This disappointment soon grew to a resentment, which could not long be concealed in mother or son; for after Isaac was weaned and grown up a little, his watchful mother caught Ishmael mocking him. Sarah could by no means bear to have her son derided by the son of a bond-woman; she was therefore very importunate with Abraham to dismiss both mother and son, hinting to him that her son was to be the heir of the covenant, not the son of a slave. This brought Abraham into a painful dilemma: He was fond of Ishmael, whose infant familiarity had very much engaged him to the child. But God, who always had a great regard to Abraham's happiness and welfare, soon made it easy to him; bidding him not to be solicitous about the bond-woman and her son, but to regard what his wife advised him to, confirming what she said, that Isaac was to be his heir; assuring him at the same time, that because Ishmael was his son he would make him considerable in the world. †

Once more Hagar turns wanderer, but it is by compulsion: The Lord will have it so, and Abraham must obey. His fondness for Ishmael yielded to God's promises, which were his only comfort at this sad separation. All her equipment of provision was some bread and a bottle of water, with which she sets out, wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba till her water was spent, and in vain searching for a supply in that parched country, she in despair lays the child, fainting with thirst, at the foot of a tree, herself retiring a little distance from him, that she

Mocking. It is reasonable to suppose that this mocking might be upon the account of the heirship, Ishmael scorning that this youngster, so much his inferior in years, should take the inheritance from him; and so upon this derided him: And that Hagar, Ishmael's mother, did countenance him, if not tutor him to it. For she was to be cast out as well as he; which it is probable, would not have been the case, if she had not been faulty. This may reasonably be supposed from her former deportment upon her conceiving Ishmael, when she carried herself very haughtily to her mistress.

+ St. Paul treats this history allegorically in Gal. iv. 22. and says, “As then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now."

might not see him die. In vain his feeble tongue calls on his mourning mother who can only answer him with tears; they weep, and alternately echo their sad distress to one another. But the boundless pity which alone can help when all human means fail, bids the weeping mother dry up her tears, and fear no more; for He had heard her prayers, and would make her child the father of a mighty people. Hagar looking about, found a well of water, and gave the child drink, which refreshed him, God afterwards providing for him; and here they both took up their abode, in the wilderness of Paran, where Ishmael became an expert archer, by which employment it is probable he obtained provisions to sustain his mother and himself. And when he had arrived at man's estate, his mother, being herself an Egyptian, took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Abraham being so kindly treated by Abimelech, and invited to dwell in his country, accepts his offer; and the former, observing how visibly God blessed Abraham in all his undertakings, and that he grew very powerful, took Phicol the general of his forces, and made a league with him, fearing lest, as Abraham became more powerful, he might attempt something in prejudice of him or his successors in the government. This league thus made, and confirmed by an oath between them, and a little difference composed about a well of water which Ab...am had digged, and Abimelech's servants without their master's knowledge had forcibly seized, but now upon Abraham's complaint restored, Abraham made a present to Abimelech of some sheep and oxen, who with his general Phicol took leave and returned. But Abraham, intending to settle for some time in that country, planted a grove* in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

* Grove. It is probable that from the earliest times Trees or Groves were held sacred, and had some emblematical design, relative to worship. Perhaps they were of the same nature as the High Places we afterwards read of, and which were no longer proper, when the only altar allowed to the Jews was fixed at Jerusalem. VOL. I.

I

Among all the circumstances and trials of Abraham's faith and obedience, the greatest that ever he experienced, was that of being commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac. Ishmael, once the delight of his heart, and joy of his declining age, is now no more to him, being obliged by the divine mandate to banish him from home, and Isaac, the son of his joy, whom he so dearly loved, who had been conceived beyond the course of nature, and in whom God had promised that all the nations of the earth should be blessed, must bleed by the appointment of the Almighty. This was a severe trial to human nature but God's command made it easy. Abraham neither disputes nor delays; but early in the morning set forward on his journey, accompanied only by his son Isaac, and attended with two servants, who led an ass that carried the wood, and other instruments for the sacrifice, as well as provisions for themselves, having three days journey to go, as far as the land of Moriah. On the third day they came within sight of the place; when

As the Groves were abused for the purposes of superstition and idolatry, the Israelites were commanded to destroy their altars, break down their images, and cut down their groves, Exod. xxxiv. 13. and to burn them with fire, Deut. xii. 3. They were forbidden also to plant any themselves to perform their devotions in, Deut. xvi. 21. And when the kings of Israel departed from God, they set up groves; and it was one of Ahab's provoking sins that he made a grove, 1 Kings xvi. 33. But in the patriarchal age, Sacred Trees and Groves might be lawful; and the object of Abraham's worship was Jehovah, the everlasting God. Let us, wherever we sojourn, take care to acknowledge and worship the Lord.

* Moriab. That is, The fear of the Lord. This is the place where Jerusalem afterwards stood: for Mount Moriah, where Abraham was to offer his son, is by some thought to be Mount Sion, on which Solomon built the Temple, where God commanded the offerings to be made, 2 Chron. iii. v. 1.

From this time the place obtained a new name—“ "JEHOVAH JIREH-The Lord will be seen" alluding to what Abraham had said to his son- -"Jehovab Fireb”— "the Lord will provide,—or see to it." He now prophetically calls the place by this, name, for here indeed-The Lord was seen; here the Son of God, the Lord from heaven did appear, and die as an atonement for the sins of the world.

Abraham ordered his servants to stop, telling them that he and his son would go and worship, and come back to them again. The pious youth, ignorant of what his father intended to do with him, goes on cheerfully; and the faithful Patriarch, having by the strength of his dependance on God's promises overcome those pangs of natural affection, which otherwise might have made him hesitate in the performance of this severe duty,' went on with a resolution answerable to his faith and obedience. Thus they walked together; but Isaac, who saw the wood and instruments provided for the sacrifice, and no lamb for a burnt offering, innocently asked his father where he would procure a lamb? To which the father prophetically replied, My son, God will provide himself a "lamb for a burnt offering." Abraham, being come to the place God had appointed, built an altar, and having laid the wood in order, bound his son Isaac, and laid him upon the wood on the altar. Isaac, being at that time at least twenty-five years of age, (though he was then called lad and child,) was capable of making resistance; but whether being by his father made acquainted with God's command, or being naturally subject and obedient to his parents, he quietly submitted, yielding implicitly to his father's directions.

All things being thus prepared, Abraham stretched forth his hand to give the fatal stroke; when Heaven, regarding the father's piety, and the son's obedience, timely interposes, and, with a reduplication of his name, charges

Stop. Probably to prevent any disturbance the servants by their tenderness might give him, if they should see him about to sacrifice his son.

+ Dependance. From what the apostle says, Heb. xi. 19. may be gathered, that Abraham had so steady a faith in God's omnipotence, that though he neither knew nor expected any other but that Isaac should certainly be sacrificed; yet he believed that God, who had so miraculously given him, and promised to make him 64 the father of many nations," would, to make his promise good, restore him to life again; "accounting," saith St. Paul, "that God was able to raise him up from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure, that is, in a figure orresemblance of the resurrection from the dead."

him not to hurt the youth, adding this divine applause of his faith, "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing "thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from

me. Abraham, not a little surprised at the voice, turns about to see whence it came, and spies a ram caught in a thicket by the horns, which he immediately took and offered for a burnt offering instead of his son : A happy exchange! Upon this complete obedience of Abraham, it pleased the Lord to renew his promise to him with great amplifications, and confirm it to him by oath.* Whereupon Abraham returning with his son Isaac to his servants, they joyfully repair to Beersheba, at that time the place of Abraham's residence; where he is no sooner arrived, but he is welcomed home with the happy news of the increase of his family; for Milcha, the wife of his brother Nahor, had made him the glad father of eight children, among whom was Bethuel, the father of Rebecca, who was afterwards wife to Isaac.

It is not certainly known how long Abraham abode at Beersheba; but the next place where we hear of him was at Kirjath-arba, afterwards called Hebron, in the country of Canaan; where he buried his wife Sarah in the hundred and twenty-seventh year of her age. Having observed the usual ceremony of mourning, he addressed himself to the Hittites,† desiring a burying place for his dead. They, not understanding his meaning, replied,

Oath. St. Paul refers to this circumstance, Heb. vi. 13, &c. where addressing sincere believers, he comforts them with a view of the goodness of God, and his fidelity to the sacred engagements into which he had condescended to enter.

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, (as men usually do) he sware by himself, saying, Surely, blessing I will bless thee," &c. He observes that in like manner "God being willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his council, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us."

+ Hittites. The Hittites were descended from Heth, the son of Canaan, and grandson of Ham, Gen. x. 6. 16, who then possessed that country.