,transcriber's ,note3    ,italic words  
have been enclosed in underscores4      
,as the oe ligature cannot be included  
in this format1 it has been   replaced  
with the separate letters in manoeuvre  
and ,phoenician4    ,a few minor        
typographical errors have been silently 
corrected4   ,some inconsistent         
hyphenation has been retained4    ,the  
,table of ,contents refers to original  
page numbers4                           
,,the ,,book                       ,,of 
,,genesis4                        ,,by  
,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d41                
,,author ,,of ,,israel',s ,,iron ,,age1 
,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,our ,,lord1     
,,the ,,prayer ,,that ,,teaches ,,to    
,,pray1 ,,etc4                    ,,new 
,,york3            ,a4 ,c4 ,,armstrong  
,,and ,,son                #gad1        
,,broadway4     ,,contents4             
,,page     ,,chapter ,i4     ,,the      
,,creation                              
#a      ,,chapter ,,ii4     ,,the ,,fall
                                        

#ae      ,,chapter ,,iii4     ,,cain    
,,and ,,abel                            
#bh      ,,chapter ,,iv4     ,,cain',s  
,,line1 ,,and ,,enoch                   
#db      ,,chapter ,v4     ,,the ,,flood
                                     #ee
      ,,chapter ,,vi4     ,,noah',s     
,,fall                                  
#fh      ,,chapter ,,vii4     ,,the     
,,call ,,of ,,abraham                   
#ha      ,,chapter ,,viii4     ,,abram  
,,in ,,egypt                            
#if      ,,chapter ,,ix4     ,,lot',s   
,,separation ,,from ,,abram             
#ajh      ,,chapter ,x4     ,,abram',s  
,,rescue ,,of ,,lot                     
#aba      ,,chapter ,,xi4     ,,covenant
 ,,with ,,abram                         
#acd      ,,chapter ,,xii4     ,,birth  
,,of ,,ishmael                          
#adg      ,,chapter ,,xiii4     ,,the   
,,covenant ,,sealed                     
#aei      ,,chapter ,,xiv4              
,,abraham',s ,,intercession ,,for       
,,sodom             #agb      ,,chapter 

,,xv4     ,,destruction ,,of ,,the      
,,cities ,,of ,,the ,,plain       #ahf  
,,chapter ,,xvi4     ,,sacrifice ,,of   
,,isaac                           #aih  
,,chapter ,,xvii4     ,,ishmael ,,and   
,,isaac                            #bab 
,,chapter ,,xviii4     ,,purchase ,,of  
,,machpelah                        #bbf 
,,chapter ,,xix4     ,,isaac',s         
,,marriage                              
#bdj      ,,chapter ,,xx4     ,,esau    
,,and ,,jacob                           
#bed      ,,chapter ,,xxi4              
,,jacob',s ,,fraud                      
#bfg      ,,chapter ,,xxii4             
,,jacob',s ,,flight ,,and ,,dream       
#bgi      ,,chapter ,,xxiii4     ,,jacob
 ,,at ,,peniel                          
#bic      ,,chapter ,,xxiv4             
,,jacob',s ,,return                     
#cjg      ,,chapter ,,xxv4              
,,joseph',s ,,dreams                    
#cba      ,,chapter ,,xxvi4     ,,joseph
 ,,in ,,prison                          
#cci      ,,chapter ,,xxvii4            

,,pharaoh',s ,,dreams                   
#cee      ,,chapter ,,xxviii4           
,,joseph',s ,,administration            
#cfi      ,,chapter ,,xxix4     ,,visits
 ,,of ,,joseph',s ,,brethren            
#chc      ,,chapter ,,xxx4     ,,the    
,,reconciliation                        
#cif      ,,chapter ,,xxxi4     ,,the   
,,blessings ,,of ,,the ,,tribes         
#dae     ,i4  ,,the ,,creation4         
,,genesis i4 and ii4   ,if any one is in
 search of accurate information         
regarding the age of this earth1 or its 
relation to the sun1 moon1 and stars1 or
 regarding the order in which plants and
 animals have appeared upon it1 he is   
referred to recent text-books in        
astronomy1 geology1 and palaeontology4  
,no one for a moment dreams of referring
 a serious student of these subjects to 
the ,bible as a source of information4  
,it is not the object of the writers of 
,scripture to impart physical           
instruction or to enlarge the bounds of 
scientific knowledge4 ,but if any one   

wishes to know what connection the world
 has with ,god1 if he seeks to trace    
back all that now is to the very        
fountain-head of life1 if he desires to 
discover some unifying principle1 some  
illuminating purpose in the history of  
this earth1 then we confidently refer   
him to these and the subsequent chapters
 of ,scripture as his safest1 and indeed
 his only1 guide to the information he  
seeks4 ,every writing must be judged by 
the object the writer has in view4 ,if  
the object of the writer of these       
chapters was to convey physical         
information1 then certainly it is       
imperfectly fulfilled4 ,but if his      
object was to give an intelligible      
account of ,god's relation to the world 
and to man1 then it must be owned that  
he has been successful in the highest   
degree4  ,it is therefore unreasonable  
to allow our reverence for this writing 
to be lessened because it does not      
anticipate the discoveries of physical  
science2 or to repudiate its authority  

in its own department of truth because  
it does not give us information which it
 formed no part of the writer's object  
to give4 ,as well might we deny to      
,shakespeare a masterly knowledge of    
human life1 because his dramas are      
blotted by historical anachronisms4     
,that the compiler of this book of      
,genesis did not aim at scientific      
accuracy in speaking of physical details
 is obvious1 not merely from the general
 scope and purpose of the ,biblical     
writers1 but especially from this1 that 
in these first two chapters of his book 
he lays side by side two accounts of    
man's creation which no ingenuity can   
reconcile4 ,these two accounts1         
glaringly incompatible in details1 but  
absolutely harmonious in their leading  
ideas1 at once warn the reader that the 
writer's aim is rather to convey certain
 ideas regarding man's spiritual history
 and his connection with ,god1 than to  
describe the process of creation4 ,he   
does describe the process of creation1  

but he describes it only for the sake of
 the ideas regarding man's relation to  
,god and ,god's relation to the world   
which he can thereby convey4 ,indeed    
what we mean by scientific knowledge was
 not in all the thoughts of the people  
for whom this book was written4 ,the    
subject of creation1 of the beginning of
 man upon earth1 was not approached from
 that side at all2 and if we are to     
understand what is here written we must 
burst the trammels of our own modes of  
thought and read these chapters not as a
 chronological1 astronomical1           
geological1 biological statement1 but as
 a moral or spiritual conception4  ,it  
will1 however1 be said1 and with much   
appearance of justice1 that although the
 first object of the writer was not to  
convey scientific information1 yet he   
might have been expected to be accurate 
in the information he did advance       
regarding the physical universe4 ,this  
is an enormous assumption to make on a  
priori grounds1 but it is an assumption 

worth seriously considering because it  
brings into view a real and important   
difficulty which every reader of        
,genesis must face4 ,it brings into view
 the twofold character of this account  
of creation4 ,on the one hand it is     
irreconcilable with the teachings of    
science4 ,on the other hand it is in    
striking contrast to the other          
cosmogonies which have been handed down 
from pre-scientific ages4 ,these are the
 two patent features of this record of  
creation and both require to be         
accounted for4 ,either feature alone    
would be easily accounted for2 but the  
two co-existing in the same document are
 more baffling4 ,we have to account at  
once for a want of perfect coincidence  
with the teachings of science1 and for a
 singular freedom from those errors     
which disfigure all other primitive     
accounts of the creation of the world4  
,the one feature of the document is as  
patent as the other and presses equally 
for explanation4  ,now many persons cut 

the knot by simply denying that both    
these features exist4 ,there is no      
disagreement with science1 they say4 ,i 
speak for many careful enquirers when ,i
 say that this cannot serve as a        
solution of the difficulty4 ,i think it 
is to be freely admitted that1 from     
whatever cause and however justifiably1 
the account of creation here given is   
not in strict and detailed accordance   
with the teaching of science4 ,all      
attempts to force its statements into   
such accord are futile and mischievous4 
,they are futile because they do not    
convince independent enquirers1 but only
 those who are unduly anxious to be     
convinced4 ,and they are mischievous    
because they unduly prolong the strife  
between ,scripture and science1 putting 
the question on a false issue4 ,and     
above all1 they are to be condemned     
because they do violence to ,scripture1 
foster a style of interpretation by     
which the text is forced to say whatever
 the interpreter desires1 and prevent us

 from recognising the real nature of    
these sacred writings4 ,the ,bible needs
 no defence such as false constructions 
of its language bring to its aid4 ,they 
are its worst friends who distort its   
words that they may yield a meaning more
 in accordance with scientific truth4   
,if1 for example1 the word 'day' in     
these chapters1 does not mean a period  
of twenty-four hours1 the interpretation
 of ,scripture is hopeless4 ,indeed if  
we are to bring these chapters into any 
comparison at all with science1 we find 
at once various discrepancies4 ,of a    
creation of sun1 moon1 and stars1       
subsequent to the creation of this      
earth1 science can have but one thing to
 say4 ,of the existence of fruit trees  
prior to the existence of the sun1      
science knows nothing4 ,but for a candid
 and unsophisticated reader without a   
special theory to maintain1 details are 
needless4  ,accepting this chapter then 
as it stands1 and believing that only by
 looking at the ,bible as it actually is

 can we hope to understand ,god's method
 of revealing ,himself1 we at once      
perceive that ignorance of some         
departments of truth does not disqualify
 a man for knowing and imparting truth  
about ,god4 ,in order to be a medium of 
revelation a man does not need to be in 
advance of his age in secular learning4 
,intimate communion with ,god1 a spirit 
trained to discern spiritual things1 a  
perfect understanding of and zeal for   
,god's purpose1 these are qualities     
quite independent of a knowledge of the 
discoveries of science4 ,the            
enlightenment which enables men to      
apprehend ,god and spiritual truth1 has 
no necessary connection with scientific 
attainments4 ,david's confidence in ,god
 and his declarations of ,his           
faithfulness are none the less valuable1
 because he was ignorant of a very great
 deal which every school-boy now knows4 
,had inspired men introduced into their 
writings information which anticipated  
the discoveries of science1 their state 

of mind would be inconceivable1 and     
revelation would be a source of         
confusion4 ,god's methods are harmonious
 with one another1 and as ,he has given 
men natural faculties to acquire        
scientific knowledge and historical     
information1 ,he did not stultify this  
gift by imparting such knowledge in a   
miraculous and unintelligible manner4   
,there is no evidence that inspired men 
were in advance of their age in the     
knowledge of physical facts and laws4   
,and plainly1 had they been             
supernaturally instructed in physical   
knowledge they would so far have been   
unintelligible to those to whom they    
spoke4 ,had the writer of this book     
mingled with his teaching regarding     
,god1 an explicit and exact account of  
how this world came into existence--had 
he spoken of millions of years instead  
of speaking of days--in all probability 
he would have been discredited1 and what
 he had to say about ,god would have    
been rejected along with his premature  

science4 ,but speaking from the point of
 view of his contemporaries1 and        
accepting the current ideas regarding   
the formation of the world1 he attached 
to these the views regarding ,god's     
connection with the world which are most
 necessary to be believed4 ,what he had 
learned of ,god's unity and creative    
power and connection with man1 by the   
inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 he     
imparts to his contemporaries through   
the vehicle of an account of creation   
they could all understand4 ,it is not in
 his knowledge of physical facts that he
 is elevated above his contemporaries1  
but in his knowledge of ,god's          
connection with all physical facts4 ,no 
doubt1 on the other hand1 his knowledge 
of ,god reacts upon the entire contents 
of his mind and saves him from          
presenting such accounts of creation as 
have been common among polytheists4 ,he 
presents an account purified by his     
conception of what was worthy of the    
supreme ,god he worshipped4 ,his idea of

 ,god has given dignity and simplicity  
to all he says about creation1 and there
 is an elevation and majesty about the  
whole conception1 which we recognise as 
the reflex of his conception of ,god4   
,here then instead of anything to       
discompose us or to excite unbelief1 we 
recognise one great law or principle on 
which ,god proceeds in making ,himself  
known to men4 ,this has been called the 
,law of ,accommodation4 ,it is the law  
which requires that the condition and   
capacity of those to whom the revelation
 is made must be considered4 ,if you    
wish to instruct a child1 you must speak
 in language the child can understand4  
,if you wish to elevate a savage1 you   
must do it by degrees1 accommodating    
yourself to his condition1 and winking  
at much ignorance while you instil      
elementary knowledge4 ,you must found   
all you teach on what is already        
understood by your pupil1 and through   
that you must convey further knowledge  
and train his faculties to higher       

capacity4 ,so was it with ,god's        
revelation4 ,the ,jews were children who
 had to be trained with what ,paul      
somewhat contemptuously calls weak and  
beggarly elements1 the ,a ,b ,c of      
morals and religion4 ,not even in morals
 could the absolute truth be enforced4  
,accommodation had to be practised even 
here4 ,polygamy was allowed as a        
concession to their immature stage of   
development3 and practices in war and in
 domestic law were permitted or enjoined
 which were inconsistent with absolute  
morality4 ,indeed the whole ,jewish     
system was an adaptation to an immature 
state4 ,the dwelling of ,god in the     
,temple as a man in his house1 the      
propitiating of ,god with sacrifice as  
of an ,eastern king with gifts2 this was
 a teaching by picture1 a teaching which
 had as much resemblance to the truth   
and as much mixture of truth as they    
were able then to receive4 ,no doubt    
this teaching did actually mislead them 
in some of their ideas2 but it kept them

 on the whole in a right attitude       
towards ,god1 and prepared them for     
growing up to a fuller discernment of   
the truth4  ,much more was this law     
observed in regard to such matters as   
are dealt with in these chapters4 ,it   
was impossible that in their ignorance  
of the rudiments of scientific          
knowledge1 the early ,hebrews should    
understand an absolutely accurate       
account of how the world came into      
being2 and if they could have understood
 it1 it would have been useless1        
dissevered as it must have been from the
 steps of knowledge by which men have   
since arrived at it4 ,children ask us   
questions in answer to which we do not  
tell them the exact full truth1 because 
we know they cannot possibly understand 
it4 ,all that we can do is to give them 
some provisional answer which conveys to
 them some information they can         
understand1 and which keeps them in a   
right state of mind1 although this      
information often seems absurd enough   

when compared with the actual facts and 
truth of the matter4 ,and if some solemn
 pedant accused us of supplying the     
child with false information1 we would  
simply tell him he knew nothing about   
children4 ,accurate information on these
 matters will infallibly come to the    
child when he grows up2 what is wanted  
meanwhile is to give him information    
which will help to form his conduct     
without gravely misleading him as to    
facts4 ,similarly1 if any one tells me  
he cannot accept these chapters as      
inspired by ,god1 because they do not   
convey scientifically accurate          
information regarding this earth1 ,i can
 only say that he has yet to learn the  
first principles of revelation1 and that
 he misunderstands the conditions on    
which all instruction must be given4    
,my belief then is1 that in these       
chapters we have the ideas regarding the
 origin of the world and of man which   
were naturally attainable in the country
 where they were first composed1 but    

with those important modifications which
 a monotheistic belief necessarily      
suggested4 ,so far as merely physical   
knowledge went1 there is probably little
 here that was new to the contemporaries
 of the writer2 but this already        
familiar knowledge was used by him as   
the vehicle for conveying his faith in  
the unity1 love and wisdom of ,god the  
creator4 ,he laid a firm foundation for 
the history of ,god's relation to man4  
,this was his object1 and this he       
accomplished4 ,the ,bible is the book to
 which we turn for information regarding
 the history of ,god's revelation of    
,himself1 and of ,his will towards men2 
and in these chapters we have the       
suitable introduction to this history4  
,no changes in our knowledge of physical
 truth can at all affect the teaching of
 these chapters4 ,what they teach       
regarding the relation of man to ,god is
 independent of the physical details in 
which this teaching is embodied1 and can
 as easily be attached to the most      

modern statement of the physical origin 
of the world and of man4  ,what then are
 the truths taught us in these chapters8
 ,the first is that there has been a    
creation1 that things now existing have 
not just grown of themselves1 but have  
been called into being by a presiding   
intelligence and an originating will4   
,no attempt to account for the existence
 of the world in any other way has been 
successful4 ,a great deal has in this   
generation been added to our knowledge  
of the efficiency of material causes to 
produce what we see around us2 but when 
we ask what gives harmony to these      
material causes1 and what guides them to
 the production of certain ends1 and    
what originally produced them1 the      
answer must still be1 not matter but    
intelligence and purpose4 ,the best     
informed and most penetrating minds of  
our time affirm this4 ,john ,stuart     
,mill says3 ,it must be allowed that in 
the present state of our knowledge the  
adaptations in nature afford a large    

balance of probability in favour of     
creation by intelligence4 ,professor    
,tyndall adds his testimony and says3 ,i
 have noticed during years of           
self-observation that it is not in hours
 of clearness and vigour that the       
doctrine of material atheism commends   
itself to my mind--that in the hours of 
stronger and healthier thought it ever  
dissolves and disappears1 as offering no
 solution of the mystery in which we    
dwell and of which we form a part4      
,there is indeed a prevalent suspicion1 
that in presence of the discoveries made
 by evolutionists the argument from     
design is no longer tenable4 ,evolution 
shows us that the correspondence of the 
structure of animals1 with their modes  
of life1 has been generated by the      
nature of the case2 and it is concluded 
that a blind mechanical necessity and   
not an intelligent design rules all4    
,but the discovery of the process by    
which the presently existing living     
forms have been evolved1 and the        

perception that this process is governed
 by laws which have always been         
operating1 do not make intelligence and 
design at all less necessary1 but rather
 more so4 ,as ,professor ,huxley himself
 says3 ,the teleological and mechanical 
views of nature are not necessarily     
exclusive4 ,the teleologist can always  
defy the evolutionist to disprove that  
the primordial molecular arrangement was
 not intended to evolve the phenomena of
 the universe4 ,evolution1 in short1 by 
disclosing to us the marvellous power   
and accuracy of natural law1 compels us 
more emphatically than ever to refer all
 law to a supreme1 originating          
intelligence4  ,this then is the first  
lesson of the ,bible2 that at the root  
and origin of all this vast material    
universe1 before whose laws we are      
crushed as the moth1 there abides a     
living conscious ,spirit1 who wills and 
knows and fashions all things4 ,the     
belief of this changes for us the whole 
face of nature1 and instead of a chill1 

impersonal world of forces to which no  
appeal can be made1 and in which matter 
is supreme1 gives us the home of a      
,father4 ,if you are yourself but a     
particle of a huge and unconscious      
universe--a particle which1 like a flake
 of foam1 or a drop of rain1 or a gnat1 
or a beetle1 lasts its brief space and  
then yields up its substance to be      
moulded into some new creature2 if there
 is no power that understands you and   
sympathizes with you and makes provision
 for your instincts1 your aspirations1  
your capabilities2 if man is himself the
 highest intelligence1 and if all things
 are the purposeless result of physical 
forces2 if1 in short1 there is no ,god1 
no consciousness at the beginning as at 
the end of all things1 then nothing can 
be more melancholy than our position4   
,our higher desires which seem to       
separate us so immeasurably from the    
brutes1 we have1 only that they may be  
cut down by the keen edge of time1 and  
wither in barren disappointment2 our    

reason we have1 only to enable us to see
 and measure the brevity of our span1   
and so live our little day1 not joyously
 as the unforeseeing beasts1 but        
shadowed by the hastening gloom of      
anticipated1 inevitable and everlasting 
night2 our faculty for worshipping and  
for striving to serve and to resemble   
the perfect living ,one1 that faculty   
which seems to be the thing of greatest 
promise and of finest quality in us1 and
 to which is certainly due the largest  
part of what is admirable and profitable
 in human history1 is the most mocking  
and foolishest of all our parts4 ,but1  
,god be thanked1 ,he has revealed       
himself to us2 has given us in the      
harmonious and progressive movement of  
all around us1 sufficient indication    
that1 even in the material world1       
intelligence and purpose reign2 an      
indication which becomes immensely      
clearer as we pass into the world of    
man2 and which1 in presence of the      
person and life of ,christ attains the  

brightness of a conviction which        
illuminates all besides4  ,the other    
great truth which this writer teaches   
is1 that man was the chief work of ,god1
 for whose sake all else was brought    
into being4 ,the work of creation was   
not finished till he appeared3 all else 
was preparatory to this final product4  
,that man is the crown and lord of this 
earth is obvious4 ,man instinctively    
assumes that all else has been made for 
him1 and freely acts upon this          
assumption4 ,but when our eyes are      
lifted from this little ball on which we
 are set and to which we are confined1  
and when we scan such other parts of the
 universe as are within our ken1 a keen 
sense of littleness oppresses us2 our   
earth is after all so minute and        
apparently inconsiderable a point when  
compared with the vast suns and planets 
that stretch system on system into      
illimitable space4 ,when we read even   
the rudiments of what astronomers have  
discovered regarding the inconceivable  

vastness of the universe1 the huge      
dimensions of the heavenly bodies1 and  
the grand scale on which everything is  
framed1 we find rising to our lips1 and 
with tenfold reason1 the words of       
,david3 ,when ,i consider ,thy heavens1 
the work of ,thy fingers2 the moon and  
the stars which ,thou hast ordained2    
what is man that ,thou art mindful of   
him1 or the son of man that ,thou       
visitest him8 ,is it conceivable that on
 this scarcely discernible speck in the 
vastness of the universe1 should be     
played out the chiefest act in the      
history of ,god8 ,is it credible that   
,he whose care it is to uphold this     
illimitable universe1 should be free to 
think of the wants and woes of the      
insignificant creatures who quickly     
spend their little lives in this        
inconsiderable earth8  ,but reason seems
 all on the side of ,genesis4 ,god must 
not be considered as sitting apart in a 
remote position of general              
superintendence1 but as present with all

 that is4 ,and to ,him who maintains    
these systems in their respective       
relations and orbits1 it can be no      
burden to relieve the needs of          
individuals4 ,to think of ourselves as  
too insignificant to be attended to is  
to derogate from ,god's true majesty and
 to misunderstand ,his relation to the  
world4 ,but it is also to misapprehend  
the real value of spirit as compared    
with matter4 ,man is dear to ,god       
because he is like ,him4 ,vast and      
glorious as it is1 the sun cannot think 
,god's thoughts2 can fulfil but cannot  
intelligently sympathize with ,god's    
purpose4 ,man1 alone among ,god's works1
 can enter into and approve of ,god's   
purpose in the world and can            
intelligently fulfil it4 ,without man   
the whole material universe would have  
been dark and unintelligible1 mechanical
 and apparently without any sufficient  
purpose4 ,matter1 however fearfully and 
wonderfully wrought1 is but the platform
 and material in which spirit1          

intelligence and will1 may fulfil       
themselves and find development4 ,man is
 incommensurable with the rest of the   
universe4 ,he is of a different kind and
 by his moral nature is more akin to    
,god than to ,his works4  ,here the     
beginning and the end of ,god's         
revelation join hands and throw light on
 one another4 ,the nature of man was    
that in which ,god was at last to give  
,his crowning revelation1 and for that  
no preparation could seem extravagant4  
,fascinating and full of marvel as is   
the history of the past which science   
discloses to us2 full as these          
slow-moving millions of years are in    
evidences of the exhaustless wealth of  
nature1 and mysterious as the delay     
appears1 all that expenditure of        
resources is eclipsed and all the delay 
justified when the whole work is crowned
 by the ,incarnation1 for in it we see  
that all that slow process was the      
preparation of a nature in which ,god   
could manifest ,himself as a ,person to 

persons4 ,this is seen to be an end     
worthy of all that is contained in the  
physical history of the world3 this     
gives completeness to the whole and     
makes it a unity4 ,no higher1 other end 
need be sought1 none could be conceived4
 ,it is this which seems worthy of those
 tremendous and subtle forces which have
 been set at work in the physical world1
 this which justifies the long lapse of 
ages filled with wonders unobserved1 and
 teeming with ever new life2 this above 
all which justifies these latter ages in
 which all physical marvels have been   
outdone by the tragical history of man  
upon earth4 ,remove the ,incarnation and
 all remains dark1 purposeless1         
unintelligible3 grant the ,incarnation1 
believe that in ,jesus ,christ the      
,supreme manifested ,himself personally1
 and light is shed upon all that has    
been and is4  ,light is shed on the     
individual life4 ,are you living as if  
you were the product of blind mechanical
 laws1 and as if there were no object   

worthy of your life and of all the force
 you can throw into your life8 ,consider
 the ,incarnation of the ,creator1 and  
ask yourself if sufficient object is not
 given to you in ,his call that you be  
conformed to ,his image and become the  
intelligent executor of ,his purposes8  
,is life not worth having even on these 
terms8 ,the man that can still sit down 
and bemoan himself as if there were no  
meaning in existence1 or lounge         
languidly through life as if there were 
no zest or urgency in living1 or try to 
satisfy himself with fleshly comforts1  
has surely need to turn to the opening  
page of ,revelation and learn that ,god 
saw sufficient object in the life of    
man1 enough to compensate for millions  
of ages of preparation4 ,if it is       
possible that you should share in the   
character and destiny of ,christ1 can a 
healthy ambition crave anything more or 
higher8 ,if the future is to be as      
momentous in results as the past has    
certainly been filled with preparation1 

have you no caring to share in these    
results8 ,believe that there is a       
purpose in things2 that in ,christ1 the 
revelation of ,god1 you can see what    
that purpose is1 and that by wholly     
uniting yourself to ,him and allowing   
yourself to be penetrated by ,his       
,spirit you can participate with ,him in
 the working out of that purpose4       
,,ii4  ,,the ,,fall4  ,,genesis iii4    
,profound as the teaching of this       
narrative is1 its meaning does not lie  
on the surface4 ,literal interpretation 
will reach a measure of its             
significance1 but plainly there is more 
here than appears in the letter4 ,when  
we read that the serpent was more       
subtile than any beast of the field     
which the ,lord ,god had made1 and that 
he tempted the woman1 we at once        
perceive that it is not with the outer  
husk of the story we are to concern     
ourselves1 but with the kernel4 ,the    
narrative throughout speaks of nothing  
but the brute serpent2 not a word is    

said of the devil1 not the slightest    
hint is given that the machinations of a
 fallen angel are signified4 ,the       
serpent is compared to the other beasts 
of the field1 showing that it is the    
brute serpent that is spoken of4 ,the   
curse is pronounced on the beast1 not on
 a fallen spirit summoned for the       
purpose before the ,supreme2 and not in 
terms which could apply to a fallen     
spirit1 but in terms that are applicable
 only to the serpent that crawls4 ,yet  
every reader feels that this is not the 
whole mystery of the fall of man3 moral 
evil cannot be accounted for by         
referring it to a brute source4 ,no one1
 ,i suppose1 believes that the whole    
tribe of serpents crawl as a punishment 
of an offence committed by one of their 
number1 or that the whole iniquity and  
sorrow of the world are due to an actual
 serpent4 ,plainly this is merely a     
pictorial representation intended to    
convey some general impressions and     
ideas4 ,vitally important truths        

underlie the narrative and are bodied   
forth by it2 but the way to reach these 
truths is not to adhere too rigidly to  
the literal meaning1 but to catch the   
general impression which it seems fitted
 to make4  ,no doubt this opens the door
 to a great variety of interpretation4  
,no two men will attach to it precisely 
the same meaning4 ,one says1 the serpent
 is a symbol for ,satan1 but ,adam and  
,eve are historical persons4 ,another   
says1 the tree of the knowledge of good 
and evil is a figure1 but the driving   
out from the garden is real4 ,another   
maintains that the whole is a picture1  
putting in a visible1 intelligible shape
 certain vitally important truths       
regarding the history of our race4 ,so  
that every man is left very much to his 
own judgment1 to read the narrative     
candidly and in such light from other   
sources as he has1 and let it make its  
own impression upon him4 ,this would be 
a sad result if the object of the ,bible
 were to bring us all to a rigid        

uniformity of belief in all matters2 but
 the object of the ,bible is not that1  
but the far higher object of furnishing 
all varieties of men with sufficient    
light to lead them to ,god4 ,and this   
being so1 variety of interpretation in  
details is not to be lamented4 ,the very
 purpose of such representations as are 
here given is to suit all stages of     
mental and spiritual advancement4 ,let  
the child read it and he will learn what
 will live in his mind and influence him
 all his life4 ,let the devout man who  
has ranged through all science and      
history and philosophy come back to this
 narrative1 and he feels that he has    
here the essential truth regarding the  
beginnings of man's tragical career upon
 earth4  ,we should1 in my opinion1 be  
labouring under a misapprehension if we 
supposed that none even of the earliest 
readers of this account saw the deeper  
meaning of it4 ,when men who felt the   
misery of sin and lifted up their hearts
 to ,god for deliverance1 read the words

 addressed to the serpent1 ,i will put  
enmity between thee and the woman1 and  
between thy seed and her seed2 it shall 
bruise thy head1 and thou shalt bruise  
his heel--is it reasonable to suppose   
that such men would take these words in 
their literal sense1 and satisfy        
themselves with the assurance that      
serpents1 though dangerous1 would be    
kept under1 and would find in the words 
no assurance of that very thing they    
themselves were all their lifetime      
striving after1 deliverance from the    
evil thing which lay at the root of all 
sin8 ,no doubt some would accept the    
story in its literal meaning1--shallow  
and careless men whose own spiritual    
experience never urged them to see any  
spiritual significance in the words     
would do so2 but even those who saw     
least in the story1 and put a very      
shallow interpretation on its details1  
could scarcely fail to see its main     
teaching4  ,the reader of this          
perennially fresh story is first of all 

struck with the account given of man's  
primitive condition4 ,coming to this    
narrative with our minds coloured by the
 fancies of poets and philosophers1 we  
are almost startled by the check which  
the plain and sober statements of this  
account give to an unpruned fancy4 ,we  
have to read the words again and again  
to make sure we have not omitted        
something which gives support to those  
glowing descriptions of man's primitive 
condition4 ,certainly he is described as
 innocent and at peace with ,god1 and in
 this respect no terms can exaggerate   
his happiness4 ,but in other respects   
the language of the ,bible is           
surprisingly moderate4 ,man is          
represented as living on fruit1 and as  
going unclothed1 and1 so far as appears1
 without any artificial shelter either  
from the heat of the sun or the cold of 
night4 ,none of the arts were as yet    
known4 ,all working of metals had yet to
 be discovered1 so that his tools must  
have been of the rudest possible        

description2 and the arts1 such as      
music1 which adorn life and make leisure
 enjoyable1 were also still in the      
future4  ,but the most significant      
elements in man's primitive condition   
are represented by the two trees of the 
garden2 by trees1 because with plants   
alone he had to do4 ,in the centre of   
the garden stood the tree of life1 the  
fruit of which bestowed immortality4    
,man was therefore naturally mortal1    
though apparently with a capacity for   
immortality4 ,how this capacity would   
have actually carried man on to         
immortality had he not sinned1 it is    
vain to conjecture4 ,the mystical nature
 of the tree of life is fully recognised
 in the ,new ,testament1 by our ,lord1  
when ,he says3 ,to him that overcometh  
will ,i give to eat of the tree of life1
 which is in the midst of the ,paradise 
of ,god2 and by ,john1 when he describes
 the new ,jerusalem3 ,in the midst of   
the street of it1 and on either side of 
the river1 was there the tree of life1  

which bare twelve manner of fruits1 and 
yielded her fruit every month3 and the  
leaves of the tree were for the healing 
of the nations4 ,both these             
representations are intended to convey1 
in a striking and pictorial form1 the   
promise of life everlasting4  ,and as of
 the tree of life which stands in the   
,paradise of the future it is said      
,blessed are they that do ,his          
commandments1 that they may have right  
to the tree of life2 so in ,eden man's  
immortality was suspended on the        
condition of obedience4 ,and the trial  
of man's obedience is imaged in the     
other tree1 the tree of the knowledge of
 good and evil4 ,from the child-like    
innocence in which man originally was1  
he was to pass forward into the         
condition of moral manhood1 which       
consists not in mere innocence1 but in  
innocence maintained in presence of     
temptation4 ,the savage is innocent of  
many of the crimes of civilized men     
because he has no opportunity to commit 

them2 the child is innocent of some of  
the vices of manhood because he has no  
temptation to them4 ,but this innocence 
is the result of circumstance1 not of   
character2 and if savage or child is to 
become a mature moral being he must be  
tried by altered circumstances1 by      
temptation and opportunity4 ,to carry   
man forward to this higher stage trial  
is necessary1 and this trial is         
indicated by the tree of knowledge4 ,the
 fruit of this tree is prohibited1 to   
indicate that it is only in presence of 
what is forbidden man can be morally    
tested1 and that it is only by          
self-command and obedience to law1 and  
not by the mere following of instincts1 
that man can attain to moral maturity4  
,the prohibition is that which makes him
 recognise a distinction between good   
and evil4 ,he is put in a position in   
which good is not the only thing he can 
do2 an alternative is present to his    
mind1 and the choice of good in         
preference to evil is made possible to  

him4 ,in presence of this tree          
child-like innocence was no longer      
possible4 ,the self-determination of    
manhood was constantly required4        
,conscience1 hitherto latent1 was now   
evoked and took its place as man's      
supreme faculty4  ,it is in vain to     
think of exhausting this narrative4 ,we 
can1 at the most1 only remark upon some 
of the most salient points4  7#a7       
,temptation comes like a serpent2 like  
the most subtile beast of the field2    
like that one creature which is said to 
exert a fascinating influence on its    
victims1 fastening them with its        
glittering eye1 stealing upon them by   
its noiseless1 low and unseen approach1 
perplexing them by its wide circling    
folds1 seeming to come upon them from   
all sides at once1 and armed not like   
the other beasts with one weapon of     
offence--horn1 or hoof1 or teeth--but   
capable of crushing its victim with     
every part of its sinuous length4 ,it   
lies apparently dead for months         

together1 but when roused it can1 as the
 naturalist tells us1 outclimb the      
monkey1 outswim the fish1 outleap the   
zebra1 outwrestle the athlete1 and crush
 the tiger4 ,how naturally in describing
 temptation do we borrow language from  
the aspect and movements of this        
creature4 ,it does not need to hunt down
 its victims by long continued pursuit1 
its victims come and put themselves     
within its reach4 ,unseen1 temptation   
lies by our path1 and before we have    
time to think we are fascinated and     
bewildered1 its coils rapidly gather    
round us and its stroke flashes poison  
through our blood4 ,against sin1 when   
once it has wreathed itself around us1  
we seem helpless to contend2 the very   
powers with which we could resist are   
benumbed or pinned useless to our       
side--our foe seems all round us1 and to
 extricate one part is but to become    
entangled in another4 ,as the serpent   
finds its way everywhere1 over every    
fence or barrier1 into every corner and 

recess1 so it is impossible to keep     
temptation out of the life2 it appears  
where least we expect it and when we    
think ourselves secure4  7#b7           
,temptation succeeds at first by        
exciting our curiosity4 ,it is a wise   
saying that our great security against  
sin lies in being shocked at it4 ,eve   
gazed and reflected when she should have
 fled4 ,the serpent created an interest1
 excited her curiosity about this       
forbidden fruit4 ,and as this excited   
curiosity lies near the beginning of sin
 in the race1 so does it in the         
individual4 ,i suppose if you trace back
 the mystery of iniquity in your own    
life and seek to track it to its source1
 you will find it to have originated in 
this craving to taste evil4 ,no man     
originally meant to become the sinner he
 has become4 ,he only intended1 like    
,eve1 to taste4 ,it was a voyage of     
discovery he meant to make2 he did not  
think to get nipped and frozen up and   
never more return from the outer cold   

and darkness4 ,he wished before finally 
giving himself to virtue1 to see the    
real value of the other alternative4    
,this dangerous craving has many        
elements in it4 ,there is in it the     
instinctive drawing towards what is     
mysterious4 ,one veiled figure in an    
assembly will attract more scrutiny than
 the most admired beauty4 ,an appearance
 in the heavens that no one can account 
for will nightly draw more eyes than the
 most wonderful sunset4 ,to lift veils1 
to penetrate disguises1 to unravel      
complicated plots1 to solve mysteries1  
this is always inviting to the human    
mind4 ,the tale which used to thrill us 
in childhood1 of the one locked room1   
the one forbidden key1 bears in it a    
truth for men as well as for children4  
,what is hidden must1 we conclude1 have 
some interest for us--else why hide it  
from us8 ,what is forbidden must have   
some important bearing upon us4 ,else   
why forbid it8 ,things which are        
indifferent to us are left in our way1  

obvious1 and without concealment4 ,but  
as action has been taken regarding the  
things that are forbidden1 action in    
view of our relation to them1 it is     
natural to us to desire to know what    
these things are and how they affect us4
  ,there is added to this in young      
persons1 a sense of incompleteness4     
,they wish to be grown up4 ,few boys    
wish to be always boys4 ,they long for  
the signs of manhood1 and seek to       
possess that knowledge of life and its  
ways which they very much identify with 
manhood4 ,but too commonly they mistake 
the path to manhood4 ,they feel as if   
they had a wider range of liberty and   
were more thoroughly men when they      
transgress the limits assigned by       
conscience4 ,they feel as if there were 
a new and brighter world outside that   
which is fenced round by strict         
morality1 and they tremble with         
excitement on its borders4 ,it is a     
fatal delusion4 ,only by choosing the   
good in presence of the evil are true   

manhood and real maturity gained4 ,true 
manliness consists mainly in self       
control1 in a patient waiting upon      
nature and ,god's law and when youth    
impatiently breaks through the          
protecting fence of ,god's law1 and     
seeks growth by knowing evil1 it misses 
that very advancement it seeks1 and     
cheats itself out of the manhood it     
apes4  7#c7 ,through this craving for an
 enlarged experience unbelief in ,god's 
goodness finds entrance4 ,in the        
presence of forbidden pleasure we are   
tempted to feel as if ,god were grudging
 us enjoyment4 ,the very arguments of   
the serpent occur to our mind4 ,no harm 
will come of our indulging2 the         
prohibition is needless1 unreasonable   
and unkind2 it is not based on any      
genuine desire for our welfare4 ,this   
fence that shuts us out from knowing    
good and evil is erected by a timorous  
asceticism1 by a ridiculous             
misconception of what truly enlarges    
human nature2 it shuts us into a poor   

narrow life4 ,and thus suspicions of    
,god's perfect wisdom and goodness find 
entrance2 we begin to think we know     
better than ,he what is good for us1 and
 can contrive a richer1 happier life    
than ,he has provided for us4 ,our      
loyalty to ,him is loosened1 and already
 we have lost hold of ,his strength and 
are launched on the current that leads  
to sin1 misery1 and shame4 ,when we find
 ourselves saying ,yes1 where ,god has  
said ,no2 when we see desirable things  
where ,god has said there is death2 when
 we allow distrust of ,him to rankle in 
our mind1 when we chafe against the     
restrictions under which we live and    
seek liberty by breaking down the fence 
instead of by delighting in ,god1 we are
 on the highway to all evil4  7#d7 ,if  
we know our own history we cannot be    
surprised to read that one taste of evil
 ruined our first parents4 ,it is so    
always4 ,the one taste alters our       
attitude towards ,god and conscience and
 life4 ,it is a veritable ,circe's cup4 

,the actual experience of sin is like   
the one taste of alcohol to a reclaimed 
drunkard1 like the first taste of blood 
to a young tiger1 it calls out the      
latent devil and creates a new nature   
within us4 ,at one brush it wipes out   
all the peace1 and joy1 and             
self-respect1 and boldness of innocence1
 and numbers us among the transgressors1
 among the shame-faced1 and             
self-despising1 and hopeless4 ,it leaves
 us possessed with unhappy thoughts     
which lead us away from what is bright1 
and honourable1 and good1 and like the  
letting out of water it seems to have   
tapped a spring of evil within us4 ,it  
is but one step1 but it is like the step
 over a precipice or down the shaft of a
 mine2 it cannot be taken back1 it      
commits to an altogether different state
 of things4  7#e7 ,the first result of  
sin is shame4 ,the form in which the    
knowledge of good and evil comes to us  
is the knowing we are naked1 the        
consciousness that we are stripped of   

all that made us walk unabashed before  
,god and men4 ,the promise of the       
serpent while broken in the sense is    
fulfilled to the ear2 the eyes of ,adam 
and ,eve were opened and they knew that 
they were naked4 ,self-reflection       
begins1 and the first movement of       
conscience produces shame4 ,had they    
resisted temptation1 conscience would   
have been born but not in               
self-condemnation4 ,like children they  
had hitherto been conscious only of what
 was external to themselves1 but now    
their consciousness of a power to choose
 good and evil is awakened and its first
 exercise is accompanied with shame4    
,they feel that in themselves they are  
faulty1 that they are not in themselves 
complete2 that though created by ,god1  
they are not fit for ,his eye4 ,the     
lower animals wear no clothes because   
they have no knowledge of good and evil2
 children feel no need of covering      
because as yet self-consciousness is    
latent1 and their conduct is determined 

for them2 those who are re-made in the  
image of ,god and glorified as ,christ  
is1 cannot be thought of as clothed1 for
 in them there is no sense of sin4 ,but 
,adam's clothing himself and hiding     
himself were the helpless attempts of a 
guilty conscience to evade the judgment 
of truth4  7#f7 ,but when ,adam found he
 was no longer fit for ,god's eye1 ,god 
provided a covering which might enable  
him again to live in ,his presence      
without dismay4 ,man had exhausted his  
own ingenuity and resources1 and        
exhausted them without finding relief to
 his shame4 ,if his shame was to be     
effectually removed1 ,god must do it4   
,and the clothing in coats of skins     
indicates the restoration of man1 not   
indeed to pristine innocence1 but to    
peace with ,god4 ,adam felt that ,god   
did not wish to banish him lastingly    
from ,his presence1 nor to see him      
always a trembling and confused         
penitent4 ,the self-respect and         
progressiveness1 the reverence for law  

and order and ,god1 which came in with  
clothes1 and which we associate with the
 civilised races1 were accepted as      
tokens that ,god was desirous to        
co-operate with man1 to forward and     
further him in all good4  ,it is also to
 be remarked that the clothing which    
,god provided was in itself different   
from what man had thought of4 ,adam took
 leaves from an inanimate1 unfeeling    
tree2 ,god deprived an animal of life1  
that the shame of ,his creature might be
 relieved4 ,this was the last thing     
,adam would have thought of doing4 ,to  
us life is cheap and death familiar1 but
 ,adam recognised death as the          
punishment of sin4 ,death was to early  
man a sign of ,god's anger4 ,and he had 
to learn that sin could be covered not  
by a bunch of leaves snatched from a    
bush as he passed by and that would grow
 again next year1 but only by pain and  
blood4 ,sin cannot be atoned for by any 
mechanical action nor without           
expenditure of feeling4 ,suffering must 

ever follow wrong-doing4 ,from the first
 sin to the last1 the track of the      
sinner is marked with blood4 ,once we   
have sinned we cannot regain permanent  
peace of conscience save through pain1  
and this not only pain of our own4 ,the 
first hint of this was given as soon as 
conscience was aroused in man4 ,it was  
made apparent that sin was a real and   
deep evil1 and that by no easy and cheap
 process could the sinner be restored4  
,the same lesson has been written on    
millions of consciences since4 ,men have
 found that their sin reaches beyond    
their own life and person1 that it      
inflicts injury and involves disturbance
 and distress1 that it changes utterly  
our relation to life and to ,god1 and   
that we cannot rise above its           
consequences save by the intervention of
 ,god ,himself1 by an intervention which
 tells us of the sorrow ,he suffers on  
our account4  ,for the chief point is   
that it is ,god who relieves man's      
shame4 ,until we are certified that ,god

 desires our peace of mind we cannot be 
at peace4 ,the cross of ,christ is the  
permanent witness to this desire on     
,god's part4 ,no one can read what      
,christ has done for us without feeling 
sure that for himself there is a way    
back to ,god from all sin--that it is   
,god's desire that his sin should be    
covered1 his iniquity forgiven4 ,too    
often that which seems of prime         
importance to ,god seems of very slight 
importance to us4 ,to have our life     
founded solidly in harmony with the     
,supreme1 seems often to excite no      
desire within us4 ,it is about sin we   
find man first dealing with ,god1 and   
until you have satisfied ,god and       
yourself regarding this prime and       
fundamental matter of your own          
transgression and wrong-doing you look  
in vain for any deep and lasting growth 
and satisfaction4 ,have you no reason to
 be ashamed before ,god8 ,have you loved
 ,him in any proportion to ,his         
worthiness to be loved8 ,have you       

cordially and habitually fallen in with 
,his will8 ,have you zealously done ,his
 work in the world8 ,have you fallen    
short of no good ,he intended you should
 do and gave you opportunity to do8 ,is 
there no reason for shame on your part  
before ,god8 ,has ,his desire to cover  
sin no application to you8 ,can you not 
understand ,his meaning when ,he comes  
to you with offers of pardon and acts of
 oblivion8 ,surely the candid mind1 the 
clear-judging conscience can be at no   
loss to explain ,god's solicitous       
concern for the sinner2 and must humbly 
own that even that unfathomable ,divine 
emotion which is exhibited in the cross 
of ,christ1 is no exaggerated and       
theatrical demonstration1 but the actual
 carrying through of what was really    
needed for the restoration of the       
sinner4 ,do not live as if the cross of 
,christ had never been1 or as if you had
 never sinned and had no connection with
 it4 ,strive to learn what it means2    
strive to deal fairly with it and fairly

 with your own transgressions and with  
your present actual relation to ,god and
 ,his will4     ,,iii4  ,,cain ,,and    
,,abel4  ,,genesis iv4   ,it is not the 
purpose of this narrator to write the   
history of the world4 ,it is not his    
purpose to write even the history of    
mankind4 ,his object is to write the    
history of redemption4 ,starting from   
the broad fact of man's alienation from 
,god1 he means to trace that element in 
human history which results in the      
perfect re-union of ,god and man4 ,the  
key-note has been struck in the promise 
already given that the seed of the woman
 should prevail over the seed of the    
serpent1 that the effects of man's      
voluntary dissociation from ,god should 
be removed4 ,it is the fulfilment of    
this promise which is traced by this    
writer4 ,he steadily pursues that one   
line of history which runs directly     
towards this fulfilment2 turning aside  
now and again to pursue1 to a greater or
 less distance1 diverging lines1 but    

always returning to the grand highway on
 which the promise travels4 ,his method 
is first to dispose of collateral matter
 and then to proceed with his main      
theme4 ,as here1 he first disposes of   
the line of ,cain and then returns to   
,seth through whom the line of promise  
is maintained4  ,the first thing we have
 to do with outside the garden is       
death--the curse of sin speedily        
manifests itself in its most terrible   
form4 ,but the sinner executes it       
himself4 ,the first death is a murder4  
,as if to show that all death is a wrong
 inflicted on us and proceeds not from  
,god but from sin1 it is inflicted by   
sin and by the hand of man4 ,man becomes
 his own executioner1 and takes part    
with ,satan1 the murderer from the      
beginning4 ,but certainly the first     
feeling produced by these events must   
have been one of bitter disappointment1 
as if the promise were to be lost in the
 curse4  ,the story of ,cain and ,abel  
was to all appearance told in order to  

point out that from the very first men  
have been divided into two great        
classes1 viewed in connection with      
,god's promise and presence in the      
world4 ,always there have been those who
 believed in ,god's love and waited for 
it1 and those who believed more in their
 own force and energy4 ,always there    
have been the humble and self-diffident 
who hoped in ,god1 and the proud and    
self-reliant who felt themselves equal  
to all the occasions of life4 ,and this 
story of ,cain and ,abel and the        
succeeding generations does not conceal 
the fact1 that for the purposes of this 
world there has been visible an element 
of weakness in the godly line1 and that 
it is to the self-reliant and           
,god-defying energy of the descendants  
of ,cain that we owe much of the        
external civilisation of the world4     
,while the descendants of ,seth pass    
away and leave only this record1 that   
they walked with ,god1 there are found  
among ,cain's descendants1 builders of  

cities1 inventors of tools and weapons1 
music and poetry and the beginnings of  
culture4  ,these two opposed lines are  
in the first instance represented by    
,cain and ,abel4 ,with each child that  
comes into the world some fresh hope is 
brought2 and the name of ,cain points to
 the expectation of his parents that in 
him a fresh start would be made4 ,alas6 
as the boy grew they saw how vain such  
expectation was and how truly their     
nature had passed into his1 and how no  
imparted experience of theirs1 taught   
him from without1 could countervail the 
strong propensities to evil which       
impelled him from within4 ,they         
experienced that bitterest punishment   
which parents undergo1 when they see    
their own defects and infirmities and   
evil passions repeated in their children
 and leading them astray as they once   
led themselves2 when in those who are to
 perpetuate their name and remembrance  
on earth they see evidence that their   
faults also will be perpetuated2 when in

 those whom they chiefly love they have 
a mirror ceaselessly held up to them    
forcing them to remember the follies and
 sins of their own youth4 ,certainly in 
the proud1 self-willed1 sullen ,cain no 
redemption was to be found4  ,both sons 
own the necessity of labour4 ,man is no 
longer in the primitive condition1 in   
which he had only to stretch out his    
hand when hungry1 and satisfy his       
appetite4 ,there are still some regions 
of the earth in which the trees shower  
fruit1 nutritious and easily preserved1 
on men who shun labour4 ,were this the  
case throughout the world1 the whole of 
life would be changed4 ,had we been     
created self-sufficing or in such       
conditions as involved no necessity of  
toil1 nothing would be as it now is4 ,it
 is the need of labour that implies     
occasional starvation and frequent      
poverty1 and gives occasion to charity4 
,it is the need of labour which involves
 commerce and thereby sows the seed of  
greed1 worldliness1 ambition1 drudgery4 

,the ultimate physical wants of men1    
food and clothes1 are the motive of the 
greater part of all human activity4     
,trace to their causes the various      
industries of men1 the wars1 the great  
social movements1 all that constitutes  
history1 and you find that the bulk of  
all that is done upon earth is done     
because men must have food and wish to  
have it as good and with as little      
labour as possible4 ,the broad facts of 
human life are in many respects         
humiliating4  ,the disposition of men is
 consequently shown in the occupations  
they choose and the idea of life they   
carry into them4 ,some1 like ,abel1     
choose peaceful callings that draw out  
feeling and sympathy2 others prefer     
pursuits which are stirring and active4 
,cain chose the tillage of the ground1  
partly no doubt from the necessity of   
the case1 but probably also with the    
feeling that he could subdue nature to  
his own purposes notwithstanding the    
curse that lay upon it4 ,do we not all  

sometimes feel a desire to take the     
world as it is1 curse and all1 and make 
the most of it2 to face its disease with
 human skill1 its disturbing and        
destructive elements with human         
forethought and courage1 its sterility  
and stubbornness with human energy and  
patience8 ,what is stimulating men still
 to all discovery and invention1 to     
forewarn seamen of coming storms1 to    
break a precarious passage for commerce 
through eternal ice or through malarious
 swamps1 to make life at all points     
easier and more secure8 ,is it not the  
energy which opposition excites8 ,we    
know that it will be hard work2 we      
expect to have thorns and thistles      
everywhere1 but let us see whether this 
may not after all be a thoroughly happy 
world1 whether we cannot cultivate the  
curse altogether out of it4 ,this is    
indeed the very work ,god has given man 
to do--to subdue the earth and make the 
desert blossom as the rose4 ,god is with
 us in this work1 and he who believes in

 ,god's purpose and strives to reclaim  
nature and compel it to some better     
products than it naturally yields1 is   
doing ,god's work in the world4 ,the    
misery is that so many do it in the     
spirit of ,cain1 in a spirit of         
self-confident or sullen alienation from
 ,god1 willing to endure all hardship   
but unable to lay themselves at ,god's  
feet with every capacity for work and   
every field ,he has given them to till  
for ,him and in a spirit of humble love 
to co-operate with ,him4 ,to this spirit
 of godless energy1 of merely selfish or
 worldly ambition and enterprise1 the   
world owes not only much of its poverty 
and many of its greatest disasters1 but 
also the greater part of its present    
advantages in external civilisation4    
,but from this spirit can never arise   
the meekness1 the patience1 the         
tenderness1 the charity which sweeten   
the life of society and are more to be  
desired than gold2 from this spirit and 
all its achievements the natural outcome

 is the proud1 vindictive1              
self-glorifying war-song of a ,lamech4  
,the incompatibility of the two lines   
and the persecuting spirit of the       
godless are set forth by the after      
history of ,cain and ,abel4 ,the one    
line is represented in ,cain1 who with  
all his energy and indomitable courage1 
is depicted as of a dark1 morose1       
suspicious1 jealous1 violent temper2 a  
man born under the shadow of the fall4  
,abel is described in contrast as       
guileless and sunny1 free from harshness
 and resentment4 ,what was in ,cain was 
shown by what came out of him1 murder4  
,the reason of the rejection of his     
offering was his own evil condition of  
heart4 ,if thou doest well1 shalt not   
thou also be accepted2 implying that he 
was not accepted because he was not     
doing well4 ,his offering was a mere    
form2 he complied with the fashion of   
the family2 but in spirit he was        
alienated from ,god1 cherishing thoughts
 which the rejection of his offering    

brings to a head4 ,he may have seen that
 the younger son won more of the        
parents' affection1 that his company was
 more welcome4 ,jealousy had been       
produced1 that deep jealousy of the     
humble and godly which proud men of the 
world cannot help betraying and which   
has so very often in the world's history
 produced persecution4  ,this cannot be 
considered too weak a motive to carry so
 enormous a crime4 ,even in a highly    
civilised age we find an ,english       
statesman saying3 ,pique is one of the  
strongest motives in the human mind4    
,fear is strong but transient4 ,interest
 is more lasting1 perhaps1 and steady1  
but weaker2 ,i will ever back pique     
against them both4 ,it is the spur the  
devil rides the noblest tempers with1   
and will do more work with them in a    
week1 than with other poor jades in a   
twelve-month4 ,and the age of ,cain and 
,abel was an age in which impulse and   
action lay close together1 and in which 
jealousy is notoriously strong4 ,to this

 motive ,john ascribes the act3         
,wherefore slew he him8 ,because his own
 works were evil1 and his brother's     
righteous4  ,we have now learned better 
how to disguise our feelings2 and we are
 compelled to control them better2 but  
now and again we meet with a deep-seated
 hatred of goodness which might give    
rise to almost any crime4 ,few of us can
 say that for our own part we have      
extinguished within us the spirit that  
disparages and depreciates and fixes the
 charge of hypocrisy or refers good     
actions to interested motives1 searches 
out failings and watches for haltings   
and is glad when a blot is found4 ,few  
are filled with unalloyed grief when the
 man who has borne an extraordinary     
reputation turns out to be just like the
 rest of us4 ,many of us have a true    
delight in goodness and humble ourselves
 before it when we see it1 and yet we   
know also what it is to be exasperated  
by the presence of superiority4 ,i have 
seen a schoolboy interrupt his brother's

 prayers1 and gird at him for his piety1
 and strive to draw him into sin1 and do
 the devil's work with zest and         
diligence4 ,and where goodness is       
manifestly in the minority how          
constantly does it excite hatred that   
pours itself out in sneers and ridicule 
and ignorant calumny4  ,but this        
narrative significantly refers this     
early quarrel to religion4 ,there is no 
bitterness to compare with that which   
worldly men who profess religion1 feel  
towards those who cultivate a spiritual 
religion4 ,they can never really grasp  
the distinction between external worship
 and real godliness4 ,they make their   
offerings1 they attend to the rites of  
the religion to which they belong and   
are beside themselves with indignation  
if any person or event suggests to them 
that they might have saved themselves   
all their trouble1 because these do not 
at all constitute religion4 ,they uphold
 the ,church1 they admire and praise her
 beautiful services1 they use strong but

 meaningless language about infidelity1 
and yet when brought in contact with    
spirituality and assured that           
regeneration and penitent humility are  
required above all else in the kingdom  
of ,god1 they betray an utter inability 
to comprehend the very rudiments of the 
,christian religion4 ,abel has always to
 go to the wall because he is always the
 weaker party1 always in the minority4  
,spiritual religion1 from the very      
nature of the case1 must always be in   
the minority2 and must be prepared to   
suffer loss1 calumny1 and violence1 at  
the hands of the worldly religious1 who 
have contrived for themselves a worship 
that calls for no humiliation before    
,god and no complete surrender of heart 
and will to ,him4 ,cain is the type of  
the ignorant religious1 of the          
unregenerate man who thinks he merits   
,god's favour as much as any one else2  
and ,cain's conduct is the type of the  
treatment which the ,christ-like and    
intelligent godly are always likely to  

receive at such hands4  ,we never know  
where we may be led by jealousy and     
malice4 ,one of the striking features of
 this incident is the rapidity with     
which small sins generate great ones4   
,when ,cain went in the joy of harvest  
and offered his first fruits no thought 
could be further from his mind than     
murder4 ,it may have come as suddenly on
 himself as on the unsuspecting ,abel1  
but the germ was in him4 ,great sins are
 not so sudden as they seem4            
,familiarity with evil thought ripens us
 for evil action2 and a moment of       
passion1 an hour's loss of self-control1
 a tempting occasion1 may hurry us into 
irremediable evil4 ,and even though this
 does not happen1 envious1 uncharitable1
 and malicious thoughts make our        
offerings as distasteful as ,cain's4 ,he
 that loveth not his brother knoweth not
 ,god4 ,first be reconciled to thy      
brother1 says our ,lord1 and then come  
and offer thy gift4  ,other truths are  
incidentally taught in this narrative4  

7#a7 ,the acceptance of the offering    
depends on the acceptance of the        
offerer4 ,god had respect to ,abel and  
his offering--the man first and then the
 offering4 ,god looks through the       
offering to the state of soul from which
 it proceeds2 or even1 as the words     
would indicate1 sees the soul first and 
judges and treats the offering according
 to the inward disposition4 ,god does   
not judge of what you are by what you   
say to ,him or do for ,him1 but ,he     
judges what you say to ,him and do for  
,him by what you are4 ,by faith says a  
,new ,testament writer1 ,abel offered a 
more acceptable sacrifice than ,cain4   
,he had the faith which enabled him to  
believe that ,god is1 and that ,he is a 
rewarder of them that diligently seek   
,him4 ,his attitude towards ,god was    
sound2 his life was a diligent seeking  
to please ,god2 and from all such       
persons ,god gladly receives            
acknowledgment4 ,when the offering is   
the true expression of the soul's       

gratitude1 love1 devotedness1 then it is
 acceptable4 ,when it is a merely       
external offering1 that rather veils    
than expresses the real feeling2 when it
 is not vivified and rendered           
significant by any spiritual act on the 
part of the worshipper1 it is plainly of
 no effect4  ,what is true of all       
sacrifices is true of the sacrifice of  
,christ4 ,it remains invalid and of none
 effect to those who do not through it  
yield themselves to ,god4 ,sacrifices   
were intended to be the embodiment and  
expression of a state of feeling towards
 ,god1 of a submission or offering of   
men's selves to ,god2 of a return to    
that right relation which ought ever to 
subsist between creature and ,creator4  
,christ's sacrifice is valid for us when
 it is that outward thing which best    
expresses our feeling towards ,god and  
through which we offer or yield         
ourselves to ,god4 ,his sacrifice is the
 open door through which ,god freely    
admits all who aim at a consecration and

 obedience like to ,his4 ,it is valid   
for us when through it we sacrifice     
ourselves4 ,whatever ,his sacrifice     
expresses we desire to take and use as  
the only satisfactory expression of our 
own aims and desires4 ,did ,christ      
perfectly submit to and fulfil the will 
of ,god8 ,so would we4 ,did ,he         
acknowledge the infinite evil of sin and
 patiently bear its penalties1 still    
loving the ,holy and ,righteous ,god8   
,so would we endure all chastening1 and 
still resist unto blood striving against
 sin4  7#b7 ,again1 we here find a very 
sharp and clear statement of the welcome
 truth1 that continuance in sin is never
 a necessity1 that ,god points the way  
out of sin1 and that from the first ,he 
has been on man's side and has done all 
that could be done to keep men from     
sinning4 ,observe how ,he expostulates  
with ,cain4 ,take note of the plain1    
explicit fairness of the words in which 
,he expostulates with him--instance1 as 
it is1 of how absolutely in the right   

,god always is1 and how abundantly ,he  
can justify all ,his dealings with us4  
,god says as it were to ,cain2 ,come    
now3 and let us reason together4 ,all   
,god wants of any man is to be          
reasonable2 to look at the facts of the 
case4 ,if thou doest well1 shalt thou   
not 7as well as ,abel7 be accepted8 and 
if thou doest not well1 sin lieth at the
 door1 that is1 if thou doest not well1 
the sin is not ,abel's nor any one's but
 thine own1 and therefore anger at      
another is not the proper remedy1 but   
anger at yourself1 and repentance4  ,no 
language could more forcibly exhibit the
 unreasonableness of not meeting ,god   
with penitent and humble acknowledgment4
 ,god has fully met our case1 and has   
satisfied all its demands1 has set      
,himself to serve us and laid ,himself  
out to save us pain and misery1 and has 
so entirely succeeded in making         
salvation and blessedness possible to   
us1 that if we continue in sin we must  
trample not only upon ,god's love and   

our own reason1 but on the very means of
 salvation4 ,state your case at the     
worst1 bring forward every reason why   
your countenance should be fallen as    
,cain's and why your face should lower  
with the gloom of eternal despair--say  
that you have as clear evidence as ,cain
 had that your offerings are displeasing
 to ,god1 and that while others are     
accepted you receive no token from      
,him1--in answer to all your arguments1 
these words addressed to ,cain rise up4 
,if not accepted already you have the   
means of being so4 ,if you do well to be
 hardened in sin it is not because it is
 necessary1 nor because ,god desires it4
 ,if you are to continue in sin you must
 put aside ,his hand4 ,it can only be   
sin which causes you either to despair  
of salvation or keeps you any way       
separate from ,god--there is no other   
thing worse than sin1 and for sin there 
is an offering provided4 ,you have not  
fallen into some lower grade of beings  
than that which is designated sinners1  

and it is sinners that ,god in ,his     
mercy hems in with this inevitable      
dilemma ,he presented to ,cain4  ,if1   
therefore1 you continue at war with ,god
 it is not because you must not do      
otherwise3 if you go forward to any new 
thought1 plan1 or action unpardoned2 if 
acceptance of ,god's forgiveness and    
entrance into a state of reconciliation 
with ,him be not your first action1 then
 you must thrust aside ,his counsel1    
backed though it is with every utterance
 of your own reason4 ,some of us may be 
this day or this week in as critical a  
position as ,cain1 having as truly as he
 the making or marring of our future in 
our hands1 seeing clearly the right     
course1 and all that is good1 humble1   
penitent and wise in us urging us to    
follow that course1 but our pride and   
self-will holding us back4 ,how often do
 men thus barter a future of blessing   
for some mean gratification of temper or
 lust or pride2 how often by a reckless1
 almost listless and indifferent        

continuance in sin do they let          
themselves be carried on to a future as 
woful as ,cain's2 how often when ,god   
expostulates with them do they make no  
answer and take no action1 as if there  
were nothing to be gained by listening  
to ,god--as if it were a matter of no   
importance what future ,i go to--as if  
in the whole eternity that lies in      
reserve there were nothing worth making 
a choice about--nothing about which it  
is worth my while to rouse the whole    
energy of which ,i am capable1 and to   
make1 by ,god's grace1 the determination
 which shall alter my whole future--to  
choose for myself and assert myself4    
7#c7 ,the writer to the ,hebrews makes a
 very striking use of this event4 ,he   
borrows from it language in which to    
magnify the efficacy of ,christ's       
sacrifice1 and affirms that the blood of
 ,christ speaketh better things1 or1 as 
it must rather be rendered1 crieth      
louder than the blood of ,abel4 ,abel's 
blood1 we see1 cried for vengeance1 for 

evil things for ,cain1 called ,god to   
make inquisition for blood1 and so pled 
as to secure the banishment of the      
murderer4 ,the ,arabs have a belief that
 over the grave of a murdered man his   
spirit hovers in the form of a bird that
 cries ,give me drink1 give me drink1   
and only ceases when the blood of the   
murderer is shed4 ,cain's conscience    
told him the same thing2 there was no   
criminal law threatening death to the   
murderer1 but he felt that men would    
kill him if they could4 ,he heard the   
blood of ,abel crying from the earth4   
,the blood of ,christ also cries to     
,god1 but cries not for vengeance but   
for pardon4 ,and as surely as the one   
cry was heard and answered in very      
substantial results2 so surely does the 
other cry call down from heaven its     
proper and beneficent effects4 ,it is as
 if the earth would not receive and     
cover the blood of ,christ1 but ever    
exposes it before ,god and cries to ,him
 to be faithful and just to forgive us  

our sins4 ,this blood cries louder than 
the other4 ,if ,god could not overlook  
the blood of one of ,his servants1 but  
adjudged to it its proper consequences1 
neither is it possible that ,he should  
overlook the blood of ,his ,son and not 
give to it its proper result4  ,if then 
you feel in your conscience that you are
 as guilty as ,cain1 and if sins clamour
 around you which are as dangerous as   
his1 and which cry out for judgment upon
 you1 accept the assurance that the     
blood of ,christ has a yet louder cry   
for mercy4 ,if you had been ,abel's     
murderer1 would you have been justly    
afraid of ,god's anger8 ,be as sure of  
,god's mercy now4 ,if you had stood over
 his lifeless body and seen the earth   
refusing to cover his blood1 if you felt
 the stain of it crimson on your        
conscience and if by night you started  
from your sleep striving vainly to wash 
it from your hands1 if by every token   
you felt yourself exposed to a just     
punishment1 your fear would be just and 

reasonable were nothing else revealed to
 you4 ,but there is another blood       
equally indelible1 equally clamorous4   
,in it you have in reality what is      
elsewhere pretended in fable1 that the  
blood of the murdered man will not wash 
out1 but through every cleansing oozes  
up again a dark stain on the oaken      
floor4 ,this blood can really not be    
washed out1 it cannot be covered up and 
hid from ,god's eye1 its voice cannot be
 stifled1 and its cry is all for mercy4 
,with how different a meaning then comes
 now to us this question of ,god's3     
,where is thy brother8 ,our ,brother    
also is slain4 ,him ,whom ,god sent     
among us to reverse the curse1 to       
lighten the burden of this life1 to be  
the loving member of the family on ,whom
 each leans for help and looks to for   
counsel and comfort--,him ,who was by   
,his goodness to be as the dayspring    
from on high in our darkness1 we found  
too good for our endurance and dealt    
with as ,cain dealt with his more       

righteous brother4 ,but ,he ,whom we    
slew ,god has raised again to give      
repentance and remission of sins1 and   
assures us that ,his blood cleanseth    
from all sin4 ,to every one therefore   
,he repeats this question1 ,where is thy
 brother8 ,he repeats it to every one   
who is living with a conscience stained 
with sin2 to every one that knows       
remorse and walks with the hanging head 
of shame2 to every one whose whole life 
is saddened by the consciousness that   
all is not settled between ,god and     
himself2 to every one who is sinning    
recklessly as if ,christ's blood had    
never been shed for sin2 and to every   
one who1 though seeking to be at peace  
with ,god1 is troubled and downcast--to 
all ,god says1 ,where is thy brother8   
tenderly reminding us of the absolute   
satisfaction for sin that has been made1
 and of the hope towards ,god we have   
through the blood of ,his ,son4         
,,iv4  ,,cain',s ,,line1 ,,and ,,enoch4 
,,genesis iv4 #ab-bd4   ,my punishment  

is greater than ,i can bear1 so felt    
,cain as soon as his passion had spent  
itself and the consequences of his      
wickedness became apparent--and so feels
 every one who finds he has now to live 
in the presence of the irrevocable deed 
he has done4 ,it seems too heavy a      
penalty to endure for the one hour of   
passion2 and yet as little as ,cain     
could rouse the dead ,abel so little can
 we revive the past we have destroyed4  
,thoughtlessness has set in motion      
agencies we are powerless to control2   
the whole world is changed to us4 ,one  
can fancy ,cain turning to see if his   
victim gave no sign of life1 striving to
 reanimate the dead body1 calling the   
familiar name1 but only to see with     
growing dismay that the one blow had    
finished all with which that name was   
associated1 and that he had made himself
 a new world4 ,so are we drawn back and 
back in thought to that which has for   
ever changed life to us1 striving to see
 if there is no possibility of altering 

the past1 but only to find we might     
quite as well try to raise the dead4 ,no
 voice responds to our cries of grief   
and dismay and too late repentance4 ,all
 life now seems but a reaping of the    
consequences of the past4 ,we have put  
ourselves in every respect at a         
disadvantage4 ,the earth seems cursed so
 that we are hampered in our employments
 and cannot make as much of them as we  
would had we been innocent4 ,we have got
 out of right relations to our          
fellow-men and cannot feel the same to  
them as we ought to feel2 and the face  
of ,god is hid from us1 so that now and 
again as time after time our hopes are  
blighted1 our life darkened and         
disturbed by the obvious results of our 
own past deeds1 we are tempted to cry   
out with ,cain3 ,my punishment is       
greater than ,i can bear4  ,yet ,cain's 
punishment was less than he expected4   
,he was not put to death as he would    
have been at any later period of the    
world's history1 but was banished4 ,and 

even this punishment was lightened by   
his having a token from ,god1 that he   
would not be put to death by any zealous
 avenger of ,abel4 ,he would experience 
the hardships of a man entering         
unexplored territory1 but to an         
enterprising spirit this would not be   
without its charms4 ,as the fresh       
beauties of the world's youth were      
disclosed to him and by their bright and
 peaceful friendliness allayed the      
bitterness of his spirit1 and as the    
mysteries and dangers of the new regions
 excited him and called his thoughts    
from the past1 some of the old delight  
in life may have been recovered by him4 
,probably in many a lonely hour the     
recollection of his crime would return  
and with it all the horrors of a remorse
 which would drive rest and peace from  
his soul1 and render him the most       
wretched of men4 ,but busied as he was  
with his new enterprises1 there is      
little doubt that he would find it1 as  
it is still found1 not impossible to    

banish such dreary thoughts and live in 
the measure of contentment which many   
enjoy who are as far from ,god as ,cain4
  ,it is not difficult to detect the    
spirit he carried with him1 and the tone
 he gave to his line of the race4 ,the  
facts recorded are few but significant4 
,he begat a son1 he built a city2 and he
 gave to both the name ,enoch1 that is  
initiation1 or beginning1 as if he were 
saying in his heart1 ,what so great harm
 after all in cutting short one line in 
,abel8 ,i can begin another and find a  
new starting point for the race4 ,i am  
driven forth cursed as a vagabond1 but a
 vagabond ,i will not be2 ,i will make  
for myself a settled abode1 and ,i will 
fence it round with knife-blade thorns  
so that no man will be able to assault  
me4  ,in this settling of ,cain1        
however1 we see not any symptom of his  
ceasing to be a vagabond1 but the surest
 evidence that now he was content to be 
a fugitive from ,god and had cut himself
 off from hope4 ,his heart had found    

rest and had found it apart from ,god4  
,here1 in this city he would make a     
fresh beginning for himself and for men4
 ,here he abandoned all clinging        
memories of former things1 of his old   
home and of the ,god there worshipped4  
,he had wisdom enough not to call his   
city by his own name1 and so invite men 
to consider his former career or trace  
back anything to his old life4 ,he cut  
it all off from him2 his crime1 his ,god
 also1 all that was in it was to be no  
more to him and his comrades4 ,he would 
make a clean start1 and that men might  
be led to expect a great future he      
called his city1 ,enoch1 a ,beginning4  
,but it is one thing to forgive         
ourselves1 another thing to have ,god's 
forgiveness4 ,it is one thing to        
reconcile ourselves to the curse that   
runs through our life1 another thing to 
be reconciled to ,god and so defeat the 
curse4 ,it is sometimes1 though by no   
means always1 possible to escape some of
 the consequences of sin3 we can change 

our front so as to lessen the breadth of
 life that is exposed to them1 or we can
 accustom and harden ourselves to a very
 second-rate kind of life4 ,we can teach
 ourselves to live without much love in 
our homes or in our connections with    
those outside2 we can learn to be       
satisfied if we can pay our way and make
 the time pass and be outwardly like    
other people2 we can build a little     
city1 and be content to be on no very   
friendly terms with any but the select  
few inside the trench1 and actually be  
quite satisfied if we can defend        
ourselves against the rest of men2 we   
can forget the one commandment1 that we 
should love one another4 ,we can all    
find much in the world to comfort1 to   
lull1 to soothe sorrowful but wholesome 
remembrances2 much to aid us in an easy 
treatment of the curse2 much to shed    
superficial brightness on a life        
darkened and debased by sin1 much to    
hush up the sad echoes that mutter from 
the dark mountains of vanity we have    

left behind us1 much that assures us we 
have nothing to do but forget our old   
sins and busily occupy ourselves with   
new duties4 ,but no ,david will say1 nor
 will any man of true spiritual         
discernment say1 ,blessed is the man    
whose transgression is forgotten2 but   
only1 ,blessed is the man whose         
transgression is forgiven4 ,by all means
 make a fresh start1 a new beginning1   
but let it be in your own broken heart1 
in a spirit humble and contrite1 frankly
 acknowledging your guilt and finding   
rest and settlement for your soul in    
reconciliation with ,god4  ,it is in the
 family of ,lamech the characteristics  
of ,cain's line are most distinctly     
seen1 and the significance of their     
tendencies becomes apparent4 ,as ,cain  
had set himself to cultivate the curse  
out of the world1 so have his children  
derived from him the self-reliant       
hardiness and hardihood which are       
resolute to make of this world as bright
 and happy a home as may be4 ,they make 

it their task to subdue the world and   
compel it to yield them a life in which 
they can delight4 ,they are so far      
successful that in a few generations    
they have formed a home in which all the
 essentials of civilized life are       
found--the arts are cultivated and      
female society is appreciated4  ,of his 
three sons1 ,jabal--or ,increase--was   
the father of such as dwell in tents and
 of such as have cattle4 ,he had        
originality enough to step beyond all   
traditional habits and to invent a new  
mode of life4 ,hitherto men had been    
tied to one spot by their fixed         
habitations1 or found shelter when      
overtaken by storm in caves or trees4   
,to ,jabal the idea first occurs1 ,i can
 carry my house about with me and       
regulate its movements and not it mine4 
,i need not return every night this long
 weary way from the pastures1 but may go
 wherever grass is green and streams run
 cool4 ,he and his comrades would thus  
become aware of the vast resources of   

other lands1 and would unconsciously lay
 the foundations both of commerce and of
 wars of conquest4 ,for both in ancient 
and more modern times the most          
formidable armies have been those vast  
moving shepherd races bred outside the  
borders of civilization and flooding as 
with an irresistible tide the           
territories of more settled and less    
hardy tribes4  ,jubal again was1 as his 
name denotes1 the reputed father of all 
such as handle the harp and the organ1  
stringed and wind instruments4 ,the     
stops of the reed or flute and the      
divisions of the string being once      
discovered1 all else necessarily        
followed4 ,the twanging of a bow-string 
in a musical ear was enough to give the 
suggestion to an observant mind2 the    
varying notes of the birds2 the winds   
expressing at one time unbridled fury   
and at another a breathing benediction1 
could not fail to move and stir the     
susceptible spirit4 ,the spontaneous    
though untuned singing of children1 that

 follows no mere melody made by another 
to express his joy1 but is the          
instinctive expression of their own joy1
 could not but give however meagrely the
 first rudiments of music4 ,but here was
 the man who first made a piece of wood 
help him2 who out of the commonest      
material of the physical world found for
 himself a means of expressing the most 
impalpable moods of his spirit4 ,once   
the idea was caught that matter         
inanimate as well as animate was man's  
servant and could do his finest work for
 him1 ,jabal and his brother ,jubal     
would make rapid work between them4 ,if 
the rude matter of the world could sing 
for them1 what might it not do for them8
 ,they would see that there was a       
precision in machine-work which man's   
hand could not rival--a regularity which
 no nervous throb could throw out and no
 feeling interrupt1 and yet at the same 
time when they found how these rude     
instruments responded to every finest   
shade of feeling1 and how all external  

nature seemed able to express what was  
in man1 must it not have been the birth 
of poetry as well as of music8 ,jubal in
 short originates what we now           
compendiously describe as the ,fine     
,arts4  ,the third brother again may be 
taken as the originator of the ,useful  
,arts--though not exclusively--for being
 the instructor of every artificer in   
brass and iron1 having something of his 
brother's genius for invention and more 
than his brother's handiness and        
practical faculty for embodying his     
ideas in material forms1 he must have   
promoted all arts which require tools   
for their culture4  ,thus among these   
three brothers we find distributed the  
various kinds of genius and faculty     
which ever since have enriched the      
world4 ,here in germ was really all that
 the world can do4 ,the great lines in  
which individual and social activity    
have since run were then laid down4     
,this notable family circle was         
completed by ,naamah1 the sister of     

,tubal-,cain4 ,the strength of female   
influence began to be felt              
contemporaneously with the cultivation  
of the arts4 ,very early in the world's 
history it was perceived that although  
debarred from the rougher activities of 
life1 women have an empire of their own4
 ,men have the making of civilisation1  
but women have the making of men4 ,it is
 they who form the character of the     
individual and give its tone to the     
society in which they live4 ,it is      
natural to men to consider the feelings 
and tastes of women and to adapt their  
manners and conversation to them2 and it
 is for women to exercise worthily the  
sway they thus possess4 ,practically and
 to a large extent women settle what    
subjects shall be spoken of1 and in what
 tone1 trifling or serious2 and each    
ought therefore to recognise her own    
burden of responsibility1 and see to it 
that the deference paid to her shall not
 lower him who pays it1 and that the    
respect shown to her shall help him who 

shows it to respect what is pure and    
true1 charitable1 just1 and worthy4 ,let
 women show that it is worldly trifling 
or slanderous malignity or empty        
tittle-tattle that delights them1 then  
they act the part of ,eve and tempt to  
sin2 let them show that they prize most 
highly the mirth that is innocent and   
the conversation that is elevating and  
helpful1 and while they win admiration  
for themselves they win it also for what
 is healthy and purifying4 ,no woman can
 renounce her influence2 helpful or     
hurtful she certainly is and must be in 
proportion as she is pleasing and       
attractive4  ,thus early did it appear  
how much of what is admirable and       
serviceable clung to human nature apart 
from any recognition of ,god4 ,the      
worldly life was then what it is now1 a 
life not wholly and obviously polluted  
by excess1 nor destroyed by violence1   
but displaying features which appeal to 
our sensibilities and provoke applause2 
a life of manifold beauty1 of great     

power and resource1 of abundant promise4
 ,there is abundant material in the     
world for beautifying and elevating     
human life1 and this material may be    
used and is used by men who acknowledge 
neither its origin in ,god nor the ends 
,he would serve by it4 ,the interests of
 men may be advanced and the best work  
of the world done by three distinct     
classes of men--by those who work as    
,god's children in thorough sympathy    
with ,his purposes2 by those who do not 
know ,god but who are humble in heart   
and would sympathise with ,god's        
purposes1 did they become acquainted    
with them2 and by those who are proud   
and self-willed1 positively alienated   
from ,god1 and who do the world's work  
for their own ends4 ,and so far as the  
external work goes the last-named class 
of men may be most efficient4 ,in mental
 endowment1 social and political wisdom1
 scientific aptitude1 and all that tends
 to substantial utility1 it is quite    
possible they may excel the godly1 for  

not many noble1 not many wise are       
called4 ,but we have nothing to measure 
permanent success by1 save conformity   
with ,god's will2 and we have nothing by
 which we can estimate how character    
will endure and how deeply it is rooted 
save conformity with the nature of ,god4
 ,if a man believes in ,god1 in one     
,supreme ,who rules and orders all      
things for just1 holy and wise ends2 if 
he is in sympathy with the nature and   
will of ,god and finds his truest       
satisfaction in forwarding the purposes 
of ,god1 then you have a guarantee for  
this man's continuance in good and for  
his ultimate success4  ,the precarious  
nature of all godless civilisation and  
the real tendency of self-sufficing     
pride are shown in ,lamech4  ,it is in  
,lamech the tendency culminates and in  
him the issue of all this brilliant but 
godless life is seen4 ,therefore though 
he is the father1 the historian speaks  
of him after his children4 ,in his one  
recorded utterance his character leaps  

to view definite and complete--a        
character of boundless force1           
self-reliance and godlessness4 ,it is a 
little uncertain whether he means that  
he has actually slain a man1 or whether 
he is putting a hypothetical case--the  
character of his speech is the same     
whichever view is taken4      ,i have   
slain1 he says1 or suppose ,i slay1 a   
man for wounding me1         ,a young   
man for hurting me3     ,but if ,cain   
shall be avenged seven-fold--then       
,lamech seventy and         seven-fold4 
,that is1 ,i take vengeance for myself  
with those good weapons my son has      
forged for me4 ,he has furnished me with
 a means of defence many times more     
effectual than ,god's avenging of ,cain4
 ,this is the climax of the             
self-sufficiency to which the line of   
,cain has been tending4 ,cain besought  
,god's protection2 he needed ,god for at
 least one purpose1 this one thread     
bound him yet to ,god4 ,lamech has no   
need of ,god for any purpose2 what his  

sons can make and his own right hand do 
is enough for him4 ,this is what comes  
of finding enough in the world without  
,god--a boastful1 self-sufficient man1  
dangerous to society1 the incarnation of
 the pride of life4 ,in the long run    
separation from ,god becomes isolation  
from man and cruel self-sufficiency4    
,the line of ,seth is followed from     
father to son1 for the sake of showing  
that the promise of a seed which should 
be victorious over evil was being       
fulfilled4 ,apparently it is also meant 
that during this uneventful period long 
ages elapsed4 ,nothing can be told of   
these old world people but that they    
lived and died1 leaving behind them     
heirs to transmit the promise4  ,only   
once is the monotony broken2 but this in
 so striking a manner as to rescue us   
from the idea that the historian is     
mechanically copying a barren list of   
names4 ,for in the seventh generation1  
contemporaneous with the culmination of 
,cain's line in the family of ,lamech1  

we come upon the simple but anything but
 mechanical statement3 ,enoch walked    
with ,god and he was not2 for ,god took 
him4 ,the phrase is full of meaning4    
,enoch walked with ,god because he was  
,his friend and liked ,his company1     
because he was going in the same        
direction as ,god1 and had no desire for
 anything but what lay in ,god's path4  
,we walk with ,god when ,he is in all   
our thoughts2 not because we consciously
 think of ,him at all times1 but because
 ,he is naturally suggested to us by all
 we think of2 as when any person or plan
 or idea has become important to us1 no 
matter what we think of1 our thought is 
always found recurring to this favourite
 object1 so with the godly man          
everything has a connection with ,god   
and must be ruled by that connection4   
,when some change in his circumstances  
is thought of1 he has first of all to   
determine how the proposed change will  
affect his connection with ,god--will   
his conscience be equally clear1 will he

 be able to live on the same friendly   
terms with ,god and so forth4 ,when he  
falls into sin he cannot rest till he   
has resumed his place at ,god's side and
 walks again with ,him4 ,this is the    
general nature of walking with ,god2 it 
is a persistent endeavour to hold all   
our life open to ,god's inspection and  
in conformity to ,his will2 a readiness 
to give up what we find does cause any  
misunderstanding between us and ,god2 a 
feeling of loneliness if we have not    
some satisfaction in our efforts at     
holding fellowship with ,god1 a cold and
 desolate feeling when we are conscious 
of doing something that displeases ,him4
 ,this walking with ,god necessarily    
tells on the whole life and character4  
,as you instinctively avoid subjects    
which you know will jar upon the        
feelings of your friend1 as you         
naturally endeavour to suit yourself to 
your company1 so when the consciousness 
of ,god's presence begins to have some  
weight with you1 you are found          

instinctively endeavouring to please    
,him1 repressing the thoughts you know  
,he disapproves1 and endeavouring to    
educate such dispositions as reflect    
,his own nature4  ,it is easy then to   
understand how we may practically walk  
with ,god--it is to open to ,him all our
 purposes and hopes1 to seek ,his       
judgment on our scheme of life and idea 
of happiness--it is to be on thoroughly 
friendly terms with ,god4 ,why then do  
any not walk with ,god8 ,because they   
seek what is wrong4 ,you would walk with
 ,him if the same idea of good possessed
 you as possesses ,him2 if you were as  
ready as ,he to make no deflexion from  
the straight path4 ,is not the very     
crown of life depicted in the testimony 
given to ,enoch1 that he pleased ,god8  
,cannot you take your way through life  
with a resolute and joyous spirit if you
 are conscious that you please ,him ,who
 judges not by appearances1 not by your 
manners1 but by your real state1 by your
 actual character and the eternal       

promise it bears8 ,things were not made 
easy to ,enoch4 ,in evil days1 with much
 to mislead him1 with everything to     
oppose him1 he had by faith and diligent
 seeking1 as the ,epistle to the        
,hebrews says1 to cleave to the path on 
which ,god walked1 often left in        
darkness1 often thrown off the track1   
often listening but unable to hear the  
footfall of ,god or to hear his own name
 called upon1 receiving no sign but     
still diligently seeking the ,god he    
knew would lead him only to good4 ,be it
 yours to give such diligence4 ,do not  
accept it as a thing fixed that you are 
to be one of the graceless and ungodly1 
always feeble1 always vacillating1      
always without a character1 always in   
doubt about your state1 and whether life
 might not be some other and better     
thing to you4  ,enoch was not1 for ,god 
took him4 ,suddenly his place on earth  
was empty and men drew their own        
conclusions4 ,he had been known as the  
,friend of ,god1 where could he be but  

in ,god's dwelling-place8 ,no sickness  
had slowly worn him to the grave1 no    
mark of decay had been visible in his   
unabated vigour4 ,his departure was a   
favour conferred and as such men        
recognised it4 ,god has taken him1 they 
said1 and their thoughts followed       
upward1 and essayed to conceive the     
finished bliss of the man whom ,god has 
taken away where blessing may be more   
fully conferred4 ,his age corresponded  
to our thirty-three1 the age when the   
world has usually got fair hold of a    
man1 when a man has found his place in  
life and means to live and see good     
days4 ,the awkward1 unfamiliar ways of  
youth that keep him outside of much of  
life are past1 and the satiety of age is
 not yet reached2 a man has begun to    
learn there is something he can do1 and 
has not yet learned how little4 ,it is  
an age at which it is most painful to   
relinquish life1 but it was at this age 
,god took him away1 and men knew it was 
in kindness4 ,others had begun to gather

 round him1 and depend upon him1 hopes  
were resting in him1 great things were  
expected of him1 life was strong in him4
 ,but let life dress itself in its most 
attractive guise1 let it shine on a man 
with its most fascinating smile1 let him
 be happy at home and the pleasing      
centre of a pleasing circle of friends1 
let him be in that bright summer of life
 when a man begins to fear he is too    
prosperous and happy1 and yet there is  
for man a better thing than all this1 a 
thing so immeasurably and independently 
superior to it that all this may be     
taken away and yet the man be far more  
blessed4 ,if ,god would confer ,his     
highest favours1 ,he must take a man out
 of all this and bring him closer to    
,himself4     ,v4  ,,the ,,flood4       
,,genesis v4-ix4   ,the first great     
event which indelibly impressed itself  
on the memory of the primeval world was 
the ,flood4 ,there is every reason to   
believe that this catastrophe was       
co-extensive with the human population  

of the world4 ,in every branch of the   
human family traditions of the event are
 found4 ,these traditions need not be   
recited1 though some of them bear a     
remarkable likeness to the ,biblical    
story1 while others are very beautiful  
in their construction1 and significant  
in individual points4 ,local floods     
happening at various times in different 
countries could not have given birth to 
the minute coincidences found in these  
traditions1 such as the sending out of  
the birds1 and the number of persons    
saved4 ,but we have as yet no material  
for calculating how far human population
 had spread from the original centre4   
,it might apparently be argued that it  
could not have spread to the sea-coast1 
or that at any rate no ships had as yet 
been built large enough to weather a    
severe storm2 for a thoroughly nautical 
population could have had little        
difficulty in surviving such a          
catastrophe as is here described4 ,but  
all that can be affirmed is that there  

is no evidence that the waters extended 
beyond the inhabited part of the earth2 
and from certain details of the         
narrative1 this part of the earth may be
 identified as the great plain of the   
,euphrates and ,tigris4  ,some of the   
expressions used in the narrative might 
indeed lead us to suppose that the      
writer understood the catastrophe to    
have extended over the whole globe2 but 
expressions of similar largeness        
elsewhere occur in passages where their 
meaning must be restricted4 ,probably   
the most convincing evidence of the     
limited extent of the ,flood is         
furnished by the animals of ,australia4 
,the animals that abound in that island 
are different from those found in other 
parts of the world1 but are similar to  
the species which are found fossilized  
in the island itself1 and which         
therefore must have inhabited these same
 regions long anterior to the ,flood4   
,if then the ,flood extended to         
,australia and destroyed all animal life

 there1 what are we compelled to suppose
 as the order of events8 ,we must       
suppose that the creatures1 visited by  
some presentiment of what was to happen 
many months after1 selected specimens of
 their number1 and that these specimens 
by some unknown and quite inconceivable 
means crossed thousands of miles of sea1
 found their way through all kinds of   
perils from unaccustomed climate1 food1 
and beasts of prey2 singled out ,noah by
 some inscrutable instinct1 and         
surrendered themselves to his keeping4  
,and after the year in the ark expired1 
they turned their faces homewards1      
leaving behind them no progeny1 again   
preserving themselves intact1 and       
transporting themselves by some unknown 
means to their island home4 ,this1 if   
the ,deluge was universal1 must have    
been going on with thousands of animals 
from all parts of the globe2 and not    
only were these animals a stupendous    
miracle in themselves1 but wherever they
 went they were the occasion of miracle 

in others1 all the beasts of prey       
refraining from their natural food4 ,the
 fact is1 the thing will not bear       
stating4  ,but it is not the physical   
but the moral aspects of the ,flood with
 which we have here to do4 ,and1 first1 
this narrator explains its cause4 ,he   
ascribes it to the abnormal wickedness  
of the antediluvians4 ,to describe the  
demoralised condition of society before 
the ,flood1 the strongest language is   
used4 ,god saw that the wickedness of   
man was great1 monstrous in acts of     
violence1 and in habitual courses and   
established usages4 ,every imagination  
of the thoughts of his heart was only   
evil continually1--there was no mixture 
of good1 no relentings1 no repentances1 
no visitings of compunction1 no         
hesitations and debatings4 ,it was a    
world of men fierce and energetic1      
violent and lawless1 in perpetual war   
and turmoil2 in which if a man sought to
 live a righteous life1 he had to       
conceive it of his own mind and to      

follow it out unaided and without the   
countenance of any4  ,this abnormal     
wickedness again is accounted for by the
 abnormal marriages from which the      
leaders of these ages sprang4           
,everything seemed abnormal1 huge1      
inhuman4 ,as there are laid bare to the 
eye of the geologist in those archaic   
times vast forms bearing a likeness to  
forms we are now familiar with1 but of  
gigantic proportions and wallowing in   
dim1 mist-covered regions2 so to the eye
 of the historian there loom through the
 obscurity colossal forms perpetrating  
deeds of more than human savagery1 and  
strength1 and daring2 heroes that seem  
formed in a different mould from common 
men4  ,however we interpret the         
narrative1 its significance for us is   
plain4 ,there is nothing prudish in the 
,bible4 ,it speaks with a manly         
frankness of the beauty of women and its
 ensnaring power4 ,the ,mosaic law was  
stringent against intermarriage with    
idolatresses1 and still in the ,new     

,testament something more than an echo  
of the old denunciation of such         
marriages is heard4 ,those who were most
 concerned about preserving a pure      
morality and a high tone in society were
 keenly alive to the dangers that       
threatened from this quarter4 ,it is a  
permanent danger to character because it
 is to a permanent element in human     
nature that the temptation appeals4 ,to 
many in every generation1 perhaps to the
 majority1 this is the most dangerous   
form in which worldliness presents      
itself2 and to resist this the most     
painful test of principle4 ,with natures
 keenly sensitive to beauty and         
superficial attractiveness1 some are    
called upon to make their choice between
 a conscientious cleaving to ,god and an
 attachment to that which in the form is
 perfect but at heart is defective1     
depraved1 godless4 ,where there is great
 outward attraction a man fights against
 the growing sense of inward            
uncongeniality1 and persuades himself he

 is too scrupulous and uncharitable1 or 
that he is a bad reader of character4   
,there may be an undercurrent of        
warning2 he may be sensible that his    
whole nature is not satisfied and it may
 seem to him ominous that what is best  
within him does not flourish in his new 
attachment1 but rather what is inferior1
 if not what is worst4 ,but all such    
omens and warnings are disregarded and  
stifled by some such silly thought as   
that consideration and calculation are  
out of place in such matters4 ,and what 
is the result8 ,the result is the same  
as it ever was4 ,instead of the ungodly 
rising to the level of the godly1 he    
sinks to hers4 ,the worldly style1 the  
amusements1 the fashions once           
distasteful to him1 but allowed for her 
sake1 become familiar1 and at last      
wholly displace the old and godly ways1 
the arrangements that left room for     
acknowledging ,god in the family2 and   
there is one household less as a point  
of resistance to the incursion of an    

ungodly tone in society1 one deserter   
more added to the already too crowded   
ranks of the ungodly1 and the life-time 
if not the eternity of one soul         
embittered4 ,not without a consideration
 of the temptations that do actually    
lead men astray did the law enjoin3     
,thou shalt not make a covenant with the
 inhabitants of the land1 nor take of   
their daughters unto thy sons4  ,it     
seems like a truism to say that a       
greater amount of unhappiness has been  
produced by mismanagement1 folly1 and   
wickedness in the relation subsisting   
between men and women than by any other 
cause4 ,god has given us the capacity of
 love to regulate this relation and be  
our safe guide in all matters connected 
with it4 ,but frequently1 from one cause
 or another1 the government and         
direction of this relation are taken out
 of the hands of love and put into the  
thoroughly incompetent hands of         
convenience1 or fancy1 or selfish lust4 
,a marriage contracted from any such    

motive is sure to bring unhappiness of a
 long-continued1 wearing and often      
heart-breaking kind4 ,such a marriage is
 often the form in which retribution    
comes for youthful selfishness and      
youthful licentiousness4 ,you cannot    
cheat nature4 ,just in so far as you    
allow yourself to be ruled in youth by a
 selfish love of pleasure1 in so far do 
you incapacitate yourself for love4 ,you
 sacrifice what is genuine and          
satisfying1 because provided by nature1 
to what is spurious1 unsatisfying1 and  
shameful4 ,you cannot afterwards1 unless
 by a long and bitter discipline1       
restore the capacity of warm and pure   
love in your heart4 ,every indulgence in
 which true love is absent is another   
blow given to the faculty of love within
 you--you make yourself in that capacity
 decrepit1 paralyzed1 dead4 ,you have   
lost1 you have killed the faculty that  
should be your guide in all these       
matters1 and so you are at last         
precipitated without this guidance into 

a marriage formed from some other       
motive1 formed therefore against nature1
 and in which you are the everlasting   
victim of nature's relentless justice4  
,remember that you cannot have both     
things1 a youth of loveless pleasure and
 a loving marriage--you must make your  
choice4 ,for as surely as genuine love  
kills all evil desire2 so surely does   
evil desire kill the very capacity of   
love1 and blind utterly its wretched    
victim to the qualities that ought to   
excite love4  ,the language used of ,god
 in relation to this universal          
corruption strikes every one as         
remarkable4 ,it repented the ,lord that 
,he had made man on the earth1 and it   
grieved ,him at ,his heart4 ,this is    
what is usually termed anthropomorphism1
 i4e4 the presenting of ,god in terms   
applicable only to man2 it is an        
instance of the same mode of speaking as
 is used when we speak of ,god's hand or
 eye or heart4 ,these expressions are   
not absolutely true1 but they are useful

 and convey to us a meaning which could 
scarcely otherwise be expressed4 ,some  
persons think that the use of these     
expressions proves that in early times  
,god was thought of as wearing a body   
and as being very like ourselves in ,his
 inward nature4 ,and even in our day we 
have been ridiculed for speaking of ,god
 as a magnified man4 ,now in the first  
place the use of such expressions does  
not prove that even the earliest        
worshippers of ,god believed ,him to    
have eyes and hands and a body4 ,we     
freely use the same expressions though  
we have no such belief4 ,we use them    
because our language is formed for human
 uses and on a human level1 and we have 
no capacity to frame a better4 ,and in  
the second place1 though not absolutely 
true they do help us towards the truth4 
,we are told that it degrades ,god to   
think of ,him as hearing prayer and     
accepting praise2 nay1 that to think of 
,him as a ,person at all1 is to degrade 
,him4 ,we ought to think of ,him as the 

,absolutely ,unknowable4 ,but which     
degrades ,god most1 and which exalts    
,him most8 ,if we find that it is       
impossible to worship an absolutely     
unknowable1 if we find that practically 
such an idea is a mere nonentity to us1 
and that we cannot in point of fact pay 
any homage or show any consideration to 
such an empty abstraction1 is not this  
really to lower ,god8 ,and if we find   
that when we think of ,him as a ,person1
 and ascribe to ,him all human virtue in
 an infinite degree1 we can rejoice in  
,him and worship ,him with true         
adoration1 is not this to exalt ,him8   
,while we call ,him our ,father we know 
that this title is inadequate1 while we 
speak of ,god as planning and decreeing 
we know that we are merely making shift 
to express what is inexpressible by     
us--we know that our thoughts of ,him   
are never adequate and that to think of 
,him at all is to lower ,him1 is to     
think of ,him inadequately2 but when the
 practical alternative is such as it is1

 we find we do well to think of ,him    
with the highest personal attributes we 
can conceive4 ,for to refuse to ascribe 
such attributes to ,him because this is 
degrading ,him1 is to empty our minds of
 any idea of ,him which can stimulate   
either to worship or to duty4 ,if by    
ridding our minds of all anthropomorphic
 ideas and refusing to think of ,god as 
feeling1 thinking1 acting as men do1 we 
could thereby get to a really higher    
conception of ,him1 a conception which  
would practically make us worship ,him  
more devotedly and serve ,him more      
faithfully1 then by all means let us do 
so4 ,but if the result of refusing to   
think of ,him as in many ways like      
ourselves1 is that we cease to think of 
,him at all or only as a dead impersonal
 force1 then this certainly is not to   
reach a higher but a lower conception of
 ,him4 ,and until we see our way to some
 truly higher conception than that which
 we have of a ,personal ,god1 we had    
better be content with it4  ,in short1  

we do well to be humble1 and considering
 that we know very little about         
existence of any kind1 and least of all 
about ,god's1 and that our ,god has been
 presented to us in human form1 we do   
well to accept ,christ as our ,god1 to  
worship1 love1 and serve ,him1 finding  
,him sufficient for all our wants of    
this life1 and leaving it to other times
 to get the solution of anything that is
 not made plain to us in ,him4 ,this is 
one boon that the science and philosophy
 of our day have unintentionally        
conferred upon us4 ,they have laboured  
to make us feel how remote and          
inaccessible ,god is1 how little we can 
know ,him1 how truly ,he is past finding
 out2 they have laboured to make us feel
 how intangible and invisible and       
incomprehensible ,god is1 but the result
 of this is that we turn with all the   
stronger longing to ,him who is the     
,image of the ,invisible ,god1 and on   
whom a voice has fallen from the        
excellent glory1 ,this is ,my beloved   

,son1 hear ,him4  ,the ,flood itself we 
need not attempt to describe4 ,it has   
been remarked that though the narrative 
is vivid and forcible1 it is entirely   
wanting in that sort of description     
which in a modern historian or poet     
would have occupied the largest space4  
,we see nothing of the death-struggle2  
we hear not the cry of despair2 we are  
not called upon to witness the frantic  
agony of husband and wife1 and parent   
and child1 as they fled in terror before
 the rising waters4 ,nor is a word said 
of the sadness of the one righteous man1
 who1 safe himself1 looked upon the     
destruction which he could not avert4   
,the ,chaldean tradition which is the   
most closely allied to the ,biblical    
account is not so reticent4 ,tears are  
shed in heaven over the catastrophe1 and
 even consternation affected its        
inhabitants1 while within the ark itself
 the ,chaldean ,noah says1 ,when the    
storm came to an end and the terrible   
water-spout ceased1 ,i opened the window

 and the light smote upon my face4 ,i   
looked at the sea attentively observing1
 and the whole of humanity had returned 
to mud1 like seaweed the corpses        
floated4 ,i was seized with sadness2 ,i 
sat down and wept and my tears fell upon
 my face4  ,there can be little question
 that this is a true description of     
,noah's feeling4 ,and the sense of      
desolation and constraint would rather  
increase in ,noah's mind than diminish4 
,month after month elapsed2 he was      
coming daily nearer the end of his food1
 and yet the waters were unabated4 ,he  
did not know how long he was to be kept 
in this dark1 disagreeable place4 ,he   
was left to do his daily work without   
any supernatural signs to help him      
against his natural anxieties4 ,the     
floating of the ark and all that went on
 in it had no mark of ,god's hand upon  
it4 ,he was indeed safe while others had
 been destroyed4 ,but of what good was  
this safety to be8 ,was he ever to get  
out of this prison-house8 ,to what      

straits was he to be first reduced8 ,so 
it is often with ourselves4 ,we are left
 to fulfil ,god's will without any      
sensible tokens to set over against     
natural difficulties1 painful and       
pinching circumstances1 ill health1 low 
spirits1 failure of favourite projects  
and old hopes--so that at last we come  
to think that perhaps safety is all we  
are to have in ,christ1 a mere exemption
 from suffering of one kind purchased by
 the endurance of much suffering of     
another kind2 that we are to be thankful
 for pardon on any terms2 and escaping  
with our life1 must be content though it
 be bare4 ,why1 how often does a        
,christian wonder whether1 after all1 he
 has chosen a life that he can endure1  
whether the monotony and the restraints 
of the ,christian life are not          
inconsistent with true enjoyment8  ,this
 strife between the felt restriction of 
the ,christian life and the natural     
craving for abundant life1 for entrance 
into all that the world can show us1 and

 experience of all forms of             
enjoyment--this strife goes on          
unceasingly in the heart of many of us  
as it goes on from age to age in the    
world4 ,which is the true view of life1 
which is the view to guide us in        
choosing and refusing the enjoyments and
 pursuits that are presented to us8 ,are
 we to believe that the ideal man for   
this life is he who has tasted all      
culture and delight1 who believes in    
nature1 recognising no fall and seeking 
for no redemption1 and makes enjoyment  
his end2 or he who sees that all        
enjoyment is deceptive till man is set  
right morally1 and who spends himself on
 this1 knowing that blood and misery    
must come before peace and rest1 and    
crowned as our ,king and ,leader1 not   
with a garland of roses1 but with the   
crown of ,him ,who is greatest of all1  
because servant of all--to ,whom the    
most sunken is not repulsive1 and ,who  
will not abandon the most hopeless8     
,this comes to be very much the         

question1 whether this life is final or 
preparatory8--whether1 therefore1 our   
work in it should be to check lower     
propensities and develop and train all  
that is best in character1 so as to be  
fit for highest life and enjoyment in a 
world to come--or should take ourselves 
as we find ourselves1 and delight in    
this present world8 whether this is a   
placid eternal state1 in which things   
are very much as they should be1 and in 
which therefore we can live freely and  
enjoy freely2 or whether it is a        
disordered1 initial condition in which  
our main task should be to do a little  
towards putting things on a better rail 
and getting at least the germ and small 
beginnings of future good planted in one
 another8 ,so that in the midst of all  
felt restriction1 there is the highest  
hope1 that one day we shall go forth    
from the narrow precincts of our ark1   
and step out into the free bright       
sunshine1 in a world where there is     
nothing to offend1 and that the time of 

our deprivation will seem to have been  
well spent indeed1 if it has left within
 us a capacity permanently to enjoy     
love1 holiness1 justice1 and all that is
 delighted in by ,god ,himself4  ,the   
use made of this event in the ,new      
,testament is remarkable4 ,it is        
compared by ,peter to baptism1 and both 
are viewed as illustrations of salvation
 by destruction4 ,the eight souls1 he   
says1 who were in the ark1 were saved by
 water4 ,the water which destroyed the  
rest saved them4 ,when there seemed     
little hope of the godly line being able
 to withstand the influence of the      
ungodly1 the ,flood came and left       
,noah's family in a new world1 with     
freedom to order all things according to
 their own ideas4 ,in this ,peter sees  
some analogy to baptism4 ,in baptism1   
the penitent who believes in the        
efficacy of ,christ's blood to purge    
away sin1 lets his defilement be washed 
away and rises new and clean to the life
 ,christ gives4 ,in ,christ the sinner  

finds shelter for himself and           
destruction for his sins4 ,it is ,god's 
wrath against sin that saves us by      
destroying our sins2 just as it was the 
,flood which devastated the world1 that 
at the same time1 and thereby1 saved    
,noah and his family4  ,in this event1  
too1 we see the completeness of ,god's  
work4 ,often we feel reluctant to       
surrender our sinful habits to so final 
a destruction as is implied in being one
 with ,christ4 ,the expense at which    
holiness is to be bought seems almost   
too great4 ,so much that has given us   
pleasure must be parted with2 so many   
old ties sundered1 a condition of       
holiness presents an aspect of          
dreariness and hopelessness2 like the   
world after the flood1 not a moving     
thing on the surface of the earth1      
everything levelled1 prostrate1 and     
washed even with the ground2 here the   
corpse of a man1 there the carcase of a 
beast2 here mighty forest timber swept  
prone like the rushes on the banks of a 

flooded stream1 and there a city without
 inhabitants1 everything dank1 dismal   
and repellent4 ,but this is only one    
aspect of the work2 the beginning1      
necessary if the work is to be thorough4
 ,if any part of the sinful life remain 
it will spring up to mar what ,god means
 to introduce us to4 ,only that is to be
 preserved which we can take with us    
into our ark4 ,only that is to pass on  
into our life which we can retain while 
we are in true connection with ,christ1 
and which we think can help us to live  
as ,his friends1 and to serve ,him      
zealously4  ,this event then gives us   
some measure by which we can know how   
much ,god will do to maintain holiness  
upon earth4 ,in this catastrophe every  
one who strives after godliness may find
 encouragement1 seeing in it the ,divine
 earnestness of ,god for good and       
against evil4 ,there is only one other  
event in history that so conspicuously  
shows that holiness among men is the    
object for which ,god will sacrifice    

everything else4 ,there is no need now  
of any further demonstration of ,god's  
purpose in this world and ,his zeal for 
carrying it out4 ,and may it not be     
expected of us ,his children1 that we   
stand in presence of the cross until our
 cold and frivolous hearts catch        
something of the earnestness1 the       
resisting unto blood striving against   
sin1 which is exhibited there8 ,the     
,flood has not been forgotten by almost 
any people under heaven1 but its moral  
result is nil4 ,but he whose memory is  
haunted by a dying ,redeemer1 by the    
thought of ,one ,whose love found its   
most appropriate and practical result in
 dying for him1 is prevented from much  
sin1 and finds in that love the spring  
of eternal hope1 that which his soul in 
the deep privacy of his most sacred     
thoughts can feed upon with joy1 that   
which he builds himself round and broods
 over as his inalienable possession4    
,,vi4  ,,noah',s ,,fall4  ,,genesis ix4 
#bj-bg4   ,noah in the ark was in a     

position of present safety but of much  
anxiety4 ,no sign of any special        
protection on ,god's part was given4    
,the waters seem to stand at their      
highest level still2 and probably the   
risk of the ark's grounding on some     
impracticable peak1 or precipitous      
hill-side1 would seem as great a danger 
as the water itself4 ,five months had   
elapsed1 and though the rain had ceased 
the sky was heavy and threatening1 and  
every day now was worth many measures of
 corn in the coming harvest4 ,a         
reflection of the anxiety within the ark
 is seen in the expression1 ,and ,god   
remembered ,noah4 ,it was needful to say
 so1 for there was as yet no outward    
sign of this4  ,to such anxieties all   
are subject who have availed themselves 
of the salvation ,god provides4 ,at the 
first there is an easy faith in ,god's  
aid2 there are many signs of ,his       
presence2 the subjects in whom salvation
 operates have no disposition or        
temptation to doubt that ,god is with   

them and is working for them4 ,but this 
initial stage is succeeded by a very    
different state of things4 ,we seem to  
be left to ourselves to cope with the   
world and all its difficulties and      
temptations in our own strength4 ,much  
as we crave some sign that ,god         
remembers us1 no sign is given4 ,we no  
longer receive the same urgent impulses 
to holiness of life2 we have no longer  
the same freshness in devotion as if    
speaking to a ,god at hand4 ,there is   
nothing which of itself and without     
reasoning about it says to us1 ,here is 
,god's hand upon me4  ,in fact1 the     
great part of our life has to be spent  
under these conditions1 and we need to  
hold some well-ascertained principle    
regarding ,god's dealings1 if our faith 
is to survive4 ,and here in ,god's      
treatment of ,noah we see that ,god may 
as certainly be working for us when not 
working directly upon us1 as when ,his  
presence is palpable4 ,his absence from 
us is as needful as ,his presence4 ,the 

clouds are as requisite for our         
salvation as the sunny sky4 ,when       
therefore we find that salvation from   
sin is a much slower and more anxious   
matter than we once expected it to be1  
we are not to suppose that ,god is not  
hearing our prayers4 ,when ,noah day by 
day cried to ,god for relief1 and yet   
night after night found himself cribb'd1
 cabin'd1 and confined1 with no sign    
from ,god but such as faith could       
apprehend1 depend upon it he had very   
different feelings from those with which
 he first stepped into the ark4 ,and    
when we are left to one monotonous rut  
of duty and to an unchanging and dry    
form of devotion1 when we are called to 
learn to live by faith not by sight1 to 
learn that ,god's purposes with us are  
spiritual1 and that slow and difficult  
growth in self-command and holiness is  
the best proof that ,he hears our       
prayers1 we must strive to believe that 
this also is a needful part of our      
salvation2 and we must especially be on 

our guard against supposing that as ,god
 has ceased to disclose ,himself to us1 
and so to make faith easy1 we may cease 
to disclose ourselves to ,him4  ,for    
this is the natural and very frequent   
result of such an experience4           
,discouraged by the obscurity of ,god's 
ways and the difficulty of believing    
when the mind is not sustained by       
success or by new thoughts or manifest  
tokens of ,god's presence1 we naturally 
cease to look for any clear signs of    
,god's concernment about our state1 and 
rest from all anxious craving to know   
,god's will about us4 ,to this          
temptation the majority of ,christian   
people yield1 and allow themselves to   
become indifferent to spiritual truth   
and increasingly interested in the      
non-mysterious facts of the present     
world1 attending to present duties in a 
mechanical way1 seeing that their       
families have enough to eat and that all
 in their little ark are provided for4  
,but to this temptation ,noah did not   

yield4 ,though to all appearance        
abandoned by ,god1 he did what he could 
to ascertain what was beyond his        
immediate sight and present experience4 
,he sent out his raven and his dove4    
,not satisfied with his first enquiry by
 the raven1 which could flit from one   
piece of floating garbage to another1 he
 sent out the dove1 and continued to do 
so at intervals of seven days4  ,noah   
sent out the raven first1 probably      
because it had been the most            
companionable bird and seemed the       
wisest1 preferable to the silly dove2   
but it never came back with ,god's      
message4 ,and so has one often found    
that an enquiry into ,god's will1 the   
examination1 for example1 of some       
portion of ,scripture1 undertaken with a
 prospect of success and with good human
 helps1 has failed1 and has failed in   
this peculiar ravenlike way2 the enquiry
 has settled down on some worthless     
point1 on some rotting carcase1 on some 
subject of passing interest or worldly  

learning1 and brings back no message of 
,god to us4 ,on the other hand1 the     
continued use1 ,sabbath after ,sabbath1 
of ,god's appointed means1 and the      
patient waiting for some message of ,god
 to come to us through what seems a most
 unlikely messenger1 will often be      
rewarded4 ,it may be but a single leaf  
plucked off that we get1 but enough to  
convince us that ,god has been mindful  
of our need1 and is preparing for us a  
habitable world4  ,many a man is like   
the raven1 feeding himself on the       
destruction of others1 satisfied with   
knowing how ,god has dealt with others4 
,he thinks he has done his part when he 
has found out who has been sinning and  
what has been the result4 ,but the dove 
will not settle on any such             
resting-place1 and is dissatisfied until
 for herself she can pluck off some     
token that ,god's anger is turned away  
and that now there is peace on earth4   
,and if only you wait ,god's time and   
renew your endeavours to find such      

tokens1 some assurance will be given    
you1 some green and growing thing1 some 
living part1 however small1 of the new  
creation which will certify you of your 
hope4  ,on the first day of the first   
month1 ,new ,year's day1 ,noah removed  
the covering of the ark1 which seems to 
have stranded on the ,armenian          
tableland1 and looked out upon the new  
world4 ,he cannot but have felt his     
responsibility1 as a kind of second     
,adam4 ,and many questionings must have 
arisen in his mind regarding the        
relation of the new to the old4 ,was    
there to be any connection with the old 
world at all1 or was all to begin       
afresh8 ,were the promises1 the         
traditions1 the events1 the genealogies 
of the old world of any significance    
now8 ,the ,flood distinctly marked the  
going out of one order of things and the
 establishment of another4 ,man's career
 and development1 or what we call       
history1 had not before the ,flood      
attained its goal4 ,if this development 

was not to be broken short off1 and if  
,god's purpose in creation was to be    
fulfilled1 then the world must still go 
on4 ,some worlds may perhaps die young1 
as individuals die young4 ,others endure
 through hair-breadth escapes and       
constant dangers1 find their way like   
our planet through showers of fire1 and 
pass without collision the orbits of    
huge bodies1 carrying with them always1 
as our world does1 the materials of     
their destruction within themselves4    
,but catastrophes do not cut short1 but 
evolve ,god's purposes4 ,the ,flood came
 that ,god's purpose might be fulfilled4
 ,the course of nature was interrupted1 
the arrangements of social and domestic 
life were overturned1 all the works of  
men were swept away that this purpose   
might be fulfilled4 ,it was expedient   
that one generation should die for all  
generations2 and this generation having 
been taken out of the way1 fresh        
provision is made for the co-operation  
of man with ,god4 ,on man's part there  

is an emphatic acknowledgment of ,god by
 sacrifice2 on ,god's part there is a   
renewed grant to man of the world and   
its fulness1 a renewed assurance of ,his
 favour4  ,this covenant with ,noah was 
on the plane of nature4 ,it is man's    
natural life in the world which is the  
subject of it4 ,the sacredness of life  
is its great lesson4 ,men might well    
wonder whether ,god did not hold life   
cheap4 ,in the old world violence had   
prevailed4 ,but while ,lamech's sword   
may have slain its thousands1 ,god had  
in the ,flood slain tens of thousands4  
,the covenant1 therefore1 directs that  
human life must be reverenced4 ,the     
primal blessing is renewed4 ,men are to 
multiply and replenish the earth2 and   
the slaughter of a man was to be        
reckoned a capital crime2 and the       
maintenance of life was guaranteed by a 
special clause1 securing the regularity 
of the seasons4 ,if1 then1 you ask1 ,was
 this just a beginning again where ,adam
 began8 ,did ,god just wipe out man as a

 boy wipes his slate clean1 when he     
finds his calculation is turning out    
wrong8 ,had all these generations       
learned nothing2 had the world not grown
 at all since its birth8--the answer is1
 it had grown1 and in two most important
 respects1--it had come to the knowledge
 of the uniformity of nature1 and the   
necessity of human law4 ,this great     
departure from the uniformity of nature 
brought into strong relief its normal   
uniformity1 and gave men their first    
lesson in the recognition of a ,god who 
governs by fixed laws4 ,and they learned
 also from the ,flood that wickedness   
must not be allowed to grow unchecked   
and attain dimensions which nothing     
short of a flood can cope with4  ,fit   
symbol of this covenant was the rainbow4
 ,seeming to unite heaven and earth1 it 
pictured to those primitive people the  
friendliness existing between ,god and  
man4 ,many nations have looked upon it  
as not merely one of the most beautiful 
and striking objects in nature1 but as  

the messenger of heaven to men4 ,and    
arching over the whole horizon1 it      
exhibits the all-embracing universality 
of the promise4 ,they accepted it as a  
sign that ,god has no pleasure in       
destruction1 that ,he does not give way 
to moods1 that ,he does not always      
chide1 that if weeping may endure for a 
night joy is sure to follow4 ,if any one
 is under a cloud1 leading a joyless1   
hopeless1 heartless life1 if any one has
 much apparent reason to suppose that   
,god has given him up to catastrophe1   
and lets things run as they may1 there  
is some satisfaction in reading this    
natural emblem and recognising that     
without the cloud1 nay1 without the     
cloud breaking into heavy sweeping      
rains1 there cannot be the bow1 and that
 no cloud of ,god's sending is          
permanent1 but will one day give place  
to unclouded joy4 ,let the prayer of    
,david be yours1 ,i know1 ,o ,lord1 that
 ,thy judgments are right1 and that     
,thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me4

 ,let1 ,i pray ,thee1 ,thy merciful     
kindness be for my comfort according to 
,thy word unto ,thy servant4  ,it may be
 felt that the matters about which ,god 
spoke to ,noah were barely religious1   
certainly not spiritual4 ,but to take   
,god as our ,god in any one particular  
is to take ,him as our ,god for all4 ,if
 we can eat our daily bread as given to 
us by our ,father in heaven1 then we are
 heirs of the righteousness which is by 
faith4 ,it is because we wait for some  
wonderful and out-of-the-way proofs that
 ,god is keeping faith with us that we  
so much lack a real and living faith4   
,if you think of ,god only in connection
 with some spiritual difficulty1 or if  
you are waiting for some critical       
spiritual experience about which you may
 deal with ,god1--if you are not        
transacting with ,him about your daily  
work1 about your temporal wants and     
difficulties1 about your friendships and
 your tastes1 about that which makes up 
the bulk of your thought1 feeling1 and  

action1 then you have yet to learn what 
living with ,god means4 ,you have yet to
 learn that ,god the ,infinite ,creator 
of all is present in all your life4 ,we 
are not in advance of ,noah1 but behind 
him1 if we cannot speak to ,god about   
common things4  ,besides1 the relation  
of man to ,god was sufficiently         
determined by this covenant4 ,when any  
man in that age began to ask himself the
 question which all men in all ages ask1
 ,how shall ,i win the favour of ,god8  
it must1 or it might1 at once have      
struck him1 ,why1 ,god has already      
favoured me and has bound ,himself to me
 by express and solemn pledges4 ,and    
radically this is all that any one needs
 to know4 ,it is not a change in ,god's 
attitude towards you that is required4  
,what is required is that you believe   
what is actually the case1 that the     
,holy ,god loves you already and is     
already seeking to bless you by making  
you like ,himself4 ,believe that1 and   
let the faith of it sink more and more  

deeply into your spirit1 and you will   
find that you are saved from your sin4  
,what remains to be told of ,noah is    
full of moral significance4 ,rare indeed
 is a wholly good man2 and happy indeed 
is he who throughout his youth1 his     
manhood1 and his age lets principle     
govern all his actions4 ,the righteous  
and rescued ,noah lying drunk on his    
tent-floor is a sorrowful spectacle4    
,god had given him the earth1 and this  
was the use he made of the gift2        
melancholy presage of the fashion of his
 posterity4 ,he had ,god to help him to 
bear his responsibilities1 to refresh   
and gladden him2 but he preferred the   
fruit of his vineyard4 ,can the most    
sacred or impressive memories secure a  
man against sin8 ,noah had the memory of
 a race drowned for sin and of a year in
 solitude with ,god4 ,can the dignity   
and weight of responsibility steady a   
man8 ,this man knew that to him ,god had
 declared ,his purpose and that he only 
could carry it forward to fulfilment4   

,in that heavy helpless figure1 fallen  
insensible in his tent1 is as           
significant a warning as in the ,flood4 
,noah's sin brings before us two facts  
about sin4 ,first1 that the smaller     
temptations are often the most          
effectual4 ,the man who is invulnerable 
on the field of battle amidst declared  
and strong enemies falls an easy prey to
 the assassin in his own home4 ,when all
 the world was against him1 ,noah was   
able to face single-handed both scorn   
and violence1 but in the midst of his   
vineyard1 among his own people who      
understood him and needed no preaching  
or proof of his virtue1 he relaxed4  ,he
 was no longer in circumstances so      
difficult as to force him to watch and  
pray1 as to drive him to ,god's side4   
,the temptations ,noah had before known 
were mainly from without2 he now learnt 
that those from within are more serious4
 ,many of us find it comparatively easy 
to carry clean hands before the public1 
or to demean ourselves with tolerable   

seemliness in circumstances where the   
temptation may be very strong but is    
also very patent2 but how careless are  
we often in our domestic life1 and how  
little strain do we put upon ourselves  
in the company of those whom we can     
trust4 ,what petulance and irritability1
 what angry and slanderous words1 what  
sensuality and indolence could our own  
homes witness to6 ,noah is not the only 
man who has walked uprightly and kept   
his garment unspotted from the world so 
long as the eye of man was on him1 but  
who has lain uncovered on his own       
tent-floor4  ,secondly1 we see here how 
a man may fall into new forms of sin1   
and are reminded especially of one of   
the most distressing facts to be        
observed in the world1 viz41 that men in
 their prime and even in their old age  
are sometimes overtaken in sins of      
sensuality from which hitherto they have
 kept themselves pure4 ,we are very     
ready to think we know the full extent  
of wickedness to which we may go2 that  

by certain sins we shall never be much  
tempted4 ,and in some of our predictions
 we may be correct2 our temperament or  
our circumstances may absolutely        
preclude some sins from mastering us4   
,yet who has made but a slight          
alteration in his circumstances1 added a
 little to his business1 made some new  
family arrangements1 or changed his     
residence1 without being astonished to  
find how many new sources of evil seem  
to have been opened within him8 ,while  
therefore you rejoice over sins         
defeated1 beware of thinking your work  
is nearly done4 ,especially let those of
 us who have for years been fighting    
mainly against one sin beware of        
thinking that if only that were defeated
 we should be free from sin4 ,as a man  
who has long suffered from one bodily   
disease congratulates himself that at   
least he knows what he may expect in the
 way of pain1 and will not suffer as    
some other man he has heard of does     
suffer2 whereas though one disease may  

kill others1 yet some diseases only     
prepare the body for the assault of     
worse ailments than themselves1 and the 
constitution at last breaks up under a  
combination of ills that make the       
sufferer a pity to his friends and a    
perplexity to his physicians4 ,and so is
 it in the spirit2 you cannot say that  
because you are so consumed by one      
infirmity1 others can find no room in   
you4 ,in short1 there is nothing that   
can secure us against the unspeakable   
calamity of falling into new sins1      
except the direction given by our ,lord1
 ,watch and pray1 lest ye enter into    
temptation4 ,there is need of watching1 
else this precept had never been        
uttered2 too many things absolutely     
needful for us to do have to be enjoined
 upon us to leave any room for the      
injunction of precepts that are         
unnecessary1 and he who is not watching 
has no security that he shall not sin so
 as to be a scandal to his friends and a
 shame to himself4  ,noah's sin brought 

to light the character of his three     
sons--the coarse irreverence of ,ham1   
the dignified delicacy and honour of    
,shem and ,japheth4 ,the bearing of men 
towards the sins of others is always a  
touchstone of character4 ,the full      
exposure of sin where good is expected  
to come of the exposure and when it is  
done with sorrow and with shame is one  
thing1 and the exposure of sin to create
 a laugh and merely to amuse is another4
 ,they are the true descendants of ,ham1
 whether their faces be black or white1 
and whether they go with no clothes or  
with clothes that are the product of    
much thought and anxiety1 who find      
pleasure in the mere contemplation of   
deeds of shame1 in real life1 on the    
boards of the theatre1 in daily         
journals1 or in works of fiction4       
,extremes meet1 and the savage grossness
 of ,ham is found in many who count     
themselves the last and finest product  
of culture4 ,it is found also in the    
harder and narrower set of modern       

investigators1 who glory in exposing the
 scientific weakness of our forefathers1
 and make a jest of the mistakes of men 
to whom they owe much of their freedom1 
and whose shoe latchet they are not     
worthy to tie1 so far as the deeper     
moral qualities go4  ,but neither is    
religious society free from this same   
sin4 ,the faults and mistakes and sins  
of others are talked over1 possibly with
 some show of regret1 but with1 as we   
know1 very little real shame and        
sadness1 for these feelings prompt us1  
not to talk them over in companies where
 no good can be done in the way of      
remedy1 but to cover them as these      
sorrowing sons of ,noah1 with averted   
eye and humbled head4 ,charity is the   
prime grace enjoined upon us and charity
 covers a multitude of sins4 ,and       
whatever excuses for exposing others we 
may make1 however we may say it is only 
a love of truth and fair play that makes
 us drag to light the infirmities of a  
man whom others are praising1 we may be 

very sure that if all evil motives were 
absent this kind of evil speaking would 
cease among us4 ,but there is a         
malignity in sin that leaves its bitter 
root in us all1 and causes us to be glad
 when those whom we have been regarding 
as our superiors are reduced to our poor
 level4 ,and there is a cowardliness in 
sin which cannot bear to be alone1 and  
eagerly hails every symptom of others   
being in the same condemnation4  ,before
 exposing another1 think first whether  
your own conduct could bear a similar   
treatment1 whether you have never done  
the thing you desire to conceal1 said   
the thing you would blush to hear       
repeated1 or thought the thought you    
could not bear another to read4 ,and if 
you be a ,christian1 does it not become 
you to remember what you yourself have  
learnt of the slipperiness of this      
world's ways1 of your liability to fall1
 of your sudden exposure to sin from    
some physical disorder1 or some slight  
mistake which greatly extenuates your   

sin1 but which you could not plead      
before another8 ,and do you know nothing
 of the difficulty of conquering one sin
 that is rooted in your constitution1   
and the strife that goes on in a man's  
own soul and in secret though he show   
little immediate fruit of it in his life
 before men8 ,surely it becomes us to   
give a man credit for much good         
resolution and much sore self-denial and
 endeavour1 even when he fails and sins 
still1 because such we know to be our   
own case1 and if we disbelieve in others
 until they can walk with perfect       
rectitude1 if we condemn them for one or
 two flaws and blemishes1 we shall be   
tempted to show the same want of charity
 towards ourselves1 and fall at length  
into that miserable and hopeless        
condition that believes in no           
regenerating spirit nor in any holiness 
attainable by us4     ,,vii4  ,,the     
,,call ,,of ,,abraham4  ,,genesis xi4   
#bg-xii4 #e4   ,with ,abraham there     
opens a new chapter in the history of   

the race2 a chapter of the profoundest  
significance4 ,the consequences of      
,abraham's movements and beliefs have   
been limitless and enduring4 ,all       
succeeding time has been influenced by  
him4 ,and yet there is in his life a    
remarkable simplicity1 and an entire    
absence of such events as impress       
contemporaries4 ,among all the forgotten
 millions of his own time he stands     
alone a recognisable and memorable      
figure4 ,but around his figure there    
gathers no throng of armed followers2   
with his name1 no vast territorial      
dominion1 no new legislation1 not even  
any work of literature or art is        
associated4 ,the significance of his    
life was not military1 nor legislative1 
nor literary1 but religious4 ,to him    
must be carried back the belief in one  
,god4 ,we find him born and brought up  
among idolaters2 and although it is     
certain there were others besides       
himself who here and there upon earth   
had dimly arrived at the same belief as 

he1 yet it is certainly from him the    
,monotheistic belief has been diffused4 
,since his day the world has never been 
without its explicit advocacy4 ,it is   
his belief in the true ,god1 in a ,god  
who manifested ,his existence and ,his  
nature by responding to this belief1 it 
is this belief and the place he gave it 
as the regulating principle of all his  
movements and thoughts1 that have given 
him his everlasting influence4  ,with   
,abraham there is also introduced the   
first step in a new method adopted by   
,god in the training of men4 ,the       
dispersion of men and the divergence of 
their languages are now seen to have    
been the necessary preliminary to this  
new step in the education of the        
world--the fencing round of one people  
till they should learn to know ,god and 
understand and exemplify ,his           
government4 ,it is true1 ,god reveals   
,himself to all men and governs all2 but
 by selecting one race with special     
adaptations1 and by giving to it a      

special training1 ,god might more       
securely and more rapidly reveal        
,himself to all4 ,each nation has       
certain characteristics1 a national     
character which grows by seclusion from 
the influences which are forming other  
races4 ,there is a certain mental and   
moral individuality stamped upon every  
separate people4 ,nothing is more       
certainly retained2 nothing more        
certainly handed down from generation to
 generation4 ,it would therefore be a   
good practical means of conserving and  
deepening the knowledge of ,god1 if it  
were made the national interest of a    
people to preserve it1 and if it were   
closely identified with the national    
characteristics4 ,this was the method   
adopted by ,god4 ,he meant to combine   
allegiance to ,himself with national    
advantages1 and spiritual with national 
character1 and separation in belief with
 a distinctly outlined and defensible   
territory4  ,this method1 in common with
 all ,divine methods1 was in strict     

keeping with the natural evolution of   
history4 ,the migration of ,abraham     
occurred in the epoch of migrations4    
,but although for centuries before      
,abraham new nations had been forming1  
none of them had belief in ,god as its  
formative principle4 ,wave upon wave of 
warriors1 shepherds1 colonists have left
 the prolific plains of ,mesopotamia4   
,swarm after swarm has left that busy   
hive1 pushing one another further and   
further west and east1 but all have been
 urged by natural impulses1 by hunger1  
commerce1 love of adventure and         
conquest4 ,by natural likings and       
dislikings1 by policy1 and by dint of   
force the multitudinous tribes of men   
were finding their places in the world1 
the weaker being driven to the hills1   
and being schooled there by hard living 
till their descendants came down and    
conquered their conquerors4 ,all this   
went on without regard to any very high 
motives4 ,as it was with the ,goths who 
invaded ,italy for her wealth1 as it is 

now with those who people ,america and  
,africa because there is land or room   
enough1 so it was then4 ,but at last    
,god selects one man and says1 ,i will  
make of thee a great nation4 ,the origin
 of this nation is not facile love of   
change nor lust of territory1 but belief
 in ,god4 ,without this belief this     
people had not been4 ,no other account  
can be given of its origin4 ,abraham is 
himself already the member of a tribe1  
well-off and likely to be well-off2 he  
has no large family to provide for1 but 
he is separated from his kindred and    
country1 and led out to be himself a new
 beginning1 and this because1 as he     
himself throughout his life said1 he    
heard ,god's call and responded to it4  
,the city which claims the distinction  
of being ,abraham's birthplace1 or at   
least of giving its name to the district
 where he was born1 is now represented  
by a few mounds of ruins rising out of  
the flat marshy ground on the western   
bank of the ,euphrates1 not far above   

the point where it joins its waters to  
those of the ,tigris and glides on to   
the ,persian gulf4 ,in the time of      
,abraham1 ,ur was the capital city which
 gave its name to one of the most       
populous and fertile regions of the     
earth4 ,the whole land of ,accad which  
ran up from the sea-coast to ,upper     
,mesopotamia 7or ,shinar7 seems to have 
been known as ,ur-ma1 the land of ,ur4  
,this land was of no great extent1 being
 little if at all larger than ,scotland1
 but it was the richest of ,asia4 ,the  
high civilisation which this land       
enjoyed even in the time of ,abraham has
 been disclosed in the abundant and     
multifarious ,babylonian remains which  
have recently been brought to light4    
,what induced ,terah to abandon so      
prosperous a land can only be           
conjectured4 ,it is possible that the   
idolatrous customs of the inhabitants   
may have had something to do with his   
movements4 ,for while the ancient       
,babylonian records reveal a            

civilisation surprisingly advanced1 and 
a social order in some respects         
admirable1 they also make disclosures   
regarding the worship of the gods which 
must shock even those who are familiar  
with the immoralities frequently        
fostered by heathen religions4 ,the city
 of ,ur was not only the capital1 it was
 the holy city of the ,chaldeans4 ,in   
its northern quarter rose high above the
 surrounding buildings the successive   
stages of the temple of the moon-god1   
culminating in a platform on which the  
priests could both accurately observe   
the motions of the stars and hold their 
night-watches in honour of their god4   
,in the courts of this temple might be  
heard breaking the silence of midnight1 
one of those magnificent hymns1 still   
preserved1 in which idolatry is seen in 
its most attractive dress1 and in which 
the ,lord of ,ur is invoked in terms not
 unworthy of the living ,god4 ,but in   
these same temple-courts ,abraham may   
have seen the firstborn led to the      

altar1 the fruit of the body sacrificed 
to atone for the sin of the soul2 and   
here too he must have seen other sights 
even more shocking and repulsive4 ,here 
he was no doubt taught that strangely   
mixed religion which clung for          
generations to some members of his      
family4 ,certainly he was taught in     
common with the whole community to rest 
on the seventh day2 as he was trained to
 look to the stars with reverence and to
 the moon as something more than the    
light which was set to rule the night4  
,possibly then ,terah may have been     
induced to move northwards by a desire  
to shake himself free from customs he   
disapproved4 ,the ,hebrews themselves   
seem always to have considered that his 
migration had a religious motive4 ,this 
people1 says one of their old writings1 
is descended from the ,chaldeans1 and   
they sojourned heretofore in            
,mesopotamia because they would not     
follow the gods of their fathers which  
were in the land of ,chaldea4 ,for they 

left the way of their ancestors and     
worshipped the ,god of heaven1 the ,god 
whom they knew2 so they cast them out   
from the face of their gods1 and they   
fled into ,mesopotamia and sojourned    
there many days4 ,then their ,god       
commanded them to depart from the place 
where they sojourned and to go into the 
land of ,canaan4 ,but if this is a true 
account of the origin of the movement   
northwards1 it must have been ,abraham  
rather than his father who was the      
moving spirit of it2 for it is certainly
 ,abraham and not ,terah who stands as  
the significant figure inaugurating the 
new era4  ,if doubt rests on the moving 
cause of the migration from ,ur1 none   
rests on that which prompted ,abraham to
 leave ,charran and journey towards     
,canaan4 ,he did so in obedience to what
 he believed to be a ,divine command1   
and in faith on what he understood to be
 a ,divine promise4 ,how he became aware
 that a ,divine command thus lay upon   
him we do not know4 ,nothing could      

persuade him that he was not commanded4 
,day by day he heard in his soul what he
 recognised as a ,divine voice1 saying3 
,get thee out of thy country and from   
thy kindred and from thy father's house1
 unto a land that ,i will show thee6    
,this was ,god's first revelation of    
,himself to ,abraham4 ,up to this time  
,abraham to all appearance had no       
knowledge of any ,god but the deities   
worshipped by his fathers in ,chaldea4  
,now1 he finds within himself impulses  
which he cannot resist and which he is  
conscious he ought not to resist4 ,he   
believes it to be his duty to adopt a   
course which may look foolish and which 
he can justify only by saying that his  
conscience bids him4 ,he recognises1    
apparently for the first time1 that     
through his conscience there speaks to  
him a ,god ,who is supreme4 ,in         
dependence on this ,god he gathered his 
possessions together and departed4  ,so 
far1 one may be tempted to say1 no very 
unusual faith was required4 ,many a poor

 girl has followed a weakly brother or a
 dissipated father to ,australia or the 
wild west of ,america2 many a lad has   
gone to the deadly west coast of ,africa
 with no such prospects as ,abraham4    
,for ,abraham had the double prospect   
which makes migration desirable4 ,assure
 the colonist that he will find land and
 have strong sons to till and hold and  
leave it to1 and you give him all the   
motive he requires4 ,these were the     
promises made to ,abraham--a land and a 
seed4 ,neither was there at this period 
much difficulty in believing that both  
promises would be fulfilled4 ,the land  
he no doubt expected to find in some    
unoccupied territory4 ,and as regards   
the children1 he had not yet faced the  
condition that only through ,sarah was  
this part of the promise to be          
fulfilled4  ,but the peculiarity in     
,abraham's abandonment of present       
certainties for the sake of a future and
 unseen good is1 that it was prompted   
not by family affection or greed or an  

adventurous disposition1 but by faith in
 a ,god ,whom no one but himself        
recognised4 ,it was the first step in a 
life-long adherence to an ,invisible1   
,spiritual ,supreme4 ,it was that first 
step which committed him to life-long   
dependence upon and intercourse with    
,one ,who had authority to regulate his 
movements and power to bless him4 ,from 
this time forth all that he sought in   
life was the fulfilment of ,god's       
promise4 ,he staked his future upon     
,god's existence and faithfulness4 ,had 
,abraham abandoned ,charran at the      
command of a widely ruling monarch who  
promised him ample compensation1 no     
record would have been made of so       
ordinary a transaction4 ,but this was an
 entirely new thing and well worth      
recording1 that a man should leave      
country and kindred and seek an unknown 
land under the impression that thus he  
was obeying the command of the unseen   
,god4 ,while others worshipped sun1     
moon1 and stars1 and recognised the     

,divine in their brilliance and power1  
in their exaltation above earth and     
control of earth and its life1 ,abraham 
saw that there was something greater    
than the order of nature and more worthy
 of worship1 even the still small voice 
that spoke within his own conscience of 
right and wrong in human conduct1 and   
that told him how his own life must be  
ordered4 ,while all around him were     
bowing down to the heavenly host and    
sacrificing to them the highest things  
in human nature1 he heard a voice       
falling from these shining ministers of 
,god's will1 which said to him1 ,see    
thou do it not1 for we are thy          
fellow-servants2 worship thou ,god6     
,this was the triumph of the spiritual  
over the material2 the acknowledgment   
that in ,god there is something greater 
than can be found in nature2 that man   
finds his true affinity not in the      
things that are seen but in the unseen  
,spirit that is over all4 ,it is this   
that gives to the figure of ,abraham its

 simple grandeur and its permanent      
significance4  ,under the simple        
statement ,the ,lord said unto ,abram1  
,get thee out of thy country1 there are 
probably hidden years of questioning and
 meditation4 ,god's revelation of       
,himself to ,abram in all probability   
did not take the determinate form of    
articulate command without having passed
 through many preliminary stages of     
surmise and doubt and mental conflict4  
,but once assured that ,god is calling  
him1 ,abraham responds quickly and      
resolutely4 ,the revelation has come to 
a mind in which it will not be lost4 ,as
 one of the few theologians who have    
paid attention to the method of         
revelation has said3 ,a ,divine         
revelation does not dispense with a     
certain character and certain qualities 
of mind in the person who is the        
instrument of it4 ,a man who throws off 
the chains of authority and association 
must be a man of extraordinary          
independence and strength of mind1      

although he does so in obedience to a   
,divine revelation2 because no miracle1 
no sign or wonder which accompanies a   
revelation can by its simple stroke     
force human nature from the innate hold 
of custom and the adhesion to and fear  
of established opinion2 can enable it to
 confront the frowns of men1 and take up
 truth opposed to general prejudice1    
except there is in the man himself1 who 
is the recipient of the revelation1 a   
certain strength of mind and            
independence which concurs with the     
,divine intention4  ,that ,abraham's    
faith triumphed over exceptional        
difficulties and enabled him to do what 
no other motive would have been strong  
enough to accomplish1 there is therefore
 no call to assert4 ,during his         
after-life his faith was severely tried1
 but the mere abandonment of his country
 in the hope of gaining a better was the
 ordinary motive of his day4 ,it was the
 ground of this hope1 the belief in     
,god1 which made ,abraham's conduct     

original and fruitful4 ,that sufficient 
inducement was presented to him is only 
to say that ,god is reasonable4 ,there  
is always sufficient inducement to obey 
,god2 because life is reasonable4 ,no   
man was ever commanded or required to do
 anything which it was not for his      
advantage to do4 ,sin is a mistake4 ,but
 so weak are we1 so liable to be moved  
by the things present to us and by the  
desire for immediate gratification1 that
 it never ceases to be wonderful and    
admirable when a sense of duty enables a
 man to forego present advantage and to 
believe that present loss is the needful
 preliminary of eternal gain4           
,abraham's faith is chosen by the author
 of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews as an  
apt illustration of his definition of   
,faith1 that it is the substance of     
things hoped for1 the evidence of things
 not seen4 ,one property of faith is    
that it gives to things future and which
 are as yet only hoped for all the      
reality of actual present existence4    

,future things may be said to have no   
existence for those who do not believe  
in them4 ,they are not taken into       
account4 ,men do not shape their conduct
 with any reference to them4 ,but when a
 man believes in certain events that are
 to be1 this faith of his lends to these
 future things the reality1 the         
substance which things actually existing
 in the present have4 ,they have the    
same weight with him1 the same influence
 upon his conduct4  ,without some power 
to realize the future and to take       
account of what is to be as well as of  
what already is1 we could not carry on  
the common affairs of life4 ,and success
 in life very greatly depends on        
foresight1 or the power to see clearly  
what is to be and give it due weight4   
,the man who has no foresight makes his 
plans1 but being unable to apprehend the
 future his plans are disconcerted4     
,indeed it is one of the most valuable  
gifts a man can have1 to be able to say 
with tolerable accuracy what is to      

happen and what is not2 to be able to   
sift rumours1 common talk1 popular      
impressions1 probabilities1 chances1 and
 to be able to feel sure what the future
 will really be2 to be able to weigh the
 character and commercial prospects of  
the men he deals with1 so as to see what
 must be the issue of their operations  
and whom he may trust4 ,many of our most
 serious mistakes in life arise from our
 inability to imagine the consequences  
of our actions and to forefeel how these
 consequences will affect us4  ,now     
faith largely supplies the want of this 
imaginative foresight4 ,it lends        
substance to things future4 ,it believes
 the account given of the future by a   
trustworthy authority4 ,in many ordinary
 matters all men are dependent on the   
testimony of others for their knowledge 
of the result of certain operations4    
,the astronomer1 the physiologist1 the  
navigator1 each has his department      
within which his predictions are        
accepted as authoritative4 ,but for what

 is beyond the ken of science no faith  
in our fellow-men avails4 ,feeling that 
if there is a life beyond the grave1 it 
must have important bearings on the     
present1 we have yet no data by which to
 calculate what will then be1 or only   
data so difficult to use that our       
calculations are but guesswork4 ,but    
faith accepts the testimony of ,god as  
unhesitatingly as that of man and gives 
reality to the future ,he describes and 
promises4 ,it believes that the life    
,god calls us to is a better life1 and  
it enters upon it4 ,it believes that    
there is a world to come in which all   
things are new and all things eternal2  
and1 so believing1 it cannot but feel   
less anxious to cling to this world's   
goods4 ,that which embitters all loss   
and deepens sorrow is the feeling that  
this world is all2 but faith makes      
eternity as real as time and gives      
substantial existence to that new and   
limitless future in which we shall have 
time to forget the sorrows and live past

 the losses of this present world4  ,the
 radical elements of greatness are      
identical from age to age1 and the      
primal duties which no good man can     
evade do not vary as the world grows    
older4 ,what we admire in ,abraham we   
feel to be incumbent on ourselves4      
,indeed the uniform call of ,christ to  
all ,his followers is even in form      
almost identical with that which stirred
 ,abraham1 and made him the father of   
the faithful4 ,follow ,me1 says our     
,lord1 and every one that forsaketh     
houses1 or brethren1 or sisters1 or     
father1 or mother1 or wife1 or children1
 or lands1 for ,my name's sake1 shall   
receive an hundredfold1 and shall       
inherit everlasting life4 ,and there is 
something perennially edifying in the   
spectacle of a man who believes that    
,god has a place and a use for him in   
the world1 and who puts himself at      
,god's disposal2 who enters upon life   
refusing to be bound by the             
circumstances of his upbringing1 by the 

expectations of his friends1 by         
prevailing customs1 by prospect of gain 
and advancement among men2 and resolved 
to listen to the highest voice of all1  
to discover what ,god has for him to do 
upon earth and where he is likely to    
find most of ,god2 who virtually and    
with deepest sincerity says1 ,let ,god  
choose my destination3 ,i have good land
 here1 but if ,god wishes me elsewhere1 
elsewhere ,i go3 who1 in one word1      
believes in the call of ,god to himself1
 who admits it into the springs of his  
conduct1 and recognises that for him    
also the highest life his conscience can
 suggest is the only life he can live1  
no matter how cumbrous and troublesome  
and expensive be the changes involved in
 entering it4 ,let the spectacle take   
hold of your imagination--the spectacle 
of a man believing that there is        
something more akin to himself and      
higher than the material life and the   
great laws that govern it1 and going    
calmly and hopefully forward into the   

unknown1 because he knows that ,god is  
with him1 that in ,god is our true life1
 that man liveth not by bread only1 but 
by every word that cometh out of the    
mouth of ,god4  ,even thus then may we  
bring our faith to a true and reliable  
test4 ,all men who have a confident     
expectation of future good make         
sacrifices or run risks to obtain it4   
,mercantile life proceeds on the        
understanding that such ventures are    
reasonable and will always be made4 ,men
 might if they liked spend their money  
on present pleasure1 but they rarely do 
so4 ,they prefer to put it into concerns
 or transactions from which they expect 
to reap large returns4 ,they have faith 
and as a necessary consequence they make
 ventures4 ,so did these ,hebrews--they 
ran a great risk1 they gave up the sole 
means of livelihood they had any        
experience of and entered what they knew
 to be a bare desert1 because they      
believed in the land that lay beyond and
 in ,god's promise4 ,what then has your 

faith done8 ,what have you ventured that
 you would not have ventured but for    
,god's promise8 ,suppose ,christ's      
promise failed1 in what would you be the
 losers8 ,of course you would lose what 
you call your hope of heaven--but what  
would you find you had lost in this     
world8 ,when a merchant's ships are     
wrecked or when his investment turns out
 bad1 he loses not only the gain he     
hoped for1 but the means he risked4     
,suppose then ,christ were declared     
bankrupt1 unable to fulfil your         
expectations1 would you really find that
 you had ventured so much upon ,his     
promise that you are deeply involved in 
,his bankruptcy1 and are much worse off 
in this world and now than you would    
otherwise have been8 ,or may ,i not use 
the words of one of the most cautious   
and charitable of men1 and say1 ,i      
really fear1 when we come to examine1 it
 will be found that there is nothing we 
resolve1 nothing we do1 nothing we do   
not do1 nothing we avoid1 nothing we    

choose1 nothing we give up1 nothing we  
pursue1 which we should not resolve1 and
 do1 and not do1 and avoid1 and choose1 
and give up1 and pursue1 if ,christ had 
not died and heaven were not promised   
us4 ,if this be the case--if you would  
be neither much better nor much worse   
though ,christianity were a fable--if   
you have in nothing become poorer in    
this world that your reward in heaven   
may be greater1 if you have made no     
investments and run no risks1 then      
really the natural inference is that    
your faith in the future inheritance is 
small4 ,barnabas sold his ,cyprus       
property because he believed heaven was 
his1 and his bit of land suddenly became
 a small consideration2 useful only in  
so far as he could with the mammon of   
unrighteousness make himself a mansion  
in heaven4 ,paul gave up his prospects  
of advancement in the nation1 of which  
he would of course as certainly have    
become the leader and first man as he   
took that position in the ,church1 and  

plainly tells us that having made so    
large a venture on ,christ's word1 he   
would if this word failed be a great    
loser1 of all men most miserable because
 he had risked his all in this life on  
it4 ,people sometimes take offence at   
,paul's plain way of speaking of the    
sacrifices he had made1 and of ,peter's 
plain way of saying we have left all and
 followed ,thee1 what shall we have     
therefore8 but when people have made    
sacrifices they know it and can specify 
them1 and a faith that makes no         
sacrifices is no good either in this    
world's affairs or in religion4         
,self-consciousness may not be a very   
good thing3 but self-deception is a     
worse4  ,here as elsewhere a clear hope 
sprang from faith4 ,recognising ,god1   
,abraham knew that there was for men a  
great future4 ,he looked forward to a   
time when all men should believe as he  
did1 and in him all families of the     
earth be blessed4 ,no doubt in these    
early days when all men were on the move

 and striving to make a name and a place
 for themselves1 an onward look might be
 common4 ,but the far-reaching extent1  
the certainty1 and the definiteness of  
,abraham's view of the future were      
unexampled4 ,there far back in the hazy 
dawn he stood while the morning mists   
hid the horizon from every other eye1   
and he alone discerns what is to be4    
,one clear voice and one only rings out 
in unfaltering tones and from amidst the
 babel of voices that utter either      
amazing follies or misdirected          
yearnings1 gives the one true forecast  
and direction--the one living word which
 has separated itself from and survived 
all the prognostications of ,chaldean   
sooth-sayers and priests of ,ur1 because
 it has never ceased to give life to    
men4 ,it has created for itself a       
channel and you can trace it through the
 centuries by the living green of its   
banks and the life it gives as it goes4 
,for this hope of ,abraham has been     
fulfilled2 the creed and its            

accompanying blessing which that day    
lived in the heart of one man only has  
brought blessing to all the families of 
the earth4     ,,viii4  ,,abram ,,in    
,,egypt4  ,,genesis xii4 #f-bj4   ,abram
 still journeying southward and not as  
yet knowing where his shifting camp was 
finally to be pitched1 came at last to  
what may be called the heart of         
,palestine1 the rich district of        
,shechem4 ,here stood the oak of ,moreh1
 a well-known landmark and favourite    
meeting-place4 ,in after years every    
meadow in this plain was owned and      
occupied1 every vineyard on the slopes  
of ,ebal fenced off1 every square yard  
specified in some title-deed4 ,but as   
yet the country seems not to have been  
densely populated4 ,there was room for a
 caravan like ,abram's to move freely   
through the country1 liberty for a      
far-stretching encampment such as his to
 occupy the lovely vale that lies       
between ,ebal and ,gerizim4 ,as he      
rested here and enjoyed the abundant    

pasture1 or as he viewed the land from  
one of the neighbouring hills1 the ,lord
 appeared to him and made him aware that
 this was the land designed for him4    
,here accordingly under the spreading   
oak round whose boughs had often clung  
the smoke of idolatrous sacrifice1      
,abram erects an altar to the living    
,god in devout acceptance of the gift1  
taking possession as it were of the land
 jointly for ,god and for himself4      
,little harm will come of worldly       
possessions so taken and so held4  ,as  
,abram traversed the land1 wondering    
what were the limits of his inheritance1
 it may have seemed far too large for   
his household4 ,soon he experiences a   
difficulty of quite the opposite kind2  
he is unable to find in it sustenance   
for his followers4 ,any notion that     
,god's friendship would raise him above 
the touch of such troubles as were      
incident to the times1 places1 and      
circumstances in which his life was to  
be spent1 is quickly dispelled4 ,the    

children of ,god are not exempt from any
 of the common calamities2 they are only
 expected and aided to be calmer and    
wiser in their endurance and use of     
them4 ,that we suffer the same hardships
 as all other men is no proof that we   
are not eternally associated with ,god1 
and ought never to persuade us our faith
 has been in vain4  ,abram1 as he looked
 at the bare1 brown1 cracked pastures   
and at the dry watercourses filled only 
with stones1 thought of the ever-fresh  
plains of ,mesopotamia1 the lovely      
gardens of ,damascus1 the rich pasturage
 of the northern borders of ,canaan2 but
 he knew enough of his own heart to make
 him very careful lest these            
remembrances should make him turn back4 
,no doubt he had come to the promised   
land expecting it to be the real        
,utopia1 the ,paradise which had haunted
 his thoughts as he lay among the hills 
of ,ur watching his flocks under the    
brilliant midnight sky4 ,no doubt he    
expected that here all would be easy and

 bright1 peaceful and luxurious4 ,his   
first experience is of famine4 ,he has  
to look on his herd melting away1 his   
favourite cattle losing their           
appearance1 his servants murmuring and  
obliged to scatter4 ,in his dreams he   
must have night after night seen the old
 country1 the green breadth of the land 
that ,euphrates watered1 the heavy      
headed corn bending before the warm airs
 of his native land2 but morning by     
morning he wakes to the same anxieties1 
to the sad reality of parched and       
burnt-up pastures1 shepherds hanging    
about with gloomy looks1 his own heart  
distressed and failing4 ,he was also a  
stranger here who could not look for the
 help an old resident might have counted
 on4 ,it was probably years since ,god  
had made any sign to him4 ,was the      
promised land worth having after all8   
,might he not be better off among his   
old friends in ,charran8 ,should he not 
brave their ridicule and return8 ,he    
will not so much as make it possible to 

return4 ,he will not even for temporary 
relief go north towards his old country1
 but will go to ,egypt1 where he cannot 
stay1 and from which he must return to  
,canaan4  ,here1 then1 is a man who     
plainly believes that ,god's promise    
cannot fail2 that ,god will magnify ,his
 promise1 and that it above all else is 
worth waiting for4 ,he believes that the
 man who seeks without flinching and    
through all disappointment and bareness 
to do ,god's will1 shall one day have an
 abundantly satisfying reward1 and that 
meanwhile association with ,god in      
carrying forward ,his abiding purposes  
with men is more for a man to live upon 
than the cattle upon a thousand hills4  
,and thus famine rendered to ,abram no  
small service if it quickened within him
 the consciousness that the call of ,god
 was not to ease and prosperity1 to     
land-owning and cattle-breeding1 but to 
be ,god's agent on earth for the        
fulfilment of remote but magnificent    
purposes4 ,his life might seem to be    

down among the commonplace vicissitudes1
 pasture might fail1 and his            
well-stocked camp melt away1 but out of 
his mind there could not fade the future
 ,god had revealed to him4 ,if it had   
been his ambition to give his name to a 
tribe and be known as a wide-ruling     
chief1 that ambition is now eclipsed by 
his desire to be a step towards the     
fulfilment of that real end for which   
the whole world is4 ,the belief that    
,god has called him to do ,his work has 
lifted him above concern about personal 
matters2 life has taken a new meaning in
 his eyes by its connection with the    
,eternal4  ,the extraordinary country to
 which ,abram betook himself1 and which 
was destined to exercise so profound an 
influence on his descendants1 had even  
at this early date attained a high      
degree of civilisation4 ,the origin of  
this civilisation is shrouded in        
obscurity1 as the source of the great   
river to which the country owes its     
prosperity for many centuries kept the  

secret of its birth4 ,as yet scholars   
are unable to tell us with certainty    
what ,pharaoh was on the throne when    
,abram went down into ,egypt4 ,the      
monuments have preserved the effigies of
 two distinct types of rulers2 the one  
simple1 kindly1 sensible1 stately1      
handsome1 fearless1 as of men long      
accustomed to the throne4 ,these are the
 faces of the native ,egyptian rulers4  
,the other type of face is heavy and    
massive1 proud and strong but full of   
care1 with neither the handsome features
 nor the look of kindliness and culture 
which belong to the other4 ,these are   
the faces of the famous ,shepherd kings 
who held ,egypt in subjection1 probably 
at the very time when ,abram was in the 
land4  ,for our purposes it matters     
little whether ,abram's visit occurred  
while the country was under native or   
under foreign rule1 for long before the 
,shepherd kings entered ,egypt it       
enjoyed a complete and stable           
civilisation4 ,whatever dynasty ,abram  

found on the throne1 he certainly found 
among the people a more refined social  
life than he had seen in his native     
city1 a much purer religion1 and a much 
more highly developed moral code4 ,he   
must have kept himself entirely aloof   
from ,egyptian society if he failed to  
discover that they believed in a        
judgment after death1 and that this     
judgment proceeded upon a severe moral  
code4 ,before admission into the        
,egyptian heaven the deceased must swear
 that he has not stolen nor slain any   
one intentionally2 that he has not      
allowed his devotions to be seen2 that  
he has not been guilty of hypocrisy or  
lying2 that he has not calumniated any  
one nor fallen into drunkenness or      
adultery2 that he has not turned away   
his ear from the words of truth2 that he
 has been no idle talker2 that he has   
not slighted the king or his father4 ,to
 a man in ,abram's state of mind the    
,egyptian creed and customs must have   
conveyed many valuable suggestions4     

,but virtuous as in many respects the   
,egyptians were1 ,abram's fears as he   
approached their country were by no     
means groundless4 ,the event proved that
 whatever ,sarah's age and appearance at
 this time were1 his fears were         
something more than the fruit of a      
husband's partiality4 ,possibly he may  
have heard the ugly story which has     
recently been deciphered from an old    
papyrus1 and which tells how one of the 
,pharaohs1 acting on the advice of his  
princes1 sent armed men to fetch a      
beautiful woman and make away with her  
husband4 ,but knowing the risk he ran1  
why did he go8 ,he contemplated the     
possibility of ,sarah's being taken from
 him2 but1 if this should happen1 what  
became of the promised seed8 ,we cannot 
suppose that1 driven by famine from the 
promised land1 he had lost all hope     
regarding the fulfilment of the other   
part of the promise4 ,probably his idea 
was that some of the great men might    
take a fancy to ,sarah1 and that he     

would so temporise with them and ask for
 her such large gifts as would hold them
 off for a while until he could provide 
for his people and get clear out of the 
land4 ,it had not occurred to him that  
she might be taken to the palace4       
,whatever his idea of the probable      
course of events was1 his proposal to   
guide them by disguising his true       
relationship to ,sarah was              
unjustifiable4 ,and his feelings during 
these weeks in ,egypt must have been far
 from enviable as he learned that of all
 virtues the ,egyptians set greatest    
store by truth1 and that lying was the  
vice they held in greatest abhorrence4  
,here then was the whole promise and    
purpose of ,god in a most precarious    
position2 the land abandoned1 the mother
 of the promised seed in a harem through
 whose guards no force on earth could   
penetrate4 ,abram could do nothing but  
go helplessly about1 thinking what a    
fool he had been1 and wishing himself   
well back among the parched hills of    

,bethel4 ,suddenly there is a panic in  
the royal household2 and ,pharaoh is    
made aware that he was on the brink of  
what he himself considered a great sin4 
,besides effecting its immediate        
purpose1 this visitation might have     
taught ,pharaoh that a man cannot safely
 sin within limits prescribed by        
himself4 ,he had not intended such evil 
as he found himself just saved from     
committing4 ,but had he lived with      
perfect purity1 this liability to fall  
into transgression1 shocking to himself1
 could not have existed4 ,many sins of  
most painful consequence we commit1 not 
of deliberate purpose1 but because our  
previous life has been careless and     
lacking in moral tone4 ,we are mistaken 
if we suppose that we can sin within a  
certain safe circle and never go beyond 
it4  ,by this intervention on ,god's    
part ,abram was saved from the          
consequences of his own scheme1 but he  
was not saved from the indignant rebuke 
of the ,egyptian monarch4 ,this rebuke  

indeed did not prevent him from a       
repetition of the same conduct in       
another country1 conduct which was met  
with similar indignation3 ,what have ,i 
offended thee1 that thou hast brought on
 me and on my kingdom this great sin8   
,thou hast done deeds unto me that ought
 not to be done4 ,what sawest thou that 
thou hast done this thing8 ,this rebuke 
did not seem to sink deeply into the    
conscience of ,abram's descendants1 for 
the ,jewish history is full of instances
 in which leading men do not shrink from
 manoeuvre1 deceit and lying4 ,yet it is
 impossible to suppose that ,abram's    
conception of ,god was not vastly       
enlarged by this incident1 and this     
especially in two particulars4  7#a7    
,abram must have received a new         
impression regarding ,god's truth4 ,it  
would seem that as yet he had no very   
clear idea of ,god's holiness4 ,he had  
the idea of ,god which ,mohammedans     
entertain1 and past which they seem     
unable to get4 ,he conceived of ,god as 

the ,supreme ,ruler2 he had a firm      
belief in the unity of ,god and probably
 a hatred of idolatry and a profound    
contempt for idolaters4 ,he believed    
that this ,supreme ,god could always and
 easily accomplish ,his will1 and that  
the voice that inwardly guided him was  
the voice of ,god4 ,his own character   
had not yet been deepened and dignified 
by prolonged intercourse with ,god and  
by close observation of ,his actual     
ways2 and so as yet he knows little of  
what constitutes the true glory of ,god4
  ,for learning that truth is an        
essential attribute of ,god he could not
 have gone to a better school than      
,egypt4 ,his own reliance on ,god's     
promise might have been expected to     
produce in him a high esteem for truth  
and a clear recognition of its essential
 place in the ,divine character4        
,apparently it had only partially had   
this effect4 ,the heathen1 therefore1   
must teach him4 ,had not ,abram seen the
 look of indignation and injury on the  

face of ,pharaoh1 he might have left the
 land feeling that his scheme had       
succeeded admirably4 ,but as he went at 
the head of his vastly increased        
household1 the envy of many who saw his 
long train of camels and cattle1 he     
would have given up all could he have   
blotted from his mind's eye the         
reproachful face of ,pharaoh and nipped 
out this entire episode from his life4  
,he was humbled both by his falseness   
and his foolishness4 ,he had told a lie1
 and told it when truth would have      
served him better4 ,for the very        
precaution he took in passing off ,sarai
 as his sister was precisely what       
encouraged ,pharaoh to take her1 and    
produced the whole misadventure4 ,it was
 the heathen monarch who taught the     
father of the faithful his first lesson 
in ,god's holiness4  ,what he so        
painfully learned we must all learn1    
that ,god does not need lying for the   
attainment of ,his ends1 and that       
double-dealing is always short-sighted  

and the proper precursor of shame4      
,frequently men are tempted like ,abram 
to seek a ,god-protected and            
,god-prospered life by conduct that is  
not thoroughly straightforward4 ,some of
 us who statedly ask ,god to bless our  
endeavours1 and who have no doubt that  
,god approves the ends we seek to       
accomplish1 do yet adopt such means of  
attaining our ends as not even men with 
any high sense of honour would          
countenance4 ,to save ourselves from    
trouble1 inconvenience1 or danger1 we   
are tempted to evasions and shifts which
 are not free from guilt4 ,the more one 
sees of life1 the higher value does he  
set on truth4 ,let lying be called by   
whatever flattering title men           
please--let it pass for diplomacy1      
smartness1 self-defence1 policy1 or     
civility--it remains the device of the  
coward1 the absolute bar to free and    
healthy intercourse1 a vice which       
diffuses itself through the whole       
character and makes growth impossible4  

,trade and commerce are always hampered 
and retarded1 and often overwhelmed in  
disaster1 by the determined and         
deliberate doubleness of those who      
engage in them2 charity is minimised and
 withheld from its proper objects by the
 suspiciousness engendered in us by the 
almost universal falseness of men2 and  
the habit of making things seem to      
others what they are not1 reacts upon   
the man himself and makes it difficult  
for him to feel the abiding effective   
reality of anything he has to do with or
 even of his own soul4 ,if then we are  
to know the living and true ,god we must
 ourselves be true1 transparent1 and    
living in the light as ,he is the       
,light4 ,if we are to reach ,his ends we
 must adopt ,his means and abjure all   
crafty contrivances of our own4 ,if we  
are to be ,his heirs and partners in the
 work of the world1 we must first be    
,his children1 and show that we have    
attained our majority by manifesting an 
indubitable resemblance to ,his own     

clear truth4  7#b7 ,but whether ,abram  
fully learned this lesson or not1 there 
can be little doubt that at this time he
 did receive fresh and abiding          
impressions of ,god's faithfulness and  
sufficiency4 ,in ,abram's first response
 to ,god's call he exhibited a          
remarkable independence and strength of 
character4 ,his abandonment of home and 
kindred on account of a religious faith 
which he alone possessed1 was the act of
 a man who relied much more on himself  
than on others and who had the courage  
of his convictions4 ,this qualification 
for playing a great part in human       
affairs he undoubtedly had4 ,but he had 
also the defects of his qualities4 ,a   
weaker man would have shrunk from going 
into ,egypt and would have preferred to 
see his flocks dwindle rather than take 
so venturesome a step4 ,no such         
hesitations could trammel ,abram's      
movements4 ,he felt himself equal to all
 occasions4 ,that part of his character 
which was reproduced in his grandson    

,jacob1 a readiness to rise to every    
emergency that called for management and
 diplomacy1 an aptitude for dealing with
 men and using them for his             
purposes--this came to the front now6   
,to all the timorous suggestions of his 
household he had one reply3 ,leave it   
all to me2 ,i will bring you through4   
,so he entered ,egypt confident that    
single-handed he could cope with their  
,pharaohs1 priests1 magicians1 guards1  
judges1 warriors2 and find his way      
through the finely-meshed net that held 
and examined every person and action in 
the land4  ,he left ,egypt in a much    
more healthy state of mind1 practically 
convinced of his own inability to work  
his way to the happiness ,god had       
promised him1 and equally convinced of  
,god's faithfulness and power to bring  
him through all the embarrassments and  
disasters into which his own folly and  
sin might bring him4 ,his own confidence
 and management had placed ,god's       
promise in a position of extreme hazard2

 and without the intervention of ,god   
,abram saw that he could neither recover
 the mother of the promised seed nor    
return to the land of promise4 ,abram is
 put to shame even in the eyes of his   
household slaves2 and with what burning 
shame must he have stood before ,sarai  
and ,pharaoh1 and received back his wife
 from him whose wickedness he had       
feared1 but who so far from meaning to  
sin as ,abram suspected1 was indignant  
that ,abram should have made it even    
possible4 ,he returned to ,canaan       
humbled and very little disposed to feel
 confident in his own powers of managing
 in emergencies2 but quite assured that 
,god might at all times be relied on4   
,he was convinced that ,god was not     
depending upon him1 but he upon ,god4   
,he saw that ,god did not trust to his  
cleverness and craft1 no1 nor even to   
his willingness to do and endure ,god's 
will1 but that ,he was trusting in      
,himself1 and that by ,his faithfulness 
to ,his own promise1 by ,his            

watchfulness and providence1 ,he would  
bring ,abram through all the            
entanglements caused by his own poor    
ideas of the best way to work out ,god's
 ends and attain to ,his blessing4 ,he  
saw1 in a word1 that the future of the  
world lay not with ,abram but with ,god4
  ,this certainly was a great and       
needful step in the knowledge of ,god4  
,thus early and thus unmistakably was   
man taught in how profound and          
comprehensive a sense ,god is his       
,saviour4 ,commonly it takes a man a    
long time to learn that it is ,god who  
is saving him1 but one day he learns it4
 ,he learns that it is not his own faith
 but ,god's faithfulness that saves him4
 ,he perceives that he needs ,god       
throughout1 from first to last2 not only
 to make him offers1 but to enable him  
to accept them2 not only to incline him 
to accept them to-day1 but to maintain  
within him at all times this same       
inclination4 ,he learns that ,god not   
only makes him a promise and leaves him 

to find his own way to what is promised2
 but that ,he is with him always1       
disentangling him day by day from the   
results of his own folly and securing   
for him not only possible but actual    
blessedness4  ,few discoveries are so   
welcome and gladdening to the soul4 ,few
 give us the same sense of ,god's       
nearness and sovereignty2 few make us   
feel so deeply the dignity and          
importance of our own salvation and     
career4 ,this is ,god's affair2 a matter
 in which are involved not merely our   
personal interests1 but ,god's          
responsibility and purposes4 ,god calls 
us to be ,his1 and ,he does not send us 
a-warring on our own charges1 but       
throughout furnishes us with everything 
we need4 ,when we go down to ,egypt1    
when we quite diverge from the path that
 leads to the promised land and worldly 
straits tempt us to turn our back upon  
,god's altar and seek relief by our own 
arrangements and devices1 when we forget
 for a while how ,god has identified our

 interests with ,his own and tacitly    
abjure the vows we have silently        
registered before ,him1 even then ,he   
follows us and watches over us and lays 
,his hand upon us and bids us back4 ,and
 this only is our hope4 ,not in any     
determination of our own to cleave to   
,him and to live in faith on ,his       
promise can we trust4 ,if we have this  
determination1 let us cherish it1 for   
this is ,god's present means of leading 
us onwards4 ,but should this            
determination fail1 the shame with which
 you recognise your want of             
steadfastness may prove a stronger bond 
to hold you to ,him than the bold       
confidence with which to-day you view   
the future4 ,the waywardness1 the       
foolishness1 the obstinate depravity    
that cause you to despair1 ,god will    
conquer4 ,with untiring patience1 with  
all-foreseeing love1 ,he stands by you  
and will bring you through4 ,his gifts  
and calling are without repentance4     
,,ix4  ,,lot',s ,,separation ,,from     

,,abram4  ,,genesis xiii4   ,abram left 
,egypt thinking meanly of himself1      
highly of ,god4 ,this humble frame of   
mind is disclosed in the route he       
chooses2 he went straight back unto the 
place where his tent had been at the    
beginning1 unto the altar which he had  
made there at the first4 ,with a        
childlike simplicity he seems to own    
that his visit to ,egypt had been a     
mistake4 ,he had gone there supposing   
that he was thrown upon his own         
resources1 and that in order to keep    
himself and his dependants alive he must
 have recourse to craft and dishonesty4 
,by retracing his steps and returning to
 the altar at ,bethel1 he seems to      
acknowledge that he should have remained
 there through the famine in dependence 
on ,god4  ,whoever has attempted a      
similar practical repentance1 visible to
 his own household and affecting their  
place of abode or daily occupations1    
will know how to estimate the candour   
and courage of ,abram4 ,to own that some

 distinctly marked portion of our life1 
upon which we entered with great        
confidence in our own wisdom and        
capacity1 has come to nothing and has   
betrayed us into reprehensible conduct1 
is mortifying indeed4 ,to admit that we 
have erred and to repair our error by   
returning to our old way and practice1  
is what few of us have the courage to   
do4 ,if we have entered on some branch  
of business or gone into some attractive
 speculation1 or if we have altered our 
demeanour towards some friend1 and if we
 are finding that we are thereby tempted
 to doubleness1 to equivocation1 to     
injustice1 our only hope lies in a      
candid and straightforward repentance1  
in a manly and open return to the state 
of things that existed in happier days  
and which we should never have          
abandoned4 ,sometimes we are aware that 
a blight began to fall on our spiritual 
life from a particular date1 and we can 
easily and distinctly trace an unhealthy
 habit of spirit to a well-marked       

passage in our outward career2 but we   
shrink from the sacrifice and shame     
involved in a thoroughgoing restoration 
of the old state of things4 ,we are     
always so ready to fancy we have done   
enough1 if we get one heartfelt word of 
confession uttered2 so ready1 if we     
merely turn our faces towards ,god1 to  
think our restoration complete4 ,let us 
make a point of getting through mere    
beginnings of repentance1 mere intention
 to recover ,god's favour and a sound   
condition of life1 and let us return and
 return till we bow at ,god's very altar
 again1 and know that ,his hand is laid 
upon us in blessing as at the first4    
,out of ,egypt ,abram brought vastly    
increased wealth4 ,each time he         
encamped1 quite a town of black tents   
quickly rose round the spot where his   
fixed spear gave the signal for halting4
 ,and along with him there journeyed his
 nephew1 apparently of almost equal1 or 
at least considerable wealth2 not       
dependent on ,abram1 nor even a partner 

with him1 for ,lot also had flocks and  
herds and tents4 ,so rapidly was their  
substance increasing that no sooner did 
they become stationary than they found  
that the land was not able to furnish   
them with sufficient pasture4 ,the      
,canaanite and the ,perizzite would not 
allow them unlimited pasture in the     
neighbourhood of ,bethel2 and as the    
inevitable result of this the rival     
shepherds1 eager to secure the best     
pasture for their own flocks and the    
best wells for their own cattle and     
camels1 came to high words and probably 
to blows about their respective rights4 
,to both ,abram and ,lot it must have   
occurred that this competition between  
relatives was unseemly1 and that some   
arrangement must be come to4 ,and when  
at last some unusually blunt quarrel    
took place in presence of the chiefs1   
,abram divulges to ,lot the scheme which
 had suggested itself to him4 ,this     
state of things1 he says1 must come to  
an end2 it is unseemly1 unwise1 and     

unrighteous4 ,and as they walk on out of
 the circle of tents to discuss the     
matter without interruption1 they come  
to a rising ground where the wide       
prospect brings them naturally to a     
pause4 ,abram looking north and south   
and seeing with the trained eye of a    
large flock-master that there was       
abundant pasture for both1 turns to ,lot
 with a final proposal3 ,is not the     
whole land before thee8 ,separate       
thyself1 ,i pray thee1 from me3 if thou 
wilt take the left hand1 then ,i will go
 to the right2 or if thou depart to the 
right hand1 then ,i will go to the left4
  ,thus early did wealth produce        
quarrelling among relatives4 ,the men   
who had shared one another's fortunes   
while comparatively poor1 no sooner     
become wealthy than they have to        
separate4 ,abram prevented quarrel by   
separation4 ,let us1 he says1 come to an
 understanding4 ,and rather than be     
separate in heart1 let us be separate in
 habitation4 ,it is always a sorrowful  

time in family history when it comes to 
this1 that those who have had a common  
purse and have not been careful to know 
what exactly is theirs and what belongs 
to the other members of the family1 have
 at last to make a division and to be as
 precise and documentary as if dealing  
with strangers4 ,it is always painful to
 be compelled to own that law can be    
more trusted than love1 and that legal  
forms are a surer barrier against       
quarrelling than brotherly kindness4 ,it
 is a confession we are sometimes       
compelled to make1 but never without a  
mixture of regret and shame4  ,as yet   
the character of ,lot has not been      
exhibited1 and we can only calculate    
from the relation he bears to ,abram    
what his answer to the proposal will    
probably be4 ,we know that ,abram has   
been the making of his nephew1 and that 
the land belongs to ,abram2 and we      
should expect that in common decency    
,lot would set aside the generous offer 
of his uncle and demand that he only    

should determine the matter4 ,it is not 
for me to make choice in a land which is
 wholly yours4 ,my future does not carry
 in it the import of yours4 ,it is a    
small matter what kind of subsistence ,i
 secure or where ,i find it4 ,choose for
 yourself1 and allot to me what is      
right4 ,we see here what a safeguard of 
happiness in life right feeling is4 ,to 
be in right and pleasant relations with 
the persons around us will save us from 
error and sin even when conscience and  
judgment give no certain decision4 ,the 
heart which feels gratitude is beyond   
the need of being schooled and compelled
 to do justly4 ,to the man who is       
affectionately disposed it is           
superfluous to insist upon the rights of
 other persons4 ,the instinct which     
tells a man what is due to others and   
makes him sensitive to their wrongs will
 preserve him from many an ignominious  
action which would degrade his whole    
life4 ,but such instinct was awanting in
 ,lot4 ,his character though in some    

respects admirable had none of the      
generosity of ,abram's in it4 ,he had   
allowed himself on countless previous   
occasions to take advantage of ,abram's 
unselfishness4 ,generosity is not always
 infectious2 often it encourages        
selfishness in child1 relative1 or      
neighbour4 ,and so ,lot instead of      
rivalling1 traded on his uncle's        
magnanimity2 and chose him all the      
plains of ,jordan because in his eye it 
was the richest part of the land4  ,this
 choice of ,sodom as a dwelling-place   
was the great mistake of ,lot's life4   
,he is the type of that very large class
 of men who have but one rule for       
determining them at the turning points  
of life4 ,he was swayed solely by the   
consideration of worldly advantage4 ,he 
has nothing deep1 nothing high in him4  
,he recognises no duty to ,abram1 no    
gratitude1 no modesty2 he has no        
perception of spiritual relations1 no   
sense that ,god should have something to
 say in the partition of the land4 ,lot 

may be acquitted of a good deal which at
 first sight one is prompted to lay to  
his charge1 but he cannot be acquitted  
of showing an eagerness to better       
himself1 regardless of all              
considerations but the promise of wealth
 afforded by the fertility of the       
,jordan valley4 ,he saw a quick though  
dangerous road to wealth4 ,there seemed 
a certainty of success in his earthly   
calling1 a risk only of moral disaster4 
,he shut his eyes to the risk that he   
might grasp the wealth2 and so doing1   
ruined both himself and his family4     
,the situation is one which is          
ceaselessly repeated4 ,to men in        
business or in the cultivation of       
literature or art1 or in one of the     
professions1 there are presented        
opportunities of attaining a better     
position by cultivating the friendship  
or identifying oneself with the practice
 of men whose society is not in itself  
desirable4 ,society is made up of little
 circles1 each of which has its own     

monopoly of some social or commercial or
 political advantage1 and its own       
characteristic tone and enjoyments and  
customs4 ,and if a man will not join one
 of these circles and accommodate       
himself to the mode of carrying on      
business and to the style of living it  
has identified with itself1 he must     
forego the advantages which entrance to 
that circle would secure for him4 ,as   
clearly as ,lot saw that the            
well-watered plain stretching away under
 the sunshine was the right place to    
exercise his vocation as a flock-master1
 so do we see that associated with such 
and such persons and recognised as one  
of them1 we shall be able more          
effectively than in any other position  
to use whatever natural gifts we have1  
and win the recognition and the profit  
these gifts seem to warrant4 ,there is  
but one drawback4 ,the men of ,sodom    
were wicked and sinners before the ,lord
 exceedingly4 ,there is a tone you do   
not like2 you hesitate to identify      

yourself with men who live solely and   
with cynical frankness only for gain2   
whose every sentence betrays the        
contemptible narrowness of soul to which
 worldliness condemns men2 who live for 
money and who glory in their shame4     
,the very nature of the world in which  
we live makes such temptation universal4
 ,and to yield is common and fatal4 ,we 
persuade ourselves we need not enter    
into close relations with the persons we
 propose to have business connections   
with4 ,lot would have been horrified1   
that day he made his choice1 had it been
 told him his daughters would marry men 
of ,sodom4 ,but the swimmer who ventures
 into the outer circle of the whirlpool 
finds that his own resolve not to go    
further presents a very weak resistance 
to the water's inevitable suction4 ,we  
fancy perhaps that to refuse the        
companionship of any class of men is    
pharisaic2 that we have no business to  
condemn the attitude towards the        
,church1 or the morality1 or the style  

of living adopted by any class of men   
among us4 ,this is the mere cant of     
liberalism4 ,we do not condemn persons  
who suffer from smallpox1 but a smallpox
 hospital would be about the last place 
we should choose for a residence4 ,or   
possibly we imagine we shall be able to 
carry some better influences into the   
society we enter4 ,a vain imagination2  
the motive for choosing the society has 
already sapped our power for good4      
,many of the errors of worldly men only 
reveal their most disastrous            
consequences in the second generation4  
,like some virulent diseases they have a
 period of incubation4 ,lot's family    
grew up in a very different atmosphere  
from that which had nourished his own   
youth in ,abram's tents4 ,an adult and  
robust ,englishman can withstand the    
climate of ,india2 but his children who 
are born in it cannot4 ,and the position
 in society which has been gained in    
middle life by the carefully and hardily
 trained child of a ,god-fearing        

household1 may not very visibly damage  
his own character1 but may yet be       
absolutely fatal to the morality of his 
children4 ,lot may have persuaded       
himself he chose the dangerous          
prosperity of ,sodom mainly for the sake
 of his children2 but in point of fact  
he had better have seen them die of     
starvation in the most barren and       
parched desolation4 ,and the parent who 
disregards conscience and chooses wealth
 or position1 fancying that thus he     
benefits his children1 will find to his 
life-long sorrow that he has entangled  
them in unimagined temptations4  ,but   
the man who makes ,lot's choice not only
 does a great injury to his children1   
but cuts himself off from all that is   
best in life4 ,we are safe to say that  
after leaving ,abram's tents ,lot never 
again enjoyed unconstrainedly happy     
days4 ,the men born and brought up in   
,sodom were possibly happy after their  
kind and in their fashion2 but ,lot was 
not4 ,his soul was daily vexed4 ,many a 

time while hearing the talk of the men  
his daughters had married1 must ,lot    
have gone out with a sore heart1 and    
looked to the distant hills that hid the
 tents of ,abram1 and longed for an hour
 of the company he used to enjoy4 ,and  
the society to which you are tempted to 
join yourself may not be unhappy1 but   
you can take no surer means of          
beclouding1 embittering1 and ruining    
your whole life than by joining it4 ,you
 cannot forget the thoughts you once    
had1 the friendships you once delighted 
in1 the hopes that shed brightness      
through all your life4 ,you cannot blot 
out the ideal that once you cherished as
 the most animating element of your     
life4 ,every day there will be that     
rising in your mind which is in the     
sharpest contrast to the thoughts of    
those with whom you are associated4 ,you
 will despise them for their shallow1   
worldly ideas and ways2 but you will    
despise yourself still more1 being      
conscious that what they are through    

ignorance and upbringing1 you are in    
virtue of your own foolish and mean     
choice4 ,there is that in you which     
rebels against the superficial and      
external measure by which they judge    
things1 and yet you have deliberately   
chosen these as your associates1 and can
 only think with heart-broken regret of 
the high thoughts that once visited you 
and the hopes you have now no means of  
fulfilling4 ,your life is taken out of  
your own hands2 you find yourself in    
bondage to the circumstances you have   
chosen2 and you are learning in         
bitterness1 disappointment1 and shame1  
that indeed a man's life consisteth not 
in the abundance of the things which he 
possesseth4 ,to determine your life     
solely by the prospect of worldly       
success is to risk the loss of the best 
things in life4 ,to sacrifice friendship
 or conscience to success in your       
calling is to sacrifice what is best to 
what is lowest1 and to blind yourself to
 the highest human happiness4 ,for      

happily the essential elements of the   
highest happiness are as open to the    
poor as to the rich1 to the unsuccessful
 as to the successful--love of wife and 
children1 congenial and educating       
friendships1 the knowledge of what the  
best men have done and the wisest men   
have said2 the pleasure and impulse1 the
 sentiments and beliefs which result    
from our knowledge of the heroic deeds  
done from year to year among men2 the   
enlivening influence of examples that   
tell on all men alike1 young and old1   
rich and poor2 the insight and strength 
of character that are won in the hard   
wrestle with life2 the growing          
consciousness that ,god is in human     
life1 that ,he is ours and that we are  
,his--these things and all that makes   
human life of value are universal as air
 and sunshine1 but must be missed by    
those who make the world their object4  
,though in point of fact ,lot cut       
himself off by his choice from direct   
participation in the special inheritance

 to which ,abram was called by ,god1 it 
might perhaps be too much to say that   
his choice of the valley of ,jordan was 
an explicit renunciation of the special 
blessedness of those who find their joy 
in responding to ,god's call and doing  
,his work in the world4 ,it might also  
be extravagant to say that his choice of
 the richest land was prompted by the   
feeling that he was not included in the 
promise to ,abram1 and might as well    
make the most of his present            
opportunities4 ,but it is certain that  
,abram's generosity to ,lot arose out of
 his sense that in ,god he himself had  
abundant possession4 ,in ,egypt he had  
learned that in order to secure all that
 is worth having a man need never resort
 to duplicity1 trickery1 bold lying4 ,he
 now learns that in order to enter on   
his own ,god-provided lot1 he need shut 
no other man out of his4 ,he is taught  
that to acknowledge amply the rights of 
other men is the surest road to the     
enjoyment of his own rights4 ,he is     

taught that there is room in ,god's plan
 for every man to follow his most       
generous impulses and the highest views 
of life that visit him4  ,it was        
,abram's simple belief that ,god's      
promise was meant and was substantial1  
that made him indifferent as to what    
,lot might choose4 ,his faith was judged
 in this scene1 and was proved to be    
sound4 ,this man whose very calling it  
was to own this land1 could freely allow
 ,lot to choose the best of it4 ,why8   
,because he has learned that it is not  
by any plan of his own he is to come    
into possession2 that ,god ,who promised
 is to give him the land in ,his own    
way1 and that his part is to act        
uprightly1 mercifully1 like ,god4       
,wherever there is faith1 the same      
results will appear4 ,he who believes   
that ,god is pledged to provide for him 
cannot be greedy1 anxious1 covetous2 can
 only be liberal1 even magnanimous4 ,any
 one can thus test his own faith4 ,if he
 does not find that what ,god promises  

weighs substantially when put in the    
scales with gold2 if he does not find   
that the accomplishment of ,god's       
purpose with him in the world is to him 
the most valuable thing1 and actually   
compels him to think lightly of worldly 
position and ordinary success2 if he    
does not find that in point of fact the 
gains which content a man of the world  
shrivel and lose interest1 he may feel  
tolerably certain he has no faith and is
 not counting as certain what ,god has  
promised4  ,it is commonly observed that
 wealth pursues the men who part with it
 most freely4 ,abram had this           
experience4 ,no sooner had he allowed   
,lot to choose his portion than ,god    
gave him assurance that the whole would 
be his4 ,it is the meek who inherit the 
earth4 ,not only have they1 in their    
very losses and while suffering wrong at
 the hands of their fellows1 a purer joy
 than those who wrong them2 but they    
know themselves heirs of ,god with the  
certainty of enjoying all ,his          

possessions that can avail for their    
advantage4 ,declining to devote         
themselves as living sacrifices to      
business they hold their soul at leisure
 for what brings truest happiness1 for  
friendship1 for knowledge1 for charity4 
,even in this life they may be said to  
inherit the earth1 for all its richest  
fruits are theirs--the ground may belong
 to other men1 but the beauty of the    
landscape is theirs without burden--and 
ever and anon they hear such words as   
were now uttered to ,abram4 ,they alone 
are inclined or able to receive renewed 
assurances that ,god is mindful of ,his 
promise and will abundantly bless them4 
,it is they who are in no haste to be   
rich1 and are content to abide in the   
retired hill-country where they can     
freely assemble round ,god's altar1 it  
is they who seek first the kingdom of   
,god and make sure of that1 whatever    
else they put in hazard1 to whom ,god's 
encouragements come4 ,you wonder at the 
certainty with which others speak of    

hearing ,god's voice and that so seldom 
you have the joy of knowing that ,god is
 directing and encouraging you4 ,why    
should you wonder1 if you very well know
 that your attention is directed mainly 
to the world1 that your heart trembles  
and thrills with all the fluctuations of
 your earthly hopes1 that you wait for  
news and listen to every hint that can  
affect your position in life8 ,can you  
wonder that an ear trained to be so     
sensitive to the near earthly sounds1   
should quite have lost the range of     
heavenly voices8  ,of the assurance here
 given him ,abram was probably much in  
need when ,lot had withdrawn with his   
flocks and servants4 ,when the warmth of
 feeling cooled and allowed the somewhat
 unpleasant facts of the case to press  
upon his mind2 and when he heard his    
shepherds murmuring that after all the  
strife they had maintained for their    
master's rights1 he should have weakly  
yielded these to ,lot2 and when he      
reflected1 as now he inevitably would   

reflect1 how selfish and ungrateful ,lot
 had shown himself to be1 he must have  
been tempted to think he had possibly   
made a mistake in dealing so generously 
with such a man4 ,this reflection on    
himself might naturally grow into a     
reflection upon ,god1 ,who might have   
been expected so to order matters as to 
give the best country to the best man4  
,all such reflections are precluded by  
the renewed grant he now receives of the
 whole land4  ,it is always as difficult
 to govern our heart wisely after as    
before making a sacrifice4 ,it is as    
difficult to keep the will decided as to
 make the original decision2 and it is  
more difficult to think affectionately  
of those for whom the sacrifice has been
 made1 when the change in their         
condition and our own is actually       
accomplished4 ,there is a natural       
reaction after a generous action which  
is not always sufficiently resisted4    
,and when we see that those who refuse  
to make any sacrifices are more         

prosperous and less ruffled in spirit   
than ourselves we are tempted to take   
matters into our own hand1 and1 without 
waiting upon ,god1 to use the world's   
quick ways4 ,at such times we find how  
difficult it is to hold an advanced     
position1 and how much unbelief mingles 
with the sincerest faith1 and what vile 
dregs of selfishness sully the clearest 
generosity2 we find our need of ,god and
 of those encouragements and assistances
 ,he can impart to the soul4 ,happy are 
we if we receive them and are enabled   
thereby to be constant in the good we   
have begun2 for all sacrifice is good   
begun4 ,and as ,abram saw1 when the     
cities of the plain were destroyed1 how 
kindly ,god had guided him2 so when our 
history is complete1 we shall have no   
inclination to grumble at any passage of
 our life which we entered by generosity
 and faith in ,god1 but shall see how   
tenderly ,god has held us back from much
 that our soul has been ardently        
desiring1 and which we thought would be 

the making of us4     ,x4  ,,abram',s   
,,rescue ,,of ,,lot4  ,,genesis xiv4    
,this chapter evidently incorporates a  
contemporary account of the events      
recorded4 ,so antique a document was it 
even when it found its place in this    
book1 that the editor had to modernize  
some of its expressions that it might be
 intelligible4 ,the places mentioned    
were no longer known by the names here  
preserved--,bela1 the vale of ,siddim1  
,en-mishpat1 the valley of ,shaveh1 all 
these names were unknown even to the    
persons who dwelt in the places once so 
designated4 ,it can scarcely have been  
,abram who wrote down the narrative1 for
 he himself is spoken of as ,abram the  
,hebrew1 the man born beyond the        
,euphrates1 which is a way of speaking  
of himself no one would naturally adopt4
 ,from the clear outline given of the   
route followed by the expedition of     
,chedorlaomer1 it might be supposed that
 some old staff-secretary had reported  
on the campaign4 ,however that may be1  

the discoveries of the last two or three
 years have shed light on the outlandish
 names that have stood for four thousand
 years in this document1 and on the     
relations subsisting between ,elam and  
,palestine4  ,on the bricks now         
preserved in our own ,british ,museum   
the very names we read in this chapter  
can be traced1 in the slightly altered  
form which is always given to a name    
when pronounced by different races4     
,chedorlaomer is the ,hebrew            
transliteration of ,kudur ,lagamar2     
,lagamar was the name of one of the     
,chaldean deities1 and the whole name   
means ,lagamar's son1 evidently a name  
of dignity adopted by the king of ,elam4
 ,elam comprehended the broad and rich  
plains to the east of the lower course  
of the ,tigris1 together with the       
mountain range 7#h1jjj to #aj1jjj feet  
high7 that bounds them4 ,elam was always
 able to maintain its own against       
,assyria and ,babylonia1 and at this    
time it evidently exercised some kind of

 supremacy not only over these          
neighbouring powers1 but as far west as 
the valley of the ,jordan4 ,the         
importance of keeping open the valley of
 the ,jordan is obvious to every one who
 has interest enough in the subject to  
look at a map4 ,that valley was the main
 route for trading caravans and for     
military expeditions between the        
,euphrates and ,egypt4 ,whoever held    
that valley might prove a most          
formidable annoyance and indeed an      
absolute interruption to commercial or  
political relations between ,egypt and  
,elam1 or the ,eastern powers4          
,sometimes it might serve the purpose of
 ,east and ,west to have a neutral power
 between them1 as became afterwards     
clear in the history of ,israel1 but    
oftener it was the ambition of either   
,egypt or of the ,east to hold ,canaan  
in subjection4 ,a rebellion therefore of
 these chiefs occupying the vale of     
,siddim was sufficiently important to   
bring the king of ,elam from his distant

 capital1 attaching to his army as he   
came1 his tributaries ,amraphel king of 
,shinar or northern ,chaldea1 ,arioch   
king of a district on the east of the   
,euphrates1 and finally ,tidal1 or      
rather ,tur-gal i4e4 the great chief1   
who ruled over the nations or tribes to 
the north of ,babylonia4  ,susa1 the    
capital of ,elam1 lies almost on the    
same parallel as the vale of ,siddim1   
but between them lie many hundred miles 
of impracticable desert4 ,chedorlaomer  
and his army followed therefore much the
 same route as ,terah in his emigration1
 first going north-west up the          
,euphrates and then crossing it probably
 at ,carchemish1 or above it1 and coming
 southward towards ,canaan4 ,but the    
country to the east of the ,jordan and  
the ,dead ,sea was occupied by warlike  
and marauding tribes who would have     
liked nothing better than to swoop down 
on a rich booty-laden ,eastern army4    
,with the sagacity of an old soldier    
therefore1 ,chedorlaomer makes it his   

first business to sweep this rough      
ground1 and so cripple the tribes in his
 passage southwards1 that when he swept 
round the lower end of the ,dead ,sea   
and up the ,jordan valley he should have
 nothing to fear at least on his right  
flank4 ,the tribe that first felt his   
sword was that of the ,rephaim1 or      
giants4 ,their stronghold was ,ashteroth
 ,karnaim1 or ,ashteroth of the two     
horns1 a town dedicated to the goddess  
,astarte whose symbol was the crescent  
or two-horned moon4 ,the ,zuzims and the
 ,emims1 a people great and many and    
tall1 as we read in ,deuteronomy1 next  
fell before the invading host4 ,the     
,horites1 i4e4 cave-dwellers or         
troglodytes1 would scarcely hold        
,chedorlaomer long1 though from their   
hilly fastnesses they might do him some 
damage4 ,passing through their mountains
 he came upon the great road between the
 ,dead ,sea and the ,elanitic gulf--but 
he crossed this road and still held     
westward till he reached the edge of    

what is roughly known as the ,desert of 
,sinai4 ,here1 says the narrative 7ver4 
#g71 they returned1 that is1 this was   
their furthest point south and west1 and
 here they turned and made for the vale 
of ,siddim1 smiting the ,amalekites and 
the ,amorites on their route4  ,this is 
the only part of the army's route that  
is at all obscure4 ,the last place they 
are spoken of as touching before        
reaching the vale of ,siddim is         
,hazezon-,tamar1 or as it was afterwards
 and is still called ,engedi4 ,now      
,engedi lies on the western shore of the
 ,dead ,sea about half way up from south
 to north4 ,it lies on a very steep1    
indeed artificially made1 pass and is a 
place of much greater importance on that
 account than its size would make it4   
,the road between ,moab and ,palestine  
runs by the western margin of the ,dead 
,sea up to this point1 but beyond this  
point the shore is impracticable1 and   
the only road is through the ,engedi    
pass on to the higher ground above4 ,if 

the army chose this route then they were
 compelled to force this pass2 if on the
 other hand they preferred during their 
whole march from ,kadesh to keep away   
west of the ,dead ,sea on the higher    
ground1 then they would only detail a   
company to pounce upon ,engedi1 as the  
main army passed behind and above4 ,in  
either case the main body must have been
 if not actually within sight of1 yet   
only a few miles from1 the encampment of
 ,abram4  ,at length as they dropped    
down through the practicable passes into
 the vale of ,siddim their grand object 
became apparent1 and the kings of the   
five allied towns1 probably warned by   
the hill-tribes weeks before1 drew out  
to meet them4 ,but it is not easy to    
check an army in full career1 and the   
wells of bitumen1 which those who knew  
the ground might have turned to good    
purpose against the foreigners1 actually
 hindered the home troops and became a  
trap to them4 ,the rout was complete4   
,no second stand or rally was attempted4

 ,the towns were sacked1 the fields     
swept1 and so swift were the movements  
of the invaders that although ,abram was
 barely twenty miles off1 and no doubt  
started for the rescue of ,lot the hour 
he got the news1 he did not overtake the
 army1 laden as it was with spoil and   
retarded by prisoners and wounded1 until
 they had reached the sources of        
,jordan4  ,but well-conceived and       
brilliantly executed as this campaign   
had been1 the experienced warrior had   
failed to take account of the most      
formidable opponent he would have to    
reckon with4 ,those that escaped from   
the slaughter at ,sodom took to the     
hills1 and either knowing they would    
find shelter with ,abram or more        
probably blindly running on1 found      
themselves at nightfall within sight of 
the encampment at ,hebron4 ,there is no 
delay on ,abram's part2 he hastily calls
 out his men1 each snatching his bow1   
his sword1 and his spear1 and slinging  
over his shoulders a few days'          

provision4 ,the neighbouring ,amorite   
chiefs ,aner1 ,mamre and ,eshcol join   
them1 probably with a troop each1 and   
before many hours are lost they are down
 the passes and in hot pursuit4 ,not    
however till they had traversed a       
hundred and twenty miles or more do they
 overtake the ,eastern army4 ,but at    
,dan1 at the very springs of the        
,jordan1 they find them1 and making a   
night attack throw them into utter      
confusion and pursue them as far as     
,hobah1 a village near ,damascus1 that  
retains to this day the same name4  ,one
 is naturally curious to see how ,abram 
will conduct himself in circumstances so
 unaccustomed4 ,from leading a quiet    
pastoral life he suddenly becomes the   
most important man in the country1 a man
 who can make himself felt from the     
,nile to the ,tigris4 ,from a herd he   
becomes a hero4 ,but1 notoriously1 power
 tries a man1 and1 as one has often seen
 persons make very glaring mistakes in  
such altered circumstances and alter    

their characters and beliefs to suit and
 take advantage of the new material and 
opportunities presented to them1 we are 
interested in seeing how a man whose one
 rule of action has hitherto been faith 
in a promise given him by ,god1 will    
pass through such a trial4 ,can a       
spiritual quality like faith be of much 
service in rough campaigning and when   
the man of faith is mixed up with       
persons of doubtful character and       
unscrupulous conduct1 and brought into  
contact with considerable political     
powers8 ,can we trace to ,abram's faith 
any part of his action at this time8 ,no
 sooner is the question put than we see 
that his faith in ,god's promise was    
precisely that which gave him balance   
and dignity1 courage and generosity in  
dealing with the three prominent persons
 in the narrative4 ,he could afford to  
be forgiving and generous to his grand  
competitor ,lot1 precisely because he   
felt sure ,god would deal generously    
with himself4 ,he could afford to       

acknowledge ,melchizedek and any other  
authority that might appear1 as his     
superior1 and he would not take         
advantage1 even when at the head of his 
men eager for more fighting1 of the     
peaceful king who came out to propitiate
 him1 because he knew that ,god would   
give him his land without wronging other
 people4 ,and he scorned the wages of   
the king of ,sodom1 holding himself to  
be no mercenary captain1 nor indebted to
 any one but ,god4 ,in a word1 you see  
faith producing all that is of          
importance in his conduct at this time4 
,lot is the person who of all others    
might have been expected to be forward  
in his expressions of gratitude to      
,abram--not a word of his is recorded4  
,ashamed he cannot but have been1 for if
 ,abram said not a word of reproach1    
there would be plenty of ,lot's old     
friends among ,abram's men who could not
 lose so good an opportunity of twitting
 him about the good choice he had made4 
,and considering how humiliating it     

would have been for him to go back with 
,abram and abandon the district of his  
adoption1 we can scarcely wonder that he
 should have gone quietly back to       
,sodom1 well as he must by this time    
have known the nature of the risks he   
ran there4 ,for1 after all1 this warning
 was not very loud4 ,the same thing1 or 
a similar thing1 might have happened had
 he remained with ,abram4 ,the warning  
was unobtrusive as the warnings in life 
mostly are2 audible to the ear that has 
been accustomed to listen to the still  
small voice of conscience1 inaudible to 
the ear that is trained to hear quite   
other voices4 ,god does not set angels  
and flaming swords in every man's path4 
,the little whisper that no one hears   
but ourselves only and that says quite  
quietly that we are continuing in a     
wrong course1 is as certain an          
indication that we are in danger1 as if 
,god were to proclaim our case from     
heaven with thunder or the voice of an  
archangel4 ,and when a man has          

persistently refused to listen to       
conscience it ceases to speak1 and he   
loses the power to discern between good 
and evil and is left wholly without a   
guide4 ,he may be running straight to   
destruction and he does not know it4    
,you cannot live under two principles of
 action1 regard to worldly interest and 
regard to conscience4 ,you can train    
yourself to great acuteness in          
perceiving and following out what is for
 your worldly advantage1 or you can     
train yourself to great acuteness of    
conscience2 but you must make your      
choice1 for in proportion as you gain   
sensitiveness in the one direction you  
lose it in the other4 ,if your eye is   
single your whole body is full of light2
 but if the light that is in thee be    
darkness1 how great is that darkness6   
,melchizedek is generally recognised as 
the most mysterious and unaccountable of
 historical personages2 appearing here  
in the ,king's ,vale no one knows       
whence1 and disappearing no one knows   

whither1 but coming with his hands full 
of substantial gifts for the wearied    
household of ,abram1 and the captive    
women that were with him4 ,of each of   
the patriarchs we can tell the          
paternity2 the date of his birth1 and   
the date of his death2 but this man     
stands with none to claim him1 he forms 
no part of any series of links by which 
the oldest and the present times are    
connected4 ,though possessed of the     
knowledge of the ,most ,high ,god1 his  
name is not found in any of those       
genealogies which show us how that      
knowledge passed from father to son4 ,of
 all the other great men whose history  
is recorded a careful genealogy is      
given2 but here the writer breaks his   
rule1 and breaks it where1 had there not
 been substantial reason1 he would most 
certainly have adhered to it4 ,for here 
is the greatest man of the time1 a man  
before whom ,abram the father of the    
faithful1 the honoured of all nations1  
bowed and paid tithes2 and yet he       

appears and passes away likest to a     
vision of the night4 ,perhaps even in   
his own time there was none that could  
point to the chamber where first he was 
cradled1 nor show the tent round which  
first he played in his boyhood1 nor     
hoard up a single relic of the early    
years of the man that had risen to be   
the first man upon earth in those days4 
,so that the ,apostle speaks of him as a
 very type of all that is mysterious and
 abrupt in appearance and disappearance1
 without father1 without mother1 without
 descent1 having neither beginning of   
days1 nor end of life1 and as he        
significantly adds1 made like unto the  
,son of ,god4 ,for as ,melchizedek      
stands thus on the page of history1 so  
our ,lord in reality--as the one has no 
recorded pedigree1 and holds an office  
beginning and ending in his own person1 
so our ,lord1 though born of a woman1   
stands separate from sinners and quite  
out of the ordinary line of generations1
 and exercises an office which he       

received hereditarily from none1 and    
which he could commit to no successor4  
,as the one stands apparently           
disconnected from all before and after  
him1 so the ,other in point of fact did 
thus suddenly emerge from eternity1 a   
problem to all who saw ,him2 owning the 
authority of earthly parents1 yet       
claiming an antiquity greater than      
,abram's2 appearing suddenly to the     
captivity led captive1 with ,his hands  
full of gifts1 and ,his lips dropping   
words of blessing4  ,melchizedek is the 
one personage on earth whom ,abram      
recognises as his spiritual superior4   
,abram accepts his blessing and pays him
 tithes2 apparently as priest of the    
,most ,high ,god2 so that in paying to  
him1 ,abram is giving the tenth of his  
spoils to ,god4 ,this is not any mere   
courtesy of private persons4 ,it was    
done in presence of various parties of  
jealously watchful retainers4 ,men of   
rank and office and position consider   
how they should act to one another and  

who should take precedence4 ,and ,abram 
did deliberately and with a perfect     
perception of what he was doing1        
whatever he now did4 ,manifestly        
therefore ,god's revelation of ,himself 
was not as yet confined to the one line 
running from ,abram to ,christ4 ,here   
was a man of whom we really do not know 
whether he was a ,canaanite1 a son of   
,ham or a son of ,shem2 yet ,abram      
recognises him as having knowledge of   
the true ,god1 and even bows to him as  
his spiritual superior in office if not 
in experience4 ,this shows us how little
 jealousy ,abram had of others being    
favoured by ,god1 how little he thought 
his connection with ,god would be less  
secure if other men enjoyed a similar   
connection1 and how heartily he welcomed
 those who with different rites and     
different prospects yet worshipped the  
living ,god4 ,it shows us also how apt  
we are to limit ,god's ways of working2 
and how little we understand of the     
connections ,he has with those who are  

not situated as we ourselves are4 ,here 
while all our attention is concentrated 
on ,abram as carrying the whole         
spiritual hope of the world1 there      
emerges from an obscure ,canaanite      
valley a man nearer to ,god than ,abram 
is4 ,from how many unthought-of places  
such men may at any time come out upon  
us1 we really can never tell4  ,again   
,melchizedek is evidently a title1 not a
 name--the word means ,king of          
,righteousness1 or ,righteous ,king4 ,it
 may have been a title adopted by a line
 of kings1 or it may have been peculiar 
to this one man4 ,but these old         
,canaanites1 if ,canaanites they were1  
had got hold of a great principle when  
they gave this title to the king of     
their city of ,salem or ,peace4 ,they   
perceived that it was the righteousness1
 the justice1 of their king that could  
best uphold their peaceful city4 ,they  
saw that the right king for them was a  
man not grinding his neighbours by war  
and taxes1 not overriding the rights of 

others and seeking always enlargement of
 his own dominion2 nor a merely merciful
 man1 inclined to treat sin lightly and 
leaning always to laxity2 but the man   
they would choose to give them peace was
 the righteous man who might sometimes  
seem overscrupulous1 sometimes          
over-stern1 who would sometimes be      
called romantic and sometimes fanatical1
 but through all whose dealings it would
 be obvious that justice to all parties 
was the aim in view4 ,some of them might
 not be good enough to love a ruler who 
made no more of their special interest  
than he did of others1 but all would    
possibly have wit enough to see that    
only by justice could they have peace4  
,it is the reflex of ,god's government  
in which righteousness is the foundation
 of peace1 a righteousness unflinching  
and invariable1 promulgating holy laws  
and exacting punishment from all who    
break them4 ,it is this that gives us   
hope of eternal peace1 that we know ,god
 has not left out of account facts that 

must yet be reckoned with1 nor merely   
lulled the unquiet forebodings of       
conscience1 but has let every righteous 
law and principle find full scope1 has  
done righteously in offering us pardon  
so that nothing can ever turn up to     
deprive us of our peace4 ,and it is     
quite in vain that any individual holds 
before his mind the prospect of peace1  
i4e4 of permanent satisfaction1 so long 
as he is not seeking it by              
righteousness4 ,in so far as he is      
keeping his conscience from interfering1
 in so far is he making it impossible to
 himself to enter into the condition for
 the sake of which he is keeping        
conscience from regulating his conduct4 
,lastly1 ,abram's refusal of the king of
 ,sodom's offers is significant4        
,naturally enough1 and probably in      
accordance with well-established usage1 
the king proposes that ,abram should    
receive the rescued goods and the spoil 
of the invading army4 ,but ,abram knew  
men1 and knew that although now ,sodom  

was eager to show that he felt himself  
indebted to ,abram1 the time would come 
when he would point to this occasion as 
laying the foundation of ,abram's       
fortune4 ,when a man rises in the world 
every one will tell you of the share he 
had in raising him1 and will convey the 
impression that but for assistance      
rendered by the speaker he would not    
have been what he now is4 ,abram knows  
that he is destined to rise1 and knows  
also by ,whose help he is to rise4 ,he  
intends to receive all from ,god2 and   
therefore not a thread from ,sodom4 ,he 
puts his refusal in the form adopted by 
the man whose mind is made up beyond    
revisal4 ,he has vowed it4 ,he had      
anticipated such offers and had         
considered their bearing on his         
relations to ,god and man2 and taking   
advantage of the unembarrassed season in
 which the offer was as yet only a      
possibility1 he had resolved that when  
it was actually made he would refuse it1
 no matter what advantages it seemed to 

offer4 ,so should we in our better      
seasons and when we know we are viewing 
things healthily1 conscientiously1 and  
righteously1 determine what our conduct 
is to be1 and if possible so commit     
ourselves to it that when the right     
frame is passed we cannot draw back from
 the right conduct4 ,abram had done so1 
and however tempting the spoils of the  
,eastern kings were1 they did not move  
him4 ,his vow had been made to the      
,possessor of heaven and earth1 in      
,whose hand were riches beyond the gifts
 of ,sodom4  ,here again it is the man  
of faith that appears4 ,he shows a noble
 jealousy of ,god's prerogative to bless
 him4 ,he will not give men occasion to 
say that any earthly monarch has        
enriched him4 ,it shall be made plain   
that it is on ,god he is depending4 ,in 
all men of faith there will be something
 of this spirit4 ,they cannot fail so to
 frame their life as to let it come     
clearly out that for happiness1 for     
success1 for comfort1 for joy1 they are 

in the main depending on ,god4 ,that    
this cannot be done in the complex life 
of modern society1 no one will venture  
to say in presence of this incident4    
,could we more easily have shown our    
reliance upon ,god in the hurry of a    
sudden foray1 in the turmoil and intense
 action of a midnight attack and hand to
 hand conflict1 in the excitement and   
elation of a triumphal progress1 the    
kings of the country vying with one     
another to do us honour and the rescued 
captives lauding our valour and         
generosity8 ,no one fails to see what it
 was that balanced ,abram in this       
intoxicating march4 ,no one asks what   
enabled him1 while leading his armed    
followers flushed with success through a
 land weakened by recent dismay and     
disaster1 to restrain them and himself  
from claiming the whole land as his4 ,no
 one asks what gave him moral perception
 to see that the opportunity given him  
of winning the land by the sword was a  
temptation not a guiding providence4 ,to

 every reader it is obvious that his    
dependence on ,god was his safeguard and
 his light4 ,god would bring him by fair
 and honourable means to his own4 ,there
 was no need of violence1 no need of    
receiving help from doubtful allies4    
,this is true nobility2 and this1 faith 
always produces4 ,but it must be a faith
 like ,abram's2 not a quick and         
superficial growth1 but a deeply-rooted 
principle4 ,for against all temptations 
this only is our sure defence1 that     
already our hearts are so filled with   
,god's promise that other offers find no
 craving in us1 no empty dissatisfied   
spot on which they can settle4 ,to such 
faith ,god responds by the elevating and
 strengthening assurance1 ,i am thy     
shield1 and thy exceeding great reward4 
,,xi4  ,,covenant ,,with ,,abram4       
,,genesis xv4   ,of the nine ,divine    
manifestations made during ,abram's life
 this is the fifth4 ,at ,ur1 at         
,kharran1 at the oak of ,moreh1 at the  
encampment between ,bethel and ,ai1 and 

now at ,mamre1 he received guidance and 
encouragement from ,god4 ,different     
terms are used regarding these          
manifestations4 ,sometimes it is said   
,the ,lord appeared unto him2 here for  
the first time in the course of ,god's  
revelation occurs that expression which 
afterwards became normal1 ,the word of  
the ,lord came unto ,abram4 ,throughout 
the subsequent history this word of the 
,lord continues to come1 often at long  
intervals1 but always meeting the       
occasion and needs of ,his people and   
joining itself on to what had already   
been declared1 until at last the ,word  
became flesh and dwelt among us1 giving 
thus to all men assurance of the        
nearness and profound sympathy of their 
,god4 ,to repeat this revelation is     
impossible4 ,a repetition of it would be
 a denial of its reality4 ,for a second 
life on earth is allowed to no man2 and 
were our ,lord to live a second human   
life it were proof ,he was no true man1 
but an anomalous1 unaccountable1        

uninstructive1 appearance or simulacrum 
of a man4  ,but though these revelations
 of ,god are finished1 though complete  
knowledge of ,god is given in ,christ1  
,god comes to the individual still      
through the ,spirit ,whose office it is 
to take of the things of ,christ and    
show them to us4 ,and in doing so the   
law is observed which we see illustrated
 here4 ,god comes to a man with further 
encouragement and light for a new step  
when he has conscientiously used the    
light he already has4 ,the temper that  
seeks for a sign and expects that some  
astounding ,providence should be sent to
 make us religious is by no means       
obsolete4 ,many seem to expect that     
before they act on the knowledge they   
have1 they will receive more4 ,they put 
off giving themselves to the service of 
,god under some kind of impression that 
some striking event or much more        
distinct knowledge is required to give  
them a decided turn to a religious life4
 ,in so doing they invert ,god's order4 

,it is when we have conscientiously     
followed such light as we have1 and     
faithfully done all that we know to be  
right1 that ,god gives us further light4
 ,it was immediately on the back of     
faithful action that ,abram received new
 help to his faith4  ,the time was      
seasonable for other reasons4 ,never did
 ,abram feel more in need of such       
assurance4 ,he had been successful in   
his midnight attack and had scattered   
the force from beyond ,euphrates1 but he
 knew the temper of these ,eastern      
monarchs well enough to be aware that   
there was nothing they hailed with      
greater pleasure than a pretext for     
extending their conquests and adding to 
their territory4 ,to ,abram it must have
 appeared certain that the next         
campaigning season would see his country
 invaded and his little encampment swept
 away by the ,eastern host4 ,most       
appropriate1 therefore1 are the words3  
,fear not1 ,abram3 ,i am thy shield4    
,but another train of thoughts occupied 

,abram's mind perhaps even more         
unceasingly at this time4 ,after busy   
engagement comes dulness2 after triumph1
 flatness and sadness4 ,i have pursued  
kings1 got myself a great name1 led     
captivity captive4 ,men are speaking of 
me in ,sodom1 and finding that in me    
they have a useful and important ally4  
,but what is all this to my purpose8 ,am
 ,i any nearer my inheritance8 ,i have  
got all that men might think ,i needed2 
they may be unable to understand why    
now1 of all times1 ,i should seem       
heartless2 but1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou knowest 
how empty these things seem to me1 and  
what wilt ,thou give me8 ,abram could   
not understand why he was kept so long  
waiting4 ,the child given when he was a 
hundred years old might equally have    
been given twenty-five years before1    
when he first came to the land of       
,canaan4 ,all ,abram's servants had     
their children1 there was no lack of    
young men born in his encampment4 ,he   
could not leave his tent without hearing

 the shouts of other men's children1 and
 having them cling to his garments--but 
to me ,thou hast given no seed2 and lo6 
one born in mine house1 a slave1 is mine
 heir4  ,thus it often is that while a  
man is receiving much of what is        
generally valued in the world1 the one  
thing he himself most prizes is beyond  
his reach4 ,he has his hope irremovably 
fixed on something which he feels would 
complete his life and make him a        
thoroughly happy man2 there is one thing
 which1 above all else1 would be a right
 and helpful blessing to him4 ,he speaks
 of it to ,god4 ,for years it has framed
 a petition for itself when no other    
desire could make itself heard4 ,back   
and back to this his heart comes1 unable
 to find rest in anything so long as    
this is withheld4 ,he cannot help       
feeling that it is ,god who is keeping  
it from him4 ,he is tempted to say1     
,what is the use of all else to me1 why 
give me things ,thou knowest ,i care    
little for1 and reserve the one thing on

 which my happiness depends8 ,as ,abram 
might have said2 ,why make me a great   
name in the land1 when there is no one  
to keep it alive in men's memories2 why 
increase my possessions when there is   
none to inherit but a stranger8  ,is    
there then any resulting benefit to     
character in this so common experience  
of delayed expectations8 ,in ,abram's   
case there certainly was4 ,it was in    
these years he was drawn close enough to
 ,god to hear ,him say1 ,i am thy       
exceeding great reward4 ,he learned in  
the multitude of his debatings about    
,god's promise and the delay of its     
fulfilment1 that ,god was more than all 
,his gifts4 ,he had started as a mere   
hopeful colonist and founder of a       
family2 these twenty-five years of      
disappointment made him the friend of   
,god and the ,father of the ,faithful4  
,slowly do we also pass from delight in 
,god's gifts to delight in ,himself1 and
 often by a similar experience4 ,from   
what have you received truest and       

deepest pleasure in life8 ,is it not    
from your friendships8 ,not from what   
your friends have given you or done for 
you2 rather from what you have done for 
them2 but chiefly from your affectionate
 intercourse4 ,you1 being persons1 must 
find your truest joy in persons1 in     
personal love1 personal goodness and    
wisdom4 ,but friendship has its crown in
 the friendship of ,god4 ,the man who   
knows ,god as his friend and is more    
certain of ,god's goodness and wisdom   
and steadfastness than he can be of the 
worth of the man he has loved and       
trusted and delighted in from his       
boyhood1 the man who is always          
accompanied by a latent sense of ,god's 
observation and love1 is truly living in
 the peace of ,god that passeth         
understanding4 ,this raises him above   
the touch of worldly losses and restores
 him in all distresses1 even to the     
surprise of observers2 his language is1 
,there may be many that will say1 ,who  
will show us any good8 ,lord1 lift ,thou

 up the light of ,thy countenance upon  
us4 ,thou hast put gladness in my heart 
more than in the time that their corn   
and their wine increased4  ,but         
evidently there was still another       
feeling in ,abram's heart at this       
particular point in his career4 ,he     
could not bear to think he was to miss  
that very thing which ,god had promised 
him4 ,the keen yearning for an heir     
which ,god's promise had stirred in him 
was not lost sight of in the great      
saying1 ,i am thy exceeding great       
reward4 ,when he was journeying back to 
his encampment not a shoestring richer  
than he left1 and while he heard his    
men1 disappointed of booty1 murmuring   
that he should be so scrupulous1 he     
cannot but have felt some soreness that 
he should be set before his little world
 as a man who had the enjoyment neither 
of this world's rewards nor of ,god4    
,and here must have come the strong     
temptation that comes to every man3     
,might it not be as well to take what he

 could get1 to enjoy what was put fairly
 within his reach1 instead of waiting   
for what seemed so uncertain as ,god's  
gift8 ,it is painful to be exposed to   
the observation of others or to our own 
observation1 as persons who1 on the one 
hand1 refuse to seek happiness in the   
world's way1 and yet are not finding it 
in ,god4 ,you have possibly with some   
magnanimity rejected a tempting offer   
because there were conditions attached  
to which conscience could not reconcile 
itself2 but you find that you are in    
consequence suffering greater privations
 than you expected and that no          
providential intervention seems to be   
made to reward your conscientiousness4  
,or you suddenly become aware that      
though you have for years refused to be 
mirthful or influential or successful or
 comfortable in the world's way and on  
the world's terms1 you are yet getting  
no substitute for what you refuse4 ,you 
will not join the world's mirth1 but    
then you are morose and have no joy of  

any kind4 ,you will not use means you   
disapprove of for influencing men1 but  
neither have you the influence of a     
strong ,christian character4 ,in fact by
 giving up the world you seem to have   
contracted and weakened instead of      
enlarging and deepening your life4  ,in 
such a condition we can but imitate     
,abram and cast ourselves more          
resolutely on ,god4 ,if you find it most
 weary and painful to deny yourself in  
these special ways which have fallen to 
be your experience1 you can but utter   
your complaint to ,god1 assured that in 
,him you will find consideration4 ,he   
knows why ,he has called you1 why ,he   
has given you strength to abandon       
worldly hopes2 ,he appreciates your     
adherence to ,him and ,he will renew    
your faith and hope4 ,if day by day you 
are saying1 ,lead ,thou me on1 if you   
say1 ,what wilt ,thou give me8 not in   
complaint but in lively expectation1    
encouragement enough will be yours4     
,the means by which ,abram's faith was  

renewed were appropriate4 ,he has been  
seeing in the tumult and violence and   
disappointment of the world much to     
suggest the thought that ,god's promise 
could never work itself out in the face 
of the rude realities around him4 ,so   
,god leads him out and points him to the
 stars1 each one called by his name1 and
 thus reminds the ,chaldaean who had so 
often gazed at and studied them in their
 silent steady courses1 that his ,god   
has designs of infinite sweep and       
comprehension2 that throughout all space
 ,his worlds obey ,his will and all     
harmoniously play their part in the     
execution of ,his vast design2 that we  
and all our affairs are in a strong     
hand1 but moving in orbits so immense   
that small portions of them do not show 
us their direction and may seem to be   
out of course4 ,abram is led out alone  
with the mighty ,god1 and to every saved
 soul there comes such a crisis when    
before ,god's majesty we stand awed and 
humbled1 all complaints hushed1 and     

indeed our personal interests disappear 
or become so merged in ,god's purposes  
that we think only of ,him2 our mistakes
 and wrong-doing are seen now not so    
much as bringing misery upon ourselves  
as interrupting and perverting ,his     
purposes1 and ,his word comes home to   
our hearts as stable and satisfying4    
,it was in this condition that ,abram   
believed ,god1 and ,he counted it to him
 for righteousness4 ,probably if we read
 this without ,paul's commentary on it  
in the fourth of ,romans1 we should     
suppose it meant no more than that      
,abram's faith1 exercised as it was in  
trying circumstances1 met with ,god's   
cordial approval4 ,the faith or belief  
here spoken of was a resolute renewal of
 the feeling which had brought him out  
of ,chaldaea4 ,he put himself fairly and
 finally into ,god's hand to be blessed 
in ,god's way and in ,god's time1 and   
this act of resignation1 this resolve   
that he would not force his own way in  
the world but would wait upon ,god1 was 

looked upon by ,god as deserving the    
name of righteousness1 just as much as  
honesty and integrity in his conduct    
with ,lot or with his servants4 ,paul   
begs us to notice that an act of faith  
accepting ,god's favour is a very       
different thing from a work done for the
 sake of winning ,god's favour4 ,god's  
favour is always a matter of grace1 it  
is favour conferred on the undeserving2 
it is never a matter of debt1 it is     
never favour conferred because it has   
been won4 ,to put this beyond doubt he  
appeals to this righteousness of        
,abram's4 ,how1 he asks1 did ,abram     
achieve righteousness8 ,not by observing
 ordinances and commandments2 for there 
were none to observe2 but by trusting   
,god1 by believing that already without 
any working or winning of his1 ,god     
loved him and designed blessedness for  
him1 in short by referring his prospect 
of happiness and usefulness wholly to   
,god and not at all to himself4 ,this is
 the essential quality of the godly2 and

 having this1 ,abram had that root which
 produced all actual righteousness and  
likeness to ,god4  ,it is sufficiently  
obvious in such a life as ,abram's why  
faith is the one thing needful4 ,faith  
is required because it is only when a   
man believes ,god's promise and rests in
 ,his love that he can co-operate with  
,god in severing himself from iniquitous
 prospects and in so living for         
spiritual ends as to enter the life and 
the blessedness ,god calls him to4 ,the 
boy who does not believe his father1    
when he comes to him in the midst of his
 play and tells him he has something for
 him which will please him still better1
 suffers the penalty of unbelief by     
losing what his father would have given 
him4 ,all missing of true enjoyment and 
blessedness results from unbelief in    
,god's promise4 ,men do not walk in     
,god's ways because they do not believe 
in ,god's ends4 ,they do not believe    
that spiritual ends are as substantial  
and desirable as those that are         

physical4  ,abram's faith is easily     
recognised1 because not only had he not 
wrought for the blessing ,god promised  
him1 but it was impossible for him even 
to see how it could be achieved4 ,that  
which ,god promised was apparently quite
 beyond the reach of human power4 ,it   
serves then as an admirable illustration
 of the essence of faith2 and ,paul uses
 it as such4 ,it is not because faith is
 the root of all actual righteousness   
that ,paul describes it as imputed for  
righteousness4 ,it is because faith at  
once gives a man possession of what no  
amount of working could ever achieve4   
,god now offers in ,christ              
righteousness1 that is to say1          
justification1 the forgiveness of sins  
and acceptance with ,god with all the   
fruits of this acceptance1 the          
indwelling ,divine ,spirit and life     
everlasting4 ,he offers this freely as  
he offered to ,abram what ,abram could  
never have won for himself4 ,and all    
that we are asked to do is to accept it4

 ,this is all we are asked to do in     
order to our becoming the forgiven and  
accepted children of ,god4 ,after       
becoming so1 there of course remains an 
infinite amount of service to be        
rendered1 of work to be done1 of        
self-discipline to be undergone4 ,but in
 answer to the awakened sinner's        
enquiry1 ,what must ,i do to be saved1  
,paul replies1 ,you are to do nothing2  
nothing you can do can win ,god's       
favour1 because that favour is already  
yours2 nothing you can do can achieve   
the rectification of your present       
condition1 but ,christ has achieved it4 
,believe that ,god is with you and that 
,christ can deliver you and commit      
yourself cordially to the life you are  
called to1 hopeful that what is promised
 will be fulfilled4  ,abram's faith     
cordial as it was1 yet was not          
independent of some sensible sign to    
maintain it4 ,the sign given was        
twofold3 the smoking furnace and a      
prediction of the sojourn of ,abram's   

posterity in ,egypt4 ,the symbols were  
similar to those by which on other      
occasions the presence of ,god was      
represented4 ,fire1 cleansing1          
consuming1 and unapproachable1 seemed to
 be the natural emblem of ,god's        
holiness4 ,in the present instance it   
was especially suitable1 because the    
manifestation was made after sundown and
 when no other could have been seen4    
,the cutting up of the carcases and     
passing between the pieces was one of   
the customary forms of contract4 ,it was
 one of the many devices men have fallen
 upon to make sure of one another's     
word4 ,that ,god should condescend to   
adopt these modes of pledging ,himself  
to men is significant testimony to ,his 
love2 a love so resolved on             
accomplishing the good of men that it   
resents no slowness of faith and        
accommodates itself to unworthy         
suspicions4 ,it makes itself as obvious 
and pledges itself with as strong       
guarantees to men as if it were the love

 of a mortal whose feelings might change
 and who had not clearly foreseen all   
consequences and issues4  ,the          
prediction of the long sojourn of       
,abram's posterity in ,egypt was not    
only helpful to those who had to endure 
the ,egyptian bondage1 but also to      
,abram himself4 ,he no doubt felt the   
temptation1 from which at no time the   
,church has been free1 to consider      
himself the favourite of heaven before  
whose interests all other interests must
 bow4 ,he is here taught that other     
men's rights must be respected as well  
as his1 and that not one hour before    
absolute justice requires it1 shall the 
land of the ,amorites be given to his   
posterity4 ,and that man is considerably
 past the rudimentary knowledge of ,god 
who understands that every act of ,god  
springs from justice and not from       
caprice1 and that no creature upon earth
 is sooner or later unjustly dealt with1
 by the ,supreme ,ruler4 ,in the life of
 ,abram it becomes visible1 how1 by     

living with ,god and watching for every 
expression of ,his will1 a man's        
knowledge of the ,divine nature         
enlarges2 and it is also interesting to 
observe that shortly after this he      
grounds all his pleading for ,sodom on  
the truth he had learned here3 ,shall   
not the ,judge of all the earth do      
right8  ,the announcement that a long   
interval must elapse before the promise 
was fulfilled must no doubt have been a 
shock to ,abram2 and yet it was sobering
 and educative4 ,it is a great step we  
take when we come clearly to understand 
that ,god has a great deal to do with us
 before we can fully inherit the        
promise4 ,for ,god's promise1 so far    
from making everything in the future    
easy and bright1 is that which above all
 else discloses how stern a reality life
 is2 how severe and thorough that       
discipline must be which makes us       
capable of achieving ,god's purposes    
with us4 ,a horror of great darkness may
 well fall upon the man who enters into 

covenant with ,god1 who binds himself to
 that ,being whom no pain nor sacrifice 
can turn aside from the pursuance of    
aims once approved4 ,when we look       
forward and consider the losses1 the    
privations1 the self-denials1 the       
delays1 the pains1 the keen and real    
discipline1 the lowliness of the life to
 which fellowship with ,god leads men1  
darkness and gloom and smoke darken our 
prospect and discourage us2 but the     
smoke is that which arises from a       
purifying fire that purges away all that
 prevents us from living spiritually1 a 
darkness very different from that which 
settles over the life which amidst much 
present brightness carries in it the    
consciousness that its course is        
downwards1 that the blows it suffers are
 deadening1 that its sun is steadily    
nearing its setting and that everlasting
 night awaits it4  ,but over all other  
feelings this solemn transacting with   
,god must have produced in ,abram a     
humble ecstasy of confidence4 ,the      

wonderful mercy and kindness of ,god in 
thus binding ,himself to a weak and     
sinful man cannot but have given him new
 thoughts of ,god and new thoughts of   
himself4 ,with fresh elevation of mind  
and superiority to ordinary difficulties
 and temptations would he return to his 
tent that night4 ,in how different a    
perspective would all things stand to   
him now that the ,infinite ,god had come
 so near to him4 ,things which yesterday
 fretted or terrified him seemed now    
remote3 matters which had occupied his  
thought he did not now notice or        
remember4 ,he was now the ,friend of    
,god1 taken up into a new world of      
thoughts and hopes2 hiding in his heart 
the treasure of ,god's covenant1        
brooding over the infinite significance 
and hopefulness of his position as      
,god's ally4  ,for indeed this was a    
most extraordinary and a most           
encouraging event4 ,the ,infinite ,god  
drew near to ,abram and made a contract 
with him4 ,god as it were said to him1  

,i wish you to count upon ,me1 to make  
sure of ,me3 ,i therefore pledge ,myself
 by these accustomed forms to be your   
,friend4  ,but it was not as an isolated
 person1 nor for his own private        
interests alone that ,abram was thus    
dealt with by ,god4 ,it was as a medium 
of universal blessing that he was taken 
into covenant with ,god4 ,the kindness  
of ,god which he experienced was merely 
an intimation of the kindness all men   
would experience4 ,the laying aside of  
unapproachable dignity and entrance into
 covenant with a man was the            
proclamation of ,his readiness to be    
helpful to all and to bring ,himself    
within reach of all4 ,that you may have 
a ,god at hand ,he thus brought ,himself
 down to men and human ways1 that your  
life may not be vain and useless1 dark  
and misguided1 and that you may find    
that you have a part in a well-ordered  
universe in which a holy ,god cares for 
all and makes ,his strength and wisdom  
available for all4 ,do not allow these  

intimations of ,his mercy to go for     
nothing but use them as intended for    
your guidance and encouragement4        
,,xii4  ,,birth ,,of ,,ishmael4         
,,genesis xvi4   ,in this unpretending  
chapter we have laid bare to us the     
origin of one of the most striking facts
 in the history of religion3 namely1    
that from the one person of ,abram have 
sprung ,christianity and that religion  
which has been and still is its most    
formidable rival and enemy1             
,mohammedanism4 ,to ,ishmael1 the son of
 ,abram1 the ,arab tribes are proud to  
trace their pedigree4 ,through him they 
claim ,abram as their father1 and affirm
 that they are his truest               
representatives1 the sons of his        
first-born4 ,in ,mohammed1 the ,arabian1
 they see the fulfilment of the blessing
 of ,abram1 and they have succeeded in  
persuading a large part of the world to 
believe along with them4 ,little did    
,sarah think when she persuaded ,abram  
to take ,hagar that she was originating 

a rivalry which has run with keenest    
animosity through all ages and which    
oceans of blood have not quenched4 ,the 
domestic rivalry and petty womanish     
spites and resentments so candidly      
depicted in this chapter1 have actually 
thrown on the world from that day to    
this one of its darkest and least       
hopeful shadows4 ,the blood of our own  
countrymen1 it may be of our own        
kindred1 will yet flow in this          
unappeasable quarrel4 ,so great a matter
 does a little fire kindle4 ,so lasting 
and disastrous are the issues of even   
slight divergences from pure simplicity4
  ,it is instructive to observe how long
 this matter of obtaining an heir for   
,abram occupies the stage of sacred     
history and in how many aspects it is   
shown4 ,the stage is rapidly cleared of 
whatever else might naturally have      
invited attention1 and interest is      
concentrated on the heir that is to be4 
,the risks run by the appointed mother1 
the doubts of the father1 the surrender 

now of the mother's rights1--all this is
 trivial if it concerned only one       
household1 important only when you view 
it as significant for the race4 ,it was 
thus men were taught thoughtfully to    
brood upon the future and to believe    
that1 though ,divine1 blessing and      
salvation would spring from earth3 man  
was to co-operate with ,god1 to         
recognise himself as capable of uniting 
with ,god in the highest of all         
purposes4 ,at the same time1 this long  
and continually deferred expectation of 
,abram was the simple means adopted by  
,god to convince men once for all that  
the promised seed is not of nature but  
of grace1 that it is ,god who sends all 
effectual and determining blessing1 and 
that we must learn to adapt ourselves to
 ,his ways and wait upon ,him4  ,the    
first man1 then1 whose religious        
experience and growth are recorded for  
us at any length1 has this one thing to 
learn1 to trust ,god's word and wait for
 it4 ,in this everything is included4   

,but gradually it appears to us all that
 this is the great difficulty1 to wait2 
to let ,god take ,his own time to bless 
us4 ,it is hard to believe in ,god's    
perfect love and care when we are       
receiving no present comfort or peace2  
hard to believe we shall indeed be      
sanctified when we seem to be abandoned 
to sinful habit2 hard to pass all       
through life with some pain1 or some    
crushing trouble1 or some harassing     
anxiety1 or some unsatisfied craving4   
,it is easy to start with faith1 most   
trying to endure patiently to the end4  
,it is thus ,god educates ,his children4
 ,compelled to wait for some crowning   
gift1 we cannot but study ,god's ways4  
,it is thus we are forced to look below 
the surface of life to its hidden       
meanings and to construe ,god's dealings
 with ourselves apart from the          
experience of other men4 ,it is thus we 
are taught actually to loosen our hold  
of things temporal and to lay hold on   
what is spiritual and real4 ,he who     

leaves himself in ,god's hand will one  
day declare that the pains and sorrows  
he suffered were trifling in comparison 
with what he has won from them4  ,but   
,sarah could not wait4 ,she seems to    
have fixed ten years as the period      
during which she would wait2 but at the 
expiry of this term she considered      
herself justified in helping forward    
,god's tardy providence by steps of her 
own4 ,one cannot severely blame her4    
,when our hearts are set upon some      
definite blessing1 things seem to move  
too slowly and we can scarcely refrain  
from urging them on without too         
scrupulously enquiring into the         
character of our methods4 ,we are       
willing to wait for a certain time1 but 
beyond that we must take the matter into
 our own hand4 ,this incident shows1    
what all life shows1 that whatever be   
the boon you seek1 you do yourself an   
injury if you cease to seek it in the   
best possible form and manner1 and      
decline upon some lower thing which you 

can secure by some easy stratagem of    
your own4  ,the device suggested by     
,sarah was so common that the wonder is 
that it had not long before been tried4 
,jealousy or instinctive reluctance may 
have prevented her from putting it in   
force4 ,she might no doubt have         
understood that ,god1 always working out
 ,his purposes in consistency with all  
that is most honourable and pure in     
human conduct1 requires of no one to    
swerve a hair's breadth from the highest
 ideal of what a human life should be1  
and that just in proportion as we seek  
the best gifts and the most upright and 
pure path to them does ,god find it easy
 to bless us4 ,but in her case it was   
difficult to continue in this belief2   
and at length she resolved to adopt the 
easy and obvious means of obtaining an  
heir4 ,it was unbelieving and foolish1  
but not more so than our adoption of    
practices common in our day and in our  
business which we know are not the best1
 but which we nevertheless make use of  

to obtain our ends because the most     
righteous means possible do not seem    
workable in our circumstances4 ,are you 
not conscious that you have sometimes   
used a means of effecting your purpose1 
which you would shrink from using       
habitually1 but which you do not scruple
 to use to tide you over a difficulty1  
an extraordinary device for an          
extraordinary emergency1 a ,hagar       
brought in for a season to serve a      
purpose1 not a ,sarah accepted from ,god
 and cherished as an eternal helpmeet4  
,it is against this we are here warned4 
,from a ,hagar can at the best spring   
only an ,ishmael1 while in order to     
obtain the blessing ,god intends we must
 betake ourselves to ,god's             
barren-looking means4  ,the evil        
consequences of ,sarah's scheme were    
apparent first of all in the tool she   
made use of4 ,agur the son of ,jakeh    
says3 ,for three things the earth is    
disquieted1 and for four which it cannot
 bear4 ,for a servant when he reigneth1 

and a fool when he is filled with meat2 
for an odious woman when she is married1
 and an handmaid that is heir to her    
mistress4 ,naturally this half-heathen  
girl1 when she found that her son would 
probably inherit all ,abram's           
possessions1 forgot herself1 and looked 
down on her present1 nominal mistress4  
,a flood of new fancies possessed her   
vacant mind and her whole demeanour     
becomes insulting to ,sarah4 ,the       
slave-girl could not be expected to     
sympathize with the purpose which ,abram
 and ,sarah had in view when they made  
use of her4 ,they had calculated on     
finding only the unquestioning1         
mechanical obedience of the slave1 even 
while raising her practically to the    
dignity of a wife4 ,they had fancied    
that even to the deepest feelings of her
 woman's heart1 even in maternal hopes1 
she would be plastic in their hands1    
their mere passive instrument4 ,but they
 have entirely miscalculated4 ,the slave
 has feelings as quick and tender as    

their own1 a life and a destiny as      
tenaciously clung to as their           
,god-appointed destiny4 ,instead of     
simplifying their life they have merely 
added to it another source of complexity
 and annoyance4 ,it is the common fate  
of all who use others to satisfy their  
own desires and purposes4 ,the          
instruments they use are never so       
soulless and passive as it is wished4   
,if persons cannot serve you without    
deteriorating in their own character1   
you have no right to ask them to serve  
you4 ,to use human beings as if they    
were soulless machines is to neglect    
radical laws and to inflict the most    
serious injury on our fellow-men4       
,mistresses who do not treat their      
servants with consideration1 recognising
 that they are as truly women as        
themselves1 with all a woman's hopes and
 feelings1 and with a life of their own 
to live1 are committing a grievous      
wrong1 and evil will come of it4  ,in   
such an emergency as now arose in       

,abram's household1 character shows     
itself clearly4 ,sarah's vexation at the
 success of her own scheme1 her         
recrimination and appeal for strange    
justice1 her unjustifiable treatment of 
,hagar1 ,abram's ,bedouin disregard of  
the jealousies of the women's tent1 his 
,gallio-like repudiation of judgment in 
such quarrels1 his regretful vexation   
and shame that through such follies1    
mistakes1 and wranglings1 ,god had to   
find a channel for ,his promise to      
flow--all this discloses the painful    
ferment into which ,abram's household   
was thrown4 ,sarah's attempt to rid     
herself with a high hand of the         
consequences of her scheme was signally 
unsuccessful4 ,in the same inconsiderate
 spirit in which she had put ,hagar in  
her place1 she now forces her to flee1  
and fancies that she has now rid herself
 and her household of all the           
disagreeable consequences of her        
experiment4 ,she is grievously mistaken4
 ,the slave comes back upon her hands1  

and comes back with the promise of a son
 who should be a continual trouble to   
all about him4 ,all through ,ishmael's  
boyhood ,abram and ,sarah had painfully 
to reap the fruits of what they had     
sown4 ,we only make matters worse when  
we endeavour by injustice and harshness 
to crush out the consequences of        
wrong-doing4 ,the difficulties into     
which sin has brought us can only be    
effectually overcome by sincere         
contrition and humiliation4 ,it is not  
all in a moment nor by one happy stroke 
you can rectify the sin or mistake of a 
moment4 ,if by your wise devices you    
have begotten young ,ishmaels1 if       
something is every day grieving you and 
saying to you1 ,this comes of your      
careless inconsiderate conduct in the   
past1 then see that in your vexation    
there is real penitence and not a mere  
indignant resentment against            
circumstances or against other people1  
and see that you are not actually       
continuing the fault which first gave   

birth to your present sorrow and        
entanglement4  ,when ,hagar fled from   
her mistress she naturally took the way 
to her old country4 ,instinctively her  
feet carried her to the land of her     
birth4 ,and as she crossed the desert   
country where ,palestine1 ,egypt and    
,arabia meet1 she halted by a fountain1 
spent with her flight and awed by the   
solitude and stillness of the desert4   
,her proud spirit is broken and tamed1  
the fond memories of her adopted home   
and all its customs and ways and        
familiar faces and occupations1 overtake
 her when she pauses and her heart      
reacts from the first excitement of     
hasty purpose and reckless execution4   
,to whom could she go in ,egypt8 ,was   
there one there who would remember the  
little slave girl or who would care to  
show her a kindness8 ,has she not acted 
madly in fleeing from her only          
protectors8 ,the desolation around her  
depicts her own condition4 ,no motion   
stirs as far as her eye can reach1 no   

bird flies1 no leaf trembles1 no cloud  
floats over the scorching sun1 no sound 
breaks the death-like quiet2 she feels  
as if in a tomb1 severed from all life1 
forgotten of all4 ,her spirit is        
breaking under this sense of desolation1
 when suddenly her heart stands still as
 she hears a voice utter her own name   
,hagar1 ,sarai's maid4 ,as readily as   
every other person when ,god speaks to  
them1 does ,hagar recognise ,who it is  
who has followed her into this blank    
solitude4 ,in her circumstances to hear 
the voice of ,god left no room for      
disobedience4 ,the voice of ,god made   
audible through the actual circumstances
 of our daily life acquires a force and 
an authority we never attached to it    
otherwise4  ,probably1 too1 ,hagar would
 have gone back to ,abram's tents at the
 bidding of a less authoritative voice  
than this4 ,already she was softening   
and repenting4 ,she but needed some one 
to say1 ,go back4 ,you may often make it
 easier for a proud man to do a right   

thing by giving him a timely word4      
,frequently men stand in the position of
 ,hagar1 knowing the course they ought  
to adopt and yet hesitating to adopt it 
until it is made easy to them by a wise 
and friendly word4  ,in the promise of a
 son which was here given to ,hagar and 
the prediction concerning his destiny1  
while there was enough to teach both her
 and ,abram that he was not to be the   
heir of the promise1 there was also much
 to gratify a mother's pride and be to  
,hagar a source of continual            
satisfaction4 ,the son was to bear a    
name which should commemorate ,god's    
remembrance of her in her desolation4   
,as often as she murmured it over the   
babe or called it to the child or       
uttered it in sharp remonstrance to the 
refractory boy1 she was still reminded  
that she had a helper in ,god who had   
heard and would hear her4 ,the          
prediction regarding the child has been 
strikingly fulfilled in his descendants2
 the three characteristics by which they

 are distinguished being precisely those
 here mentioned4 ,he will be a wild man1
 literally1 a wild ass among men1       
reminding us of the description of this 
animal in ,job3 ,whose house ,i have    
made the wilderness1 and the barren land
 his dwelling4 ,he scorneth the         
multitude of the city1 neither regardeth
 he the crying of the driver4 ,the range
 of the mountains is his pasture1 and he
 searcheth after every green thing4     
,like the zebra that cannot be          
domesticated1 the ,arab scorns the      
comforts of civilized life1 and adheres 
to the primitive dress1 food1 and mode  
of life1 delighting in the sensation of 
freedom1 scouring the deserts1          
sufficient with his horse and spear for 
every emergency4 ,his hand also is      
against every man1 looking on all as his
 natural enemies or as his natural prey2
 in continual feud of tribe against     
tribe and of the whole race against all 
of different blood and different        
customs4 ,and yet he dwells in the      

presence of his brethren2 though so     
warlike a temper would bode his         
destruction and has certainly destroyed 
other races1 this ,ishmaelite stock     
continues in its own lands with an      
uninterrupted history4 ,in the words of 
an authoritative writer3 ,they have     
roved like the moving sands of their    
deserts2 but their race has been rooted 
while the individual wandered4 ,that    
race has neither been dissipated by     
conquest1 nor lost by migration1 nor    
confounded with the blood of other      
countries4 ,they have continued to dwell
 in the presence of all their brethren1 
a distinct nation1 wearing upon the     
whole the same features and aspects     
which prophecy first impressed upon     
them4  ,what struck ,hagar most about   
this interview was ,god's presence with 
her in this remote solitude4 ,she       
awakened to the consciousness that duty1
 hope1 ,god1 are ubiquitous1 universal1 
carried in the human breast1 not        
confined to any place4 ,her hopes1 her  

haughtiness1 her sorrows1 her flight1   
were all known4 ,the feeling possessed  
her which was afterwards expressed by   
the ,psalmist3 ,thou knowest my         
down-sitting1 and mine uprising1 ,thou  
understandest my thoughts afar off4     
,thou compassest my path and my lying   
down1 and art acquainted with all my    
ways4 ,thou tellest my wanderings2 put  
,thou my tears in ,thy bottle2 are they 
not in ,thy book8 ,even here where ,i   
thought to have escaped every eye1 have 
,i been following and at length found   
,him that seeth me4 ,as truly and even  
more perceptibly than in ,abram's tents1
 ,god is with her here in the desert4   
,to evade duty1 to leave responsibility 
behind us1 is impossible4 ,in all places
 we are ,god's children1 bound to accept
 the responsibilities of our nature4 ,in
 all places ,god is with us1 not only to
 point out our duty but to give us the  
feeling that in adhering to duty we     
adhere to ,him1 and that it is because  
,he values us that ,he presses duty upon

 us4 ,with ,him is no respect of        
persons2 the servant is in his sight as 
vivid a personality as the mistress1 and
 ,god appears not to the overbearing    
mistress but to the overborne servant4  
,happy they who when ,god has thus met  
them and sent them back on their own    
footsteps1 a long and weary return1 have
 still been so filled with a sense of   
,god's love in caring for them through  
all their errors1 that they obey and    
return4 ,all round about ,his people    
does ,god encamp1 all round about ,his  
flock does the faithful ,shepherd watch 
and drive back upon the fold each       
wanderer4 ,not only to those who are    
consciously seeking ,him does ,god      
reveal ,himself1 but often to us at the 
very farthest point of our wandering1 at
 our extremity1 when another day's      
journey would land us in a region from  
which there is no return4 ,when our     
regrets for the past become intolerably 
poignant and bitter2 when we see a waste
 of years behind us barren as the sand  

of the desert1 with nothing done but    
what should but cannot be undone2 when  
the heart is stupefied with the sense of
 its madness and of the irretrievable   
loss it has sustained1 or when we look  
to the future and are persuaded little  
can grow up in it out of such a past1   
when we see that all that would have    
prepared us for it has been lightly     
thrown aside or spent recklessly for    
nought1 when our hearts fail us1 this is
 ,god besetting us behind and before4   
,and may ,he grant us strength to pray1 
,show me ,thy ways1 ,o ,lord1 teach me  
,thy paths4 ,lead me in ,thy truth and  
teach me3 for ,thou art the ,god of my  
salvation2 on ,thee do ,i wait all the  
day4  ,the quiet glow of hopefulness    
with which ,hagar returned to ,abram's  
encampment should possess the spirit of 
every one of us4 ,hagar's prospects were
 not in all respects inviting4 ,she knew
 the kind of treatment she was likely to
 receive at the hands of ,sarah4 ,she   
was to be a bondwoman still4 ,but ,god  

had persuaded her of ,his care and had  
given her a hope large enough to fill   
her heart4 ,that hope was to be         
fulfilled by a return to the home she   
had fled from1 by a humbling and painful
 experience4 ,there is no person for    
whom ,god has not similar encouragement4
 ,frequently persons forget that ,god is
 in their life1 fulfilling ,his         
purposes4 ,they flee from what is       
painful2 they lose their bearings in    
life and know not which way to turn2    
they do not fancy there is help for them
 in ,god4 ,yet ,god is with them2 by    
these very circumstances that reduce    
them to desolateness and despair ,he    
leads them to hope in ,him4 ,each one of
 us has a place in ,his purpose2 and    
that place we shall find not by fleeing 
from what is distressing but by         
submitting ourselves cheerfully to what 
,he appoints4 ,god's purpose is real1   
and life is real1 meant to accomplish   
not our present passing pleasure1 but   
lasting good in conformity with ,god's  

purpose4 ,be sure that when you are     
bidden back to duties that seem those of
 a slave1 you are bidden to them by     
,god1 ,whose purposes are worthy of     
,himself and ,whose purposes include you
 and all that concerns you4  ,there are1
 ,i think1 few truths more animating    
than this which is here taught us1 that 
,god has a purpose with each of us2 that
 however insignificant we seem1 however 
friendless1 however hardly used1 however
 ousted even from our natural place in  
this world's households1 ,god has a     
place for us2 that however we lose our  
way in life we are not lost from ,his   
eye2 that even when we do not think of  
choosing ,him ,he in ,his ,divine1      
all-embracing love chooses us1 and      
throws about us bonds from which we     
cannot escape4 ,of ,hagar many were     
complacently thinking it was no great   
matter if she were lost1 and some might 
consider themselves righteous because   
they said she deserved whatever mishap  
might befall her4 ,but not so ,god4 ,of 

some of us1 it may be1 others may think 
no great blank would be made by our     
loss2 but ,god's compassion and care and
 purpose comprehend the least worthy4   
,the very hairs of your head are all    
numbered by ,him4 ,nothing is so trivial
 and insignificant as to escape ,his    
attention1 nothing so intractable that  
,he cannot use it for good4 ,trust in   
,him1 obey ,him1 and your life will yet 
be useful and happy4     ,,xiii4  ,,the 
,,covenant ,,sealed4  ,,genesis xvii4   
,according to the dates here given      
fourteen years had passed since ,abram  
had received any intimation of ,god's   
will regarding him4 ,since the covenant 
had been made some twenty years before1 
no direct communication had been        
received2 and no message of any kind    
since ,ishmael's birth4 ,it need not1   
therefore1 surprise us that we are often
 allowed to remain for years in a state 
of suspense1 uncertain about the future1
 feeling that we need more light and yet
 unable to find it4 ,all truth is not   

discovered in a day1 and if that on     
which we are to found for eternity take 
us twenty years or a life's experience  
to settle it in its place1 why should we
 on this account be overborne with      
discouragement8 ,they who love the truth
 and can as little abstain from seeking 
it as the artist can abstain from       
admiring what is lovely1 will assuredly 
have their reward4 ,to be expectant yet 
not impatient1 unsatisfied yet not      
unbelieving1 to hold mind and heart     
open1 assured that light is sown for the
 upright and that all that is has       
lessons for the teachable1 this is our  
proper attitude4      ,think you1 'mid  
all this mighty sum       ,of things for
 ever speaking1     ,that nothing of    
itself will come1       ,but we must    
still be seeking8  ,we appreciate the   
significance of a revelation in         
proportion as we understand the state of
 mind to which it is made4 ,abram's     
state of mind is disclosed in the       
exclamation3 ,oh1 that ,ishmael might   

live before ,thee6 ,he had learned to   
love the bold1 brilliant1 domineering   
boy4 ,he saw how the men liked to serve 
him and how proud they were of the young
 chief4 ,no doubt his wild intractable  
ways often made his father anxious4     
,sarah was there to point out and       
exaggerate all his faults and to        
prognosticate mischief4 ,but there he   
was1 in actual flesh and blood1 full of 
life and interest in everything1 daily  
getting deeper into the affections of   
,abram1 who allowed and could not but   
allow his own life to revolve very much 
around the dashing1 attractive lad4 ,so 
that the reminder that he was not the   
promised heir was not entirely welcome4 
,when he was told that the heir of      
promise was to be ,sarah's child1 he    
could not repress the somewhat peevish  
exclamation3 ,oh1 that ,ishmael might   
serve ,thy turn6 ,why call me off again 
from this actual attainment to the      
vague1 shadowy1 non-existent heir of    
promise1 who surely can never have the  

brightness of eye and force of limb and 
lordly ways of this ,ishmael8 ,would    
that what already exists in actual      
substance before the eye might satisfy  
,thee and fulfil ,thine intention and   
supersede the necessity of further      
waiting6 ,must ,i again loosen my hold1 
and part with my chief attainment8 ,must
 ,i cut my moorings and launch again    
upon this ocean of faith with a horizon 
always receding and that seems          
absolutely boundless8  ,we are familiar 
with this state of mind4 ,we wish ,god  
would leave us alone4 ,we have found a  
very attractive substitute for what ,he 
promises1 and we resent being reminded  
that our substitute is not1 after all1  
the veritable1 eternal1 best possession4
 ,it satisfies our taste1 our intellect1
 our ambition2 it sets us on a level    
with other men and gives us a place in  
the world2 but now and again we feel a  
void it does not fill4 ,we have attained
 comfortable circumstances1 success in  
our profession1 our life has in it that 

which attracts applause and sheds a     
brilliance over it2 and we do not like  
being told that this is not all4 ,our   
feeling is ,oh1 that this might do6 that
 this might be accepted as perfect      
attainment6 it satisfies me 7all but a  
little bit72 might it not satisfy ,god8 
,why summon me again away from domestic 
happiness1 intellectual enjoyment1      
agreeable occupations1 to what really   
seems so unattainable as perfect        
fellowship with ,god in the fulfilment  
of ,his promise8 ,why spend all my life 
in waiting and seeking for high         
spiritual things when ,i have so much   
with which ,i can be moderately         
satisfied8 ,for our complaint often is  
not that ,god gives so little but that  
,he offers too much1 more than we care  
to have3 that ,he never will let us be  
content with anything short of what     
perfectly fulfils ,his perfect love and 
purpose4  ,this being ,abram's state of 
mind1 he is aroused from it by the      
words3 ,i am the ,almighty ,god2 walk   

before ,me and be thou perfect4 ,i am   
the ,almighty ,god1 able to fulfil your 
highest hopes and accomplish for you the
 brightest ideal that ever ,my words set
 before you4 ,there is no need of paring
 down the promise till it square with   
human probabilities1 no need of         
relinquishing one hope it has begotten1 
no need of adopting some interpretation 
of it which may make it seem easier to  
fulfil1 and no need of striving to      
fulfil it in any second-rate way4 ,all  
possibility lies in this3 ,i am the     
,almighty ,god4 ,walk before ,me and be 
thou perfect1 therefore4 ,do not train  
your eye to earthly distances and       
earthly magnitudes and limit your hope  
accordingly1 but live in the presence of
 the ,almighty ,god4 ,do not defer the  
advices of conscience and of your purest
 aspirations to some other possible     
world2 do not settle down at the low    
level of godless nature and of the men  
around you2 do not give way to what you 
yourself know to be weakness and        

evidence of defeat2 do not let          
self-indulgence take the place of ,my   
commandments1 indolence supplant        
resolution and the likelihoods of human 
calculation obliterate the hopes stirred
 by the ,divine call3 ,be thou perfect4 
,is not this a summons that comes       
appropriately to every man8 ,whatever be
 our contentment1 our attainments1 our  
possessions1 a new light is shed upon   
our condition when we measure it by     
,god's idea and ,god's resources4 ,is my
 life ,god's ideal8 ,does that which    
satisfies me satisfy ,him8  ,the purpose
 of ,god's present appearance to ,abram 
was to renew the covenant1 and this ,he 
does in terms so explicit1 so pregnant1 
so magnificent that ,abram must have    
seen more distinctly than ever that he  
was called to play a very special part  
in ,god's providence4 ,that kings should
 spring from him1 a mere pastoral nomad 
in an alien country1 could not suggest  
itself to ,abram as a likely thing to   
happen4 ,indeed1 though a line of kings 

or two lines of kings did spring from   
him through ,isaac1 the terms of the    
prediction seem scarcely exhausted by   
that fulfilment4 ,and accordingly ,paul 
without hesitation or reserve transfers 
this prediction to a spiritual region1  
and is at pains to show that the many   
nations of whom ,abram was to be the    
father1 were not those who inherited his
 blood1 his natural appearance1 his     
language and earthly inheritance1 but   
those who inherited his spiritual       
qualities and the heritage in ,god to   
which his faith gave him entrance4 ,and 
he argues that no difference of race or 
disadvantages of worldly position can   
prevent any man from serving himself    
heir to ,abram1 because the seed1 to    
whom as well as to ,abram the promise   
was made1 was ,christ1 and in ,christ   
there is neither ,jew nor ,gentile1 bond
 nor free1 but all are one4  ,in        
connection then with this covenant in   
which ,god promised that ,he would be a 
,god to ,abram and to his seed1 two     

points of interest to us emerge4 ,first 
that ,christ is ,abram's heir4 ,in ,his 
use of ,god's promise we see its full   
significance4 ,in ,his life-long        
appropriation of ,god we see what ,god  
meant when ,he said1 ,i will be a ,god  
to thee and to thy seed4 ,we find our   
,lord from the first living as one who  
felt ,his life encompassed by ,god1     
embraced and comprehended in that higher
 life which ,god lives through all and  
in all4 ,his life was all and whole a   
life in ,god4 ,he recognised what it is 
to have a ,god1 one ,whose will is      
supreme and unerringly good1 ,whose love
 is constant and eternal1 ,who is the   
first and the last1 beyond ,whom and    
from under ,whom we can never pass4 ,he 
moved about in the world in so perfectly
 harmonious a correspondence with ,god1 
so merging ,himself in ,god and ,his    
purpose and with so unhesitating a      
reliance upon ,him1 that ,he seemed and 
was but a manifestation of ,god1 ,god's 
will embodied1 ,god's child1 ,god       

expressing ,himself in human nature4 ,he
 showed us once for all the blessedness 
of true dependence1 fidelity and faith4 
,he showed us how that simple promise   
',i will be a ,god to thee1' received in
 faith1 lifts the human life into       
fellowship with all that is hopeful and 
inspiring1 with all that is purifying1  
with all that is real and abiding4  ,but
 a second point is1 that ,jesus was the 
heir of ,abram not merely because ,he   
was his descendant1 a ,jew with all the 
advantages of the ,jew1 but because1    
like ,abram1 ,he was full of faith4 ,god
 was the atmosphere of ,his life4 ,but  
,he claimed ,god not because ,he was    
,jewish1 but because ,he was human4     
,through the ,jews ,god had made        
,himself known1 but it was to what was  
human not to what was ,jewish ,he       
appealed4 ,and it was as ,son of man not
 as son of ,israel or of ,adam that     
,jesus responded to ,god and lived with 
,him as ,his ,god4 ,not by specially    
,jewish rites did ,jesus approach and   

rest in ,god1 but by what is universal  
and human1 by prayer to the ,father1 by 
loving obedience1 by faith and          
submission4 ,and thus we too may be     
joint-heirs with ,christ and possess    
,god4 ,and if we think of ourselves as  
left to struggle with natural defects   
amidst irreversible natural laws2 if we 
begin to pray very heartlessly1 as if   
,he who once listened were now asleep or
 could do nothing2 if our life seems    
profitless1 purposeless1 and all        
unhinged2 then let us look back to this 
sure promise of ,god1 that ,he will be  
our ,god3 our ,god1 for1 if ,christ's   
,god1 then ours1 for if we be ,christ's 
then are we ,abram's seed and heirs     
according to the promise4 ,how few in   
any given day are living on this        
promise3 how few attach reality to      
,god's continuous revelation of         
,himself1 the reality in this world's   
transitory history3 how few can believe 
in the nearness and observance and love 
of ,god1 how few can strenuously seek to

 be holy or understand where abiding    
happiness is to be found2 for all these 
things are here4 ,yet who knocks at this
 door8 ,who makes1 as ,christ made1 his 
life a unity with ,god1 undismayed1     
unmurmuring1 unreluctant1 neither       
fearful of ,god nor disobedient1 but    
diligent1 earnest1 jubilant1 because    
,god has said1 ,i will be thy ,god4 ,do 
you believe these things and can you    
forbear to use them8 ,do you believe    
that it is open to you1 whosoever you   
are1 to have the ,eternal and ,supreme  
,god for your ,god1 that ,he may use all
 ,his ,divine nature in your behalf2    
have you conceived what it is that ,god 
means when ,he extends to you this      
offer1 and can you decline to accept it1
 can you do otherwise than cherish it   
and seek to find more and more in it    
every day you live8  ,two seals were at 
this time affixed to the covenant3 the  
one for ,abram himself1 the other for   
every one who shared with him in his    
blessings of the covenant4 ,the first   

consisted in the change of his own name 
to ,abraham1 the father of a multitude1 
and of his wife's to ,sarah1 princess or
 queen1 because she was now announced as
 the destined mother of kings4 ,and     
however ,abraham would be annoyed to see
 the hardly suppressed smile on the     
ironical faces of his men as he boldly  
commanded them to call him by a name    
whose verification seemed so grievously 
to lag2 and however indignant and pained
 he may have been to hear the young     
,ishmael jeering ,sarah with her new    
name1 and lending to it every tone of   
mockery and using it with insolent      
frequency1 yet ,abraham knew that these 
names were not given to deceive2 and    
probably as the name of ,abraham has    
become one of the best known names on   
earth1 so to himself did it quickly     
acquire a preciousness as ,god's voice  
abiding with him1 ,god's promise renewed
 to him through every man that addressed
 him1 until at length the child of      
promise lying on his knees took up its  

first syllable and called him ,abba4    
,this seal was special to ,abraham and  
,sarah1 the other was public4 ,all who  
desired to partake with ,abraham in the 
security1 hope1 and happiness of having 
,god as their ,god1 were to submit to   
circumcision4 ,this sign was to         
determine who were included in the      
covenant4 ,by this outward mark         
encouragement and assurance of faith    
were to be quickened in the heart of all
 ,abraham's descendants4  ,the mark     
chosen was significant4 ,it was indeed  
not distinctive in its outward form2 so 
little so that at this day no fewer than
 one hundred and fifty millions of the  
race make use of the same rite for one  
purpose or other4 ,all the descendants  
of ,ishmael of course continue it1 but  
also all who have their religion1 that  
is1 all ,mohammedans2 but besides these1
 some tribes in ,south ,america1 some in
 ,australia1 some in the ,south ,sea    
,islands1 and a large number of ,kaffir 
tribes4 ,the ancient ,egyptians         

certainly practised it1 and it has been 
suggested that ,abraham may have become 
acquainted with the practice during his 
sojourn in ,egypt4 ,it is however       
uncertain whether the practice in ,egypt
 runs back to so early a time4 ,if it   
were an established ,egyptian usage1    
then of course ,hagar would demand for  
her boy at the usual age the rite which 
she had always associated with entrance 
on a new stage of life4 ,but even       
supposing this was the case1 the rite   
was none the less available for the new 
use to which it was now put4 ,the       
rainbow existed before the ,flood2 bread
 and wine existed before the night of   
the ,lord's ,supper2 baptisms of various
 kinds were practised before the days of
 the ,apostles4 ,and for this very      
reason1 when ,god desired a natural     
emblem of the stability of the seasons  
,he chose a striking feature of nature  
on which men were already accustomed to 
look with pleasure and hope2 when ,he   
desired symbols of the body and blood of

 the ,redeemer ,he took those articles  
which already had a meaning as the most 
efficacious human nutriment2 when ,he   
desired to represent to the eye the     
renunciation of the old life and the    
birth to a new life which we have by    
union with ,christ1 ,he took that rite  
which was already known as the badge of 
discipleship2 and when ,he desired to   
impress men by symbol with the impurity 
of nature and with our dependence on    
,god for the production of all          
acceptable life1 ,he chose that rite    
which1 whether used before or not1 did  
most strikingly represent this4  ,with  
the significance of circumcision to     
other men who practise it1 we have here 
nothing to do4 ,it is as the chief      
sacrament of the old covenant1 by which 
,god meant to aid all succeeding        
generations of ,hebrews in believing    
that ,god was their ,god4 ,and this     
particular mark was given1 rather than  
any other1 that they might recognise and
 ever remember that human nature was    

unable to generate its own ,saviour1    
that in man there is a native impurity  
which must be laid aside when he comes  
into fellowship with the ,holy ,god4    
,and these circumcised races1 although  
in many respects as unspiritual as      
others1 have yet in general perceived   
that ,god is different from nature1 a   
,holy ,being to ,whom we cannot attain  
by any mere adherence to nature1 but    
only by the aid ,he ,himself extends to 
us in ways for which nature makes no    
provision4 ,the lesson of circumcision  
is an old one and rudely expressed1 but 
it is vital2 and no abhorrence of the   
circumcised for the uncircumcised too   
strongly1 however unjustly1 emphasizes  
the distinction that actually subsists  
between those who believe in nature and 
those who believe in ,god4  ,the lesson 
is old1 but the circumcision of the     
heart to which the outward mark pointed1
 is ever required4 ,that is the true    
seal of our fellowship with ,god2 the   
earnest of the ,spirit which gives      

promise of eternal union with the ,holy 
,one2 the relentings1 the shame1 the    
softening of heart1 the adoration and   
reverence for the holiness of ,god1 the 
thirst for ,him1 the joy in ,his        
goodness1 these are the first fruits of 
the ,spirit1 which lead on to our       
calling ,god ,father1 and feeling that  
to be alone with ,him is our happiness4 
,it is this putting aside of our natural
 confidence in nature and absorption in 
nature1 and this turning to ,god as our 
confidence and our life1 which          
constitutes the true circumcision of the
 heart4  ,believing as ,abraham was1 he 
could not forbear smiling when ,god said
 that ,sarah would be the mother of the 
promised seed4 ,this incredulity of     
,abraham was so significant that it was 
commemorated in the name of ,isaac1 the 
laugher4 ,this heir was typical of all  
,god's best gifts1 at first reckoned    
impossible1 at last filling the heart   
with gladness4 ,the smile of incredulity
 became the laughter of joy when the    

child was born and ,sarah said1 ,god    
hath made me to laugh1 so that all that 
hear will laugh with me4 ,it is they who
 expect things so incongruous and so    
impossible to nature unaided that they  
smile even while they believe1 who will 
one day find their hopes fulfilled and  
their hearts running over with joyful   
laughter4 ,if your heart is fixed only  
on what you can accomplish for yourself1
 no great joy can ever be yours4 ,but   
frame your actual hopes in accordance   
with the promise of ,god1 expect        
holiness1 fulness of joy1 animating     
partnership with ,god in the highest    
matters1 the resurrection of the dead1  
the life everlasting1 and one day you   
will say1 ,god hath made me to laugh4   
,but ,abraham prostrating himself to    
hide a smile is the symbol of our common
 attitude4 ,we profess to believe in a  
,god of unspeakable power and goodness1 
but even while we do so we find it      
impossible to attach a sense of reality 
to ,his promises4 ,they are kindly1     

well-intentioned words1 but are         
apparently spoken in neglect of solid1  
obstinate facts4 ,how hard is it for us 
to learn that ,god is the great reality1
 and that the reality of all else may be
 measured by its relation to ,him4      
,sarah's laughter had a different       
meaning4 ,indeed ,sarah does not appear 
to have been by any means a blameless   
character4 ,her conduct towards ,hagar  
showed us that she was a woman capable  
of generous impulses but not of the     
strain of continued magnanimous conduct4
 ,she was capable of yielding her wifely
 rights on the impulse of the brilliant 
scheme that had struck her1 but like    
many other persons who can begin a      
magnanimous or generous course of       
conduct1 she could not follow it up to  
the end1 but failed disgracefully in her
 conduct towards her rival4 ,so now     
again she betrays characteristic        
weakness4 ,when the strangers came to   
,abraham's tent1 and announced that she 
was to become a mother1 she smiled in   

superior1 self-assured1 woman's wisdom4 
,when the promise threatened no longer  
to hover over her household as a mere   
sublime and exalting idea which serves  
its purpose if it keep them in mind that
 ,god has spoken to them1 but to take   
place now among the actualities of daily
 occurrence1 she hails this announcement
 with a laugh of total incredulity4     
,whatever she had made of ,god's word1  
she had not thought it was really and   
veritably to come to pass2 she smiled at
 the simplicity which could speak of    
such an unheard-of thing4  ,this is true
 to human nature4 ,it reminds you how   
you have dealt with ,god's              
promises1--nay1 with ,god's             
commandments--when they offered to make 
room for themselves in the everyday life
 of which you are masters1 every detail 
of which you have arranged1 seeming to  
know absolutely the laws and principles 
on which your particular line of life   
must be carried on4 ,have you never     
smiled at the simplicity which could set

 about making actual1 about carrying out
 in practical life1 in society1 in work1
 in business1 those thoughts1 feelings  
and purposes1 which ,god's promises     
beget8 ,sarah did not laugh outright1   
but smiled behind the ,lord2 she did not
 mock ,him to ,his face1 but let the    
compassionate expression pass over her  
face with which we listen to the glowing
 hopes of the young enthusiast who does 
not know the world4 ,have we not often  
put aside ,god's voice precisely thus2  
saying within us1 ,we know what kind of 
things can be done by us and others and 
what need not be attempted2 we know what
 kind of frailties in social intercourse
 we must put up with1 and not seek to   
amend2 what kind of practices it is vain
 to think of abolishing2 we know what   
use to make of ,god's promise and what  
use not to make of it2 how far to trust 
it1 and how far to give greater weight  
to our knowledge of the world and our   
natural prudence and sense8 ,does not   
our faith1 like ,sarah's1 vary in       

proportion as the promise to be believed
 is unpractical8 ,if the promise seems  
wholly to concern future things1 we     
cordially and devoutly assent2 but if we
 are asked to believe that ,god intends 
within the year to do so-and-so1 if we  
are asked to believe that the result of 
,god's promise will be found taking a   
substantial place among the results of  
our own efforts--then the derisive smile
 of ,sarah forms on our face4  ,to look 
at the crowds of persons professing     
religion1 one would suppose nothing was 
commoner than faith4 ,there is nothing  
rarer4 ,devoutness is common2           
righteousness of life is common2 a      
contempt for every kind of fraud and    
underhand practice is common2 a         
highminded disregard for this world's   
gains and glories is common2 an         
abhorrence of sensuality and an earnest 
thirst for perfection are common--but   
faith8 ,will the ,son of man when ,he   
comes find it on earth8 ,may not the    
messengers of ,god yet say1 ,who hath   

believed our report8 ,why1 the great    
majority of ,christian people have never
 been near enough to spiritual things to
 know whether they are or are not1 they 
have never narrowly weighed spiritual   
issues and trembled as they watched the 
uncertain balance1 they say they believe
 ,god and a future of happiness because 
they really do not know what they are   
talking about--they have not measured   
the magnitude of these things4 ,faith is
 not a blind and careless assent to     
matters of indifference1 faith is not a 
state of mental suspense with a hope    
that things may turn out to be as the   
,bible says4 ,faith is the firm         
persuasion that these things are so4    
,and he who at once knows the magnitude 
of these things and believes that they  
are so1 must be filled with a joy that  
makes him independent of the world1 with
 an enthusiasm which must seem to the   
world like insanity4 ,it is quite a     
different world in which the man of     
faith lives4     ,,xiv4  ,,abraham',s   

,,intercession ,,for ,,sodom4  ,,genesis
 xviii4   ,the scene with which this    
chapter opens is one familiar to the    
observer of nomad life in the ,east4    
,during the scorching heat and glaring  
light of noon1 while the birds seek the 
densest foliage and the wild animals lie
 panting in the thicket and everything  
is still and silent as midnight1        
,abraham sits in his tent door under the
 spreading oak of ,mamre4 ,listless1    
languid1 and dreamy as he is1 he is at  
once aroused into brightest wakefulness 
by the sudden apparition of three       
strangers4 ,remarkable as their         
appearance no doubt must have been1 it  
would seem that ,abraham did not        
recognise the rank of his visitors2 it  
was1 as the writer to the ,hebrews says1
 unawares that he entertained angels4   
,but when he saw them stand as if       
inviting invitation to rest1 he treated 
them as hospitality required him to     
treat any wayfarers4 ,he sprang to his  
feet1 ran and bowed himself to the      

ground1 and begged them to rest and eat 
with him4 ,with the extraordinary1 and  
as it seems to our colder nature        
extravagant courtesy of an ,oriental1 he
 rates at the very lowest the comforts  
he can supply2 it is only a little water
 he can give to wash their feet1 a      
morsel of bread to help them on their   
way1 but they will do him a kindness if 
they accept these small attentions at   
his hands4 ,he gives1 however1 much more
 than he offered1 seeks out the fatted  
calf and serves while his guests sit and
 eat4 ,the whole scene is primitive and 
,oriental1 and presents a perfect       
picture of the manner in which a modern 
,bedawee ,sheykh receives travellers    
arriving at his encampment2 the hasty   
baking of bread1 the celebration of a   
guest's arrival by the killing of animal
 food not on other occasions used even  
by large flock-masters2 the meal spread 
in the open air1 the black tents of the 
encampment stretching back among the    
oaks of ,mamre1 every available space   

filled with sheep1 asses1 camels1--the  
whole is one of those clear pictures    
which only the simplicity of primitive  
life can produce4  ,not only1 however1  
as a suitable and pretty introduction   
which may ensure our reading the        
subsequent narrative is it recorded how 
hospitably ,abraham received these      
three4 ,later writers saw in it a       
picture of the beauty and reward of     
hospitality4 ,it is very true1 indeed1  
that the circumstances of a wandering   
pastoral life are peculiarly favourable 
to the cultivation of this grace4       
,travellers being the only bringers of  
tidings are greeted from a selfish      
desire to hear news as well as from     
better motives4 ,life in tents1 too1 of 
necessity makes men freer in their      
manners4 ,they have no door to lock1 no 
inner rooms to retire to1 their life is 
spent outside1 and their character      
naturally inclines to frankness and     
freedom from the suspicions1 fears1 and 
restraints of city life4 ,especially is 

hospitality accounted the indispensable 
virtue1 and a breach of it as culpable  
as a breach of the sixth commandment1   
because to refuse hospitality is in many
 regions equivalent to subjecting a     
wayfarer to dangers and hardships under 
which he is almost certain to succumb4  
,this tent is mine1 said ,yussouf1 but  
no more     ,than it is ,god's2 come in1
 and be at peace2     ,freely shalt thou
 partake of all my store1     ,as ,i of 
,his ,who buildeth over these     ,our  
tents ,his glorious roof of night and   
day1     ,and at ,whose door none ever  
yet heard ,nay4  ,still we are of course
 bound to import into our life all the  
suggestions of kindly conduct which any 
other style of living gives us4 ,and the
 writer to the ,hebrews pointedly refers
 to this scene and says1 ,let us not be 
forgetful to entertain strangers1 for   
thereby some have entertained angels    
unawares4 ,and often in quite a prosaic 
and unquestionable manner does it become
 apparent to a host1 that the guest he  

has been entertaining has been sent by  
,god1 an angel indeed ministering to his
 salvation1 renewing in him thoughts    
that had been dying out1 filling his    
home with brightness and life like the  
smile of ,god's own face1 calling out   
kindly feelings1 provoking to love and  
to good works1 effectually helping him  
onwards and making one more stage of his
 life endurable and even blessed4 ,and  
it is not to be wondered at that our    
,lord ,himself should have continually  
inculcated this same grace2 for in ,his 
whole life and by ,his most painful     
experience were men being tested as to  
who among them would take the stranger  
in4 ,he who became man for a little that
 ,he might for ever consecrate the      
dwelling of ,abraham and leave a        
blessing in his household1 has now      
become man for evermore1 that we may    
learn to walk carefully and             
reverentially through a life whose      
circumstances and conditions1 whose     
little socialities and duties1 and whose

 great trials and strains ,he found fit 
for ,himself for service to the ,father4
 ,this tabernacle of our human body has 
by ,his presence been transformed from a
 tent to a temple1 and this world and   
all its ways that ,he approved1 admired1
 and walked in1 is holy ground4 ,but as 
,he came to ,abraham trusting to his    
hospitality1 not sending before him a   
legion of angels to awe the patriarch   
but coming in the guise of an ordinary  
wayfarer2 so did ,he come to ,his own   
and make ,his entrance among us1        
claiming only the consideration which   
,he claims for the least of ,his people1
 and granting to whoever gave ,him that 
the discovery of ,his ,divine nature4   
,had there been ordinary hospitality in 
,bethlehem that night before the taxing1
 then a woman in ,mary's condition had  
been cared for and not superciliously   
thrust among the cattle1 and our race   
had been delivered from the everlasting 
reproach of refusing its ,god a cradle  
to be born and sleep ,his first sleep   

in1 as it refused ,him a bed to die in1 
and left chance to provide ,him a grave 
in which to sleep ,his latest sleep4    
,and still ,he is coming to us all      
requiring of us this grace of           
hospitality1 not only in the case of    
every one who asks of us a cup of cold  
water and whom our ,lord ,himself will  
personate at the last day and say1 ,i   
was a stranger and ye took ,me in2 but  
also in regard to those claims upon our 
heart's reception which ,he only in ,his
 own person makes4  ,but while we are no
 doubt justified in gathering such      
lessons from this scene1 it can scarcely
 have been for the sake of inculcating  
hospitality that these angels visited   
,abraham4 ,and if we ask1 ,why did ,god 
on this occasion use this exceptional   
form of manifesting ,himself2 why1      
instead of approaching ,abraham in a    
vision or in word as had been found     
sufficient on former occasions1 did ,he 
now adopt this method of becoming       
,abraham's guest and eating with        

him8--the only apparent reason is that  
,he meant this also to be the test      
applied to ,sodom4 ,there too ,his      
angels were to appear as wayfarers1     
dependent on the hospitality of the     
town1 and by the people's treatment of  
these unknown visitors their moral state
 was to be detected and judged4 ,the    
peaceful meal under the oaks of ,mamre1 
the quiet and confidential walk over the
 hills in the afternoon when ,abraham in
 the humble simplicity of a godly soul  
was found to be fit company for these   
three--this scene where the ,lord and   
,his messengers receive a becoming      
welcome and where they leave only       
blessing behind them1 is set in telling 
contrast to their reception in ,sodom1  
where their coming was the signal for   
the outburst of a brutality one blushes 
to think of1 and elicited all the       
elements of a mere hell upon earth4     
,lot would fain have been as hospitable 
as ,abraham4 ,deeper in his nature than 
any other consideration was the         

traditional habit of hospitality4 ,to   
this he would have sacrificed           
everything--the rights of strangers were
 to him truly inviolable4 ,lot was a man
 who could as little see strangers      
without inviting them to his house as   
,abraham could4 ,he would have treated  
them handsomely as his uncle2 and what  
he could do he did4 ,but ,lot had by his
 choice of a dwelling made it impossible
 he should afford safe and agreeable    
lodging to any visitor4 ,he did his     
best1 and it was not his reception of   
the angels that sealed ,sodom's doom1   
and yet what shame he must have felt    
that he had put himself in circumstances
 in which his chief virtue could not be 
practised4 ,so do men tie their own     
hands and cripple themselves so that    
even the good they would take pleasure  
in doing is either wholly impossible or 
turns to evil4  ,in divulging to        
,abraham ,his purpose in visiting       
,sodom1 it is enounced here that ,god   
acted on a principle which seems        

afterwards to have become almost        
proverbial4 ,surely the ,lord will do   
nothing but ,he revealeth ,his secret   
unto ,his servants the prophets4 ,there 
are indeed two grounds stated for making
 known to ,abraham this catastrophe4    
,the reason that we should naturally    
expect1 viz4 that he might go on and    
warn ,lot is not one of them4 ,why then 
make any announcement to ,abraham if the
 catastrophe cannot be averted1 and if  
,abraham is to turn back to his own     
encampment8 ,the first reason is3 ,shall
 ,i hide from ,abraham that thing which 
,i do8 ,seeing that ,abraham shall      
surely become a great and mighty nation1
 and all the nations of the earth shall 
be blessed in him4 ,in other words1     
,abraham has been made the depository of
 a blessing for all nations1 and account
 must therefore be given to him when any
 people is summarily removed beyond the 
possibility of receiving this blessing4 
,if a man has got a grant for the       
emancipation of the slaves in a certain 

district1 and is informed on landing to 
put this grant in force that fifty      
slaves are to be executed that day1 he  
has certainly a right to know and he    
will inevitably desire to know that this
 execution is to be1 and why it is to   
be4 ,when an officer goes to negotiate  
an exchange of prisoners1 if two of the 
number cannot be exchanged1 but are to  
be shot1 he must be informed of this and
 account of the matter must be given    
him4 ,abraham often brooding on ,god's  
promise1 living indeed upon it1 must    
have felt a vague sympathy with all men1
 and a sympathy not at all vague1 but   
most powerful and practical with the men
 in the ,jordan valley whom he had      
rescued from ,chedorlaomer4 ,if he was  
to be a blessing to any nation it must  
surely be to those who were within an   
afternoon's walk of his encampment and  
among whom his nephew had taken up his  
abode4 ,suppose he had not been told1   
but had risen next morning and seen the 
dense cloud of smoke overhanging the    

doomed cities1 might he not with some   
justice have complained that although   
,god had spoken to him the previous day1
 not one word of this great catastrophe 
had been breathed to him4  ,the second  
reason is expressed in the nineteenth   
verse2 ,god had chosen ,abraham that he 
might command his children and his      
household after him to keep the way of  
the ,lord1 to do justice and judgment   
that the ,lord might fulfil ,his promise
 to ,abraham4 ,that is to say1 as it was
 only by obedience and righteousness    
that ,abraham and his seed were to      
continue in ,god's favour1 it was fair  
that they should be encouraged to do so 
by seeing the fruits of unrighteousness4
 ,so that as the ,dead ,sea lay         
throughout their whole history on their 
borders reminding them of the wages of  
sin1 they might never fail rightly to   
interpret its meaning1 and in every     
great catastrophe read the lesson except
 ye repent ye shall all likewise perish4
 ,they could never attribute to chance  

this predicted judgment4 ,and in point  
of fact frequent and solemn reference   
was made to this standing monument of   
the fruit of sin4  ,as yet there was no 
moral law proclaimed by any external    
authority4 ,abraham had to discover what
 justice and goodness were from the     
dictates of his own conscience and from 
his observation upon men and things4    
,but he was at all events persuaded that
 only so long as he and his sought      
honestly to live in what they considered
 to be righteousness would they enjoy   
,god's favour4 ,and they read in the    
destruction of ,sodom a clear intimation
 that certain forms of wickedness were  
detestable to ,god4  ,the earnestness   
with which ,abraham intercedes for the  
cities of the plain reveals a new side  
of his character4 ,one could understand 
a strong desire on his part that ,lot   
should be rescued1 and no doubt the     
preservation of ,lot formed one of his  
strongest motives to intercede1 yet ,lot
 is never named1 and it is1 ,i think1   

plain that he had more than the safety  
of ,lot in view4 ,he prayed that the    
city might be spared1 not that the      
righteous might be delivered out of its 
ruin4 ,probably he had a lively interest
 in the people he had rescued from      
captivity1 and felt a kind of           
protectorate over them as he sometimes  
looked down on them from the hills near 
his own tents4 ,he pleads for them as he
 had fought for them1 with generosity1  
boldness and perseverance2 and it was   
his boldness and unselfishness in       
fighting for them that gave him boldness
 in praying for them4  ,there has come  
into vogue in this country a kind of    
intercession which is the exact reverse 
of this of ,abraham--an obtuse1         
mechanical intercession about whose     
efficacy one may cherish a reasonable   
suspicion4 ,the ,bible and common sense 
bid us pray with the ,spirit and with   
the understanding2 but at some meetings 
for prayer you are asked to pray for    
people you do not know and have no real 

interest in4 ,you are not told even     
their names1 so that if an answer is    
sent you could not identify the answer1 
nor is any clue given you by which if   
,god should propose to use you for their
 help you could know where the help was 
to be applied4 ,for all you know the    
slip of paper handed in among a score of
 others may misrepresent the            
circumstances2 and even supposing it    
does not1 what likeness to the effectual
 fervent prayer of an anxious man has   
the petition that is once read in your  
hearing and at once and for ever blotted
 from your mind by a dozen others of the
 same kind4 ,not so did ,abraham pray3  
he prayed for those he knew and had     
fought for2 and ,i see no warrant for   
expecting that our prayers will be heard
 for persons whose good we seek in no   
other way than prayer1 in none of those 
ways which in all other matters our     
conduct proves we judge more effectual  
than prayer4 ,when ,lot was carried     
captive ,abraham did not think it enough

 to put a petition for him in his       
evening prayer4 ,he went and did the    
needful thing1 so that now when there is
 nothing else he can do but pray1 he    
intercedes1 as few of us can without    
self-reproach or feeling that had we    
only done our part there might now be no
 need of prayer4 ,what confidence can a 
parent have in praying for a son who is 
going to a country where vice abounds1  
if he has done little or nothing to     
infix in his boy's mind a love of       
virtue8 ,in some cases the very persons 
who pray for others are themselves the  
obstacles preventing the answer4 ,were  
we to ask ourselves how much we are     
prepared to do for those for whom we    
pray1 we should come to a more adequate 
estimate of the fervency and sincerity  
of our prayers4  ,the element in        
,abraham's intercession that jars on the
 reader is the trading temper that      
strives always to get the best possible 
terms4 ,abraham seems to think ,god can 
be beaten down and induced to make      

smaller and smaller demands4 ,no doubt  
this style of prayer was suggested to   
,abraham by the statement on ,god's part
 that ,he was going to ,sodom to see if 
its iniquity was so great as it was     
reported2 that is1 to number1 as it     
were1 the righteous men in it4 ,abraham 
seizes upon this and asks if ,he would  
not spare it if fifty were found in it4 
,but ,abraham knowing ,sodom as he did  
could not have supposed this number     
would be found4 ,finding1 then1 that    
,god meets him so far1 he goes on step  
by step getting larger in his demands1  
until when he comes to ten he feels that
 to go farther would be intolerably     
presumptuous4 ,along with this audacious
 beating down of ,god1 there is a       
genuine and profound reverence and      
humility which at each renewal of the   
petition dictate some such expression   
as3 ,i who am but dust and ashes1 ,let  
not my ,lord be angry4  ,it is          
remarkable too that1 throughout1 it is  
for justice ,abraham pleads1 and for    

justice of a limited and imperfect kind4
 ,he proceeds on the assumption that the
 town will be judged as a town1 and     
either wholly saved or wholly destroyed4
 ,he has no idea of individual          
discrimination being made1 those only   
suffering who had sinned4 ,and yet it is
 this principle of discrimination on    
which ,god ultimately proceeds1 rescuing
 ,lot4 ,yet is not this intercession the
 history of what every one who prays    
passes through1 beginning with the idea 
that ,god is to be won over to more     
liberal views and a more munificent     
intention1 and ending with the discovery
 that ,god gives what we should count it
 shameless audacity to ask8 ,we begin to
 pray1      ,as if ourselves were better
 certainly     ,than what we come       
to--,maker and ,high ,priest  and we    
leave off praying assured that the whole
 is to be managed by a righteousness and
 love and wisdom1 which we cannot plan  
for1 which any love or desire of ours   
would only limit the action of1 and     

which must be left to work out its own  
purposes in its own marvellous ways4 ,we
 begin1 feeling that we have to beat    
down a reluctant ,god and that we can   
guide the mind of ,god to some better   
thing than ,he intends3 when the answer 
comes we recognise that what we set as  
the limit of our expectation ,god has   
far over-stepped1 and that our prayer   
has done little more than show our      
inadequate conception of ,god's mercy4  
,not only in this respect but throughout
 this chapter there is betrayed an      
inadequate conception of ,god4 ,the     
language is adapted to the use of men   
who are as yet unable to conceive of one
 ,infinite1 ,eternal ,spirit4 ,they     
think of ,him as one who needs to come  
down and institute an inquiry into the  
state of ,sodom1 if ,he is to know with 
accuracy the moral condition of its     
inhabitants4 ,we can freely use the same
 language1 but we put into it a meaning 
that the words do not literally bear3   
,abraham and his contemporaries used and

 accepted the words in their literal    
sense4 ,and yet the man who had ideas of
 ,god in some respects so rudimentary   
was ,god's ,friend1 received singular   
tokens of ,his favour1 found ,his whole 
life illuminated with ,his presence1 and
 was used as the point of contact       
between heaven and earth1 so that if you
 desire the first lessons in the        
knowledge of ,god which will in time    
grow into full information1 it is to the
 tent of ,abraham1 you must go4 ,this   
surely is encouraging2 for who is not   
conscious of much difficulty in thinking
 rightly of ,god8 ,who does not feel    
that precisely here1 where the light    
should be brightest1 clouds and darkness
 seem to gather8 ,it may indeed be said 
that what was excusable in ,abraham is  
inexcusable in us2 that we have that    
day1 that full noon of ,christ to which 
he could only1 out of the dusky dawn1   
look forward4 ,but after all may not a  
man with some justice say3 ,give me an  
afternoon with ,god1 such as ,abraham   

had2 give me the opportunity of converse
 with a ,god submitting ,himself to     
question and answer1 to those means and 
instruments of ascertaining truth which 
,i daily employ in other matters1 and ,i
 will ask no more8 ,christ has given us 
entrance into the final stage of our    
knowledge of ,god1 teaching us that ,god
 is a ,spirit and that we cannot see the
 ,father2 that ,christ ,himself left    
earth and withdrew from the bodily eye  
that we might rely more upon spiritual  
modes of apprehension and think of ,god 
as a ,spirit4 ,but we are not at all    
times able to receive this teaching1 we 
are children still and fall back with   
longing for the times when ,god walked  
and spoke with man4 ,and this being so1 
we are encouraged by the experience of  
,abraham4 ,we shall not be disowned by  
,god though we do not know ,him         
perfectly4 ,we can but begin where we   
are1 not pretending that that is clear  
and certain to us which in fact is not  
so1 but freely dealing with ,god        

according to the light we have1 hoping  
that we too1 like ,abraham1 shall see   
the day of ,christ and be glad2 shall   
one day stand in the full light of      
ascertained and eternal truth1 knowing  
as we are known4  ,in conclusion1 we    
shall find when we read the following   
chapter1 and especially the prayer of   
,lot that he might not be driven to the 
wild mountain district1 but might occupy
 the little town of ,zoar which was     
saved for his sake--we shall find1 that 
much light is reflected on this prayer  
of ,abraham4 ,without trenching on what 
may be more fitly spoken of afterwards1 
it may now be observed that the         
difference between ,lot and ,abraham1 as
 between man and man generally1 comes   
out nowhere more strikingly than in     
their prayers4 ,abraham had never prayed
 for himself with a tithe of the        
persistent earnestness with which he    
prays for ,sodom--a town which was much 
indebted to him1 but towards which for  
more reasons than one a smaller man     

would have borne a grudge4 ,lot1 on the 
other hand1 much indebted to ,sodom1    
identified indeed with it1 one of its   
leading citizens1 connected by marriage 
with its inhabitants1 is in no agony    
about its destruction1 and has indeed   
but one prayer to offer1 and that is1   
that when all his fellow-townsmen are   
destroyed1 he may be comfortably        
provided for4 ,while the men he has     
bargained and feasted with1 the men he  
has made money out of and married his   
daughters to1 are in the agonies of an  
appalling catastrophe and so near that  
the smoke of their torment sweeps across
 his retreat1 he is so disengaged from  
regrets and compassion that he can      
nicely weigh the comparative comfort and
 advantage of city and rural life4 ,one 
would have thought better of the man if 
he had declined the angelic rescue and  
resolved to stand by those in death     
whose society he had so coveted in life4
 ,and it is significant that while the  
generous1 large-hearted1 devout pleading

 of ,abraham is in vain1 the miserable1 
timorous1 selfish petition of ,lot is   
heard and answered4 ,it would seem as if
 sometimes ,god were hopeless of men1   
and threw to them in contempt the gifts 
they crave1 giving them the poor        
stations in this life their ambition is 
set upon1 because ,he sees they have    
made themselves incapable of enduring   
hardness1 and so quelling their lower   
nature4 ,an answered prayer is not      
always a blessing1 sometimes it is a    
doom3 ,he sent them meat to the full3   
but while their meat was yet in their   
mouths1 the wrath of ,god came upon them
 and slew the fattest of them4          
,probably had ,lot felt any inclination 
to pray for his townsmen he would have  
seen that for him to do so would be     
unseemly4 ,his circumstances1 his long  
association with the ,sodomites1 and his
 accommodation of himself to their ways 
had both eaten the soul out of him and  
set him on quite a different footing    
towards ,god from that occupied by      

,abraham4 ,a man cannot on a sudden     
emergency lift himself out of the       
circumstances in which he has been      
rooted1 nor peel off his character as if
 it were only skin deep4 ,abraham had   
been living an unworldly life in which  
intercourse with ,god was a familiar    
employment4 ,his prayer was but the     
seasonable flower of his life1 nourished
 to all its beauty by the habitual      
nutriment of past years4 ,lot in his    
need could only utter a peevish1        
pitiful1 childish cry4 ,he had aimed all
 his life at being comfortable1 he could
 not now wish anything more than to be  
comfortable4 ,stand out of my sunshine1 
was all he could say1 when he held by   
the hand the plenipotentiary of heaven1 
and when the roar of the conflict of    
moral good and evil was filling his     
ears--a decent man1 a righteous man1 but
 the world had eaten out his heart till 
he had nothing to keep him in sympathy  
with heaven4  ,such is the state to     
which men in our society1 as in ,sodom1 

are brought by risking their spiritual  
life to make the most of this world4    
,,xv4  ,,destruction ,,of ,,the ,,cities
 ,,of ,,the ,,plain4  ,,genesis xix4    
,while ,abraham was pleading with the   
,lord the angels were pursuing their way
 to ,sodom4 ,and in doing so they       
apparently observed the laws of those   
human forms which they had assumed4     
,they did not spread swift wings and    
alight early in the afternoon at the    
gates of the city2 but taking the usual 
route1 they descended from the hills    
which separated ,abraham's encampment   
from the plain of the ,jordan1 and as   
the sun was setting reached their       
destination4 ,in the deep recess which  
is found at either side of the gateway  
of an ,eastern city1 ,lot had taken his 
accustomed seat4 ,wearied and vexed with
 the din of the revellers in the street1
 and oppressed with the sultry          
doom-laden atmosphere1 he was looking   
out towards the cool and peaceful hills1
 purple with the sinking sun behind     

them1 and letting his thoughts first    
follow and then outrun his eye2 he was  
now picturing and longing for the unseen
 tents of ,abraham1 and almost hearing  
the cattle lowing round at evening and  
all the old sounds his youth had made   
familiar4  ,he is recalled to the actual
 present by the footfall of the two men1
 and little knowing the significance of 
his act1 invites them to spend the night
 under his roof4 ,it has been observed  
that the historian seems to intend to   
bring out the quietness and the ordinary
 appearance of the entire circumstances4
 ,all goes on as usual4 ,there is       
nothing in the setting sun to say that  
for the last time it has shone on these 
rich meadows1 or that in twelve hours   
its rising will be dimmed by the smoke  
of the burning cities4 ,the ministers of
 so appalling a justice as was here     
displayed enter the city as ordinary    
travellers4 ,when a crisis comes1 men do
 not suddenly acquire an intelligence   
and insight they have not habitually    

cultivated4 ,they cannot suddenly put   
forth an energy nor exhibit an apt      
helpfulness which only character can    
give4 ,when the test comes1 we stand or 
fall not according to what we would wish
 to be and now see the necessity of     
being1 but according to what former     
self-discipline or self-indulgence has  
made us4  ,how then shall this angelic  
commission of enquiry proceed8 ,shall it
 call together the elders of ,sodom--or 
shall it take ,lot outside the city and 
cross-examine him1 setting down names   
and dates and seeking to come to a fair 
judgment4 ,not at all--there is a much  
surer way of detecting character than by
 any process of examination by question 
and answer4 ,to each of us ,god says3   
,since by its fruit a tree is judged1   
,show me thy fruit1 the latest act of   
thine6     ,for in the last is summed   
the first1 and all1--     ,what thy life
 last put heart and soul into1          
,there shall ,i taste thy product4  ,it 
is thus these angels proceed4 ,they do  

not startle the inhabitants of ,sodom   
into any abnormal virtue nor present    
opportunity for any unwonted iniquity4  
,they give them opportunity to act in   
their usual way4 ,nothing could well be 
more ordinary than the entrance to the  
city of two strangers at sunset4 ,there 
is nothing in this to excite1 to throw  
men off their guard1 to overbalance the 
daily habit1 or give exaggerated        
expression to some special feature of   
character4 ,it is thus we are all       
judged--by the insignificant            
circumstances in which we act without   
reflection1 without conscious           
remembrance of an impending judgment1   
with heart and soul and full enjoyment4 
,first ,lot is judged4 ,lot's character 
is a singularly mixed one4 ,with all his
 selfishness1 he was hospitable and     
public-spirited4 ,lover of good living1 
as undoubtedly he was1 his courage and  
strength of character are yet           
unmistakable4 ,his sitting at the gate  
in the evening to offer hospitality may 

fairly be taken as an indication of his 
desire to screen the wickedness of his  
townsmen1 and also to shield the        
stranger from their brutality4 ,from the
 style in which the mob addressed him1  
it is obvious that he had made himself  
offensive by interfering to prevent     
wrong-doing4 ,he was nicknamed the      
,censor1 and his eye was felt to carry  
condemnation4 ,it is true there is no   
evidence that his opposition had been of
 the slightest avail4 ,how could it     
avail with men who knew perfectly well  
that with all his denunciation of their 
wicked ways1 he preferred their         
money-making company to the desolation  
of the hills1 where he would be vexed   
with no filthy conversation1 but would  
also find no markets8 ,still it is to   
,lot's credit that in such a city1 with 
none to observe1 none to applaud1 and   
none to second him1 he should have been 
able to preserve his own purity of life 
and steadily to resist wrong-doing4 ,it 
would be cynical to say that he         

cultivated austerity and renounced      
popular vices as a salve to a conscience
 wounded by his own greed4  ,that he had
 the courage which lies at the root of  
strength of character became apparent as
 the last dark night of ,sodom wore on4 
,to go out among a profligate1 lawless  
mob1 wild with passion and infuriated by
 opposition--to go out and shut the door
 behind him--was an act of true courage4
 ,his confidence in the influence he had
 gained in the town cannot have blinded 
him to the temper of the raging crowd at
 his door4 ,to defend his unknown guests
 he put himself in a position in which  
men have frequently lost life4  ,in the 
first few hours of his last night in    
,sodom1 there is much that is admirable 
and pathetic in ,lot's conduct4 ,but    
when we have said that he was bold and  
that he hated other men's sins1 we have 
exhausted the more attractive side of   
his character4 ,the inhuman             
collectedness of mind with which1 in the
 midst of a tremendous public calamity1 

he could scheme for his own private     
well-being is the key to his whole      
character4 ,he had no feeling4 ,he was  
cold-blooded1 calculating1 keenly alive 
to his own interest1 with all his wits  
about him to reap some gain to himself  
out of every disaster2 the kind of man  
out of whom wreckers are made1 who can  
with gusto strip gold rings off the     
fingers of doomed corpses2 out of whom  
are made the villains who can rifle the 
pockets of their dead comrades on a     
battlefield1 or the politicians who can 
still ride on the top of the wave that  
hurls their country on the rocks4 ,when 
,abraham gave him his choice of a       
grazing ground1 no rush of feeling1 no  
sense of gratitude1 prevented him from  
making the most of the opportunity4     
,when his house was assailed1 he had    
coolness1 when he went out to the mob1  
to shut the door behind him that those  
within might not hear his bargain4 ,when
 the angel1 one might almost say1 was   
flurried by the impending and terrible  

destruction1 and was hurrying him away1 
he was calm enough to take in at a      
glance the whole situation and on the   
spot make provision for himself4 ,there 
was no need to tell him not to look back
 as his wife did3 no deep emotion would 
overmaster him1 no unconquerable longing
 to see the last of his dear friends in 
,sodom would make him lose one second of
 his time4 ,even the loss of his wife   
was not a matter of such importance as  
to make him forget himself and stand to 
mourn4 ,in every recorded act of his    
life appears this same unpleasant       
characteristic4  ,between ,lot and      
,judas there is an instructive          
similarity4 ,both had sufficient        
discernment and decision of character to
 commit themselves to the life of faith1
 abandoning their original residence and
 ways of life4 ,both came to a shameful 
end1 because the motive even of the     
sacrifices they made was self-interest4 
,neither would have had so dark a career
 had he more justly estimated his own   

character and capabilities1 and not     
attempted a life for which he was unfit4
 ,they both put themselves into a false 
position2 than which nothing tends more 
rapidly to deteriorate character4 ,lot  
was in a doubly false position1 because 
in ,sodom as well as in ,abraham's      
shifting camp he was out of place4 ,he  
voluntarily bound himself to men he     
could not love4 ,one side of his nature 
was paralysed2 and that the side which  
in him especially required development4 
,it is the influence of home life1 of   
kindly surroundings1 of friendships1 of 
congenial employment1 of everything     
which evokes the free expression of what
 is best in us2 it is this which is a   
chief factor in the development of every
 man4 ,but instead of the genial and    
fertilising influence of worthy         
friendships1 and ennobling love1 ,lot   
had to pretend good-will where he felt  
none1 and deceit and coldness grew upon 
him in place of charity4 ,besides1 a man
 in a false position in life1 out of    

which he can by any sacrifice deliver   
himself1 is never at peace with ,god    
until he does deliver himself4 ,and any 
attempt to live a righteous life with an
 evil conscience is foredoomed to       
failure4  ,and if it still be felt that 
,lot was punished with extreme severity1
 and that if every man who chose a good 
grazing ground or a position in life    
which was likely to advance his fortune 
were thereby doomed to end his days in a
 cave and under the darkest moral brand1
 society would be quite disintegrated1  
it must be remembered1 that in order to 
advance his interests in life1 ,lot     
sacrificed much that a man is bound by  
all means to cherish2 and further1 it   
must be said that our destinies are thus
 determined4 ,the whole iniquity and    
final consequences of our disposition   
are not laid before us in the mass2 but 
to give the rein to any evil disposition
 is to yield control of our own life and
 commit ourselves to guidance which     
cannot result in good1 and is of a      

nature to result in utter shame and     
wretchedness4  ,turning from the rescued
 to the destroyed1 we recognise how     
sufficient a test of their moral        
condition the presence of the angels    
was4 ,the inhabitants of ,sodom quickly 
afford evidence that they are ripe for  
judgment4 ,they do nothing worse than   
their habitual conduct led them to do4  
,it is not for this one crime they are  
punished2 its enormity is only the      
legible instance which of itself        
convicts them4 ,they are not aware of   
the frightful nature of the crime they  
seek to commit4 ,they fancy it is but a 
renewal of their constant practice4     
,they rush headlong on destruction and  
do not know it4 ,how can it be          
otherwise8 ,if a man will not take      
warning1 if he will persist in sin1 then
 the day comes when he is betrayed into 
iniquity the frightful nature of which  
he did not perceive1 but which is the   
natural result of the life he has led4  
,he goes on and will not give up his sin

 till at last the final damning act is  
committed which seals his doom4         
,character tends to express itself in   
one perfectly representative act4 ,the  
habitual passion1 whatever it is1 is    
always alive and seeking expression4    
,sometimes one consideration represses  
it1 sometimes another2 but these        
considerations are not constant1 while  
the passion is1 and must therefore one  
day find its opportunity--its           
opportunity not for that moderate1      
guarded1 disguised expression which     
passes without notice1 but for the full 
utterance of its very essence4 ,so it   
was here1 the whole city1 small and     
great1 young and old1 from every quarter
 came together unanimous and eager in   
prosecuting the vilest wickedness4 ,no  
further investigation or proof was      
needed3 it has indeed passed into a     
proverb3 they declare their sin as      
,sodom4  ,to punish by a special        
commission of enquiry is quite unusual  
in ,god's government4 ,nations are      

punished for immorality or for vicious  
administration of law or for neglect of 
sanitary principles by the operation of 
natural laws4 ,that is to say1 there is 
a distinctly traceable connection       
between the crime and its punishment2   
the one being the natural cause of the  
other4 ,that nations should be weakened1
 depopulated1 and ultimately sink into  
insignificance1 is the natural result of
 a development of the military spirit of
 a country and the love of glory4 ,that 
a population should be decimated by     
cholera or small-pox is the inevitable  
result of neglecting intelligible laws  
of health4 ,it seems to me absurd to put
 this destruction of ,sodom in the same 
category4 ,the descent of meteoric      
stones from the sky is not the natural  
result of immorality4 ,the vices of     
these cities have disastrous national   
results which are quite legibly written 
in some races existing in the present   
day4 ,we have here to do not with what  
is natural but with what is miraculous4 

,of course it is open to any one to say1
 ,it was merely accidental--it was a    
mere coincidence that a storm of        
lightning so violent as to set fire to  
the bituminous soil should rage in the  
valley1 while on the hills a mile or two
 off all was serene2 it was a mere      
coincidence that meteoric stones or some
 instrument of conflagration should set 
on fire just these cities1 not only one 
of them but four of them1 and no more4  
,and certainly were there nothing more  
to go upon than the fact of their       
destruction1 this coincidence1 however  
extraordinary1 must still be admitted as
 wholly natural1 and having no relation 
to the character of the people          
destroyed4 ,it might be set down as pure
 accident1 and be classed with storms at
 sea1 or volcanic eruptions1 which are  
due to physical causes and have no      
relation to the moral character of those
 involved1 but indiscriminately destroy 
all who happen to be present4  ,but we  
have to account not only for the fact of

 the destruction but for its prediction 
both to ,abraham and to ,lot4 ,surely it
 is only reasonable to allow that such  
prediction was supernatural2 and the    
prediction being so1 it is also         
reasonable to accept the account of the 
event given by the predicters of it1 and
 understand it not as an ordinary       
physical catastrophe1 but as an event   
contrived with a view to the moral      
character of those concerned1 and       
intended as an infliction of punishment 
for moral offences4 ,and before we      
object to a style of dealing with       
nations so different from anything we   
now detect1 we must be sure that a quite
 different style of dealing was not at  
that time required4 ,if there is an     
intelligent training of the world1 it   
must follow the same law which requires 
that a parent deal in one way with his  
boy of ten and in another with his adult
 son4  ,of ,lot's wife the end is       
recorded in a curt and summary fashion4 
,his wife looked back from behind him1  

and she became a pillar of salt4 ,the   
angel1 knowing how closely on the heels 
of the fugitives the storm would press1 
had urgently enjoined haste1 saying1    
,look not behind thee1 neither stay thou
 in all the plain4 ,rapid in its pursuit
 as a prairie fire1 it was only the     
swift who could escape it4 ,to pause was
 to be lost4 ,the command1 ,look not    
behind thee was not given because the   
scene was too awful to behold for what  
men can endure1 men may behold1 and     
,abraham looked upon it from the hill   
above4 ,it was given simply from the    
necessity of the case and from no less  
practical and more arbitrary reason4    
,accordingly when the command was       
neglected1 the consequence was felt4    
,why the infatuated woman looked back   
one can only conjecture4 ,the woful     
sounds behind her1 the roar of the flame
 and of ,jordan driven back1 the crash  
of falling houses and the last forlorn  
cry of the doomed cities1 all the       
confused and terrific din that filled   

her ear1 may well have paralysed her and
 almost compelled her to turn4 ,but the 
use our ,lord makes of her example shows
 us that ,he ascribed her turning to a  
different motive4 ,he uses her as a     
warning to those who seek to save out of
 the destruction more than they have    
time to save1 and so lose all4 ,he which
 shall be on the housetop1 and his stuff
 in the house1 let him not come down to 
take it away2 and he that is in the     
field1 let him likewise not return back4
 ,remember ,lot's wife4 ,it would seem1 
then1 as if our ,lord ascribed her      
tragic fate to her reluctance to abandon
 her household stuff4 ,she was a wife   
after ,lot's own heart1 who in the midst
 of danger and disaster had an eye to   
her possessions4 ,the smell of fire1 the
 hot blast in her hair1 the choking     
smoke of blazing bitumen1 suggested to  
her only the thought of her own house   
decorations1 her hangings1 and          
ornaments1 and stores4 ,she felt keenly 
the hardship of leaving so much wealth  

to be the mere food of fire4 ,the       
thought of such intolerable waste made  
her more breathless with indignation    
than her rapid flight4 ,involuntarily as
 she looks at the bleak1 stony mountains
 before her1 she thinks of the rich     
plain behind2 she turns for one last    
look1 to see if it is impossible to     
return1 impossible to save anything from
 the wreck4 ,the one look transfixes    
her1 rivets her with dismay and horror4 
,nothing she looked for can be seen2 all
 is changed in wildest confusion4       
,unable to move1 she is overtaken and   
involved in the sulphurous smoke1 the   
bitter salts rise out of the earth and  
stifle her and encrust around her and   
build her tomb where she stands4  ,lot's
 wife by her death proclaims that if we 
crave to make the best of both worlds1  
we shall probably lose both4 ,her       
disposition is not rare and exceptional 
as the pillar of salt which was its     
monument4 ,she is not the only woman    
whose heart is so fixedly set upon her  

household possessions that she cannot   
listen to the angel-voices that would   
guide her4 ,are there none but ,lot's   
wife who show that to them there is     
nothing so important1 nothing else      
indeed to live for at all1 but the      
management of a house and the           
accumulation of possessions8 ,if all who
 are of the same mind as ,lot's wife    
shared her fate the world would present 
as strange a spectacle as the ,dead ,sea
 presents at this day4 ,for radically it
 was her divided mind which was her     
ruin4 ,she had good impulses1 she saw   
what she ought to do1 but she did not do
 it with a mind made up4 ,other things  
divided her thoughts and diverted her   
efforts4 ,what else is it ruins half the
 people who suppose themselves well on  
the way of life8 ,the world is in their 
heart2 they cannot pursue with undivided
 mind the promptings of a better wisdom4
 ,their heart is with their treasure1   
and their treasure is really not in     
spiritual excellence1 not in purity of  

character1 not in the keen bracing air  
of the silent mountains where ,god is   
known1 but in the comforts and gains of 
the luxurious plain behind4  ,we are to 
remember ,lot's wife that we may bear in
 mind how possible it is that persons   
who promise well and make great efforts 
and bid fair to reach a place of safety 
may be overtaken by destruction4 ,we can
 perhaps tell of exhausting effort1 we  
may have outstripped many in practical  
repentance1 but all this may only be    
petrified by present carelessness into a
 monument recording how nearly a man may
 be saved and yet be destroyed4 ,have ye
 suffered all these things in vain1 if  
it be yet in vain8 ,ye have run well1   
what now hinders you8 ,the question     
always is1 not1 what have you done1 but 
what are you now doing8 ,up to the site 
of the pillar1 ,lot's wife had done as  
well as ,lot1 had kept pace with the    
angels2 but her failure at that point   
destroyed her4  ,the same urgency may   
not be felt by all2 but it should be    

felt by all to whose conscience it has  
been distinctly intimated that they have
 become involved in a state of matters  
which is ruinous4 ,if you are conscious 
that in your life there are practices   
which may very well issue in moral      
disaster1 an angel has taken you by the 
hand and bid you flee4 ,for you to delay
 is madness4 ,yet this is what people   
will do4 ,sagacious men of the world1   
even when they see the probability of   
disaster1 cannot bear to come out with  
loss4 ,they will always wait a little   
longer to see if they cannot rescue     
something more1 and so start on a fresh 
course with less inconvenience4 ,they   
will not understand that it is better to
 live bare and stripped with a good     
conscience and high moral achievement1  
than in abundance with self-contempt4   
,what they have1 always seems more to   
them than what they are4     ,,xvi4     
,,sacrifice ,,of ,,isaac4  ,,genesis    
xxii4   ,the sacrifice of ,isaac was the
 supreme act of ,abraham's life4 ,the   

faith which had been schooled by so     
singular an experience and by so many   
minor trials was here perfected and     
exhibited as perfect4 ,the strength     
which he had been slowly gathering      
during a long and trying life was here  
required and used4 ,this is the act     
which shines like a star out of those   
dark ages1 and has served for many      
storm-tossed souls over whom ,god's     
billows have gone1 as a mark by which   
they could still shape their course when
 all else was dark4 ,the devotedness    
which made the sacrifice1 the trust in  
,god that endured when even such a      
sacrifice was demanded1 the             
justification of this trust by the      
event1 and the affectionate fatherly    
acknowledgment with which ,god gloried  
in the man's loyalty and strength of    
character--all so legibly written       
here--come home to every heart in the   
time of its need4 ,abraham has here     
shown the way to the highest reach of   
human devotedness and to the heartiest  

submission to the ,divine will in the   
most heart-rending circumstances4 ,men  
and women living our modern life are    
brought into situations which seem as   
torturing and overwhelming as those of  
,abraham1 and all who are in such       
conditions find1 in his loyal trust in  
,god1 sympathetic and effectual aid4    
,in order to understand ,god's part in  
this incident and to remove the         
suspicion that ,god imposed upon        
,abraham as a duty what was really a    
crime1 or that ,he was playing with the 
most sacred feelings of ,his servant1   
there are one or two facts which must   
not be left out of consideration4 ,in   
the first place1 ,abraham did not think 
it wrong to sacrifice his son4 ,his own 
conscience did not clash with ,god's    
command4 ,on the contrary1 it was       
through his own conscience ,god's will  
impressed itself upon him4 ,no man of   
,abraham's character and intelligence   
could suppose that any word of ,god     
could make that right which was in      

itself wrong1 or would allow the voice  
of conscience to be drowned by some     
mysterious voice from without4 ,if      
,abraham had supposed that in all       
circumstances it was a crime to take his
 son's life1 he could not have listened 
to any voice that bade him commit this  
crime4 ,the man who in our day should   
put his child to death and plead that he
 had a ,divine warrant for it would     
either be hanged or confined as insane4 
,no miracle would be accepted as a      
guarantee for the ,divine dictation of  
such an act4 ,no voice from heaven would
 be listened to for a moment1 if it     
contradicted the voice of the universal 
conscience of mankind4 ,but in          
,abraham's day the universal conscience 
had only approbation to express for such
 a deed as this4 ,not only had the      
father absolute power over the son1 so  
that he might do with him what he       
pleased2 but this particular mode of    
disposing of a son would be considered  
singular only as being beyond the reach 

of ordinary virtue4 ,abraham was        
familiar with the idea that the most    
exalted form of religious worship was   
the sacrifice of the first-born4 ,he    
felt1 in common with godly men in every 
age1 that to offer to ,god cheap        
sacrifices while we retain for ourselves
 what is truly precious1 is a kind of   
worship that betrays our low estimate of
 ,god rather than expresses true        
devotion4 ,he may have been conscious   
that in losing ,ishmael he had felt     
resentment against ,god for depriving   
him of so loved a possession2 he may    
have seen ,canaanite fathers offering   
their children to gods he knew to be    
utterly unworthy of any sacrifice2 and  
this may have rankled in his mind until 
he felt shut up to offer his all to ,god
 in the person of his son1 his only son1
 ,isaac4 ,at all events1 however it     
became his conviction that ,god desired 
him to offer his son1 this was a        
sacrifice which was in no respect       
forbidden by his own conscience4  ,but  

although not wrong in ,abraham's        
judgment1 this sacrifice was wrong in   
the eye of ,god2 how then can we justify
 ,god's command that ,he should make it8
 ,we justify it precisely on that ground
 which lies patent on the face of the   
narrative--,god meant ,abraham to make  
the sacrifice in spirit1 not in the     
outward act2 ,he meant to write deeply  
on the ,jewish mind the fundamental     
lesson regarding sacrifice1 that it is  
in the spirit and will all true         
sacrifice is made4 ,god intended what   
actually happened1 that ,abraham's      
sacrifice should be complete and that   
human sacrifice should receive a fatal  
blow4 ,so far from introducing into     
,abraham's mind erroneous ideas about   
sacrifice1 this incident finally        
dispelled from his mind such ideas and  
permanently fixed in his mind the       
conviction that the sacrifice ,god seeks
 is the devotion of the living soul not 
the consumption of a dead body4 ,god met
 him on the platform of knowledge and of

 morality to which he had attained1 and 
by requiring him to sacrifice his son   
taught him and all his descendants in   
what sense alone such sacrifice can be  
acceptable4 ,god meant ,abraham to      
sacrifice his son1 but not in the coarse
 material sense4 ,god meant him to yield
 the lad truly to ,him2 to arrive at the
 consciousness that ,isaac more truly   
belonged to ,god than to him1 his       
father4 ,it was needful that ,abraham   
and ,isaac should be in perfect harmony 
with the ,divine will4 ,only by being   
really and absolutely in ,god's hand    
could they1 or can any one1 reach the   
whole and full good designed for them by
 ,god4  ,how old ,isaac was at the time 
of this sacrifice there is no means of  
accurately ascertaining4 ,he was        
probably in the vigour of early manhood4
 ,he was able to take his share in the  
work of cutting wood for the burnt      
offering and carrying the faggots a     
considerable distance4 ,it was necessary
 too that this sacrifice should be made 

on ,isaac's part not with the timorous  
shrinking or ignorant boldness of a boy1
 but with the full comprehension and    
deliberate consent of maturer years4 ,it
 is probable that ,abraham was already  
preparing1 if not to yield to ,isaac the
 family headship1 yet to introduce him  
to a share in the responsibilities he   
had so long borne alone4 ,from the      
touching confidence in one another which
 this incident exhibits1 a light is     
reflected on the fond intercourse of    
former years4 ,isaac was at that time of
 life when a son is closest to a father1
 mature but not independent2 when all   
that a father can do has been done1 but 
while as yet the son has not passed away
 into a life of his own4  ,and ,isaac   
was no ordinary son4 ,the man of        
business who has encouraged and solaced 
himself in his toil by the hope that his
 son will reap the fruit of it and make 
his old age easy and honoured1 but who  
outlives his son and sees the effort of 
his life go for nothing2 the proprietor 

who bears an ancient name and sees his  
heir die--these are familiar objects of 
pathetic interest1 and no heart is so   
hard as to refuse a tear of sympathy    
when brought into view of such          
heart-withering bereavements4 ,but in   
,abraham all fatherly feelings had been 
evoked and strengthened and deepened by 
a quite peculiar experience4 ,by a      
special and most effectual discipline he
 had been separated from the objects    
which ordinarily divide men's attention 
and eke out their contentment in life1  
and his whole hopes had been compelled  
to centre in his son4 ,it was not the   
perpetuation of a name nor the          
transmission of a well-known and        
valuable property2 it was not even the  
gratification of the most justifiable   
and tender of human affections1 that was
 crushed and thwarted in ,abraham by    
this command2 but it was also and       
especially that hope which had been     
aroused and fostered in him by          
extraordinary providences and which     

concerned1 as he believed1 not himself  
alone but all men4  ,manifestly no      
harder task could have been set to      
,abraham1 than that which was imposed on
 him by the command1 ,take now thy son1 
thine only son1 ,isaac1 whom thou       
lovest1 this son of thine in whom all   
the promises are yea and amen to thee1  
this son for whose sake thou gavest up  
home and kindred1 and banished thy      
firstborn ,ishmael1 this son whom thou  
lovest1 and offer him for a             
burnt-offering4 ,this son1 ,abraham     
might have said1 whom ,i have been      
taught to cherish1 putting aside all    
other affections that ,i might love him 
above all1 ,i am now with my own hand to
 slay1 to slay with all the terrible    
niceties and formalities of sacrifice   
and with all the love and adoration of  
sacrifice4 ,i am with my own hand to    
destroy all that makes life valuable to 
me1 and as ,i do so ,i am to love and   
worship ,him who commands this          
sacrifice4 ,i am to go to ,isaac1 whom  

,i have taught to look forward to the   
fairest happiest life1 and ,i am to     
contradict all ,i ever told him and tell
 him now that he has only grown to      
maturity that he might be cut down in   
the flush and hope of opening manhood4  
,what can ,abraham have thought8        
,possibly the thought would occur that  
,god was now recalling the great gift   
,he had made4 ,there is always enough   
conscience of sin in the purest human   
heart to engender self-reproach and fear
 on the faintest occasion2 and when so  
signal a token of ,god's displeasure as 
this was sent1 ,abraham may well have   
believed himself to have been           
unwittingly guilty of some great crime  
against ,god1 or have now thought with  
bitterness of the languid devotion he   
had been offering ,him4 ,i have in      
sacrificing a lamb been as if ,i had    
been cutting off a dog's neck1 profane  
and thoughtless in my worship1 and now  
,god is solemnising me indeed4 ,i have  
in thought or desire kept back the prime

 of my flock1 and ,god is now teaching  
me that a man may not rob ,god4 ,who    
could have been surprised if in this    
horror of great darkness the mind of    
,abraham had become unhinged8 ,who could
 wonder if he had slain himself to make 
the loss of ,isaac impossible8 ,who     
could wonder if he had sullenly ignored 
the command1 waited for further light1  
or rejected an alliance with ,god which 
involved such lamentable conditions8    
,nothing that could befall him in       
consequence of disobedience1 he might   
have supposed1 could exceed in pain the 
agony of obedience4 ,and it is always   
easier to endure the pain inflicted upon
 us by circumstances than to do with our
 own hand and free will what we know    
will involve us in suffering4 ,it is not
 mere resignation but active obedience  
that was required of ,abraham4 ,his was 
not the passive resignation of the man  
out of whose reach death or disaster has
 swept his dearest treasures1 and who is
 helped to resignation by the           

consciousness that no murmuring can     
bring them back--his was the far more   
difficult active resignation1 which has 
still in possession all that it prizes1 
and may withhold these treasures if it  
pleases1 but is called by a higher voice
 than that of self-pleasing to sacrifice
 them all4  ,but though ,abraham was the
 chief1 he was not the sole actor in    
this trying scene4 ,to ,isaac this was  
the memorable day of his life1 and      
quiescent and passive as his character  
seems to have been1 it cannot but have  
been stirred and strained now in every  
fibre of it4 ,abraham could not find it 
in his heart to disclose to his son the 
object of the journey2 even to the last 
he kept him unconscious of the part he  
was himself to play4 ,two long days'    
journey1 days of intense inward         
commotion to ,abraham1 they went        
northward4 ,on the third day the        
servants were left1 and father and son  
went on alone1 unaccompanied and        
unwitnessed4 ,so they went1 as the      

narrative twice over says1 both of them 
together1 but with minds how differently
 filled2 the father's heart torn with   
anguish1 and distracted by a thousand   
thoughts1 the son's mind disengaged1    
occupied only with the new scenes and   
with passing fancies4 ,nowhere in the   
narrative does the completeness of the  
mastery ,abraham had gained over his    
natural feelings appear more strikingly 
than in the calmness with which he      
answers ,isaac's question4 ,as they     
approach the place of sacrifice ,isaac  
observes the silent and awe-struck      
demeanour of his father1 and fears that 
it may have been through absence of mind
 he has neglected to bring the lamb4    
,with a gentle reverence he ventures to 
attract ,abraham's attention3 ,my       
father2 and he said1 ,here am ,i1 my    
son4 ,and he said1 ,behold the fire and 
the wood1 but where is the lamb for a   
burnt offering8 ,it is one of those     
moments when only the strongest heart   
can bear up calmly and when only the    

humblest faith has the right word to    
say4 ,my son1 the ,lord will provide    
,himself a lamb for a burnt offering4   
,not much longer could the terrible     
truth be hidden from ,isaac4 ,with what 
feelings must he have seen the agonised 
face of his father as he turned to bind 
him and as he learned that he must      
prepare not to sacrifice but to be      
sacrificed4 ,here then was the end of   
those great hopes on which his youth had
 been fed4 ,what could such             
contradiction mean8 ,was he to submit   
even to his father in such a matter8    
,why should he not expostulate1 resist1 
flee8 ,such ideas seem to have found    
short entertainment in the mind of      
,isaac4 ,trained by long experience to  
trust his father1 he obeys without      
complaint or murmur4 ,still it cannot   
cease to be matter of admiration and    
astonishment that a young man should    
have been able on so brief a notice1    
through so shocking a way1 and with so  
startling a reversal of his             

expectations1 to forego all right to    
choose for himself1 and yield himself   
implicitly to what he believed to be    
,god's will4 ,by a faith so absolute    
,isaac became indeed the heir of        
,abraham4 ,when he laid himself on the  
altar1 trusting his father and his ,god1
 he came of age as the true seed of     
,abraham and entered on the inheritance1
 making ,god his ,god4 ,at that supreme 
moment he made himself over to ,god1 he 
put himself at ,god's disposal2 if his  
death was to be helpful in fulfilling   
,god's purpose he was willing to die4   
,it was ,god's will that must be done1  
not his4 ,he knew that ,god could not   
err1 could not harm ,his people2 he was 
ignorant of the design which his death  
could fulfil1 but he felt sure that his 
sacrifice was not asked in vain4 ,he had
 familiarised himself with the thought  
that he belonged to ,god2 that he was on
 earth for ,god's purposes not for his  
own2 so that now when he was suddenly   
summoned to lay himself formally and    

finally on ,god's altar1 he did not     
hesitate to do so4 ,he had learned that 
there are possessions more worth        
preserving than life itself1 that       
,manhood is the one immortal thing      
,beneath ,time's changeful sky--  he had
 learned that length of days is knowing 
when to die4  ,no one who has measured  
the strain that such sacrifice puts upon
 human nature can withhold his tribute  
of cordial admiration for so rare a     
devotedness1 and no one can fail to see 
that by this sacrifice ,isaac became    
truly the heir of ,abraham4 ,and not    
only ,isaac1 but every man attains his  
majority by sacrifice4 ,only by losing  
our life do we begin to live4 ,only by  
yielding ourselves truly and            
unreservedly to ,god's purpose do we    
enter the true life of men4 ,the giving 
up of self1 the abandonment of an       
isolated life1 the bringing of ourselves
 into connection with ,god1 with the    
,supreme and with the whole1 this is the
 second birth4 ,to reach that full      

stream of life which is moved by ,god's 
will and which is the true life of men1 
we must so give ourselves up to ,god1   
that each of ,his commandments1 each of 
,his providences1 all by which ,he comes
 into connection with us1 has its due   
effect upon us4 ,if we only seek from   
,god help to carry out our own          
conception of life1 if we only desire   
,his power to aid us in making of this  
life what we have resolved it shall be1 
we are far indeed from ,isaac's         
conception of ,god and of life4 ,but if 
we desire that ,god fulfil in us1 and   
through us ,his own conception of what  
our life should be1 the only means of   
attaining this desire is to put         
ourselves fairly into ,god's hand1      
unflinchingly to do what we believe to  
be ,his will irrespective of present    
darkness and pain and privation4 ,he who
 thus bids an honest farewell to earth  
and lets himself be bound and laid upon 
,god's altar1 is conscious that in      
renouncing himself he has won ,god and  

become ,his heir4  ,have you thus given 
yourselves to ,god8 ,i do not ask if    
your sacrifice has been perfect1 nor    
whether you do not ever seek great      
things still for yourselves2 but do you 
know what it is thus to yield yourself  
to ,god1 to put ,god first1 yourself    
second or nowhere8 ,are you even        
occasionally quite willing to sink your 
own interests1 your own prospects1 your 
own native tastes1 to have your own     
worldly hopes delayed or blighted1 your 
future darkened8 ,have you even brought 
your intellect to bear upon this first  
law of human life1 and determined for   
yourself whether it is the case or not  
that man's life1 in order to be         
profitable1 joyful1 and abiding1 must be
 lived in ,god8 ,do you recognise that  
human life is not for the individual's  
good1 but for the common good1 and that 
only in ,god can each man find his place
 and his work8 ,all that we give up to  
,him we have in an ampler form4 ,the    
very affections which we are called to  

sacrifice are purified and deepened     
rather than lost4 ,when ,abraham        
resigned his son to ,god and received   
him back1 their love took on a new      
delicacy and tenderness4 ,they were more
 than ever to one another after this    
interference of ,god4 ,and ,he meant it 
to be so4 ,where our affections are     
thwarted or where our hopes are blasted1
 it is not our injury1 but our good1    
that is meant1 a fineness and purity1 an
 eternal significance and depth1 are    
imparted to affections that are annealed
 by passing through the fire of trial4  
,not till the last moment did ,god      
interpose with the gladdening words1    
,lay not thine hand upon the lad1       
neither do thou anything unto him2 for  
now ,i know that thou fearest ,god1     
seeing thou hast not withheld thy son1  
thine only son1 from ,me4 ,the          
significance of this was so obvious that
 it passed into a proverb3 ,in the mount
 of the ,lord it shall be provided4 ,it 
was there1 and not at any earlier point1

 ,abraham saw the provision that had    
been made for an offering4 ,up to the   
moment when he lifted the knife over all
 he lived for1 it was not seen that     
other provision was made4 ,up to the    
moment when it was indubitable that both
 he and ,isaac were obedient unto death1
 and when in will and feeling they had  
sacrificed themselves1 no substitute was
 visible1 but no sooner was the         
sacrifice complete in spirit than ,god's
 provision was disclosed4 ,it was the   
spirit of sacrifice1 not the blood of   
,isaac1 that ,god desired4 ,it was the  
noble generosity of ,abraham that ,god  
delighted in1 not the fatherly grief    
that would have followed the actual     
death of ,isaac4 ,it was the heroic     
submission of father and son that ,god  
saw with delight1 rejoicing that men    
were found capable of the utmost of     
heroism1 of patient and unflinching     
adherence to duty4 ,at any point short  
of the consummation1 interposition would
 have come too soon1 and would have     

prevented this educative and elevating  
display of the capacity of men for the  
utmost that life can require of them4   
,had the provision of ,god been made    
known one minute before the hand of     
,abraham was raised to strike1 it would 
have remained doubtful whether in the   
critical moment one or other of the     
parties might not have failed4 ,but when
 the sacrifice was complete1 when       
already the bitterness of death was     
past1 when all the agonizing conflict   
was over1 the anguish of the father     
mastered1 and the dismay of the son     
subdued to perfect conformity with the  
supreme will1 then the full reward of   
victorious conflict was given1 and      
,god's meaning flashed through the      
darkness1 and ,his provision was seen4  
,this is the universal law4 ,we find    
,god's provision only on the mount of   
sacrifice1 not at any stage short of    
this1 but only there4 ,we must go the   
whole way in faith2 what lies before us 
as duty1 we must do2 often in darkness  

and utter misery1 seeing no possibility 
of escape or relief1 we must climb the  
hill where we are to abandon all that   
has given joy and hope to our life2 and 
not before the sacrifice has been       
actually made can we enter into the     
heaven of victory ,god provides4 ,you   
may be called to sacrifice your youth1  
your hopes of a career1 your affections1
 that you may uphold and soothe the     
lingering days of one to whom you are   
naturally bound4 ,or your whole life may
 have centred in an affection which     
circumstances demand you shall abandon2 
you may have to sacrifice your natural  
tastes and give up almost everything you
 once set your heart on2 and while to   
others the years bring brightness and   
variety and scope1 to you they may be   
bringing only monotonous fulfilment of  
insipid and uncongenial tasks4 ,you may 
be in circumstances which tempt you to  
say1 ,does ,god see the inextricable    
difficulty ,i am in8 ,does ,he estimate 
the pain ,i must suffer if immediate    

relief do not come8 ,is obedience to    
,him only to involve me in misery from  
which other men are exempt8 ,you may    
even say that although a substitute was 
found for ,isaac1 no substitute has been
 found for the sacrifice you have had to
 make1 but you have been compelled      
actually to lose what was dear to you as
 life itself4 ,but when the character   
has been fully tried1 when the utmost   
good to character has been accomplished1
 and when delay of relief would only    
increase misery1 then relief comes4     
,still the law holds good1 that as soon 
as you in spirit yield to ,god's will1  
and with a quiet submissiveness consent 
to the loss or pain inflicted upon you1 
in that hour your whole attitude to your
 circumstances is transformed1 you find 
rest and assured hope4 ,two things are  
certain3 that1 however painful your     
condition is1 ,god's intention is not to
 injure1 but to advance you1 and that   
hopeful submission is wiser1 nobler1 and
 every way better than murmuring and    

resentment4  ,finally1 these words1 ,the
 ,lord will provide1 which ,abraham     
uttered in that exalted frame of mind   
which is near to the prophetic ecstasy1 
have been the burden sung by every      
sincere and thoughtful worshipper as he 
ascended the hill of ,god to seek       
forgiveness of his sin1 the burden which
 the ,lord's worshipping congregation   
kept on its tongue through all the ages1
 till at length1 as the angel of the    
,lord had opened the eyes of ,abraham to
 see the ram provided1 the voice of the 
,baptist crying in the wilderness to a  
fainting and well-nigh despairing few   
turned their eye to ,god's great        
provision with the final announcement1  
,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,let us      
accept this as a motto which we may     
apply1 not only in all temporal straits1
 when we can see no escape from loss and
 misery1 but also in all spiritual      
emergency1 when sin seems a burden too  
great for us to bear1 and when we seem  
to lie under the uplifted knife of      

,god's judgment4 ,let us remember that  
,god's desire is not that we suffer     
pain1 but that we learn obedience1 that 
we be brought to that true and thorough 
confidence in ,him which may fit us to  
fulfil ,his loving purposes4 ,let us1   
above all1 remember that we cannot know 
the grace of ,god1 cannot experience the
 abundant provision ,he has made for    
weak and sinful men1 until we have      
climbed the mount of sacrifice and are  
able to commit ourselves wholly to ,him4
 ,not by attacking our manifold enemies 
one by one1 nor by attempting the great 
work of sanctification piecemeal1 shall 
we ever make much growth or progress1   
but by giving ourselves up wholly to    
,god and by becoming willing to live in 
,him and as ,his4     ,,xvii4  ,,ishmael
 ,,and ,,isaac4  ,,gen4 xxi41 xxii4     
,abraham had two sons1 the one by a     
bondmaid1 the other by a     freewoman4 
99 99 99 ,which things are an           
allegory4--,,galatians iv4 #bb4         
,abraham stretched forth his hand1 and  

took the knife to slay his              
son4--,,genesis xxii4 #aj4   ,in the    
birth of ,isaac1 ,abraham at length sees
 the long-delayed fulfilment of the     
promise4 ,but his trials are by no means
 over4 ,he has himself introduced into  
his family the seeds of discord and     
disturbance1 and speedily the fruit is  
borne4 ,ishmael1 at the birth of ,isaac1
 was a lad of fourteen years1 and1      
reckoning from ,eastern customs1 he must
 have been over sixteen when the feast  
was made in honour of the weaned child4 
,certainly he was quite old enough to   
understand the important and not very   
welcome alteration in his prospects     
which the birth of this new son         
effected4 ,he had been brought up to    
count himself the heir of all the wealth
 and influence of ,abraham4 ,there was  
no alienation of feeling between father 
and son3 no shadow had flitted over the 
bright prospect of the boy as he grew   
up2 when suddenly and unexpectedly there
 was interposed between him and his     

expectation the effectual barrier of    
this child of ,sarah's4 ,the importance 
of this child to the family was in due  
course indicated in many ways offensive 
to ,ishmael2 and when the feast was     
made1 his spleen could no longer be     
repressed4 ,this weaning was the first  
step in the direction of an independent 
existence1 and this would be the point  
of the feast in celebration4 ,the child 
was no longer a mere part of the mother1
 but an individual1 a member of the     
family4 ,the hopes of the parents were  
carried forward to the time when he     
should be quite independent of them4    
,but in all this there was great food   
for the ridicule of a thoughtless lad4  
,it was precisely the kind of thing     
which could easily be mocked without any
 great expenditure of wit by a boy of   
,ishmael's age4 ,the too visible pride  
of the aged mother1 the incongruity of  
maternal duties with ninety years1 the  
concentration of attention and honours  
on so small an object1--all this was1   

doubtless1 a temptation to a boy who had
 probably at no time too much reverence4
 ,but the words and gestures which      
others might have disregarded as        
childish frolic1 or1 at worst1 as the   
unseemly and ill-natured impertinence of
 a boy who knew no better1 stung ,sarah1
 and left a poison in her blood that    
infuriated her4 ,cast out that bondwoman
 and her son1 she demanded of ,abraham4 
,evidently she feared the rivalry of    
this second household of ,abraham1 and  
was resolved it should come to an end4  
,the mocking of ,ishmael is but the     
violent concussion that at last produces
 the explosion1 for which material has  
long been laid in train4 ,she had seen  
on ,abraham's part a clinging to        
,ishmael1 which she was unable to       
appreciate4 ,and though her harsh       
decision was nothing more than the      
dictate of maternal jealousy1 it did    
prevent things from running on as they  
were until even a more painful family   
quarrel must have been the issue4  ,the 

act of expulsion was itself             
unaccountably harsh4 ,there was nothing 
to prevent ,abraham sending the boy and 
his mother under an escort to some safe 
place2 nothing to prevent him from      
giving the lad some share of his        
possessions sufficient to provide for   
him4 ,nothing of this kind was done4    
,the woman and the boy were simply put  
to the door2 and this1 although ,ishmael
 had for years been counted ,abraham's  
heir1 and though he was a member of the 
covenant made with ,abraham4 ,there may 
have been some law giving ,sarah        
absolute power over her maid2 but if any
 law gave her power to do what was now  
done1 it was a thoroughly barbarous one1
 and she was a barbarous woman who used 
it4  ,it is one of those painful cases  
in which one poor creature1 clothed with
 a little brief authority1 stretches it 
to the utmost in vindictive maltreatment
 of another4 ,sarah happened to be      
mistress1 and1 instead of using her     
position to make those under her happy1 

she used it for her own convenience1 for
 the gratification of her own spite1 and
 to make those beneath her conscious of 
her power by their suffering4 ,she      
happened to be a mother1 and instead of 
bringing her into sympathy with all     
women and their children1 this          
concentrated her affection with a fierce
 jealousy on her own child4 ,she        
breathed freely when ,hagar and ,ishmael
 were fairly out of sight4 ,a smile of  
satisfied malice betrayed her bitter    
spirit4 ,no thought of the sufferings to
 which she had committed a woman who had
 served her well for years1 who had     
yielded everything to her will1 and who 
had no other natural protector but her1 
no glimpses of ,abraham's saddened face1
 visited her with any relentings4 ,it   
mattered not to her what came of the    
woman and the boy to whom she really    
owed a more loving and careful regard   
than to any except ,abraham and ,isaac4 
,it is a story often repeated4 ,one who 
has been a member of the household for  

many years is at last dismissed at the  
dictate of some petty pique or spite as 
remorselessly and inhumanly as a piece  
of old furniture might be parted with4  
,some thoroughly good servant1 who has  
made sacrifices to forward his          
employer's interest1 is at last1 through
 no offence of his own1 found to be in  
his employer's way1 and at once all old 
services are forgotten1 all old ties    
broken1 and the authority of the        
employer1 legal but inhuman1 is         
exercised4 ,it is often those who can   
least defend themselves who are thus    
treated2 no resistance is possible1 and 
also1 alas6 the party is too weak to    
face the wilderness on which she is     
thrown out1 and if any cares to follow  
her history1 we may find her at the last
 gasp under a bush4  ,still1 both for   
,abraham and for ,ishmael it was better 
this severance should take place4 ,it   
was grievous to ,abraham2 and ,sarah saw
 that for this very reason it was       
necessary4 ,ishmael was his first-born1 

and for many years had received the     
whole of his parental affection3 and1   
looking on the little ,isaac1 he might  
feel the desirableness of keeping       
another son in reserve1 lest this       
strangely-given child might as strangely
 pass away4 ,coming to him in a way so  
unusual1 and having perhaps in his      
appearance some indication of his       
peculiar birth1 he might seem scarcely  
fit for the rough life ,abraham himself 
had led4 ,on the other hand1 it was     
plain that in ,ishmael were the very    
qualities which ,isaac was already      
showing that he lacked4 ,already        
,abraham was observing that with all his
 insolence and turbulence there was a   
natural force and independence of       
character which might come to be most   
useful in the patriarchal household4    
,the man who had pursued and routed the 
allied kings could not but be drawn to a
 youth who already gave promise of      
capacity for similar enterprises--and   
this youth his own son4 ,but can        

,abraham have failed to let his fancy   
picture the deeds this lad might one day
 do at the head of his armed slaves8    
,and may he not have dreamt of a glory  
in the land not altogether such as the  
promise of ,god encouraged him to look  
for1 but such as the tribes around would
 acknowledge and fear8 ,all the hopes   
,abraham had of ,ishmael had gained firm
 hold of his mind before ,isaac was     
born2 and before ,isaac grew up1        
,ishmael must have taken the most       
influential place in the house and plans
 of ,abraham4 ,his mind would thus have 
received a strong bias towards conquest 
and forcible modes of advance4 ,he might
 have been led to neglect1 and1 perhaps1
 finally despise1 the unostentatious    
blessings of heaven4  ,if1 then1        
,abraham was to become the founder1 not 
of one new warlike power in addition to 
the already too numerous warlike powers 
of the ,east1 but of a religion which   
should finally develop into the most    
elevating and purifying influence among 

men1 it is obvious that ,ishmael was not
 at all a desirable heir4 ,whatever pain
 it gave to ,abraham to part with him1  
separation in some form had become      
necessary4 ,it was impossible that the  
father should continue to enjoy the     
filial affection of ,ishmael1 his lively
 talk1 and warm enthusiasm1 and         
adventurous exploits1 and at the same   
time concentrate his hope and his care  
on ,isaac4 ,he had1 therefore1 to give  
up1 with something of the sorrow and    
self-control he afterwards underwent in 
connection with the sacrifice of ,isaac1
 the lad whose bright face had for so   
many years shone in all his paths4 ,and 
in some such way are we often called to 
part with prospects which have wrought  
themselves very deep into our spirit1   
and which1 indeed1 just because they are
 very promising and seductive1 have     
become dangerous to us1 upsetting the   
balance of our life1 and throwing into  
the shade objects and purposes which    
ought to be outstanding4 ,and when we   

are thus required to give up what we    
were looking to for comfort1 for        
applause1 and for profit1 the voice of  
,god in its first admonition sometimes  
seems to us little better than the      
jealousy of a woman4 ,like ,sarah's     
demand1 that none should share with her 
son1 does the requirement seem which    
indicates to us that we must set nothing
 on a level with ,god's direct gifts to 
us4 ,we refuse to see why we may not    
have all the pleasures and enjoyments1  
all the display and brilliance that the 
world can give4 ,we feel as if we were  
needlessly restricted4 ,but this        
instance shows us that when             
circumstances compel us to give up      
something of this kind which we have    
been cherishing1 room is given for a    
better thing than itself to grow4  ,for 
,ishmael himself1 too1 wronged as he was
 in the mode of his expulsion1 it was   
yet far better that he should go4 ,isaac
 was the true heir4 ,no jeering         
allusions to his late birth or to his   

appearance could alter that fact4 ,and  
to a temper like ,ishmael's it was      
impossible to occupy a subordinate1     
dependent position4 ,all he required to 
call out his latent powers was to be    
thrown thus on his own resources4 ,the  
daring and high spirit and quickness to 
take offence and use violence1 which    
would have wrought untold mischief in a 
pastoral camp1 were the very qualities  
which found fit exercise in the desert1 
and seemed there only in keeping with   
the life he had to lead4 ,and his hard  
experience at first would at his age do 
him no harm1 but good only4 ,to be      
compelled to face life single-handed at 
the age of sixteen is by no means a fate
 to be pitied4 ,it was the making of    
,ishmael1 and is the making of many a   
lad in every generation4  ,but the two  
fugitives are soon reminded that1 though
 expelled from ,abraham's tents and     
protection1 they are not expelled from  
his ,god4 ,ishmael finds it true that   
when father and mother forsake him1 the 

,lord takes him up4 ,at the very outset 
of his desert life he is made conscious 
that ,god is still his ,god1 mindful of 
his wants1 responsive to his cry of     
distress4 ,it was not through ,ishmael  
the promised seed was to come1 but the  
descendants of ,ishmael had every       
inducement to retain faith in the ,god  
of ,abraham1 who listened to their      
father's cry4 ,the fact of being        
excluded from certain privileges did not
 involve that they were to be excluded  
from all privileges4 ,god still heard   
the voice of the lad1 and the angel of  
,god called to ,hagar out of heaven4    
,it is this voice of ,god to ,hagar that
 so speedily1 and apparently once for   
all1 lifts her out of despair to        
cheerful hope4 ,it would appear as if   
her despair had been needless2 at least 
from the words addressed to her1 ,what  
aileth thee1 ,hagar8 it would appear as 
if she might herself have found the     
water that was close at hand1 if only   
she had been disposed to look for it4   

,but she had lost heart1 and perhaps    
with her despair was mingled some       
resentment1 not only at ,sarah1 but at  
the whole ,hebrew connection1 including 
the ,god of the ,hebrews1 who had before
 encouraged her4 ,here was the end of   
the magnificent promise which that ,god 
had made her before her child was       
born--a helpless human form gasping its 
life away without a drop of water to    
moisten the parched tongue and bring    
light to the glazing eyes1 and with no  
easier couch than the burning sand4 ,was
 it for this1 the bitterest drop that1  
apart from sin1 can be given to any     
parent to drink1 she had been brought   
from ,egypt and led through all her     
past8 ,had her hopes been nursed by     
means so extraordinary only that they   
might be so bitterly blighted8 ,thus she
 leapt to her conclusions1 and judged   
that because her skin of water had      
failed ,god had failed her too4 ,no one 
can blame her1 with her boy dying before
 her1 and herself helpless to relieve   

one pang of his suffering4 ,hitherto in 
the well-furnished tents of ,abraham she
 had been able to respond to his        
slightest desire4 ,thirst he had never  
known1 save as the relish to some boyish
 adventure4 ,but now1 when his eyes     
appeal to her in dying anguish1 she can 
but turn away in helpless despair4 ,she 
cannot relieve his simplest want4 ,not  
for her own fate has she any tears1 but 
to see her pride1 her life and joy1     
perishing thus miserably1 is more than  
she can bear4  ,no one can blame1 but   
every one may learn from her4 ,when     
angry resentment and unbelieving despair
 fill the mind1 we may perish of thirst 
in the midst of springs4 ,when ,god's   
promises produce no faith1 but seem to  
us so much waste paper1 we are          
necessarily in danger of missing their  
fulfilment4 ,when we ascribe to ,god the
 harshness and wickedness of those who  
represent ,him in the world1 we commit  
moral suicide4 ,so far from the promises
 given to ,hagar being now at the point 

of extinction1 this was the first       
considerable step towards their         
fulfilment4 ,when ,ishmael turned his   
back on the familiar tents1 and flung   
his last gibe at ,sarah1 he was really  
setting out to a far richer inheritance1
 so far as this world goes1 than ever   
fell to ,isaac and his sons4  ,but the  
chief use ,paul makes of this entire    
episode in the history is to see in it  
an allegory1 a kind of picture made up  
of real persons and events1 representing
 the impossibility of law and gospel    
living harmoniously together1 the       
incompatibility of a spirit of service  
with a spirit of sonship4 ,hagar1 he    
says1 is in this picture the likeness of
 the law given from ,sinai1 which       
gendereth to bondage4 ,hagar and her    
son1 that is to say1 stand for the law  
and the kind of righteousness produced  
by the law1--not superficially a bad    
kind2 on the contrary1 a righteousness  
with much dash and brilliance and strong
 manly force about it1 but at the root  

defective1 faulty in its origin1        
springing from the slavish spirit4 ,and 
first ,paul bids us notice how the      
free-born is persecuted and mocked by   
the slave-born1 that is1 how the        
children of ,god who are trying to live 
by love and faith in ,christ are put to 
shame and made uneasy by the law4 ,they 
believe they are ,god's dear children1  
that they are loved by ,him1 and may go 
out and in freely in ,his house as their
 own home1 using all that is ,his with  
the freedom of ,his heirs2 but the law  
mocks them1 frightens them1 tells them  
it is ,god's first-born1 law lying far  
back in the dimness of eternity1 coeval 
with ,god ,himself4 ,it tells them they 
are puny and weak1 scarcely out of their
 mother's arms1 tottering1 lisping      
creatures1 doing much mischief1 but none
 of the housework1 at best only getting 
some little thing to pretend to work at4
 ,in contrast to their feeble1 soft1    
unskilled weakness1 it sets before them 
a finely-moulded1 athletic form1        

becoming disciplined to all work1 and   
able to take a place among the          
serviceable and able-bodied4 ,but with  
all this there is in that puny babe a   
life begun which will grow and make it  
the true heir1 dwelling in the house and
 possessing what it has not toiled for1 
while the vigorous1 likely-looking lad  
must go into the wilderness and make a  
possession for himself with his own bow 
and spear4  ,now1 of course1            
righteousness of life and character1 or 
perfect manhood1 is the end at which all
 that we call salvation aims1 and that  
which can give us the purest1 ripest    
character is salvation for us2 that     
which can make us1 for all purposes1    
most serviceable and strong4 ,and when  
we are confronted with persons who might
 speak of service we cannot render1 of  
an upright1 unfaltering carriage we     
cannot assume1 of a general human       
worthiness we can make no pretension to1
 we are justly perturbed1 and should    
regain our equanimity only under the    

influence of the most undoubted truth   
and fact4 ,if we can honestly say in our
 hearts1 ,although we can show no such  
work done1 and no such masculine growth1
 yet we have a life in us which is of   
,god1 and will grow2 if we are sure that
 we have the spirit of ,god's children1 
a spirit of love and dutifulness1 we may
 take comfort from this incident4 ,we   
may remind ourselves that it is not he  
who has at the present moment the best  
appearance who always abides in the     
father's home1 but he who is by birth   
the heir4 ,have we or have we not the   
spirit of the ,son8 not feeling that we 
must every evening make good our claim  
to another night's lodging by showing   
the task we have accomplished1 but being
 conscious that the interests in which  
we are called to work are our own       
interests1 that we are heirs in the     
father's house1 so that all we do for   
the house is really done for ourselves4 
,do we go out and in with ,god1 feeling 
no need of ,his commands1 our own eye   

seeing where help is required1 and our  
own desires being wholly directed       
towards that which engages all ,his     
attention and work8  ,for ,paul would   
have each of us apply1 allegorically1   
the words1 ,cast out the bondwoman and  
her son1 that is1 cast out the legal    
mode of earning a standing in ,god's    
house1 and with this legal mode cast out
 all the self-seeking1 the servile fear 
of ,god1 the self-righteousness1 and the
 hard-heartedness it engenders4 ,cast   
out wholly from yourself the spirit of  
the slave1 and cherish the spirit of the
 son and heir4 ,the slave-born may seem 
for a while to have a firm footing in   
the father's house1 but it cannot last4 
,the temper and tastes of ,ishmael are  
radically different from those of       
,abraham1 and when the slave-born       
becomes mature1 the wild ,egyptian      
strain will appear in his character4    
,moreover1 he looks upon the goods of   
,abraham as plunder2 he cannot rid      
himself of the feeling of an alien1 and 

this would1 at length1 show itself in a 
want of frankness with ,abraham--slowly1
 but surely1 the confidence between them
 would be worn out4 ,nothing but being a
 child of ,god1 being born of the       
,spirit1 can give the feeling of        
intimacy1 confidence1 unity of interest1
 which constitutes true religion4 ,all  
we do as slaves goes for nothing2 that  
is to say1 all we do1 not because we see
 the good of it1 but because we are     
commanded2 not because we have any      
liking for the thing done1 but because  
we wish to be paid for it4 ,the day is  
coming when we shall attain our         
majority1 when it will be said to us by 
,god1 ,now1 do whatever you like1       
whatever you have a mind to2 no         
surveillance1 no commands are now       
needed2 ,i put all into your own hand4  
,what1 in these circumstances1 should we
 straightway do8 ,should we1 for the    
love of the thing1 carry on the same    
work to which ,god's commands had driven
 us2 should we1 if left absolutely in   

charge1 find nothing more attractive    
than just to prosecute that idea of life
 and the world set before us by ,christ8
 ,or1 should we see that we had merely  
been keeping ourselves in check for a   
while1 biding our time1 untamed as      
,ishmael1 craving the rewards but not   
the life of the children of ,god8 ,the  
most serious of all questions           
these--questions that determine the     
issues of our whole life1 that determine
 whether our home is to be where all the
 best interests of men and the highest  
blessings of ,god have their seat1 or in
 the pathless desert where life is an   
aimless wandering1 dissociated from all 
the forward movements of men4  ,the     
distinction between the servile spirit  
and the spirit of sonship being thus    
radical1 it could be by no mere         
formality1 or exhibition of his legal   
title1 that ,isaac became the heir of   
,god's heritage4 ,his sacrifice on      
,moriah was the requisite condition of  
his succession to ,abraham's place2 it  

was the only suitable celebration of his
 majority4 ,abraham himself had been    
able to enter into covenant with ,god   
only by sacrifice2 and sacrifice not of 
a dead and external kind1 but vivified  
by an actual surrender of himself to    
,god1 and by so true a perception of    
,god's holiness and requirements1 that  
he was in a horror of great darkness4   
,by no other process can any of his     
heirs succeed to the inheritance4 ,a    
true resignation of self1 in whatever   
outward form this resignation may       
appear1 is required that we may become  
one with ,god in ,his holy purposes and 
in ,his eternal blessedness4 ,there     
could be no doubt that ,abraham had     
found a true heir1 when ,isaac laid     
himself on the altar and steadied his   
heart to receive the knife4 ,dearer to  
,god1 and of immeasurably greater value 
than any service1 was this surrender of 
himself into the hand of his ,father and
 his ,god4 ,in this was promise of all  
service and all loving fellowship4      

,precious in the sight of the ,lord is  
the death of ,his saints4 ,o ,lord1     
truly ,i am ,thy servant2 ,i am ,thy    
servant1 the son of ,thine handmaid3    
,thou hast loosed my bonds4  ,so        
incomparable with the most distinguished
 service did this sacrifice of ,isaac's 
self appear1 that the record of his     
active life seems to have had no        
interest to his contemporaries or       
successors4 ,there was but this one     
thing to say of him4 ,no more seemed    
needful4 ,the sacrifice was indeed      
great1 and worthy of commemoration4 ,no 
act could so conclusively have shown    
that ,isaac was thoroughly at one with  
,god4 ,he had much to live for2 from his
 birth there hovered around him         
interests and hopes of the most exciting
 and flattering nature2 a new kind of   
glory such as had not yet been attained 
on earth was to be attained1 or1 at any 
rate1 approached in him4 ,this glory was
 certain to be realised1 being          
guaranteed by ,god's promise1 so that   

his hopes might launch out in the       
boldest confidence and give him the     
aspect and bearing of a king2 while it  
was uncertain in the time and manner of 
its realisation1 so that the most       
attractive mystery hung around his      
future4 ,plainly his was a life worth   
entering on and living through2 a life  
fit to engage and absorb a man's whole  
desire1 interest1 and effort2 a life    
such as might well make a man gird      
himself and resolve to play the man     
throughout1 that so each part of it     
might reveal its secret to him1 and that
 none of its wonder might be lost4 ,it  
was a life which1 above all others1     
seemed worth protecting from all injury 
and risk1 and for which1 no doubt1 not a
 few of the home-born servants in the   
patriarchal encampment would have gladly
 ventured their own4 ,there have1       
indeed1 been few1 if any1 lives of which
 it could so truly be said1 ,the world  
cannot do without this--at all hazards  
and costs this must be cherished4 ,and  

all this must have been even more       
obvious to its owner than to any one    
else1 and must have begotten in him an  
unquestioning assurance1 that he at     
least had a charmed life1 and would live
 and see good days4 ,yet with whatever  
shock the command of ,god came upon him1
 there is no word of doubt or           
remonstrance or rebellion4 ,he gave his 
life to ,him who had first given it to  
him4 ,and thus yielding himself to ,god1
 he entered into the inheritance1 and   
became worthy to stand to all time the  
representative heir of ,god1 as ,abraham
 by his faith had become the father of  
the faithful4     ,,xviii4  ,,purchase  
,,of ,,machpelah4  ,,genesis xxiii4     
,it may be supposed to be a needless    
observation that our life is greatly    
influenced by the fact that it speedily 
and certainly ends in death4 ,but it    
might be interesting1 and it would      
certainly be surprising1 to trace out   
the various ways in which this fact     
influences life4 ,plainly every human   

affair would be altered if we lived on  
here for ever1 supposing that were      
possible4 ,what the world would be had  
we no predecessors1 no wisdom but what  
our own past experience and the genius  
of one generation of men could produce1 
we can scarcely imagine4 ,we can        
scarcely imagine what life would be or  
what the world would be did not one     
generation succeed and oust another and 
were we contemporary with the whole     
process of history4 ,it is the grand    
irreversible and universal law that we  
give place and make room for others4    
,the individual passes away1 but the    
history of the race proceeds4 ,here on  
earth in the meantime1 and not          
elsewhere1 the history of the race is   
being played out1 and each having done  
his part1 however small or however      
great1 passes away4 ,whether an         
individual1 even the most gifted and    
powerful1 could continue to be helpful  
to the race for thousands of years1     
supposing his life were continued1 it is

 needless to inquire4 ,perhaps as steam 
has force only at a certain pressure1 so
 human force requires the condensation  
of a brief life to give it elastic      
energy4 ,but these are idle             
speculations4 ,they show us1 however1   
that our life beyond death will be not  
so much a prolongation of life as we now
 know it as an entire change in the form
 of our existence2 and they show us also
 that our little piece of the world's   
work must be quickly done if it is to be
 done at all1 and that it will not be   
done at all unless we take our life     
seriously and own the responsibilities  
we have to ourselves1 to our fellows1 to
 our ,god4  ,death comes sadly to the   
survivor1 even when there is as little  
untimeliness as in the case of ,sarah2  
and as ,abraham moved towards the       
familiar tent the most intimate of his  
household would stand aloof and respect 
his grief4 ,the stillness that struck   
upon him1 instead of the usual greeting1
 as he lifted the tent-door2 the dead   

order of all inside2 the one object that
 lay stark before him and drew him again
 and again to look on what grieved him  
most to see2 the chill which ran through
 him as his lips touched the cold1 stony
 forehead and gave him sensible evidence
 how gone was the spirit from the       
clay--these are shocks to the human     
heart not peculiar to ,abraham4 ,but few
 have been so strangely bound together  
as these two were1 or have been so      
manifestly given to one another by ,god1
 or have been forced to so close a      
mutual dependence4 ,not only had they   
grown up in the same family1 and been   
together separated from their kindred1  
and passed through unusual and difficult
 circumstances together1 but they were  
made co-heirs of ,god's promise in such 
a manner that neither could enjoy it    
without the other4 ,they were knit      
together1 not merely by natural liking  
and familiarity of intercourse1 but by  
,god's choosing them as the instrument  
of ,his work and the fountain of ,his   

salvation4 ,so that in ,sarah's death   
,abraham doubtless read an intimation   
that his own work was done1 and that his
 generation is now out of date and ready
 to be supplanted4  ,abraham's grief is 
interrupted by the sad but wholesome    
necessity which forces us from the blank
 desolation of watching by the dead to  
the active duties that follow4 ,she     
whose beauty had captivated two princes 
must now be buried out of sight4 ,so    
,abraham stands up from before his dead4
 ,such a moment requires the resolute   
fortitude and manly self-control which  
that expression seems intended to       
suggest4 ,there is something within us  
which rebels against the ordinary       
ongoing of the world side by side with  
our great woe2 we feel as if either the 
whole world must mourn with us1 or we   
must go aside from the world and have   
our grief out in private4 ,the bustle of
 life seems so meaningless and          
incongruous to one whom grief has       
emptied of all relish for it4 ,we seem  

to wrong the dead by every return of    
interest we show in the things of life  
which no longer interest him4 ,yet he   
speaks truly who says3--      ,when     
sorrow all our heart would ask1     ,we 
need not shun our daily task1           
,and hide ourselves for calm2     ,the  
herbs we seek to heal our woe1          
,familiar by our pathway grow1          
,our common air is balm4  ,we must      
resume our duties1 not as if nothing had
 happened1 not proudly forgetting death 
and putting grief aside as if this life 
did not need the chastening influence of
 such realities as we have been engaged 
with1 or as if its business could not be
 pursued in an affectionate and softened
 spirit1 but acknowledging death as real
 and as humbling and sobering4  ,abraham
 then goes forth to seek a grave for    
,sarah1 having already with a common    
predilection fixed on the spot where he 
himself would prefer to be laid4 ,he    
goes accordingly to the usual           
meeting-place or exchange of these      

times1 the city-gate1 where bargains    
were made1 and where witnesses for their
 ratification could always be had4 ,men 
who are familiar with ,eastern customs  
rather spoil for us the scene described 
in this chapter by assuring us that all 
these courtesies and large offers are   
merely the ordinary forms preliminary to
 a bargain1 and were as little meant to 
be literally understood as we mean to be
 literally understood when we sign      
ourselves your most obedient servant4   
,abraham asks the ,hittite chiefs to    
approach ,ephron on the subject1 because
 all bargains of the kind are negotiated
 through mediators4 ,ephron's offer of  
the cave and field is merely a form4    
,abraham quite understood that ,ephron  
only indicated his willingness to deal1 
and so he urges him to state his price1 
which ,ephron is not slow to do2 and    
apparently his price was a handsome one 
such as he could not have asked from a  
poorer man1 for he adds1 ,what are four 
hundred shekels between wealthy men like

 you and me8 ,without more words let the
 bargain be closed--bury thy dead4  ,the
 first landed property1 then1 of the    
patriarchs is a grave4 ,in this tomb    
were laid ,abraham and ,sarah1 ,isaac   
and ,rebecca2 here1 too1 ,jacob buried  
,leah1 and here ,jacob himself desired  
to be laid after his death1 his last    
words being1 ,bury me with my fathers in
 the cave that is in the field of       
,ephron the ,hittite4 ,this grave1      
therefore1 becomes the centre of the    
land4 ,where the dust of our fathers is1
 there is our country2 and as you may   
often hear aged persons1 who are content
 to die and have little else to pray    
for1 still express a wish that they may 
rest in the old well-remembered         
churchyard where their kindred lie1 and 
may thus in the weakness of death find  
some comfort1 and in its solitariness   
some companionship from the presence of 
those who tenderly sheltered the        
helplessness of their childhood2 so does
 this place of the dead become          

henceforth the centre of attraction for 
all ,abraham's seed to which still from 
,egypt their longings and hopes turn1 as
 to the one magnetic point which1 having
 once been fixed there1 binds them ever 
to the land4 ,it is this grave which    
binds them to the land4 ,this laying of 
,sarah in the tomb is the real          
occupation of the land4  ,during the    
lapse of ages1 all around this spot has 
been changed again and again2 but at    
some remote period1 possibly as early as
 the time of ,david1 the reverence of   
the ,jews built these tombs round with  
masonry so substantial that it still    
endures4 ,within the space thus enclosed
 there stood for long a ,christian      
church1 but since the ,mohammedan       
domination was established1 a mosque has
 covered the spot4 ,this mosque has been
 guarded against ,christian intrusion   
with a jealousy almost as rigid as that 
which excludes all unbelievers from     
approaching ,mecca4 ,and though the     
,prince of ,wales was a few years ago   

allowed to enter the mosque1 he was not 
permitted to make any examination of the
 vaults beneath1 where the original tomb
 must be4  ,it is evident that this     
narrative of the purchase of ,machpelah 
and the burial of ,sarah was preserved1 
not so much on account of the personal  
interest which ,abraham had in these    
matters1 as on account of the manifest  
significance they had in connection with
 the history of his faith4 ,he had      
recently heard from his own kindred in  
,mesopotamia1 and it might very         
naturally have occurred to him that the 
proper place to bury ,sarah was in his  
fatherland4 ,the desire to lie among    
one's people is a very strong ,eastern  
sentiment4 ,even tribes which have no   
dislike to emigration make provision    
that at death their bodies shall be     
restored to their own country4 ,the     
,chinese notoriously do so4 ,abraham1   
therefore1 could hardly have expressed  
his faith in a stronger form than by    
purchasing a burying-ground for himself 

in ,canaan4 ,it was equivalent to saying
 in the most emphatic form that he      
believed this country would remain in   
perpetuity the country of his children  
and people4 ,he had as yet given no such
 pledge as this was1 that he had        
irrevocably abandoned his fatherland4   
,he had bought no other landed property2
 he had built no house4 ,he shifted his 
encampment from place to place as       
convenience dictated1 and there was     
nothing to hinder him from returning at 
any time to his old country4 ,but now he
 fixed himself down2 he said1 as plainly
 as acts can say1 that his mind was made
 up that this was to be in all time     
coming his land2 this was no mere right 
of pasture rented for the season1 no    
mere waste land he might occupy with his
 tents till its owner wished to reclaim 
it2 it was no estate he could put into  
the market whenever trade should become 
dull and he might wish to realise or to 
leave the country2 but it was a kind of 
property which he could not sell and    

could not abandon4  ,again1 his         
determination to hold it in perpetuity  
is evident not only from the nature of  
the property1 but also from the formal  
purchase and conveyance of it--the      
complete and precise terms in which the 
transaction is completed4 ,the narrative
 is careful to remind us again and again
 that the whole transaction was         
negotiated in the audience of the people
 of the land1 of all those who went in  
at the gate1 that the sale was          
thoroughly approved and witnessed by    
competent authorities4 ,the precise     
subjects made over to ,abraham are also 
detailed with all the accuracy of a     
legal document--the field of ,ephron1   
which was in ,machpelah1 which was      
before ,mamre1 the field and the cave   
which was therein1 and all the trees    
that were in the field1 that were in all
 the borders round about1 were made sure
 unto ,abraham for a possession in the  
presence of the children of ,heth1      
before all that went in at the gate of  

his city4 ,abraham had no doubt of the  
friendliness of such men as ,aner1      
,eshcol1 and ,mamre1 his ancient allies1
 but he was also aware that the best way
 to maintain friendly relations was to  
leave no loophole by which difference of
 opinion or disagreement might enter4   
,let the thing be in black and white1 so
 that there may be no misunderstanding  
as to terms1 no expectations doomed to  
be unfulfilled1 no encroachments which  
must cause resentment1 if not           
retaliation4 ,law probably does more to 
prevent quarrels than to heal them4 ,as 
statesmen and historians tell us that   
the best way to secure peace is to be   
prepared for war1 so legal documents    
seem no doubt harsh and unfriendly1 but 
really are more effective in maintaining
 peace and friendliness than vague      
promises and benevolent intentions4 ,in 
arranging affairs and engagements one is
 always tempted to say1 ,never mind     
about the money1 see how the thing turns
 out and we can settle that by-and-bye2 

or1 in looking at a will1 one is tempted
 to ask1 of what strength is ,christian 
feeling--not to say family affection--if
 all these hard-and-fast lines need to  
be drawn round the little bit of        
property which each is to have8 ,but    
experience shows that this is false     
delicacy1 and that kindliness and       
charity may be as fully and far more    
safely expressed in definite and legal  
terms than in loose promises or mere    
understandings4  ,again1 ,abraham's idea
 in purchasing this sepulchre is brought
 out by the circumstance that he would  
not accept the offer of the children of 
,heth to use one of their sepulchres4   
,this was not pride of blood or any     
feeling of that sort1 but the right     
feeling that what ,god had promised as  
,his own peculiar gift must not seem to 
be given by men4 ,possibly no great harm
 might have come of it if ,abraham had  
accepted the gift of a mere cave1 or a  
shelf in some other man's               
burying-ground2 but ,abraham could not  

bear to think that any captious person  
should ever be able to say that the     
inheritance promised by ,god was really 
the gift of a ,hittite4  ,similar       
captiousness appears not only in the    
experience of the individual ,christian1
 but also in the treatment religion gets
 from the world4 ,it is quite apparent1 
that is to say1 that the world counts   
itself the real proprietor here1 and    
,christianity a stranger fortunately or 
unfortunately thrown upon its shores and
 upon its mercy4 ,one cannot miss       
noticing the patronising way of the     
world towards the ,church and all that  
is connected with it1 as if it alone    
could give it those things needful for  
its prosperity--and especially willing  
is it to come forward in the ,hittite   
fashion and offer to the sojourner a    
sepulchre where it may be decently      
buried1 and as a dead thing lie out of  
the way4  ,but thoughts of a still wider
 reach were no doubt suggested to       
,abraham by this purchase4 ,often must  

he have brooded on the sacrifice of     
,isaac1 seeking to exhaust its meaning4 
,many a talk in the dusk must his son   
and he have had about that most strange 
experience4 ,and no doubt the one thing 
that seemed always certain about it was1
 that it is through death a man truly   
becomes the heir of ,god2 and here again
 in this purchase of a tomb for ,sarah  
it is the same fact that stares him in  
the face4 ,he becomes a proprietor when 
death enters his family2 he himself1 he 
feels1 is likely to have no more than   
this burial-acre of possession of his   
land2 it is only by dying he enters on  
actual possession4 ,till then he is but 
a tenant1 not a proprietor2 as he says  
to the children of ,heth1 he is but a   
stranger and a sojourner among them1 but
 at death he will take up his permanent 
dwelling in their midst4 ,was this not  
to suggest to him that there might be a 
deeper meaning underlying this1 and that
 possibly it was only by death he could 
enter fully into all that ,god intended 

he should receive8 ,no doubt in the     
first instance it was a severe trial to 
his faith to find that even at his      
wife's death he had acquired no firmer  
foothold in the land4 ,no doubt it was  
the very triumph of his faith that      
though he himself had never had a       
settled1 permanent residence in the     
land1 but had dwelt in tents1 moving    
about from place to place1 just as he   
had done the first year of his entrance 
upon it1 yet he died in the unalterable 
persuasion that the land was his1 and   
that it would one day be filled with his
 descendants4 ,it was the triumph of his
 faith that he believed in the          
performance of the promise as he had    
originally understood it2 that he       
believed in the gift of the actual      
visible land4 ,but it is difficult to   
believe that he did not come to the     
persuasion that ,god's friendship was   
more than any single thing ,he promised2
 difficult to suppose he did not feel   
something of what our ,lord expressed in

 the words that ,god is the ,god of the 
living1 not of the dead2 that those who 
are ,his enter by death into some deeper
 and richer experience of ,his love4    
,such is the interpretation put upon    
,abraham's attitude of mind by the      
writer1 who of all others saw most      
deeply into the moving principles of the
 ,old ,testament dispensation and the   
connection between old things and       
new--,i mean the writer of the ,epistle 
to the ,hebrews4 ,he says that persons  
who act as ,abraham did declare plainly 
that they seek a country2 and if on     
finding they did not get the country in 
which they sojourned they thought the   
promise had failed1 they might1 he says1
 have found opportunity to return to the
 country whence they came at first4 ,and
 why did they not do so8 ,because they  
sought a better1 that is1 an heavenly   
country4 ,wherefore ,god is not ashamed 
to be called their ,god1 for ,he hath   
prepared for them a city2 as if ,he     
said1 ,god would have been ashamed of   

,abraham if he had been content with    
less1 and had not aspired to something  
more than he received in the land of    
,canaan4  ,now how else could ,abraham's
 mind have been so effectually lifted to
 this exalted hope as by the            
disappointment of his original and much 
tamer hope8 ,had he gained possession of
 the land in the ordinary way of        
purchase or conquest1 and had he been   
able to make full use of it for the     
purposes of life2 had he acquired       
meadows where his cattle might graze1   
towns where his followers might         
establish themselves1 would he not      
almost certainly have fallen into the   
belief that in these pastures and by his
 worldly wealth and quiet and prosperity
 he was already exhausting ,god's       
promise regarding the land8 ,but buying 
the land for his dead he is forced to   
enter upon it from the right side1 with 
the idea that not by present enjoyment  
of its fertility is ,god's promise to   
him exhausted4 ,both in the getting of  

his heir and in the acquisition of his  
land his mind is led to contemplate     
things beyond the range of earthly      
vision and earthly success4 ,he is led  
to the thought that ,god having become  
his ,god1 this means blessing eternal as
 ,god ,himself4 ,in short ,abraham came 
to believe in a life beyond the grave on
 very much the same grounds as many     
people still rely on4 ,they feel that   
this life has an unaccountable poverty  
and meagreness in it4 ,they feel that   
they themselves are much larger than the
 life here allotted to them4 ,they are  
out of proportion4 ,it may be said that 
this is their own fault2 they should    
make life a larger1 richer thing4 ,but  
that is only apparently true2 the very  
brevity of life1 which no skill of      
theirs can alter1 is itself a limiting  
and disappointing condition4 ,moreover1 
it seems unworthy of ,god as well as of 
man4 ,as soon as a worthy conception of 
,god possesses the soul1 the idea of    
immortality forthwith follows it4 ,we   

instinctively feel that ,god can do far 
more for us than is done in this life4  
,our knowledge of ,him here is most     
rudimentary2 our connection with ,him   
obscure and perplexed1 and wanting in   
fulness of result2 we seem scarcely to  
know whose we are1 and scarcely to be   
reconciled to the essential conditions  
of life1 or even to ,god2--we are1 in   
short1 in a very different kind of life 
from that which we can conceive and     
desire4 ,besides1 a serious belief in   
,god1 in a personal ,spirit1 removes at 
a touch all difficulties arising from   
materialism4 ,if ,god lives and yet has 
no senses or bodily appearance1 we also 
may so live2 and if ,his is the higher  
state and the more enjoyable state1 we  
need not dread to experience life as    
disembodied spirits4  ,it is certainly a
 most acceptable lesson that is read to 
us here--viz41 that ,god's promises do  
not shrivel1 but grow solid and expand  
as we grasp them4 ,abraham went out to  
enter on possession of a few fields a   

little richer than his own1 and he found
 an eternal inheritance4 ,naturally we  
think quite the opposite of ,god's      
promises2 we fancy they are             
grandiloquent and magnify things1 and   
that the actual fulfilment will prove   
unworthy of the language describing it4 
,but as the woman who came to touch the 
hem of ,christ's garment with some      
dubious hope that thus her body might be
 healed1 found herself thereby linked to
 ,christ for evermore1 so always1 if we 
meet ,god at any one point and honestly 
trust ,him for even the smallest gift1  
,he makes that the means of introducing 
,himself to us and getting us to        
understand the value of ,his better     
gifts4 ,and indeed1 if this life were   
all1 might not ,god well be ashamed to  
call ,himself our ,god8 ,when ,he calls 
,himself our ,god ,he bids us expect to 
find in ,him inexhaustible resources to 
protect and satisfy and enrich us4 ,he  
bids us cherish boldly all innocent and 
natural desires1 believing that we have 

in ,him one who can gratify every such  
desire4 ,but if this life be all1 who   
can say existence has been perfectly    
satisfactory--if there be no reversal of
 what has here gone wrong1 no           
restoration of what has here been lost1 
if there be no life in which conscience 
and ideas and hopes find their          
fulfilment and satisfaction1 who can say
 he is content and could ask no more of 
,god8 ,who can say he does not see what 
more ,god could do for him than has here
 been done8 ,doubtless there are many   
happy lives1 doubtless there are lives  
which carry in them a worthiness and a  
sacredness which manifest ,god's        
presence1 but even such lives only more 
powerfully suggest a state in which all 
lives shall be holy and happy1 and in   
which1 freed from inward uneasiness and 
shame and sorrow1 we shall live         
unimpeded the highest life1 life as we  
feel it ought to be4 ,the very joys men 
have here experienced suggest to them   
the desirableness of continued life2 the

 love they have known can only intensify
 their yearning for this perpetual      
enjoyment2 their whole experience of    
this life has served to reveal to them  
the endless possibilities of growth and 
of activity that are bound up in human  
nature2 and if death is to end all this1
 what more has life been to any of us   
than a seed-time without a harvest1 an  
education without any sphere of         
employment1 a vision of good that can   
never be ours1 a striving after the     
unattainable8 ,if this is all that ,god 
can give us we must indeed be           
disappointed in ,him4  ,but ,he is      
disappointed in us if we do not aspire  
to more than this4 ,in this sense also  
,he is ashamed to be called our ,god4   
,he is ashamed to be known as the ,god  
of men who never aspire to higher       
blessings than earthly comfort and      
present prosperity4 ,he is ashamed to be
 known as connected with those who think
 so lightly of ,his power that they look
 for nothing beyond what every man      

calculates on getting in this world4    
,god means all present blessings and all
 blessings of a lower kind to lure us on
 to trust ,him and seek more and more   
from ,him4 ,in these early promises of  
,his ,he says nothing expressly and     
distinctly of things eternal4 ,he       
appeals to the immediate wants and      
present longings of men--just as our    
,lord while on earth drew men to        
,himself by healing their diseases4     
,take1 then1 any one promise of ,god1   
and1 however small it seems at first1 it
 will grow in your hand2 you will find  
always that you get more than you       
bargained for1 that you cannot take even
 a little without going further and     
receiving all4     ,,xix4  ,,isaac',s   
,,marriage4  ,,genesis xxiv4            
,favour is deceitful1 and beauty is     
vain3 but a woman that feareth     the  
,lord1 she shall be praised4--,,prov4   
xxxi4 #cj4   ,when a son has attained   
the age of twenty years1 his father1 if 
able1 should marry him1 and then take   

his hand and say1 ,i have disciplined   
thee1 and taught thee1 and married thee2
 ,i now seek refuge with ,god from thy  
mischief in the present world and the   
next4 ,this ,mohammedan tradition       
expresses with tolerable accuracy the   
idea of the ,eastern world1 that a      
father has not discharged his           
responsibilities towards his son until  
he finds a wife for him4 ,abraham no    
doubt fully recognised his duty in this 
respect1 but he had allowed ,isaac to   
pass the usual age4 ,he was thirty-seven
 at his mother's death1 forty when the  
events of this chapter occurred4 ,this  
delay was occasioned by two causes4 ,the
 bond between ,isaac and his mother was 
an unusually strong one2 and alongside  
of that imperious woman a young wife    
would have found it even more difficult 
than usual to take a becoming place4    
,besides1 where was a wife to be found8 
,no doubt some of ,abraham's ,hittite   
friends would have considered any       
daughter of theirs exceptionally        

fortunate who should secure so good an  
alliance4 ,the heir of ,abraham was no  
inconsiderable person even when measured
 by ,hittite expectations4 ,and it may  
have taxed ,abraham's sagacity to find  
excuses for not forming an alliance     
which seemed so natural1 and which would
 have secured to him and his heirs a    
settled place in the country4 ,this was 
so obvious1 common1 easily accomplished 
a means of gaining a footing for ,isaac 
among somewhat dangerous neighbours1    
that it stands to reason ,abraham must  
often have weighed its advantages4  ,but
 as often as he weighed the advantages  
of this solution of his difficulty1 so  
often did he reject them4 ,he was       
resolved that the race should be of pure
 ,hebrew blood4 ,his own experience in  
connection with ,hagar had given this   
idea a settled prominence in his mind4  
,and1 accordingly1 in his instructions  
to the servant whom he sent to find a   
wife for ,isaac1 two things were        
insisted on--#ast1 that she should not  

be a ,canaanite2 and1 #bnd1 that on no  
pretext should ,isaac be allowed to     
leave the land of promise and visit     
,mesopotamia4 ,the steward1 knowing     
something of men and women1 foresaw that
 it was most unlikely that a young woman
 would forsake her own land and         
preconceived hopes and go away with a   
stranger to a foreign country4 ,abraham 
believes she will be persuaded4 ,but in 
any case1 he says1 one thing must be    
seen to2 ,isaac must on no account be   
induced to leave the promised land even 
to visit ,mesopotamia4 ,god will furnish
 ,isaac with a wife without putting him 
into circumstances of great temptation1 
without requiring him to go into        
societies in the slightest degree       
injurious to his faith4 ,in fact1       
,abraham refused to do what countless   
,christian mothers of marriageable sons 
and daughters do without compunction4   
,he had an insight into the real        
influences that form action and         
determine careers which many of us sadly

 lack4  ,and his faith was rewarded4    
,the tidings from his brother's family  
arrived in the nick of time4 ,light1 he 
found1 was sown for the upright4 ,it    
happened with him as it has doubtless   
often happened with ourselves1 that     
though we have been looking forward to a
 certain time with much anxiety1 unable 
even to form a plan of action1 yet when 
the time actually came1 things seemed to
 arrange themselves1 and the thing to do
 became quite obvious4 ,abraham was     
persuaded ,god would send ,his angel to 
bring the affair to a happy issue4 ,and 
when we seem drifting towards some great
 upturning of our life1 or when things  
seem to come all of a sudden and in     
crowds upon us1 so that we cannot judge 
what we should do1 it is an animating   
thought that another eye than ours is   
penetrating the darkness1 finding for us
 a way through all entanglement and     
making crooked things straight for us4  
,but the patience of ,isaac was quite as
 remarkable as the faith of ,abraham4   

,he was now forty years old1 and if1 as 
he had been told1 the great aim of his  
life1 the great service he was to render
 to the world1 was bound up with the    
rearing of a family1 he might with some 
reason be wondering why circumstances   
were so adverse to the fulfilment of    
this vocation4 ,must he not have been   
tempted1 as his father had been1 to take
 matters into his own hand8 ,fathers are
 perhaps too scrupulous about telling   
their sons instructive passages from    
their own experience2 but when ,abraham 
saw ,isaac exercised and discomposed    
about this matter1 he can scarcely have 
failed to strengthen his spirit by      
telling him something of his own        
mistakes in life4 ,abraham must have    
seen that everything depended on        
,isaac's conduct1 and that he had a very
 difficult part to play4 ,he himself had
 been supernaturally encouraged to leave
 his own land and sojourn in ,canaan2 on
 the other hand1 by the time ,jacob grew
 up1 the idea of the promised land had  

become traditional and fixed2 though    
even ,jacob1 had he found ,laban a      
better master1 might have permanently   
renounced his expectations in ,canaan4  
,but ,isaac enjoyed the advantages      
neither of the first nor of the third   
generation4 ,the coming into ,canaan was
 not his doing1 and he saw how little of
 the land ,abraham had gained4 ,he was  
under strong temptation to disbelieve4  
,and when he measured his condition with
 that of other young men1 he certainly  
required unusual self-control4 ,and to  
every one who would urge1 ,youth is     
passing1 and ,i am not getting what ,i  
expected at ,god's hand2 ,i have not    
received that providential leading ,i   
was led to expect1 nor do ,i find that  
my life is made simpler2 it is very well
 to tell me to wait1 but life is        
slipping away1 and we may wait too      
long--to every one whose heart urges    
such murmurs1 ,abraham through ,isaac   
would say3 ,but if you wait for ,god you
 get something1 some positive good1 and 

not some mere appearance of good2 you at
 last do get begun1 you get into life at
 the right door2 whereas if you follow  
some other way than that which you      
believe ,god wishes to lead you in1 you 
get nothing4  ,isaac's continence had   
its reward4 ,in the suitableness of     
,rebekah to a man of his nature1 we see 
the suitableness of all such gifts of   
,god as are really waited for at ,his   
hand4 ,god may keep us longer waiting   
than the world does1 but ,he gives us   
never the wrong thing4 ,isaac had no    
idea of ,rebekah's character2 he could  
only yield himself to ,god's knowledge  
of what he needed2 and so there came to 
him1 from a country he had never seen1 a
 help-meet singularly adapted to his own
 character4 ,one cannot read of her     
lively1 bustling1 almost forward1 but   
obliging and generous conduct at the    
well1 nor of her prompt1 impulsive      
departure to an unknown land1 without   
seeing1 as no doubt ,eliezer very       
quickly saw1 that this was exactly the  

woman for ,isaac4 ,in this eager1       
ardent1 active1 enterprising spirit1 his
 own retiring and contemplative1 if not 
sombre disposition found its appropriate
 relief and stimulus4 ,hers was a spirit
 which might indeed1 with so mild a     
lord1 take more of the management of    
affairs than was befitting2 and when the
 wear and tear of life had tamed down   
the girlish vivacity with which she     
spoke to ,eliezer at the well1 and leapt
 from the camel to meet her lord1 her   
active-mindedness does appear in the    
disagreeable shape of the clever        
scheming of the mother of a family4 ,in 
her sons you see her qualities          
exaggerated3 from her1 ,esau derived his
 activity and open-handedness2 and in   
,jacob1 you find that her self-reliant  
and unscrupulous management has become a
 self-asserting craft which leads him   
into much trouble1 if it also sometimes 
gets him out of difficulties4 ,but such 
as ,rebekah was1 she was quite the woman
 to attract ,isaac and supplement his   

character4  ,so in other cases where you
 find you must leave yourself very much 
in ,god's hand1 what ,he sends you will 
be found more precisely adapted to your 
character than if you chose it for      
yourself4 ,you find your whole nature   
has been considered1--your aims1 your   
hopes1 your wants1 your position1       
whatever in you waits for something     
unattained4 ,and as in giving to ,isaac 
the intended mother of the promised     
seed1 ,god gave him a woman who fitted  
in to all the peculiarities of his      
nature1 and was a comfort and a joy to  
him in his own life2 so we shall always 
find that ,god1 in satisfying ,his own  
requirements1 satisfies at the same time
 our wants--that ,god carries forward   
,his work in the world by the           
satisfaction of the best and happiest   
feelings of our nature1 so that it is   
not only the result that is blessedness1
 but blessing is created along its whole
 course4  ,abraham's servant1 though not
 very sanguine of success1 does all in  

his power to earn it4 ,he sets out with 
an equipment fitted to inspire respect  
and confidence4 ,but as he draws nearer 
and nearer to the city of ,nahor1       
revolving the delicate nature of his    
errand1 and feeling that definite action
 must now be taken1 he sees so much room
 for making an irreparable mistake that 
he resolves to share his responsibility 
with the ,god of his master4 ,and the   
manner in which he avails himself of    
,god's guidance is remarkable4 ,he does 
not ask ,god to guide him to the house  
of ,bethuel2 indeed1 there was no       
occasion to do so1 for any child could  
have pointed out the house to him4 ,but 
he was a cautious person1 and he wished 
to make his own observations on the     
appearance and conduct of the younger   
women of the household1 before in any   
way committing himself to them4 ,he was 
free to make these observations at the  
well2 while he felt it must be very     
awkward to enter ,laban's house with the
 possibility of leaving it dissatisfied4

 ,at the same time1 he felt it was for  
,god rather than for him to choose a    
wife for ,isaac4 ,so he made an         
arrangement by which the interposition  
of ,god was provided for4 ,he meant to  
make his own selection1 guided          
necessarily by the comparative          
attractiveness of the women who came for
 water1 possibly also by some family    
likeness to ,sarah or ,isaac he might   
expect to see in any women of ,bethuel's
 house2 but knowing the deceitfulness of
 appearances1 he asked ,god to confirm  
and determine his own choice by moving  
the girl he should address to give him a
 certain answer4 ,having arranged this1 
,behold6 ,rebekah came out with her     
pitcher upon her shoulder1 and the      
damsel was very fair to look upon4 ,in  
the ,bible the beauty of women is       
frankly spoken of without prudery or    
mawkishness as an influence in human    
affairs4 ,the beauty of ,rebekah at once
 disposed ,eliezer to address her1 and  
his first impression in her favour was  

confirmed by the obliging1 cheerful     
alacrity with which she did very much   
more than she was asked1 and1 indeed1   
took upon herself1 through her kindness 
of disposition1 a task of some trouble  
and fatigue4  ,it is important to       
observe then in what sense and to what  
extent this capable servant asked a     
sign4 ,he did not ask for a bare1       
intrinsically insignificant sign4 ,he   
might have done so4 ,he might have      
proposed as a test1 ,let her who        
stumbles on the first step of the well  
be the designed wife of ,isaac2 or1 ,let
 her who comes with a certain-coloured  
flower in her hand--or so forth4 ,but   
the sign he chose was significant1      
because dependent on the character of   
the girl herself2 a sign which must     
reveal her good-heartedness and         
readiness to oblige and courteous       
activity in the entertainment of        
strangers--in fact1 the outstanding     
,eastern virtue4 ,so that he really     
acted very much as ,isaac himself must  

have done4 ,he would make no approach to
 any one whose appearance repelled him2 
and when satisfied in this particular1  
he would test her disposition4 ,and of  
course it was these qualities of        
,rebekah which afterwards caused ,isaac 
to feel that this was the wife ,god had 
designed for him4 ,it was not by any    
arbitrary sign that he or any man could 
come to know who was the suitable wife  
for him1 but only by the love she       
aroused within him4 ,god has given this 
feeling to direct choice in marriage2   
and where this is wanting1 nothing else 
whatever1 no matter how astoundingly    
providential it seems1 ought to persuade
 a man that such and such a person is   
designed to be his wife4  ,there are    
turning points in life at once so       
momentous in their consequence1 and     
affording so little material for choice1
 that one is much tempted to ask for    
more than providential leading4 ,not    
only among savages and heathen have     
omens been sought4 ,among ,christians   

there has been manifest a constant      
disposition to appeal to the lot1 or to 
accept some arbitrary way of determining
 which course we should follow4 ,in very
 many predicaments we should be greatly 
relieved were there some one who could  
at once deliver us from all hesitation  
and mental conflict by one authoritative
 word4 ,there are1 perhaps1 few things  
more frequently and determinedly wished 
for1 nor regarding which we are so much 
tempted to feel that such a thing should
 be1 as some infallible guide before    
whom we could lay every difficulty2 who 
would tell us at once what ought to be  
done in each case1 and whether we ought 
to continue as we are or make some      
change4 ,but only consider for a moment 
what would be the consequence of having 
such a guide4 ,at every important step  
of your progress you would1 of course1  
instantly turn to him2 as soon as doubt 
entered your mind regarding the moral   
quality of an action1 or the propriety  
of a course you think of adopting1 you  

would be at your counsellor4 ,and what  
would be the consequence8 ,the          
consequence would be1 that instead of   
the various circumstances1 experiences1 
and temptations of this life being a    
training to you1 your conscience would  
every day become less able to guide you1
 and your will less able to decide1     
until1 instead of being a mature son of 
,god1 who has learned to conform his    
conscience and will to the will of ,god1
 you would be quite imbecile as a moral 
creature4 ,what ,god desires by our     
training here is1 that we become like to
 ,him2 that there be nurtured in us a   
power to discern between good and evil2 
that by giving our own voluntary consent
 to ,his appointments1 and that by      
discovering in various and perplexing   
circumstances what is the right thing to
 do1 we may have our own moral natures  
as enlightened1 strengthened1 and fully 
developed every way as possible4 ,the   
object of ,god in declaring ,his will to
 us is not to point out particular      

steps1 but to bring our wills into      
conformity with ,his1 so that whether we
 err in any particular step or no1 we   
shall still be near to ,him in          
intention4 ,he does with us as we with  
children4 ,we do not always at once     
relieve them from their little          
difficulties1 but watch with interest   
the working of their own conscience     
regarding the matter1 and will give them
 no sign till they themselves have      
decided4  ,evidently1 therefore1 before 
we may dare to ask a sign from ,god1 the
 case must be a very special one4 ,if   
you are at present engaged in something 
that is to your own conscience doubtful1
 and if you are not hiding this from    
,god1 but would very willingly1 so far  
as you know your own mind1 do in the    
matter what ,he pleases--if no further  
light is coming to you1 and you feel a  
growing inclination to put it to ,god in
 this way3 ,grant1 ,o ,lord1 that       
something may happen by which ,i may    
know ,thy mind in this matter--this is  

asking from ,god a kind of help which   
,he is very ready to give1 often leading
 men to clearer views of duty by events 
which happen within their knowledge1 and
 which having no special significance to
 persons whose minds are differently    
occupied1 are yet most instructive to   
those who are waiting for light on some 
particular point4 ,the danger is not    
here1 but in fixing ,god down to the    
special thing which shall happen as a   
sign between ,him and you2 which1 when  
it happens1 gives no fresh light on the 
subject1 leaves your mind still morally 
undecided1 but only binds you1 by an    
arbitrary bargain of your own1 to follow
 one course rather than another4 ,this  
matter that you would so summarily      
dispose of may be the very thread of    
your life which ,god means to test you  
by2 this state of indecision which you  
would evade1 ,god may mean to continue  
until your moral character grows strong 
enough to rise above it to the right    
decision4  ,no one will suppose that    

,rebekah's readiness to leave her home  
was due to mere light-mindedness4 ,her  
motives were no doubt mixed4 ,the       
worldly position offered to her was     
good1 and there was an attractive spice 
of romance about the whole affair which 
would have its charm4 ,she may also be  
credited with some apprehension of the  
great future of ,isaac's family4 ,in    
after life she certainly showed a very  
keen sense of the value of the blessings
 peculiar to that household4 ,and1      
probably above all1 she had an          
irresistible feeling that this was her  
destiny4 ,she saw the hand of ,god in   
her selection1 and with a more or less  
conscious faith in ,god she passed to   
her new life4  ,her first meeting with  
her future husband is not the least     
picturesque passage in this most        
picturesque narrative4 ,isaac had gone  
out on that side of the encampment by   
which he knew his father's messenger was
 most likely to approach4 ,he had gone  
out to meditate at even-tide2 his       

meditation being necessarily directed   
and intensified by his attitude of      
critical expectancy4  ,the evening      
light1 in our country hanging dubiously 
between the glare of noon and the       
darkness of midnight1 invites to that   
condition of mind which lies between the
 intense alertness of day and the deep  
oblivion of sleep1 and which seems the  
most favourable for the meditation of   
divine things4 ,the dusk of evening     
seems interposed between day and night  
to invite us to that reflection which   
should intervene betwixt our labour and 
our rest from labour1 that we may leave 
our work behind us satisfied that we    
have done what we could1 or1 seeing its 
faultiness1 may still lay us down to    
sleep with ,god's forgiveness4 ,it is   
when the bright sunlight has gone1 and  
no more reproaches our inactivity1 that 
friends can enjoy prolonged intercourse1
 and can best unbosom to one another1 as
 if the darkness gave opportunity for a 
tenderness which would be ashamed to    

show itself during the twelve hours in  
which a man shall work4 ,and all that   
makes this hour so beloved by the family
 circle1 and so conducive to friendly   
intercourse1 makes it suitable also for 
such intercourse with ,god as each human
 soul can attempt4 ,most of us suppose  
we have some little plot of time railed 
off for ,god morning and evening1 but   
how often does it get trodden down by   
the profane multitude of this world's   
cares1 and quite occupied by encroaching
 secular engagements4 ,but evening is   
the time when many men are1 and when all
 men ought to be least hurried2 when the
 mind is placid1 but not yet prostrate2 
when the body requires rest from its    
ordinary labour1 but is not yet so      
oppressed with fatigue as to make       
devotion a mockery2 when the din of this
 world's business is silenced1 and as a 
sleeper wakes to consciousness when some
 accustomed noise is checked1 so the    
soul now wakes up to the thought of     
itself and of ,god4 ,i know not whether 

those of us who have the opportunity    
have also the resolution to sequester   
ourselves evening by evening1 as ,isaac 
did2 but this ,i do know1 that he who   
does so will not fail of his reward1 but
 will very speedily find that his       
,father who seeth in secret is          
manifestly rewarding him4 ,what we all  
need above all things is to let the mind
 dwell on divine things--to be able to  
sit down knowing we have so much clear  
time in which we shall not be disturbed1
 and during which we shall think        
directly under ,god's eye--to get quite 
rid of the feeling of getting through   
with something1 so that without         
distraction the soul may take a         
deliberate survey of its own matters4   
,and so shall often ,god's gifts appear 
on our horizon when we lift up our eyes1
 as ,isaac lifted up his eyes and saw   
the camels coming with his bride4       
,twilight1 nature's vesper-bell1 or the 
light shaded at evening by the hills of 
,palestine1 seems1 then1 to have called 

,isaac to a familiar occupation4 ,this  
long-continued mourning for his mother1 
and his lonely meditation in the fields1
 are both in harmony with what we know  
of his character1 and of his experience 
on ,mount ,moriah4 ,retiring and        
contemplative1 willing to conciliate by 
concession rather than to assert and    
maintain his rights against opposition1 
glad to yield his own affairs to the    
strong guidance of some other hand1     
tender and deep in his affections1 to   
him this lonely meditation seems        
singularly appropriate4 ,his dwelling1  
too1 was remote1 on the edge of the     
wilderness1 by the well which ,hagar had
 named ,lahai-roi4 ,here he dwelt as one
 consecrated to ,god1 feeling little    
desire to enter deeper into the world1  
and preferring the place where the      
presence of ,god was least disturbed by 
the society of men4 ,but at this time he
 had come from the south1 and was       
awaiting at his father's encampment the 
result of ,eliezer's mission4 ,and one  

can conceive the thrill of keen         
expectancy that shot through him as he  
saw the female figure alighting from the
 camel1 the first eager exchange of     
greetings1 and the gladness with which  
he brought ,rebekah into his mother     
,sarah's tent and was comforted after   
his mother's death4 ,the readiness with 
which he loved her seems to be referred 
in the narrative to the grief he still  
felt for his mother2 for as a candle is 
never so easily lit as just after it has
 been put out1 so the affection of      
,isaac1 still emitting the sad memorial 
of a past love1 more quickly caught at  
the new object presented4 ,and thus was 
consummated a marriage which shows us   
how thoroughly interwrought are the     
plans of ,god and the life of man1 each 
fulfilling the other4  ,for as the      
salvation ,god introduces into the world
 is a practical1 every-day salvation to 
deliver us from the sins which this life
 tempts us to1 so ,god introduced this  
salvation by means of the natural       

affections and ordinary arrangements of 
human life4 ,god would have us recognise
 in our lives what ,he shows us in this 
chapter1 that ,he has made provision for
 our wants1 and that if we wait upon    
,him ,he will bring us into the         
enjoyment of all we really need4 ,so    
that if we are to make any advance in   
appropriating to ourselves ,god's       
salvation1 it can only be by submitting 
ourselves implicitly to ,his providence1
 and taking care that in the commonest  
and most secular actions of our lives we
 are having respect to ,his will with   
us1 and that in those actions in which  
our own feelings and desires seem       
sufficient to guide us1 we are having   
regard to ,his controlling wisdom and   
goodness4 ,we are to find room for ,god 
everywhere in our lives1 not feeling    
embarrassed by the thought of ,his      
claims even in our least constrained    
hours1 but subordinating to ,his highest
 and holiest ends everything that our   
life contains1 and acknowledging as ,his

 gift what may seem to be our own most  
proper conquest or earning4     ,,xx4   
,,esau ,,and ,,jacob4  ,,genesis xxv4   
,he goeth as an ox goeth to the         
slaughter1 till a dart strike           
through his liver2 as a bird hasteth to 
the snare1 and knoweth not     that it  
is for his life4--,,prov4 vii4 #bb1 #bc4
   ,the character and career of ,isaac  
would seem to tell us that it is        
possible to have too great a father4    
,isaac was dwarfed and weakened by      
growing up under the shadow of ,abraham4
 ,of his life there was little to       
record1 and what was recorded was very  
much a reproduction of some of the least
 glorious passages of his father's      
career4 ,the digging of wells for his   
flocks was among the most notable events
 in his commonplace life1 and even in   
this he only re-opened the wells his    
father had dug4  ,in him we see the     
result of growing up under too strong   
and dominant an external influence4 ,the
 free and healthy play of his own       

capacities and will was curbed4 ,the    
sons of outstanding fathers are much    
tempted to follow in the wake of their  
success1 and be too much controlled and 
limited by the example therein set to   
them4 ,there is a great deal to induce a
 son to do so2 this calling has been    
successful in his father's case1 what   
better can he do than follow8 ,also he  
may get the use of his wells--those     
sources his father has opened for the   
easier or more abundant maintenance of  
those dependent on him1 the business he 
has established1 the practice he has    
made1 the connections he has            
formed--these are useful if he follows  
in his father's line of life4 ,but all  
this tends1 as in ,isaac's case1 to the 
stunting of the man himself4 ,life is   
made too easy for him4  ,isaac has been 
called the ,wordsworth of the ,old      
,testament1 but his meditative          
disposition seems to have degenerated   
into mere dreamy apathy1 which1 at last1
 made him the tool of the more          

active-minded members of his family1 and
 was also attended by its common        
accompaniment of sensuality4 ,it seems  
also to have brought him to a condition 
of almost entire bodily prostration1 for
 a comparison of dates shows that he    
must have spent forty or fifty years in 
blindness and incapacity for all active 
duty4 ,neither can this greatly surprise
 us1 for it is abundantly open to our   
own observation that men of the finest  
spiritual discernment1 and of whose     
godliness in the main one cannot doubt1 
are also frequently the prey of the most
 childish tastes1 and most useless even 
to the extent of doing harm in practical
 matters4 ,they do not see the evil that
 is growing in their own family2 or1 if 
they see it1 they cannot rouse          
themselves to check it4  ,isaac's       
marriage1 though so promising in the    
outset1 brought new trial into his life4
 ,rebekah had to repeat the experience  
of ,sarah4 ,the intended mother of the  
promised seed was left for twenty years 

childless--to contend with the doubts1  
surmises1 evil proposals1 proud         
challengings of ,god1 and murmurings1   
which must undoubtedly have arisen even 
in so bright and spirited a heart as    
,rebekah's4 ,it was thus she was taught 
the seriousness of the position she had 
chosen for herself1 and gradually led to
 the implicit faith requisite for the   
discharge of its responsibilities4 ,many
 young persons have a similar           
experience4 ,they seem to themselves to 
have chosen a wrong position1 to have   
made a thorough mistake in life1 and to 
have brought themselves into            
circumstances in which they only retard1
 or quite prevent1 the prosperity of    
those with whom they are connected4 ,in 
proportion as ,rebekah loved ,isaac1 and
 entered into his prospects1 must she   
have been tempted to think she had far  
better have remained in ,padan-aram4 ,it
 is a humbling thing to stand in some   
other person's way2 but if it is by no  
fault of ours1 but in obedience to      

affection or conscience we are in this  
position1 we must1 in humility and      
patience1 wait upon ,providence as      
,rebekah did1 and resist all morbid     
despondency4  ,this second barrenness in
 the prospective mother of the promised 
seed was as needful to all concerned as 
the first was2 for the people of ,god1  
no more than any others1 can learn in   
one lesson4 ,they must again be brought 
to a real dependence on ,god as the     
,giver of the heir4 ,the prayer with    
which ,isaac entreated the ,lord for his
 wife because she was barren was a      
prayer of deeper intensity than he could
 have uttered had he merely remembered  
the story that had been told him of his 
own birth4 ,god must be recognised again
 and again and throughout as the ,giver 
of life to the promised line4 ,we are   
all apt to suppose that when once we    
have got a thing in train and working we
 can get on without ,god4 ,how often do 
we pray for the bestowal of a blessing1 
and forget to pray for its continuance8 

,how often do we count it enough that   
,god has conferred some gift1 and1 not  
inviting ,him to continue ,his agency1  
but trusting to ourselves1 we mar ,his  
gift in the use8 ,learn1 therefore1 that
 although ,god has given you means of   
working out ,his salvation1 your        
,rebekah will be barren without ,his    
continued activity4 ,on ,his own means  
you must re-invite ,his blessing1 for   
without the continuance of ,his aid you 
will make nothing of the most beautiful 
and appropriate helps ,he has given you4
  ,it was by pain1 anxiety1 and almost  
dismay1 that ,rebekah received          
intimation that her prayer was answered4
 ,in this she is the type of many whom  
,god hears4 ,inward strife1 miserable   
forebodings1 deep dejection1 are often  
the first intimations that ,god is      
listening to our prayer and is beginning
 to work within us4 ,you have prayed    
that ,god would make you more a blessing
 to those about you1 more useful in your
 place1 more answerable to ,his ends3   

and when your prayer has risen to its   
highest point of confidence and         
expectation1 you are thrown into what   
seems a worse state than ever1 your     
heart is broken within you1 you say1 ,is
 this the answer to my prayer1 is this  
,god's blessing2 if it be so1 why am ,i 
thus8 ,for things that make a man       
serious1 happen when ,god takes him in  
hand1 and they that yield themselves to 
,his service will not find that that    
service is all honour and enjoyment4    
,its first steps will often land us in a
 position we can make nothing of1 and   
our attempts to aid others will get us  
into difficulties with them2 and        
especially will our desire that ,christ 
be formed in us bring into such lively  
action the evil nature that is in us1   
that we are torn by the conflict1 and   
our heart lies like the ground of a     
fierce struggle1 seamed and furrowed1   
tossed and confused4 ,as soon as there  
is a movement within us in one          
direction1 immediately there is an      

opposing movement3 as soon as one of the
 natures says1 ,do this2 the other says1
 ,do it not4 ,the better nature is      
gaining slightly the upper hand1 and by 
a long1 steady strain1 seems to be      
wearying out the other1 when suddenly   
there is one quick stroke and the evil  
nature conquers4 ,and every movement of 
the parties is with pain to ourselves2  
either conscience is wronged1 and gives 
out its cry of shame1 or our natural    
desires are trodden down1 and that also 
is pain4 ,and so disconnected and       
connected are we1 so entirely one with  
both parties1 and yet so able to        
contemplate both that ,rebekah's        
distress seems aptly enough to symbolize
 our own4 ,and whether the symbol be apt
 or no1 there can be no question that he
 who enquires of the ,lord as she did1  
will receive a similar assurance that   
there are two natures within him1 and   
that the elder shall serve the younger1 
the nature last formed1 and that seems  
to give least promise of life1 shall    

master the original1 eldest born child  
of the flesh4  ,the children whose birth
 and destinies were thus predicted1 at  
once gave evidence of a difference even 
greater than that which will often      
strike one as existing between two      
brothers1 though rarely between twins4  
,the first was born1 all over like a    
hairy garment1 presenting the appearance
 of being rolled up in a fur cloak or   
the skin of an animal--an appearance    
which did not pass away in childhood1   
but so obstinately adhered to him       
through life1 that an imitation of his  
hands could be produced with the hairy  
skin of a kid4 ,this was by his parents 
considered ominous4 ,the want of the    
hairy covering which the lower animals  
have1 is one of the signs marking out   
man as destined for a higher and more   
refined life than they2 and when their  
son appeared in this guise1 they could  
not but fear it prognosticated his      
sensual1 animal career4 ,so they called 
him ,esau4 ,and so did the younger son  

from the first show his nature1 catching
 the heel of his brother1 as if he were 
striving to be firstborn2 and so they   
called him ,jacob1 the heel-catcher or  
supplanter--as ,esau afterwards bitterly
 observed1 a name which precisely suited
 his crafty1 plotting nature1 shown in  
his twice over tripping up and          
overthrowing his elder brother4 ,the    
name which ,esau handed down to his     
people was1 however1 not his original   
name1 but one derived from the colour of
 that for which he sold his birthright4 
,it was in that exclamation of his1     
,feed me with that same red1 that he    
disclosed his character4  ,so different 
in appearance at birth1 they grew up of 
very different character2 and as was    
natural1 he who had the quiet nature of 
his father was beloved by the mother1   
and he who had the bold1 practical skill
 of the mother was clung to by the      
father4 ,it seems unlikely that ,rebekah
 was influenced in her affection by     
anything but natural motives1 though the

 fact that ,jacob was to be the heir    
must have been much on her mind1 and may
 have produced the partiality which     
maternal pride sometimes begets4 ,but   
before we condemn ,isaac1 or think the  
historian has not given a full account  
of his love for ,esau1 let us ask what  
we have noticed about the growth and    
decay of our own affections4 ,we are    
ashamed of ,isaac2 but have we not also 
been sometimes ashamed of ourselves on  
seeing that our affections are          
powerfully influenced by the            
gratification of tastes almost or quite 
as low as this of ,isaac's8 ,he who     
cunningly panders to our taste for      
applause1 he who purveys for us some    
sweet morsel of scandal1 he who flatters
 or amuses us1 straightway takes a place
 in our affections which we do not      
accord to men of much finer parts1 but  
who do not so minister to our sordid    
appetites4  ,the character of ,jacob is 
easily understood4 ,it has frequently   
been remarked of him that he is         

thoroughly a ,jew1 that in him you find 
the good and bad features of the ,jewish
 character very prominent and           
conspicuous4 ,he has that mingling of   
craft and endurance which has enabled   
his descendants to use for their own    
ends those who have wronged and         
persecuted them4 ,the ,jew has1 with    
some justice and some injustice1 been   
credited with an obstinate and          
unscrupulous resolution to forward his  
own interests1 and there can be no      
question that in this respect ,jacob is 
the typical ,jew--ruthlessly taking     
advantage of his brother1 watching and  
waiting till he was sure of his victim2 
deceiving his blind father1 and robbing 
him of what he had intended for his     
favourite son2 outwitting the grasping  
,laban1 and making at least his own out 
of all attempts to rob him2 unable to   
meet his brother without stratagem2 not 
forgetting prudence even when the honour
 of his family is stained2 and not      
thrown off his guard even by his true   

and deep affection for ,joseph4 ,yet1   
while one recoils from this craftiness  
and management1 one cannot but admire   
the quiet force of character1 the       
indomitable tenacity1 and1 above all1   
the capacity for warm affection and     
lasting attachments1 that he showed     
throughout4  ,but the quality which     
chiefly distinguished ,jacob from his   
hunting and marauding brother was his   
desire for the friendship of ,god and   
sensibility to spiritual influences4 ,it
 may have been ,jacob's consciousness of
 his own meanness that led him to crave 
connection with some ,being or with some
 prospect that might ennoble his nature 
and lift him above his innate           
disposition4 ,it is an old1 old truth   
that not many noble are called2 and1    
seeing quite as plainly as others see   
their feebleness and meanness1 the      
ignoble conceive a self-loathing which  
is sometimes the beginning of an        
unquenchable thirst for the high and    
holy ,god4 ,the consciousness of your   

bad1 poor nature may revive within you  
day by day1 as the remembrance of       
physical weakness returns to the invalid
 with every morning's light2 but to what
 else can ,god so effectively appeal    
when he offers you present fellowship   
with ,himself and eventual conformity to
 ,his own nature8  ,it has been pointed 
out that the weakness in ,esau's        
character which makes him so striking a 
contrast to his brother is his          
inconstancy4                            
,that one error     ,fills him with     
faults2 makes him run through all the   
sins4  ,constancy1 persistence1 dogged  
tenacity is certainly the striking      
feature of ,jacob's character4 ,he could
 wait and bide his time2 he could retain
 one purpose year after year till it was
 accomplished4 ,the very motto of his   
life was1 ,i will not let ,thee go      
except ,thou bless me4 ,he watched for  
,esau's weak moment1 and took advantage 
of it4 ,he served fourteen years for the
 woman he loved1 and no hardship        

quenched his love4 ,nay1 when a whole   
lifetime intervened1 and he lay dying in
 ,egypt1 his constant heart still turned
 to ,rachel1 as if he had parted with   
her but yesterday4 ,in contrast with    
this tenacious1 constant character      
stands ,esau1 led by impulse1 betrayed  
by appetite1 everything by turns and    
nothing long4 ,to-day despising his     
birthright1 to-morrow breaking his heart
 for its loss2 to-day vowing he will    
murder his brother1 to-morrow falling on
 his neck and kissing him2 a man you    
cannot reckon upon1 and of too shallow a
 nature for anything to root itself     
deeply in4  ,the event in which the     
contrasted characters of the twin       
brothers were most decisively shown1 so 
decisively shown that their destinies   
were fixed by it1 was an incident which1
 in its external circumstances1 was of  
the most ordinary and trivial kind4     
,esau came in hungry from hunting3 from 
dawn to dusk he had been taxing his     
strength to the utmost1 too eagerly     

absorbed to notice either his distance  
from home or his hunger2 it is only when
 he begins to return depressed by the   
ill-luck of the day1 and with nothing   
now to stimulate him1 that he feels     
faint2 and when at last he reaches his  
father's tents1 and the savoury smell of
 ,jacob's lentiles greets him1 his      
ravenous appetite becomes an intolerable
 craving1 and he begs ,jacob to give him
 some of his food4 ,had ,jacob done so  
with brotherly feeling there would have 
been nothing to record4 ,but ,jacob had 
long been watching for an opportunity to
 win his brother's birthright1 and      
though no one could have supposed that  
an heir to even a little property would 
sell it in order to get a meal five     
minutes sooner than he could otherwise  
get it1 ,jacob had taken his brother's  
measure to a nicety1 and was confident  
that present appetite would in ,esau    
completely extinguish every other       
thought4  ,it is perhaps worth noticing 
that the birthright in ,ishmael's line1 

the guardianship of the temple at       
,mecca1 passed from one branch of the   
family to another in a precisely similar
 way4 ,we read that when the            
guardianship of the temple and the      
governorship of the town fell into the  
hands of ,abu ,gabshan1 a weak and silly
 man1 ,cosa1 one of ,mohammed's         
ancestors1 circumvented him while in a  
drunken humour1 and bought of him the   
keys of the temple1 and with them the   
presidency of it1 for a bottle of wine4 
,but ,abu ,gabshan being gotten out of  
his drunken fit1 sufficiently repented  
of his foolish bargain2 from whence grew
 these proverbs among the ,arabs3 ,more 
vexed with late repentance than ,abu    
,gabshan2 and1 ,more silly than ,abu    
,gabshan--which are usually said of     
those who part with a thing of great    
moment for a small matter4  ,which      
brother presents the more repulsive     
spectacle of the two in this selling of 
the birthright it is hard to say4 ,who  
does not feel contempt for the great1   

strong man1 declaring he will die if he 
is required to wait five minutes till   
his own supper is prepared2 forgetting1 
in the craving of his appetite1 every   
consideration of a worthy kind2         
oblivious of everything but his hunger  
and his food2 crying1 like a great baby1
 ,feed me with that red6 ,so it is      
always with the man who has fallen under
 the power of sensual appetite4 ,he is  
always going to die if it is not        
immediately gratified4 ,he must have his
 appetite satisfied4 ,no consideration  
of consequences can be listened to or   
thought of2 the man is helpless in the  
hands of his appetite--it rules and     
drives him on1 and he is utterly without
 self-control2 nothing but physical     
compulsion can restrain him4  ,but the  
treacherous and self-seeking craft of   
the other brother is as repulsive2 the  
cold-blooded1 calculating spirit that   
can hold every appetite in check1 that  
can cleave to one purpose for a         
life-time1 and1 without scruple1 take   

advantage of a twin-brother's weakness4 
,jacob knows his brother thoroughly1 and
 all his knowledge he uses to betray    
him4 ,he knows he will speedily repent  
of his bargain1 so he makes him swear he
 will abide by it4 ,it is a relentless  
purpose he carries out--he deliberately 
and unhesitatingly sacrifices his       
brother to himself4  ,still1 in two     
respects1 ,jacob is the superior man4   
,he can appreciate the birthright in his
 father's family1 and he has constancy4 
,esau might be a pleasant companion1 far
 brighter and more vivacious than ,jacob
 on a day's hunting2 free and           
open-handed1 and not implacable2 and yet
 such people are not satisfactory       
friends4 ,often the most attractive     
people have similar inconstancy2 they   
have a superficial vivacity1 and        
brilliance1 and charm1 and good-nature1 
which invite a friendship they do not   
deserve4  ,parents frequently make the  
mistake of ,isaac1 and think more highly
 of the gay1 sparkling1 but shallow     

child1 than of the child who cannot be  
always smiling1 but broods over what he 
conceives to be his wrongs4 ,sulkiness  
is itself not a pleasing feature in a   
child's character1 but it may only be   
the childish expression of constancy1   
and of a depth of character which is    
slow to let go any impression made upon 
it4 ,on the other hand1 frankness and a 
quick throwing aside of passion and     
resentment are pleasing features in a   
child1 but often these are only the     
expressions of a fickle character1      
rapidly changing from sun to shower like
 an ,april day1 and not to be trusted   
for retaining affection or good         
impressions any longer than it retains  
resentment4  ,but ,esau's despising of  
his birthright is that which stamps the 
man and makes him interesting to each   
generation4 ,no one can read the simple 
account of his reckless act without     
feeling how justly we are called upon to
 look diligently lest there be among us 
any profane person as ,esau1 who1 for   

one morsel of meat1 sold his birthright4
 ,had the birthright been something to  
eat1 ,esau would not have sold it4 ,what
 an exhibition of human nature6 ,what an
 exposure of our childish folly and the 
infatuation of appetite6 ,for ,esau has 
company in his fall4 ,we are all        
stricken by his shame4 ,we are conscious
 that if ,god had made provision for the
 flesh we should have listened to ,him  
more readily4 ,but what will this       
birthright profit us8 ,we do not see the
 good it does3 were it something to keep
 us from disease1 to give us long       
unsated days of pleasure1 to bring us   
the fruits of labour without the        
weariness of it1 to make money for us1  
where is the man who would not value    
it--where is the man who would lightly  
give it up8 ,but because it is only the 
favour of ,god that is offered1 ,his    
endless love1 ,his holiness made ours1  
this we will imperil or resign for every
 idle desire1 for every lust that bids  
us serve it a little longer4 ,born the  

sons of ,god1 made in ,his image1       
introduced to a birthright angels might 
covet1 we yet prefer to rank with the   
beasts of the field1 and let our souls  
starve if only our bodies be well tended
 and cared for4  ,there is in ,esau's   
conduct and after-experience so much to 
stir serious thought1 that one always   
feels reluctant to pass from it1 and as 
if much more ought to be made of it4 ,it
 reflects so many features of our own   
conduct1 and so clearly shows us what we
 are from day to day liable to1 that we 
would wish to take it with us through   
life as a perpetual admonition4 ,who    
does not know of those moments of       
weakness1 when we are fagged with work1 
and with our physical energy our moral  
tone has become relaxed8 ,who does not  
know how1 in hours of reaction from keen
 and exciting engagements1 sensual      
appetite asserts itself1 and with what  
petulance we inwardly cry1 ,we shall die
 if we do not get this or that paltry   
gratification8 ,we are1 for the most    

part1 inconstant as ,esau1 full of good 
resolves to-day1 and to-morrow throwing 
them to the winds--to-day proud of the  
arduousness of our calling1 and girding 
ourselves to self-control and           
self-denial1 to-morrow sinking back to  
softness and self-indulgence4 ,not once 
as ,esau1 but again and again we barter 
peace of conscience and fellowship with 
,god and the hope of holiness1 for what 
is1 in simple fact1 no more than a bowl 
of pottage4 ,even after recognising our 
weakness and the lowness of our tastes1 
and after repenting with self-loathing  
and misery1 some slight pleasure is     
enough to upset our steadfast mind1 and 
make us as plastic as clay in the hand  
of circumstances4 ,it is with positive  
dismay one considers the weakness and   
blindness of our hours of appetite and  
passion3 how one goes then like an ox to
 the slaughter1 all unconscious of the  
pitfalls that betray and destroy men1   
and how at any moment we ourselves may  
truly sell our birthright4     ,,xxi4   

,,jacob',s ,,fraud4  ,,genesis xxvii4   
,the counsel of the ,lord standeth for  
ever4--,,psalm xxxiii4 #aa4   ,there are
 some families whose miserable existence
 is almost entirely made up of malicious
 plottings and counter-plottings1 little
 mischievous designs1 and spiteful      
triumphs of one member or party in the  
family over the other4 ,it is not       
pleasant to have the veil withdrawn1 and
 to see that where love and eager       
self-sacrifice might be expected their  
places are occupied by an eager         
assertion of rights1 and a cold1 proud1 
and always petty and stupid1 nursing of 
some supposed injury4 ,in the story told
 us so graphically in this page1 we see 
the family whom ,god has blessed sunk to
 this low level1 and betrayed by family 
jealousies into unseemly strife on the  
most sacred ground4 ,each member of the 
family plans his own wicked device1 and 
,god by the evil of one defeats the evil
 of another1 and saves ,his own purpose 
to bless the race from being frittered  

away and lost4 ,and it is told us in    
order that1 amidst all this mess of     
human craft and selfishness1 the        
righteousness and stability of ,god's   
word of promise may be more vividly     
seen4 ,let us look at the sin of each of
 the parties in order1 and the          
punishment of each4  ,in the ,epistle to
 the ,hebrews ,isaac is commended for   
his faith in blessing his sons4 ,it was 
commendable in him that1 in great bodily
 weakness1 he still believed himself to 
be the guardian of ,god's blessing1 and 
recognised that he had a great          
inheritance to bequeath to his sons4    
,but1 in unaccountable and inconsistent 
contempt of ,god's expressed purpose1 he
 proposes to hand over this blessing to 
,esau4 ,many things had occurred to fix 
his attention upon the fact that ,esau  
was not to be his heir4 ,esau had sold  
his birthright1 and had married ,hittite
 women1 and his whole conduct was1 no   
doubt1 of a piece with this1 and showed 
that1 in his hands1 any spiritual       

inheritance would be both unsafe and    
unappreciated4 ,that ,isaac had some    
notion he was doing wrong in giving to  
,esau what belonged to ,god1 and what   
,god meant to give to ,jacob1 is shown  
from his precipitation in bestowing the 
blessing4 ,he has no feeling that he is 
authorized by ,god1 and therefore he    
cannot wait calmly till ,god should     
intimate1 by unmistakable signs1 that he
 is near his end2 but1 seized with a    
panic lest his favourite should somehow 
be left unblessed1 he feels1 in his     
nervous alarm1 as if he were at the     
point of death1 and1 though destined to 
live for forty-three years longer1 he   
calls ,esau that he may hand over to him
 his dying testament4 ,how different is 
the nerve of a man when he knows he is  
doing ,god's will1 and when he is but   
fulfilling his own device4 ,for the same
 reason1 he has to stimulate his spirit 
by artificial means4 ,the prophetic     
ecstasy is not felt by him2 he must be  
exhilarated by venison and wine1 that1  

strengthened and revived in body1 and   
having his gratitude aroused afresh     
towards ,esau1 he may bless him with all
 the greater vigour4 ,the final stimulus
 is given when he smells the garments of
 ,esau on ,jacob1 and when that fresh   
earthy smell which so revives us in     
spring1 as if our life were renewed with
 the year1 and which hangs about one who
 has been in the open air1 entered into 
,isaac's blood1 and lent him fresh      
vigour4  ,it is a strange and1 in some  
respects1 perplexing spectacle that is  
here presented to us--the organ of the  
,divine blessing represented by a blind 
old man1 laid on a couch of skins1      
stimulated by meat and wine1 and trying 
to cheat ,god by bestowing the family   
blessing on the son of his own choice to
 the exclusion of the divinely-appointed
 heir4 ,out of such beginnings had ,god 
to educate a people worthy of ,himself1 
and through such hazards had ,he to     
guide the spiritual blessing ,he        
designed to convey to us all4  ,isaac   

laid a net for his own feet4 ,by his    
unrighteous and timorous haste he       
secured the defeat of his own           
long-cherished scheme4 ,it was his      
hasting to bless ,esau which drove      
,rebekah to checkmate him by winning the
 blessing for her favourite4 ,the shock 
which ,isaac felt when ,esau came in and
 the fraud was discovered is easily     
understood4 ,the mortification of the   
old man must have been extreme when he  
found that he had so completely taken   
himself in4 ,he was reclining in the    
satisfied reflection that for once he   
had overreached his astute ,rebekah and 
her astute son1 and in the comfortable  
feeling that1 at last1 he had           
accomplished his one remaining desire1  
when he learns from the exceeding bitter
 cry of ,esau that he has himself been  
duped4 ,it was enough to rouse the anger
 of the mildest and godliest of men1 but
 ,isaac does not storm and protest--he  
trembles exceedingly4 ,he recognises1 by
 a spiritual insight quite unknown to   

,esau1 that this is ,god's hand1 and    
deliberately confirms1 with his eyes    
open1 what he had done in blindness3 ,i 
have blessed him3 ,yea1 and he shall be 
blessed4 ,had he wished to deny the     
validity of the blessing1 he had ground 
enough for doing so4 ,he had not really 
given it3 it had been stolen from him4  
,an act must be judged by its intention1
 and he had been far from intending to  
bless ,jacob4 ,was he to consider       
himself bound by what he had done under 
a misapprehension8 ,he had given a      
blessing to one person under the        
impression that he was a different      
person2 must not the blessing go to him 
for whom it was designed8 ,but ,isaac   
unhesitatingly yielded4  ,this clear    
recognition of ,god's hand in the       
matter1 and quick submission to ,him1   
reveals a habit of reflection1 and a    
spiritual thoughtfulness1 which are the 
good qualities in ,isaac's otherwise    
unsatisfactory character4 ,before he    
finished his answer to ,esau1 he felt he

 was a poor feeble creature in the hand 
of a true and just ,god1 who had used   
even his infirmity and sin to forward   
righteous and gracious ends4 ,it was his
 sudden recognition of the frightful way
 in which he had been tampering with    
,god's will1 and of the grace with which
 ,god had prevented him from            
accomplishing a wrong destination of the
 inheritance1 that made ,isaac tremble  
very exceedingly4  ,in this humble      
acceptance of the disappointment of his 
life's love and hope1 ,isaac shows us   
the manner in which we ought to bear the
 consequences of our wrong-doing4 ,the  
punishment of our sin often comes       
through the persons with whom we have to
 do1 unintentionally on their part1 and 
yet we are tempted to hate them because 
they pain and punish us1 father1 mother1
 wife1 child1 or whoever else4 ,isaac   
and ,esau were alike disappointed4 ,esau
 only saw the supplanter1 and vowed to  
be revenged4 ,isaac saw ,god in the     
matter1 and trembled4 ,so when ,shimei  

cursed ,david1 and his loyal retainers  
would have cut off his head for so      
doing1 ,david said1 ,let him alone1 and 
let him curse3 it may be that the ,lord 
hath bidden him4 ,we can bear the pain  
inflicted on us by men when we see that 
they are merely the instruments of a    
divine chastisement4 ,the persons who   
thwart us and make our life bitter1 the 
persons who stand between us and our    
dearest hopes1 the persons whom we are  
most disposed to speak angrily and      
bitterly to1 are often thorns planted in
 our path by ,god to keep us on the     
right way4  ,isaac's sin propagated     
itself with the rapid multiplication of 
all sin4 ,rebekah overheard what passed 
between ,isaac and ,esau1 and although  
she might have been able to wait until  
by fair means ,jacob received the       
blessing1 yet when she sees ,isaac      
actually preparing to pass ,jacob by and
 bless ,esau1 her fears are so excited  
that she cannot any longer quietly leave
 the matter in ,god's hand1 but must    

lend her own more skilful management4   
,it may have crossed her mind that she  
was justified in forwarding what she    
knew to be ,god's purpose4 ,she saw no  
other way of saving ,god's purpose and  
,jacob's rights than by her             
interference4 ,the emergency might have 
unnerved many a woman1 but ,rebekah is  
equal to the occasion4 ,she makes the   
threatened exclusion of ,jacob the very 
means for at last finally settling the  
inheritance upon him4 ,she braves the   
indignation of ,isaac and the rage of   
,esau1 and fearless herself1 and        
confident of success1 she soon quiets   
the timorous and cautious objections of 
,jacob4 ,she knows that for             
straightforward lying and acting a part 
she was sure of good support in ,jacob4 
,luther says1 ,had it been me1 ,i'd have
 dropped the dish4 ,but ,jacob had no   
such tremors--could submit his hands and
 face to the touch of ,isaac1 and repeat
 his lie as often as needful4  ,an old  
man bedridden like ,isaac becomes the   

subject of a number of little deceptions
 which may seem1 and which may be1 very 
unimportant in themselves1 but which are
 seen to wear down the reverence due to 
the father of a family1 and which       
imperceptibly sap the guileless         
sincerity and truthfulness of those who 
practise them4 ,this overreaching of    
,isaac by dressing ,jacob in ,esau's    
clothes1 might come in naturally as one 
of those daily deceptions which ,rebekah
 was accustomed to practise on the old  
man whom she kept quite in her own hand1
 giving him as much or as little insight
 into the doings of the family as seemed
 advisable to her4 ,it would never occur
 to her that she was taking ,god in     
hand2 it would seem only as if she were 
making such use of ,isaac's infirmity as
 she was in the daily practice of doing4
  ,but to account for an act is not to  
excuse it4 ,underlying the conduct of   
,rebekah and ,jacob was the conviction  
that they would come better speed by a  
little deceit of their own than by      

suffering ,god to further them in ,his  
own way--that though ,god would         
certainly not practise deception        
,himself1 ,he might not object to others
 doing so--that in this emergency       
holiness was a hampering thing which    
might just for a little be laid aside   
that they might be more holy            
afterwards--that though no doubt in     
ordinary circumstances1 and as a normal 
habit1 deceit is not to be commended1   
yet in cases of difficulty1 which call  
for ready wit1 a prompt seizure1 and    
delicate handling1 men must be allowed  
to secure their ends in their own way4  
,their unbelief thus directly produced  
immorality--immorality of a very        
revolting kind1 the defrauding of their 
relatives1 and repulsive also because   
practised as if on ,god's side1 or1 as  
we should now say1 in the interests of  
religion4  ,to this day the method of   
,rebekah and ,jacob is largely adopted  
by religious persons4 ,it is notorious  
that persons whose ends are good        

frequently become thoroughly            
unscrupulous about the means they use to
 accomplish them4 ,they dare not say in 
so many words that they may do evil that
 good may come1 nor do they think it a  
tenable position in morals that the end 
sanctifies the means2 and yet their     
consciousness of a justifiable and      
desirable end undoubtedly does blunt    
their sensitiveness regarding the       
legitimacy of the means they employ4    
,for example1 ,protestant               
controversialists1 persuaded that       
vehement opposition to ,popery is good1 
and filled with the idea of             
accomplishing its downfall1 are often   
guilty of gross misrepresentation1      
because they do not sufficiently inform 
themselves of the actual tenets and     
practices of the ,church of ,rome4 ,in  
all controversy1 religious and          
political1 it is the same4 ,it is always
 dishonest to circulate reports that you
 have no means of authenticating3 yet   
how freely are such reports circulated  

to blacken the character of an opponent1
 and to prove his opinions to be        
dangerous4 ,it is always dishonest to   
condemn opinions we have not inquired   
into1 merely because of some fancied    
consequence which these opinions carry  
in them3 yet how freely are opinions    
condemned by men who have never been at 
the trouble carefully to inquire into   
their truth4 ,they do not feel the      
dishonesty of their position1 because   
they have a general consciousness that  
they are on the side of religion1 and of
 what has generally passed for truth4   
,all keeping back of facts which are    
supposed to have an unsettling effect is
 but a repetition of this sin4 ,there is
 no sin more hateful4 ,under the        
appearance of serving ,god1 and         
maintaining ,his cause in the world1 it 
insults ,him by assuming that if the    
whole bare1 undisguised truth were      
spoken1 ,his cause would suffer4  ,the  
fate of all such attempts to manage     
,god's matters by keeping things dark1  

and misrepresenting fact1 is written for
 all who care to understand in the      
results of this scheme of ,rebekah's and
 ,jacob's4 ,they gained nothing1 and    
they lost a great deal1 by their wicked 
interference4 ,they gained nothing2 for 
,god had promised that the birthright   
would be ,jacob's1 and would have given 
it him in some way redounding to his    
credit and not to his shame4 ,and they  
lost a great deal4 ,the mother lost her 
son2 ,jacob had to flee for his life1   
and1 for all we know1 ,rebekah never saw
 him more4 ,and ,jacob lost all the     
comforts of home1 and all those         
possessions his father had accumulated4 
,he had to flee with nothing but his    
staff1 an outcast to begin the world for
 himself4 ,from this first false step   
onwards to his death1 he was pursued by 
misfortune1 until his own verdict on his
 life was1 ,few and evil have been the  
days of the years of my life4  ,thus    
severely was the sin of ,rebekah and    
,jacob punished4 ,it coloured their     

whole after-life with a deep sombre hue4
 ,it was marked thus1 because it was a  
sin by all means to be avoided4 ,it was 
virtually the sin of blaming ,god for   
forgetting ,his promise1 or of accusing 
,him of being unable to perform it3 so  
that they1 ,rebekah and ,jacob1 had1    
forsooth1 to take ,god's work out of    
,his hands1 and show ,him how it ought  
to be done4 ,the announcement of ,god's 
purpose1 instead of enabling them       
quietly to wait for a blessing they knew
 to be certain1 became in their         
unrighteous and impatient hearts        
actually an inducement to sin4 ,abraham 
was so bold and confident in his faith1 
at least latterly1 that again and again 
he refused to take as a gift from men1  
and on the most honourable terms1 what  
,god had promised to give him3 his      
grandson is so little sure of ,god's    
truth1 that he will rather trust his own
 falsehood2 and what he thinks ,god may 
forget to give him1 he will steal from  
his own father4 ,some persons have      

especial need to consider this sin--they
 are tempted to play the part of        
,providence1 to intermeddle where they  
ought to refrain4 ,sometimes just a     
little thing is needed to make          
everything go to our liking--the keeping
 back of one small fact1 a slight       
variation in the way of stating the     
matter1 is enough--things want just a   
little push in the right direction2 it  
is wrong but very slightly so4 ,and so  
they are encouraged to close for a      
moment their eyes and put to their hand4
  ,of all the parties in this           
transaction none is more to blame than  
,esau4 ,he shows now how selfish and    
untruthful the sensual man really is1   
and how worthless is the generosity     
which is merely of impulse and not      
bottomed on principle4 ,while he so     
furiously and bitterly blamed ,jacob for
 supplanting him1 it might surely have  
occurred to him that it was really he   
who was supplanting ,jacob4 ,he had no  
right1 divine or human1 to the          

inheritance4 ,god had never said that   
,his possession should go to the oldest1
 and had in this case said the express  
opposite4 ,besides1 inconstant as ,esau 
was1 he could scarcely have forgotten   
the bargain that so pleased him at the  
time1 and by which he had sold to his   
younger brother all title to his        
father's blessings4 ,jacob was to blame 
for seeking to win his own by craft1 but
 ,esau was more to blame for            
endeavouring furtively to recover what  
he knew to be no longer his4 ,his bitter
 cry was the cry of a disappointed and  
enraged child1 what ,hosea calls the    
howl of those who seem to seek the      
,lord1 but are really merely crying out1
 like animals1 for corn and wine4 ,many 
that care very little for ,god's love   
will seek ,his favours2 and every wicked
 wretch who has in his prosperity       
spurned ,god's offers1 will1 when he    
sees how he has cheated himself1 turn to
 ,god's gifts1 though not to ,god1 with 
a cry4 ,esau would now very gladly have 

given a mess of pottage for the blessing
 that secured to its receiver the dew of
 heaven1 the fatness of the earth1 and  
plenty of corn and wine4 ,like many     
another sinner1 he wanted both to eat   
his cake and have it4 ,he wanted to     
spend his youth sowing to the flesh1 and
 have the harvest which those only can  
have who have sown to the spirit4 ,he   
wished both of two irreconcilable       
things--both the red pottage and the    
birth right4 ,he is a type of those who 
think very lightly of spiritual         
blessings while their appetites are     
strong1 but afterwards bitterly complain
 that their whole life is filled with   
the results of sowing to the flesh and  
not to the spirit4      ,we barter life 
for pottage2 sell true bliss       ,for 
wealth or power1 for pleasure or renown2
     ,thus1 ,esau-like1 our ,father's   
blessing miss1       ,then wash with    
fruitless tears our faded crown4  ,the  
words of the ,new ,testament1 in which  
it is said that ,esau found no place for

 repentance1 though he sought it        
carefully with tears1 are sometimes     
misunderstood4 ,they do not mean that he
 sought what we ordinarily call         
repentance1 a change of mind about the  
value of the birthright4 ,he had that2  
it was this that made him weep4 ,what he
 sought now was some means of undoing   
what he had done1 of cancelling the deed
 of which he repented4 ,his experience  
does not tell us that a man once sinning
 as ,esau sinned becomes a hardened     
reprobate whom no good influence can    
impress or bring to repentance1 but it  
says that the sin so committed leaves   
irreparable consequences--that no man   
can live a youth of folly and yet find  
as much in manhood and maturer years as 
if he had lived a careful and           
,god-fearing youth4 ,esau had           
irrecoverably lost that which he would  
now have given all he had to possess2   
and in this1 ,i suppose1 he represents  
half the men who pass through this      
world4 ,he warns us that it is very     

possible1 by careless yielding to       
appetite and passing whim1 to entangle  
ourselves irrecoverably for this life1  
if not to weaken and maim ourselves for 
eternity4 ,at the time1 your act may    
seem a very small and secular one1 a    
mere bargain in the ordinary course1 a  
little transaction such as one would    
enter into carelessly after the day's   
work is over1 in the quiet of a summer  
evening or in the midst of the family   
circle2 or it may seem so necessary that
 you never think of its moral qualities1
 as little as you question whether you  
are justified in breathing2 but you are 
warned that if there be in that act a   
crushing out of spiritual hopes to make 
way for the free enjoyment of the       
pleasures of sense--if there be a       
deliberate preference of the good things
 of this life to the love of ,god--if1  
knowingly1 you make light of spiritual  
blessings1 and count them unreal when   
weighed against obvious worldly         
advantages--then the consequences of    

that act will in this life bring to you 
great discomfort and uneasiness1 great  
loss and vexation1 an agony of remorse1 
and a life-long repentance4 ,you are    
warned of this1 and most touchingly1 by 
the moving entreaties1 the bitter cries 
and tears of ,esau4  ,but even when our 
life is spoiled irreparably1 a hope     
remains for our character and           
ourselves--not certainly if our         
misfortunes embitter us1 not if         
resentment is the chief result of our   
suffering2 but if1 subduing resentment1 
and taking blame to ourselves instead of
 trying to fix it on others1 we take    
revenge upon the real source of our     
undoing1 and extirpate from our own     
character the root of bitterness4       
,painful and difficult is such          
schooling4 ,it calls for simplicity1 and
 humility1 and truthfulness--qualities  
not of frequent occurrence4 ,it calls   
for abiding patience2 for he who begins 
thus to sow to the spirit late in life1 
must be content with inward fruits1 with

 peace of conscience1 increase of       
righteousness and humility1 and must    
learn to live without much of what all  
men naturally desire4  ,while each      
member of ,isaac's family has thus his  
own plan1 and is striving to fulfil his 
private intention1 the result is1 that  
,god's purpose is fulfilled4 ,in the    
human agency1 such faith in ,god as     
existed was overlaid with               
misunderstanding and distrust of ,god4  
,but notwithstanding the petty and mean 
devices1 the short-sighted slyness1 the 
blundering unbelief1 the profane        
worldliness of the human parties in the 
transaction1 the truth and mercy of ,god
 still find a way for themselves4 ,were 
matters left in our hands1 we should    
make shipwreck even of the salvation    
with which we are provided4 ,we carry   
into our dealings with it the same      
selfishness1 and inconstancy1 and       
worldliness which made it necessary3 and
 had not ,god patience to bear with1 as 
well as mercy to invite us2 had ,he not 

wisdom to govern us in the use of ,his  
grace1 as well as wisdom to contrive its
 first bestowal1 we should perish with  
the water of life at our lips4          
,,xxii4  ,,jacob',s ,,flight ,,and      
,,dream4  ,,genesis xxvii4 #da-xxviii4  
,so foolish was ,i1 and ignorant3 ,i was
 as a beast before ,thee4               
,nevertheless ,i am continually with    
,thee4--,,psalm lxxiii4 #bb4   ,it is so
 commonly observed as to be scarcely    
worth again remarking1 that persons who 
employ a great deal of craft in the     
management of their affairs are         
invariably entrapped in their own net4  
,life is so complicated1 and every      
matter of conduct has so many issues1   
that no human brain can possibly foresee
 every contingency4 ,rebekah was a      
clever woman1 and quite competent to    
outwit men like ,isaac and ,esau1 but   
she had in her scheming neglected to    
take account of ,laban1 a man true      
brother to herself in cunning4 ,she had 
calculated on ,esau's resentment1 and   

knew it would last only a few days1 and 
this brief period she was prepared to   
utilize by sending ,jacob out of ,esau's
 reach to her own kith and kin1 from    
among whom he might get a suitable wife4
 ,but she did not reckon on ,laban's    
making her son serve fourteen years for 
his wife1 nor upon ,jacob's falling so  
deeply in love with ,rachel as to make  
him apparently forget his mother4  ,in  
the first part of her scheme she feels  
herself at home4 ,she is a woman who    
knows exactly how much of her mind to   
disclose1 so as effectually to lead her 
husband to adopt her view and plan4 ,she
 did not bluntly advise ,isaac to send  
,jacob to ,padan-aram1 but she sowed in 
his apprehensive mind fears which she   
knew would make him send ,jacob there2  
she suggested the possibility of        
,jacob's taking a wife of the daughters 
of ,heth4 ,she felt sure that ,isaac did
 not need to be told where to send his  
son to find a suitable wife4 ,so ,isaac 
called ,jacob1 and said1 ,go to         

,padan-aram1 to the house of thy        
mother's father1 and take thee a wife   
thence4 ,and he gave him the family     
blessing--,god ,almighty give thee the  
blessing of ,abraham1 to thee1 and to   
thy seed with thee--so constituting him 
his heir1 the representative of         
,abraham4  ,the effect this had on ,esau
 is very noticeable4 ,he sees1 as the   
narrative tells us1 a great many things1
 and his dull mind tries to make some   
meaning out of all that is passing      
before him4 ,the historian seems        
intentionally to satirise ,esau's       
attempt at reasoning1 and the foolish   
simplicity of the device he fell upon4  
,he had an idea that ,jacob's obedience 
in going to seek a wife of another stock
 than he had connected himself with     
would be pleasing to his parents2 and   
perhaps he had an idea that it would be 
possible to steal a march upon ,jacob in
 his absence1 and by a more speedily    
effected obedience to his parents'      
desire1 win their preference1 and       

perhaps move ,isaac to alter his will   
and reverse the blessing4 ,though living
 in the chosen family1 he seems to have 
had not the slightest idea that there   
was any higher will than his father's   
being fulfilled in their doings4 ,he    
does not yet see why he himself should  
not be as blessed as ,jacob2 he cannot  
grasp at all the distinction that grace 
makes2 cannot take in the idea that ,god
 has chosen a people to ,himself1 and   
that no natural advantage or force or   
endowment can set a man among that      
people1 but only ,god's choice4         
,accordingly1 he does not see any       
difference between ,ishmael's family and
 the chosen family2 they are both sprung
 from ,abraham1 both are naturally the  
same1 and the fact that ,god expressly  
gave ,his inheritance past ,ishmael is  
nothing to ,esau--an act of ,god has no 
meaning to him4 ,he merely sees that he 
has not pleased his parents as well as  
he might by his marriage1 and his easy  
and yielding disposition prompts him to 

remedy this4  ,this is a fine specimen  
of the hazy views men have of what will 
bring them to a level with ,god's       
chosen4 ,through their crass            
insensibility to the high righteousness 
of ,god1 there still does penetrate a   
perception that if they are to please   
,him there are certain means to be used 
for doing so4 ,there are1 they see1     
certain occupations and ways pursued by 
,christians1 and if by themselves       
adopting these they can please ,god1    
they are quite willing to humour ,him in
 this4 ,like ,esau1 they do not see     
their way to drop their old connections1
 but if by making some little additions 
to their habits1 or forming some new    
connection1 they can quiet this         
controversy that has somehow grown up   
between ,god and ,his children1--though1
 so far as they see1 it is a very       
unmeaning controversy1--they will very  
gladly enter into any little arrangement
 for the purpose4 ,we will not1 of      
course1 divorce the world1 will not     

dismiss from our homes and hearts what  
,god hates and means to destroy1 will   
not accept ,god's will as our sole and  
absolute law1 but we will so far meet   
,god's wishes as to add to what we have 
adopted something that is almost as good
 as what ,god enjoins3 we will make any 
little alterations which will not quite 
upset our present ways4 ,much commoner  
than hypocrisy is this dim-sighted1     
blundering stupidity of the really      
profane worldly man1 who thinks he can  
take rank with men whose natures ,god   
has changed1 by the mere imitation of   
some of their ways2 who thinks1 that as 
he cannot without great labour1 and     
without too seriously endangering his   
hold on the world1 do precisely what    
,god requires1 ,god may be expected to  
be satisfied with a something like it4  
,are we not aware of endeavouring at    
times to cloak a sin with some easy     
virtue1 to adopt some new and apparently
 good habit1 instead of destroying the  
sin we know ,god hates2 or to offer to  

,god1 and palm upon our own conscience1 
a mere imitation of what ,god is pleased
 with8 ,do you attend ,church1 do you   
come and decorously submit to a service8
 ,that is not at all what ,god enjoins1 
though it is like it4 ,what ,he means   
is1 that you worship ,him1 which is a   
quite different employment4 ,do you     
render to ,god some outward respect1    
have you adopted some habits in         
deference to ,him1 do you even attempt  
some private devotion and discipline of 
the spirit8 ,still what ,he requires is 
something that goes much deeper than all
 that2 namely1 that you love ,him4 ,to  
conform to one or two habits of godly   
people is not what is required of us2   
but to be at heart godly4  ,as ,jacob   
journeyed northwards1 he came1 on the   
second or third evening of his flight1  
to the hills of ,bethel4 ,as the sun was
 sinking he found himself toiling up the
 rough path which ,abraham may have     
described to him as looking like a great
 staircase of rock and crag reaching    

from earth to sky4 ,slabs of rock1 piled
 one upon another1 form the whole       
hill-side1 and to ,jacob's eye1         
accustomed to the rolling pastures of   
,beersheba1 they would appear almost    
like a structure built for superhuman   
uses1 well founded in the valley below1 
and intended to reach to unknown        
heights4 ,overtaken by darkness on this 
rugged path1 he readily finds as soft a 
bed and as good shelter as his          
shepherd-habits require1 and with his   
head on a stone and a corner of his     
dress thrown over his face to preserve  
him from the moon1 he is soon fast      
asleep4 ,but in his dreams the massive  
staircase is still before his eyes1 and 
it is no longer himself that is toiling 
up it as it leads to an unexplored      
hill-top above him1 but the angels of   
,god are ascending and descending upon  
it1 and at its top is ,jehovah ,himself4
  ,thus simply does ,god meet the       
thoughts of ,jacob1 and lead him to the 
encouragement he needed4 ,what was      

probably ,jacob's state of mind when he 
lay down on that hill-side8 ,in the     
first place1 and as he would have said  
to any man he chanced to meet1 he       
wondered what he would see when he got  
to the top of this hill2 and still more1
 as he may have said to ,rebekah1 he    
wondered what reception he would meet   
with from ,laban1 and whether he would  
ever again see his father's tents4 ,this
 vision shows him that his path leads to
 ,god1 that it is ,he who occupies the  
future2 and1 in his dream1 a voice comes
 to him3 ,i am with thee1 and will keep 
thee in all places whither thou goest1  
and will bring thee again into this     
land4 ,he had1 no doubt1 wondered much  
whether the blessing of his father was1 
after all1 so valuable a possession1    
whether it might not have been wiser to 
take a share with ,esau than to be      
driven out homeless thus4 ,god has never
 spoken to him2 he has heard his father 
speak of assurances coming to him from  
,god1 but as for him1 through all the   

long years of his life he has never     
heard what he could speak of as a voice 
of ,god4 ,but this night these doubts   
were silenced--there came to his soul an
 assurance that never departed from it4 
,he could have affirmed he heard ,god   
saying to him3 ,i am the ,lord ,god of  
thy father ,abraham1 and the ,god of    
,isaac3 the land whereon thou liest1 to 
thee will ,i give it4 ,and lastly1 all  
these thoughts probably centred in one  
deep feeling1 that he was an outcast1 a 
fugitive from justice4 ,he was glad he  
was in so solitary a place1 he was glad 
he was so far from ,esau and from every 
human eye2 and yet--what desolation of  
spirit accompanied this feeling3 there  
was no one he could bid good-night to1  
no one he could spend the evening hour  
with in quiet talk2 he was a banished   
man1 whatever fine gloss ,rebekah might 
put upon it1 and deep down in his       
conscience there was that which told him
 he was not banished without cause4     
,might not ,god also forsake him--might 

not ,god banish him1 and might he not   
find a curse pursuing him1 preventing   
man or woman from ever again looking in 
his face with pleasure8 ,such fears are 
met by the vision4 ,this desolate spot1 
unvisited by sheep or bird1 has become  
busy with life1 angels thronging the    
ample staircase4 ,here1 where he thought
 himself lonely and outcast1 he finds he
 has come to the very gate of heaven4   
,his fond mother might1 at that hour1   
have been visiting his silent tent and  
shedding ineffectual tears on his       
abandoned bed1 but he finds himself in  
the very house of ,god1 cared for by    
angels4 ,as the darkness had revealed to
 him the stars shining overhead1 so when
 the deceptive glare of waking life was 
dulled by sleep1 he saw the actual      
realities which before were hidden4  ,no
 wonder that a vision which so          
graphically showed the open             
communication between earth and heaven  
should have deeply impressed itself on  
,jacob's descendants4 ,what more        

effectual consolation could any poor    
outcast1 who felt he had spoiled his    
life1 require than the memory of this   
staircase reaching from the pillow of   
the lonely fugitive from justice up into
 the very heart of heaven8 ,how could   
any most desolate soul feel quite       
abandoned so long as the memory retained
 the vision of the angels thronging up  
and down with swift service to the      
needy8 ,how could it be even in the     
darkest hour believed that all hope was 
gone1 and that men might but curse ,god 
and die1 when the mind turned to this   
bridging of the interval between earth  
and heaven8  ,in the ,new ,testament we 
meet with an instance of the familiarity
 with this vision which true ,israelites
 enjoyed4 ,our ,lord1 in addressing     
,nathanael1 makes use of it in a way    
that proves this familiarity4 ,under his
 fig-tree1 whose broad leaves were used 
in every ,jewish garden as a screen from
 observation1 and whose branches were   
trained down so as to form an open-air  

oratory1 where secret prayer might be   
indulged in undisturbed1 ,nathanael had 
been declaring to the ,father his ways1 
his weaknesses1 his hopes4 ,and scarcely
 more astonished was ,jacob when he     
found himself the object of this angelic
 ministry on the lonely hill-side1 than 
was ,nathanael when he found how one eye
 penetrated the leafy screen1 and had   
read his thoughts and wishes4           
,apparently he had been encouraging     
himself with this vision1 for our ,lord1
 reading his thoughts1 says3 ,because ,i
 said unto thee1 ,when thou wast under  
the fig-tree ,i saw thee1 believest     
thou8 ,thou shalt see greater things    
than these--thou shalt see heaven       
opened1 and the angels of ,god ascending
 and descending upon the ,son of man4   
,this1 then1 is a vision for us even    
more than for ,jacob4 ,it has its       
fulfilment in the times after the       
,incarnation more manifestly than in    
previous times4 ,the true staircase by  
which heavenly messengers ascend and    

descend is the ,son of man4 ,it is ,he  
who really bridges the interval between 
heaven and earth1 ,god and man4 ,in ,his
 person these two are united4 ,you      
cannot tell whether ,christ is more     
,divine or human1 more ,god or          
man--solidly based on earth1 as this    
massive staircase1 by ,his real         
humanity1 by ,his thirty-three years'   
engagement in all human functions and   
all experiences of this life1 ,he is yet
 familiar with eternity1 ,his name is   
,he that came down from heaven1 and if  
your eye follows step by step to the    
heights of ,his person1 it rests at last
 on what you recognise as ,divine4 ,his 
love it is that is wide enough to       
embrace ,god on the one hand1 and the   
lowest sinner on the other4 ,truly ,he  
is the way1 the stair1 leading from the 
lowest depth of earth to the highest    
height of heaven4 ,in ,him you find a   
love that embraces you as you are1 in   
whatever condition1 however cast down   
and defeated1 however embittered and    

polluted--a love that stoops tenderly to
 you and hopefully1 and gives you once  
more a hold upon holiness and life1 and 
in that very love unfolds to you the    
highest glory of heaven and of ,god4    
,when this comes home to a man in the   
hour of his need1 it becomes the most   
arousing revelation4 ,he springs from   
the troubled slumber we call life1 and  
all earth wears a new glory and awe to  
him4 ,he exclaims with ,jacob1 ,how     
dreadful is this place4 ,surely the     
,lord is in this place1 and ,i knew it  
not4 ,the world that had been so bleak  
and empty to him1 is filled with a      
majestic vital presence4 ,jacob is no   
longer a mere fugitive from the results 
of his own sin1 a shepherd in search of 
employment1 a man setting out in the    
world to try his fortune2 he is the     
partner with ,god in the fulfilment of a
 ,divine purpose4 ,and such is the      
change that passes on every man who     
believes in the ,incarnation1 who feels 
himself to be connected with ,god by    

,jesus ,christ2 he recognises the       
,divine intention to uplift his life1   
and to fill it with new hopes and       
purposes4 ,he feels that humanity is    
consecrated by the entrance of the ,son 
of ,god into it3 he feels that all human
 life is holy ground since the ,lord    
,himself has passed through it4 ,having 
once had this vision of ,god and man    
united in ,christ1 life cannot any more 
be to him the poor1 dreary1 commonplace1
 wretched round of secular duties and   
short-lived joys and terribly punished  
sins it was before3 but it truly becomes
 the very gate of heaven2 from each part
 of it he knows there is a staircase    
rising to the presence of ,god1 and that
 out of the region of pure holiness and 
justice there flow to him heavenly aids1
 tender guidance1 and encouragement4    
,do you think the idea of the           
,incarnation too aerial and speculative 
to carry with you for help in rough1    
practical matters8 ,the ,incarnation is 
not a mere idea1 but a fact as          

substantial and solidly rooted in life  
as anything you have to do with4 ,even  
the shadow of it ,jacob saw carried in  
it so much of what was real that when he
 was broad awake he trusted it and acted
 on it4 ,it was not scattered by the    
chill of the morning air1 nor by that   
fixed staring reality which external    
nature assumes in the gray dawn as one  
object after another shows itself in the
 same spot and form in which night had  
fallen upon it4 ,there were no angels   
visible when he opened his eyes2 the    
staircase was there1 but it was of no   
heavenly substance1 and if it had any   
secret to tell1 it coldly and darkly    
kept it4 ,there was no retreat for the  
runaway from the poor common facts of   
yesterday4 ,the sky seemed as far from  
earth as it did yesterday1 his track    
over the hill as lonely1 his brother's  
wrath as real2--but other things also   
had become real2 and as he looked back  
from the top of the hill on the stone he
 had set up1 he felt the words1 ,i am   

with thee in all places whither thou    
goest1 graven on his heart1 and giving  
him new courage2 and he knew that every 
footfall of his was making a ,bethel1   
and that as he went he was carrying ,god
 through the world4 ,the bleakest rains 
that swept across the hills of ,bethel  
could never wash out of his mind the    
vision of bright-winged angels1 as      
little as they could wash off the oil or
 wear down the stone he had set up4 ,the
 brightest glare of this world's heyday 
of real life could not outshine and     
cause them to disappear2 and the vision 
on which we hope is not one that        
vanishes at cock-crow1 nor is ,he who   
connects us with ,god shy of human      
handling1 but substantial as ourselves4 
,he offered ,himself to every kind of   
test1 so that those who knew ,him for   
years could say1 with the most absolute 
confidence1 ,that which we have heard1  
which we have seen with our eyes1 which 
we have looked upon1 and our hands have 
handled of the ,word of ,life 444       

declare we unto you1 that ye also may   
have fellowship with us3 and truly our  
fellowship is with the ,father1 and with
 ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ4  ,jacob      
obeyed a good instinct when he set up as
 a monumental stone that which had      
served as his pillow while he dreamt and
 saw this inspiring vision4 ,he felt    
that1 vivid as the impression on his    
mind then was1 it would tend to fade1   
and he erected this stone that in after 
days he might have a witness that would 
testify to his present assurance4 ,one  
great secret in the growth of character 
is the art of prolonging the quickening 
power of right ideas1 of perpetuating   
just and inspiring impressions4 ,and he 
who despises the aid of all external    
helps for the accomplishment of this    
object is not likely to succeed4        
,religion1 some men say1 is an inward   
thing3 it does not consist of public    
worship1 ordinances1 and so forth1 but  
it is a state of spirit4 ,very true2 but
 he knows little of human nature who    

fancies a state of spirit can be        
maintained without the aid of external  
reminders1 presentations to eye and ear 
of central religious truths and facts4  
,we have all of us had such views of    
truth1 and such corresponding desires   
and purposes1 as would transform us were
 they only permanent4 ,but what a night 
has settled on our past1 how little have
 we found skill to prolong the benefit  
arising from particular events or       
occasions4 ,some parts of our life1     
indeed1 require no monument1 there is   
nothing there we would ever again think 
of1 if possible2 but1 alas6 these1 for  
the most part1 have erected monuments of
 their own1 to which1 as with a sad     
fascination1 our eyes are ever          
turning--persons we have injured1 or    
who1 somehow1 so remind us of sin1 that 
we shrink from meeting them--places to  
which sins of ours have attached a      
reproachful meaning4 ,and these natural 
monuments must be imitated in the life  
of grace4 ,by fixed hours of worship1 by

 rules and habits of devotion1 by public
 worship1 and especially by the         
monumental ordinance of the ,lord's     
,supper1 must we cherish the memory of  
known truth1 and deepen former          
impressions4  ,to the monument ,jacob   
attached a vow1 so that when he returned
 to that spot the stone might remind him
 of the dependence on ,god he now felt1 
of the precarious situation he was in   
when this vision appeared1 and of all   
the help ,god had afterwards given him4 
,he seems to have taken up the meaning  
of that endless chain of angels         
ceaselessly coming down full of         
blessing1 and going up empty of all but 
desires1 requests1 aspirations4 ,and if 
we are to live with clean conscience and
 with heart open to ,god1 we must so    
live that the messengers who bring      
,god's blessings to us shall not have an
 evil report to take back of the manner 
in which we have received and spent ,his
 bounty4  ,this whole incident makes a  
special appeal to those who are starting

 in life4 ,jacob was no longer a young  
man1 but he was unmarried1 and he was   
going to seek employment with nothing to
 begin the world with but his shepherd's
 staff1 the symbol of his knowledge of a
 profession4 ,many must see in him a    
very exact reproduction of their own    
position4 ,they have left home1 and it  
may be they have left it not altogether 
with pleasant memories1 and they are now
 launched on the world for themselves1  
with nothing but their staff1 their     
knowledge of some business4 ,the spot   
they have reached may seem as desolate  
as the rock where ,jacob lay1 their     
prospects as doubtful as his4 ,for such 
an one there is absolutely no security  
but that which is given in the vision of
 ,jacob--in the belief that ,god will be
 with you in all places1 and that even  
now on that life which you are perhaps  
already wishing to seclude from all holy
 influences1 the angels of ,god are     
descending to bless and restrain you    
from sin4 ,happy the man who1 at the    

outset1 can heartily welcome such a     
connection of his life with ,god3       
unhappy he who welcomes whatever blots  
out the thought of heaven1 and who      
separates himself from all that reminds 
him of the good influences that throng  
his path4 ,the desire of the young heart
 to see life and know the world is      
natural and innocent1 but how many fancy
 that in seeing the lowest and poorest  
perversions of life they see life--how  
many forget that unless they keep their 
hearts pure they can never enter into   
the best and richest and most enduring  
of the uses and joys of human life4     
,even from a selfish motive and the mere
 desire to succeed in the world1 every  
one starting in life would do well to   
consider whether he really has ,jacob's 
blessing and is making his vow4 ,and    
certainly every one who has any honour1 
who is governed by any of those         
sentiments that lead men to noble and   
worthy actions1 will frankly meet ,god's
 offers and joyfully accept a heavenly  

guidance and a permanent connection with
 ,god4  ,before we dismiss this vision1 
it may be well to look at one instance  
of its fulfilment1 that we may          
understand the manner in which ,god     
fulfils ,his promises4 ,jacob's         
experience in ,haran was not so         
brilliant and unexceptionable as he     
might perhaps expect4 ,he did1 indeed1  
at once find a woman he could love1 but 
he had to purchase her with seven years'
 toil1 which ultimately became fourteen 
years4 ,he did not grudge this2 because 
it was customary1 because his affections
 were strong1 and because he was too    
independent to send to his father for   
money to buy a wife4 ,but the bitterest 
disappointment awaited him4 ,with the   
burning humiliation of one who has been 
cheated in so cruel a way1 he finds     
himself married to ,leah4 ,he protests1 
but he cannot insist on his protest1 nor
 divorce ,leah2 for1 in point of fact1  
he is conscious that he is only being   
paid in his own coin1 foiled with his   

own weapons4 ,in this veiled bride      
brought in to him on false pretences1 he
 sees the just retribution of his own   
disguise when with the hands of ,esau he
 went in and received his father's      
blessing4 ,his mouth is shut by the     
remembrance of his own past4 ,but       
submitting to this chastisement1 and    
recognising in it not only the craft of 
his uncle1 but the stroke of ,god1 that 
which he at first thought of as a cruel 
curse became a blessing4 ,it was ,leah  
much more than ,rachel that built up the
 house of ,israel4 ,to this despised    
wife six of the tribes traced their     
origin1 and among these was the tribe of
 ,judah4 ,thus he learned the           
fruitfulness of ,god's retribution--that
 to be humbled by ,god is really to be  
built up1 and to be punished by ,him the
 richest blessing4 ,through such an     
experience are many persons led3 when we
 would embrace the fruit of years of    
toil ,god thrusts into our arms         
something quite different from our      

expectation--something that not only    
disappoints1 but that at first repels   
us1 reminding us of acts of our own we  
had striven to forget4 ,is it with      
resentment you still look back on some  
such experience1 when the reward of     
years of toil evaded your grasp1 and you
 found yourself bound to what you would 
not have worked a day to obtain8--do you
 find yourself disheartened and         
discouraged by the way in which you seem
 regularly to miss the fruit of your    
labour8 ,if so1 no doubt it were useless
 to assure you that the disappointment  
may be more fruitful than the hope      
fulfilled1 but it can scarcely be       
useless to ask you to consider whether  
it is not the fact that in ,jacob's case
 what was thrust upon him was more      
fruitful than what he strove to win4    
,,xxiii4  ,,jacob ,,at ,,peniel4        
,,genesis xxxii4      ,humble yourselves
 in the sight of the ,lord1 and ,he     
shall lift you     up4--,,james iv4 #aj4
   ,jacob had a double reason for       

wishing to leave ,padan-aram4 ,he       
believed in the promise of ,god to give 
him ,canaan2 and he saw that ,laban was 
a man with whom he could never be on a  
thoroughly good understanding4 ,he saw  
plainly that ,laban was resolved to make
 what he could out of his skill at as   
cheap a rate as possible--the           
characteristic of a selfish1 greedy1    
ungrateful1 and therefore1 in the end1  
ill-served master4 ,laban and ,esau were
 the two men who had hitherto chiefly   
influenced ,jacob's life4 ,but they were
 very different in character4 ,esau     
could never see that there was any      
important difference between himself and
 ,jacob--except that his brother was    
trickier4 ,esau was the type of those   
who honestly think that there is not    
much in religion1 and that saints are   
but white-washed sinners4 ,laban1 on the
 contrary1 is almost superstitiously    
impressed by the distinction between    
,god's people and others4 ,but the chief
 practical issue of this impression is1 

not that he seeks ,god's friendship for 
himself1 but that he tries to make a    
profitable use of ,god's friends4 ,he   
seeks to get ,god's blessing1 as it     
were1 at second-hand4 ,if men could be  
related to ,god indirectly1 as if in law
 and not by blood1 that would suit      
,laban4 ,if ,god would admit men to his 
inheritance on any other terms than     
being sons in the direct line1 if there 
were some relationship once removed1 a  
kind of sons-in-law1 so that mere       
connection with the godly1 though not   
with ,god1 would win ,his blessing1 this
 would suit ,laban4  ,laban is the man  
who appreciates the social value of     
virtue1 truthfulness1 fidelity1         
temperance1 godliness1 but wishes to    
enjoy their fruits without the pain of  
cultivating the qualities themselves4   
,he is scrupulous as to the character of
 those he takes into his employment1 and
 seeks to connect himself in business   
with good men4 ,in his domestic life1 he
 acts on the idea which his experience  

has suggested to him1 that persons      
really godly will make his home more    
peaceful1 better regulated1 safer than  
otherwise it might be4 ,if he holds a   
position of authority1 he knows how to  
make use1 for the preservation of order 
and for the promotion of his own ends1  
of the voluntary efforts of ,christian  
societies1 of the trustworthiness of    
,christian officials1 and of the support
 of the ,christian community4 ,but with 
all this recognition of the reality and 
influence of godliness1 he never for one
 moment entertains the idea of himself  
becoming a godly man4 ,in all ages there
 are ,labans1 who clearly recognise the 
utility and worth of a connection with  
,god1 who have been much mixed up with  
persons in whom that worth was very     
conspicuous1 and who yet1 at the last1  
depart and return unto their place1 like
 ,jacob's father-in-law1 without having 
themselves entered into any affectionate
 relations with ,god4  ,from ,laban1    
then1 ,jacob was resolved to escape4    

,and though to escape with large droves 
of slow-moving sheep and cattle1 as well
 as with many women and children1 seemed
 hopeless1 the cleverness of ,jacob did 
not fail him here4 ,he did not get      
beyond reach of pursuit2 he could never 
have expected to do so4 ,but he stole   
away to such a distance from ,haran as  
made it much easier for him to come to  
terms with ,laban1 and much more        
difficult for ,laban to try any further 
device for detaining him4  ,but1        
delivered as he was from ,laban1 he had 
an even more formidable person to deal  
with4 ,as soon as ,laban's company      
disappear on the northern horizon1      
,jacob sends messengers south to sound  
,esau4 ,his message is so contrived as  
to beget the idea in ,esau's mind that  
his younger brother is a person of some 
importance1 and yet is prepared to show 
greater deference to himself than       
formerly4 ,but the answer brought back  
by the messengers is the curt and       
haughty despatch of the man of war to   

the man of peace4 ,no notice is taken of
 ,jacob's vaunted wealth4 ,no proposal  
of terms as if ,esau had an equal to    
deal with1 is carried back4 ,there is   
only the startling announcement3 ,esau  
cometh to meet thee1 and four hundred   
men with him4 ,jacob at once recognises 
the significance of this armed advance  
on ,esau's part4 ,esau has not forgotten
 the wrong he suffered at ,jacob's      
hands1 and he means to show him that he 
is entirely in his power4  ,therefore   
was ,jacob greatly afraid and           
distressed4 ,the joy with which1 a few  
days ago1 he had greeted the host of    
,god1 was quite overcast by the tidings 
brought him regarding the host of ,esau4
 ,things heavenly do always look so like
 a mere show2 visits of angels seem so  
delusive and fleeting2 the exhibition of
 the powers of heaven seems so often but
 as a tournament painted on the sky1 and
 so unavailable for the stern encounters
 that await us on earth1 that one seems1
 even after the most impressive of such 

displays1 to be left to fight on alone4 
,no wonder ,jacob is disturbed4 ,his    
wives and dependants gather round him in
 dismay2 the children1 catching the     
infectious panic1 cower with cries and  
weeping about their mothers2 the whole  
camp is rudely shaken out of its brief  
truce by the news of this rough ,esau1  
whose impetuosity and warlike ways they 
had all heard of and were now to        
experience4 ,the accounts of the        
messengers would no doubt grow in       
alarming descriptive detail as they saw 
how much importance was attached to     
their words4 ,their accounts would also 
be exaggerated by their own unwarlike   
nature1 and by the indistinctness with  
which they had made out the temper of   
,esau's followers1 and the novelty of   
the equipments of war they had seen in  
his camp4 ,could we have been surprised 
had ,jacob turned and fled when thus he 
was made to picture the troops of ,esau 
sweeping from his grasp all he had so   
laboriously earned1 and snatching the   

promised inheritance from him when in   
the very act of entering on possession8 
,but though in fancy he already hears   
their rude shouts of triumph as they    
fall upon his defenceless band1 and     
already sees the merciless horde        
dividing the spoil with shouts of       
derision and coarse triumph1 and though 
all around him are clamouring to be led 
into a safe retreat1 ,jacob sees        
stretched before him the land that is   
his1 and resolves that1 by ,god's help1 
he shall win it4 ,what he does is not   
the act of a man rendered incompetent   
through fear1 but of one who has        
recovered from the first shock of alarm 
and has all his wits about him4 ,he     
disposes his household and followers in 
two companies1 so that each might       
advance with the hope that it might be  
the one which should not meet ,esau2 and
 having done all that his circumstances 
permit1 he commends himself to ,god in  
prayer4  ,after ,jacob had prayed to    
,god1 a happy thought strikes him1 which

 he at once puts in execution4          
,anticipating the experience of         
,solomon1 that a brother offended is    
harder to be won than a strong city1 he1
 in the style of a skilled tactician1   
lays siege to ,esau's wrath1 and directs
 against it train after train of gifts1 
which1 like successive battalions       
pouring into a breach1 might at length  
quite win his brother4 ,this disposition
 of his peaceful battering trains having
 occupied him till sunset1 he retires to
 the short rest of a general on the eve 
of battle4 ,as soon as he judges that   
the weaker members of the camp are      
refreshed enough to begin their eventful
 march1 he rises and goes from tent to  
tent awaking the sleepers1 and quickly  
forming them into their usual line of   
march1 sends them over the brook in the 
darkness1 and himself is left alone1 not
 with the depression of a man who waits 
for the inevitable1 but with the high   
spirits of intense activity1 and with   
the return of the old complacent        

confidence of his own superiority to his
 powerful but sluggish-minded brother--a
 confidence regained now by the         
certainty he felt1 at least for the     
time1 that ,esau's rage could not blaze 
through all the relays of gifts he had  
sent forward4 ,having in this spirit    
seen all his camp across the brook1 he  
himself pauses for a moment1 and looks  
with interest at the stream before him1 
and at the promised land on its southern
 bank4 ,this stream1 too1 has an        
interest for him as bearing a name like 
his own--a name that signifies the      
struggler1 and was given to the mountain
 torrent from the pain and difficulty   
with which it seemed to find its way    
through the hills4 ,sitting on the bank 
of the stream1 he sees gleaming through 
the darkness the foam that it churned as
 it writhed through the obstructing     
rocks1 or heard through the night the   
roar of its torrent as it leapt         
downwards1 tortuously finding its way   
towards ,jordan2 and ,jacob says1 ,so   

will ,i1 opposed though ,i be1 win my   
way1 by the circuitous routes of craft  
or by the impetuous rush of courage1    
into the land whither that stream is    
going4 ,with compressed lips1 and step  
as firm as when1 twenty years before1 he
 left the land1 he rises to cross the   
brook and enter the land--he rises1 and 
is seized in a grasp that he at once    
owns as formidable4 ,but surely this    
silent close1 as of two combatants who  
at once recognise one another's         
strength1 this protracted strife1 does  
not look like the act of a depressed    
man1 but of one whose energies have been
 strung to the highest pitch1 and who   
would have borne down the champion of   
,esau's host had he at that hour opposed
 his entrance into the land which ,jacob
 claimed as his own1 and into which1 as 
his glove1 pledging himself to follow1  
he had thrown all that was dear to him  
in the world4 ,it was no common wrestler
 that would have been safe to meet him  
in that mood4  ,why1 then1 was ,jacob   

thus mysteriously held back while his   
household were quietly moving forward in
 the darkness8 ,what is the meaning1    
purpose1 and use of this opposition to  
his entrance8 ,these are obvious from   
the state of mind ,jacob was in4 ,he was
 going forward to meet ,esau under the  
impression that there was no other      
reason why he should not inherit the    
land but only his wrath1 and pretty     
confident that by his superior talent1  
his mother-wit1 he could make a tool of 
this stupid1 generous brother of his4   
,and the danger was1 that if ,jacob's   
device had succeeded1 he would have been
 confirmed in these impressions1 and    
have believed that he had won the land  
from ,esau1 with ,god's help certainly1 
but still by his own indomitable        
pertinacity of purpose and skill in     
dealing with men4 ,now1 this was not the
 state of the case at all4 ,jacob had1  
by his own deceit1 become an exile from 
the land1 had been1 in fact1 banished   
for fraud2 and though ,god had confirmed

 to him the covenant1 and promised to   
him the land1 yet ,jacob had apparently 
never come to any such thorough sense of
 his sin and entire incompetency to win 
the birthright for himself1 as would    
have made it possible for him to receive
 simply as ,god's gift this land which  
as ,god's gift was alone valuable4      
,jacob does not yet seem to have taken  
up the difference between inheriting a  
thing as ,god's gift1 and inheriting it 
as the meed of his own prowess4 ,to such
 a man ,god cannot give the land2 ,jacob
 cannot receive it4 ,he is thinking only
 of winning it1 which is not at all what
 ,god means1 and which would1 in fact1  
have annulled all the covenant1 and     
lowered ,jacob and his people to the    
level simply of other nations who had to
 win and keep their territories at their
 risk1 and not as the blessed of ,god4  
,if ,jacob then is to get the land1 he  
must take it as a gift1 which he is not 
prepared to do4 ,during the last twenty 
years he has got many a lesson which    

might have taught him to distrust his   
own management1 and he had1 to a certain
 extent1 acknowledged ,god2 but his     
,jacob-nature1 his subtle1 scheming     
nature1 was not so easily made to stand 
erect1 and still he is for wriggling    
himself into the promised land4 ,he is  
coming back to the land under the       
impression that ,god needs to be        
managed1 that even though we have ,his  
promises it requires dexterity to get   
them fulfilled1 that a man will get into
 the inheritance all the readier for    
knowing what to veil from ,god and what 
to exhibit1 when to cleave to ,his word 
with great profession of most humble and
 absolute reliance on ,him1 and when to 
take matters into one's own hand4       
,jacob1 in short1 was about to enter the
 land as ,jacob1 the supplanter1 and    
that would never do2 he was going to win
 the land from ,esau by guile1 or as he 
might2 and not to receive it from ,god4 
,and1 therefore1 just as he is going to 
step into it1 there lays hold of him1   

not an armed emissary of his brother1   
but a far more formidable antagonist--if
 ,jacob will win the land1 if it is to  
be a mere trial of skill1 a wrestling   
match1 it must at least be with the     
right person4 ,jacob is met with his own
 weapons4 ,he has not chosen war1 so no 
armed opposition is made2 but with the  
naked force of his own nature1 he is    
prepared for any man who will hold the  
land against him2 with such tenacity1   
toughness1 quick presence of mind1      
elasticity1 as nature has given him1 he 
is confident he can win and hold his    
own4 ,so the real proprietor of the land
 strips himself for the contest1 and    
lets him feel1 by the first hold he     
takes of him1 that if the question be   
one of mere strength he shall never     
enter the land4  ,this wrestling        
therefore was by no means actually or   
symbolically prayer4 ,jacob was not     
aggressive1 nor did he stay behind his  
company to spend the night in praying   
for them4 ,it was ,god who came and laid

 hold on ,jacob to prevent him from     
entering the land in the temper he was  
in1 and as ,jacob4 ,he was to be taught 
that it was not only ,esau's appeased   
wrath1 or his own skilful smoothing down
 of his brother's ruffled temper1 that  
gave him entrance2 but that a nameless  
,being1 ,who came out upon him from the 
darkness1 guarded the land1 and that by 
,his passport only could he find        
entrance4 ,and henceforth1 as to every  
reader of this history so much more to  
,jacob's self1 the meeting with ,esau   
and the overcoming of his opposition    
were quite secondary to and eclipsed by 
his meeting and prevailing with this    
unknown combatant4  ,this struggle had1 
therefore1 immense significance for the 
history of ,jacob4 ,it is1 in fact1 a   
concrete representation of the attitude 
he had maintained towards ,god          
throughout his previous history2 and it 
constitutes the turning point at which  
he assumes a new and satisfactory       
attitude4 ,year after year ,jacob had   

still retained confidence in himself2 he
 had never been thoroughly humbled1 but 
had always felt himself able to regain  
the land he had lost by his sin4 ,and in
 this struggle he shows this same       
determination and self-confidence4 ,he  
wrestles on indomitably4 ,as ,kurtz1    
whom ,i follow in his interpretation of 
this incident1 says1 ,all along ,jacob's
 life had been the struggle of a clever 
and strong1 a pertinacious and enduring1
 a self-confident and self-sufficient   
person1 who was sure of the result only 
when he helped himself--a contest with  
,god1 who wished to break his strength  
and wisdom1 in order to bestow upon him 
real strength in divine weakness1 and   
real wisdom in divine folly4 ,all this  
self-confidence culminates now1 and in  
one final and sensible struggle1 his    
,jacob-nature1 his natural propensity to
 wrest what he desires and win what he  
aims at1 from the most unwilling        
opponent1 does its very utmost and does 
it in vain4 ,his steady straining1 his  

dexterous feints1 his quick gusts of    
vehement assault1 make no impression on 
this combatant and move him not one foot
 off his ground4 ,time after time his   
crafty nature puts out all its various  
resources1 now letting his grasp relax  
and feigning defeat1 and then with      
gathered strength hurling himself on the
 stranger1 but all in vain4 ,what ,jacob
 had often surmised during the last     
twenty years1 what had flashed through  
him like a sudden gleam of light when he
 found himself married to ,leah1 that he
 was in the hands of one against whom it
 is quite useless to struggle1 he now   
again begins to suspect4 ,and as the    
first faint dawn appears1 and he begins 
dimly to make out the face1 the quiet   
breathing of which he had felt on his   
own during the contest1 the man with    
whom he wrestles touches the strongest  
sinew in ,jacob's body1 and the muscle  
on which the wrestler most depends      
shrivels at the touch and reveals to the
 falling ,jacob how utterly futile had  

been all his skill and obstinacy1 and   
how quickly the stranger might have     
thrown and mastered him4  ,all in a     
moment1 as he falls1 ,jacob sees how it 
is with him1 and ,who it is that has met
 him thus4 ,as the hard1 stiff1 corded  
muscle shrivelled1 so shrivelled his    
obdurate1 persistent self-confidence4   
,and as he is thrown1 yet cleaves with  
the natural tenacity of a wrestler to   
his conqueror2 so1 utterly humbled      
before this ,mighty ,one whom now he    
recognises and owns1 he yet cleaves to  
,him and entreats ,his blessing4 ,it is 
at this touch1 which discovers the      
,almighty power of ,him with whom he has
 been contending1 that the whole nature 
of ,jacob goes down before ,god4 ,he    
sees how foolish and vain has been his  
obstinate persistence in striving to    
trick ,god out of ,his blessing1 or     
wrest it from ,him1 and now he owns his 
utter incapacity to advance one step in 
this way1 he admits to himself that he  
is stopped1 weakened in the way1 thrown 

on his back1 and can effect nothing1    
simply nothing1 by what he thought would
 effect all2 and1 therefore1 he passes  
from wrestling to praying1 and with     
tears1 as ,hosea says1 sobs out from the
 broken heart of the strong man1 ,i will
 not let thee go except thou bless me4  
,in making this transition from the     
boldness and persistence of             
self-confidence to the boldness of faith
 and humility1 ,jacob becomes           
,israel--the supplanter1 being baffled  
by his conqueror1 rises a ,prince4      
,disarmed of all other weapons1 he at   
last finds and uses the weapons         
wherewith ,god is conquered1 and with   
the simplicity and guilelessness now of 
an ,israelite indeed1 face to face with 
,god1 hanging helpless with his arms    
around ,him1 he supplicates the blessing
 he could not win4  ,thus1 as ,abraham  
had to become ,god's heir in the        
simplicity of humble dependence on ,god2
 as ,isaac had to lay himself on ,god's 
altar with absolute resignation1 and so 

become the heir of ,god1 so ,jacob      
enters on the inheritance through the   
most thorough humbling4 ,abraham had to 
give up all possessions and live on     
,god's promise2 ,isaac had to give up   
life itself2 ,jacob had to yield his    
very self1 and abandon all dependence on
 his own ability4 ,the new name he      
receives signalizes and interprets this 
crisis in his life4 ,he enters his land 
not as ,jacob1 but as ,israel4 ,the man 
who crossed the ,jabbok was not the same
 as he who had cheated ,esau and        
outwitted ,laban and determinedly       
striven this morning with the angel4 ,he
 was ,israel1 ,god's prince1 entering on
 the land freely bestowed on him by an  
authority none could resist2 a man who  
had learned that in order to receive    
from ,god1 one must ask4  ,very         
significant to ,jacob in his after life 
must have been the lameness consequent  
on this night's struggle4 ,he1 the      
wrestler1 had to go halting all his     
days4 ,he who had carried all his       

weapons in his own person1 in his       
intelligent watchful eye and tough right
 arm1 he who had felt sufficient for all
 emergencies and a match for all men1   
had now to limp along as one who had    
been worsted and baffled and could not  
hide his shame from men4 ,so it         
sometimes happens that a man never      
recovers the severe handling he has     
received at some turning point in his   
life4 ,often there is never again the   
same elastic step1 the same free and    
confident bearing1 the same apparent    
power1 the same appearance to our       
fellow-men of completeness in our life2 
but1 instead of this1 there is a humble 
decision which1 if it does not walk with
 so free a gait1 yet knows better what  
ground it is treading and by what right4
 ,to the end some men bear the marks of 
the heavy stroke by which ,god first    
humbled them4 ,it came in a sudden shock
 that broke their health1 or in a       
disappointment which nothing now given  
can ever quite obliterate the trace of1 

or in circumstances painfully and       
permanently altered4 ,and the man has to
 say with ,jacob1 ,i shall never now be 
what ,i might have been2 ,i was resolved
 to have my own way1 and though ,god in 
,his mercy did not suffer me to destroy 
myself1 yet to drive me from my purpose 
,he was forced to use a violence1 under 
the effects of which ,i go halting all  
my days1 saved and whole1 yet maimed to 
the end of time4 ,i am not ashamed of   
the mark1 at least when ,i think of it  
as ,god's signature ,i am able to glory 
in it1 but it never fails to remind me  
of a perverse wilfulness ,i am ashamed  
of4 ,with many men ,god is forced to    
such treatment2 if any of us are under  
it1 ,god forbid we should mistake its   
meaning and lie prostrate and despairing
 in the darkness instead of clinging to 
,him ,who has smitten and will heal us4 
,for the treatment which ,jacob received
 at ,peniel must not be set aside as    
singular or exceptional4 ,sometimes ,god
 interposes between us and a            

greatly-desired possession which we have
 been counting upon as our right and as 
the fair and natural consequence of our 
past efforts and ways4 ,the expectation 
of this possession has indeed determined
 our movements and shaped our life for  
some time past1 and it would not only be
 assigned to us by men as fairly ours1  
but ,god also has ,himself seemed to    
encourage us to win it4 ,yet when it is 
now within sight1 and when we are rising
 to pass the little stream which seems  
alone to separate us from it1 we are    
arrested by a strong1 an irresistible   
hand4 ,the reason is1 that ,god wishes  
us to be in such a state of mind that we
 shall receive it as ,his gift1 so that 
it becomes ours by an indefeasible      
title4  ,similarly1 when advancing to a 
spiritual possession1 such checks are   
not without their use4 ,many men look   
with longing to what is eternal and     
spiritual1 and they resolve to win this 
inheritance4 ,and this resolve they     
often make as if its accomplishment     

depended solely on their own endurance4 
,they leave almost wholly out of account
 that the possibility of their entering 
the state they long for is not decided  
by their readiness to pass through any  
ordeal1 spiritual or physical1 which may
 be required of them1 but by ,god's     
willingness to give it4 ,they act as if 
by taking advantage of ,god's promises1 
and by passing through certain states of
 mind and prescribed duties1 they could1
 irrespective of ,god's present attitude
 towards them and constant love1 win    
eternal happiness4 ,in the life of such 
persons there must therefore come a time
 when their own spiritual energy seems  
all to collapse in that painful1 utter  
way in which1 when the body is          
exhausted1 the muscles are suddenly     
found to be cramped and heavy and no    
longer responsive to the will4 ,they are
 made to feel that a spiritual          
dislocation has taken place1 and that   
their eagerness to enter life           
everlasting no longer stirs the active  

energies of the soul4  ,in that hour the
 man learns the most valuable truth he  
can learn1 that it is ,god ,who is      
wishing to save him1 not he who must    
wrest a blessing from an unwilling ,god4
 ,instead of any longer looking on      
himself as against the world1 he takes  
his place as one who has the whole      
energy of ,god's will at his back1 to   
give him rightful entrance into all     
blessedness4 ,so long as ,jacob was in  
doubt whether it was not some kind of   
man that was opposing him1 he wrestled  
on2 and our foolish ways of dealing with
 ,god terminate1 when we recognise that 
,he is not such an one as ourselves4 ,we
 naturally act as if ,god had some      
pleasure in thwarting us--as if we      
could1 and even ought to1 maintain a    
kind of contest with ,god4 ,we deal with
 ,him as if ,he were opposed to our best
 purposes and grudged to advance us in  
all good1 and as if ,he needed to be    
propitiated by penitence and cajoled by 
forced feelings and sanctimonious       

demeanour4 ,we act as if we could make  
more way were ,god not in our way1 as if
 our best prospects began in our own    
conception and we had to win ,god over  
to our views4 ,if ,god is unwilling1    
then there is an end3 no device nor     
force will get us past ,him4 ,if ,he is 
willing1 why all this unworthy dealing  
with ,him1 as if the whole idea and     
accomplishment of salvation did not     
proceed from ,him8     ,,xxiv4          
,,jacob',s ,,return4  ,,genesis xxxv4   
,as for me1 when ,i came from ,padan1   
,rachel died by me in the land of       
,canaan in the way4--,,gen4 xlviii4 #g4 
,the words of the ,wrestler at the brook
 ,jabbok1 ,let me go1 for the day       
breaketh1 express the truth that        
spiritual things will not submit        
themselves to sensible tests4 ,when we  
seek to let the full daylight1 by which 
we discern other objects1 stream upon   
them1 they elude our grasp4 ,when we    
fancy we are on the verge of having our 
doubts for ever scattered1 and our      

suppositions changed into certainties1  
the very approach of clear knowledge and
 demonstration seems to drive those     
sensitive spiritual presences into      
darkness4 ,as ,pascal remarked1 and     
remarked as the mouth-piece of all souls
 that have earnestly sought for ,god1   
the world only gives us indications of  
the presence of a ,god ,who conceals    
,himself4 ,it is1 indeed1 one of the    
most mysterious characteristics of our  
life in this world1 that the great      
,existence which originates and embraces
 all other ,beings1 should ,himself be  
so silent and concealed3 that there     
should be need of subtle arguments to   
prove ,his existence1 and that no       
argument ever conceived has been found  
sufficiently cogent to convince all men4
 ,one is always tempted to say1 how easy
 to end all doubt1 how easy for ,god so 
to reveal ,himself as to make unbelief  
impossible1 and give to all men the glad
 consciousness that they have a ,god4   
,the reason of this reserve of ,god must

 lie in the nature of things4 ,the      
greatest forces in nature are silent and
 unobtrusive and incomprehensible4      
,without the law of gravitation the     
universe would rush into ruin1 but who  
has ever seen this force8 ,its effects  
are everywhere visible1 but itself is   
shrouded in darkness and cannot be      
comprehended4 ,so much more must the    
,infinite ,spirit remain unseen and     
baffling all comprehension4 ,no man hath
 seen ,god at any time must ever remain 
true4 ,to ask for ,god's name1          
therefore1 as ,jacob did1 is a mistake4 
,for almost every one supposes that when
 he knows the name of a thing1 he knows 
also its nature4 ,the giving of a name1 
therefore1 tends to discourage enquiry1 
and to beget an unfounded satisfaction  
as if1 when we know what a thing is     
called1 we know what it is4 ,the        
craving1 therefore1 which we all feel in
 common with ,jacob--to have all mystery
 swept from between us and ,god1 and to 
see ,him face to face1 so that we may   

know ,him as we know our friends--is a  
craving which cannot be satisfied4 ,you 
cannot ever know ,god as ,he is4 ,your  
mind cannot comprehend a ,being who is  
pure ,spirit1 inhabiting no body1       
present with you here but present also  
hundreds of millions of miles away1     
related to time and to space and to     
matter in ways utterly impossible for   
you to comprehend4  ,what is possible1  
,god has done4 ,he has made ,himself    
known in ,christ4 ,we are assured1 on   
testimony that stands every kind of     
test1 that in ,him1 if nowhere else1 we 
find ,god4 ,and yet even by ,christ this
 same law of reserve if not concealment 
was observed4 ,not only did ,he forbid  
men and devils to proclaim who ,he was1 
but when men1 weary of their own doubts 
and debatings1 impatiently challenged   
him1 ,if thou be the ,christ tell us    
plainly1 ,he declined to do so4 ,for    
really men must grow to the knowledge of
 ,him4 ,even a human face cannot be     
known by once or twice seeing it2 the   

practised artist often misses the       
expression best loved by the intimate   
friend1 or by the relative whose own    
nature interprets to him the face in    
which he sees himself reflected4 ,much  
more can the child of ,god only attain  
to the knowledge of his ,father's face  
by first of all being a child of ,god1  
and then by gradually growing up into   
,his likeness4  ,but though ,god's      
operation is in darkness the results of 
it are in the light4 ,as ,jacob passed  
over ,peniel1 the sun rose upon him1 and
 he halted upon his thigh4 ,as ,jacob's 
company halted when they missed him1 and
 as many anxious eyes were turned back  
into the darkness1 they were unable     
still to see him2 and even when the     
darkness began to scatter1 and they saw 
dimly and far off a human figure1 the   
sharpest eyes among them declare it     
cannot be ,jacob1 for the gait and walk1
 which alone they can judge by at that  
distance and in that light1 are not his4
 ,but when at last the first ray of     

sunlight streams on him from over the   
hills of ,gilead1 all doubt is at an    
end2 it is ,jacob1 but halting on his   
thigh4 ,and he himself finds it is not a
 strain which the walking of a few paces
 will ease1 nor a night cramp which will
 pass off1 nor a mere dream which would 
vanish in broad day1 but a real         
permanent lameness which he must explain
 to his company4 ,has he missed a step  
on the bank in the darkness1 or stumbled
 or slipped on the slippery stones of   
the ford8 ,it is a far more real thing  
to him than any such accident4 ,so1     
however others may discredit the results
 of a work on the soul which they have  
not seen--however they may say of the   
first and most obvious results1 ,this is
 but a sickness of soul which the rising
 sun will dispel2 a feigned peculiarity 
of walk which will be forgotten in the  
bustle of the day's work--it is not so1 
but every contact with real life makes  
it more obvious that when ,god touches a
 man the result is real4 ,and as        

,jacob's household and children in all  
generations counted that sinew which    
shrank sacred1 and would not eat of it1 
so surely should we be reverential      
towards ,god's work in the soul of our  
neighbour1 and respect even those       
peculiarities which are often the most  
obvious first-fruits of conversion1 and 
which make it difficult for us to walk  
in the same comfort with these persons1 
and keep step with them as easily as    
once we did4 ,a reluctance to live like 
other good people1 an inability to share
 their innocent amusements1 a distaste  
for the very duties of this life1 a     
harsh or reserved bearing towards       
unconverted persons1 an awkwardness in  
speaking of their religious experience1 
as well as an awkwardness in applying it
 to the ordinary circumstances of their 
life1--these and many other of the      
results of ,god's work on the soul      
should not be rudely dealt with1 but    
respected2 for though not in themselves 
either seemly or beneficial1 they are   

evidence of ,god's touch4  ,after this  
contest with the angel1 the meeting of  
,jacob with ,esau has no separate       
significance4 ,jacob succeeds with his  
brother because already he has prevailed
 with ,god4 ,he is on a satisfactory    
footing now with the ,sovereign who     
alone can bestow the land and judge     
betwixt him and his brother4 ,jacob can 
no longer suppose that the chief        
obstacle to his advance is the          
resentment of ,esau4 ,he has felt and   
submitted to a stronger hand than       
,esau's4 ,such schooling we all need2   
and get1 if we will take it4 ,like      
,jacob1 we have to make our way to our  
end through numberless human            
interferences and worldly obstacles4    
,some of these we have to flee from1 as 
,jacob from ,laban2 others we must meet 
and overcome1 as our ,esaus4 ,our own   
sin or mistake has put us under the     
power of some whose influence is        
disastrous2 others1 though we are not   
under their power at all1 yet1          

consciously or unconsciously to         
themselves1 continually cross our path  
and thwart us1 keep us back and prevent 
us from effecting what we desire1 and   
from shaping things about us according  
to our own ideas4 ,and there will1 from 
time to time1 be present to our minds   
obvious ways in which we could defeat   
the opposition of these persons1 and by 
which we fancy we could triumph over    
them4 ,and what we are here taught is1  
that we need look for no triumph1 and it
 is a pity for us if we win a triumph   
over any human opposition1 however      
purely secular and unchristian1 without 
first having prevailed with ,god in the 
matter4 ,he comes in between us and all 
men and things1 and1 laying ,his hand on
 us1 arrests us from further progress   
till we have to the very bottom and in  
every part adjusted the affair with     
,him--and then1 standing right with     
,him1 we can very easily1 or at least we
 can1 get right with all things4 ,and it
 should be a suggestive and fruitful    

thought to the most of us that1 in all  
cases in which we sin against our       
brother1 ,god presents ,himself as the  
champion of the wronged party4 ,one day 
or other we must meet not the strongest 
putting of all those cases in which we  
have erred as the offended party could  
himself put them1 but we must meet them 
as put by the ,eternal ,advocate of     
justice and right1 who saw our spirit1  
our merely selfish calculating1 our base
 motive1 our impure desire1 our         
unrighteous deed4 ,gladly would ,jacob  
have met the mightiest of ,esau's host  
in place of this invincible opponent1   
and it is this same ,mighty ,one1 this  
same watchful guardian of right ,who    
threw ,himself in ,jacob's way1 ,who has
 ,his eye on us1 ,who has tracked us    
through all our years1 and ,who will    
certainly one time appear in our path as
 the champion of every one we have      
wronged1 of every one whose soul we have
 put in jeopardy1 of every one to whom  
we have not done what ,god intended we  

should do1 of every one whom we have    
attempted merely to make use of2 and in 
stating their case and showing us what  
justice and duty would have required of 
us1 ,he will make us feel1 what we      
cannot feel till ,he ,himself convinces 
us1 that1 in all our dealings with men1 
wherein we have wronged them we have    
wronged ,him4  ,the narrative now       
prepares to leave ,jacob and make room  
for ,joseph4 ,it brings him back to     
,bethel1 thereby completing the history 
of his triumph over the difficulties    
with which his life had been so thickly 
studded4 ,the interest and much of the  
significance of a man's life come to an 
end when position and success are       
achieved4 ,the remaining notices of     
,jacob's experience are of a sorrowful  
kind2 he lives under a cloud until at   
the close the sun shines out again4 ,we 
have seen him in his youth making       
experiments in life2 in his prime       
founding a family and winning his way by
 slow and painful steps to his own place

 in the world2 and now he enters on the 
last stage of his life1 a stage in which
 signs of breaking up appear almost as  
soon as he attains his aim and place in 
life4  ,after all that had happened to  
,jacob1 we should have expected him to  
make for ,bethel as rapidly as his      
unwieldy company could be moved         
forwards4 ,but the pastures that had    
charmed the eye of his grandfather      
captivated ,jacob as well4 ,he bought   
land at ,shechem1 and appeared willing  
to settle there4 ,the vows which he had 
uttered with such fervour when his      
future was precarious are apparently    
quite forgotten1 or more probably       
neglected1 now that danger seems past4  
,to go to ,bethel involved the          
abandonment of admirable pastures1 and  
the introduction of new religious views 
and habits into his family life4 ,a man 
who has large possessions1 difficult and
 precarious relations to sustain with   
the world1 and a household unmanageable 
from its size1 and from the variety of  

dispositions included in it1 requires   
great independence and determination to 
carry out domestic reform on religious  
grounds4 ,even a slight change in our   
habits is often delayed because we are  
shy of exposing to observation fresh and
 deep convictions on religious subjects4
 ,besides1 we forget our fears and our  
vows when the time of hardship passes   
away2 and that which1 as young men1 we  
considered almost hopeless1 we at length
 accept as our right1 and omit all      
remembrance and gratitude4 ,a spiritual 
experience that is separated from your  
present by twenty years of active life1 
by a foreign residence1 by marriage1 by 
the growing up of a family around you1  
by other and fresher spiritual          
experiences1 is apt to be very          
indistinctly remembered4 ,the           
obligations you then felt and owned have
 been overlaid and buried in the lapse  
of years4 ,and so it comes that a low   
tone is introduced into your life1 and  
your homes cease to be model homes4     

,out of this condition ,jacob was       
roughly awakened4 ,sinning by           
unfaithfulness and softness towards his 
family1 he is1 according to the usual   
law1 punished by family disaster of the 
most painful kind4 ,the conduct of      
,simeon and ,levi was apparently due    
quite as much to family pride and       
religious fanaticism as to brotherly    
love or any high moral view4 ,in them   
first we see how the true religion1 when
 held by coarse and ungodly men1 becomes
 the root of all evil4 ,we see the first
 instance of that fanaticism which so   
often made the ,jews a curse rather than
 a blessing to other nations4 ,indeed1  
it is but an instance of the injustice1 
cruelty1 and violence that at all times 
result where men suppose that they      
themselves are raised to quite peculiar 
privileges and to a position superior to
 their fellows1 without recognising also
 that this position is held by the grace
 of a holy ,god and for the good of     
their fellows4  ,jacob is now compelled 

to make a virtue of necessity4 ,he flees
 to ,bethel to escape the vengeance of  
the ,shechemites4 ,to such serious      
calamities do men expose themselves by  
arguing with conscience and by refusing 
to live up to their engagements4 ,how   
can men be saved from living merely for 
sheep-feeding and cattle-breeding and   
trade and enjoyment8 how can they be    
saved from gradually expelling from     
their character all principle and all   
high sentiment that conflicts with      
immediate advantage and present         
pleasure1 save by such irresistible     
blows as here compelled ,jacob to shift 
his camp8 ,he has spiritual perception  
enough left to see what is meant4 ,the  
order is at once issued3 ,put away the  
strange gods that are among you1 and be 
clean1 and change your garments3 and let
 us arise1 and go up to ,bethel2 and ,i 
will make there an altar unto ,god1 who 
answered me in the day of my distress1  
and was with me in the way which ,i     
went4 ,thus frankly does he acknowledge 

his error1 and repair1 so far as he can1
 the evil he has done4 ,thus decidedly  
does he press ,god's command on those   
whom he had hitherto encouraged or      
connived at4 ,even from his favourite   
,rachel he takes her gods and buries    
them4 ,the fierce ,simeon and ,levi1    
proud of the blood with which they had  
washed out their sister's stain1 are    
ordered to cleanse their garments and   
show some seemly sorrow1 if they can4   
,if years go by without any such        
incident occurring in our life as drives
 us to a recognition of our moral laxity
 and deterioration1 and to a frank and  
humble return to a closer walk with     
,god1 we had need to strive to awaken   
ourselves and ascertain whether we are  
living up to old vows and are really    
animated by thoroughly worthy motives4  
,it was when ,jacob came back to the    
very spot where he had lain on the open 
hill-side1 and pointed out to his wives 
and children the stone he had set up to 
mark the spot1 that he felt humbled as  

he cast his eye over the flocks and     
tents he now owned4 ,and if you can1    
like ,jacob1 go back to spots in your   
life which were very woful and          
perplexed1 years even when all continued
 dreary1 dark1 and hopeless1 when       
friendlessness and poverty1 bereavement 
or disease1 laid their chilling1        
crushing hands upon you1 times when you 
could not see what possible good there  
was for you in the world2 and if now all
 this is solved1 and your condition is  
in the most striking contrast to what   
you can remember1 it becomes you to make
 acknowledgment to ,god such as you may 
have made to your friends1 such         
acknowledgment as makes it plain that   
you are touched by ,his kindness4 ,the  
acknowledgment ,jacob made was sensible 
and honest4 ,he put away the gods which 
had divided the worship of his family4  
,in our life there is probably that     
which constantly tends to usurp an undue
 place in our regard2 something which   
gives us more pleasure than the thought 

of ,god1 or from which we really expect 
a more palpable benefit than we expect  
from ,god1 and which1 therefore1 we     
cultivate with far greater assiduity4   
,how easily1 if we really wish to be on 
a clear footing with ,god1 can we       
discover what things should be cast     
revengefully from us1 buried and stamped
 upon and numbered with the things of   
the past4 ,are there not in your life   
any objects for the sake of which you   
sacrifice that nearness to ,god1 and    
that sure hold of ,him you once enjoyed8
 ,are you not conscious of any pursuits1
 or hopes1 or pleasures1 or employments 
which practically have the effect of    
making you indifferent to spiritual     
advancement1 and which make you shy of  
,bethel--shy of all that sets clear     
before you your indebtedness to ,god1   
and your own past vows and resolves8    
,but1 continues the narrative1 but      
,deborah1 ,rebekah's nurse1 died2 that  
is1 although ,jacob and his house were  
now living in the fear of ,god1 that did

 not exempt them from the ordinary      
distresses of family life4 ,and among   
these1 one that falls on us with a      
chastening and mild sadness all its own1
 occurs when there passes from the      
family one of its oldest members1 and   
one who has by the delicate tact of love
 gained influence over all1 and has by  
the common consent become the arbiter   
and mediator1 the confidant and         
counsellor of the family4 ,they1 indeed1
 are the true salt of the earth whose   
own peace is so deep and abiding1 and   
whose purity is so thorough and         
energetic1 that into their ear we can   
disburden the troubled heart or the     
guilty conscience1 as the wildest brook 
disturbs not and the most polluted fouls
 not the settled depths of the          
all-cleansing ocean4 ,such must ,deborah
 have been1 for the oak under which she 
was buried was afterwards known as the  
oak of weeping4 ,specially must ,jacob  
himself have mourned the death of her   
whose face was the oldest in his        

remembrance1 and with whom his mother   
and his happy early days were           
associated4 ,very dear to ,jacob1 as to 
most men1 were those who had been       
connected with and could tell him of his
 parents1 and remind him of his early   
years4 ,deborah1 by treating him still  
as a little boy1 perhaps the only one   
who now called him by the pet name of   
childhood1 gave him the pleasantest     
relief from the cares of manhood and the
 obsequious deportment of the other     
members of his household towards him4   
,so that when she went a great blank was
 made to him3 no longer was the wise and
 happy old face seen in her tent door to
 greet him of an evening2 no longer     
could he take refuge in the peacefulness
 of her old age from the troubles of his
 lot3 she being gone1 a whole generation
 was gone1 and a new stage of life was  
entered on4  ,but a heavier blow1 the   
heaviest that death could inflict1 soon 
fell upon him4 ,she who had been as     
,god's gift and smile to him since ever 

he had left ,bethel at the first is     
taken from him now that he is restored  
to ,god's house4 ,the number of his sons
 is completed1 and the mother is        
removed4 ,suddenly and unexpectedly the 
blow fell1 as they were journeying and  
fearing no ill4 ,notwithstanding the    
confident and cheering1 though          
ambiguous1 assurances of those about    
her1 she had that clear knowledge of her
 own state which1 without contradicting1
 simply put aside such assurances1 and1 
as her soul was departing1 feebly named 
her son ,benoni1 ,son of my sorrow4 ,she
 felt keenly what was1 to a nature like 
hers1 the very anguish of               
disappointment4 ,she was never to feel  
the little creature stirring in her arms
 with personal human life1 nor see him  
growing up to manhood as the son of his 
father's right hand4 ,it was this sad   
death of ,rachel's which made her the   
typical mother in ,israel4 ,it was not  
an unclouded1 merely prosperous life    
which could fitly have foreshadowed the 

lives of those by whom the promised seed
 was to come2 and least of all of the   
virgin to whom it was said1 ,a sword    
shall pierce through thine own soul     
also4 ,it was the wail of ,rachel that  
poetical minds among the ,jews heard    
from time to time mourning their        
national disasters--,rachel weeping for 
her children1 when by captivity they    
were separated from their mother        
country1 or when1 by the sword of       
,herod1 the mothers of ,bethlehem were  
bereaved of their babes4 ,but it was    
also observed that that which brought   
this anguish on the mothers of          
,bethlehem was the birth there of the   
last ,son of ,israel1 the blossom of    
this long-growing plant1 suddenly born  
after a long and barren period1 the son 
of ,israel's right hand4  ,still another
 death is registered in this chapter4   
,it took place twelve years after       
,joseph went into ,egypt1 but is set    
down here for convenience4 ,esau and    
,jacob are1 for the last time1 brought  

together over their dead father--and for
 the last time1 as they see that family 
likeness which comes out so strikingly  
in the face of the dead1 do they feel   
drawn with brotherly affection to greet 
one another as sons of one father4 ,in  
the dead ,isaac1 too1 they find an      
object of veneration more impressive    
than they had found in the living       
father3 the infirmities of age are      
exchanged for the mystery and majesty of
 death2 the man has passed out of reach 
of pity1 of contempt2 the shrill1       
uncontrolled treble is no longer heard1 
there are no weak1 plaintive movements1 
no childishness2 but a solemn1 august   
silence1 a silence that seems to bid    
on-lookers be still and refrain from    
disturbing the first communings of the  
departed spirit with things unseen4     
,the tenderness of these two brothers   
towards one another and towards their   
father was probably quickened by remorse
 when they met at his deathbed4 ,they   
could not1 perhaps1 think that they had 

hastened his end by causing him         
anxieties which age has not strength to 
throw off2 but they could not miss the  
reflection that the life now closed and 
finally sealed up might have been a much
 brighter life had they acted the part  
of dutiful1 loving sons4 ,scarcely can  
one of our number pass from among us    
without leaving in our minds some       
self-reproach that we were not more     
kindly towards him1 and that now he is  
beyond our kindness2 that our           
opportunity for being brotherly towards 
him is for ever gone4 ,and when we have 
very manifestly erred in this respect1  
perhaps there are among all the stings  
of a guilty conscience few more bitterly
 piercing than this4 ,many a son who has
 stood unmoved by the tears of a living 
mother--his mother by whom he lives1 who
 has cherished him as her own soul1 who 
has forgiven and forgiven and forgiven  
him1 who has toiled and prayed1 and     
watched for him--though he has hardened 
himself against her looks of imploring  

love and turned carelessly from her     
entreaties and burst through all the    
fond cords and snares by which she has  
sought to keep him1 has yet broken down 
before the calm1 unsolicitous1 resting  
face of the dead4 ,hitherto he has not  
listened to her pleadings1 and now she  
pleads no more4 ,hitherto she has heard 
no word of pure love from him1 and now  
she hears no more4 ,hitherto he has done
 nothing for her of all that a son may  
do1 and now there is nothing he can do4 
,all the goodness of her life gathers up
 and stands out at once1 and the time   
for gratitude is past4 ,he sees         
suddenly1 as by the withdrawal of a     
veil1 all that that worn body has passed
 through for him1 and all the goodness  
these features have expressed1 and now  
they can never light up with joyful     
acceptance of his love and duty4 ,such  
grief as this finds its one alleviation 
in the knowledge that we may follow     
those who have gone before us2 that we  
may yet make reparation4 ,and when we   

think how many we have let pass without 
those frank1 human1 kindly offices we   
might have rendered1 the knowledge that 
we also shall be gathered to our people 
comes in as very cheering4 ,it is a     
grateful thought that there is a place  
where we shall be able to live rightly1 
where selfishness will not intrude and  
spoil all1 but will leave us free to be 
to our neighbour all that we ought to be
 and all that we would be4     ,,xxv4   
,,joseph',s ,,dreams4  ,,genesis xxxvii4
      ,surely the wrath of man shall    
praise thee4--,,psalm lxxvi4 #aj4   ,the
 migration of ,israel from ,canaan to   
,egypt was a step of prime importance in
 the history4 ,great difficulties       
surrounded it1 and very extraordinary   
means were used to bring it about4 ,the 
preparatory steps occupied about twenty 
years1 and nearly a fourth of the ,book 
of ,genesis is devoted to this period4  
,this migration was a new idea4 ,so     
little was it the result of an          
accidental dearth1 or of any of those   

unforeseen calamities which cause       
families to emigrate from our own       
country1 that ,god had forewarned       
,abraham himself that it must be4 ,but  
only when it was becoming matter of     
actual experience and of history did    
,god make known the precise object to be
 accomplished by it4 ,this ,he makes    
known to ,jacob as he passes from       
,canaan2 and as1 in abandoning the land 
he had so painfully won1 his heart      
sinks1 he is sustained by the assurance1
 ,fear not to go down into ,egypt2 ,i   
will there make thee a great nation4    
,the meaning of the step and the        
suitableness of the time and of the     
place to which ,israel migrated1 are    
apparent4 ,for more than two hundred    
years now had ,abraham and his          
descendants been wandering as pilgrims1 
and as yet there were no signs of ,god's
 promise being kept to them4 ,that      
promise had been of a land and of a     
seed4 ,great fecundity had been promised
 to the race2 but instead of that there 

had been a remarkable and perplexing    
barrenness1 so that after two centuries 
one tent could contain the whole male   
population4 ,in ,jacob's time the       
population began to increase1 but just  
in proportion as this part of the       
promise showed signs of fulfilment did  
the other part seem precarious4 ,for1 in
 proportion to their increase1 the      
family became hostile to the            
,canaanites1 and how should they ever   
get past that critical point in their   
history at which they would be strong   
enough to excite the suspicion1         
jealousy1 and hatred of the indigenous  
tribes1 and yet not strong enough to    
defend themselves against this enmity8  
,their presence was tolerated1 just as  
our countrymen tolerated the presence of
 ,french refugees1 on the score of their
 impotence to do harm4 ,they were placed
 in a quite anomalous position2 a single
 family who had continued for two       
hundred years in a land which they could
 only seem in jest to call theirs1      

dwelling as guests amid the natives1    
maintaining peculiar forms of worship   
and customs4 ,collision with the        
inhabitants seemed unavoidable as soon  
as their real character and pretensions 
oozed out1 and as soon as it seemed at  
all likely that they really proposed to 
become owners and masters in the land4  
,and1 in case of such collision1 what   
could be the result1 but that which has 
ever followed where a few score men1    
brave enough to be cut down where they  
stood1 have been exposed to mass after  
mass of fierce and blood-thirsty        
barbarians8 ,a small number of men have 
often made good their entrance into     
lands where the inhabitants greatly     
outnumbered them1 but these have        
commonly been highly disciplined troops1
 as in the case of the handful of       
,spaniards who seized ,mexico and ,peru2
 or they have been backed by a power    
which could aid with vast resources1 as 
when the ,romans held this country1 or  
when the ,english lad in ,india left his

 pen on his desk and headed his few     
resolute countrymen1 and held his own   
against unnumbered millions4 ,it may be 
argued that if even ,abraham with his   
own household swept ,canaan clear of    
invaders1 it might now have been        
possible for his grandson to do as much 
with increased means at his disposal4   
,but1 not to mention that every man has 
not the native genius for command and   
military enterprise which ,abraham had1 
it must be taken into account that a    
force which is quite sufficient for a   
marauding expedition or a night attack1 
is inadequate for the exigencies of a   
campaign of several years' duration4    
,the war which ,jacob must have waged1  
had hostilities been opened1 must have  
been a war of extermination1 and such a 
war must have desolated the house of    
,israel if victorious1 and1 more        
probably by far1 would have quite       
annihilated it4  ,it is to obviate these
 dangers1 and to secure that ,israel    
grow without let or hindrance1 that     

,jacob's household is removed to a land 
where protection and seclusion would at 
once be secured to them4 ,in the land of
 ,goshen1 secured from molestation      
partly by the influence of ,joseph1 but 
much more by the caste-prejudices of the
 ,egyptians1 and their hatred of all    
foreigners1 and shepherds in particular1
 they enjoyed such prosperity and       
attained so rapidly the magnitude of a  
nation that some1 forgetful alike of the
 promise of ,god and of the natural     
advantages of ,israel's position1 have  
refused to credit the accounts given us 
of the increase in their population4 ,in
 a land so roomy1 so fertile1 and so    
secluded as that in which they were now 
settled1 they had every advantage for   
making the transition from a family to a
 nation4 ,here they were preserved from 
all temptation to mingle with neighbours
 of a different race1 and so lose their 
special place as a people called out by 
,god to stand alone4 ,the ,egyptians    
would have scorned the marriages which  

the ,canaanites passionately solicited4 
,here the very contempt in which they   
were held proved to be their most       
valuable bulwark4 ,and if ,christians   
have any of the wisdom of the serpent1  
they will often find in the contempt or 
exclusiveness of worldly men a          
convenient barrier1 preventing them1    
indeed1 from enjoying some privileges1  
but at the same time enabling them1     
without molestation1 to pursue their own
 way4 ,i believe young people especially
 feel put about by the deprivations     
which they have to suffer in order to   
save their religious scruples2 they are 
shut off from what their friends and    
associates enjoy1 and they perceive that
 they are not so well liked as they     
would be had they less desire to live by
 conscience and by ,god's will4 ,they   
feel ostracized1 banished1 frowned upon1
 laid under disabilities2 but all this  
has its compensations3 it forms for them
 a kind of ,goshen where they may       
worship and increase1 it runs a fence   

around them which keeps them apart from 
much that tempts and from much that     
enfeebles4  ,the residence of ,israel in
 ,egypt served another important        
purpose4 ,by contact with the most      
civilised people of antiquity they      
emerged from the semi-barbarous         
condition in which they had previously  
been living4 ,going into ,egypt mere    
shepherds1 as ,jacob somewhat           
plaintively and deprecatingly says to   
,pharaoh2 not even possessed1 so far as 
we know1 of the fundamental arts on     
which civilisation rests1 unable to     
record in writing the revelations ,god  
made1 or to read them if recorded2      
having the most rudimentary ideas of law
 and justice1 and having nothing to keep
 them together and give them form and   
strength1 save the one idea that ,god   
meant to confer on them great           
distinction2 they were transferred into 
a land where government had been so long
 established and law had come to be so  
thoroughly administered that life and   

property were as safe as among ourselves
 to-day1 where science had made such    
advances that even the weather-beaten   
and time-stained relics of it seem to   
point to regions into which even the    
bold enterprise of modern investigation 
has not penetrated1 and where all the   
arts needful for life were in familiar  
use1 and even some practised which      
modern times have as yet been unable to 
recover4 ,to no better school could the 
barbarous sons of ,bilhah and ,zilpah   
have been sent2 to no more fitting      
discipline could the lawless spirits of 
,reuben1 ,simeon1 and ,levi have been   
subjected4 ,in ,egypt1 where human life 
was sacred1 where truth was worshipped  
as a deity1 and where law was invested  
with the sanctity which belonged to what
 was supposed to have descended from    
heaven1 they were brought under         
influences similar to those which       
ancient ,rome exerted over conquered    
races4  ,the unwitting pioneer of this  
great movement was a man in all respects

 fitted to initiate it happily4 ,in     
,joseph we meet a type of character rare
 in any race1 and which1 though         
occasionally reproduced in ,jewish      
history1 we should certainly not have   
expected to meet with at so early a     
period4 ,for what chiefly strikes one in
 ,joseph is a combination of grace and  
power1 which is commonly looked upon as 
the peculiar result of civilising       
influences1 knowledge of history1       
familiarity with foreign races1 and     
hereditary dignity4 ,in ,david we find a
 similar flexibility and grace of       
character1 and a similar personal       
superiority4 ,we find the same bright   
and humorous disposition helping him to 
play the man in adverse circumstances2  
but we miss in ,david ,joseph's         
self-control and incorruptible purity1  
as we also miss something of his        
capacity for difficult affairs of state4
 ,in ,daniel this latter capacity is    
abundantly present1 and a facility equal
 to ,joseph's in dealing with           

foreigners1 and there is also a certain 
grace or nobility in the ,jewish        
,vizier2 but ,joseph had a surplus of   
power which enabled him to be cheerful  
and alert in doleful circumstances1     
which ,daniel would certainly have borne
 manfully but probably in a sterner and 
more passive mood4 ,joseph1 indeed1     
seemed to inherit and happily combine   
the highest qualities of his ancestors4 
,he had ,abraham's dignity and capacity1
 ,isaac's purity and power of           
self-devotion1 ,jacob's cleverness and  
buoyancy and tenacity4 ,from his        
mother's family he had personal beauty1 
humour1 and management4  ,a young man of
 such capabilities could not long remain
 insensible to his own powers or        
indifferent to his own destiny4 ,indeed1
 the conduct of his father and brothers 
towards him must have made him          
self-conscious1 even though he had been 
wholly innocent of introspection4 ,the  
force of the impression he produced on  
his family may be measured by the       

circumstance that the princely dress    
given him by his father did not excite  
his brothers' ridicule but their envy   
and hatred4 ,in this dress there was a  
manifest suitableness to his person1 and
 this excited them to a keen resentment 
of the distinction4 ,so too they felt   
that his dreams were not the mere       
whimsicalities of a lively fancy1 but   
were possessed of a verisimilitude which
 gave them importance4 ,in short1 the   
dress and the dreams were insufferably  
exasperating to the brothers1 because   
they proclaimed and marked in a definite
 way the feeling of ,joseph's           
superiority which had already been      
vaguely rankling in their consciousness4
 ,and it is creditable to ,joseph that  
this superiority should first have      
emerged in connection with a point of   
conduct4 ,it was in moral stature that  
the sons of ,bilhah and ,zilpah felt    
that they were outgrown by the stripling
 whom they carried with them as their   
drudge4 ,neither are we obliged to      

suppose that ,joseph was a gratuitous   
tale-bearer1 or that when he carried    
their evil report to his father he was  
actuated by a prudish1 censorious1 or in
 any way unworthy spirit4 ,that he very 
well knew how to hold his tongue no man 
ever gave more adequate proof2 but he   
that understands that there is a time to
 keep silence necessarily sees also that
 there is a time to speak4 ,and no one  
can tell what torture that pure young   
soul may have endured in the remote     
pastures1 when left alone to withstand  
day after day the outrage of these      
coarse and unscrupulous men4 ,an elder  
brother1 if he will1 can more           
effectually guard the innocence of a    
younger brother than any other relative 
can1 but he can also inflict a more     
exquisite torture4  ,joseph1 then1 could
 not but come to think of his future and
 of his destiny in this family4 ,that   
his father should make a pet of him     
rather than of ,benjamin1 he would refer
 to the circumstance that he was the    

oldest son of the wife of his choice1 of
 her whom first he had loved1 and who   
had no rival while he lived4 ,to so     
charming a companion as ,joseph must    
always have been1 ,jacob would naturally
 impart all the traditions and hopes of 
the family4 ,in him he found a          
sympathetic and appreciative listener1  
who wiled him on to endless narrative1  
and whose imaginativeness quickened his 
own hopes and made the future seem      
grander and the world more wide4 ,and   
what ,jacob had to tell could fall into 
no kindlier soil than the opening mind  
of ,joseph4 ,no hint was lost1 every    
promise was interpreted by some waiting 
aspiration4 ,and thus1 like every youth 
of capacity1 he came to have his        
day-dreams4 ,these day-dreams1 though   
derided by those who cannot see the     
,caesar in the careless trifler1 and    
though often awkward and even offensive 
in their expression1 are not always the 
mere discontented cravings of youthful  
vanity1 but are frequently instinctive  

gropings towards the position which the 
nature is fitted to fill4 ,our wishes1  
it has been said1 are the forefeeling of
 our capabilities2 and certainly where  
there is any special gift or genius in a
 man1 the wish of his youth is          
predictive of the attainment of manhood4
 ,whims1 no doubt1 there are1 passing   
phases through which natural growth     
carries us1 flutterings of the needle   
when too near some powerful influence2  
yet amidst all variations the true      
direction will be discernible and       
ultimately will be dominant4 ,and it is 
a great art to discover what we are fit 
for1 so that we may settle down to our  
own work1 or patiently wait for our own 
place1 without enviously striving to rob
 every other man of his crown and so    
losing our own4 ,it is an art that saves
 us much fretting and disappointment and
 waste of time1 to understand early in  
life what it is we can accomplish1 and  
what precisely we mean to be at2 to     
recognise in our personal gifts or      

station1 in the circumstances and       
complications of our life1 in our       
relations to others1 or to the          
world--the will of ,god teaching us what
 we are1 and for what we ought to live4 
,how much of life often is gone before  
its possessor sees the use he can put it
 to1 and ceases to beat the air6 ,how   
much of life is an ill-considered but   
passionate striving after what can never
 be attained1 or a vain imitation of    
persons who have quite different talents
 and opportunities from ourselves1 and  
who are therefore set to quite another  
work than ours4  ,it was because        
,joseph's dreams embodied his waking    
ambition that they were of importance4  
,dreams become significant when they are
 the concentrated essence of the main   
stream of the waking thoughts1 and      
picturesquely exhibit the tendency of   
the character4 ,in a dream1 says ,elihu1
 in a vision of the night1 when deep    
sleep falleth upon men1 in slumberings  
upon the bed2 then ,he openeth the ears 

of men1 and sealeth their instruction1  
that ,he may withdraw man from his      
purpose4 ,this is precisely the use of  
dreams3 our tendencies1 unbridled by    
reason and fact1 run on to results2 the 
purposes which the business and other   
good influences of the day have kept    
down act themselves out in our dreams1  
and we see the character unimpeded by   
social checks1 and as it would be were  
it unmodified by the restraints and     
efforts and external considerations of  
our conscious hours4 ,our vanity1 our   
pride1 our malice1 our impurity1 our    
deceit1 our every evil passion1 has free
 play1 and shows us its finished result1
 and in so vivid and true though        
caricatured a form that we are startled 
and withdrawn from our purpose4 ,the    
evil thought we have suffered to creep  
about our heart seems in our dreams to  
become a deed1 and we wake in horror and
 thank ,god we can yet refrain4 ,thus   
the poor woman1 who in utter destitution
 was beginning to find her child a      

burden1 dreamt she had drowned it1 and  
woke in horror at the fancied sound of  
the plunge--woke to clasp her little one
 to her breast with the thrill of a     
grateful affection that never again gave
 way4 ,so that while no man is so       
foolish as to expect instruction from   
every dream any more than from every    
thought that visits his waking mind1 yet
 every one who has been accumulating    
some knowledge of himself is aware that 
he has drawn a large part of this from  
his unconscious hours4 ,as the          
naturalist would know but a small part  
of the animal kingdom by studying the   
creatures that show themselves in the   
daylight1 so there are moles and bats of
 the spirit that exhibit themselves most
 freely in the darkness2 and there are  
jungles and waste places in the         
character which1 if you look on them    
only in the sunshine1 may seem safe and 
lovely1 but which at night show         
themselves to be full of all loathsome  
and savage beasts4  ,with the simplicity

 of a guileless mind1 and with the      
natural proneness of members of one     
family to tell in the morning the dreams
 they have had1 ,joseph tells to the    
rest what seems to himself interesting1 
if not very suggestive4 ,possibly he    
thought very little of his dream till he
 saw how much importance his brothers   
attached to it4 ,possibly there might be
 discernible in his tone and look some  
mixture of youthful arrogance4 ,and in  
his relation of the second dream1 there 
was discernible at least a confidence   
that it would be realised1 which was    
peculiarly intolerable to his brothers1 
and to his father seemed a dangerous    
symptom that called for rebuke4 ,and yet
 his father observed the saying2 as a   
parent has sometimes occasion to check  
his child1 and yet1 having done so1     
feels that that does not end the matter2
 that his boy and he are in somewhat    
different spheres1 so that while he was 
certainly justified in punishing such   
and such a manifestation of his         

character1 there is yet something behind
 that he does not quite understand1 and 
for which possibly punishment may not be
 exactly the suitable award4  ,we fall  
into ,jacob's mistake when we refuse to 
acknowledge as genuine and ,god-inspired
 any religious experience which we      
ourselves have not passed through1 and  
which appears in a guise that is not    
only unfamiliar1 but that is in some    
particulars objectionable4 ,up to the   
measure of our own religious experience1
 we recognise as genuine1 and sympathise
 with1 the parallel experience of       
others2 but when they rise above us and 
get beyond us1 we begin to speak of them
 as visionaries1 enthusiasts1 dreamers4 
,we content ourselves with pointing     
again and again to the blots in their   
manner1 and refuse to read the future   
through the ideas they add to our       
knowledge4 ,but the future necessarily  
lies1 not in the definite and finished  
attainment1 but in the indefinite and   
hazy and dream-like germs that have yet 

growth in them4 ,the future is not with 
,jacob1 the rebuker1 but with the       
dreaming1 and1 possibly1 somewhat       
offensive ,joseph4 ,it was certainly a  
new element ,joseph introduced into the 
experience of ,god's people4 ,he saw1   
obscurely indeed1 but with sufficient   
clearness to make him thoughtful1 that  
the man whom ,god chooses and makes a   
blessing to others is so far advanced   
above his fellows that they lean upon   
him and pay him homage as if he were in 
the place of ,god to them4 ,he saw that 
his higher powers were to be used for   
his brethren1 and that the high destiny 
he somehow felt to be his was to be won 
by doing service so essential that his  
family would bow before him and give    
themselves into his hand4 ,he saw this1 
as every man whose love keeps pace with 
his talent sees it1 and he so far       
anticipated the dignity of ,him who1 in 
the deepest self-sacrifice1 assumed a   
position and asserted claims which      
enraged ,his brethren and made even ,his

 believing mother marvel4 ,joseph knew  
that the welfare of his family rested   
not with the ,esau-like good-nature of  
,reuben1 still less with the fanatical  
ferocity of ,simeon and ,levi1 not with 
the servile patience of ,issachar1 nor  
with the natural force and dignity of   
,judah1 but with some deeper qualities  
which1 if he himself did not yet        
possess1 he at least valued and aspired 
to4  ,whatever ,joseph thought of the   
path by which he was to reach the high  
dignity which his dreams foreshadowed1  
he was soon to learn that the path was  
neither easy nor short4 ,each man thinks
 that1 for himself at least1 an         
exceptional path will be broken out1 and
 that without difficulties and          
humiliations he will inherit the        
kingdom4 ,but it cannot be so4 ,and as  
the first step a lad takes towards the  
attainment of his position often        
involves him in trouble and covers him  
with confusion1 and does so even        
although he ultimately finds that it was

 the only path by which he could have   
reached his goal2 so1 that which was    
really the first step towards ,joseph's 
high destiny1 no doubt seemed to him    
most calamitous and fatal4 ,it certainly
 did so to his brothers1 who thought    
that they were effectually and for ever 
putting an end to ,joseph's pretensions4
 ,behold1 this dreamer cometh2 come now 
therefore1 and let us slay him1 and we  
shall see what will become of his       
dreams4 ,they were1 however1 so far     
turned from their purpose by ,reuben as 
to put him in a pit1 meaning to leave   
him to die2 and1 doubtless1 they thought
 themselves lenient in doing so4 ,the   
less violent the death inflicted1 the   
less of murder seems to be in it2 so    
that he who slowly kills the body by    
only wounding the affections often      
counts himself no murderer at all1      
because he strikes no blood-shedding    
blow1 and can deceive himself into the  
idea that it is the working of his      
victim's own spirit that is doing the   

damage4  ,the tank into which ,joseph's 
brethren cast him was apparently one of 
those huge reservoirs excavated by      
shepherds in the ,east1 that they may   
have a supply of water for their flocks 
in the end of the dry season1 when the  
running waters fail them4 ,being so     
narrow at the mouth that they can be    
covered by a single stone1 they         
gradually widen and form a large        
subterranean room2 and the facility they
 thus afford for the confinement of     
prisoners was from the first too obvious
 not to be commonly taken advantage of4 
,in such a place was ,joseph left to    
die3 under the ground1 sinking in mire1 
his flesh creeping at the touch of      
unseen slimy creatures1 in darkness1    
alone2 that is to say1 in a species of  
confinement which tames the most        
reckless and maddens the best balanced  
spirits1 which shakes the nerve of the  
calmest1 and has sometimes left the     
blankness of idiocy in masculine        
understandings4 ,a few wild cries that  

ring painfully round his prison show him
 he need expect no help from without2 a 
few wild and desperate beatings round   
the shelving walls of rock show him     
there is no possibility of escape2 he   
covers his face1 or casts himself on the
 floor of his dungeon to escape within  
himself1 but only to find this also in  
vain1 and to rise and renew efforts he  
knows to be fruitless4 ,here1 then1 is  
what has come of his fine dreams4 ,with 
shame he now remembers the beaming      
confidence with which he had related    
them2 with bitterness he thinks of the  
bright life above him1 from which these 
few feet cut him so absolutely off1 and 
of the quick termination that has been  
put to all his hopes4  ,into such tanks 
do young persons especially get cast2   
finding themselves suddenly dropped out 
of the lively scenery and bright        
sunshine in which they have been living1
 down into roomy graves where they seem 
left to die at leisure4 ,they had       
conceived a way of being useful in the  

world2 they had found an aim or a hope2 
they had1 like ,joseph1 discerned their 
place and were making towards it1 when  
suddenly they seem to be thrown out and 
are left to learn that the world can do 
very well without them1 that the sun and
 moon and the eleven stars do not drop  
from their courses or make wail because 
of their sad condition4 ,high aims and  
commendable purposes are not so easily  
fulfilled as they fancied4 ,the faculty 
and desire in them to be of service are 
not recognised4 ,men do not make room   
for them1 and ,god seems to disregard   
the hopes ,he has excited in them4 ,the 
little attempt at living they have made 
seems only to have got themselves and   
others into trouble4 ,they begin to     
think it a mistake their being in the   
world at all2 they curse the day of     
their birth4 ,others are enjoying this  
life1 and seem to be making something of
 it1 having found work that suits and   
develops them2 but1 for their own part1 
they cannot get fitted into life at any 

point1 and are excluded from the onward 
movement of the world4 ,they are again  
and again flung back1 until they fear   
they are not to see the fulfilment of   
any one bright dream that has ever      
visited them1 and that they are never1  
never at all1 to live out the life it is
 in them to live1 or find light and     
scope for maturing those germs of the   
rich human nature that they feel within 
them4  ,all this is in the way to       
attainment4 ,this or that check1 this   
long burial for years1 does not come    
upon you merely because stoppage and    
hindrance have been useful to others1   
but because your advancement lies       
through these experiences4 ,young       
persons naturally feel strongly that    
life is all before them1 that this life 
is1 in the first place1 their concern1  
and that ,god must be proved sufficient 
for this life1 able to bring them to    
their ideal4 ,and the first lesson they 
have to learn is1 that mere youthful    
confidence and energy are not the       

qualities that overcome the world4 ,they
 have to learn that humility1 and the   
ambition that seeks great things1 but   
not for ourselves1 are the qualities    
really indispensable4 ,but do men become
 humble by being told to become so1 or  
by knowing they ought to be so8 ,god    
must make us humble by the actual       
experience we meet with in our ordinary 
life4 ,joseph1 no doubt1 knew very well1
 what his aged grandfather must often   
have told him1 that a man must die      
before he begins to live4 ,but what     
could an ambitious1 happy youth make of 
this1 till he was thrown into the pit   
and left there8 as truly passing through
 the bitterness of death as ,isaac had  
passed through it1 and as keenly feeling
 the pain of severance from the light of
 life4 ,then1 no doubt1 he thought of   
,isaac1 and of ,isaac's ,god1 till      
between himself and the impenetrable    
dungeon-walls the everlasting arms      
seemed to interpose1 and through the    
darkness of his death-like solitude the 

face of ,jacob's ,god appeared to beam  
upon him1 and he came to feel what we   
must1 by some extremity1 all be made to 
feel1 that it was not in this world's   
life but in ,god he lived1 that nothing 
could befall him which ,god did not     
will1 and that what ,god had for him to 
do1 ,god would enable him to do4  ,the  
heartless barbarity with which the      
brethren of ,joseph sat down to eat and 
drink the very dainties he had brought  
them from his father1 while they left   
him1 as they thought1 to starve1 has    
been regarded by all later generations  
as the height of hard-hearted           
indifference4 ,amos1 at a loss to       
describe the recklessness of his own    
generation1 falls back upon this        
incident1 and cries woe upon those that 
drink wine in bowls1 and anoint         
themselves with the chief ointment1 but 
they are not grieved for the affliction 
of ,joseph4 ,we reflect1 if we do not   
substantially reproduce1 their sin when 
we are filled with animosity against    

those who usher in some higher kind of  
life1 effort1 or worship1 than we       
ourselves as yet desire or are fit for1 
and which1 therefore1 reflects shame on 
our incapacity2 and when we would fain1 
without using violence1 get rid of such 
persons4 ,there are often schemes set on
 foot by better men than ourselves1     
against which somehow our spirit rises1 
yet which1 did we consider1 we should at
 the most say with the cautious         
,gamaliel1 ,let us beware of doing      
anything to hinder this1 let us see     
whether1 perchance1 it be not of ,god4  
,sometimes there are in families        
individuals who do not get the          
encouragement in well-doing they might  
expect in a ,christian family1 but are  
rather frowned upon and hindered by the 
other members of it1 because they seem  
to be inaugurating a higher style of    
religion than the family is used to1 and
 to be reflecting from their own conduct
 a condemnation of what has hitherto    
been current4  ,this treatment1 who     

among us has not extended to ,him who in
 ,his whole experience so closely       
resembles ,joseph8 ,so long as ,christ  
is to us merely1 as it were1 the pet of 
the family1 the innocent1 guileless1    
loving ,being on whom we can heap pretty
 epithets1 and in whom we find play for 
our best affections1 to whom it is      
easier to show ourselves affectionate   
and well-disposed than to the brothers  
who mingle with us in all our pursuits2 
so long as ,he remains to us as a child 
whose demands it is a relaxation to     
fulfil1 we fancy that we are giving ,him
 our hearts1 and that ,he1 if any1 has  
our love4 ,but when ,he declares to us  
,his dreams1 and claims to be our ,lord1
 to whom with most absolute homage we   
must bow1 who has a right to rule and   
means to rule over us1 who will have    
,his will done by us and not our own1   
then the love we fancied seems to pass  
into something like aversion4 ,his      
purposes we would fain believe to be the
 idle fancies of a dreamer which ,he    

,himself does not expect us to pay much 
heed to4 ,and if we do not resent the   
absolute surrender of ourselves to ,him 
which ,he demands1 if the bowing down of
 our fullest sheaves and brightest glory
 to ,him is too little understood by us 
to be resented2 if we think such dreams 
are not to come true1 and that ,he does 
not mean much by demanding our homage1  
and therefore do not resent the demand2 
yet possibly we can remember with shame 
how we have anointed ourselves with the 
chief ointment1 lain listlessly enjoying
 some of those luxuries which our       
,brother has brought us from the        
,father's house1 and yet let ,himself   
and ,his cause be buried out of         
sight--enjoyed the good name of         
,christian1 the pleasant social         
refinements of a ,christian land1 even  
the peace of conscience which the       
knowledge of the ,christian's ,god      
produces1 and yet turned away from the  
deeper emotions which ,his personal     
entreaties stir1 and from those         

self-sacrificing efforts which ,his     
cause requires if it is to prosper4     
,there are1 too1 unstable ,reubens      
still1 whom something always draws      
aside1 and who are ever out of the way  
when most needed2 who1 like him1 are on 
the other side of the hill when         
,christ's cause is being betrayed2 who  
still count their own private business  
that which must be done1 and ,god's work
 that which may be done--work for       
themselves necessary1 and ,god's work   
only voluntary and in the second place4 
,and there are also those who1 though   
they would be honestly shocked to be    
charged with murdering ,christ's cause1 
can yet leave it to perish4     ,,xxvi4 
,,joseph ,,in ,,prison4  ,,genesis      
xxxix4      ,blessed is the man that    
endureth temptation3 for when he is     
tried1     he shall receive the crown of
 life4--,,james i4 #ab4   ,dramatists   
and novelists who make it their business
 to give accurate representations of    
human life1 proceed upon the            

understanding that there is a plot in   
it1 and that if you take the beginning  
or middle without the end1 you must fail
 to comprehend these prior parts4 ,and a
 plot is pronounced good in proportion  
as1 without violating truth to nature1  
it brings the leading characters into   
situations of extreme danger or         
distress1 from which there seems no     
possible exit1 and in which the         
characters themselves may have fullest  
opportunity to display and ripen their  
individual excellences4 ,a life is      
judged poor and without significance1   
certainly unworthy of any longer record 
than a monumental epitaph may contain1  
if there be in it no critical passages1 
no emergencies when all anticipation of 
the next step is baffled1 or when ruin  
seems certain4 ,though it has been      
brought to a successful issue1 yet1 to  
make it worthy of our consideration1 it 
must have been brought to this issue    
through hazard1 through opposition1     
contrary to many expectations that were 

plausibly entertained at the several    
stages of its career ,all men1 in short1
 are agreed that the value of a human   
life consists very much in the hazards  
and conflicts through which it is       
carried2 and yet we resent ,god's       
dealing with us when it comes to be our 
turn to play the hero1 and by patient   
endurance and righteous endeavour to    
bring our lives to a successful issue4  
,how flat and tame would this narrative 
have read had ,joseph by easy steps come
 to the dignity he at last reached      
through a series of misadventures that  
called out and ripened all that was     
manly and strong and tender in his      
character4 ,and take out of your own    
life all your difficulties1 all that    
ever pained1 agitated1 depressed you1   
all that disappointed or postponed your 
expectations1 all that suddenly called  
upon you to act in trying situations1   
all that thoroughly put you to the      
proof--take all this away1 and what do  
you leave1 but a blank insipid life that

 not even yourself can see any interest 
in8  ,and when we speak of ,joseph's    
life as typical1 we mean that it        
illustrates on a great scale and in     
picturesque and memorable situations    
principles which are obscurely operative
 in our own experience4 ,it pleases the 
fancy to trace the incidental analogies 
between the life of ,joseph and that of 
our ,lord4 ,as our ,lord1 so ,joseph was
 the beloved of his father1 sent by him 
to visit his brethren1 and see after    
their well-being1 seized and sold by    
them to strangers1 and thus raised to be
 their ,saviour and the ,saviour of the 
world4 ,joseph in prison pronouncing the
 doom of one of his fellow-prisoners and
 the exaltation of the other1 suggests  
the scene on ,calvary where the one     
fellow-sufferer was taken1 the other    
left4 ,joseph's contemporaries had of   
course no idea that his life            
foreshadowed the life of the ,redeemer1 
yet they must have seen1 or ought to    
have seen1 that the deepest humiliation 

is often the path to the highest        
exaltation1 that the deliverer sent by  
,god to save a people may come in the   
guise of a slave1 and that false        
accusations1 imprisonment1 years of     
suffering1 do not make it impossible nor
 even unlikely that he who endures all  
these may be ,god's chosen ,son4  ,in   
,joseph's being lifted out of the pit   
only to pass into slavery1 many a man of
 ,joseph's years has seen a picture of  
what has happened to himself4 ,from a   
position in which they have been as if  
buried alive1 young men not uncommonly  
emerge into a position preferable       
certainly to that out of which they have
 been brought1 but in which they are    
compelled to work beyond their strength1
 and that for some superior in whom they
 have no special interest4 ,grinding    
toil1 and often cruel insult1 are their 
portion2 and no necklace heavy with     
tokens of honour that afterwards may be 
allotted them can ever quite hide the   
scars made by the iron collar of the    

slave4 ,one need not pity them over     
much1 for they are young and have a     
whole life-time of energy and power of  
resistance in their spirit4 ,and yet    
they will often call themselves slaves1 
and complain that all the fruit of their
 labour passes over to others and away  
from themselves1 and all prospect of the
 fulfilment of their former dreams is   
quite cut off4 ,that which haunts their 
heart by day and by night1 that which   
they seem destined and fit for1 they    
never get time nor liberty to work out  
and attain4 ,they are never viewed as   
proprietors of themselves1 who may      
possibly have interests of their own and
 hopes of their own4  ,in ,joseph's case
 there were many aggravations of the    
soreness of such a condition4 ,he had   
not one friend in the country4 ,he had  
no knowledge of the language1 no        
knowledge of any trade that could make  
him valuable in ,egypt--nothing1 in     
short1 but his own manhood and his faith
 in ,god4 ,his introduction to ,egypt   

was of the most dispiriting kind4 ,what 
could he expect from strangers1 if his  
own brothers had found him so obnoxious8
 ,now when a man is thus galled and     
stung by injury1 and has learned how    
little he can depend upon finding good  
faith and common justice in the world1  
his character will show itself in the   
attitude he assumes towards men and     
towards life generally4 ,a weak nature1 
when it finds itself thus deceived and  
injured1 will sullenly surrender all    
expectation of good1 and will vent its  
spleen on the world by angry            
denunciations of the heartless and      
ungrateful ways of men4 ,a proud nature 
will gather itself up from every blow1  
and determinedly work its way to an     
adequate revenge4 ,a mean nature will   
accept its fate1 and while it indulges  
in cynical and spiteful observations on 
human life1 will greedily accept the    
paltriest rewards it can secure4 ,but   
the supreme healthiness of ,joseph's    
nature resists all the infectious       

influences that emanate from the world  
around him1 and preserves him from every
 kind of morbid attitude towards the    
world and life4 ,so easily did he throw 
off all vain regrets and stifle all     
vindictive and morbid feelings1 so      
readily did he adjust himself to and so 
heartily enter into life as it presented
 itself to him1 that he speedily rose to
 be overseer in the house of ,potiphar4 
,his capacity for business1 his genial  
power of devoting himself to other men's
 interests1 his clear integrity1 were   
such1 that this officer of ,pharaoh's   
could find no more trustworthy servant  
in all ,egypt--he left all that he had  
in ,joseph's hand3 and he knew not ought
 he had1 save the bread which he did    
eat4  ,thus ,joseph passed safely       
through a critical period of his        
life--the period during which men assume
 the attitude towards life and their    
fellow-men which they commonly retain   
throughout4 ,too often we accept the    
weapons with which the world challenges 

us1 and seek to force our way by means  
little more commendable than the        
injustice and coldness we ourselves     
resent4 ,joseph gives the first great   
evidence of moral strength by rising    
superior to this temptation1 to which   
almost all men in one degree or other   
succumb4 ,you can hear him saying1 deep 
down in his heart and almost            
unconsciously to himself3 ,if the world 
is full of hatred1 there is all the more
 need that at least one man should      
forgive and love2 if men's hearts are   
black with selfishness1 ambition1 and   
lust1 all the more reason for me to be  
pure and to do my best for all whom my  
service can reach2 if cruelty1 lying1   
and fraud meet me at every step1 all the
 more am ,i called to conquer these by  
integrity and guilelessness4  ,his      
capacity1 then1 and power of governing  
others1 were no longer dreams of his    
own1 but qualities with which he was    
accredited by those who judged          
dispassionately and from the bare actual

 results4 ,but this recognition and     
promotion brought with it serious       
temptation4 ,so capable a person was he 
that a year or two had brought him to   
the highest post he could expect as a   
slave4 ,his advancement1 therefore1 only
 brought his actual attainment into more
 painful contrast with the attainment of
 his dreams4 ,as this sense of          
disappointment becomes more familiar to 
his heart1 and threatens1 under the     
monotonous routine of his household     
work1 to deepen into a habit1 there     
suddenly opens to him a new and         
unthought-of path to high position4 ,an 
intrigue with ,potiphar's wife might    
lead to the very advancement he sought4 
,it might lift him out of the condition 
of a slave4 ,it may have been known to  
him that other men had not scrupled so  
to promote their own interests4         
,besides1 ,joseph was young1 and a      
nature like his1 lively and sympathetic1
 must have felt deeply that in his      
position he was not likely to meet such 

a woman as could command his cordial    
love4 ,that the temptation was in any   
degree to the sensual side of his nature
 there is no evidence whatever4 ,for all
 that the narrative says1 ,potiphar's   
wife may not have been attractive in    
person4 ,she may have been2 and as she  
used persistently1 day by day1 every art
 and wile by which she could lure       
,joseph to her mind1 in some of his     
moods and under such circumstances as   
she would study to arrange he may have  
felt even this element of the           
temptation4 ,but it is too little       
observed1 and especially by young men   
who have most need to observe it1 that  
in such temptations it is not only what 
is sensual that needs to be guarded     
against1 but also two much deeper-lying 
tendencies--the craving for loving      
recognition1 and the desire to respond  
to the feminine love for admiration and 
devotion4 ,the latter tendency may not  
seem dangerous1 but ,i am sure that if  
an analysis could be made of the broken 

hearts and shame-crushed lives around   
us1 it would be found that a large      
proportion of misery is due to a kind of
 uncontrolled and mistaken chivalry4    
,men of masculine make are prone to show
 their regard for women4 ,this regard1  
when genuine and manly1 will show itself
 in purity of sympathy and respectful   
attention4 ,but when this regard is     
debased by a desire to please and       
ingratiate oneself1 men are precipitated
 into the unseemly expressions of a     
spurious manhood4 ,the other            
craving--the craving for love--acts also
 in a somewhat latent way4 ,it is this  
craving which drives men to seek to     
satisfy themselves with the expressions 
of love1 as if thus they could secure   
love itself4 ,they do not distinguish   
between the two2 they do not recognise  
that what they most deeply desire is    
love1 rather than the expression of it2 
and they awake to find that precisely in
 so far as they have accepted the       
expression without the sentiment1 in so 

far have they put love itself beyond    
their reach4  ,this temptation was1 in  
,joseph's case1 aggravated by his being 
in a foreign country1 unrestrained by   
the expectations of his own family1 or  
by the eye of those he loved4 ,he had1  
however1 that which restrained him1 and 
made the sin seem to him an impossible  
wickedness1 the thought of which he     
could not1 for a moment1 entertain4     
,behold1 my master wotteth not what is  
with me in the house1 and he hath       
committed all that he hath to my hand2  
there is none greater in this house than
 ,i2 neither hath he kept back anything 
from me but thee1 because thou art his  
wife3 how then can ,i do this great     
wickedness1 and sin against ,god8       
,gratitude to the man who had pitied him
 in the slave market1 and shown a       
generous confidence in a comparative    
stranger1 was1 with ,joseph1 a stronger 
sentiment than any that ,potiphar's wife
 could stir in him4 ,one can well       
believe it4 ,we know what enthusiastic  

devotedness a young man of any worth    
delights to give to his superior who has
 treated him with justice1 generosity1  
and confidence2 who himself occupies a  
station of importance in public life2   
and who1 by a dignified graciousness of 
demeanour1 can make even the slave feel 
that he too is a man1 and that through  
his slave's dress his proper manhood and
 worth are recognised4 ,there are few   
stronger sentiments than the enthusiasm 
or quiet fidelity that can thus be      
kindled1 and the influence such a       
superior wields over the young mind is  
paramount4 ,to disregard the rights of  
his master seemed to ,joseph a great    
wickedness and sin against ,god4 ,the   
treachery of the sin strikes him2 his   
native discernment of the true rights of
 every party in the case cannot1 for a  
moment1 be hoodwinked4 ,he is not a man 
who can1 even in the excitement of      
temptation1 overlook the consequences   
his sin may have on others4 ,not        
unsteadied by the flattering            

solicitations of one so much above him  
in rank1 nor sullied by the contagion of
 her vehement passion2 neither afraid to
 incur the resentment of one who so     
regarded him1 nor kindled to any impure 
desire by contact with her blazing lust2
 neither scrupling thoroughly to        
disappoint her in himself1 nor to make  
her feel her own great guilt1 he flung  
from him the strong inducements that    
seemed to net him round and entangle him
 as his garment did1 and tore himself1  
shocked and grieved1 from the beseeching
 hand of his temptress4  ,the incident  
is related not because it was the most  
violent temptation to which ,joseph was 
ever exposed1 but because it formed a   
necessary link in the chain of          
circumstances that brought him before   
,pharaoh4 ,and however strong this      
temptation may have been1 more men would
 be found who could thus have spoken to 
,potiphar's wife than who could have    
kept silence when accused by ,potiphar4 
,for his purity you will find his equal1

 one among a thousand2 for his mercy    
scarcely one4 ,for there is nothing more
 intensely trying than to live under    
false and painful accusations1 which    
totally misrepresent and damage your    
character2 which effectually bar your   
advancement1 and which yet you have it  
in your power to disprove4 ,joseph1     
feeling his indebtedness to ,potiphar1  
contents himself with the simple        
averment that he himself is innocent4   
,the word is on his tongue that can put 
a very different face on the matter1 but
 rather than utter that word1 ,joseph   
will suffer the stroke that otherwise   
must fall on his master's honour2 will  
pass from his high place and office of  
trust1 through the jeering or possibly  
compassionating slaves1 branded as one  
who has betrayed the frankest           
confidence1 and is fitter for the       
dungeon than the stewardship of         
,potiphar4 ,he is content to lie under  
the cruel suspicion that he had in the  
foulest way wronged the man whom most he

 should have regarded1 and whom in point
 of fact he did enthusiastically serve4 
,there was one man in ,egypt whose      
good-will he prized1 and this man now   
scorned and condemned him1 and this for 
the very act by which ,joseph had proved
 most faithful and deserving4  ,and even
 after a long imprisonment1 when he had 
now no reputation to maintain1 and when 
such a little bit of court scandal as he
 could have retailed would have been    
highly palatable and possibly useful to 
some of those polished ruffians and     
adventurers who made their dungeon ring 
with questionable tales1 and with whom  
the free and levelling intercourse of   
prison life had put him on the most     
familiar footing1 and when they twitted 
and taunted him with his supposed crime1
 and gave him the prison sobriquet that 
would most pungently embody his villainy
 and failure1 and when it might         
plausibly have been pleaded by himself  
that such a woman should be exposed1    
,joseph uttered no word of              

recrimination1 but quietly endured1     
knowing that ,god's providence could    
allow him to be merciful2 protesting1   
when needful1 that he himself was       
innocent1 but seeking to entangle no one
 else in his misfortune4  ,it is this   
that has made the world seem so terrible
 a place to many--that the innocent must
 so often suffer for the guilty1 and    
that1 without appeal1 the pure and      
loving must lie in chains and           
bitterness1 while the wicked live and   
see good days4 ,it is this that has made
 men most despairingly question whether 
there be indeed a ,god in heaven ,who   
knows who the real culprit is1 and yet  
suffers a terrible doom slowly to close 
around the innocent2 ,who sees where the
 guilt lies1 and yet moves no finger nor
 speaks the word that would bring       
justice to light1 shaming the secure    
triumph of the wrongdoer1 and saving the
 bleeding spirit from its agony4 ,it was
 this that came as the last stroke of   
the passion of our ,lord1 that ,he was  

numbered among the transgressors2 it was
 this that caused or materially         
increased the feeling that ,god had     
deserted ,him2 and it was this that     
wrung from ,him the cry which once was  
wrung from ,david1 and may well have    
been wrung from ,joseph1 when1 cast into
 the dungeon as a mean and treacherous  
villain1 whose freedom was the peril of 
domestic peace and honour1 he found     
himself again helpless and forlorn1     
regarded now not as a mere worthless    
lad1 but as a criminal of the lowest    
type4 ,and as there always recur cases  
in which exculpation is impossible just 
in proportion as the party accused is   
possessed of honourable feeling1 and    
where silent acceptance of doom is the  
result not of convicted guilt1 but of   
the very triumph of self-sacrifice1 we  
must beware of over-suspicion and       
injustice4 ,there is nothing in which we
 are more frequently mistaken than in   
our suspicions and harsh judgments of   
others4  ,but the ,lord was with        

,joseph1 and allowed him mercy1 and gave
 him favour in the sight of the keeper  
of the prison4 ,as in ,potiphar's house1
 so in the king's house of detention1   
,joseph's fidelity and serviceableness  
made him seem indispensable1 and by     
sheer force of character he occupied the
 place rather of governor than of       
prisoner4 ,the discerning men he had to 
do with1 accustomed to deal with        
criminals and suspects of all shades1   
very quickly perceived that in ,joseph's
 case justice was at fault1 and that he 
was a mere scape-goat4 ,well might      
,potiphar's wife1 like ,pilate's1 have  
had warning dreams regarding the        
innocent person who was being condemned2
 and probably ,potiphar himself had     
suspicion enough of the true state of   
matters to prevent him from going to    
extremities with ,joseph1 and so to     
imprison him more out of deference to   
the opinion of his household1 and for   
the sake of appearances1 than because   
,joseph alone was the object of his     

anger4 ,at any rate1 such was the       
vitality of ,joseph's confidence in     
,god1 and such was the light-heartedness
 that sprang from his integrity of      
conscience1 that he was free from all   
absorbing anxiety about himself1 and had
 leisure to amuse and help his          
fellow-prisoners1 so that such promotion
 as a gaol could afford he won1 from a  
dungeon to a chain1 from a chain to his 
word of honour4 ,thus even in the       
unlatticed dungeon the sun and moon look
 in upon him and bow to him2 and while  
his sheaf seems at its poorest1 all rust
 and mildew1 the sheaves of his masters 
do homage4  ,after the arrival of two   
such notable criminals as the chief     
butler and baker of ,pharaoh--the       
chamberlain and steward of the royal    
household--,joseph1 if sometimes        
pensive1 must yet have had sufficient   
entertainment at times in conversing    
with men who stood by the king1 and were
 familiar with the statesmen1 courtiers1
 and military men who frequented the    

house of ,potiphar4 ,he had now ample   
opportunity for acquiring information   
which afterwards stood him in good      
stead1 for apprehending the character of
 ,pharaoh1 and for making himself       
acquainted with many details of his     
government1 and with the general        
condition of the people4 ,officials in  
disgrace would be found much more       
accessible and much more communicative  
of important information than officials 
in court favour could have been to one  
in ,joseph's position4  ,it is not      
surprising that three nights before     
,pharaoh's birthday these functionaries 
of the court should have recalled in    
sleep such scenes as that day was wont  
to bring round1 nor that they should    
vividly have seen the parts they        
themselves used to play in the festival4
 ,neither is it surprising that they    
should have had very anxious thoughts   
regarding their own fate on a day which 
was chosen for deciding the fate of     
political or courtly offenders4 ,but it 

is remarkable that they having dreamed  
these dreams ,joseph should have been   
found willing to interpret them4 ,one   
desires some evidence of ,joseph's      
attitude towards ,god during this period
 when ,god's attitude towards him might 
seem doubtful1 and especially one would 
like to know what ,joseph by this time  
thought of his juvenile dreams1 and     
whether in the prison his face wore the 
same beaming confidence in his own      
future which had smitten the hearts of  
his brothers with impatient envy of the 
dreamer4 ,we seek some evidence1 and    
here we find it4 ,joseph's willingness  
to interpret the dreams of his          
fellow-prisoners proves that he still   
believed in his own1 that among his     
other qualities he had this             
characteristic also of a steadfast and  
profound soul1 that he reverenced as a  
man the dreams of his youth4 ,had he not
 done so1 and had he not yet hoped that 
somehow ,god would bring truth out of   
them1 he would surely have said3 ,don't 

you believe in dreams2 they will only   
get you into difficulties4 ,he would    
have said what some of us could dictate 
from our own thoughts3 ,i won't meddle  
with dreams any more2 ,i am not so young
 as ,i once was2 doctrines and          
principles that served for fervent      
romantic youth seem puerile now1 when ,i
 have learned what human life actually  
is2 ,i can't ask this man1 who knows the
 world and has held the cup for         
,pharaoh1 and is aware what a practical 
shape the king's anger takes1 to cherish
 hopes similar to those which often seem
 so remote and doubtful to myself4 ,my  
religion has brought me into trouble3 it
 has lost me my situation1 it has kept  
me poor1 it has made me despised1 it has
 debarred me from enjoyment4 ,can ,i ask
 this man to trust to inward whisperings
 which seem to have so misled me8 ,no1  
no2 let every man bear his own burden4  
,if he wishes to become religious1 let  
not me bear the responsibility4 ,if he  
will dream1 let him find some other     

interpreter4  ,this casual conversation1
 then1 with his fellow-prisoners was for
 ,joseph one of those perilous moments  
when a man holds his fate in his hand1  
and yet does not know that he is        
specially on trial1 but has for his     
guidance and safe-conduct through the   
hazard only the ordinary safeguards and 
lights by the aid of which he is framing
 his daily life4 ,a man cannot be       
forewarned of trial1 if the trial is to 
be a fair test of his habitual life4 ,he
 must not be called to the lists by the 
herald's trumpet warning him to mind his
 seat and grasp his weapon2 but must be 
suddenly set upon if his habit of       
steadiness and balance is to be tested1 
and the warrior-instinct to which the   
right weapon is ever at hand4 ,as       
,joseph1 going the round of his morning 
duty and spreading what might stir the  
appetite of these dainty courtiers1     
noted the gloom on their faces1 had he  
not been of a nature to take upon       
himself the sorrows of others1 he might 

have been glad to escape from their     
presence1 fearful lest he should be     
infected by their depression1 or should 
become an object on which they might    
vent their ill-humour4 ,but he was girt 
with a healthy cheerfulness that could  
bear more than his own burden2 and his  
pondering of his own experience made him
 sensitive to all that affected the     
destinies of other men4  ,thus ,joseph  
in becoming the interpreter of the      
dreams of other men became the fulfiller
 of his own4 ,had he made light of the  
dreams of his fellow-prisoners because  
he had already made light of his own1 he
 would1 for aught we can see1 have died 
in the dungeon4 ,and1 indeed1 what hope 
is left for a man1 and what deliverance 
is possible1 when he makes light of his 
own most sacred experience1 and doubts  
whether after all there was any ,divine 
voice in that part of his life which    
once he felt to be full of significance8
 ,sadness1 cynical worldliness1         
irritability1 sour and isolating        

selfishness1 rapid deterioration in     
every part of the character--these are  
the results which follow our repudiation
 of past experience and denial of truth 
that once animated and purified us2     
when1 at least1 this repudiation and    
denial are not themselves the results of
 our advance to a higher1 more          
animating1 and more purifying truth4 ,we
 cannot but leave behind us many        
childish things1 beliefs that we now    
recognise as mere superstitions1 hopes  
and fears which do not move the maturer 
mind2 we cannot but seek always to be   
stripping ourselves of modes of thinking
 which have served their purpose and are
 out of date1 but we do so only for the 
sake of attaining freer movement in all 
serviceable and righteous conduct1 and  
more adequate covering for the permanent
 weaknesses of our own nature--not for  
that we would be unclothed1 but clothed 
upon1 that truth partial and dawning may
 be swallowed up in the perfect light of
 noon4 ,and when a supposed advance in  

the knowledge of things spiritual robs  
us of all that sustains true spiritual  
life in us1 and begets an angry contempt
 of our own past experience and a proud 
scorning of the dreams that agitate     
other men2 when it ministers not at all 
to the growth in us of what is tender   
and pure and loving and progressive1 but
 hardens us to a sullen or coarsely     
riotous or coldly calculating character1
 we cannot but question whether it is   
not a delusion rather than a truth that 
has taken possession of us4  ,if it is  
fanciful1 it is yet almost inevitable1  
to compare ,joseph at this stage of his 
career to the great ,interpreter who    
stands between ,god and us1 and makes   
all ,his signs intelligible4 ,those     
,egyptians could not forbear honouring  
,joseph1 who was able to solve to them  
the mysteries on the borders of which   
the ,egyptian mind continually hovered1 
and which it symbolized by its          
mysterious sphinxes1 its strange        
chambers of imagery1 its unapproachable 

divinities4 ,and we bow before the ,lord
 ,jesus ,christ1 because ,he can read   
our fate and unriddle all our dim       
anticipations of good and evil1 and make
 intelligible to us the visions of our  
own hearts4 ,there is that in us1 as in 
these men1 from which a skilled eye     
could already read our destiny4 ,in the 
eye of ,one who sees the end from the   
beginning1 and can distinguish between  
the determining influences of character 
and the insignificant manifestations of 
a passing mood1 we are already designed 
to our eternal places4 ,and it is in    
,christ alone your future is explained4 
,you cannot understand your future      
without taking ,him into your           
confidence4 ,you go forward blindly to  
meet you know not what1 unless you      
listen to ,his interpretation of the    
vague presentiments that visit you4     
,without ,him what can we make of those 
suspicions of a future judgment1 or of  
those yearnings after ,god1 that hang   
about our hearts8 ,without ,him what can

 we make of the idea and hope of a      
better life than we are now living1 or  
of the strange persuasion that all will 
yet be well--a persuasion that seems so 
groundless1 and which yet will not be   
shaken off1 but finds its explanation in
 ,christ8 ,the excess of side light that
 falls across our path from the present 
seems only to make the future more      
obscure and doubtful1 and from ,him     
alone do we receive any interpretation  
of ourselves that even seems to be      
satisfying4 ,our fellow-prisoners are   
often seen to be so absorbed in their   
own affairs that it is vain to seek     
light from them2 but ,he1 with patient1 
self-forgetting friendliness1 is ever   
disengaged1 and even elicits1 by the    
kindly and interrogating attitude ,he   
takes towards us1 the utterance of all  
our woes and perplexities4 ,and it is   
because ,he has had dreams ,himself that
 ,he has become so skilled an           
interpreter of ours4 ,it is because in  
,his own life ,he had ,his mind hard    

pressed for a solution of those very    
problems which baffle us1 because ,he   
had for ,himself to adjust ,god's       
promise to the ordinary and apparently  
casual and untoward incidents of a human
 life1 and because ,he had to wait long 
before it became quite clear how one    
,scripture after another was to be      
fulfilled by a course of simple         
confiding obedience--it is because of   
this experience of ,his own1 that ,he   
can now enter into and rightly guide to 
its goal every longing we cherish4      
,,xxvii4  ,,pharaoh',s ,,dreams4        
,,genesis xli4      ,thus saith the     
,lord1 that frustrateth the tokens of   
the liars1 and     maketh diviners mad2 
that confirmeth the word of ,his        
servant1 and     performeth the counsel 
of ,his messengers3 that saith of       
,cyrus1 ,he is     ,my shepherd1 and    
shall perform all ,my pleasure4--,,isa4 
xliv4 #be1 #bh4   ,the preceding act in 
this great drama--the act comprising the
 scenes of ,joseph's temptation1 unjust 

imprisonment1 and interpretation of his 
fellow-prisoners' dreams--was written   
for the sake of explaining how ,joseph  
came to be introduced to ,pharaoh4      
,other friendships may have been formed 
in the prison1 and other threads may    
have been spun which went to make up the
 life of ,joseph1 but this only is      
pursued4 ,for a time1 however1 there    
seemed very little prospect that this   
would prove to be the thread on which   
his destiny hung4 ,joseph made a        
touching appeal to the ,chief ,butler3  
yet did not the ,chief ,butler remember 
,joseph1 but forgat him4 ,you can see   
him in the joy of his release           
affectionately pressing ,joseph's hand  
as the king's messengers knocked off his
 fetters4 ,you can see him assuring     
,joseph1 by his farewell look1 that he  
might trust him2 mistaking mere elation 
at his own release for warmth of feeling
 towards ,joseph1 though perhaps even   
already feeling just the slightest touch
 of awkwardness at being seen on such   

intimate terms with a ,hebrew slave4    
,how could he1 when in the palace of    
,pharaoh and decorated with the insignia
 of his office and surrounded by        
courtiers1 break through the formal     
etiquette of the place8 ,what with the  
pleasant congratulations of old friends1
 and the accumulation of business since 
he had been imprisoned1 and the         
excitement of restoration from so low   
and hopeless to so high and busy a      
position1 the promise to ,joseph is     
obliterated from his mind4 ,if it once  
or twice recurs to his memory1 he       
persuades himself he is waiting for a   
good opening to mention ,joseph4 ,it    
would perhaps be unwarrantable to say   
that he admits the idea that he is in no
 way indebted to ,joseph1 since all that
 ,joseph had done was to interpret1 but 
by no means to determine1 his fate4     
,the analogy which we could not help    
seeing between ,joseph's relation to his
 fellow-prisoners1 and our ,lord's      
relation to us1 pursues us here4 ,for   

does not the bond between us and ,him   
seem often very slender1 when once we   
have received from ,him the knowledge of
 the ,king's good-will1 and find        
ourselves set in a place of security8   
,is not ,christ with many a mere        
stepping-stone for their own            
advancement1 and of interest only so    
long as they are in anxiety about their 
own fate8 ,their regard for ,him seems  
abruptly to terminate as soon as they   
are ushered to freer air4 ,brought for a
 while into contact with ,him1 the very 
peace and prosperity which that         
intercourse has introduced them to      
become opiates to dull their memory and 
their gratitude4 ,they have received all
 they at present desire1 they have no   
more dreams1 their life has become so   
plain and simple and glad that they need
 no interpreter4 ,they seem to regard   
,him no more than an official is        
regarded who is set to discharge to all 
comers some duty for which he is paid2  
who mingles no love with his work1 and  

from whom they would receive the same   
benefits whether he had any personal    
interest in them or no4 ,but there is no
 ,christianity where there is no loving 
remembrance of ,christ4 ,if your contact
 with ,him has not made ,him your       
,friend whom you can by no possibility  
forget1 you have missed the best result 
of your introduction to ,him4 ,it makes 
one think meanly of the ,chief ,butler  
that such a personality as ,joseph's had
 not more deeply impressed him--that    
everything he heard and saw among the   
courtiers did not make him say to       
himself3 ,there is a friend of mine1 in 
prison hard by1 that for beauty1 wisdom1
 and vivacity would more than match the 
finest of you all4 ,and it says very    
little for us if we can have known      
anything of ,christ without seeing that 
in ,him we have what is nowhere else1   
and without finding that ,he has become 
the necessity of our life to whom we    
turn at every point4  ,but1 as things   
turned out1 it was perhaps as well for  

,joseph that his promising friend did   
forget him4 ,for1 supposing the ,chief  
,butler had overcome his natural        
reluctance to increase his own          
indebtedness to ,pharaoh by interceding 
for a friend1 supposing he had been     
willing to risk the friendship of the   
,captain of the ,guard by interfering in
 so delicate a matter1 and supposing    
,pharaoh had been willing to listen to  
him1 what would have been the result8   
,probably that ,joseph would have been  
sold away to the quarries1 for certainly
 he could not have been restored to     
,potiphar's house2 or1 at the most1 he  
might have received his liberty1 and a  
free pass out of ,egypt4 ,that is to    
say1 he would have obtained liberty to  
return to sheep-shearing and            
cattle-dealing and checkmating his      
brother's plots4 ,in any probable case  
his career would have tended rather     
towards obscurity than towards the      
fulfilment of his dreams4  ,there seems 
equal reason to congratulate ,joseph on 

his friend's forgetfulness1 when we     
consider its probable effects1 not on   
his career1 but on his character4 ,when 
he was left in prison after so sudden   
and exciting an incursion of the outer  
world as the king's messengers would    
make1 his mind must have run chiefly in 
two lines of thought4 ,naturally he     
would feel some envy of the man who was 
being restored2 and when day after day  
passed and more than the former monotony
 of prison routine palled on his spirit2
 when he found how completely he was    
forgotten1 and how friendless and lone a
 creature he was in that strange land   
where things had gone so mysteriously   
against him2 when he saw before him no  
other fate than that which he had seen  
befall so many a slave thrown into a    
dungeon at his master's pleasure and    
never more heard of1 he must have been  
sorely tempted to hate the whole world1 
and especially those brethren who had   
been the beginning of all his           
misfortunes4 ,had there been any        

selfishness in solution in ,joseph's    
character1 this is the point at which it
 would have quickly crystallized into   
permanent forms4 ,for nothing more      
certainly elicits and confirms          
selfishness than bad treatment4 ,but    
from his conduct on his release1 we see 
clearly enough that through all this    
trying time his heroism was not only    
that of the strong man who vows that    
though the whole world is against him   
the day will come when the world shall  
have need of him1 but of the saint of   
,god in whom suffering and injustice    
leave no bitterness against his fellows1
 nor even provoke one slightest morbid  
utterance4  ,but another process must   
have been going on in ,joseph's mind at 
the same time4 ,he must have felt that  
it was a very serious thing that he had 
been called upon to do in interpreting  
,god's will to his fellow-prisoners4 ,no
 doubt he fell into it quite naturally  
and aptly1 because it was liker his     
proper vocation1 and more of his        

character could come out in it than in  
anything he had yet done4 ,still1 to be 
mixed up thus with matters of life and  
death concerning other people1 and to   
have men of practical ability and       
experience and high position listening  
to him as to an oracle1 and to find that
 in very truth a great power was        
committed to him1 was calculated to have
 some considerable result one way or    
other on ,joseph4 ,and these two years  
of unrelieved and sobering obscurity    
cannot but be considered most opportune4
 ,for one of two things is apt to follow
 the world's first recognition of a     
man's gifts4 ,he is either induced to   
pander to the world's wonder and become 
artificial and strained in all he does1 
so losing the spontaneity and           
naturalness and sincerity which         
characterise the best work2 or he is    
awed and steadied4 ,and whether the one 
or the other result follow1 will depend 
very much on the other things that are  
happening to him4 ,in ,joseph's case it 

was probably well that after having made
 proof of his powers he was left in such
 circumstances as would not only give   
him time for reflection1 but also give a
 humble and believing turn to his       
reflections4 ,he was not at once exalted
 to the priestly caste1 nor enrolled    
among the wise men1 nor put in any      
position in which he would have been    
under constant temptation to display and
 trifle with his power2 and so he was   
led to the conviction that deeper even  
than the joy of receiving the           
recognition and gratitude of men was the
 abiding satisfaction of having done the
 thing ,god had given him to do4  ,these
 two years1 then1 during which ,joseph's
 active mind must necessarily have been 
forced to provide food for itself1 and  
have been thrown back upon his past     
experience1 seem to have been of eminent
 service in maturing his character4 ,the
 self-possessed dignity and ease of     
command which appear in him from the    
moment when he is ushered into          

,pharaoh's presence have their roots in 
these two years of silence4 ,as the     
bones of a strong man are slowly1       
imperceptibly knit1 and gradually take  
the shape and texture they retain       
throughout2 so during these years there 
was silently and secretly consolidating 
a character of almost unparalleled      
calmness and power4 ,one has no words to
 express how tantalizing it must have   
been to ,joseph to see this ,egyptian   
have his dreams so gladly and speedily  
fulfilled1 while he himself1 who had so 
long waited on the true ,god1 was left  
waiting still1 and now so utterly       
unbefriended that there seemed no       
possible way of ever again connecting   
himself with the world outside the      
prison walls4 ,being pressed thus for an
 answer to the question1 ,what does ,god
 mean to make of my life8 he was brought
 to see and to hold as the most         
important truth for him1 that the first 
concern is1 that ,god's purposes be     
accomplished2 the second1 that his own  

dreams be fulfilled4 ,he was enabled1 as
 we shall see in the sequel1 to put ,god
 truly in the first place1 and to see   
that by forwarding the interests of     
other men1 even though they were but    
light-minded chief butlers at a foreign 
court1 he might be as serviceably       
furthering the purposes of ,god1 as if  
he were forwarding his own interests4   
,he was compelled to seek for some      
principle that would sustain and guide  
him in the midst of much disappointment 
and perplexity1 and he found it in the  
conviction that the essential thing to  
be accomplished in this world1 and to   
which every man must lay his shoulder1  
is ,god's purpose4 ,let that go on1 and 
all else that should go on will go on4  
,and he further saw that he best fulfils
 ,god's purpose who1 without anxiety and
 impatience1 does the duty of the day1  
and gives himself without stint to the  
charities that soothe and heal and      
bless4  ,his perception of the breadth  
of ,god's purpose1 and his profound and 

sympathetic and active submission to it1
 were qualities too rare not to be      
called into influential exercise4 ,after
 two years he is suddenly summoned to   
become ,god's interpreter to ,pharaoh4  
,the ,egyptian king was in the unhappy  
though not uncommon position of having a
 revelation from ,god which he could not
 read1 intimations and presentiments he 
could not interpret4 ,to one man is     
given the revelation1 to another the    
interpretation4 ,the official dignity of
 the king is respected1 and to him is   
given the revelation which concerns the 
welfare of the whole people4 ,but to    
read ,god's meaning in a revelation     
requires a spiritual intelligence       
trained to sympathy with ,his purposes1 
and such a spirit was found in ,joseph  
alone4  ,the dreams of ,pharaoh were    
thoroughly ,egyptian4 ,the marvel is1   
that a symbolism so familiar to the     
,egyptian eye should not have been      
easily legible to even the most         
slenderly gifted of ,pharaoh's wise men4

 ,in my dream1 says the king1 behold1 ,i
 stood upon the bank of the river3 and1 
behold1 there came up out of the river  
seven kine1 and so on4 ,every land or   
city is proud of its river1 but none has
 such cause to be so as ,egypt of its   
,nile4 ,the country is accurately as    
well as poetically called the gift of   
,nile4 ,out of the river do really come 
good or bad years1 fat or lean kine4    
,wholly dependent on its annual rise and
 overflow for the irrigating and        
enriching of the soil1 the people       
worship it and love it1 and at the      
season of its overflow give way to the  
most rapturous expressions of joy4 ,the 
cow also was reverenced as the symbol of
 the earth's productive power4 ,if then1
 as ,joseph avers1 ,god wished to show  
to ,pharaoh that seven years of plenty  
were approaching1 this announcement     
could hardly have been made plainer in  
the language of dreams than by showing  
to ,pharaoh seven well-favoured kine    
coming up out of the bountiful river to 

feed on the meadow made richly green by 
its waters4 ,if the king had been       
sacrificing to the river1 such a sight1 
familiar as it was to the dwellers by   
the ,nile1 might well have been accepted
 by him as a promise of plenty in the   
land4 ,but what agitated ,pharaoh1 and  
gave him the shuddering presentiment of 
evil which accompanies some dreams1 was 
the sequel4 ,behold1 seven other kine   
came up after them1 poor and very       
ill-favoured and lean-fleshed1 such as  
,i never saw in all the land of ,egypt  
for badness3 and the lean and the       
ill-favoured kine did eat up the first  
seven fat kine3 and when they had eaten 
them up it could not be known that they 
had eaten them2 but they were still     
ill-favoured1 as at the beginning1--a   
picture which to the inspired           
dream-reader represented seven years of 
famine so grievous1 that the preceding  
plenty should be swallowed up and not be
 known4 ,a similar image occurred to a  
writer who1 in describing a more recent 

famine in the same land1 says3 ,the year
 presented itself as a monster whose    
wrath must annihilate all the resources 
of life and all the means of            
subsistence4  ,it tells in favour of the
 court magicians and wise men that not  
one of them offered an interpretation of
 dreams to which it would certainly not 
have been difficult to attach some      
tolerably feasible interpretation4      
,probably these men were as yet sincere 
devotees of astrology and occult        
science1 and not the mere jugglers and  
charlatans their successors seem to have
 become4 ,when men cannot make out the  
purpose of ,god regarding the future of 
the race1 it is not wonderful that they 
should endeavour to catch the faintest1 
most broken echo of ,his voice to the   
world1 wherever they can find it4 ,now  
there is a wide region1 a borderland    
between the two worlds of spirit and of 
matter1 in which are found a great many 
mysterious phenomena which cannot be    
explained by any known laws of nature1  

and through which men fancy they get    
nearer to the spiritual world4 ,there   
are many singular and startling         
appearances1 coincidences1 forebodings1 
premonitions which men have always been 
attracted towards1 and which they have  
considered as open ways of communication
 between ,god and man4 ,there are       
dreams1 visions1 strange apprehensions1 
freaks of memory1 and other mental      
phenomena1 which1 when all classed      
together1 assorted1 and skilfully       
applied to the reading of the future1   
once formed quite a science by itself4  
,when men have no word from ,god to     
depend upon1 no knowledge at all of     
where either the race or individuals are
 going to1 they will eagerly grasp at   
anything that even seems to shed a ray  
of light on their future4 ,we for the   
most part make light of that whole      
category of phenomena1 because we have a
 more sure word of prophecy by which1 as
 with a light in a dark place1 we can   
tell where our next step should be1 and 

what the end shall be4 ,but invariably  
in heathen countries1 where no guiding  
,spirit of ,god was believed in1 and    
where the absence of ,his revealed will 
left numberless points of duty doubtful 
and all the future dark1 there existed  
in lieu of this a class of persons who1 
under one name or other1 undertook to   
satisfy the craving of men to see into  
the future1 to forewarn them of danger1 
and advise them regarding matters of    
conduct and affairs of state4  ,at      
various points of the history of ,god's 
revelation these professors of occult   
science appear4 ,in each case a profound
 impression is made by the superior     
wisdom or power displayed by the wise   
men of ,god4 ,but in reading the        
accounts we have of these collisions    
between the wisdom of ,god and that of  
the magicians1 a slight feeling of      
uneasiness sometimes enters the mind4   
,you may feel that these wonders of     
,joseph1 ,moses1 and ,daniel have a     
romantic air about them1 and you feel1  

perhaps1 a slight scruple in granting   
that ,god would lend ,himself to such   
displays--displays so completely out of 
date in our day4 ,but we are to consider
 not only that there is nothing of the  
kind more certain than that dreams do   
sometimes even now impart most          
significant warning to men2 but1 also1  
that the time in which ,joseph lived was
 the childhood of the world1 when ,god  
had neither spoken much to men1 nor     
could speak much1 because as yet they   
had not learned ,his language1 but were 
only being slowly taught it by signs    
suited to their capacity4 ,if these men 
were to receive any knowledge beyond    
what their own unaided efforts could    
attain1 they must be taught in a        
language they understood4 ,they could   
not be dealt with as if they had already
 attained a knowledge and a capacity    
which could only be theirs many         
centuries after2 they must be dealt with
 by signs and wonders which had perhaps 
little moral teaching in them1 but yet  

gave evidence of ,god's nearness and    
power such as they could and did        
understand4 ,god thus stretched out ,his
 hand to men in the darkness1 and let   
them feel ,his strength before they     
could look on ,his face and understand  
,his nature4  ,it is the existence at   
the court of ,pharaoh of this highly    
respected class of dream-interpreters   
and wise men1 which lends significance  
to the conduct of ,joseph when summoned 
into the royal presence4 ,such wisdom as
 he displayed in reading ,pharaoh's     
visions was looked upon as attainable by
 means within the reach of any man who  
had sufficient faculty for the science4 
,and the first idea in the minds of the 
courtiers would probably have been1 had 
,joseph not solemnly protested against  
it1 that he was an adept where they were
 apprentices and bunglers1 and that his 
success was due purely to professional  
skill4 ,this was of course perfectly    
well known to ,joseph1 who for a number 
of years had been familiar with the     

ideas prevalent at the court of         
,pharaoh2 and he might have argued that 
there could be no great harm in at least
 effecting his deliverance from an      
unjust imprisonment by allowing ,pharaoh
 to suppose that it was to him he was   
indebted for the interpretation of his  
dreams4 ,but his first word to ,pharaoh 
is a self-renouncing exclamation3 ,not  
in me3 ,god shall give ,pharaoh an      
answer of peace4 ,two years had elapsed 
since anything had occurred which looked
 the least like the fulfilment of his   
own dreams1 or gave him any hope of     
release from prison2 and now1 when      
measuring himself with these courtiers  
and feeling able to take his place with 
the best of them1 getting again a breath
 of free air and feeling once more the  
charm of life1 and having an opening set
 before his young ambition1 being so    
suddenly transferred from a place where 
his very existence seemed to be         
forgotten to a place where ,pharaoh     
himself and all his court eyed him with 

the intensest interest and anxiety1 it  
is significant that he should appear    
regardless of his own fate1 but         
jealously careful of the glory of ,god4 
,considering how jealous men commonly   
are of their own reputation1 and how    
impatiently eager to receive all the    
credit that is due to them for their own
 share in any good that is doing1 and   
considering of what essential importance
 it seemed that ,joseph should seize    
this opportunity of providing for his   
own safety and advancement1 and should  
use this as the tide in his affairs that
 led to fortune1 his words and bearing  
before ,pharaoh undoubtedly disclose a  
deeply in-wrought fidelity to ,god1 and 
a magnanimous patience regarding his own
 personal interests4  ,for it is        
extremely unlikely that in proposing to 
,pharaoh to set a man over this         
important business of collecting corn to
 last through the years of famine1 it   
presented itself to ,joseph as a        
conceivable result that he should be the

 person appointed--he a ,hebrew1 a      
slave1 a prisoner1 cleaned but for the  
nonce1 could not suppose that ,pharaoh  
would pass over all those tried officers
 and ministers of state around him and  
fix upon a youth who was wholly untried1
 and who might1 by his different race   
and religion1 prove obnoxious to the    
people4 ,joseph may have expected to    
make interest enough with ,pharaoh to   
secure his freedom1 and possibly some   
subordinate berth where he could        
hopefully begin the world again2 but his
 only allusion to himself is of a       
depreciatory kind1 while his reference  
to ,god is marked with a profound       
conviction that this is ,god's doing1   
and that to ,him is due whatever is due4
 ,well may the ,hebrew race be proud of 
those men like ,joseph and ,daniel1 who 
stood in the presence of foreign        
monarchs in a spirit of perfect fidelity
 to ,god1 commanding the respect of all1
 and clothed with the dignity and       
simplicity which that fidelity imparted4

 ,it matters not to ,joseph that there  
may perhaps be none in that land who can
 appreciate his fidelity to ,god or     
understand his motive4 ,it matters not  
what he may lose by it1 or what he could
 gain by falling in with the notions of 
those around him4 ,he himself knows the 
real state of the case1 and will not act
 untruly to his ,god1 even though for   
years he seems to have been forgotten by
 ,him4 ,with ,daniel he says in spirit1 
,let thy gifts be to thyself1 and give  
thy rewards to another4 ,as for me1 this
 secret is not revealed to me for any   
wisdom that ,i have more than any       
living1 but that the interpretation may 
be known to the king1 and that thou     
mayest know the thoughts of thine heart4
 ,he that revealeth secrets maketh known
 to thee what shall come to pass4 ,there
 is something particularly noble and    
worthy of admiration in a man thus      
standing alone and maintaining the      
fullest allegiance to ,god1 without     
ostentation1 and with a quiet dignity   

and naturalness that show he has a great
 fund of strength behind4  ,that we do  
not misjudge ,joseph's character or     
ascribe to him qualities which were     
invisible to his contemporaries1 is     
apparent from the circumstance that     
,pharaoh and his advisers1 with little  
or no hesitation1 agreed that to no man 
could they more safely entrust their    
country in this emergency4 ,the mere    
personal charm of ,joseph might have won
 over those experienced advisers of the 
crown to make compensation for his      
imprisonment by an unusually handsome   
reward1 but no mere attractiveness of   
person and manner1 nor even the         
unquestionable guilelessness of his     
bearing1 could have induced them to put 
such an affair as this into his hands4  
,plainly they were impressed with       
,joseph2 almost supernaturally          
impressed1 and felt ,god through him4   
,he stood before them as one            
mysteriously appearing in their         
emergency1 sent out of unthought-of     

quarters to warn and save them4 ,happily
 there was as yet no jealousy of the    
,god of the ,hebrews1 nor any           
exclusiveness on the part of the chosen 
people3 ,pharaoh and ,joseph alike felt 
that there was one ,god over all and    
through all4 ,and it was ,joseph's      
self-abnegating sympathy with the       
purposes of this ,supreme ,god that made
 him a transparent medium1 so that in   
his presence the ,egyptians felt        
themselves in the presence of ,god4 ,it 
is so always4 ,influence in the long run
 belongs to those who rid their minds of
 all private aims1 and get close to the 
great centre in which all the race meets
 and is cared for4 ,men feel themselves 
safe with the unselfish1 with persons in
 whom they meet principle1 justice1     
truth1 love1 ,god4 ,we are unattractive1
 useless1 uninfluential1 just because we
 are still childishly craving a private 
and selfish good4 ,we know that a life  
which does not pour itself freely into  
the common stream of public good is lost

 in dry and sterile sands4 ,we know that
 a life spent upon self is contemptible1
 barren1 empty1 yet how slowly do we    
come to the attitude of ,joseph1 who    
watched for the fulfilment of ,god's    
purposes1 and found his happiness in    
forwarding what ,god designed for the   
people4     ,,xxviii4  ,,joseph',s      
,,administration4  ,,gen4 xli4 #cg-eg1  
and xlvii4 #ac-bf4      ,he made him    
lord of his house1 and ruler of all his 
substance3 ,to     bind his princes at  
his pleasure2 and teach his senators    
wisdom4--,,psalm4 cv4 #ba1 #bb4   ,many 
a monument consecrated to the memory of 
some nobleman gone to his long home1 who
 during life had held high rank at the  
court of ,pharaoh1 is decorated with the
 simple but laudatory inscription1 ',his
 ancestors were unknown people'--so we  
are told by our most accurate informant 
regarding ,egyptian affairs4 ,indeed1   
the tales we read of adventurers in the 
,east1 and the histories which recount  
how some dynasties have been founded1   

are sufficient evidence that1 in other  
countries besides ,egypt1 sudden        
elevation from the lowest to the highest
 rank is not so unusual as amongst      
ourselves4 ,historians have recently    
made out that in one period of the      
history of ,egypt there are traces of a 
kind of ,semitic mania1 a strong leaning
 towards ,syrian and ,arabian customs1  
phrases1 and persons4 ,such manias have 
occurred in most countries4 ,there was a
 period in the history of ,rome when    
everything that had a ,greek flavour was
 admired2 an ,anglo-mania once affected 
a portion of the ,french population1 and
 reciprocally1 ,french manners and ideas
 have at times found a welcome among    
ourselves4 ,it is also clear that for a 
time ,lower ,egypt was under the        
dominion of foreign rulers who were in  
race more nearly allied to ,joseph than 
to the native population4 ,but there is 
no need that so complicated a question  
as the exact date of this foreign       
domination be debated here1 for there   

was that in ,joseph's bearing which     
would have commended him to any         
sagacious monarch4 ,not only did the    
court accept him as a messenger from    
,god1 but they could not fail to        
recognise substantial and serviceable   
human qualities alongside of what was   
mysterious in him4 ,the ready           
apprehension with which he appreciated  
the magnitude of the danger1 the        
clear-sighted promptitude with which he 
met it1 the resource and quiet capacity 
with which he handled a matter involving
 the entire condition of ,egypt1 showed 
them that they were in the presence of a
 true statesman4 ,no doubt the          
confidence with which he described the  
best method of dealing with the         
emergency was the confidence of one who 
was convinced he was speaking for ,god4 
,this was the great distinction they    
perceived between ,joseph and ordinary  
dream-interpreters4 ,it was not         
guesswork with him4 ,the same           
distinction is always apparent between  

revelation and speculation4 ,revelation 
speaks with authority2 speculation      
gropes its way1 and when wisest is most 
diffident4 ,at the same time ,pharaoh   
was perfectly right in his inference3   
,forasmuch as ,god hath shewed thee all 
this1 there is none so discreet and wise
 as thou art4 ,he believed that ,god had
 chosen him to deal with this matter    
because he was wise in heart1 and he    
believed his wisdom would remain because
 ,god had chosen him4  ,at length1 then1
 ,joseph saw the fulfilment of his      
dreams within his reach4 ,the coat of   
many colours with which his father had  
paid a tribute to the princely person   
and ways of the boy1 was now replaced by
 the robe of state and the heavy gold   
necklace which marked him out as second 
to ,pharaoh4 ,whatever nerve and        
self-command and humble dependence on   
,god his varied experience had wrought  
in him were all needed when ,pharaoh    
took his hand and placed his own ring on
 it1 thus transferring all his authority

 to him1 and when turning from the king 
he received the acclamations of the     
court and the people1 bowed to by his   
old masters1 and acknowledged the       
superior of all the dignitaries and     
potentates of ,egypt4 ,only once        
besides1 so far as the ,egyptian        
inscriptions have yet been deciphered1  
does it appear that any subject was     
raised to be ,regent or ,viceroy with   
similar powers4 ,joseph is1 as far as   
possible1 naturalised as an ,egyptian4  
,he receives a name easier of           
pronunciation than his own1 at least to 
,egyptian tongues--,zaphnath-,paaneah1  
which1 however1 was perhaps only an     
official title meaning ,governor of the 
district of the place of life1 the name 
by which one of the ,egyptian counties  
or states was known4 ,the king crowned  
his liberality and completed the process
 of naturalisation by providing him with
 a wife1 ,asenath1 the daughter of      
,potipherah1 priest of ,on4 ,this city  
was not far from ,avaris or ,haouar1    

where ,joseph's ,pharaoh1 ,ra-apepi     
,,ii41 at this time resided4 ,the       
worship of the sun-god1 ,ra1 had its    
centre at ,on 7or ,heliopolis1 as it was
 called by the ,greeks71 and the priests
 of ,on took precedence of all ,egyptian
 priests4 ,joseph was thus connected    
with one of the most influential        
families in the land1 and if he had any 
scruples about marrying into an         
idolatrous family1 they were too        
insignificant to influence his conduct1 
or leave any trace in the narrative4    
,his attitude towards ,god and his own  
family was disclosed in the names which 
he gave to his children4 ,in giving     
names which had a meaning at all1 and   
not merely a taking sound1 he showed    
that he understood1 as well he might1   
that every human life has a significance
 and expresses some principle or fact4  
,and in giving names which recorded his 
acknowledgment of ,god's goodness1 he   
showed that prosperity had as little    
influence as adversity to move him from 

his allegiance to the ,god of his       
fathers4 ,his first son he called       
,manasseh1 ,making to forget1 for ,god1 
said he1 hath made me forget all my toil
 and all my father's house--not as if he
 were now so abundantly satisfied in    
,egypt that the thought of his father's 
house was blotted from his mind1 but    
only that in this child the keen        
longings he had felt for kindred and    
home were somewhat alleviated4 ,he again
 found an object for his strong family  
affection4 ,the void in his heart he had
 so long felt was filled by the little  
babe4 ,a new home was begun around him4 
,but this new affection would not       
weaken1 though it would alter the       
character of1 his love for his father   
and brethren4 ,the birth of this child  
would really be a new tie to the land   
from which he had been stolen4 ,for1    
however ready men are to spend their own
 life in foreign service1 you see them  
wishing that their children should spend
 their days among the scenes with which 

their own childhood was familiar4  ,in  
the naming of his second son ,ephraim he
 recognises that ,god had made him      
fruitful in the most unlikely way4 ,he  
does not leave it to us to interpret his
 life1 but records what he himself saw  
in it4 ,it has been said3 ,to get at the
 truth of any history is good2 but a    
man's own history--when he reads that   
truly1 444 and knows what he is about   
and has been about1 it is a ,bible to   
him4 ,and now that ,joseph1 from the    
height he had reached1 could look back  
on the way by which he had been led to  
it1 he cordially approved of all that   
,god had done4 ,there was no resentment1
 no murmuring4 ,he would often find     
himself looking back and thinking1 ,had 
,i found my brothers where ,i thought   
they were1 had the pit not been on the  
caravan-road1 had the merchants not come
 up so opportunely1 had ,i not been sold
 at all or to some other master1 had ,i 
not been imprisoned1 or had ,i been put 
in another ward--had any one of the many

 slender links in the chain of my career
 been absent1 how different might my    
present state have been4 ,how plainly ,i
 now see that all those sad mishaps that
 crushed my hopes and tortured my spirit
 were steps in the only conceivable path
 to my present position4  ,many a man   
has added his signature to this         
acknowledgment of ,joseph's1 and        
confessed a providence guiding his life 
and working out good for him through    
injuries and sorrows1 as well as through
 honours1 marriages1 births4 ,as in the 
heat of summer it is difficult to recall
 the sensation of winter's bitter cold1 
so the fruitless and barren periods of a
 man's life are sometimes quite         
obliterated from his memory4 ,god has it
 in ,his power to raise a man higher    
above the level of ordinary happiness   
than ever he has sunk below it2 and as  
winter and spring-time1 when the seed is
 sown1 are stormy and bleak and gusty1  
so in human life seed-time is not bright
 as summer nor cheerful as autumn2 and  

yet it is then1 when all the earth lies 
bare and will yield us nothing1 that the
 precious seed is sown3 and when we     
confidently commit our labour or        
patience of to-day to ,god1 the land of 
our affliction1 now bare and desolate1  
will certainly wave for us1 as it has   
waved for others1 with rich produce     
whitened to the harvest4  ,there is no  
doubt then that ,joseph had learned to  
recognise the providence of ,god as a   
most important factor in his life4 ,and 
the man who does so1 gains for his      
character all the strength and          
resolution that come with a capacity for
 waiting4 ,he saw1 most legibly written 
on his own life1 that ,god is never in a
 hurry4 ,and for the resolute adherence 
to his seven-years' policy such a belief
 was most necessary4 ,nothing1 indeed1  
is said of opposition or incredulity on 
the part of the ,egyptians4 ,but was    
there ever a policy of such magnitude   
carried out in any country without      
opposition or without evilly-disposed   

persons using it as a weapon against its
 promoter8 ,no doubt during these years 
he had need of all the personal         
determination as well as of all the     
official authority he possessed4 ,and   
if1 on the whole1 remarkable success    
attended his efforts1 we must ascribe   
this partly to the unchallengeable      
justice of his arrangements1 and partly 
to the impression of commanding genius  
,joseph seems everywhere to have made4  
,as with his father and brethren he was 
felt to be superior1 as in ,potiphar's  
house he was quickly recognised1 as in  
the prison no prison-garb or slave-brand
 could disguise him1 as in the court his
 superiority was instinctively felt1 so 
in his administration the people seem to
 have believed in him4  ,and if1 on the 
whole and in general1 ,joseph was       
reckoned a wise and equitable ruler1 and
 even adored as a kind of saviour of the
 world1 it would be idle in us to       
canvass the wisdom of his               
administration4 ,when we have not       

sufficient historical material to       
apprehend the full significance of any  
policy1 it is safe to accept the        
judgment of men who not only knew the   
facts1 but were themselves so deeply    
involved in them that they would        
certainly have felt and expressed       
discontent had there been ground for    
doing so4 ,the policy of ,joseph was    
simply to economize during the seven    
years of abundance to such an extent    
that provision might be made against the
 seven years of famine4 ,he calculated  
that one-fifth of the produce of years  
so extraordinarily plenteous would serve
 for the seven scarce years4 ,this fifth
 he seems to have bought in the king's  
name from the people1 buying it1 no     
doubt1 at the cheap rates of abundant   
years4 ,when the years of famine came1  
the people were referred to ,joseph2    
and1 till their money was gone1 he sold 
corn to them1 probably not at famine    
prices4 ,next he acquired their cattle1 
and finally1 in exchange for food1 they 

yielded to him both their lands and     
their persons4 ,so that the result of   
the whole was1 that the people who would
 otherwise have perished were preserved1
 and in return for this preservation    
they paid a tax or rent on their        
farm-lands to the amount of one-fifth of
 their produce4 ,the people ceased to be
 proprietors of their own farms1 but    
they were not slaves with no interest in
 the soil1 but tenants sitting at easy  
rents--a fair enough exchange for being 
preserved in life4 ,this kind of        
taxation is eminently fair in principle1
 securing1 as it does1 that the wealth  
of the king and government shall vary   
with the prosperity of the whole land4  
,the chief difficulty that has always   
been experienced in working it1 has     
arisen from the necessity of leaving a  
good deal of discretionary power in the 
hands of the collectors1 who have       
generally been found not slow to abuse  
this power4  ,the only semblance of     
despotism in ,joseph's policy is found  

in the curious circumstance that he     
interfered with the people's choice of  
residence1 and shifted them from one end
 of the land to another4 ,this may have 
been necessary not only as a kind of    
seal on the deed by which the lands were
 conveyed to the king1 and as a         
significant sign to them that they were 
mere tenants1 but also ,joseph probably 
saw that for the interests of the       
country1 if not of agricultural         
prosperity1 this shifting had become    
necessary for the breaking up of illegal
 associations1 nests of sedition1 and   
sectional prejudices and enmities which 
were endangering the community4#a       
,modern experience supplies us with     
instances in which1 by such a policy1 a 
country might be regenerated and a seven
 years' famine hailed as a blessing if1 
without famishing the people1 it put    
them unconditionally into the hands of  
an able1 bold1 and beneficent ruler4    
,and this was a policy which could be   
much better devised and executed by a   

foreigner than by a native4  ,egypt's   
indebtedness to ,joseph was1 in fact1   
two-fold4 ,in the first place he        
succeeded in doing what many strong     
governments have failed to do3 he       
enabled a large population to survive a 
long and severe famine4 ,even with all  
modern facilities for transport and for 
making the abundance of remote countries
 available for times of scarcity1 it has
 not always been found possible to save 
our own fellow-subjects from starvation4
 ,in a prolonged famine which occurred  
in ,egypt during the middle ages1 the   
inhabitants1 reduced to the unnatural   
habits which are the most painful       
feature of such times1 not only ate     
their own dead1 but kidnapped the living
 on the streets of ,cairo and consumed  
them in secret4 ,one of the most        
touching memorials of the famine with   
which ,joseph had to deal is found in a 
sepulchral inscription in ,arabia4 ,a   
flood of rain laid bare a tomb in which 
lay a woman having on her person a      

profusion of jewels which represented a 
very large value4 ,at her head stood a  
coffer filled with treasure1 and a      
tablet with this inscription3 ,in ,thy  
name1 ,o ,god1 the ,god of ,himyar1 ,i1 
,tayar1 the daughter of ,dzu ,shefar1   
sent my steward to ,joseph1 and he      
delaying to return to me1 ,i sent my    
handmaid with a measure of silver to    
bring me back a measure of flour2 and   
not being able to procure it1 ,i sent   
her with a measure of gold2 and not     
being able to procure it1 ,i sent her   
with a measure of pearls2 and not being 
able to procure it1 ,i commanded them to
 be ground2 and finding no profit in    
them1 ,i am shut up here4 ,if this      
inscription is genuine--and there seems 
no reason to call it in question--it    
shows that there is no exaggeration in  
the statement of our narrator that the  
famine was very grievous in other lands 
as well as in ,egypt4 ,and1 whether     
genuine or not1 one cannot but admire   
the grim humour of the starving woman   

getting herself buried in the jewels    
which had suddenly dropped to less than 
the value of a loaf of bread4  ,but     
besides being indebted to ,joseph for   
their preservation1 the ,egyptians owed 
to him an extension of their influence2 
for1 as all the lands round about became
 dependent on ,egypt for provision1 they
 must have contracted a respect for the 
,egyptian administration4 ,they must    
also have added greatly to ,egypt's     
wealth and during those years of        
constant traffic many commercial        
connections must have been formed which 
in future years would be of untold value
 to ,egypt4 ,but above all1 the         
permanent alterations made by ,joseph on
 their tenure of land1 and on their     
places of abode1 may have convinced the 
most sagacious of the ,egyptians that it
 was well for them that their money had 
failed1 and that they had been compelled
 to yield themselves unconditionally    
into the hands of this remarkable ruler4
 ,it is the mark of a competent         

statesman that he makes temporary       
distress the occasion for permanent     
benefit2 and from the confidence ,joseph
 won with the people1 there seems every 
reason to believe that the permanent    
alterations he introduced were          
considered as beneficial as certainly   
they were bold4  ,and for our own       
spiritual uses it is this point which   
seems chiefly important4 ,in ,joseph is 
illustrated the principle that1 in order
 to the attainment of certain blessings1
 unconditional submission to ,god's     
delegate is required4 ,if we miss this1 
we miss a large part of what his history
 exhibits1 and it becomes a mere pretty 
story4 ,the prominent idea in his dreams
 was that he was to be worshipped by his
 brethren4 ,in his exaltation by        
,pharaoh1 the absolute authority given  
to him is again conspicuous3 ,without   
thee shall no man lift up hand or foot  
in all the land of ,egypt4 ,and still   
the same autocracy appears in the fact  
that not one ,egyptian who was helpful  

to him in this matter is mentioned2 and 
no one has received such exclusive      
possession of a considerable part of    
,scripture1 so personal and outstanding 
a place4 ,all this leaves upon the mind 
the impression that ,joseph becomes a   
benefactor1 and in his degree a saviour1
 to men by becoming their absolute      
master4 ,when this was hinted in his    
dreams at first his brothers fiercely   
resented it4 ,but when they were put to 
the push by famine1 both they and the   
,egyptians recognised that he was       
appointed by ,god to be their saviour1  
while at the same time they markedly and
 consciously submitted themselves to    
him4 ,men may always be expected to     
recognise that he who can save them     
alive in famine has a right to order the
 bounds of their habitation2 and also   
that in the hands of one who1 from      
disinterested motives1 has saved them1  
they are likely to be quite as safe as  
in their own4 ,and if we are all quite  
sure of this1 that men of great         

political sagacity can regulate our     
affairs with tenfold the judgment and   
success that we ourselves could achieve1
 we cannot wonder that in matters still 
higher1 and for which we are notoriously
 incompetent1 there should be ,one into 
whose hands it is well to commit        
ourselves--,one whose judgment is not   
warped by the prejudices which blind all
 mere natives of this world1 but who1   
separate from sinners yet naturalised   
among us1 can both detect and rectify   
everything in our condition which is    
less than perfect4 ,if there are        
certainly many cases in which           
explanations are out of the question1   
and in which the governed1 if they are  
wise1 will yield themselves to a trusted
 authority1 and leave it to time and    
results to justify his measures1 any    
one1 ,i think1 who anxiously considers  
our spiritual condition must see that   
here too obedience is for us the greater
 part of wisdom1 and that1 after all    
speculation and efforts at sufficing    

investigation1 we can still do no better
 than yield ourselves absolutely to     
,jesus ,christ4 ,he alone understands   
our whole position2 ,he alone speaks    
with the authority that commands        
confidence1 because it is felt to be the
 authority of the truth4 ,we feel the   
present pressure of famine2 we have     
discernment enough1 some of us1 to know 
we are in danger1 but we cannot         
penetrate deeply either into the cause  
or the possible consequences of our     
present state4 ,but ,christ--if we may  
continue the figure--legislates with a  
breadth of administrative capacity which
 includes not only our present distress 
but our future condition1 and1 with the 
boldness of one who is master of the    
whole case1 requires that we put        
ourselves wholly into ,his hand4 ,he    
takes the responsibility of all the     
changes we make in obedience to ,him1   
and proposes so to relieve us that the  
relief shall be permanent1 and that the 
very emergency which has thrown us upon 

,his help shall be the occasion of our  
transference not merely out of the      
present evil1 but into the best possible
 form of human life4  ,from this        
chapter1 then1 in the history of        
,joseph1 we may reasonably take occasion
 to remind ourselves1 first1 that in all
 things pertaining to ,god unconditional
 submission to ,christ is necessarily   
required of us4 ,apart from ,christ we  
cannot tell what are the necessary      
elements of a permanently happy state2  
nor1 indeed1 even whether there is any  
such state awaiting us4 ,there is a     
great deal of truth in what is urged by 
unbelievers to the effect that spiritual
 matters are in great measure beyond our
 cognizance1 and that many of our       
religious phrases are but1 as it were1  
thrown out in the direction of a truth  
but do not perfectly represent it4 ,no  
doubt we are in a provisional state1 in 
which we are not in direct contact with 
the absolute truth1 nor in a final      
attitude of mind towards it2 and certain

 representations of things given in the 
,word of ,god may seem to us not to     
cover the whole truth4 ,but this only   
compels the conclusion that for us      
,christ is the way1 the truth1 and the  
life4 ,to probe existence to the bottom 
is plainly not in our power4 ,to say    
precisely what ,god is1 and how we are  
to carry ourselves towards ,him1 is     
possible only to him who has been with  
,god and is ,god4 ,to submit to the     
,spirit of ,christ1 and to live under   
those influences and views which formed 
,his life1 is the only method that      
promises deliverance from that moral    
condition which makes spiritual vision  
impossible4  ,we may remind ourselves1  
secondly1 that this submission to       
,christ should be consistently adhered  
to in connection with those outward     
occurrences in our life which give us   
opportunity of enlarging our spiritual  
capacity4 ,there can be little doubt    
that there would be presented to ,joseph
 many a plan for the better             

administration of this whole matter1 and
 many a petition from individuals       
craving exemption from the seemingly    
arbitrary and certainly painful and     
troublesome edict regulating change of  
residence4 ,many a man would think      
himself much wiser than the minister of 
,pharaoh in whom was the ,spirit of     
,god4 ,when we act in a similar manner1 
and take upon us to specify with        
precision the changes we should like to 
see in our condition1 and the methods by
 which these changes might best be      
accomplished1 we commonly manifest our  
own incompetence4 ,the changes which the
 strong hand of ,providence enforces1   
the dislocation which our life suffers  
from some irresistible blow1 the        
necessity laid upon us to begin life    
again and on apparently disadvantageous 
terms1 are naturally resented2 but these
 things being certainly the result of   
some unguardedness1 improvidence1 or    
weakness in our past state1 are         
necessarily the means most appropriate  

for disclosing to us these elements of  
calamity and for securing our permanent 
welfare4 ,we rebel against such perilous
 and sweeping revolutions as the basing 
of our life on a new foundation demands2
 we would disregard the appointments of 
,providence if we could2 but both our   
voluntary consent to the authority of   
,christ and the impossibility of        
resisting ,his providential             
arrangements1 prevent us from refusing  
to fall in with them1 however needless  
and tyrannical they seem1 and however   
little we perceive that they are        
intended to accomplish our permanent    
well-being4 ,and it is in after years1  
when the pain of severance from old     
friends and habits is healed1 and when  
the discomfort of adapting ourselves to 
a new kind of life is replaced by       
peaceful and docile resignation to new  
conditions1 that we reach the clear     
perception that the changes we resented 
have in point of fact rendered harmless 
the seeds of fresh disaster1 and rescued

 us from the results of long bad        
government4 ,he who has most keenly felt
 the hardship of being diverted from his
 original course in life1 will in after 
life tell you that had he been allowed  
to hold his own land1 and remain his own
 master in his old loved abode1 he would
 have lapsed into a condition from which
 no worthy harvest could be expected4   
,if a man only wishes that his own      
conceptions of prosperity be realised1  
then let him keep his land in his own   
hand and work his material irrespective 
of ,god's demands2 for certainly if he  
yields himself to ,god1 his own ideas of
 prosperity will not be realised4 ,but  
if he suspects that ,god may have a more
 liberal conception of prosperity and   
may understand better than he what is   
eternally beneficial1 let him commit    
himself and all his material of         
prosperity without doubting into ,god's 
hand1 and let him greedily obey all     
,god's precepts2 for in neglecting one  
of these1 he so far neglects and misses 

what ,god would have him enter into4    
,,footnotes3  #a ,it happened very often
 that the inhabitants of one district   
threatened an attack on the occupants of
 another on account of some dispute     
about divine or human questions4 ,the   
hostile feelings of the opponents not   
unfrequently broke out into a hard      
struggle1 and it required the whole     
armed power of the king to extinguish at
 its first outburst the flaming torch of
 war1 kindled by domineering chiefs of  
nomes or ambitious priests4--,brugsch1  
,history of ,egypt1 i4 #af4     ,,xxix4 
,,visits ,,of ,,joseph',s ,,brethren4   
,,gen4 xlii4-xliv4      ,fear not3 for  
am ,i in the place of ,god8 ,but as for 
you1 ye thought     evil against me2 but
 ,god meant it unto good4--,,gen4 #a4   
#ai1 #bj4   ,the purpose of ,god to     
bring ,israel into ,egypt was           
accomplished by the unconscious agency  
of ,joseph's natural affection for his  
kindred4 ,tenderness towards home is    
usually increased by residence in a     

foreign land2 for absence1 like a little
 death1 sheds a halo round those        
separated from us4 ,but ,joseph could   
not as yet either re-visit his old home 
or invite his father's family into      
,egypt4 ,even1 indeed1 when his brothers
 first appeared before him1 he seems to 
have had no immediate intention of      
inviting them as a family to settle in  
the country of his adoption1 or even to 
visit it4 ,if he had cherished any such 
purpose or desire he might have sent    
down wagons at once1 as he at last did1 
to bring his father's household out of  
,canaan4 ,why1 then1 did he proceed so  
cautiously8 ,whence this mystery1 and   
disguise1 and circuitous compassing of  
his end8 ,what intervened between the   
first and last visit of his brethren to 
make it seem advisable to disclose      
himself and invite them8 ,manifestly    
there had intervened enough to give     
,joseph insight into the state of mind  
his brethren were in1 enough to satisfy 
him they were not the men they had been1

 and that it was safe to ask them and   
would be pleasant to have them with him 
in ,egypt4 ,fully alive to the elements 
of disorder and violence that once      
existed among them1 and having had no   
opportunity of ascertaining whether they
 were now altered1 there was no course  
open but that which he adopted of       
endeavouring in some unobserved way to  
discover whether twenty years had       
wrought any change in them4  ,for       
effecting this object he fell on the    
expedient of imprisoning them1 on       
pretence of their being spies4 ,this    
served the double purpose of detaining  
them until he should have made up his   
mind as to the best means of dealing    
with them1 and of securing their        
retention under his eye until some      
display of character might sufficiently 
certify him of their state of mind4     
,possibly he adopted this expedient also
 because it was likely deeply to move   
them1 so that they might be expected to 
exhibit not such superficial feelings as

 might have been elicited had he set    
them down to a banquet and entered into 
conversation with them over their wine1 
but such as men are surprised to find in
 themselves1 and know nothing of in     
their lighter hours4 ,joseph was1 of    
course1 well aware that in the analysis 
of character the most potent elements   
are only brought into clear view when   
the test of severe trouble is applied1  
and when men are thrown out of all      
conventional modes of thinking and      
speaking4  ,the display of character    
which ,joseph awaited he speedily       
obtained4 ,for so new an experience to  
these free dwellers in tents as         
imprisonment under grim ,egyptian guards
 worked wonders in them4 ,men who have  
experienced such treatment aver that    
nothing more effectually tames and      
breaks the spirit3 it is not the being  
confined for a definite time with the   
certainty of release in the end1 but the
 being shut up at the caprice of another
 on a false and absurd accusation2 the  

being cooped up at the will of a        
stranger in a foreign country1 uncertain
 and hopeless of release4 ,to ,joseph's 
brethren so sudden and great a calamity 
seemed explicable only on the theory    
that it was retribution for the great   
crime of their life4 ,the uneasy feeling
 which each of them had hidden in his   
own conscience1 and which the lapse of  
twenty years had not materially         
alleviated1 finds expression3 ,and they 
said one to another1 ,we are verily     
guilty concerning our brother1 in that  
we saw the anguish of his soul1 when he 
besought us1 and we would not hear2     
therefore is this distress come upon us4
 ,the similarity of their position to   
that in which they had placed their     
brother stimulates and assists their    
conscience4 ,joseph1 in the anguish of  
his soul1 had protested his innocence1  
but they had not listened2 and now their
 own protestations are treated as idle  
wind by this ,egyptian4 ,their own      
feelings1 representing to them what they

 had caused ,joseph to suffer1 stir a   
keener sense of their guilt than they   
seem ever before to have reached4 ,under
 this new light they see their sin more 
clearly1 and are humbled by the distress
 into which it has brought them4  ,when 
,joseph sees this1 his heart warms to   
them4 ,he may not yet be quite sure of  
them4 ,a prison-repentance is perhaps   
scarcely to be trusted4 ,he sees they   
would for the moment deal differently   
with him had they the opportunity1 and  
would welcome no one more heartily than 
himself1 whose coming among them had    
once so exasperated them4 ,himself keen 
in his affections1 he is deeply moved1  
and his eyes fill with tears as he      
witnesses their emotion and grief on his
 account4 ,fain would he relieve them   
from their remorse and                  
apprehension--why1 then1 does he        
forbear8 ,why does he not at this       
juncture disclose himself8 ,it has been 
satisfactorily proved that his brethren 
counted their sale of him the great     

crime of their life4 ,their imprisonment
 has elicited evidence that that crime  
had taken in their conscience the       
capital place1 the place which a man    
finds some one sin or series of sins    
will take1 to follow him with its       
appropriate curse1 and hang over his    
future like a cloud--a sin of which he  
thinks when any strange thing happens to
 him1 and to which he traces all        
disaster--a sin so iniquitous that it   
seems capable of producing any results  
however grievous1 and to which he has so
 given himself that his life seems to be
 concentrated there1 and he cannot but  
connect with it all the greater ills    
that happen to him4 ,was not this1 then1
 security enough that they would never  
again perpetrate a crime of like        
atrocity8 ,every man who has almost at  
all observed the history of sin in      
himself1 will say that most certainly it
 was quite insufficient security against
 their ever again doing the like4       
,evidence that a man is conscious of his

 sin1 and1 while suffering from its     
consequences1 feels deeply its guilt1 is
 not evidence that his character is     
altered4  ,and because we believe men so
 much more readily than ,god1 and think 
that they do not require1 for form's    
sake1 such needless pledges of a changed
 character as ,god seems to demand1 it  
is worth observing that ,joseph1 moved  
as he was even to tears1 felt that      
common prudence forbade him to commit   
himself to his brethren without further 
evidence of their disposition4 ,they had
 distinctly acknowledged their guilt1   
and in his hearing had admitted that the
 great calamity that had befallen them  
was no more than they deserved2 yet     
,joseph1 judging merely as an           
intelligent man who had worldly         
interests depending on his judgment1    
could not discern enough here to justify
 him in supposing that his brethren were
 changed men4 ,and it might sometimes   
serve to expose the insufficiency of our
 repentance were clear-seeing men the   

judges of it1 and did they express their
 opinion of its trustworthiness4 ,we may
 think that ,god is needlessly exacting 
when ,he requires evidence not only of a
 changed mind about past sin1 but also  
of such a mind being now in us as will  
preserve us from future sin2 but the    
truth is1 that no man whose common      
worldly interests were at stake would   
commit himself to us on any less        
evidence4 ,god1 then1 meaning to bring  
the house of ,israel into ,egypt in     
order to make progress in the ,divine   
education ,he was giving to them1 could 
not introduce them into that land in a  
state of mind which would negative all  
the discipline they were there to       
receive4  ,these men then had to give   
evidence that they not only saw1 and in 
some sense repented of1 their sin1 but  
also that they had got rid of the evil  
passion which had led to it4 ,this is   
what ,god means by repentance4 ,our sins
 are in general not so microscopic that 
it requires very keen spiritual         

discernment to perceive them4 ,but to be
 quite aware of our sin1 and to         
acknowledge it1 is not to repent of it4 
,everything falls short of thorough     
repentance which does not prevent us    
from committing the sin anew4 ,we do not
 so much desire to be accurately        
informed about our past sins1 and to get
 right views of our past selves2 we wish
 to be no longer sinners1 we wish to    
pass through some process by which we   
may be separated from that in us which  
has led us into sin4 ,such a process    
there is1 for these men passed through  
it4  ,the test which revealed the       
thoroughness of his brothers' repentance
 was unintentionally applied by ,joseph4
 ,when he hid his cup in ,benjamin's    
sack1 all that he intended was to       
furnish a pretext for detaining         
,benjamin1 and so gratifying his own    
affection4 ,but1 to his astonishment1   
his trick effected far more than he     
intended2 for the brothers1 recognising 
now their brotherhood1 circled round    

,benjamin1 and1 to a man1 resolved to go
 back with him to ,egypt4 ,we cannot    
argue from this that ,joseph had        
misapprehended the state of mind in     
which his brothers were1 and in his     
judgment of them had been either too    
timorous or too severe2 nor need we     
suppose that he was hampered by his     
relations to ,pharaoh1 and therefore    
unwilling to connect himself too closely
 with men of whom he might be safer to  
be rid2 because it was this very peril  
of ,benjamin's that matured their       
brotherly affection4 ,they themselves   
could not have anticipated that they    
would make such a sacrifice for         
,benjamin4 ,but throughout their        
dealings with this mysterious ,egyptian1
 they felt themselves under a spell1 and
 were being gradually1 though perhaps   
unconsciously1 softened1 and in order to
 complete the change passing upon them1 
they but required some such incident as 
this of ,benjamin's arrest4 ,this       
incident seemed by some strange fatality

 to threaten them with a renewed        
perpetration of the very crime they had 
committed against ,rachel's other son4  
,it threatened to force them to become  
again the instrument of bereaving their 
father of his darling child1 and        
bringing about that very calamity which 
they had pledged themselves should never
 happen4 ,it was an incident1 therefore1
 which1 more than any other1 was likely 
to call out their family love4  ,the    
scene lives in every one's memory4 ,they
 were going gladly back to their own    
country with corn enough for their      
children1 proud of their entertainment  
by the lord of ,egypt2 anticipating     
their father's exultation when he heard 
how generously they had been treated and
 when he saw ,benjamin safely restored1 
feeling that in bringing him back they  
almost compensated for having bereaved  
him of ,joseph4 ,simeon is revelling in 
the free air that blew from ,canaan and 
brought with it the scents of his native
 land1 and breaks into the old songs    

that the strait confinement of his      
prison had so long silenced--all of them
 together rejoicing in a scarcely       
hoped-for success2 when suddenly1 ere   
the first elation is spent1 they are    
startled to see the hasty approach of   
the ,egyptian messenger1 and to hear the
 stern summons that brought them to a   
halt1 and boded all ill4 ,the few words 
of the just ,egyptian1 and his calm1    
explicit judgment1 ,ye have done evil in
 so doing1 pierce them like a keen      
blade--that they should be suspected of 
robbing one who had dealt so generously 
with them2 that all ,israel should be   
put to shame in the sight of the        
stranger6 ,but they begin to feel relief
 as one brother after another steps     
forward with the boldness of innocence2 
and as sack after sack is emptied1      
shaken1 and flung aside1 they already   
eye the steward with the bright air of  
triumph2 when1 as the very last sack is 
emptied1 and as all breathlessly stand  
round1 amid the quick rustle of the     

corn1 the sharp rattle of metal strikes 
on their ear1 and the gleam of silver   
dazzles their eyes as the cup rolls out 
in the sunshine4 ,this1 then1 is the    
brother of whom their father was so     
careful that he dared not suffer him out
 of his sight6 ,this is the precious    
youth whose life was of more value than 
the lives of all the brethren1 and to   
keep whom a few months longer in his    
father's sight ,simeon had been left to 
rot in a dungeon6 ,this is how he repays
 the anxiety of the family and their    
love1 and this is how he repays the     
extraordinary favour of ,joseph6 ,by one
 rash childish act had this fondled     
youth1 to all appearance1 brought upon  
the house of ,israel irretrievable      
disgrace1 if not complete extinction4   
,had these men been of their old temper1
 their knives had very speedily proved  
that their contempt for the deed was as 
great as the ,egyptian's2 by violence   
towards ,benjamin they might have       
cleared themselves of all suspicion of  

complicity2 or1 at the best1 they might 
have considered themselves to be acting 
in a fair and even lenient manner if    
they had surrendered the culprit to the 
steward1 and once again carried back to 
their father a tale of blood4 ,but they 
were under the spell of their old sin4  
,in all disaster1 however innocent they 
now were1 they saw the retribution of   
their old iniquity2 they seem scarcely  
to consider whether ,benjamin was       
innocent or guilty1 but as humbled1     
,god-smitten men1 they rent their       
clothes1 and laded every man his ass1   
and returned to the city4  ,thus ,joseph
 in seeking to gain one brother found   
eleven--for now there could be no doubt 
that they were very different men from  
those brethren who had so heartlessly   
sold into slavery their father's        
favourite--men now with really brotherly
 feelings1 by penitence and regard for  
their father so wrought together into   
one family1 that this calamity1 intended
 to fall only on one of their number1   

did in falling on him fall on them all4 
,so far from wishing now to rid         
themselves of ,rachel's son and their   
father's favourite1 who had been put by 
their father in so prominent a place in 
his affection1 they will not even give  
him up to suffer what seemed the just   
punishment of his theft1 do not even    
reproach him with having brought them   
all into disgrace and difficulty1 but1  
as humbled men who knew they had greater
 sins of their own to answer for1 went  
quietly back to ,egypt1 determined to   
see their younger brother through his   
misfortune or to share his bondage with 
him4 ,had these men not been thoroughly 
changed1 thoroughly convinced that at   
all costs upright dealing and brotherly 
love should continue2 had they not      
possessed that first and last of        
,christian virtues1 love to their       
brother1 then nothing could so certainly
 have revealed their want of it as this 
apparent theft of ,benjamin's4 ,it      
seemed in itself a very likely thing    

that a lad accustomed to plain modes of 
life1 and whose character it was to     
ravin as a wolf1 should1 when suddenly  
introduced to the gorgeous ,egyptian    
banqueting-house with all its sumptuous 
furnishings1 have coveted some choice   
specimen of ,egyptian art1 to carry home
 to his father as proof that he could   
not only bring himself back in safety1  
but scorned to come back from any       
expedition empty-handed4 ,it was not    
unlikely either that1 with his mother's 
own superstition1 he might have         
conceived the bold design of robbing    
this ,egyptian1 so mysterious and so    
powerful1 according to his brothers'    
account1 and of breaking that spell     
which he had thrown over them2 he may   
thus have conceived the idea of         
achieving for himself a reputation in   
the family1 and of once for all         
redeeming himself from the somewhat     
undignified1 and to one of his spirit   
somewhat uncongenial1 position of the   
youngest of a family4 ,if1 as is        

possible1 he had let any such idea ooze 
out in talking with his brethren as they
 went down to ,egypt1 and only abandoned
 it on their indignant and urgent       
remonstrance1 then when the cup1        
,joseph's chief treasure according to   
his own account1 was discovered in      
,benjamin's sack1 the case must have    
looked sadly against him even in the    
eyes of his brethren4 ,no protestations 
of innocence in a particular instance   
avail much when the character and       
general habits of the accused point to  
guilt4 ,it is quite possible1 therefore1
 that the brethren1 though willing to   
believe ,benjamin1 were yet not so      
thoroughly convinced of his innocence as
 they would have desired4 ,the fact that
 they themselves had found their money  
returned in their sacks1 made for       
,benjamin2 yet in most cases1 especially
 where circumstances corroborate it1 an 
accusation even against the innocent    
takes immediate hold and cannot be      
summarily and at once got rid of4  ,thus

 was proof given that the house of      
,israel was now in truth one family4    
,the men who1 on very slight            
instigation1 had without compunction    
sold ,joseph to a life of slavery1      
cannot now find it in their heart to    
abandon a brother who1 to all           
appearance1 was worthy of no better life
 than that of a slave1 and who had      
brought them all into disgrace and      
danger4 ,judah had no doubt pledged     
himself to bring the lad back without   
scathe to his father1 but he had done so
 without contemplating the possibility  
of ,benjamin becoming amenable to       
,egyptian law4 ,and no one can read the 
speech of ,judah--one of the most       
pathetic on record--in which he replies 
to ,joseph's judgment that ,benjamin    
alone should remain in ,egypt1 without  
perceiving that he speaks not as one who
 merely seeks to redeem a pledge1 but as
 a good son and a good brother4 ,he     
speaks1 too1 as the mouth-piece of the  
rest1 and as he had taken the lead in   

,joseph's sale1 so he does not shrink   
from standing forward and accepting the 
heavy responsibility which may now light
 upon the man who represents these      
brethren4 ,his former faults are        
redeemed by the courage1 one may say    
heroism1 he now shows4 ,and as he spoke1
 so the rest felt4 ,they could not bring
 themselves to inflict a new sorrow on  
their aged father2 neither could they   
bear to leave their young brother in the
 hands of strangers4 ,the passions which
 had alienated them from one another1   
and had threatened to break up the      
family1 are subdued4 ,there is now      
discernible a common feeling that binds 
them together1 and a common object for  
which they willingly sacrifice          
themselves4 ,they are1 therefore1 now   
prepared to pass into that higher school
 to which ,god called them in ,egypt4   
,it mattered little what strong and     
equitable laws they found in the land of
 their adoption1 if they had no taste   
for upright living2 it mattered little  

what thorough national organization they
 would be brought into contact with in  
,egypt1 if in point of fact they owned  
no common brotherhood1 and were willing 
rather to live as units and every man   
for himself than for any common         
interest4 ,but now they were prepared1  
open to teaching1 and docile4  ,to      
complete our apprehension of the state  
of mind into which the brethren were    
brought by ,joseph's treatment of them1 
we must take into account the assurance 
he gave them1 when he made himself known
 to them1 that it was not they but ,god 
who had sent him into ,egypt1 and that  
,god had done this for the purpose of   
preserving the whole house of ,israel4  
,at first sight this might seem to be an
 injudicious speech1 calculated to make 
the brethren think lightly of their     
guilt1 and to remove the just           
impressions they now entertained of the 
unbrotherliness of their conduct to     
,joseph4 ,and it might have been an     
injudicious speech to impenitent men2   

but no further view of sin can lighten  
its heinousness to a really penitent    
sinner4 ,prove to him that his sin has  
become the means of untold good1 and you
 only humble him the more1 and more     
deeply convince him that while he was   
recklessly gratifying himself and       
sacrificing others for his own pleasure1
 ,god has been mindful of others1 and1  
pardoning him1 has blessed them4 ,god   
does not need our sins to work out ,his 
good intentions1 but we give ,him little
 other material2 and the discovery that 
through our evil purposes and injurious 
deeds ,god has worked out ,his          
beneficent will1 is certainly not       
calculated to make us think more lightly
 of our sin or more highly of ourselves4
  ,joseph in thus addressing his        
brethren did1 in fact1 but add to their 
feelings the tenderness that is in all  
religious conviction1 and that springs  
out of the consciousness that in all our
 sin there has been with us a holy and  
loving ,father1 mindful of ,his         

children4 ,this is the final stage of   
penitence4 ,the knowledge that ,god has 
prevented our sin from doing the harm it
 might have done1 does relieve the      
bitterness and despair with which we    
view our life1 but at the same time it  
strengthens the most effectual bulwark  
between us and sin--love to a holy1     
over-ruling ,god4 ,this1 therefore1 may 
always be safely said to penitents3 ,out
 of your worst sin ,god can bring good  
to yourself or to others1 and good of an
 apparently necessary kind2 but good of 
a permanent kind can result from your   
sin only when you have truly repented of
 it1 and sincerely wish you had never   
done it4 ,once this repentance is really
 wrought in you1 then1 though your life 
can never be the same as it might have  
been had you not sinned1 it may be1 in  
some respects1 a more richly developed  
life1 a life fuller of humility and     
love4 ,you can never have what you sold 
for your sin2 but the poverty your sin  
has brought may excite within you       

thoughts and energies more valuable than
 what you have lost1 as these men lost a
 brother but found a ,saviour4 ,the     
wickedness that has often made you bow  
your head and mourn in secret1 and which
 is in itself unutterable shame and     
loss1 may1 in ,god's hand1 become food  
against the day of famine4 ,you cannot  
ever have the enjoyments which are      
possible only to those whose conscience 
is laden with no evil remembrances1 and 
whose nature1 uncontracted and          
unwithered by familiarity with sin1 can 
give itself to enjoyment with the       
abandonment and fearlessness reserved   
for the innocent4 ,no more at all will  
you have that fineness of feeling which 
only ignorance of evil can preserve2 no 
more that high and great                
conscientiousness which1 once broken1 is
 never repaired2 no more that respect   
from other men which for ever and       
instinctively departs from those who    
have lost self-respect4 ,but you may    
have a more intelligent sympathy with   

other men and a keener pity for them2   
the experience you have gathered too    
late to save yourself may put it in your
 power to be of essential service to    
others4 ,you cannot win your way back to
 the happy1 useful1 evenly-developed    
life of the comparatively innocent1 but 
the life of the true-hearted penitent is
 yet open to you4 ,every beat of your   
heart now may be as if it throbbed      
against a poisoned dagger1 every duty   
may shame you1 every day bring weariness
 and new humiliation1 but let no pain or
 discouragement avail to defraud you of 
the good fruits of true reconciliation  
to ,god and submission to ,his lifelong 
discipline4 ,see that you lose not both 
lives1 the life of the comparatively    
innocent and the life of the truly      
penitent4     ,,xxx4  ,,the             
,,reconciliation4  ,,gen4 xlv4      ,by 
faith ,joseph1 when he died1 made       
mention of the departing of the         
children of ,israel2 and gave           
commandment concerning his              

bones4--,,heb4 xi4 #bb4   ,it is        
generally by some circumstance or event 
which perplexes1 troubles1 or gladdens  
us1 that new thoughts regarding conduct 
are presented to us1 and new impulses   
communicated to our life4 ,and the      
circumstances through which ,joseph's   
brethren passed during the famine not   
only subdued and softened them to a     
genuine family feeling1 but elicited in 
,joseph himself a more tender affection 
for them than he seems at first to have 
cherished4 ,for the first time since his
 entrance into ,egypt did he feel1 when 
,judah spoke so touchingly and          
effectively1 that the family of ,israel 
was one2 and that he himself would be   
reprehensible did he make further       
breaches in it by carrying out his      
intention of detaining ,benjamin4 ,moved
 by ,judah's pathetic appeal1 and       
yielding to the generous impulse of the 
moment1 and being led by a right state  
of feeling to a right judgment regarding
 duty1 he claimed his brethren as       

brethren1 and proposed that the whole   
family be brought into ,egypt4  ,the    
scene in which the sacred writer        
describes the reconciliation of ,joseph 
and his brothers is one of the most     
touching on record2--the long           
estrangement so happily terminated2 the 
caution1 the doubts1 the hesitation on  
,joseph's part1 swept away at last by   
the resistless tide of long pent-up     
emotion2 the surprise and perplexity of 
the brethren as they dared now to lift  
their eyes and scrutinize the face of   
the governor1 and discerned the lighter 
complexion of the ,hebrew1 the features 
of the family of ,jacob1 the expression 
of their own brother2 the anxiety with  
which they wait to know how he means to 
repay their crime1 and the relief with  
which they hear that he bears them no   
ill-will--everything1 in short1 conduces
 to render this recognition of the      
brethren interesting and affecting4     
,that ,joseph1 who had controlled his   
feeling in many a trying situation1     

should now have wept aloud1 needs no    
explanation4 ,tears always express a    
mingled feeling2 at least the tears of a
 man do4 ,they may express grief1 but it
 is grief with some remorse in it1 or it
 is grief passing into resignation4     
,they may express joy1 but it is joy    
born of long sorrow1 the joy of         
deliverance1 joy that can now afford to 
let the heart weep out the fears it has 
been holding down4 ,it is as with a kind
 of breaking of the heart1 and apparent 
unmanning of the man1 that the human    
soul takes possession of its greatest   
treasures2 unexpected success and       
unmerited joy humble a man2 and as      
laughter expresses the surprise of the  
intellect1 so tears express the         
amazement of the soul when it is stormed
 suddenly by a great joy4 ,joseph had   
been hardening himself to lead a        
solitary life in ,egypt1 and it is with 
all this strong self-sufficiency        
breaking down within him that he eyes   
his brethren4 ,it is his love for them  

making its way through all his ability  
to do without them1 and sweeping away as
 a flood the bulwarks he had built round
 his heart1--it is this that breaks him 
down before them1 a man conquered by his
 own love1 and unable to control it4 ,it
 compels him to make himself known1 and 
to possess himself of its objects1 those
 unconscious brethren4 ,it is a signal  
instance of the law by which love brings
 all the best and holiest beings into   
contact with their inferiors1 and1 in a 
sense1 puts them in their power1 and    
thus eternally provides that the        
superiority of those that are high in   
the scale of being shall ever be at the 
service of those who in themselves are  
not so richly endowed4 ,the higher any  
being is1 the more love is in him3 that 
is to say1 the higher he is1 the more   
surely is he bound to all who are       
beneath him4 ,if ,god is highest of all1
 it is because there is in ,him         
sufficiency for all ,his creatures1 and 
love to make it universally available4  

,it is one of our most familiar         
intellectual pleasures to see in the    
experience of others1 or to read1 a     
lucid and moving account of emotions    
identical with those which have once    
been our own4 ,in reading an account of 
what others have passed through1 our    
pleasure is derived mainly from two     
sources--either from our being brought1 
by sympathy with them and in            
imagination1 into circumstances we      
ourselves have never been placed in1 and
 thus artificially enlarging our sphere 
of life1 and adding to our experience   
feelings which could not have been      
derived from anything we ourselves have 
met with2 or1 from our living over      
again1 by means of their experience1 a  
part of our life which had great        
interest and meaning to us4 ,it may be  
excusable1 therefore1 if we divert this 
narrative from its original historical  
significance1 and use it as the mirror  
in which we may see reflected an        
important passage or crisis in our own  

spiritual history4 ,for though some may 
find in it little that reflects their   
own experience1 others cannot fail to be
 reminded of feelings with which they   
were very familiar when first they were 
introduced to ,christ1 and acknowledged 
by ,him4  #a4 ,the modes in which our   
,lord makes ,himself known to men are   
various as their lives and characters4  
,but frequently the forerunning choice  
of a sinner by ,christ is discovered in 
such gradual and ill-understood dealings
 as ,joseph used with those brethren4   
,it is the closing of a net around them4
 ,they do not see what is driving them  
forward1 nor whither they are being     
driven2 they are anxious and ill at     
ease2 and not comprehending what ails   
them1 they make only ineffectual efforts
 for deliverance4 ,there is no          
recognition of the hand that is guiding 
all this circuitous and mysterious      
preparatory work1 nor of the eye that   
affectionately watches their perplexity1
 nor are they aware of any friendly ear 

that catches each sigh in which they    
seem hopelessly to resign themselves to 
the relentless past from which they     
cannot escape4 ,they feel that they are 
left alone to make what they can now of 
the life they have chosen and made for  
themselves2 that there is floating      
behind and around them a cloud bearing  
the very essence exhaled from their     
past1 and ready to burst over them2 a   
phantom that is yet real1 and that      
belongs both to the spiritual and       
material world1 and can follow them in  
either4 ,they seem to be doomed men--men
 who are never at all to get            
disentangled from their old sin4  ,if   
any one is in this baffled and heartless
 condition1 fearing even good lest it   
turn to evil in his hand2 afraid to take
 the money that lies in his sack's      
mouth1 because he feels there is a snare
 in it2 if any one is sensible that life
 has become unmanageable in his hands1  
and that he is being drawn on by an     
unseen power which he does not          

understand1 then let him consider in the
 scene before us how such a condition   
ends or may end4 ,it took many months of
 doubt1 and fear1 and mystery to bring  
those brethren to such a state of mind  
as made it advisable for ,joseph to     
disclose himself1 to scatter the        
mystery1 and relieve them of the        
unaccountable uneasiness that possessed 
their minds4 ,and your perplexity will  
not be allowed to last longer than it is
 needful4 ,but it is often needful that 
we should first learn that in sinning we
 have introduced into our life a        
baffling1 perplexing element1 have      
brought our life into connection with   
inscrutable laws which we cannot        
control1 and which we feel may at any   
moment destroy us utterly4 ,it is not   
from carelessness on ,christ's part that
 ,his people are not always and from the
 first rejoicing in the assurance and   
appreciation of ,his love4 ,it is ,his  
carefulness which lays a restraining    
hand on the ardour of ,his affection4   

,we see that this burst of tears on     
,joseph's part was genuine1 we have no  
suspicion that he was feigning an       
emotion he did not feel2 we believe that
 his affection at last could not be     
restrained1 that he was fairly          
overcome1--can we not trust ,christ for 
as genuine a love1 and believe that ,his
 emotion is as deep8 ,we are1 in a word1
 reminded by this scene1 that there is  
always in ,christ a greater love seeking
 the friendship of the sinner than there
 is in the sinner seeking for ,christ4  
,the search of the sinner for ,christ is
 always a dubious1 hesitating1 uncertain
 groping2 while on ,christ's part there 
is a clear-seeing1 affectionate         
solicitude which lays joyful surprises  
along the sinner's path1 and enjoys by  
anticipation the gladness and repose    
which are prepared for him in the final 
recognition and reconcilement4  #b4 ,in 
finding their brother again1 those sons 
of ,jacob found also their own better   
selves which they had long lost4 ,they  

had been living in a lie1 unable to look
 the past in the face1 and so becoming  
more and more false4 ,trying to leave   
their sin behind them1 they always found
 it rising in the path before them1 and 
again they had to resort to some new    
mode of laying this uneasy ghost4 ,they 
turned away from it1 busied themselves  
among other people1 refused to think of 
it1 assumed all kinds of disguise1      
professed to themselves that they had   
done no great wrong2 but nothing gave   
them deliverance--there was their old   
sin quietly waiting for them in their   
tent door when they went home of an     
evening1 laying its hand on their       
shoulder in the most unlooked-for       
places1 and whispering in their ear at  
the most unwelcome seasons4 ,a great    
part of their mental energy had been    
spent in deleting this mark from their  
memory1 and yet day by day it resumed   
its supreme place in their life1 holding
 them under arrest as they secretly     
felt1 and keeping them reserved to      

judgment4  ,so1 too1 do many of us live 
as if yet we had not found the life     
eternal1 the kind of life that we can   
always go on with--rather as those who  
are but making the best of a life which 
can never be very valuable1 nor ever    
perfect4 ,there seem voices calling us  
back1 assuring us we must yet retrace   
our steps1 that there are passages in   
our past with which we are not done1    
that there is an inevitable humiliation 
and penitence awaiting us4 ,it is       
through that we can alone get back to   
the good we once saw and hoped for2     
there were right desires and resolves in
 us once1 views of a well-spent life    
which have been forgotten and pressed   
out of remembrance1 but all these rise  
again in the presence of ,christ4       
,reconciled to ,him and claimed by ,him1
 all hope is renewed within us4 ,if ,he 
makes ,himself known to us1 if ,he      
claims connection with us1 have we not  
here the promise of all good8 ,if ,he1  
after careful scrutiny1 after full      

consideration of all the circumstances1 
bids us claim as our brother ,him to    
whom all power and glory are given1     
ought not this to quicken within us     
everything that is hopeful1 and ought it
 not to strengthen us for all frank     
acknowledgment of the past and true     
humiliation on account of it8  #c4 ,a   
third suggestion is made by this        
narrative4 ,joseph commanded from his   
presence all who might be merely curious
 spectators of his burst of feeling1 and
 might1 themselves unmoved1 criticise   
this new feature of the governor's      
character4 ,in all love there is a      
similar reserve4 ,the true friend of    
,christ1 the man who is profoundly      
conscious that between himself and      
,christ there is a bond unique and      
eternal1 longs for a time when he may   
enjoy greater liberty in uttering what  
he feels towards his ,lord and          
,redeemer1 and when1 too1 ,christ       
,himself shall by telling and sufficient
 signs put it for ever beyond doubt that

 this love is more than responded to4   
,words sufficiently impassioned have    
indeed been put into our lips by men of 
profound spiritual feeling1 but the     
feeling continually weighs upon us that 
some more palpable mutual recognition is
 desirable between persons so vitally   
and peculiarly knit together as ,christ 
and the ,christian are4 ,such           
recognition1 indubitable and reciprocal1
 must one day take place4 ,and when     
,christ ,himself shall have taken the   
initiative1 and shall have caused us to 
understand that we are verily the       
objects of ,his love1 and shall have    
given such expression to ,his knowledge 
of us as we cannot now receive1 we on   
our part shall be able to reciprocate1  
or at least to accept1 this greatest of 
possessions1 the brotherly love of the  
,son of ,god4 ,meanwhile this passage in
 ,joseph's history may remind us that   
behind all sternness of expression there
 may pulsate a tenderness that needs    
thus to disguise itself2 and that to    

those who have not yet recognised       
,christ1 ,he is better than ,he seems4  
,those brethren no doubt wonder now that
 even twenty years' alienation should   
have so blinded them4 ,the relaxation of
 the expression from the sternness of an
 ,egyptian governor to the fondness of  
family love1 the voice heard now in the 
familiar mother tongue1 reveal the      
brother2 and they who have shrunk from  
,christ as if ,he were a cold official1 
and who have never lifted their eyes to 
scrutinize ,his face1 are reminded that 
,he can so make ,himself known to them  
that not all the wealth of ,egypt would 
purchase from them one of the assurances
 they have received from ,him4  ,the    
same warm tide of feeling which carried 
away all that separated ,joseph from his
 brethren bore him on also to the       
decision to invite his father's entire  
household into ,egypt4 ,we are reminded 
that the history of ,joseph in ,egypt is
 an episode1 and that ,jacob is still   
the head of the house1 maintaining its  

dignity and guiding its movements4 ,the 
notices we get of him in this latter    
part of his history are very            
characteristic4 ,the indomitable        
toughness of his youth remained with him
 in his old age4 ,he was one of those   
old men who maintain their vigour to the
 end1 the energy of whose age seems to  
shame and overtax the prime of common   
men2 whose minds are still the clearest1
 their advice the safest1 their word    
waited for1 their perception of the     
actual state of affairs always in       
advance of their juniors1 more modern   
and fully abreast of the times in their 
ideas than the latest born of their     
children4 ,such an old age we recognise 
in ,jacob's half-scornful chiding of the
 helplessness of his sons even after    
they had heard that there was corn in   
,egypt4 ,why look ye one upon another8  
,behold6 ,i have heard that there is    
corn in ,egypt2 get ye down thither and 
buy for us from thence4 ,jacob1 the man 
who had wrestled through life and bent  

all things to his will1 cannot put up   
with the helpless dejection of this     
troop of strong men1 who have no wit to 
devise an escape for themselves1 and no 
resolution to enforce upon the others   
any device that may occur to them4      
,waiting still like children for some   
one else to help them1 having strength  
to endure but no strength to undertake  
the responsibility of advising in an    
emergency1 they are roused by their     
father1 who has been eyeing this        
condition of theirs with some curiosity 
and with some contempt1 and now breaks  
in upon it with his ,why look ye one    
upon another8 ,it is the old ,jacob1    
full of resources1 prompt and           
imperturbable1 equal to every turn of   
fortune1 and never knowing how to yield4
  ,even more clearly do we see the      
vigour of ,jacob's old age when he comes
 in contact with ,joseph4 ,for many     
years ,joseph had been accustomed to    
command2 he had unusual natural sagacity
 and a special gift of insight from     

,god1 but he seems a child in comparison
 with ,jacob4 ,when he brings his two   
sons to get their grandfather's         
blessing1 ,jacob sees what ,joseph has  
no inkling of1 and peremptorily declines
 to follow the advice of his wise son4  
,with all ,joseph's sagacity there were 
points in which his blind father saw    
more clearly than he4 ,joseph1 who could
 teach the ,egyptian senators wisdom1   
standing thus at a loss even to         
understand his father1 and suggesting in
 his ignorance futile corrections1 is a 
picture of the incapacity of natural    
affection to rise to the wisdom of      
,god's love1 and of the finest natural  
discernment to anticipate ,god's        
purposes or supply the place of a       
lifelong experience4  ,jacob's          
warm-heartedness has also survived the  
chills and shocks of a long lifetime4   
,he clings now to ,benjamin as once he  
clung to ,joseph4 ,and as he had wrought
 for ,rachel fourteen years1 and the    
love he bare to her made them seem but a

 few days1 so for twenty years now had  
he remembered ,joseph who had inherited 
this love1 and he shows by his frequent 
reference to him that he was keeping his
 word and going down to the grave       
mourning for his son4 ,to such a man it 
must have been a severe trial indeed to 
be left alone in his tents1 deprived of 
all his twelve sons2 and we hear his old
 faith in ,god steadying the voice that 
yet trembles with emotion as he says1   
,if ,i be bereaved of my children1 ,i am
 bereaved4 ,it was a trial not1 indeed1 
so painful as that of ,abraham when he  
lifted the knife over the life of his   
only son2 but it was so similar to it as
 inevitably to suggest it to the mind4  
,jacob also had to yield up all his     
children1 and to feel1 as he sat        
solitary in his tent1 how utterly       
dependent upon ,god he was for their    
restoration2 that it was not he but ,god
 alone who could build the house of     
,israel4  ,the anxiety with which he    
gazed evening after evening towards the 

setting sun1 to descry the returning    
caravan1 was at last relieved4 ,but his 
joy was not altogether unalloyed4 ,his  
sons brought with them a summons to     
shift the patriarchal encampment into   
,egypt--a summons which evidently       
nothing would have induced ,jacob to    
respond to had it not come from his     
long-lost ,joseph1 and had it not thus  
received what he felt to be a divine    
sanction4 ,the extreme reluctance which 
,jacob showed to the journey1 we must be
 careful to refer to its true source4   
,the ,asiatics1 and especially shepherd 
tribes1 move easily4 ,one who thoroughly
 knows the ,east says3 ,the ,oriental is
 not afraid to go far1 if he has not to 
cross the sea2 for1 once uprooted1      
distance makes little difference to him4
 ,he has no furniture to carry1 for1    
except a carpet and a few brass pans1 he
 uses none4 ,he has no trouble about    
meals1 for he is content with parched   
grain1 which his wife can cook anywhere1
 or dried dates1 or dried flesh1 or     

anything obtainable which will keep4 ,he
 is1 on a march1 careless where he      
sleeps1 provided his family are around  
him--in a stable1 under a porch1 in the 
open air4 ,he never changes his clothes 
at night1 and he is profoundly          
indifferent to everything that the      
,western man understands by 'comfort4'  
,but there was in ,jacob's case a       
peculiarity4 ,he was called upon to     
abandon1 for an indefinite period1 the  
land which ,god had given him as the    
heir of ,his promise4 ,with very great  
toil and not a little danger had ,jacob 
won his way back to ,canaan from        
,mesopotamia2 on his return he had spent
 the best years of his life1 and now he 
was resting there in his old age1 having
 seen his children's children1 and      
expecting nothing but a peaceful        
departure to his fathers4 ,but suddenly 
the wagons of ,pharaoh stand at his     
tent-door1 and while the parched and    
bare pastures bid him go to the plenty  
of ,egypt1 to which the voice of his    

long-lost son invites him1 he hears a   
summons which1 however trying1 he cannot
 disregard4  ,such an experience is     
perpetually reproduced4 ,many are they  
who having at length received from ,god 
some long-expected good are quickly     
summoned to relinquish it again4 ,and   
while the waiting for what seems        
indispensable to us is trying1 it is    
tenfold more so to have to part with it 
when at last obtained1 and obtained at  
the cost of much besides4 ,that         
particular arrangement of our worldly   
circumstances which we have long sought1
 we are almost immediately thrown out   
of4 ,that position in life1 or that     
object of desire1 which ,god ,himself   
seems in many ways to have encouraged us
 to seek1 is taken from us almost as    
soon as we have tasted its sweetness4   
,the cup is dashed from our lips at the 
very moment when our thirst was to be   
fully slaked4 ,in such distressing      
circumstances we cannot see the end ,god
 is aiming at2 but of this we may be    

certain1 that ,he does not wantonly     
annoy1 or relish our discomfiture1 and  
that when we are compelled to resign    
what is partial1 it is that we may one  
day enjoy what is complete1 and that if 
for the present we have to forego much  
comfort and delight1 this is only an    
absolutely necessary step towards our   
permanent establishment in all that can 
bless and prosper us4  ,it is this state
 of feeling which explains the words of 
,jacob when introduced to ,pharaoh4 ,a  
recent writer1 who spent some years on  
the banks of the ,nile and on its       
waters1 and who mixed freely with the   
inhabitants of ,egypt1 says3 ,old       
,jacob's speech to ,pharaoh really made 
me laugh1 because it is so exactly like 
what a ,fellah says to a ,pacha1 ',few  
and evil have the days of the years of  
my life been1' ,jacob being a most      
prosperous man1 but it is manners to say
 all that4 ,but ,eastern manners need   
scarcely be called in to explain a      
sentiment which we find repeated by one 

who is generally esteemed the most      
self-sufficing of ,europeans4 ,i have   
ever been esteemed1 ,goethe says1 one of
 ,fortune's chiefest favourites2 nor    
will ,i complain or find fault with the 
course my life has taken4 ,yet1 truly1  
there has been nothing but toil and     
care2 and ,i may say that1 in all my    
seventy-five years1 ,i have never had a 
month of genuine comfort4 ,it has been  
the perpetual rolling of a stone1 which 
,i have always had to raise anew4       
,jacob's life had been almost ceaseless 
disquiet and disappointment4 ,a man who 
had fled his country1 who had been      
cheated into a marriage1 who had been   
compelled by his own relative to live   
like a slave1 who was only by flight    
able to save himself from a perpetual   
injustice1 whose sons made his life     
bitter1--one of them by the foulest     
outrage a father could suffer1 two of   
them by making him1 as he himself said1 
to stink in the nostrils of the         
inhabitants of the land he was trying to

 settle in1 and all of them by          
conspiring to deprive him of the child  
he most dearly loved--a man who at last1
 when he seemed to have had experience  
of every form of human calamity1 was    
compelled by famine to relinquish the   
land for the sake of which he had       
endured all and spent all1 might surely 
be forgiven a little plaintiveness in   
looking back upon his past4 ,the wonder 
is to find ,jacob to the end unbroken1  
dignified1 and clear-seeing1 capable and
 commanding1 loving and full of faith4  
,cordial as the reconciliation between  
,joseph and his brethren seemed1 it was 
not as thorough as might have been      
desired4 ,so long1 indeed1 as ,jacob    
lived1 all went well2 but when ,joseph's
 brethren saw that their father was     
dead1 they said1 ,joseph will           
peradventure hate us1 and will certainly
 requite us all the evil which we did   
unto him4 ,no wonder ,joseph wept when  
he received their message4 ,he wept     
because he saw that he was still        

misunderstood and distrusted by his     
brethren2 because he felt1 too1 that had
 they been more generous men themselves1
 they would more easily have believed in
 his forgiveness2 and because his pity  
was stirred for these men1 who          
recognised that they were so completely 
in the power of their younger brother4  
,joseph had passed through severe       
conflicts of feeling about them1 had    
been at great expense both of emotion   
and of outward good on their account1   
had risked his position in order to be  
able to serve them1 and here is his     
reward6 ,they supposed he had been but  
biding his time1 that his apparent      
forgetfulness of their injury had been  
the crafty restraint of a deep-seated   
resentment2 or1 at best1 that he had    
been unconsciously influenced by regard 
for his father1 and now1 when that      
influence was removed1 the helpless     
condition of his brethren might tempt   
him to retaliate4 ,this exhibition of a 
craven and suspicious spirit is         

unexpected1 and must have been          
profoundly saddening to ,joseph4 ,yet   
here1 as elsewhere1 he is magnanimous4  
,pity for them turns his thoughts from  
the injustice done to himself4 ,he      
comforts them1 and speaks kindly to     
them1 saying1 ,fear ye not2 ,i will     
nourish you and your little ones4  ,many
 painful thoughts must have been        
suggested to ,joseph by this conduct4   
,if1 after all he had done for his      
brethren1 they had not yet learned to   
love him1 but met his kindness with     
suspicion1 was it not probable that     
underneath his apparent popularity with 
the ,egyptians there might lie envy1 or 
the cold acknowledgment that falls far  
short of love8 ,this sudden disclosure  
of the real feeling of his brethren     
towards him must necessarily have made  
him uneasy about his other friendships4 
,did every one merely make use of him1  
and did no one give him pure love for   
his own sake8 ,the people he had saved  
from famine1 was there one of them that 

regarded him with anything resembling   
personal affection8 ,distrust seemed to 
pursue ,joseph from first to last4      
,first his own family misunderstood and 
persecuted him4 ,then his ,egyptian     
master had returned his devoted service 
with suspicion and imprisonment4 ,and   
now again1 after sufficient time for    
testing his character might seem to have
 elapsed1 he was still looked upon with 
distrust by those who of all others had 
best reason to believe in him4 ,but     
though ,joseph had through all his life 
been thus conversant with suspicion1    
cruelty1 falsehood1 ingratitude1 and    
blindness1 though he seemed doomed to be
 always misread1 and to have his best   
deeds made the ground of accusation     
against him1 he remained not merely     
unsoured1 but equally ready as ever to  
be of service to all4 ,the finest       
natures may be disconcerted and deadened
 by universal distrust2 characters not  
naturally unamiable are sometimes       
embittered by suspicion2 and persons who

 are in the main high-minded do stoop1  
when stung by such treatment1 to rail at
 the world1 or to question all generous 
emotion1 steadfast friendship1 or       
unimpeachable integrity4 ,in ,joseph    
there is nothing of this4 ,if ever man  
had a right to complain of being        
unappreciated1 it was he2 if ever man   
was tempted to give up making sacrifices
 for his relatives1 it was he4 ,but     
through all this he bore himself with   
manly generosity1 with simple and       
persistent faith1 with a dignified      
respect for himself and for other men4  
,in the ingratitude and injustice he had
 to endure1 he only found opportunity   
for a deeper unselfishness1 a more      
,god-like forbearance4 ,and that such   
may be the outcome of the sorest parts  
of human experience we have one day or  
other need to remember4 ,when our good  
is evil spoken of1 our motives          
suspected1 our most sincere sacrifices  
scrutinized by an ignorant and malicious
 spirit1 our most substantial and       

well-judged acts of kindness received   
with suspicion1 and the love that is in 
them quite rejected1 it is then we have 
opportunity to show that to us belongs  
the ,christian temper that can pardon   
till seventy times seven1 and that can  
persist in loving where love meets no   
response1 and benefits provoke no       
gratitude4  ,how ,joseph spent the years
 which succeeded the famine we have no  
means of knowing2 but the closing act of
 his life seemed to the narrator so     
significant as to be worthy of record4  
,joseph said unto his brethren1 ,i die3 
and ,god will surely visit you1 and     
bring you out of this land unto the land
 which he sware to ,abraham1 to ,isaac1 
and to ,jacob4 ,and ,joseph took an oath
 of the children of ,israel1 saying1    
,god will surely visit you1 and ye shall
 carry up my bones from hence4 ,the     
,egyptians must have chiefly been struck
 by the simplicity of character which   
this request betokened4 ,to the great   
benefactors of our country1 the highest 

award is reserved to be given after     
death4 ,so long as a man lives1 some    
rude stroke of fortune or some          
disastrous error of his own may blast   
his fame2 but when his bones are laid   
with those who have served their country
 best1 a seal is set on his life1 and a 
sentence pronounced which the revision  
of posterity rarely revokes4 ,such      
honours were customary among the        
,egyptians2 it is from their tombs that 
their history can now be written4 ,and  
to none were such honours more          
accessible than to ,joseph4 ,but after a
 life in the service of the state he    
retains the simplicity of the ,hebrew   
lad4 ,with the magnanimity of a great   
and pure soul1 he passed uncontaminated 
through the flatteries and temptations  
of court-life2 and1 like ,moses1        
esteemed the reproach of ,christ greater
 riches than the treasures of ,egypt4   
,he has not indulged in any affectation 
of simplicity1 nor has he1 in the pride 
that apes humility1 declined the        

ordinary honours due to a man in his    
position4 ,he wears the badges of       
office1 the robe and the gold necklace1 
but these things do not reach his       
spirit4 ,he has lived in a region in    
which such honours make no deep         
impression2 and in his death he shows   
where his heart has been4 ,the small    
voice of ,god1 spoken centuries ago to  
his forefathers1 deafens him to the loud
 acclaim with which the people do him   
homage4  ,by later generations this     
dying request of ,joseph's was looked   
upon as one of the most remarkable      
instances of faith4 ,for many years     
there had been no new revelation4 ,the  
rising generations that had seen no man 
with whom ,god had spoken1 were little  
interested in the land which was said to
 be theirs1 but which they very well    
knew was infested by fierce tribes who1 
on at least one occasion during this    
period1 inflicted disastrous defeat on  
one of the boldest of their own tribes4 
,they were1 besides1 extremely attached 

to the country of their adoption2 they  
luxuriated in its fertile meadows and   
teeming gardens1 which kept them        
supplied at little cost of labour with  
delicacies unknown on the hills of      
,canaan4 ,this oath1 therefore1 which   
,joseph made them swear1 may have       
revived the drooping hopes of the small 
remnant who had any of his own spirit4  
,they saw that he1 their most sagacious 
man1 lived and died in full assurance   
that ,god would visit ,his people4 ,and 
through all the terrible bondage they   
were destined to suffer1 the bones of   
,joseph1 or rather his embalmed body1   
stood as the most eloquent advocate of  
,god's faithfulness1 ceaselessly        
reminding the despondent generations of 
the oath which ,god would yet enable    
them to fulfil4 ,as often as they felt  
inclined to give up all hope and the    
last surviving ,israelitish peculiarity1
 there was the unburied coffin          
remonstrating2 ,joseph still1 even when 
dead1 refusing to let his dust mingle   

with ,egyptian earth4  ,and thus1 as    
,joseph had been their pioneer who broke
 out a way for them into ,egypt1 so did 
he continue to hold open the gate and   
point the way back to ,canaan4 ,the     
brethren had sold him into this foreign 
land1 meaning to bury him for ever2 he  
retaliated by requiring that the tribes 
should restore him to the land from     
which he had been expelled4 ,few men    
have opportunity of showing so noble a  
revenge2 fewer still1 having the        
opportunity1 would so have used it4     
,jacob had been carried up to ,canaan as
 soon as he was dead3 ,joseph declines  
this exceptional treatment1 and prefers 
to share the fortunes of his brethren1  
and will then only enter on the promised
 land when all his people can go with   
him4 ,as in life1 so in death1 he took a
 large view of things1 and had no       
feeling that the world ended in him4    
,his career had taught him to consider  
national interests2 and now1 on his     
death-bed1 it is from the point of view 

of his people that he looks at the      
future4  ,several passages in the life  
of ,joseph have shown us that where the 
,spirit of ,christ is present1 many     
parts of the conduct will suggest1 if   
they do not actually resemble1 acts in  
the life of ,christ4 ,the attitude      
towards the future in which ,joseph sets
 his people as he leaves them1 can      
scarcely fail to suggest the attitude   
which ,christians are called to assume4 
,the prospect which the ,hebrews had of 
fulfilling their oath grew increasingly 
faint1 but the difficulties in the way  
of its performance must only have made  
them more clearly see that they depended
 on ,god for entrance on the promised   
inheritance4 ,and so may the difficulty 
of our duties as ,christ's followers    
measure for us the amount of grace ,god 
has provided for us4 ,the commands that 
make you sensible of your weakness1 and 
bring to light more clearly than ever   
how unfit for good you are1 are         
witnesses to you that ,god will visit   

you and enable you to fulfil the oath   
,he has required you to take4 ,the      
children of ,israel could not suppose   
that a man so wise as ,joseph had ended 
his life with a childish folly1 when he 
made them swear this oath1 and could not
 but renew their hope that the day would
 come when his wisdom would be justified
 by their ability to discharge it4      
,neither ought it to be beyond our      
belief that1 in requiring from us such  
and such conduct1 our ,lord has kept in 
view our actual condition and its       
possibilities1 and that ,his commands   
are our best guide towards a state of   
permanent felicity4 ,he that aims always
 at the performance of the oath he has  
taken1 will assuredly find that ,god    
will not stultify ,himself by failing to
 support him4     ,,xxxi4  ,,the        
,,blessings ,,of ,,the ,,tribes4        
,,genesis xlviii4 and xlix4   ,jacob's  
blessing of his sons marks the close of 
the patriarchal dispensation4           
,henceforth the channel of ,god's       

blessing to man does not consist of one 
person only1 but of a people or nation4 
,it is still one seed1 as ,paul reminds 
us1 a unit that ,god will bless1 but    
this unit is now no longer a single     
person--as ,abraham1 ,isaac1 or         
,jacob--but one people1 composed of     
several parts1 and yet one whole2       
equally representative of ,christ1 as   
the patriarchs were1 and of equal effect
 every way in receiving ,god's blessing 
and handing it down until ,christ came4 
,the ,old ,testament ,church1 quite as  
truly as the ,new1 formed one whole with
 ,christ4 ,apart from ,him it had no    
meaning1 and would have had no          
existence4 ,it was the promised seed1   
always growing more and more to its     
perfect development in ,christ4 ,as the 
promise was kept to ,abraham when ,isaac
 was born1 and as ,isaac was truly the  
promised seed--in so far as he was a    
part of the series that led on to       
,christ1 and was given in fulfilment of 
the promise that promised ,christ to the

 world--so all through the history of   
,israel we must bear in mind that in    
them ,god is fulfilling this same       
promise1 and that they are the promised 
seed in so far as they are one with     
,christ4 ,and this interprets to us all 
those passages of the prophets regarding
 which men have disputed whether they   
are to be applied to ,israel or to      
,christ3 passages in which ,god         
addresses ,israel in such words as1     
,behold ,my servant1 ,mine elect1 and so
 forth1 and in the interpretation of    
which it has been thought sufficient    
proof that they do not apply to ,christ1
 to prove that they do apply to ,israel2
 whereas1 on the principle just laid    
down1 it might much more safely be      
argued that because they apply to       
,israel1 therefore they apply to        
,christ4 ,and it is at this point--where
 ,israel distributes among his sons the 
blessing which heretofore had all lodged
 in himself--that we see the first      
multiplication of ,christ's             

representatives2 the mediation going on 
no longer through individuals1 but      
through a nation2 and where individuals 
are still chosen by ,god1 as commonly   
they are1 for the conveyance of ,god's  
communications to earth1 these          
individuals1 whether priests or         
prophets1 are themselves but the        
official representatives of the nation4 
,as the patriarchal dispensation ceases1
 it secures to the tribes all the       
blessing it has itself contained4 ,every
 father desires to leave to his sons    
whatever he has himself found helpful1  
but as they gather round his dying bed1 
or as he sits setting his house in      
order1 and considering what portion is  
appropriate for each1 he recognises that
 to some of them it is quite useless to 
bequeath the most valuable parts of his 
property1 while in others he discerns a 
capacity which promises the improvement 
of all that is entrusted to it4 ,and    
from the earliest times the various     
characters of the tribes were destined  

to modify the blessing conveyed to them 
by their father4 ,the blessing of       
,israel is now distributed1 and each    
receives what each can take2 and while  
in some of the individual tribes there  
may seem to be very little of blessing  
at all1 yet1 taken together1 they form a
 picture of the common outstanding      
features of human nature1 and of that   
nature as acted upon by ,god's blessing1
 and forming together one body or       
,church4 ,a peculiar interest attaches  
to the history of some nations1 and is  
not altogether absent from our own1 from
 the precision with which we can trace  
the character of families1 descending   
often with the same unmistakable        
lineaments from father to son for many  
generations4#b ,one knows at once to    
what families to look for restless and  
turbulent spirits1 ready for conspiracy 
and revolution2 and one knows also where
 to seek steady and faithful loyalty1   
public-spiritedness1 or native ability4 
,and in ,israel's national character    

there was room for the great            
distinguishing features of the tribes1  
and to show the richness and variety    
with which the promise of ,god could    
fulfil itself wherever it was received4 
,the distinguishing features which      
,jacob depicts in the blessings of his  
sons are necessarily veiled under the   
poetic figures of prophecy1 and spoken  
of as they would reveal themselves in   
worldly matters2 but these features were
 found in all the generations of the    
tribes1 and displayed themselves in     
things spiritual also4 ,for a man has   
not two characters1 but one2 and what he
 is in the world1 that he is in his     
religion4 ,in our own country1 it is    
seen how the forms of worship1 and even 
the doctrines believed1 and certainly   
the modes of religious thought and      
feeling1 depend on the natural          
character1 and the natural character on 
the local situation of the respective   
sections of the community4 ,no doubt in 
a country like ours1 where men so       

constantly migrate from place to place1 
and where one common literature tends to
 mould us all to the same way of        
thinking1 you do get men of all kinds in
 every place2 yet even among ourselves  
the character of a place is generally   
still visible1 and predominates over all
 that mingles with it4 ,much more must  
this character have been retained in a  
country where each man could trace his  
ancestry up to the father of the tribe1 
and cultivated with pride the family    
characteristics1 and had but little     
intercourse1 either literary or         
personal1 with other minds and other    
manners4 ,as we know by dialect and by  
the manners of the people when we pass  
into a new country1 so must the         
,israelite have known by the eye and ear
 when he had crossed the county         
frontier1 when he was conversing with a 
,benjamite1 and when with a descendant  
of ,judah4 ,we are not therefore to     
suppose that any of these utterances of 
,jacob are mere geographical            

predictions1 or that they depict        
characteristics which might appear in   
civil life1 but not in religion and the 
,church1 or that they would die out with
 the first generation4  ,in these       
blessings1 therefore1 we have the       
history of the ,church in its most      
interesting form4 ,in these sons        
gathered round him1 the patriarch sees  
his own nature reflected piece by piece1
 and he sees also the general outline of
 all that must be produced by such      
natures as these men have4 ,the whole   
destiny of ,israel is here in germ1 and 
the spirit of prophecy in ,jacob sees   
and declares it4 ,it has often been     
remarked#c that as a man draws near to  
death1 he seems to see many things in a 
much clearer light1 and especially gets 
glimpses into the future1 which are     
hidden from others4      ,the soul's    
dark cottage1 battered and decayed1     
,lets in new light through chinks that  
time hath made4  ,being nearer to       
eternity1 he instinctively measures     

things by its standard1 and thus comes  
nearer a just valuation of all things   
before his mind1 and can better         
distinguish reality from appearance4    
,jacob has studied these sons of his for
 fifty years1 and has had his acute     
perception of character painfully enough
 called to exercise itself on them4 ,he 
has all his life long had a liking for  
analysing men's inner life1 knowing     
that1 when he understands that1 he can  
better use them for his own ends2 and   
these sons of his own have cost him     
thought enough over and above that      
sometimes penetrating interest which a  
father will take in the growth of a     
son's character2 and now he knows them  
thoroughly1 understands their           
temptations1 their weaknesses1 their    
capabilities1 and1 as a wise head of a  
house1 can1 with delicate and unnoticed 
skill1 balance the one against the      
other1 ward off awkward collisions1 and 
prevent the evil from destroying the    
good4 ,this knowledge of ,jacob prepares

 him for being the intelligent agent by 
whom ,god predicts in outline the future
 of ,his ,church4  ,one cannot but      
admire1 too1 the faith which enables    
,jacob to apportion to his sons the     
blessings of a land which had not been  
much of a resting-place to himself1 and 
regarding the occupation of which his   
sons might have put to him some very    
difficult questions4 ,and we admire this
 dignified faith the more on reflecting 
that it has often been very grievously  
lacking in our own case--that we have   
felt almost ashamed of having so little 
of a present tangible kind to offer1 and
 of being obliged to speak only of      
invisible and future blessings2 to set a
 spiritual consolation over against a   
worldly grief2 to point a man whose     
fortunes are ruined to an eternal       
inheritance2 or to speak to one who     
knows himself quite in the power of sin 
of a remedy which has often seemed      
illusory to ourselves4 ,some of us have 
got so little comfort or strength from  

religion ourselves1 that we have no     
heart to offer it to others2 and most of
 us have a feeling that we should seem  
to trifle were we to offer invisible aid
 against very visible calamity4 ,at     
least we feel that we are doing a daring
 thing in making such an offer1 and can 
scarce get over the desire that we had  
something to speak of which sight could 
appreciate1 and which did not require   
the exercise of faith4 ,again and again 
the wish rises within us that to the    
sick man we could bring health as well  
as the promise of forgiveness1 and that 
to the poor we could grant an earthly1  
while we make known a heavenly1         
inheritance4 ,one who has experienced   
these scruples1 and known how hard it is
 to get rid of them1 will know also how 
to honour the faith of ,jacob1 by which 
he assumes the right to bless           
,pharaoh--though he is himself a mere   
sojourner by sufferance in ,pharaoh's   
land1 and living on his bounty--and by  
which he gathers his children round him 

and portions out to them a land which   
seemed to have been most barren to      
himself1 and which now seemed quite     
beyond his reach4 ,the enjoyments of it1
 which he himself had not very deeply   
tasted1 he yet knew were real2 and if   
there were a look of scepticism1 or of  
scorn1 on the face of any one of his    
sons2 if the unbelief of any received   
the prophetic utterances as the ravings 
of delirium1 or the fancies of an       
imbecile and worn-out mind going back to
 the scenes of its youth1 in ,jacob     
himself there was so simple and         
unsuspecting a faith in ,god's promise1 
that he dealt with the land as if it    
were the only portion worth bequeathing 
to his sons1 as if every ,canaanite were
 already cast out of it1 and as if he   
knew his sons could never be tempted by 
the wealth of ,egypt to turn with       
contempt from the land of promise4 ,and 
if we would attain to this boldness of  
his1 and be able to speak of spiritual  
and future blessings as very substantial

 and valuable1 we must ourselves learn  
to make much of ,god's promise1 and     
leave no taint of unbelief in our       
reception of it4  ,and often we are     
rebuked by finding that when we do offer
 things spiritual1 even those who are   
wrapped in earthly comforts appreciate  
and accept the better gifts4 ,so it was 
in ,joseph's case4 ,no doubt the highest
 posts in ,egypt were open to his sons2 
they might have been naturalised1 as he 
himself had been1 and1 throwing in their
 lot with the land of their adoption1   
might have turned to their advantage the
 rank their father held1 and the        
reputation he had earned4 ,but ,joseph  
turns from this attractive prospect1    
brings them to his father1 and hands    
them over to the despised shepherd-life 
of ,israel4 ,one need scarcely point out
 how great a sacrifice this was on      
,joseph's part4 ,so universally         
acknowledged and legitimate a desire is 
it to pass to one's children the honour 
achieved by a life of exertion1 that    

states have no higher rewards to confer 
on their most useful servants than a    
title which their descendants may wear4 
,but ,joseph would not suffer his       
children to risk the loss of their share
 in ,god's peculiar blessing1 not for   
the most promising openings in life1 or 
the highest civil honours4 ,if the      
thoroughly open identification of them  
with the shepherds1 and their profession
 of a belief in a distant inheritance1  
which must have made them appear madmen 
in the eyes of the ,egyptians1 if this  
was to cut them off from worldly        
advancement1 ,joseph was not careful of 
this1 for resolved he was that1 at any  
cost1 they should be among ,god's       
people4 ,and his faith received its     
reward2 the two tribes that sprang from 
him received about as large a portion of
 the promised land as fell to the lot of
 all the other tribes put together4     
,you will observe that ,ephraim and     
,manasseh were adopted as sons of       
,jacob4 ,jacob tells ,joseph1 ,they     

shall be mine1 not my grandsons1 but as 
,reuben and ,simeon4 ,no other sons whom
 ,joseph might have were to be received 
into this honour1 but these two were to 
take their place on a level with their  
uncles as heads of tribes1 so that      
,joseph is represented through the whole
 history by the two populous and        
powerful tribes of ,ephraim and         
,manasseh4 ,no greater honour could have
 been put on ,joseph1 nor any more      
distinct and lasting recognition made of
 the indebtedness of his family to him1 
and of how he had been as a father      
bringing new life to his brethren1 than 
this1 that his sons should be raised to 
the rank of heads of tribes1 on a level 
with the immediate sons of ,jacob4 ,and 
no higher honour could have been put on 
the two lads themselves than that they  
should thus be treated as if they were  
their father ,joseph--as if they had his
 worth and his rank4 ,he is merged in   
them1 and all that he has earned is1    
throughout the history1 to be found1 not

 in his own name1 but in theirs4 ,it all
 proceeds from him2 but his enjoyment is
 found in their enjoyment1 his worth    
acknowledged in their fruitfulness4     
,thus did ,god familiarise the ,jewish  
mind through its whole history with the 
idea1 if they chose to think and have   
ideas1 of adoption1 and of an adoption  
of a peculiar kind1 of an adoption where
 already there was an heir who1 by this 
adoption1 has his name and worth merged 
in the persons now received into his    
place4 ,ephraim and ,manasseh were not  
received alongside of ,joseph1 but each 
received what ,joseph himself might have
 had1 and ,joseph's name as a tribe was 
henceforth only to be found in these    
two4 ,this idea was fixed in such a way1
 that for centuries it was steeping into
 the minds of men1 so that they might   
not be astonished if ,god should in some
 other case1 say the case of ,his own   
,son1 adopt men into the rank ,he held1 
and let ,his estimate of the worth of   
,his ,son1 and the honour ,he puts upon 

,him1 be seen in the adopted4 ,this     
being so1 we need not be alarmed if men 
tell us that imputation is a mere legal 
fiction1 or human invention2 a legal    
fiction it may be1 but in the case      
before us it was the never-disputed     
foundation of very substantial blessings
 to ,ephraim and ,manasseh2 and we plead
 for nothing more than that ,god would  
act with us as here ,he did act with    
these two1 that ,he would make us ,his  
direct heirs1 make us ,his own sons1 and
 give us what ,he who presents us to    
,him to receive ,his blessing did earn1 
and merits at the ,father's hand4  ,we  
meet with these crossed hands of        
blessing frequently in ,scripture2 the  
younger son blessed above the elder--as 
was needful1 lest grace should become   
confounded with nature1 and the belief  
gradually grow up in men's minds that   
natural effects could never be overcome 
by grace1 and that in every respect     
grace waited upon nature4 ,and these    
crossed hands we meet still2 for how    

often does ,god quite reverse our order1
 and bless most that about which we had 
less concern1 and seem to put a slight  
on that which has engrossed our best    
affection4 ,it is so1 often in precisely
 the way in which ,joseph found it so2  
the son whose youth is most anxiously   
cared for1 to whom the interests of the 
younger members of the family are       
sacrificed1 and who is commended to ,god
 continually to receive ,his right-hand 
blessing1 this son seems neither to     
receive nor to dispense much blessing2  
but the younger1 less thought of1 left  
to work his own way1 is favoured by     
,god1 and becomes the comfort and       
support of his parents when the elder   
has failed of his duty4 ,and in the case
 of much that we hold dear1 the same    
rule is seen2 a pursuit we wish to be   
successful in we can make little of1 and
 are thrown back from continually1 while
 something else into which we have      
thrown ourselves almost accidentally    
prospers in our hand and blesses us4    

,again and again1 for years together1 we
 put forward some cherished desire to   
,god's right hand1 and are displeased1  
like ,joseph1 that still the hand of    
greater blessing should pass to some    
other thing4 ,does ,god not know what is
 oldest with us1 what has been longest  
at our hearts1 and is dearest to us8    
,certainly ,he does3 ,i know it1 ,my    
son1 ,i know it1 ,he answers to all our 
expostulations4 ,it is not because ,he  
does not understand or regard your      
predilections1 your natural and         
excusable preferences1 that ,he         
sometimes refuses to gratify your whole 
desire1 and pours upon you blessings of 
a kind somewhat different from these you
 most earnestly covet4 ,he will give you
 the whole that ,christ hath merited2   
but for the application and distribution
 of that grace and blessing you must be 
content to trust ,him4 ,you may be at a 
loss to know why ,he does no more to    
deliver you from some sin1 or why ,he   
does not make you more successful in    

your efforts to aid others1 or why1     
while ,he so liberally prospers you in  
one part of your condition1 you get so  
much less in another that is far nearer 
your heart2 but ,god does what ,he will 
with ,his own1 and if you do not find in
 one point the whole blessing and       
prosperity you think should flow from   
such a ,mediator as you have1 you may   
only conclude that what is lacking there
 will elsewhere be found more wisely    
bestowed4 ,and is it not a perpetual    
encouragement to us that ,god does not  
merely crown what nature has            
successfully begun1 that it is not the  
likely and the naturally good that are  
most blessed1 but that ,god hath chosen 
the foolish things of the world to      
confound the wise1 and the weak things  
of the world to confound the things that
 are mighty2 and base things of the     
world and things which are despised hath
 ,god chosen1 yea1 and things which are 
not1 to bring to nought things that are8
  ,in ,reuben1 the first-born1          

conscience must have been sadly at war  
with hope as he looked at the blind1 but
 expressive1 face of his father4 ,he may
 have hoped that his sin had not been   
severely thought of by his father1 or   
that the father's pride in his          
first-born would prompt him to hide1    
though it could not make him forget it4 
,probably the gross offence had not been
 made known to the family4 ,at least1   
the words he went up may be understood  
as addressed in explanation to the      
brethren4 ,it may indeed have been that 
the blind old man1 forcibly recalling   
the long-past transgression1 is here    
uttering a mournful1 regretful          
soliloquy1 rather than addressing any   
one4 ,it may be that these words were   
uttered to himself as he went back upon 
the one deed that had disclosed to him  
his son's real character1 and rudely    
hurled to the ground all the hopes he   
had built up for his first-born4 ,yet   
there is no reason to suppose1 on the   
other hand1 that the sin had been       

previously known or alluded to in the   
family4 ,reuben's hasty1 passionate     
nature could not understand that if     
,jacob had felt that sin of his deeply1 
he should not have shown his resentment2
 he had stunned his father with the     
heavy blow1 and because he did not cry  
out and strike him in return1 he thought
 him little hurt4 ,so do shallow natures
 tremble for a night after their sin1   
and when they find that the sun rises   
and men greet them as cordially as      
before1 and that no hand lays hold on   
them from the past1 they think little   
more of their sin--do not understand    
that fatal calm that precedes the storm4
 ,had the memory of ,reuben's sin       
survived in ,jacob's mind all the sad   
events that had since happened1 and all 
the stirring incidents of the emigration
 and the new life in ,egypt8 ,could his 
father at the last hour1 and after so   
many thronged years1 and before his     
brethren1 recall the old sin8 ,he is    
relieved and confirmed in his confidence

 by the first words of ,jacob1 words    
ascribing to him his natural position1 a
 certain conspicuous dignity too1 and   
power such as one may often see produced
 in men by occupying positions of       
authority1 though in their own character
 there be weakness4 ,but all the        
excellence that ,jacob ascribes to      
,reuben serves only to embitter the doom
 pronounced upon him4 ,men seem often to
 expect that a future can be given to   
them irrespective of what they          
themselves are1 that a series of        
blessings and events might be prepared  
for them1 and made over to them2 whereas
 every man's future must be made by     
himself1 and is already in great part   
formed by the past4 ,it was a vain      
expectation of ,reuben to expect that   
he1 the impetuous1 unstable1 superficial
 son1 could have the future of a deep1  
and earnest1 and dutiful nature1 or that
 his children should derive no taint    
from their parent1 but be as the        
children of ,joseph4 ,no man's future   

need be altogether a doom to him1 for   
,god may bless to him the evil fruit his
 life has borne2 but certainly no man   
need look for a future which has no     
relation to his own character4 ,his     
future will always be made up of his    
deeds1 his feelings1 and the            
circumstances which his desires have    
brought him into4  ,the future of       
,reuben was of a negative1 blank        
kind--,thou shalt not excel2 his        
unstable character must empty it of all 
great success4 ,and to many a heart     
since have these words struck a chill1  
for to many they are as a mirror        
suddenly held up before them4 ,they see 
themselves when they look on the tossing
 sea1 rising and pointing to the heavens
 with much noise1 but only to sink back 
again to the same everlasting level4    
,men of brilliant parts and great       
capacity are continually seen to be lost
 to society by instability of purpose4  
,would they only pursue one direction1  
and concentrate their energies on one   

subject1 they might become true heirs of
 promise1 blessed and blessing2 but they
 seem to lose relish for every pursuit  
on the first taste of success--all their
 energy seems to have boiled over and   
evaporated in the first glow1 and sinks 
as the water that has just been noisily 
boiling when the fire is withdrawn from 
under it4 ,no impression made upon them 
is permanent3 like water1 they are      
plastic1 easily impressible1 but utterly
 incapable of retaining an impression2  
and therefore1 like water1 they have a  
downward tendency1 or at the best are   
but retained in their place by pressure 
from without1 and have no eternal power 
of growth4 ,and the misery of this      
character is often increased by the     
desire to excel which commonly          
accompanies instability4 ,it is         
generally this very desire which prompts
 a man to hurry from one aim to another1
 to give up one path to excellence when 
he sees that other men are making way   
upon another3 having no internal        

convictions of his own1 he is guided    
mostly by the successes of other men1   
the most dangerous of all guides4 ,so   
that such a man has all the bitterness  
of an eager desire doomed never to be   
satisfied4 ,conscious to himself of     
capacity for something1 feeling in him  
the excellency of power1 and having that
 excellency of dignity1 or graceful and 
princely refinement1 which the knowledge
 of many things1 and intercourse with   
many kinds of people1 have imparted to  
him1 he feels all the more that         
pervading weakness1 that greedy1 lustful
 craving for all kinds of priority1 and 
for enjoying all the various advantages 
which other men severally enjoy1 which  
will not let him finally choose and     
adhere to his own line of things1 but   
distracts him by a thousand purposes    
which ever defeat one another4#d  ,the  
sin of the next oldest sons was also    
remembered against them1 and remembered 
apparently for the same reason--because 
the character was expressed in it4 ,the 

massacre of the ,shechemites was not an 
accidental outrage that any other of the
 sons of ,jacob might equally have      
perpetrated1 but the most glaring of a  
number of expressions of a fierce and   
cruel disposition in these two men4 ,in 
,jacob's prediction of their future1 he 
seems to shrink with horror from his own
 progeny--like her who dreamt she would 
give birth to a firebrand4 ,he sees the 
possibility of the direst results       
flowing from such a temper1 and1 under  
,god1 provides against these by         
scattering the tribes1 and thus         
weakening their power for evil4 ,they   
had been banded together so as the more 
easily and securely to accomplish their 
murderous purposes4 ,simeon and ,levi   
are brethren--showing a close affinity1 
and seeking one another's society and   
aid1 but it is for bad purposes2 and    
therefore they must be divided in ,jacob
 and scattered in ,israel4 ,this was    
accomplished by the tribe of ,levi being
 distributed over all the other tribes  

as the ministers of religion4 ,the fiery
 zeal1 the bold independence1 and the   
pride of being a distinct people1 which 
had been displayed in the slaughter of  
the ,shechemites1 might be toned down   
and turned to good account when the     
sword was taken out of their hand4      
,qualities such as these1 which produce 
the most disastrous results when fit    
instruments can be found1 and when men  
of like disposition are suffered to band
 themselves together1 may1 when found in
 the individual and kept in check by    
circumstances and dissimilar            
dispositions1 be highly beneficial4  ,in
 the sin1 ,levi seems to have been the  
moving spirit1 ,simeon the abetting     
tool1 and in the punishment1 it is the  
more dangerous tribe that is scattered1 
so that the other is left companionless4
 ,in the blessings of ,moses1 the tribe 
of ,simeon is passed over in silence2   
and that the tribe of ,levi should have 
been so used for ,god's immediate       
service stands as evidence that         

punishments1 however severe and         
desolating1 even threatening something  
bordering on extinction1 may yet become 
blessings to ,god's people4 ,the sword  
of murder was displaced in ,levi's hand 
by the knife of sacrifice2 their fierce 
revenge against sinners was converted   
into hostility against sin2 their       
apparent zeal for the forms of their    
religion was consecrated to the service 
of the tabernacle and temple2 their     
fanatical pride1 which prompted them to 
treat all other people as the           
offscouring of the earth1 was informed  
by a better spirit1 and used for the    
upbuilding and instruction of the people
 of ,israel4 ,in order to understand why
 this tribe1 of all others1 should have 
been chosen for the service of the      
sanctuary and for the instruction of the
 people1 we must not only recognise how 
their being scattered in punishment of  
their sin over all the land fitted them 
to be the educators of the nation and   
the representatives of all the tribes1  

but also we must consider that the sin  
itself which ,levi had committed broke  
the one command which men had up till   
this time received from the mouth of    
,god2 no law had as yet been published  
but that which had been given to ,noah  
and his sons regarding bloodshed1 and   
which was given in circumstances so     
appalling1 and with sanctions so        
emphatic1 that it might ever have rung  
in men's ears1 and stayed the hand of   
the murderer4 ,in saying1 ,at the hand  
of every man's brother will ,i require  
the life of man1 ,god had shown that    
human life was to be counted sacred4 ,he
 ,himself had swept the race from the   
face of the earth1 but adding this      
command immediately after1 ,he showed   
all the more forcibly that punishment   
was ,his own prerogative1 and that none 
but those appointed by ,him might shed  
blood--,vengeance is ,mine1 saith the   
,lord4 ,to take private revenge1 as     
,levi did1 was to take the sword out of 
,god's hand1 and to say that ,god was   

not careful enough of justice1 and but a
 poor guardian of right and wrong in the
 world2 and to destroy human life in the
 wanton and cruel manner in which ,levi 
had destroyed the ,shechemites1 and to  
do it under colour and by the aid of    
religious zeal1 was to ,god the most    
hateful of sins4 ,but none can know the 
hatefulness of a sin so distinctly as he
 who has fallen into it1 and is enduring
 the punishment of it penitently and    
graciously1 and therefore ,levi was of  
all others the best fitted to be        
entrusted with those sacrificial symbols
 which set forth the value of all human 
life1 and especially of the life of     
,god's own ,son4 ,very humbling must it 
have been for the ,levite who remembered
 the history of his tribe to be used by 
,god as the hand of ,his justice on the 
victims that were brought in            
substitution for that which was so      
precious in the sight of ,god4  ,the    
blessing of ,judah is at once the most  
important and the most difficult to     

interpret in the series4 ,there is      
enough in the history of ,judah himself1
 and there is enough in the subsequent  
history of the tribe1 to justify the    
ascription to him of all lion-like      
qualities--a kingly fearlessness1       
confidence1 power1 and success2 in      
action a rapidity of movement and might 
that make him irresistible1 and in      
repose a majestic dignity of bearing4   
,as the serpent is the cognisance of    
,dan1 the wolf of ,benjamin1 the hind of
 ,naphtali1 so is the lion of the tribe 
of ,judah4 ,he scorns to gain his end by
 a serpentine craft1 and is himself     
easily taken in2 he does not ravin like 
a wolf1 merely plundering for the sake  
of booty1 but gives freely and          
generously1 even to the sacrifice of his
 own person3 nor has he the mere        
graceful and ineffective swiftness of   
the hind1 but the rushing onset of the  
lion--a character which1 more than any  
other1 men reverence and admire--,judah1
 thou art he whom thy brethren shall    

praise--and a character which1 more than
 any other1 fits a man to take the lead 
and rule4 ,if there were to be kings in 
,israel1 there could be little doubt    
from which tribe they could best be     
chosen2 a wolf of the tribe of          
,benjamin1 like ,saul1 not only hung on 
the rear of retreating ,philistines and 
spoiled them1 but made a prey of his own
 people1 and it is in ,david we find the
 true king1 the man who more than any   
other satisfies men's ideal of the      
prince to whom they will pay            
homage2--falling indeed into grievous   
error and sin1 like his forefather1 but1
 like him also1 right at heart1 so      
generous and self-sacrificing that men  
served him with the most devoted        
loyalty1 and were willing rather to     
dwell in caves with him than in palaces 
with any other4  ,the kingly supremacy  
of ,judah was here spoken of in words   
which have been the subject of as       
prolonged and violent contention as any 
others in the ,word of ,god4 ,the       

sceptre shall not depart from ,judah1   
nor a lawgiver from between his feet1   
until ,shiloh come4 ,these words are    
very generally understood to mean that  
,judah's supremacy would continue until 
it culminated or flowered into the      
personal reign of ,shiloh2 in other     
words1 that ,judah's sovereignty was to 
be perpetuated in the person of ,jesus  
,christ4 ,so that this prediction is but
 the first whisper of that which was    
afterwards so distinctly declared1 that 
,david's seed should sit on the throne  
for ever and ever4 ,it was not          
accomplished in the letter1 any more    
than the promise to ,david was2 the     
tribe of ,judah cannot in any           
intelligible sense be said to have had  
rulers of her own up to the coming of   
,christ1 or for some centuries previous 
to that date4 ,for those who would      
quickly judge ,god and ,his promise by  
what they could see in their own day1   
there was enough to provoke them to     
challenge ,god for forgetting ,his      

promise4 ,but in due time the ,king of  
men1 ,he to whom all nations have       
gathered1 did spring from this tribe2   
and need it be said that the very fact  
of ,his appearance proved that the      
supremacy had not departed from ,judah8 
,this prediction1 then1 partook of the  
character of very many of the ,old      
,testament prophecies2 there was        
sufficient fulfilment in the letter to  
seal1 as it were1 the promise1 and give 
men a token that it was being           
accomplished1 and yet so mysterious a   
falling short1 as to cause men to look  
beyond the literal fulfilment1 on which 
alone their hopes had at first rested1  
to some far higher and more perfect     
spiritual fulfilment4  ,but not only has
 it been objected that the sceptre      
departed from ,judah long before ,christ
 came1 and that therefore the word      
,shiloh cannot refer to ,him1 but also  
it has been truly said that wherever    
else the word occurs it is the name of a
 town--that town1 viz41 where the ark   

for a long time was stationed1 and from 
which the allotment of territory was    
made to the various tribes2 and the     
prediction has been supposed to mean    
that ,judah should be the leading tribe 
till the land was entered4 ,many        
objections to this naturally occur1 and 
need not be stated4 ,but it comes to be 
an inquiry of some interest1 ,how much  
information regarding a personal        
,messiah did the brethren receive from  
this prophecy8 ,a question very         
difficult indeed to answer4 ,the word   
,shiloh means peace-making1 and if they 
understood this as a proper name1 they  
must have thought of a person such as   
,isaiah designates as the ,prince of    
,peace--a name it was similar to that   
wherewith ,david called his son         
,solomon1 in the expectation that the   
results of his own lifetime of disorder 
and battle would be reaped by his       
successor in a peaceful and prosperous  
reign4 ,it can scarcely be thought      
likely1 indeed1 that this single term   

,shiloh1 which might be applied to many 
things besides a person1 should give to 
the sons of ,jacob any distinct idea of 
a personal ,deliverer2 but it might be  
sufficient to keep before their eyes1   
and specially before the tribe of       
,judah1 that the aim and consummation of
 all lawgiving and ruling was peace4    
,and there was certainly contained in   
this blessing an assurance that the     
purpose of ,judah would not be          
accomplished1 and therefore that the    
existence of ,judah as a tribe would not
 terminate1 until peace had been through
 its means brought into the world3 thus 
was the assurance given1 that the       
productive power of ,judah should not   
fail until out of that tribe there had  
sprung that which should give peace4    
,but to us who have seen the prediction 
accomplished1 it plainly enough points  
to the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah1 who
 in ,his own person combined all kingly 
qualities4 ,in ,him we are taught by    
this prediction to discover once more   

the single ,person who stands out on the
 page of this world's history as        
satisfying men's ideal of what their    
,king should be1 and of how the race    
should be represented2--the ,one who    
without any rival stands in the mind's  
eye as that for which the best hopes of 
men were waiting1 still feeling that the
 race could do more than it had done1   
and never satisfied but in ,him4        
,zebulun1 the sixth and last of ,leah's 
sons1 was so called because said ,leah1 
,now will my husband dwell with me 7such
 being the meaning of the name71 for ,i 
have borne him six sons4 ,all that is   
predicted regarding this tribe is that  
his dwelling should be by the sea1 and  
near the ,phoenician city ,zidon4 ,this 
is not to be taken as a strict          
geographical definition of the tract of 
country occupied by ,zebulun1 as we see 
when we compare it with the lot assigned
 to it and marked out in the ,book of   
,joshua2 but though the border of the   
tribe did not reach to ,zidon1 and      

though it can only have been a mere     
tongue of land belonging to it that ran 
down to the ,mediterranean shore1 yet   
the situation ascribed to it is true to 
its character as a tribe that had       
commercial relations with the           
,phoenicians1 and was of a decidedly    
mercantile turn4 ,we find this same     
feature indicated in the blessing of    
,moses3 ,rejoice1 ,zebulun1 in thy going
 out1 and ,issachar in thy              
tents--,zebulun having the enterprise of
 a seafaring community1 and ,issachar   
the quiet bucolic contentment of an     
agricultural or pastoral population3    
,zebulun always restlessly eager for    
emigration or commerce1 for going out of
 one kind or other2 ,issachar satisfied 
to live and die in his own tents4 ,it is
 still1 therefore1 character rather than
 geographical position that is here     
spoken of--though it is a trait of      
character that is peculiarly dependent  
on geographical position3 we1 for       
example1 because islanders1 having      

become the maritime power and the       
merchants of the world2 not being shut  
off from other nations by the           
encompassing sea1 but finding paths by  
it equally in all directions ready      
provided for every kind of traffic4     
,zebulun1 then1 was to represent the    
commerce of ,israel1 its outgoing       
tendency2 was to supply a means of      
communication and bond of connection    
with the world outside1 so that through 
it might be conveyed to the nations what
 was saving in ,israel1 and that what   
,israel needed from other lands might   
also find entrance4 ,in the ,church     
also1 this is a needful quality3 for our
 well-being there must ever exist among 
us those who are not afraid to launch on
 the wide and pathless sea of opinion2  
those in whose ears its waves have from 
their childhood sounded with a          
fascinating invitation1 and who at last1
 as if possessed by some spirit of      
unrest1 loose from the firm earth1 and  
go in quest of lands not yet discovered1

 or are impelled to see for themselves  
what till now they have believed on the 
testimony of others4 ,it is not for all 
men to quit the shore1 and risk         
themselves in the miseries and disasters
 of so comfortless and hazardous a life2
 but happy the people which possesses1  
from one generation to another1 men who 
must see with their own eyes1 and to    
whose restless nature the discomforts   
and dangers of an unsettled life have a 
charm4 ,it is not the instability of    
,reuben that we have in these men1 but  
the irrepressible longing of the born   
seaman1 who must lift the misty veil of 
the horizon and penetrate its mystery4  
,and we are not to condemn1 even when we
 know we should not imitate1 men who    
cannot rest satisfied with the ground on
 which we stand1 but venture into       
regions of speculation1 of religious    
thought which we have never trodden1 and
 may deem hazardous4 ,the nourishment we
 receive is not all native-grown2 there 
are views of truth which may very       

profitably be imported from strange and 
distant lands2 and there is no land1 no 
province of thought1 from which we may  
not derive what may advantageously be   
mixed with our own ideas2 no direction  
in which a speculative mind can go in   
which it may not find something which   
may give a fresh zest to what we already
 use1 or be a real addition to our      
knowledge4 ,no doubt men who refuse to  
confine themselves to one way of viewing
 truth--men who venture to go close to  
persons of very different opinions from 
their own1 who determine for themselves 
to prove all things1 who have no very   
special love for what they were native  
to and originally taught1 who show      
rather a taste for strange and new      
opinions--these persons live a life of  
great hazard1 and in the end are        
generally1 like men who have been much  
at sea1 unsettled2 they have not fixed  
opinions1 and are in themselves1 as     
individual men1 unsatisfactory and      
unsatisfied2 but still they have done   

good to the community1 by bringing to us
 ideas and knowledge which otherwise we 
could not have obtained4 ,such men ,god 
gives us to widen our views2 to prevent 
us from thinking that we have the best  
of everything2 to bring us to           
acknowledge that others1 who perhaps in 
the main are not so favoured as         
ourselves1 are yet possessed of some    
things we ourselves would be the better 
of4 ,and though these men must          
themselves necessarily hang loosely1    
scarcely attached very firmly to any    
part of the ,church1 like a seafaring   
population1 and often even with a border
 running very close to heathenism1 yet  
let us own that the ,church has need of 
such--that without them the different   
sections of the ,church would know too  
little of one another1 and too little of
 the facts of this world's life4 ,and as
 the seafaring population of a country  
might be expected to show less interest 
in the soil of their native land than   
others1 and yet we know that in point of

 fact we are dependent on no class of   
our population so much for leal         
patriotism1 and for the defence of our  
country1 so one has observed that the   
,church also must make similar use of   
her ,zebuluns--of men who1 by their very
 habit of restlessly considering all    
views of truth which are alien to our   
own ways of thinking1 have become       
familiar with1 and better able to defend
 us against1 the error that mingles with
 these views4  ,issachar receives from  
his father a character which few would  
be proud of or would envy1 but which    
many are very content to bear4 ,as the  
strong ass that has its stall and its   
provender provided can afford to let the
 free beasts of the forest vaunt their  
liberty1 so there is a very numerous    
class of men who have no care to assert 
their dignity as human beings1 or to    
agitate regarding their rights as       
citizens1 so long as their obscurity and
 servitude provide them with physical   
comforts1 and leave them free of heavy  

responsibilities4 ,they prefer a life of
 ease and plenty to a life of hardship  
and glory4 ,they are not lazy nor idle1 
but are quite willing to use their      
strength so long as they are not        
overdriven out of their sleekness4 ,they
 have neither ambition nor enterprise1  
and willingly bow their shoulders to    
bear1 and become the servants of those  
who will free them from the anxiety of  
planning and managing1 and give them a  
fair and regular remuneration for their 
labour4 ,this is not a noble nature1 but
 in a world in which ambition so        
frequently runs through a thorny and    
difficult path to a disappointing and   
shameful end1 this disposition has much 
to say in its own defence4 ,it will     
often accredit itself with              
unchallengeable common sense1 and will  
maintain that it alone enjoys life and  
gets the good of it4 ,they will tell you
 they are the only true utilitarians1   
that to be one's own master only brings 
cares1 and that the degradation of      

servitude is only an idea2 that really  
servants are quite as well off as       
masters4 ,look at them3 the one is as a 
strong1 powerful1 well-cared-for animal1
 his work but a pleasant exercise to    
him1 and when it is over never following
 him into his rest2 he eats the good of 
the land1 and has what all seem to be in
 vain striving for1 rest and            
contentment3 the other1 the master1 has 
indeed his position1 but that only      
multiplies his duties2 he has wealth1   
but that proverbially only increases his
 cares and the mouths that are to       
consume it2 it is he who has the air of 
a bondsman1 and never1 meet him when you
 may1 seems wholly at ease and free from
 care4  ,yet1 after all that can be said
 in favour of the bargain an ,issachar  
makes1 and however he may be satisfied  
to rest1 and in a quiet1 peaceful way   
enjoy life1 men feel that at the best   
there is something despicable about such
 a character4 ,he gives his labour and  
is fed1 he pays his tribute and is      

protected2 but men feel that they ought 
to meet the dangers1 responsibilities1  
and difficulties of life in their own   
persons1 and at first hand1 and not buy 
themselves off so from the burden of    
individual self-control and             
responsibility4 ,the animal enjoyment of
 this life and its physical comforts may
 be a very good ingredient in a national
 character3 it might be well for ,israel
 to have this patient1 docile mass of   
strength in its midst3 it may be well   
for our country that there are among us 
not only men eager for the highest      
honours and posts1 but a great multitude
 of men perhaps equally serviceable and 
capable1 but whose desires never rise   
beyond the ordinary social comforts2 the
 contentedness of such1 even though     
reprehensible1 tempers or balances the  
ambition of the others1 and when it     
comes into personal contact rebukes its 
feverishness4 ,they1 as well as the     
other parts of society1 have amidst     
their error a truth--the truth that the 

ideal world in which ambition1 and hope1
 and imagination live is not everything2
 that the material has also a reality1  
and that though hope does bless mankind1
 yet attainment is also something1 even 
though it be a little4 ,yet this truth  
is not the whole truth1 and is only     
useful as an ingredient1 as a part1 not 
as the whole2 and when we fall from any 
high ideal of human life which we have  
formed1 and begin to find comfort and   
rest in the mere physical good things of
 this world1 we may well despise        
ourselves4 ,there is a pleasantness     
still in the land that appeals to us    
all2 a luxury in observing the risks and
 struggles of others while ourselves    
secure and at rest2 a desire to make    
life easy1 and to shirk the             
responsibility and toil that            
public-spiritedness entails4 ,yet of    
what tribe has the ,church more cause to
 complain than of those persons who seem
 to imagine that they have done enough  
when they have joined the ,church and   

received their own inheritance to enjoy2
 who are alive to no emergency1 nor     
awake to the need of others2 who have no
 idea at all of their being a part of   
the community1 for which1 as well as for
 themselves1 there are duties to        
discharge2 who couch1 like the ass of   
,issachar1 in their comfort without one 
generous impulse to make common cause   
against the common evils and foes of the
 ,church1 and are unvisited by a single 
compunction that while they lie there1  
submitting to whatever fate sends1 there
 are kindred tribes of their own being  
oppressed and spoiled8  ,there seems to 
have been an improvement in this tribe1 
an infusion of some new life into it4   
,in the time of ,deborah1 indeed1 it is 
with a note of surprise that1 while     
celebrating the victory of ,israel1 she 
names even ,issachar as having been     
roused to action1 and as having helped  
in the common cause--the princes of     
,issachar were with ,deborah1 even      
,issachar2 but we find them again in the

 days of ,david wiping out their        
reproach1 and standing by him manfully4 
,and there an apparently new character  
is given to them--the children of       
,issachar1 which were men that had      
understanding of the times1 to know what
 ,israel ought to do4 ,this quite       
accords1 however1 with the kind of      
practical philosophy which we have seen 
to be imbedded in ,issachar's character4
 ,men they were not distracted by high  
thoughts and ambitions1 but who judged  
things according to their substantial   
value to themselves2 and who were1      
therefore1 in a position to give much   
good advice on practical matters--advice
 which would always have a tendency to  
trend too much towards mere             
utilitarianism and worldliness1 and to  
partake rather of crafty politic        
diplomacy than of far-seeing            
statesmanship1 yet trustworthy for a    
certain class of subjects4 ,and here1   
too1 they represent the same class in   
the ,church1 already alluded to2 for one

 often finds that men who will not      
interrupt their own comfort1 and who    
have a kind of stolid indifference as to
 what comes of the good of the ,church1 
have yet also much shrewd practical     
wisdom2 and were these men1 instead of  
spending their sagacity in cynical      
denunciation of what the ,church does1  
to throw themselves into the cause of   
the ,church1 and heartily advise her    
what she ought to do1 and help in the   
doing of it1 their observation of human 
affairs1 and political understanding of 
the times1 would be turned to good      
account1 instead of being a reproach4   
,next came the eldest son of ,rachel's  
handmaid1 and the eldest son of ,leah's 
handmaid1 ,dan and ,gad4 ,dan's name1   
meaning judge1 is the starting point of 
the prediction--,dan shall judge his    
people4 ,this word judge we are perhaps 
somewhat apt to misapprehend2 it means  
rather to defend than to sit in judgment
 on2 it refers to a judgment passed     
between one's own people and their foes1

 and an execution of such judgment in   
the deliverance of the people and the   
destruction of the foe4 ,we are familiar
 with this meaning of the word by the   
constant reference in the ,old          
,testament to ,god's judging ,his       
people2 this being always a cause of joy
 as their sure deliverance from their   
enemies4 ,so also it is used of those   
men who1 when ,israel had no king1 rose 
from time to time as the champions of   
the people1 to lead them against the    
foe1 and who are therefore familiarly   
called ,the ,judges4 ,from the tribe of 
,dan the most conspicuous of these      
arose1 ,samson1 namely1 and it is       
probably mainly with reference to this  
fact that ,jacob so emphatically        
predicts of this tribe1 ,dan shall judge
 his people4 ,and notice the appended   
clause 7as reflecting shame on the      
sluggish ,issachar71 as one of the      
tribes of ,israel1 recognising always   
that his strength was not for himself   
alone1 but for his country2 that he was 

not an isolated people who had to       
concern himself only with his own       
affairs1 but one of the tribes of       
,israel4 ,the manner1 too1 in which ,dan
 was to do this was singularly          
descriptive of the facts subsequently   
evolved4 ,dan was a very small and      
insignificant tribe1 whose lot          
originally lay close to the ,philistines
 on the southern border of the land4 ,it
 might seem to be no obstacle whatever  
to the invading ,philistines as they    
passed to the richer portion of ,judah1 
but this little tribe1 through ,samson1 
smote these terrors of the ,israelites  
with so sore and alarming a destruction 
as to cripple them for years and make   
them harmless4 ,we see1 therefore1 how  
aptly ,jacob compares them to the       
venomous snake that lurks in the road   
and bites the horses' heels2 the        
dust-coloured adder that a man treads on
 before he is aware1 and whose poisonous
 stroke is more deadly than the foe he  
is looking for in front4 ,and especially

 significant did the imagery appear to  
the ,jews1 with whom this poisonous     
adder was indigenous1 but to whom the   
horse was the symbol of foreign armament
 and invasion4 ,the whole tribe of ,dan1
 too1 seems to have partaken of that    
grim humour with which ,samson saw his  
foes walk time after time into the traps
 he set for them1 and give themselves an
 easy prey to him--a humour which comes 
out with singular piquancy in the       
narrative given in the ,book of ,judges 
of one of the forays of this tribe1 in  
which they carried off ,micah's priest  
and even his gods4  ,but why1 in the    
full flow of his eloquent description of
 the varied virtues of his sons1 does   
the patriarch suddenly check himself1   
lie back on his pillows1 and quietly    
say1 ,i have waited for ,thy salvation1 
,o ,god8 ,does he feel his strength     
leave him so that he cannot go on to    
bless the rest of his sons1 and has but 
time to yield his own spirit to ,god8   
,are we here to interpolate one of those

 scenes we are all fated to witness when
 some eagerly watched breath seems      
altogether to fail before the last words
 have been uttered1 when those who have 
been standing apart1 through sorrow and 
reverence1 quickly gather round the bed 
to catch the last look1 and when the    
dying man again collects himself and    
finishes his work8 ,probably ,jacob1    
having1 as it were1 projected himself   
forward into those stirring and warlike 
times he has been speaking of1 so       
realises the danger of his people1 and  
the futility even of such help as ,dan's
 when ,god does not help1 that1 as if   
from the midst of doubtful war1 he      
cries1 as with a battle cry1 ,i have    
waited for ,thy salvation1 ,o ,god4 ,his
 longing for victory and blessing to his
 sons far overshot the deliverance from 
,philistines accomplished by ,samson4   
,that deliverance he thankfully accepts 
and joyfully predicts1 but in the spirit
 of an ,israelite indeed1 and a genuine 
child of the promise1 he remains        

unsatisfied1 and sees in all such       
deliverance only the pledge of ,god's   
coming nearer and nearer to ,his people1
 bringing with ,him ,his eternal        
salvation4 ,in ,dan1 therefore1 we have 
not the catholic spirit of ,zebulun1 nor
 the practical1 though sluggish1 temper 
of ,issachar2 but we are guided rather  
to the disposition which ought to be    
maintained through all ,christian life1 
and which1 with special care1 needs to  
be cherished in ,church-life--a         
disposition to accept with gratitude all
 success and triumph1 but still to aim  
through all at that highest victory     
which ,god alone can accomplish for ,his
 people4 ,it is to be the battle-cry    
with which every ,christian and every   
,church is to preserve itself1 not      
merely against external foes1 but       
against the far more disastrous         
influence of self-confidence1 pride1 and
 glorying in man--,for ,thy salvation1  
,o ,god1 do we wait4  ,gad also is a    
tribe whose history is to be warlike1   

his very name signifying a marauding1   
guerilla troop2 and his history was to  
illustrate the victories which ,god's   
people gain by tenacious1 watchful1     
ever-renewed warfare4 ,the ,church has  
often prospered by her ,dan-like        
insignificance2 the world not troubling 
itself to make war upon her4 ,but       
oftener ,gad is a better representative 
of the mode in which her successes are  
gained4 ,we find that the men of ,gad   
were among the most valuable of ,david's
 warriors1 when his necessity evoked all
 the various skill and energy of        
,israel4 ,of the ,gadites1 we read1     
there separated themselves unto ,david  
into the hold of the wilderness men of  
might1 and men of war fit for the       
battle1 that could handle shield and    
buckler1 whose faces were like the faces
 of lions1 and were as swift as the roes
 upon the mountains3 one of the least of
 them was better than an hundred1 and   
the greatest mightier than a thousand4  
,and there is something particularly    

inspiriting to the individual ,christian
 in finding this pronounced as part of  
the blessing of ,god's people--a troop  
shall overcome him1 but he shall        
overcome at the last4 ,it is this that  
enables us to persevere--that we have   
,god's assurance that present           
discomfiture does not doom us to final  
defeat4 ,if you be among the children of
 promise1 among those that gather round 
,god to catch ,his blessing1 you shall  
overcome at the last4 ,you may now feel 
as if assaulted by treacherous1         
murderous foes1 irregular troops1 that  
betake themselves to every cruel deceit1
 and are ruthless in spoiling you2 you  
may be assailed by so many and strange  
temptations that you are bewildered and 
cannot lift a hand to resist1 scarce    
seeing where your danger comes from2 you
 may be buffeted by messengers of       
,satan1 distracted by a sudden and      
tumultuous incursion of a crowd of cares
 so that you are moved away from the old
 habits of your life amid which you seem

 to stand safely2 your heart may seem to
 be the rendezvous of all ungodly and   
wicked thoughts1 you may feel trodden   
under foot and overrun by sin1 but1 with
 the blessing of ,god1 you shall        
overcome at the last4 ,only cultivate   
that dogged pertinacity of ,gad1 which  
has no thought of ultimate defeat1 but  
rallies cheerfully and resolutely after 
every discomfiture4  ,,footnotes3  #b   
,merivale's ,romans under the ,empire1  
vi4 #bfa4  #c ,plato1 ,repub4 i4 #e1    
etc4  #d ,the subsequent history of the 
tribe shows that the character of its   
father was transmitted4 ,no judge1 no   
prophet1 not one of the tribe of        
,reuben1 is mentioned4 7,vide ,smith's  
,dictionary1 ,reuben47