how it was to be brought about. Both himself and wife were so advanced in years that there was little prospect for children; in fact, Sarai had given up all hope. After this the covenant before alluded to was made, and Abram was assured that he should have a son by his wife Sarai, who should be his true heir, and the father of his posterity. In due time Sarah became the mother of Isaac, the son of promise, and he was circumcised, and thus brought within the covenant. Abraham now sees in him the fulfilment of the divine promise, and the assurance of an offspring which is to become innumerable, and to be blessed by God Almighty to the extent that Almighty power could confer blessing, and his fond heart dotes upon him. due time Isaac is weaned, and his father makes a feast in honor of the event. Hagar, looking on, remembers that no such exhibition of paternal pride and affection greeted her son; and Ishmael, sympathizing with his mother, stands back and mocks at the performance. Sarah sees this, and complains to Abraham, who at once banishes Hagar and her son from his household, thus showing that the son of promise held the father's heart.

In

The question now to be determined is, have the foundations been laid in the heart of Abraham, on which to build the temple for the indwelling presence of the Almighty; and if laid, are they so deeply laid that nothing can disturb them. If so, the rock has been found whereon to lay the foundations of that building whose builder and whose maker is God. But how shall this question be determined? How shall it be ascertained whether there are depths in

the human heart nearer to the human life, dearer to the human affections, than that occupied by faith and trust in, and love and reverence for, its God? Is man's love of God supreme? Or is it subordinated to some deeper love?

Isaac, the only son of Abraham, the son of faith and promise, the son of hope, and expectation, one in whom all the affections of the paternal heart were garnered, one in whom his future and the future of his posterity were involved, had grown to be a lad. Next to his God, there could be no object so dear to Abraham's heart. His life, his health, his happiness and his prosperity were more to the father, than all the world beside. Here, then, is the touchstone by which his faith, trust and fidelity are to be made manifest. Here is the weak point, at which he can be most successfully assailed and here the assault is made.

In the midst of all his hopes and expectations, in the presence of all his paternal pride, and love, and tenderness, and without any premonition or explanation comes the command, Abraham, take now thy son, thy 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. And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt offering, and arose up and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go

yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he 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 spake to his father and said, My father, and he said, here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering. And Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son; so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of, and Abraham built there an altar; and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took his knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham, And he said Here am I. And he said, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.*

With this evidence of purposed obedience on the part of Abraham, there remained no further question as to the possible integrity of the human heart; and of the fidelity with which it may be ready to discharge every known duty, and to obey every requirement of its God. Here the foundation is laid upon which true character is to be built, a character which will withstand all temptations which seek to call the soul away from fidelity to its duty and its God.

The integrity of heart, and its fidelity to duty, here exhibited is the same in character as that exhib

*See Appendix Note 6.

ited by Jesus of Nazareth. Abraham only lacked a true perception and comprehension of the character and requirements of God, to have been the peer of the man of Nazareth. In him faith and trust wrought their perfect work to the extent of securing absolute integrity of heart, and fidelity of purpose. He built upon the rock Christ, and his history is one of faithful obedience to every known requirement, and Jesus recognized this sameness of heart and purpose, when he said, Abraham rejoiced to see my day -condition-he saw it and was glad.

CHAPTER IX.

FILIAL LOVE, OR LOVE OF GOD AS FATHER.

THE Abrahamic epoch commenced by individualizing the ideal, that there is but one God, and he Alnighty, and that he had covenanted to become the God of Abraham. By the conditions of this covenant Abraham and his posterity were to be separated from the rest of the world, and they were to become (1) an individualized family, and (2) an individualized people, which individuality was to be evidenced by the circumcision of the male members of the family. This rite was adopted to signify spiritually, the death of the carnal nature, and, consequently, the coming into power of the spiritual nature. The promise was, that by keeping this covenant, God Almighty would bless Abram and his posterity, and that ultimately he should become the father of nations, when his name would be Abraham; and that his seed should become innumerable, and their power in the earth under God, supreme; and that they should thus inherit the earth.

The history of the development of this ideal of God is accurately given, extending from Abram to Moses. The human ideal of God could be developed no faster than the elements of such ideal were revealed in the human consciousness. The idea of a supreme power could be unfolded, because the idea of a power

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