of Egypt," and this is the last thing we have recorded of her. It is plain that Abraham did not lose sight of Ishmael; because at his death we find Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, so that we may infer from this that although Hagar had trouble at the first, yet she was cared for by her master, and that she probably lived to an old age, though Scripture is silent as to the time of her death.

In all this story of Hagar, the bond woman, we see so many evidences of the special care and kind Providence of our God in supplying the necessities of daily life, which should teach us that He is not unmindful of His creatures. His watchful eye is ever over us, for He is the same now as in Hagar's time. As He watched over and provided for her, so He will now for each of us. How beautifully is this described by the Lord Jesus Christ: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore,' ye are of more value than many sparrows." "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all

these things shall be added unto you." (Matt.

x. 29–31; vi. 33.)

"THE birds without barn or storehouse are fed;
From them let us learn to trust for our bread,
His saints what is fitting shall ne'er be denied,
So long as 'tis written: The Lord will provide.'"

"AMONG the deepest shades of night,

Can there be one who sees my way?
Yes;-God is like a shining light,
That turns the darkness into day.

"When every eye around me sleeps,
May I not sin without control?
No; for a constant watch he keeps,
On every thought of every soul.

"If I could find some cave unknown,
Where human feet had never trod,
Yet there I could not be alone;

On

every side there would be God.

"He smiles in heaven; he frowns in hell;

He fills the air, the earth, the sea :-
I must within his presence dwell;
I cannot from his anger flee.

"Yet I may flee, he shows me where,
To Jesus Christ, he bids me fly;
And while I seek for pardon there,
There's only mercy in his eye."

CHAPTER V.

THE PARTIAL MOTHER.

Genesis xxiv., xxv., xxvi., xxvii.

TO-DAY, dear friends, we have a very different story before us to the one we considered at our

last meeting, for I am going to tell you about Rebekah the wife of Isaac. Her history begins in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, and I am sure that we shall find it most interesting. Do you not think it is very kind and loving of our God to give us these beautiful stories of domestic life in the Bible? which the most ignorant of us may understand, because they are so full of power and teaching.

Isaac did not marry until after the death of his mother, Sarah; but as soon as she was dead and buried, Abraham begins to make arrangements for the marriage of his son.

The Canaanites, among whom Abraham dwelt, were idolators, and as he well knew, doomed to destruction, because their land had been promised to his descendants. He will not therefore permit Isaac to take a wife from among them, but he forms a plan to obtain a wife for him from his own family, which he had left behind in Ur of the Chaldees. As neither Abraham nor Isaac were permitted to go back to this place, the Lord having fixed their habitation in Canaan, Abraham engaged his eldest servant, or steward, by oath, to go and fetch a wife for his son, with the assurance that the God who had promised him the land of Canaan as his inheritance, would guide and prosper him in his journey. Abraham's steward, with the like faith to that which had given such assurance to his master, takes the oath required of him, and then immediately prepares for his journey. There was no railroad by which he could travel, but the journey must be performed riding on camels. The man chose ten of these animals, and probably as many men to guide them.

On his arrival at the city where Nahor, Abraham's brother, lived, he halted by a well outside

F

the city, and there he offered up this faithful, but simple prayer: "O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master."

Can you not, my friends, see here what wisdom and calm dignity faith gives? This good man came to Mesopotamia a perfect stranger, and had he acted as we commonly do, he would, instead of waiting quietly upon God, have gone hurrying through the city to find the family he wanted to see, and would then perhaps have failed in his errand; whereas, now we see how God heard his prayer and prospered him in his work. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James v. 16);