet with the abhorrence it deserves: and let others beware of acting the same treacherous part. We are willing to give Jacob the credit of good wishes and pious intentions. He aimed at that which was in itself desirable and valuable in a religious view. But we abominate the ungenerous and very dishonest means by which he effected his purpose. Let not the principle of doing evil that good may come' be adopted in any circumstance whatever by those who profess real godliness." If Jacob and Rebekah had patiently waited God's time, instead of taking the management in their own hands, He would have arranged to obtain the parental blessing for Jacob in a honest and straightforward way, without their minds being involved in the guilt and consequences of

deceit.

It may appear mysterious why a God of strict truthfulness should allow such fraud to prosper! This objection to the character of the Almighty we may meet by saying, that He approved of the end, therefore allowed the success; but He strongly disapproved of the means, therefore He severely punished the actors. He punished Rebekah by making it necessary for her to part with her favourite son, never more to see him upon earth and He punished Jacob by a series of troubles which his subsequent history involves. Our im