suddenly renewed; and Hagar hastened and filled the bottle with water and gave drink to her son, who was speedily restored to health and vigour; and the outcast thenceforth felt that the Lord was great and merciful. From that time the Almighty specially watched over and prospered Ishmael, who dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and became an archer. At a proper age his mother took for him a wife from among her own country-women, the Egyptians; and Ishmael became the father of twelve princes, and ruled the country from Havilah to Shur, going from Egypt towards Assyria. The full years of the life of Ishmael were a hundred and thirty-seven. His descendants still inhabit the wilderness, in which their father resided; and are known as the Arabs of the Desert, "whose hands are against every man, and every man's hand against them."

Abraham, after he had sent away his first-born son, dwelt many days in the land of the Philistines; and God appeared unto him, and tempted him concerning his confidence in the faith and worship which he had followed from his youth upward." Abraham!" said the Lord.

The Patriarch answered, "Behold, here I am."

And God said, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

G

To the commandment of his Maker Abraham had nothing to offer but implicit obedience; and notwithstanding that the sacrifice required was the son of his old age—the only child of his beloved Sarah-he yielded to the will of the Deity with pious resignation, nothing doubting that the Almighty would still accomplish his promise to make all nations of the earth blessed in the seed of Isaac, though the way might be incomprehensible to human reason. We must not suppose that Abraham was without the feelings of humanity. The struggle of parting with Ishmael; his affectionate solicitude on the capture of his nephew Lot; his intercession for the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, all prove that he possessed the keenest and kindliest susceptibilities of our nature : but his confidence in the wisdom, justice, and mercy of God, strengthened him to endure whatever agony might be inflicted on him during his earthly pilgrimage, assured that he should be rewarded with eternal happiness in the world beyond the grave. He therefore rose up early in the morning, and saddling his ass, took with him two of the young men who served him, and Isaac his son. Everything, even to the cleaving of wood to kindle fire for a burnt-offering, was prepared for the sacrifice, ere Abraham departed for the place of which the Lord in the meantime had told him.

After journeying two days, Abraham, on the third, lifted

up

his eyes

and saw the hill of sacrifice afar off. Then he said to his servants, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." So he took the wood which had been provided, and Isaac bare it to the hill of sacrifice, while his father carried the lamp to kindle the fire, and the knife to slay the destined victim; and they went together to the appointed spot-the one silent and thoughtful, the other full of the exuberant joy and curiosity which beguiles the way with untravelled youth. But ere they had reached the termination of their journey, Isaac said to his father, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is

the lamb for a burnt-offering?"

Abraham, evading a question which called forth his tenderest feelings, answered, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering."

On arriving at the place indicated, Abraham erected there an altar of unhewn stones from the fragments of rock which were scattered about in that lonely spot; and after laying the wood in order, he bound his son Isaac, and laid him upon the altar on the wood, then stretching forth his hand, he took the knife to slay his son.

At this moment the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven, saying "Abraham, Abraham!"

G 2