ing, Unto thy (2) seed have I given this (3) land, from the river (4) of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

With

1. An agreement.-2. Children.-3. Country.-4. Nile. 18. What did God make with Abram? whom did God make a covenant? When did God make a covenant with Abram? What was this covenant? To whom had God given the land? To whose seed? What had God given to Abram's seed? From what place? To what place? What kind of a river is Euphrates?

[For ver. 19 to 21, see Bible.]

LESSONS.

356. God bade Abram not to fear, ver. 1.-We should never be afraid when we are in the way of our duty, and are trusting in God.

357. God was Abram's shield, ver. 1.-We should trust for safety and protection in God only.

358. God was Abram's reward, ver. 1.-We should seek our reward in heaven and from God, and not in this world or from men.

359. Abram was dissatisfied by being childless. ver. 2. We should never be dissatisfied with any of the dispensations of God's providence.

360. Abram complained that a stranger, and not a child, was his steward, ver. 2.-As children are intended for helps and blessings to their parents, they should be diligent, faithful, and frugal in the concerns of their parents.

361. Abram repeated his complaint in the form of a prayer, ver. 3.-We should humbly and submissively lay all our wants before God, in secret prayer.

362. God heard and answered Abram's complaint and prayer, ver. 4.-God will hear and answer the prayer of faith.

368. God compared Abram's seed to the stars, ver. 5.-We should use the things of nature as illustrations of the things of grace.

364. Abram believed in the Lord, ver. 6.-We should implicitly believe God, and trust in his promises.

365. Faith was counted to Abram for righteousness, ver. 6. We must look for justification by faith, and not by good works.

366. The Lord brought Abram out of Urr, ver. 7. -All our movements, and changes of situation in life, are wisely directed and overruled by God.

367. The Lord brought Abram out of Urr to give him Canaan, ver. 7.-We should be willing to give up all for God, knowing, that he will richly reward every act of self-denial performed for his sake.

368. Abram wished for a sign of the truth of God's promise, ver. 8.-We should never allow unbelief to mar our own peace, or throw discredit on the promises of God.

369. Abram took the animals as God directed him, ver. 9.-We should worship God according to his own appointment.

370. When the fowls came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away, ver. 11.-We should watch against, and drive away, sinful or worldly thoughts in our acts of worship.

371. A horror of great darkness fell upon Abram, ver. 12.-We are not to allow any temporary or permanent depression of spirits to shake our faith in the care, the goodness, or the faithfulness of God.

372. Abram's seed were to be strangers in a strange land, ver. 18.-We should walk, and act, and converse, as strangers and pilgrims upon earth, on our way to heaven."

373. They were to serve strangers, ver. 13.-We should willingly submit to every trial, and difficulty, and privation, with which God is pleased to visit us upon earth, in the confident hope of that rest which remaineth for the people of God.

374. They were to be afflicted four hundred years,

ver. 13. We must never weary, or faint, under lengthened afflictions, knowing that God is faithful and that the end will be glorious.

375. God was to judge their enemies, ver. 14.-We should be afraid of joining with, or countenancing, others in grieving, calumniating, persecuting, or oppressing the people of God.

376. They were to come out with great substance, ver. 14.-Afflictions, humbly submitted to, and patiently borne, will be productive of great and permanent blessings.

377. Abram was, at a good old age, to go to his fathers in peace, ver. 15.-Long life, in the fear and favour of God, must be ranked among our mercies and blessings.

378. The destruction of the Amorites was delayed till their iniquities were full, ver. 16.-We should never proceed in sin, because of supposed present security.

379. God, on that same day, made a covenant with Abram, ver. 18.-That in our times of greatest darkness, we, by faith, should seek, and look, and hope for, peculiar manifestations of God's mercy and kind

ness.

SECTION XXIII.

Hagar's Flight, and the Birth of Ishmael.—
Gen. xvi. 1-16.

1. Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children: and she had (1)

an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

1. A maid-servant.

1. l'ho bare no children to Abram? rai?

Who was Sa-
Who had
What

To whom did she bear no children?
What was Sarai's handmaid?

a handmaid?
was her name? What was Hagar?

1

2. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath (1) restrained me from (2) bearing: I pray thee go in unto my maid: it may

be that I may (3) obtain children by her. And Abram (4) hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

1. Kept.-2. Having children.-3. Receive.-4. Heard, and did according.

2. Who spake to Abram? What did Sarai say to Abram? What had the Lord done? From what had the Lord restrained Sarai? By whom did she wish to obtain children? Who hearkened to Sarai's voice?

3. And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, afte Abram had (1) dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her t' her husband Abram to be his wife.

1. Lived.

3. Who took Hagar? Who was Sarai? Who was Hagar? What countrywoman was Hagar? How long had Abram at this time dwelt in Canaan? What did Sarai do with Hagar? To whom did she give her? What did she give Hagar to Abram to be?

4. And he went in unto Hagar, and she (1) conceived: and, when she saw that she had conceived, (2) her mistress was (3) despised in her (4)

eyes.

1. Became with child.-2. Sarai.-3. Scorned, or slighted.-4. Opinion, and manner of acting towards her.

4. Who conceived? What did Hagar do to her mistress? Who was despised? In whose eyes was Sarai despised? When was Sarai despised by Hagar?

5. And Sarai said unto Abram, (1) My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom: and when she saw that she had (2) conceived I was (3) despised in her eyes: the Lord (4) judge between me

and thee.

1. The injury that I am receiving.-2. Become with child.-3. Treated by her with contempt.-4. Decide this matter.

What did Sarai

5. To whom did Sarai complain? say to Abram? Upon whom was her wrong to be? What had she given? Into what had she given her maid? Into whose bosom? When she saw what? In whose eyes had she been despised? When had she been despised in Hagar's eyes? Who was to judge between Abram and Sarai? Between whom was the Lord to judge?

6. But Abram said unto Sarai, (1) Behold, thy (2) maid is in thy (3) hand; do to her as (4) it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai (5) dealt hardly with her (6) she fled from (7) her face.

1. Take notice.-2. Servant.-3. Power.-4. You think proper.-5 Used her with severity.-6. Hagar.-7. Sarai's presence and power.

6. What did Abram say unto Sarai? Who was in her hand? Whose maid? What did Abram bid her do to her maid? Who was to do as it pleased her? To whom was she to do as it pleased her? How did Sarai deal with Hagar? Who dealt hardly with her? What did Hagar. do when Sarai dealt hardly with her? Who fled? From what did she flee?

From whose face?

7. And the angel of the Lord (1) found her by a (2) fountain of water in the (3) wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 1. Got.-2. Well, or spring.-3. Desert place.

7. Who found Hagar? Whose angel? Whom did the angel find? Where did the angel of the Lord find her? What kind of fountain was this? Where was this fountain? In what part of the wilderness was this fountain? Who was by the fountain?

8. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, (1) whence (2) camest thou? and (3) whither wilt thou go? And she said, I (4) flee from the (5) face of my mistress Sarai.

1. From what place.-2. Hast thou come.-3. To what place.-4. Am running away.-5. Presence.

8. Who spoke to Hagar by the fountain? What did the angel call her? Whose maid? What did the angel ask at Hagar? What answer did Hagar give? Who fled? From whom did she say she fled? Who was Sarai?

9. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, (1) Return to thy mistress, and (2) submit thyself under her (3) hands.

1. Go back again.-2. Become obedient and dutiful.-3. Authority and punishment.

9. What did the angel bid her do? To whom was she to return? To whose mistress? What was she to do when she returned to her mistress? Who was to submit herself? To whom was she to submit herself? Under what? Under whose hands?

10. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will (1) multiply thy (2) seed (3) exceedingly that (4) it shall not be (5) numbered for (6) multitude.

1. Increase.-2. Descendants.-3. To a very great degree.-4. Thy seed.-5. Counted.-6. Their great numbers.

10. What was God to multiply? Whose seed was