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may not think it best, too, at all times to explain such things to us, even if we could understand them. We know that he is wise, and good, and right, in all that he says and does; and that should completely satisfy us.

He often leaves us in ignorance, or doubt and perplexity, with regard to his dealings with us and our fellow-men, to see if we will put the most entire confidence in him. Have you, my dear reader, such an unshaken trust in God, even when what he says or does appears to you dark and mysterious?

STORY XVIII.

THE FAITH AND OBEDIENCE OF ABRAHAM IN PREPARING TO OFFER UP ISAAC.

THE Command of God to Abraham, to offer up his beloved son in sacrifice, was as severe a trial of submission and faith as a father could be called upon to endure. He might have hesitated. He might have besought God, with tears and groans, to excuse

him. He might have pleaded the promise of the covenant, which seemed to depend for its fulfilment upon the life of Isaac. And he would only have done what we should think a tender parent would be led to do, under circumstances so afflictive and agitating.

But the faith of Abraham was deep and strong. It could bear such a trial. He had known his heavenly Father too long and too well, to hesitate about placing a full and unshaken confidence in him.

He felt as he ought to feel. There was, indeed, a short and severe struggle in his breast, before the decided purpose was formed. He was overwhelmed with the bitterest sorrow. But he bowed submissively to the will of God. Loving his son most tenderly, he loved his heavenly Father more.

He knew that God had a perfect right to require such a sacrifice, and to remove from this world, at any time, and by any means, the beings whom he had formed and sustained in life. He had often seen this done in the various deaths which took place around him, -some of them suddenly, some of them by disease, and some of them with severe and prolonged suffering. He had just seen God

exercising this right, in the awful destruction of the cities of the plain. That destruction had overwhelmed the old and the young, the parent and the child, the grown up sinner, and the tender infant, in one common ruin.

God, he knew, had a right to remove Isaac by death whenever he chose, and by one kind of death as well as by another, -by the flowing out of his life in the bloody sacrifice, as well as by the slow and painful burnings of a fever.

In either case, it would be done because there were wise and good reasons for doing it, -such reasons as an infinitely wise and good Being would have; although an imperfect and short-sighted creature, like Abraham, might not perceive them, and might regard the command of God as most strange and mysterious.

God, too, could raise his son from the dead; he could gather together the ashes of the consumed body; and change them again into flesh and blood; and give them form and life; and bring back the soul of Isaac, and make him just as he was before, and restore him to the arms of his father; and thus provide for the fulfilment of all his promises.

At any rate, these promises would, in

some way or other, certainly be fulfilled, notwithstanding the sacrifice of Isaac.

Abraham bowed meekly and quietly to the divine command. His faith was equal to the trial. He looked to God for every needed support. In the strength of the Almighty, believing that it would be afforded him, he resolved to go forward. Let the struggle in his breast be what it might; let his anguish as a father be ever so great; he would do what God had required him, and do it without delay.

He

He kept his purpose to himself. waited to see what the end of it all would be before he should make any thing known to his beloved wife and family, and rose up early the next morning, to enter upon the performance of his sad duty.

The land of Moriah, on one of the mountains of which the sacrifice was to be made, was at quite a distance from Beer-sheba. It was in that land, and on a mountain called by the same name, that the temple of Jerusalem was afterwards erected.

For such a journey Abraham had to make some preparations. Among others, he cut wood enough, and split it, for the burnt

offering, to carry with him, for the sake of convenience and despatch. "He saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son,-and went unto the place of which God had told him."

Whether the ass was taken along for Abraham to ride on, while Isaac and the young men carried the wood,-or for the latter purpose, while all went on foot,-we are not informed. At any rate they travelled slowly, and it was not until the third day that they came in sight of the mountains of Moriah, at a considerable distance.

Abraham then stopped, and directed the young men to remain there with the ass, while he and his son should go to one of the mountains and worship, and come back to them again. From this, it would seem, he had a strong assurance that, in some way or other, Isaac, though offered up in sacrifice, would live again; and, either a man as he then was, or a spirit in human form, return with his father.

"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife and they went both of them together.

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